Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Have to get this off my chest.....

A restaurant I've enjoyed several dinners at lost my credit card the other night. I was treating my mom and her friend to dinner at an established Zurich location. They operate several restaurants in Zurich. As well as Italy. And have their own vineyard/winery.


So if you're familiar with Zurich, you may be able to discern which restaurant 'group' I'm talking about.


Anyhooooooooo - they lost my card. And didn't look very hard, note=never asked a customer to check under table for dropped card. They quickly asked me to pay with another card and they would try to cancel the other card for me (which of course doesn't work without the card #).


Understand - service here is VERY different from the States. I would not expect them to "comp" me anything - this is Switzerland. I ate the food, I should pay for it - anyone who's read the October, 2008 incident of the Apfel Struedel knows what I'm talking about. (sorry - it won't link ???)

However, I would have expected certain respects which even Bart admits, he would have received differently than I. I think that's what makes me most irritated. Some of their assumptions, the need to hurry us (ladies) out of the way (I felt) - it just didn't sit well. In fact, they apologized at the end but did not wish me back to their establishment. Maybe an oversight?

I'll admit, it was tops on my list for my Birthday dinner. I'm giving you notice Bart - it's not on the list anymore! But you already knew that, didn't you?

So I wrote my letter of suggestions to the parent company re: improvements to their customer service and my dissatisfaction with the handling of the incident. I don't know that they'll take the suggestions. Perhaps? I hope. If I had been a tourist, I would have been extremely upset. As it was, me being me, I left feeling a bit embarrassed - I shouldn't have been. I'm not the one who lost my credit card.

I will say: I'm happiest where I'm treated well- it doesn't matter what the food is or how much it costs. It's the treatment of the person. Which is probably why one of my favorite places to eat is on a hiking trail in the mountains..... Funny - they don't take credit cards there.

1 comment:

MOM E said...

Having watched this unfold, you were sooo nice and should be commended for your cool head. They were lucky your Father was not the one in the restaurant with you...need I say more! Great dinner, great evening...thanks