131 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

If you need to be reminded to be courteous and respectful, then a blaring Yelp review is likely par for the course, no doubt.

[dasmo]

Are you sure they cooked your steak wrong? A lot of people order medium rare when they want medium.

 

[Mike K.]

Yeah, I'm a steak guy, and it definitely seemed more-so rare than medium rare.

 

99% of the time I'll have rare or blue.

[lanforod]

If you usually have rare or blue rare, why are you complaining about the steak?

 

It can be difficult to get a steak exactly right. Restaurants that do a lot of steak try to err slightly on the less done side, rather than more done side, as less done can be corrected somewhat.

[weirdie]

I guess sometimes "don't you know who I am?" doesn't get the reaction you're looking for.

[Mr Cook Street]

Stirred quite the debate on facebook with the post.

[Mike K.]

Wouldn't that be a nice line to use, hey? But unfortunately I don't quite have that much clout.

 

It's only fair to tell someone you're planning on writing a review of their restaurant and where it's going, right? I gave them a chance, I reiterated that a negative experience was not my intent, but considering the way the situation was being dealt with I felt like I had no choice.

 

Believe me, the last thing I had wanted to do was to pen something negative about the place. I was looking forward to my experience there, I really was. But to be treated like my partner and I were the inconvenience was a real let down.

[johnk]

Mike, maybe they looked over and saw the loud group was outspending you 2-1 and did the math. ;-)
Seriously, its not a beanery or a beer hall. It purports to be a serious resto and should ensure patrons can enjoy their meal. When other diners were also seemingly annoyed that should have been their clue to have a word with the raucous table.

[Mike K.]

Yeah, John, you might be right. Someone just wrote on Facebook:

 

Some ladies were drinking and having a good time, probably spending more money than you, and considering it was your first visit to the restaurant, they were most likely a much more privileged clientele that likely are better patronage.

 

 

If that's the attitude of the restaurant (I'm not saying it is, but if it "were") then that's unfortunate. Obviously 4 vs. 2 will spend more money, but I shouldn't have to sit in a restaurant listening f-bombs. That's just not cool.

 

Anyways, this review has obviously struck a chord. And that's great. Keep the feedback coming.

[lanforod]

Wouldn't that be a nice line to use, hey? But unfortunately I don't quite have that much clout.

 

It's only fair to tell someone you're planning on writing a review of their restaurant and where it's going, right? I gave them a chance, I reiterated that a negative experience was not my intent, but considering the way the situation was being dealt with I felt like I had no choice.

 

Believe me, the last thing I had wanted to do was to pen something negative about the place. I was looking forward to my experience there, I really was. But to be treated like my partner and I were the inconvenience was a real let down.

 

Didn't you basically use that line recently on BC Transit, and it worked, somewhat?

[Mike K.]

When the driver who nearly ran me over started threatening me with supervisors, what was I to say other than ask if he really wanted a social media situation on his and his employer's hands?

But telling someone you're writing a review for VibrantVictoria, and them acknowledging what it is, is a different thing altogether. Now thousands of people are aware someone had a negative experience at a classy restaurant. That's bad optics, but I gave them the chance to do something, anything, but they didn't.

How would people react if I was the one acting like a buffoon in a classy restaurant? They'd say that Mike K guy is an idiot with no class. But because Mike K who is entrenched in social media and had a negative experience, that makes him a real jerk for voicing it? I don't get it.

[spanky123]

I don't know what people are debating here as there is really only one answer. Mike is a customer and he had a valid concern. If the owner cared about his clients then he would reach out and address Mike directly. If it was me I would entice him back with a 2 for 1 or a discount to show him that the experience was atypical and that his patronage was valued. Picking sides over the value of a bill is foolish. The fact is that Victoria's average age is 50+ and most people in that demographic would prefer not to have foul language and loud voices as part of their meal. There is a big difference between a loud ambient background and a few bafoons mouthing off.

[sebberry]

but I shouldn't have to sit in a restaurant listening f-bombs. That's just not cool.

 

You'd have loved the sound check at Phillips for Rifflandia before the crowds showed up - the two rap artists probably told each other to f-off about 30 times with the volume cranked up.

[LocalMom]

Not exactly fair. Brasserie is NOT a loud venue, we have been many many times. We expect (from our previous eats there) to be able to speak with our table mates at a normal, conversational level. It's the place all our parents (in their 60-70s) want to go when they visit Victorua, they definitely don't want a loud venue.

[jonny]

I bet if Mike went back to Brass 10 times he would find the place to have an enjoyable atmosphere.

 

They should have comp'd part of your bill. I went to Pags last week and ordered something I really didn't like but it was my fault because I didn't read the whole description on the menu. They offered to comp my meal even though they totally did nothing wrong. That was pretty impressive customer service.

[Marc]

I bet if Mike went back to Brass 10 times he would find the place to have an enjoyable atmosphere.

 

They should have comp'd part of your bill. I went to Pags last week and ordered something I really didn't like but it was my fault because I didn't read the whole description on the menu. They offered to comp my meal even though they totally did nothing wrong. That was pretty impressive customer service.

Mike didn't tell us the steak was under cooked. When the server made what we call a Quality Check he was told that everything was fine. We could have easily and quickly cooked it more.

[johnk]

I guess sometimes "don't you know who I am?" doesn't get the reaction you're looking for.

Old joke... self-important guy gets in a wrangle at the airport and uses that line. Airline employee calls security and says, "Can you help? We have someone here who does not seem to know who he is."

[colin99]

Our last meal there was a couple of years ago...

We were there and there was a celebrity at the table to our left and

some devoted fans who were at the table to our right....

 

The back and forth was endless... and the host, hostess, chef and bar keep were

at the celebrity table the entire evening doting on them

so I got to eat with someone's butt inches away my head the entire night...

 

It was an outrage that regular customers get treated like "Meh..."

there and someone important comes in...someone who eats the

same food and leaves the same tip - gets treated like royalty.

 

This is why I think that Brasserie L' ecole let us down that night - great food

but generally pretentious and they show a lot of favortism...

[VicHockeyFan]

Welcome to the forum Colin.  OK, was it Trevor Linden?  You gotta tell us.

 

Also I see you are new, but you don't have to use the old typewriter if you don't want to, you can use a computer here.   

[Mike K.]

Mike didn't tell us the steak was under cooked. When the server made what we call a Quality Check he was told that everything was fine. We could have easily and quickly cooked it more.

For sure, but you know what, that was just an aside. I can live with it being undercooked, normally I like it rare. But that's not so much the issue as how your staff reacted to a reasonable request.

When a patron is asking for civility in a high end restaurant the decision by your staff to disregard the feedback and justify the behaviour of disruptive patrons is a very poor reflection on your business.

We felt disregarded, we felt like we didn't matter. We weren't expecting a quiet atmosphere, not at all, but when patrons next to us are so loud that other patrons can't hold a conversation then your staff should have a plan to address such instances. If they don't then perhaps this is an opportunity to plan for a similar event in the future.