A guest made a very extensive complaint at a popular restaurant - but the landlord's salty counterattack was also tough.
Lingen - Just ignore it? Or answer? Simon Kuhl decided on a different solution. The landlord of the Hotel and Restaurant Altes Landhaus in Lingen (Lower Saxony) discovered a letter in his mailbox that left him speechless. When he found the words again, he quickly made the complaint public on Facebook with a long statement. This begins with the following words: “Sometimes we don’t know whether we should cry with laughter or laugh with tears. Here we received a bombshell email that we have never experienced before.”
Lingen/Lower Saxony: Host responds in detail to restaurant complaint
Apparently a guest didn't enjoy the visit - or the food - at the restaurant at all. And he vented this in writing. The visitor complained about three dishes in a rather small way. Example: “Ordered according to the menu: 'Kikok chicken breast fillet + market vegetables + risotto in ...': - What was served was not 'chicken breast fillet', but Kikok chicken legs. Service asked about it. Reaction: zero.”
The innkeeper also takes a detailed stance, for example: “We offered and served Kikok corn chicken breast supreme, curry lime sauce, fresh market vegetables and risotto. The Supreme represents the cut we make when releasing the corn chicken. We leave part of the wing bone attached to the breast fillet with skin on. You can like it or ask customer service when you order what that means.”
Now the guest's dissatisfaction is a fact. And it is entirely possible that the kitchen in the Altes Landhaus in Lingen had a rather bad day at Easter. Not everyone in the Google reviews is happy, but the average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars shows that it is an address in Lower Saxony that is perceived as tasty by the overwhelming majority. But not for the complaining guest. What else he didn't like can be read in detail in the Facebook post. Right down to the risotto, where something about the rice wasn't right. And the vanilla ice cream.
Lingen/Lower Saxony: Guest threatens to complain via online review and to the gastro association
The host also quotes “our absolute favorite sentences at the end of the email.” They begin with: “You can assume that I know how to distinguish between reasonable value for money (on the plate) and 'cheap'.” The complainer notes that he is familiar with the offer from a gastro wholesaler (probably a... hidden accusation that not everything could have been cooked himself) threatens to share his experiences with the catering association and the well-known online rating portals.
There is also a detailed reaction from the chef about this. He explains that his products do not come from the wholesaler in question, although they have “a really great range from great, fresh products to sophisticated convenience products”, “which are probably used in many companies where you have already been satisfied. He goes on to say: “Feel free to share your experiences with Dehoga and write a corresponding review on the World Wide Web, I certainly won’t stop you from doing that.”
The stunned restaurateur’s public appeal: “I would like to ask you for one more favor: When you go to a pub, restaurant, café, etc. in the near future, please recognize the work that your colleagues do in the evenings, on public holidays, on Sundays or at times when you would like to celebrate yourself. And if something doesn't fit, speak to it directly on site, even ask the boss, and give it a second chance. If that doesn't work, you can always give the obligatory 1-star Google rating without a comment." He's not the only one who seems to know this - recently, a review from a guest caused a lack of understanding online because he got exactly what he got he wanted.
Lingen/Lower Saxony: Stunned host is “now going to practice cooking rice”
The innkeeper concludes with the words “I'm going to practice cooking rice now, greetings and have a nice weekend!” For his open reaction, he received dozens of “likes” and encouraging comments: “Any popcorn left? Finest entertainment. Well written, there's nothing to add!" One user says: "What terrible people there are." And another says: "Most of the time, those who are dissatisfied are those who can't even manage a fried egg!" With the elaborate reaction the restaurateur apparently hit the mark. A woman who was refused a Kinderschnitzel also caused a restaurant scandal. Another complained loudly after she was charged extra for her extra request.
(lin)