Lady M is my absolute favorite cake shop. I've visited their China, Hong Kong and Taiwan locations plus two in NYC. When in Houston, I usually visit their location in WoW. My friend and I decided to meet up at Galleria location today. Unfortunately, while the shop itself was clean and nicely maintained, the customer service left a lot to be desired.
A quick note about the setup: this is a relatively small shop with outdoor seating. The patio area is long and narrow, with only three tables and two chairs per table. So, if you're planning to meet up with a larger group, this isn't the most group-friendly location unless you don't mind splitting into smaller parties.
Now, onto the actual reason for my visit: the cake! I'm a huge fan of their seasonal marron crepe cake and love Earl grey too. I was excited to get my usual slice, but when I looked at the display, I noticed something that appeared to be chestnut cake. Upon closer inspection, however, it wasn't the crepe cake I was looking for.
I asked the red-haired female associate whether they had the marron crepe cake. Her response? "What you see is what we have." Wow. Not exactly the warmest answer. Her tone was incredibly blunt and unfriendly, and the way she responded made me feel as though I was inconveniencing her simply by asking a question.
I then asked about another item, specifically whether the Dubai strawberry cake had kataifi mixed in with the strawberry, similar to the Dubai chocolate inspired desserts. I had to repeat my question because she initially didn't respond. Her answer was essentially that I could read the description on the sign. Well, if I could easily identify everything from the display and the descriptions, why would I need to ask in the first place? Isn't part of an associate's job to be familiar with the products and help customers understand what they're purchasing?
At this point, I decided to go with the black sesame mochi crepe instead. My friend ordered the checkers cake although he had initially considered getting the matcha crepe.
I then asked whether they had water, and her response was, "We sell water." Technically, that answers the question, but there's a much more customer-friendly way to communicate that complimentary water isn't available.
Look, I understand that working in food service isn't always easy, and everyone has their off days. However, customer service matters, particularly when you're selling luxury cakes that cost around $12-$13 a slice. These aren't inexpensive everyday desserts, and customers are paying for the overall experience, not just a piece of cake.
I absolutely love the cakes here, which is why this experience was particularly disappointing. Unfortunately, this associate's attitude overshadowed the actual products.
Management really needs to revisit customer service training at this location. Knowing how to answer questions politely, being familiar with the products, and simply showing a little courtesy should be basic expectations for anyone working in customer-facing retail.
I would happily return to my usual Westheimer location, but based on this experience, I have zero reason to revisit this Galleria branch. Good checker cake but average on the black sesame one since I didn't taste the mochi texture but seriously disappointing customer service. read more