Oh My Gosh! Customer Service in a Bangkok Restaurant!

[luckizuchinni]

I am flabbergasted! A restaurant manager in a Bangkok restaurant actually took care of a bad order. I think that is the first time I have had that happen to me here.

My wife and I really like the Pelican Bar and Grill on Soi 22. The food is quite delicious and reasonably priced. We try to go there for lunch whenever we are downtown. Well, we went today, and all was not well. My wife's lunch and our appetizer were delicious as normal, but the cook had a problem understanding an item on the menu. One of their menu offerings is pan fried potatoes, a really tasty way of preparing them. They had them as part of their daily special as well. I ordered my Swedish meatballs with pan fried potatoes and got French fries instead. I pointed out the mistake, and my wife tried to explain, but the cook couldn't understand. She didn't know what pan fried potatoes were.

OK, that is odd as they are on the menu, but as with any business, things happen. They must have been trying to figure out what pan fried potatoes were because 15 minutes later, they still hadn't started them, and we wanted to leave. Then, who I assume to be the manager came in. He found out what was happening, apologized, and comped my meal.

I really love those potatoes, but as I wrote, stuff happens sometimes. I was just amazed and pleased to see the manager take action. It wasn't so much the couple hundred baht, but the fact that he cared about his business and wanted to take care of his customers.

We quite like the place and will be back, but this was just icing on the cake. While what he did is common in the US and Europe, I don't think I have seen it here in Bangkok before.

[cpofc]

Sounds very much like Lyonnaise potatoes to me. often incorrectly called Layonaise by some.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Sounds like a good place, is this it??

D'Pelican Inn

Mac

[breadbin]

Lyonnaise and pan fried potatoes are nothing like each other.

One is fried the other is cooked in an oven.

Both very tasty though!

[Jingthing]

I can understand Thais being confused about that one. What's that trouble maker complaining about? Those chips are fried and a deep fryer is a pan.

[bonobo]

I've eaten there a number of times myself, and I have to agree that the pan fried potatoes are quite good and a nice change-of-pace. They've been on the menu there for as long as I've been going there, so I am surprised there was an issue. But as luckizuchinni states, any place can have a hiccup, and it was good to read that the manager took care of the situation.

The real name is D'Pelican Inn, though, I believe. There can't be many places with "Pelican" in their name on Soi 22 that serve Swedish Meatballs and pan fried potatoes.

[pmarlin]

I bet it was the owner, don't think they have a manager. I use to go quite often to the Pelican , then I got tired of the screwed up orders, being told they were out of certain items on the menu, and no to mention the long long time it take for meal preparation. Also, the location sucks. I was their one time eating a meal with the wife and some guy was talking in a load voice with the bar tender about blow jobs.

[jackr]

The chef didn't get paid that night.

[pmarlin]

I went by last night with the wife and one of her girlfriends because I was told the owner made some staff changes. I was told right and what a difference, Food was good, service great and the owner was all over the place making sure things were right. Pelican Inn is back on my good side and will make it one of my regular places to go.

[GrantSmith]

luckizuchinni do you really not get out that often? Or do you frequently get sh*t service when you do?

Yes sh*t happens from time to time with orders getting mixed up, even when explained thai to thai. If the orders not correct, send it back. No questions asked, no face lost save for the fact if either party disagrees on their definition of pan fried and deep fried. Then it's pots and pans at 10 paces. But I digress.

My MiL is the queen when it comes to kicking stuff back to the kitchen if anyone doesn't like it. I sometimes cringe at the thought of it. But it's either replaced with the correct order or removed from the bill. Scruitiny of the bill is also a cringe worthy situation as well when it comes to get the bill.

Delivery of the complaint is always key. Carry on like a pork chop and you'll come up against resistance, act like a cucumber and the ordeal will be mai bphen rai...

[luckizuchinni]

luckizuchinni do you really not get out that often? Or do you frequently get sh*t service when you do?

Yes sh*t happens from time to time with orders getting mixed up, even when explained thai to thai. If the orders not correct, send it back. No questions asked, no face lost save for the fact if either party disagrees on their definition of pan fried and deep fried. Then it's pots and pans at 10 paces. But I digress.

