Really Bad Service
The customer service is really bad. A group of us had a business meeting on Saturday, May 10, around 1:00–3:00 p.m. We were a medium-sized group (12 – 15 people).

One of the girls wasn't really hungry and didn't order any food, just something to drink. I offered some of my food to her and she took about three bites throughout the meal. At the end of the meal, they charged us an extra plate and told us that there was no sharing at Stir Fresh, which we were cool with. It's not like we can't afford $10 bucks . . . lol.

I asked the waitress if we could get a plate to go, since we were already paying for it. Hey, it never hurts to ask. So, she went to ask the manager and then came back. This is where it gets interesting . . .

The waitress comes back and actually is pretty diplomatic at first. She starts, "The manager said it was okay, although we have a policy that says there is no sharing . . ." Then she closes with, "Next time you should read the sign." Ouch!!! Total silence.

We all look at each other, and of course, we're a bit insulted, but we let it slide and just chuckle.

So, my coworker and I go fix our "to go" plate. At this point, we are the only customers in line getting food. It’s just me, her, and the grill guy.

After fixing our plate, we turn around and set our plate on the counter. One of the managers/servers says something to the grill guy about "to go." The grill guy looks at us and says, "Bring me your plate." Excuse me!? I wanted to say, look dude, you come and get our plate like you’ve done for hundreds of people in the past and like you did it just an hour ago.

For those who are unfamiliar with the "Mongolian BBQ" concept, there is a round grill; the cooks walk about around it, and cook your food. So the cook normally stands in front of the counter and takes your food. This guy was about 10 feet away and didn’t move an inch.

So we walk to the grill guy and give him the plate. Remember, we are the only customers there, and he makes no effort to come to us, just stands there and has us walk to him. This is what really burned us up. That sucked!!! We paid for the food, we’re not stealing it!!!

So, not being the type to stay quiet, I go and ask to talk to the manager in private. The first manager is actually SEMI-apologetic about the incident, but then another manager comes over -- I think it's probably the guy that approved the "to go" deal. This guy shows up, and instead of helping, throws a huge bucket of rocket fuel into the mix. He proceeds to explain to me that the grill guy was in the right. Apparently, that’s their policy -- customers have to go from one side of the grill to the other because that's the beginning of the "grill line." Which is total news to me because the first time we went up for food, the cook came to us (like expected). Then he proceeded to touch on the "sign" thing. He turns to the other manager and says, "I think we need to put a sign there that says that" . . . I lost it there. This was the second time "signs" were brought up.

Well, my suggestion is, put a huge sign that says, "Our customer service has been replaced by signs, please read them . . ."

At the end of the day, we just left the food there. Keep it. We're never eating there again.

Train your people right. You guys are in the SERVICE industry. Food is nothing special, service is everything.

Try using phrases like, "Thank you for bringing that to our attention, I will take care of it." "Thank you for being our customer." "Thank you for choosing us and not the competition" . . . etc.

And not, "Read the sign!!" You guys are funny.

The point of this is to share my experience with you. If you get treated badly as a customer, complain, never stay quiet. This is the only way businesses change their customer service and procedures.

To be fair, the food is actually good at Stir Fresh. Nice place, but the service is really bad.    [13 May 2008 21:39:07]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 

     ­Edog, San Diego, CA