I will start out this review by saying two things. First, I had been coming to this Smashburger for months and even received their emails as a 'loyal' customer.
Secondly, my last visit will be my final visit. It had to have been one of the most blatantly unacceptable customer services experiences that I have encountered over years of living in NYC. It went beyond just kinda snotty employees to that of a store being run top down by employees that do not care about the guests, the company, or their jobs. I am following up this review with a letter to their corporate office. And having that I had had good experiences in the past here, I am confident that the management changed to one that hires the rift raft fools of the Bronx neighborhood who have no desire to represent the Smashburger brand. NOTE to OWNER: I am sure the front door/register has a camera being in the Bronx. All of this situation could be verified by that camera footage.
My Experience - SAT June 18, 2016 around 8pm.
So, I went to this location as it is closest to my apartment. It is in a relatively safer neighborhood of the Bronx, but the McDonalds down the street on Broadway did have a murder in January...so its a mixed bag/could be getting less safe.
I approached the counter person and she said, "Yes", which I guess means that she wanted to take my order. They menu had changed since I was last there and had 2 hamburger combos. I said that I wanted a combo and then went about saying what I wanted on my burger. I didn't know that I couldn't customize these combos. Did she tell me I couldn't? No. She just cut me off and said, "No, you want a create you own". She said it like she was put out and annoyed, never giving me face/eye contact. At this point, I was nervous, and said that I wanted the barbeque fries, which I meant their spicy fries. She then tapped her long fingernails and abruptly said, "No, these are the fries". It was with such a hostile tone. At this point, I felt really annoyed and that I was A) Putting this employee out to do her job and B) I wasn't gonna continue an order to PAY for something if I was not treated right. I told her, "Can I speak to your supervisor, you have such a tone with me". She called over her supervisor who was expediting food and I explained to her what had just happened. With the cashier standing right behind her, as soon I said what happened she said, "Oh hell no, I am not dealing with this!" and WALKED AWAY. She walked away from the customer WHILE the customer was speaking, walked away WITHOUT taking my order, and she walked away WITHOUT the supervisor making a corrective action---instead of making a bigger mess of it all, the supervisor could have made it a learning experience and fixed the situation.
At SMASHBURGER--- The customer is not always right, hell, the customer is lucky to be treated with ANY kind of respect!
Now alone, the manager apologized for the cashier's behavior and said that she would comp my meal for this all. While it sounded nice as in the words she was saying, she did not seem to sincere and kept looking down. I had already lost my appetite, but I said fine. I told her that I wanted to pay for a shake. I had even come with a 'Free Shake' for your birthday coupon...which I never got to use. So, I usually get the Oreo Shake, but saw the Peanut Butter shake on the menu and asked if it had actual Reese's Peanut Butter Cups mixed in it like, say a McDonald's McFlurry. She said, "Oh, no, we just use a peanut butter sauce'. I said, "Ok, then one Oreo shake". I paid and sat down with my roommate, whose food had already arrived. The expediter then comes forward to me with a Peanut Butter Shake. I said that it was not mine. She looked at my receipt and showed me that the manager actually ordered me that Peanut Butter Shake and not the Oreo one. She wasn't even listening to me before. I see the expeditor walk back with the shake and I hear across the room the manager say, "No way, I took the order myself and he said Peanut Butter!"
Really?? You are gonna say something like that when the dining room can hear you?? Where is the class? If you are gonna exchange in a conversation with your staff like that, GO TO THE BACK or KITCHEN. So, at this point, I am done. I walk back to the counter and tell her that I want a refund for the shake and that I want nothing. I tell her that I just heard her from across the room--I point to where my roommate had been sitting--and she says, "Nope, that was not me! I know what I would say and I wouldn't say that. We were gonna make the Oreo one, but fine you want a refund, you can have it." She hands me my refund receipt and surely and with attitude says, "Thank you, have a good day". She looks past me to take the next order and am in just a bit of disbelief as to how 'Paying Customers' can be treated at Smashburger.
NOTE: The 1st cashier went from the register to making shakes WITHOUT WASHING her hands or WEARING gloves. Health Sanitary Codes?! read more