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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be annoyed with restaurant

71 replies

Rochelaise18 · 13/07/2018 16:20

Accompanied one of my friend's to a funeral yesterday. After the wake we went to eat at a restaurant we've been to a few times. Due to my being gluten intolerant, we picked this restaurant as they serve gluten free dishes. We placed our order and I asked for gluten free garlic bread as the menu said they offered it and we had been informed it would be a 30 minute wait for our food. Friend also ordered some bread for herself.
The bread for my friend and my garlic bread was brought out and I noticed there wasn't a sticker to say it was gluten free. I asked the member of staff who brought the food out and she said it was gluten free.
I ate a couple of bites and realised that the taste was wrong. I asked the staff member who took our order and she said "I didn't understand you", snatched the plate away and walked off. She returned a few minutes later and stated they had no gluten free bread left. I told her I couldn't have anything with gluten in it and she walked off without offering to see if there was anything else I could have.
I raised a complaint with the manager and was told that I was wrong about what the member of staff had said, and that it was a misunderstanding, if I didn't agree that I was partly to blame, they would not make any record of what had happened, and that, if it made me ill to just go to my GP. I explained the consequences of eating even a small amount of gluten would mean me missing work and not being paid, only for it to be shrugged off with "not our fault".
Would I really be unreasonable to take this further than the manager I spoke to, as, while myself and my friend have said we will never eat there again, I do worry for anyone with a food intolerance eating there and the attitude of the manager I spoke with leaves me feeling they won't change their attitude.

OP posts:

9amTrain · 16/07/2018 18:05

And it's "misunderstanding" not "miss understanding", they're not talking about an unmarried woman...

Andro · 16/07/2018 18:09

Dear Sir/Madam,

Further to your request that I call the branch manager (see the copy of your email attached), I have now been directly accused of lying about what occurred on the date in question. Additionally, I have been blamed for an incorrect order being brought to me. Given the demonstrated inability of this branch of La Tasca to take responsibility for their unacceptable level of service, I now feel I have no choice but to stop frequenting this chain.

I'd also consider a report to the food standards agency...but I can be a bit oversensitive to this kind of thing.

Starlighter · 16/07/2018 18:17

To the “what happened years ago/in my day” brigade:
Some people were just very ill all their lives and many died young. People with allergies and intolerances, especially children, were often just noted as “failure to thrive” as causes were then unknown.

We now know the reasons. Now, our biggest problem is ignorance.

Starlighter · 16/07/2018 18:20

Good luck OP. I have both a daughter and a husband with severe food intolerances. Definitely take it further. That FB reply was pathetic.

elephantoverthehill · 16/07/2018 18:27

Starlighter well said. My Dsis could have died of malnutrition. Luckily my DM suggested coeliac disease as a possible cause to the GP as she by chance read an article about it. This was in the '70s

Fivelittleduckies · 16/07/2018 18:52

What a horrible way for this chain to have dealt with this issue.
Not that you should have to - but my advice is to state that you are coeliac when eating out because (as evidenced in this thread also) people do not take intolerance seriously at all.

It is nobody’s businesss what your level of intolerance is, nor your physical symptoms as a result of said intolerance. The level of ignorance is disappointing.

But for the purposes of dealing with ignorant twats call it an allergy and save yourself this frustration.

Good luck with taking it further - I am appalled by their initial response to you.

trojanpony · 16/07/2018 19:30

Totally unprofessional and duplicitous actions

I love the inappropriately casual reply indicating “both were gutted“. Pull the other one.

I will be giving them a swerve from now on.
Hope you aren’t feeling too poorly OP
What shits they are...

extinctspecies · 16/07/2018 21:12

That's appalling. I will never eat there again.

AnathemaPulsifer · 16/07/2018 21:48

That's astonishingly poor service, both at the time and afterwards from the manager.

BadMoodBetty · 16/07/2018 21:52

That is appalling, both the incident and the way they've "dealt" with it. My sister is gluten intolerant, its fucking awful, she was ill for years before cutting it out.