My MiL is the queen when it comes to kicking stuff back to the kitchen if anyone doesn't like it. I sometimes cringe at the thought of it. But it's either replaced with the correct order or removed from the bill. Scruitiny of the bill is also a cringe worthy situation as well when it comes to get the bill.

Delivery of the complaint is always key. Carry on like a pork chop and you'll come up against resistance, act like a cucumber and the ordeal will be mai bphen rai...

Well, I congratulate you on your ability to get top-notch service everywhere in Thailand. Evidently, people single me out for poor service. It must be my "punch me" demeanor.

I have had servers try and charge me for food that was turned back or for food I never actually ordered. Their logic was that it was cooked, so I should pay. I have never paid. But what was different here was that my entire meal was comped. That is something I've never experienced before in Thailand. I didn't ask for it to be comped, but the owner volunteered it. I didn't have to hide behind the missus while she argued and refused to pay. And that is what my post was about.

I am a big fan of the restaurant, and this is just one more reason to keep coming back.

Edited November 5, 2013 by luckizuchinni

[somchaismith]

Would be one-in-a-million. I was at Maccas the other day and there was a long black hair entwined with my scrambled egg(had a breakfast set). Showed the boss and all he said was 'kotort'(excuse me/sorry).

[GrantSmith]

Well, I congratulate you on your ability to get top-notch service everywhere in Thailand. Evidently, people single me out for poor service. It must be my "punch me" demeanor.

I have had servers try and charge me for food that was turned back or for food I never actually ordered. Their logic was that it was cooked, so I should pay. I have never paid. But what was different here was that my entire meal was comped. That is something I've never experienced before in Thailand. I didn't ask for it to be comped, but the owner volunteered it. I didn't have to hide behind the missus while she argued and refused to pay. And that is what my post was about.

I am a big fan of the restaurant, and this is just one more reason to keep coming back.

Well thank you... It's always nice to feel appreciated... But really... The kudos should be directed to my mother in law...

It may well be your "punch in the face" demeanour, I mean, I can't really comment on that given the lack of evidence to the contrary...

The point of your post - as you put it - was to highlight the fact (or possibly deflect from) that you received something that you felt that you were otherwise entitled to. A meal, the way you expected it. Perception is reality etc etc etc. Then you compare it to a "perceived" common practise in farangland.

Comping a meal, in the way you describe it occurring, is a way to placate a customer. The customer is not always right, but the customer is still a customer. The staff/manager/owner you encountered perceived you to be problematic, so decided to cut his losses and comp your meal, in the hope that one day, sooner or later, you would return, knowing that you got a comp meal for the perceived service let down. Win to the Restaurant owner, given that you returned.

It could also have been dealt with that way, given that you're a farang and the perception of such entitles you to be troublesome and problematic. Not necessarily the truth of the matter, but given the restaurant's past experiences well within their perception of reason.

The end of the day, you appear a reasonable type of individual, decided to give the guy a second chance, knowing that it was probably an off day, sh*t happen etc etc etc. Restaurant still infront as you return custom and prance around TVF claiming that OMG a restaurant did the right thing. Well, no, they didn't do the right thing. They cocked your order up, comped your meal to placate you and you came back. Vicious cycle and all that...

As for paying for things that you didn't order, nobody, here or in farangland would do that! Yes, I would hide behind my MiL or wife in order to facilitate this in the event that I wasn't dealing with an outlet that could reasonably converse in English. It further confuses the situation, possibly even aggravates it...

[Beetlejuice]

Why do some people have to make a big deal that someone or a service was courteous to them in Thailand as if this is a rarity?

I have received crap service in Thailand and also excellent service, which has exceeded all my expectations, and the staff has gone beyond their point of duty to be helpful. It`s exactly the same everywhere in the world, the excellent, the medicos and the bad.

The restaurant had a mix up with the order and the manager corrected it. Hardly the event of the decade, is it? Only according to the OP this is interesting because it happened in Thailand.

Oh my gosh, indeed, just another derogatory Thai thread.

Edited November 5, 2013 by Beetlejuice

[luckizuchinni]

Well, I congratulate you on your ability to get top-notch service everywhere in Thailand. Evidently, people single me out for poor service. It must be my "punch me" demeanor.

