What do you think would be an appropriate response/rectification to this email?

[intheguf]

Hello,

I’d like to make a complaint. I booked a table for ten people at your establishment for 8pm - Saturday, 18th June. I paid the 50 pound deposit over the phone and I asked the woman how the deposit is paid back, she replied that it would be paid back in vouchers to be spent in your establishment. I’d asked if there was any chance I could get it back in cash as would be simpler for me. She replied that she would ask her manager, which she did whilst I was on the phone, and the manager said that it was fine to pay me back cash.

Turned up on the night, all fine, table was fine etc. Went to the bar and asked about deposit at which point was given vouchers. I explained to the girl behind the bar that I was to get cash. She said she remembered speaking to me on the phone and fetched the manager.

I’m not sure of the managers name, but he was wearing a white shirt and had an ear piece in and I think his name begins with ‘A’ but could be wrong - he stated he was the only manager of your establishment. The manager came over in a really aggressive manner and denied that he had ever agreed to give me my deposit back in cash even though the girl behind the bar confirmed that she had taken the phone call and he had authorised that. I said to the manager that if he didn’t authorise it then he needs to speak to his staff about giving out misinformation. At this point he came close to my face and said ‘what do I need to tell my staff?’ and repeated this several times in a really aggressive manner. I felt very intimidated and uncomfortable to the point I just agreed to take the vouchers as I dislike confrontation and just wanted the situation to be over. I used 30 pounds of the vouchers and am now left with a 20 pound voucher which I won’t get the use out of due to the fact that I won’t be returning to your establishment after this experience.

If your policy is to return deposits via vouchers then that is fair enough, but it should have never been agreed to if that is the case. Your manager made out that I was a liar along with his member of staff that was serving behind the bar. That along with his aggressive mannerisms and the way in which he dealt with a paying customer is totally unacceptable. I left shortly afterwards as I felt so uncomfortable. If cash deposit return hadn’t been agreed then I could have booked elsewhere or worked something out with my group. However, I’ve now been left £50 out of pocket due to this.

It was my 30th birthday and I really just wanted to celebrate with my friends and this really put a dampener on the night. I am so disappointed as I have only ever had great experiences with your establishment but the customer service I received last night is the worst I have ever experienced unfortunately.

Kind regards

They pay £50 for a table and some drinks vouchers. That's what it is. It's not a deposit. They buy a space and some drinks. If they don't drink all the drinks that night they need to return to buy more drinks. You are forcing them to spend £50 on drinks in your establishment.

Why don't you hold card details and charge them if it's a no-show?

The fact you don't know you need to reply with an apology and a refund is woeful.

This sounds like such a confusing and stupid deposit policy.

If I pay a cash deposit I want that cash back on arrival or I want it taking off the final bill.

I don't want vouchers, what if they don't get used up. I'm left out of pocket.

You should be lucky it's an email and not on your business twitter or Facebook.

Deposits should be returned as they were received. Either in cash or deducted from a final bill. It is there to reserve a table, nothing more.

There is a dispute between the customer & your staff. It is unlikely the customer would make that up but may have exaggerated some of it. Ditto for your staff - probably happened but their version is probably toned down.

Apologise to customer, refund the deposit & establish expectations of customer service with your staff. Review the deposit/voucher thing, that is just weird.

As above, this isn’t a deposit. It’s a £50 charge to guarantee a seat.
And sort our your POS, what’s the sense in running two systems for food and drink? What about those who are eating, do they have to go to the bar to pay separately for drinks?

I can't believe you're a genuine business owner.

Not only do you essentially scam all your customers, but when one of them has the balls to complain, you publish their complaint on social media and accuse them of lying to get free drinks?

If this is genuine, your business practises are appalling and you should be utterly ashamed of yourself.

I do hope they report you to Trading Standards. Your manager sounds appalling, you sound hopeless and the whole deposit scheme is illegal. Would you like to name your establishment and the town you are in so that we can all avoid it? If your original complainant is on Mumsnet my advice is they post this all over social media. You are well on your way to going bust with service and staff like this.

HTH.

Your policy is absurd. Deposit should be returned however it was paid.

Apologise to the customer and change your policy. If your manager was aggressive he should be fired.

The customer is not always right

but the voucher policy is absolute bullshit so it’s not a surprise that the customer is aggrieved

Let her keep the voucher, issue an additional cash refund and apologise profusely

and scrap your ridiculous voucher refund policy now, so you don’t get any more situations like this

It’s a stupid policy, £50 to reserve a table for drinks when they might not even spend that much. You should refund the remaining £20 and offer something extra (although doubt they would want to come back).

And speak to the manager, he sounds awful. Even if he’s not lying (which I think he is, why would the other member of staff go along with it), his customer service is awful.

Also, I hope you’re not calling the other staff member on their day off hence waiting to hear from them.
Fix it now, investigate later, change procedures if need be and train your staff in them properly.

You said the deposit secures the table and if you don’t turn up the deposit is kept.

They did turn up, they should get the refund back on the card then pay at the bar for drinks. Awful policy, your manager ruined the woman’s birthday. Give her the money back.

The biggest issue to investigate is the alleged aggression from a male manager towards a woman. If there’s anyone who even half corroborates that you need to fire him- it’s not ok to bully women because you can.

It's ridiculous to ask how to handle a complaint on MN when you don't even have the full staff version.

Yoi don't reply or you send a holding rey unt you've I spoken to all your staff on last night and as as ascertained if he's a bully and liar or not. How can you expect randomer to tell you how to do your job.

Do you think it’s all right to include the whole of someone’s email on here? It’s quite possible they use Mumsnet.

If you believe your staff and the manager does not have form for aggressive behavior, I would blandly tell her that you are willing to arrange an exchange if the £20 voucher for cash and agree it’s best she does not return.

“Upon discussion with my staff, I think your decision not to return is for the best for all parties. Please contact me to arrange a time to exchange your voucher for £20.”

I think this policy is not just absurd, I suspect it is illegal.

Do I have this right..

Customer books table, pays £50 deposit.

Customer arrives, eats meal which comes to £30, pays for drinks at the bar as they go.

You then refuse to refund the £20 of their money you still have, and offer vouchers?

I also don't follow how the customer could possibly wangle getting free drinks in this scenario? They have to pay at the bar for those - no pay, no drinky!

Even if..

Customer books table, pays £50 deposit.

Customer arrives and is given deposit back in cash.

Customer spends £30 on food, is billed for this after the meal.
Customer buys drinks as they go from the bar.

I still don't see how they're getting free drinks?

All I can see here is your business getting to keep money in the form of un-used vouchers.

So.. theft basically.

Customer sounds reasonable.

You sound totally unfitted to own a business or be managing staff. Are you frightened of your manager? You own the business, not him.

And if you’re the owner then you have the power to do what you want to do. Of course there’s a mechanism to use the vouchers for drinks - if it’s a group you can have a tab for that group

Do you not have CCTV? You'd be able to see the body language used by your manager and if he appeared aggressive.

Or of course just give them back cash

Seems to me that you are trying to conflate two systems of drink buying.

If people must come to the bar and pay individually for each drink then you can't take a deposit to book a "table" as people are transacting as individuals.

If you take a deposit to book a "table" then let the table run up a tab and take the deposit off the final bill at the end of the night.

It's a very weird system you have going currently, and would definitely put me off visiting you.

I'm guessing you're in a relationship with the manager?

Did you inherit the business a week ago and did the live in the middle of nowhere your whole life before that? Is this the first complaint you've ever dealt with? This is mild.

You business sounds like a shambles.

You should control your staff and no scam customers.