To rate my experience with this location I will give it 0 out of 5 stars
Bonefish Grill
1930 POLARIS PARKWAY
COLUMBUS, OH
Manager - "Shane"
I placed an order online via the website for curbside pickup Thursday evening May 6th. My drive to this location is about 25 minutes so I knew I would get there a little after the estimated pickup time, which is fine not the issue at all. Now, I have not visited this location since pre-covid, so my assumption was that per the curbside pickup option on the website, that requires your vehicle description like many other places I use curbside for, once you pull up someone would bring your order to your car.
I get to the location at about 8:20p and I park next to a vehicle I assumed was there for curbside pick-up as well. I notice two women at the window who work for the establishment so I figure they would be bringing my food out. I sit there for about 5-7 minutes and one young woman comes out and gets into the passenger side of the vehicle next to me. She sits and talks with the person for a while and the second woman comes out to another vehicle I assume and goes back into the restaurant. At 8:31p I decide to call into the restaurant as there is no signage that indicates you must do so; the site does not indicate this either, but I did call and not receive an answer. I hung up and waited 5 more minutes and called back twice and did not receive an answer. I go inside and I see a bag with my last name on it which I pick up and take to my car.
Upon checking my bag there were no napkins or utensils and the food was not fresh. The fries were burnt and soggy, so I proceed to take my bag back in to get a refund. The two ladies that work for this location are at the vehicle next to me, so I had to open my door halfway to exit to not hit the one lady standing outside the car.
I go in and she follows behind and asks politely how she can help. I proceed to explain I would like to return my food and get a refund. The gentlemen she brings over is the manager, in which I ask him what the process of curbside is pick-up to which he explains you have to call when you pull up to the establishment. I proceed to tell him I called three times with no answer and I would like a refund. He then asks me "what's wrong with the food?" and I answer it isn't fresh. He then asks how long ago my order was placed and asks me again what is wrong with my food. I show him the fish and chips plate which he responded, "yes it's fish" and I asked, "do you see the fries" which he couldn't until I picked them up as they were burnt and the same color as the fish.
I did not speak much as I knew going in, I wanted a refund because not only was the food horrible, but the entire experience was terrible. The manager tells me "he's not trying to make an issue and that I was mad" as he asks me about the food. I advised him I was not mad, which I wasn't at all. I was most certainly disappointed in not only my order which I applied my tip when I paid, but I was extremely dissatisfied with the service.
The manager advised it would be a refund to my card and I left. I am waiting on that refund to process. I plan on contacting corporate as well.
To conclude, I would like to also leave some suggestions.
1. If your curbside pickup requires you to call in, someone should answer the phone.
2. If your curbside pickup allows for customers to tip prior to, why would we do that if we come inside to pick up. Who are we tipping at that point?
3. If your curbside pickup has any specific directions necessary to ensure the transaction is pleasurable on both ends, there should be signage outside of the restaurant & specifics on the website.
4. With the experience side, there should be some sort of etiquette required that gives your customers a sense of hospitality when they pull up to your establishment. (All 3 of the employees seen me when I pulled up as I watched them in the window, they had one curbside order, me, I should not have to call when both workers knew I was there as they were outside in the parking lot with me at moments during my wait)
5. In the leadership role, I would suggest that your management learn to use words of empathy & truly understand certain body language or tone does not equate to being mad. Instead of using antagonizing trigger words that would, in turn, make some upset, try a different approach.
6. Also, a note for leadership, there were absolutely no customer service skills used in the interaction I had yesterday which resonated with the staff. I would think that not only am I paying for the food but also the experience and interaction. Your management also did not acknowledge, apologize, or ask how we can make this right. Blatantly sarcastic and certainly disconnected from my experience as a paying customer. read more