I have had servers try and charge me for food that was turned back or for food I never actually ordered. Their logic was that it was cooked, so I should pay. I have never paid. But what was different here was that my entire meal was comped. That is something I've never experienced before in Thailand. I didn't ask for it to be comped, but the owner volunteered it. I didn't have to hide behind the missus while she argued and refused to pay. And that is what my post was about.

I am a big fan of the restaurant, and this is just one more reason to keep coming back.

Well thank you... It's always nice to feel appreciated... But really... The kudos should be directed to my mother in law...

It may well be your "punch in the face" demeanour, I mean, I can't really comment on that given the lack of evidence to the contrary...

The point of your post - as you put it - was to highlight the fact (or possibly deflect from) that you received something that you felt that you were otherwise entitled to. A meal, the way you expected it. Perception is reality etc etc etc. Then you compare it to a "perceived" common practise in farangland.

Comping a meal, in the way you describe it occurring, is a way to placate a customer. The customer is not always right, but the customer is still a customer. The staff/manager/owner you encountered perceived you to be problematic, so decided to cut his losses and comp your meal, in the hope that one day, sooner or later, you would return, knowing that you got a comp meal for the perceived service let down. Win to the Restaurant owner, given that you returned.

It could also have been dealt with that way, given that you're a farang and the perception of such entitles you to be troublesome and problematic. Not necessarily the truth of the matter, but given the restaurant's past experiences well within their perception of reason.

The end of the day, you appear a reasonable type of individual, decided to give the guy a second chance, knowing that it was probably an off day, sh*t happen etc etc etc. Restaurant still infront as you return custom and prance around TVF claiming that OMG a restaurant did the right thing. Well, no, they didn't do the right thing. They cocked your order up, comped your meal to placate you and you came back. Vicious cycle and all that...

As for paying for things that you didn't order, nobody, here or in farangland would do that! Yes, I would hide behind my MiL or wife in order to facilitate this in the event that I wasn't dealing with an outlet that could reasonably converse in English. It further confuses the situation, possibly even aggravates it...

Sure comping a meal is a way to placate a customer and hope he or she returns. How is that not "the right thing?"

In this case, actually, I did not find out the manager comped me until I received the bill. The rest of our meals was great, and I had already told him not to worry about getting it fixed when he asked the problem. We were both done, so I told him next time would be fine. I doubt very much that he perceived that I was "problematic" as I assured him that this was the first time in so many visits that there had ever been a problem.

If he thought I might quite coming and comped me for that, so what? I think it was the right thing to do.

[luckizuchinni]

Why do some people have to make a big deal that someone or a service was courteous to them in Thailand as if this is a rarity?

I have received crap service in Thailand and also excellent service, which has exceeded all my expectations, and the staff has gone beyond their point of duty to be helpful. It`s exactly the same everywhere in the world, the excellent, the medicos and the bad.

The restaurant had a mix up with the order and the manager corrected it. Hardly the event of the decade, is it? Only according to the OP this is interesting because it happened in Thailand.

Oh my gosh, indeed, just another derogatory Thai thread.

Ah, Mr. Beettlejuice, if you remember me from our face to face conversation a few years ago, I am very pro-Thailand. You and I spoke about Thai-haters.

However, mentioning bad Bangkok traffic or the high tax on a car does not constitute a Thai hater. I can mention many things about almost any country that most, if not all people, would think is negative.

As a rule, Thai restaurants do not comp meals when orders are mixed up, something that is very common in the west. Does that mean Thailand is horrible? Not in the slightest. I live here by choice and not in my home country, so I must like it here. But I don't have to look at it through rose-coloured glasses.

My post was a pat on the back for a restaurant I rather like, not a Thai-bashing thread.

[GrantSmith]

Sure comping a meal is a way to placate a customer and hope he or she returns. How is that not "the right thing?"

In this case, actually, I did not find out the manager comped me until I received the bill. The rest of our meals was great, and I had already told him not to worry about getting it fixed when he asked the problem. We were both done, so I told him next time would be fine. I doubt very much that he perceived that I was "problematic" as I assured him that this was the first time in so many visits that there had ever been a problem.

If he thought I might quite coming and comped me for that, so what? I think it was the right thing to do.

