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2009-12-13
10 views
Terribly inflexible service.My boyfriend and I walked to Paterson street around 2:40 trying to get something fresh and light for a saturday lunch. After browsing at their lunch menu (4 for the day, penne, risooto, beef tenderloin and sth..forgot) of this restaurant, and the menu of the restaurant (Galano restuarante) at its opposite, we decided to go for Pumpernickel despite it looks a bit crowded as conveyed by its entrance coz we used to like restaurants with some character (which those like
My boyfriend and I walked to Paterson street around 2:40 trying to get something fresh and light for a saturday lunch. After browsing at their lunch menu (4 for the day, penne, risooto, beef tenderloin and sth..forgot) of this restaurant, and the menu of the restaurant (Galano restuarante) at its opposite, we decided to go for Pumpernickel despite it looks a bit crowded as conveyed by its entrance coz we used to like restaurants with some character (which those like Pumpernickel are considered as one) and we've tried their bread in their Tin hau store before and it was good. (PS Galano has good comfy window seats with white table cloths and a so-so fine italian setting but we used to have Galano now n then so don't wanna loop)
It was 2:50 when we entered Pumpernickel and we were arranged a terribly mean seating, which was a small small round table packed within 2 other round tables. My boyfriend n I were both quite tall and we don't even have good place to fit in our legs and my shoulder nearly touched the girl sitting at the table right of me huffy: - so near that I can hear her entire conversation with her boyfriend :
Seeing the patroners at the table left of me (which was the table beside the wall) is already having their set meal drink and has a high chance of leaving shortly, we decided to stay and plan to move to the table next to us as the patroners leave.
Food-wise: We wanted to order a lunch set (risotto) $78 and a egg benedict breakfast set $78 which both comes with soup and coffee. Actualy we had taken some time to think what to eat coz apart from the set lunch, all of them are breakfast set and cakes, or else the "main dishes" like pasta costs around $110 which has no drinks nor soup included. As my boyfriend is quite hungry today he wanted to have a decent lunch instead of taking breakfast set.
It was 2:55 when we called the waitress to take our order for the lunch and she was busy around and asked us to wait after she attend to another customer. When she was finally free to attend to us, we told her what we want and she glanced at her watch and said, oh, it's 3:00 pm now, our order for set lunch is JUST closed.
WUTDA? are you trying to trap us? We asked for service at 2:55 and you asked us to wait for 5 mins until the order's closed, given you didn't "warn" us beforehand?
We said, well, it's just 10 secs past. Can you do it for us? She said, no sorry, can't do. Sir, you can do a-la-carte for the risotto. (without and apology) and you can add the coffee and soup yourself (like +$35)
Yes, true, you can make your own set, but including soup n coffee it will be $145 which I think any rational person will not think worth it even though when we are already those who are very willing to spend on dining. The watress saw our face tilted a bit and said - "well you think again (la)" with her face seems to say - "you are so troublesome" and she went away to do her own stuff again. Wutda? seems I don't need to pay for this meal so you offer me this service?
What kind of inflexible they offer? it was just 10 secs past and they will not take the lunch order. I don't think it is the problem of the POS system that it won't let her pass through the order but maybe it's the instruction from her boss or it's even out of her own inflexible personailty. And given that we don't to order 2 sets of breakfast which is so dull, I got the message in my boyfriend's eyes (which was what I'm thinking as well ) and we left the restaurnat without leaving a word.
If this shop thinks foregoing 10 secs of peak hour (maybe coz they think tea time is their peak hours and don't want you to keep their seat) to satisfy their customers' desire is NOT worthwhile, then, congratulate it and yes, I will never patron again. The competition among restaurants is so severe nowadays and seems they don't understand the thoery of upsetting one customer results in an exponential impact, and particularly upsetting target customer segments which i suppose I am one of them given 1) I often patron coffee shops as I like to bring my laptop to work in coffee shops on sundays and 2) me n my girlfriends used to go to coffee shops for catch-ups and 3) we are a couple and upsetting one of us just mean upsetting both of us, is definitely an unwise choice. Even if this meal is free I will not expect this service.
We ended up went to Galano which was not much surprises, but at least we can have a wide choice of tea sets/ set lunch (as well) to choose from, enjoy a meal of privacy with attentive services and comfy seating with fine cutleries - not like pumpernickel - their glasses were sooo worn out too as if you are using knives and forks from rubbish bin....)
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