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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

WIBU? Confronted after restaurant review.

103 replies

CantsitWontsit · 27/11/2018 12:20

My DH and I ordered a takeaway for delivery Saturday night via JustEat.

We ordered at 7:30pm, the app said restaurant had accepted order and food would be there by 8:20pm.

We use this restaurant a lot when we want convenience. The food is okay, good value, and we occasionally eat in there as my parents love it.

My DH has never rated the place but uses it because it is convenient. Anyway, when the food wasn't with us by 9pm, he checked the app, and it stated it was delivered. He called the restaurant who said it would be leaving in a minute, but no apology or explanation. The restaurant is a 5 minute walk from our house. The food turned up 30 minutes later, and was cold. My DH left a 1.5 star review on JustEat saying he had had a longer than expected wait and it was cold.

Anyway, the next day, I was in hospital having emergency surgery (nothing terrible but very necessary - another thread) and my DH went to get a coffee whilst I was in theatre. The restaurant owner was in the area where you get coffee and things, and walked over to my husband and said: "You left a bad review!" My DH replies to say this was not the time or the place. The restaurant owner raised his voice and said again "You left a bad review and that wasn't fair!" My DH raised his voice back and said again it wasn't the time or the place and walked away.

I felt the review was a bit tough as they know us and because of my parents we are likely to have to go back there, in the near future. But I am surprised the the owner would confront DH this way, in a hospital to boot.

So WIBU?

OP posts:
Jaxhog · 27/11/2018 13:50

Perfectly reasonable. The food was over an hour late and cold. And they lied online about having delivered it!

Some restauranters can be quite bloody minded about bad reviews. I'm now banned from a local cafe for giving it a THREE star review! I wasn't especially tough, just repeated my less than perfect experience. Her reply was a rude and personal attack, combined with a ban. I wouldn't go there again now even if I was invited.

HollowTalk · 27/11/2018 13:57

What is stopping these people from responding with "I'm so sorry - we'll review our delivery methods immediately"?

MrsWhiskersen · 27/11/2018 13:58

Oh, sorry, he was being unreasonable then

MrsWhiskersen · 27/11/2018 13:59

The restaurant owner I mean not your OH.

AmIRightOrAMeringue · 27/11/2018 14:07

I think it's unreasonable to leave a bad review if it's opinion (just because something isn't to your taste really that most people would be OK with) or if it's exagerated or if it's really subjective (awful atmosphere or something). Or if you've already complained and got an explanation and apology and money off. But if it's purely factual (order said half an hour, but took an hour and a half and no apology) then I don't think it's unreasonable at all (unless your had a hundred takeaways on time and this one time was late and you haven't mentioned this on the review - in that case maybe you were being a little harsh)

But he went about confronting you at the wrong place and time and could also have done it better (what can we do better next time, would you consider editing it etc) - having a go at someone is never going to get them to be positive about you online!

Original poster
CantsitWontsit · 27/11/2018 14:09

I would imagine if you run a restaurant/take out place and have done for years, then you would have to develop a thick skin and be open to the criticism at times.

But maybe, like some posters have said, he was in the hospital because he had a friend/relative he was worried about and he saw my DH and just lost it a bit. It is a shame.

OP posts:
DarlingNikita · 27/11/2018 14:22

couldn't he just have said 'the food was nearly two hours late and it was cold' rather than repeating 'this is not the time'? It just sounds evasive..

Don't be silly. Who the fuck would bring up something like that in a hospital when you've no idea what people are in for or what they're going through?

YANBU, OP. Of course you left a bad review; the service was shocking. Tell your parents exactly what happened and they'll understand. I wouldn't darken the place's door again. And if the owner confronts you or DH again (in a less inappropriate context!) tell him exactly what the problem was.

WizardOfToss · 27/11/2018 14:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

VanGoghsDog · 27/11/2018 14:33

If it's a place you use that often, as you seem to, it's a bit odd to leave a review like that and not just pop in or phone them and tell them you're not happy.

Also very odd to use JustEat for a place 5 mins walk away. I'm sure they must take normal phone orders if you can't get out, and they make more money that way, JE takes a large percentage.

