When I walked in, I was greeted by a short, bald, gay staff member. There was no smile on his face…read moreand he didn't feel the need to say "welcome" or anything similar. When I said that my friends were here and I wanted to join them, he took me to their table. My friends were sitting at a two-person table. When I asked if I could get a chair, he said "no" and told us he could move us to a three-person table instead. My friends were almost done eating, so just for about 10 minutes I didn't want to move tables. When I politely asked for a chair again, he said, "Are you sure you're going to be leaving soon?" This is the first time I've ever witnessed someone asking a guest such a question -- especially when the place was completely empty.
When my friends finished their meals, we continued sitting with dirty dishes in front of us. I had to walk inside to ask for a tea myself. Under normal circumstances, when someone joins the table later, staff come to the table or bring a menu. After the main course is finished, plates are cleared and the dessert menu is brought, or they ask if you would like dessert. If the drinks are finished, they ask if you'd like another one. They didn't even bother to check if we wanted the bill. These are things we call hospitality 101, and unfortunately, they are completely unaware of them.
In an establishment, the goal is to make guests want to come back and to increase sales by making recommendations. While displaying this rude behavior, the "bald guy with glasses" was so self-assured that I couldn't find anything to say. He acted not like someone working at a café in Fatih, but as if he were a curator at an art gallery. Very sad.
By the way, when we asked if they could remove the water from the bill since we didn't drink it, he also said "no." I've eaten at many places, including fine dining and Michelin-star restaurants. (Mentioning this because I more or less know how I'm supposed to behave in an establishment.) I'm very upset because I encountered such an absurd behavior.