We definitely won't be going any where near La Tasca at the Trafford centre ever again. Attitudes like theirs (and some of the ones in this thread) are what makes life so bloody difficult for sufferers of food allergies and intolerances.

Take it further.

scantilylace · 16/07/2018 22:56

Unreal! I'm not on fb, but could you link to this thread so they can see just how big an impact your review is having? It's definitely put me off going back there!

iamawagama · 16/07/2018 23:14

Boycott La Tasca! What a shitty, unprofessional response. "Miss understanding" "gutted".

Go further OP

IHopeYouStepOnALegoPiece · 16/07/2018 23:27

Thank you for the heads up. If La Tasca are so incapable of coping with intolerances then we shan’t go there again. Not worth the risk when a company clearly gives no shits

Labradoodliedoodoo · 16/07/2018 23:32

Omg that is an outrageous phone call with the manager. He’s a snake!

AjasLipstick · 17/07/2018 00:20

That message is barely literate!

"Gutted"?? How unprofessional!

Original poster

Rochelaise18 · 17/07/2018 23:39

Had a response to my email (went out early due to no work and only saw it when I got home):
Good morning Rochelaise18,
Thank you so much for getting in touch following your recent experience with our team at the Trafford Centre.
I am truly sorry to read of your experience and assure you this is being managed with our team. I would really appreciate the opportunity to speak with you personally, would you mind advising of the best contact no. I can reach you on?
I look forward to hearing from you.
Best,
Guest Experience Manager

I've replied with my number and advised that I have spoken with the GM of the restaurant and that the conversation with him hasn't done anything to attempt to restore my confidence in La Tasca.
Now waiting on the phone call.

OP posts:

AjasLipstick · 17/07/2018 23:46

That sounds more promising. At least that person understands the correct tone in which to speak to customers! The other one was shocking!

I can't get over "gutted"!

Original poster

Rochelaise18 · 19/07/2018 09:45

The guest experience manager phoned yesterday evening. She was very apologetic. I was told that, as soon as I had mentioned the words gluten-free, the waitress should have got a manager to take the order and that the manager on duty should have approached immediately upon being informed of the situation. She told me that, while she would love for me to return to La Tasca as a customer, she understands that trust has been lost. As an alternative, she suggested that she will be happy to arrange a visit to their sister chain, Las Iguanas to experience how things should be handled, for myself and my friend for a complimentary meal. In the meantime, she will be checking in with the management and staff at La Tasca Trafford Centre to ensure that correct practices are being followed as they should be identical from store to store and between the 2 chains.

OP posts:

MrsMWA · 19/07/2018 09:52

The OP said they were ‘intolerant’ not a coeliac. I am a diagnosed coeliac and just don’t eat any bread/pasta etc etc even if they say it’s gluten free. I take responsibility for my own body and only eat food that I think is safe. I would never trust a restaurant, waiting staff etc as people just can’t all be trained/informed whatever, gluten is hidden in so many things. Also I don’t think suppliers are 100% honest on ingredients either despite what the law says. I wouldn’t bother taking this further.

extinctspecies · 19/07/2018 20:05

MrsMWA Do you really not even buy GF bread or pasta from reputable places? Your life must be very difficult!

My DS (who is a student) probably couldn't survive without GF pasta from the supermarket, and I buy decent GF bread online from the Wheat-Free Bakery in Scotland which is really not bad.

We also trust the M&S GF products.

OhLookHeKickedTheBall · 19/07/2018 22:27

I never realised Las Iguanas was a sister restaurant. I've used many Las Iguanas and they've all been brilliant. One cocked my order up but it never even left the kitchen, the waiting staff noticed and my order was remade whilst they apologised profusely to me. All that had happened was whilst the main meal was GF, they'd put non GF tacos on top so had cross contaminated. I really appreciated they weren't mucking around.

Glad the guest experience manager took it more seriously though.

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