I have personally stopped leaving feedback for anything. I'm over it. I'm bored of being asked to feedback on everything. One day I stopped in a shop doorway to put my coat on as rain had started and I got a Google alert asking me to rate the shop!

Crunchymum · 27/11/2018 14:38

It's all a bit odd really? Accosting your DH in hospital is bizarre.

Your parents can surely eat there without you and your DH, if they love it so much.

Dungeondragon15 · 27/11/2018 14:40

It was obviously very wrong of him to confront your DH in person about the review but I suppose that he may not be in a good state of mind. I would let it go but never go there again (unless you don't mind spit in your food!)

mickeymacca · 27/11/2018 14:44

How on earth did he know that it was your DH? He must know your name and your DH must use his real band when leaving reviews? He must know you well?

CrispbuttyNo1 · 27/11/2018 14:45

It’s a bit odd that you were too ill to be left alone for five minutes while your husband ran down to get the food, which you were able to eat, but you were rushed in for emergency surgery the next day. And in the middle of this, your husband found the time to write a bad review.

mickeymacca · 27/11/2018 14:45

Use his real name that should say

CrispbuttyNo1 · 27/11/2018 14:45

I don’t know about justeat but Trip advisor reviews take about 48 hours to go up on the site

Original poster
CantsitWontsit · 27/11/2018 14:54

I don't know how JustEat works, but the review is there. He uses his first name only on it so it shows as 'John' (not his name). They know us because we have lived down the road from them for the last 7 years, order fairly often and have eaten in their several times.

Crispy, I had been in hospital all day, kept nil by mouth as they were trying to squeeze me in to be operated Saturday evening, but they couldn't. They sent me home, told me go not eat after 3am and they would operate Sunday morning.

I was up to eating, I hadn't for 24 hours at that point, and only had small sips of water. There was nothing wrong with my stomach, it was something else.

OP posts:
BlueJava · 27/11/2018 14:56

If the review truthfully reflected the service and food and was fair I wouldn't worry about it. However, if something is that late and food arrives cold then I wouldn't order from them again. It does occur to me that perhaps the restaurant was fine but the delivery driver was the one that messed up though. Fine a new restaurant would be my advice, doesn't sound great.

slithytove · 27/11/2018 14:59

I’m banned from our post office for complaining that:

3 days out of 11 (at least) they weren’t open on time and therefore I couldn’t get served
They couldn’t tell me insurance levels for a certain postage
They couldn’t offer label printing from QR code (says they do online)
They wouldn’t countersign a legal document (says they do online)

I was chased out the shop! Have now complained to post office company rather than branch

Some people are just crap with customers

slithytove · 27/11/2018 15:00

Oh, we also use just eat for a place 5 mins away. It’s the only way we can pay by card.

dustarr73 · 27/11/2018 15:06

Doesnt matter if the place is 5 minutes away.From the sounds of it the review was fair.

And the owner should never have accosted anyone in a hospital.And he might be under pressure is a poor excuse.At least you know not to order from there again.

Miscible · 27/11/2018 15:10

CrispButty, don't be silly. There's a major difference between the time involved in ordering food as a takeaway and the time required for walking to a restaurant 5 minutes away, waiting to order, waiting while they cook anything that needs cooking, waiting while they put the order together, paying, and then walking back home. And OP's husband could perfectly easily post a review whilst keeping her company and looking after her.

Charolais · 27/11/2018 15:13

I am very disappointed at the level of reading comprehension on this thread. Actually I noticed it a lot on MN.

The situation was explained very clearly in the OP.

turahturah · 27/11/2018 15:14

YANBU the owner shouldnt have said anything but if he felt he had to, either not said it in hospital or said 'Im sorry the wait was so long have a discount/free meal etc' as a regular customer. I wouldn't go there again.

Popsicle434544 · 27/11/2018 15:15

You were totally in the right for the bad reveiw but if I was you, don't eat there again, as they know it's you I couldn't trust they wouldn't spit in my food Hmm

Ginseng1 · 27/11/2018 15:26

Review was fine. A take away being hr n half late n cold no apologies is ridiculous! He shouldn't have a said that in hospital. Just don't eat there ever again sounds like your Dh never liked it much anyway!