A customer at a cafe in York thought not, and complained on TripAdvisor. But a detailed response from the manager made clear just how the costs stacked up
Is the customer always right? In a blow struck for restaurateurs and front-of-house staff everywhere, a manager at Bennett’s Cafe and Bistro in York recently left a robust reply to a complaint left by a customer on TripAdvisor. The review – which, for some inexplicable reason, has been taken down– was picked up on Twitter where it has divided opinion.
The customer, Hannah C, said she went out for “afternoon tea” on a “tight budget” and complained about being charged £2 for “hot water and a thin slice of lemon”. The restaurant was, she said, “over-priced” and home to “very rude staff”.
I’m sorry that you feel that you were “ripped off” and I’ll try to explain why you weren’t. You entered the cafe and the waiter showed you to your seat, gave you a menu, waited for a time and then took your order. He entered it into the till, collected a cup, saucer and spoon and took them into the kitchen. There, he selected a knife, chopping board, got a lemon from the fridge, cut off a slice and put it in the cup. Then, he returned to the dining room, drew off the necessary hot water and carried the cup to your table. When you were leaving, he printed off your bill, took it to you, processed your credit card payment and cashed off the till. After you left, he cleared away your cup, saucer and spoon, took them into the kitchen, washed and dried them, along with the chopping board and knife and put away the lemon. Then, returning to the dining room, he restacked the cup, saucer and spoon, wiped down your table and replaced the menu, awaiting the next customer.
That’s at least 2-3 minutes work for the waiter.
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