The day of our event, everything went great. Lee, our server, and her husband were absolutely…read morewonderful. They were extremely friendly, welcoming, helpful, and kind throughout the event. The food was also delicious, and our guests really enjoyed it. We were very happy with the service we received from Lee and her husband.
Unfortunately, the one thing that would make me hesitate to book Ashley Catering again was the communication with Phillip, the owner. His lack of communication throughout the process was very frustrating and, at times, felt unprofessional and discourteous.
Before booking, Phillip was very persistent and responsive. However, once we booked and made our payments, it became extremely difficult to get a response from him. After I made the final payment, I received no confirmation. I called, texted, and emailed multiple times--about five attempts in total--and did not receive a response until I finally stated that I was considering canceling the service.
Communication was also an issue after the event. We were initially told that the equipment would be picked up around 9:30 p.m. that evening. Lee later informed us that Phillip would instead pick everything up the following morning. By around noon the next day, no one had arrived, so I called, texted, and emailed again without receiving a response. Phillip finally contacted me around 6:00 p.m. and said he would arrive around 7:30 p.m. He did come by, but two items were accidentally left behind, which resulted in another pickup close to 10:00 p.m.
I completely understand that schedules change and things happen, and I would not have had an issue with the changes themselves. My frustration was simply the lack of communication. A quick text or phone call letting us know what was happening would have made a huge difference.
Overall, the food and the service on the actual day of our event were excellent, and I truly appreciate Lee and her husband for helping make our event such a positive experience. However, the communication from the owner before and after the event needs significant improvement. With better communication, I would have felt much more comfortable recommending and booking Ashley Catering again.
