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Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Rocks Urban Grill and Bar sucks, says Gin Nee

"Great food. Great taste. It rocks." --- that's the tagline Rocks Urban Grill and Bar at The Sail in Marina Bay uses to promote itself.

But as far as Gin Nee Goh is concerned, it sucks. This was after she was told off by the owner of the restaurant, Roxan Villareal, for cancelling her lunch booking for seven people yesterday.

Apparently, he did not care to listen to her reason for making the cancellation, which was made 30 minutes before the appointment.

After the scolding she received, Gin Nee wrote the following email to the restaurant to complain:

"I would like to provide feedback on a very negative and disapppointing encounter with your restaurant. I had made a reservation for seven people at your restaurant and unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances as a result of last-minute unavailability amongst the lunch party, had to cancel the reservation about half an hour before we were due to turn up for lunch.

"I had called the restaurant at the very first opportunity to cancel the reservation so that the restaurant would be able to release the table.

"During the call, I also apologised (very sincerely, I must add) for the cancellation. In turn, I received an extremely rude response rebuking me for cancelling last minute, and telling me I should never make another reservation at the restaurant with my name, and that I am not welcomed ever to dine at the restaurant.

"I am sure restaurants face frustration and inconvenience when customers fail to turn up at the last minute but this I believe, is part and parcel of operating in the restaurant industry, and should never warrant the customer having to suffer such a rude response.

"This, I also believe, applies even to the highly acclaimed restaurants. Also, a restaurant situated in the financial hub and being one of the options for client lunches should be flexible enough to understand that professionals like us very often do not have control over our own schedules and inevitably get called up for last-minute meetings etc which ensue in client lunches then getting cancelled.

"The treatment I received was highly unprofessional (despite the effort I took to actually call the restuarant to inform of the cancellation) and is the worst experience I have ever encountered with a restaurant, be it dining with clients or on a personal basis.

"So now that my client lunch is rescheduled, I would need to make another lunch booking, but I would definitely take your advice to never ever step into your restaurant again. P/s: There is no lack of good restaurants in Singapore where I am certain I would be more than welcomed."

Instead of getting an apology for the appallingly rude encounter, Gin Nee was shocked when she received an email respomse from the owner Villareal himself, all written in caps no less:

"AS THE OWNER AND PERSON THAT REPLIED TO YOU YOU SHOULD BE ASHAME OF WRITING SUCH

"THE RUDE ONE OBVIOUSLY IS YOU . BECAUSE OF SUCH BEHAVIOUR RESTAURANT IN THIS LOVELY CITY WILL HAVE TO BE MORE CAREFUL AND ASKING FOR UNREFUNDABLE DEPOSIT . GOOD LUCK Yours faithfully, Roxan Villareal".

To this, Gin Nee coolly replied: "Truly disappointed that the lovely people in MY lovely country have to put up with an attitude like that. It's a good thing we have choices. Such un-lovely attitude has no place here. Would strongly recommend that Mr Villareal tries a new dish - humble pie."

Indeed!!!

5 comments:

Shionge said...

I am totally totally appalled and flabbergasted that the restaurant manager responded in such manner. So sorry for Gin Nee and it is good that this case is highlighted to all.

I would, like her call if I am unable to make it for the lunch booking and that is being courteous on our part so that table can be released. Imagine, if we are 'RUDE' as the owner claimed (wrongfully claimed), she could have just ignored it totally and not bother at all!!!

Thanks for this PY and Gin Nee..... I will not walk into this restaurant too.

Anonymous said...

This type of attitude is...so non-standard for the F&B industry here in Singapore.

I've dined at so many established restaurants here, in the few occasions that I need to cancel an appointment I'd usually be thanked for informing them.

I'm sure there are some service improvement courses this Mr Villareal would like to sign up for. Wait, it'd be hard to find a cure for attitude problems (read: pride) such as this.

Definitely a place I won't be patronising in the near future.

Unknown said...

this is a place i m NEVER EVER going in....

Anonymous said...

This kind of attitude is not acceptable in the service industry more so when he is the owner himself. However, being more gracious, we can understand the frustration that he felt when cancellation of booking was done 30 mins prior to the booking time.
Hope that he has the opportunity to read this blog and change his way of conducting business not only in our lovely country but anywhere in the world.

Smile..it makes the world a better place to live in. :):)

Anonymous said...

With a really unreasonable character that Gin Nee has, she deserved even worse than that.