After arriving to Lisbon from Lagos, my wife and I were looking for a place to have dinner. If you have ever walked the streets of Lisbon, you know that there is a plethora of restaurants to choose from. While approaching the end of a street, an employee emerged from within a restaurant called Peixaria do Rosso. The friendly woman handed over a menu, and ushered us over to a vacant table within their outdoor seating area.
After looking over the menu, we placed an order for food (I ordered an entree and the Parmesan stuffed chicken with mashed potatoes) and for a bottle of wine. Being that we're not familiar with Portuguese wines, we randomly selected a white wine called Mar Salgado (translated in English as "the great salt sea"). Shortly after, the same employee brought the bottle of wine, uncorked it, and poured a very small amount for my wife and I to taste. Upon tasting it, we realized that it was not to our liking (that's the nicest way that I can put it), and politely asked the employee if she could send it back.
Since the employee did not speak English well (respectfully), another employee came to our table to inquire about our request. I politely explained to this employee that we would like to have the wine sent back, and would like another selection that was on the menu. The employee made note of the new bottle that we wanted to order and five minutes later returned to our table with her manager. Now I understand that customer service is handled differently based on location; however, I felt like she should have informed us that she was consulting with her manager.
Jose (manager), in a condescending manner, began explaining to me how the process of purchasing a bottle of wine in Portugal works. He explained that once the bottle is opened, he cannot sell it to another customer (clearly a no-brainer); therefore, he would be taking a loss (please keep in mind that I have an MBA-I say this with a humble heart) on the bottle if he allowed us to send it back. What Jose failed to realize is that he would not have to take a loss on the bottle. Since the wine that we selected (Mar Salgado) was offered on the menu with the option to purchase by glass or bottle, Jose could simply cork the bottle and sell the remaining portion by the glass (look at me giving away free business tips).
My wife and I were so perturbed by the unprofessional manner in which Jose handled this matter, that we honestly cannot recall how the food tasted. Additionally, we observed the disgusting manner in which Jose interacted with his staff (his staff were maneuvering around him as if he had an invisible whip that he could crack at any moment). I think I would be giving anyone a disservice if I recommended this establishment to them. Hopefully, Jose will eventually learn that no matter their origins, you should treat paying customers with respect. read more