Is that the story you're going with this time, because earlier in your opening you stated, and I quote "They must have been trying to figure out what pan fried potatoes were because 15 minutes later, they still hadn't started them, and we wanted to leave. Then, who I assume to be the manager came in. He found out what was happening, apologized, and comped my meal. "

Again, I'll go back to the perception vs reality theory. You thought (the perception) it was the right thing to do because you got your entire meal comped for the inconvenience of having one item cocked up, the other way to look at it and it - according to your posts would have achieved the same result - was comping the item in question (the reality). That would have been fair and agreeable all round.

But at the end of the day, we'll agree to disagree with the actions in question. It's not uncommon for it to happen here in Thailand and it's somewhat frustrating to read the title thread "Oh My Gosh! Customer Service in a Bangkok Restaurant" as if it were some sarcastic miracle from - insert deity of choice -...

[luckizuchinni]

Sure comping a meal is a way to placate a customer and hope he or she returns. How is that not "the right thing?"

In this case, actually, I did not find out the manager comped me until I received the bill. The rest of our meals was great, and I had already told him not to worry about getting it fixed when he asked the problem. We were both done, so I told him next time would be fine. I doubt very much that he perceived that I was "problematic" as I assured him that this was the first time in so many visits that there had ever been a problem.

If he thought I might quite coming and comped me for that, so what? I think it was the right thing to do.

Is that the story you're going with this time, because earlier in your opening you stated, and I quote "They must have been trying to figure out what pan fried potatoes were because 15 minutes later, they still hadn't started them, and we wanted to leave. Then, who I assume to be the manager came in. He found out what was happening, apologized, and comped my meal. "

Again, I'll go back to the perception vs reality theory. You thought (the perception) it was the right thing to do because you got your entire meal comped for the inconvenience of having one item cocked up, the other way to look at it and it - according to your posts would have achieved the same result - was comping the item in question (the reality). That would have been fair and agreeable all round.

But at the end of the day, we'll agree to disagree with the actions in question. It's not uncommon for it to happen here in Thailand and it's somewhat frustrating to read the title thread "Oh My Gosh! Customer Service in a Bangkok Restaurant" as if it were some sarcastic miracle from - insert deity of choice -...

Not to beat this to death, but where is your problem with my recounting of the events? He found out what happened and apologized. When we didn't want to wait, he comped the meal, which I found out when we received the bill.

And as the potatoes are part and parcel of the meal, it would have been hard to comp them but not anything else. The meal comes as a whole.

You may not like the tone of my title, but so be it. You may have some convoluted reasoning why the owner's actions were wrong, but so be it. In my years in Thailand, refusing to pay for incorrect orders is often a problem (I've been expected to pay for the wrong order AND the right one), and I have never once been comped a meal for a screwed up order, so in my mind, it justifies my tone. You don't like it. So be it.

I was giving an attaboy for service for a restaurant that from the posts here, other people also think is a good restaurant. From many threads on this forum, service in Thailand is sorely lacking, so I wanted to post an incident where service was good. Simple as that.

Sorry this frustrates you.

[Travel2003]

Why do some people have to make a big deal that someone or a service was courteous to them in Thailand as if this is a rarity?

I have received crap service in Thailand and also excellent service, which has exceeded all my expectations, and the staff has gone beyond their point of duty to be helpful. It`s exactly the same everywhere in the world, the excellent, the medicos and the bad.

The restaurant had a mix up with the order and the manager corrected it. Hardly the event of the decade, is it? Only according to the OP this is interesting because it happened in Thailand.

Oh my gosh, indeed, just another derogatory Thai thread.

Agree.

Of course, nice to see someone took responsibility.

But It is not unique here.

Some bad and some good.

Ok, maybe a bit more not too attentive restaurants here, I admit that.

But still plenty of good service here.

[dao16]

I have never been comped an entire meal and I don't remember many freebies, if anything, even with crap service. I have had a few times when the place gave me "special" serving size because they knew me and it was the end of the night--so, for example, instead of trimming a cut of meat down to what they would normally sell, they just cook me the entire thing as they know me and are going to the market in the AM anyway. The only time I definitely had something made for free was at a foreign restaurant, so, not really indicative of Thai service.

I think this is definitely rare here compared to the West, but a good move on the part of the restaurant.