Dishonest service and a very disappointing response to a complaint…read more
Café Belloy was recommended to my girlfriend and me, and we initially liked it very much. It's a lovely café, which makes our experience all the more disappointing.
At the end of our second visit, our waiter asked whether we wanted to leave a tip. I thought service was included in the prices, so I asked: "Is service not already included?" The waiter assured me it was not. He then suggested a 10% tip, which I paid. On my way out, I checked the menu and discovered, as I had suspected, service was indeed included.
I was obviously upset at having been misled. I don't care about the money. The following morning, we returned, and I raised the matter with another waiter, who said he would escalate the complaint. We the saw the waiter responsible for misleading us, and I identified him to his colleague. Again, I was told that the matter was being escalated.
At no point did he or anyone offer to refund the tip, compensate us in any way, or make any meaningful effort to put things right. We were charged the full amount for our return visit.
It's not the money that bothers me so much as the dishonesty and the establishment's apparent indifference when it was brought to their attention. What should have been a pleasant experience at a neighbourhood café has left a very bad impression.
My girlfriend and I will certainly never return, and I would advise other customers, particularly tourists, to be very careful when asked for tips here. Service is already included.
