I went to Stella with my mother to enjoy a glass of wine, have a nice chat and watch the sunset. I live overseas and hadn't seen her in a year and we decided to choose Stella and trusted in their hospitality. I've worked in the hospitality industry for over 20 years with some of the most prominent chefs in the world and know how the industry works. I understand that being a beach restaurant, Stella is a very laid back establishment, average food as i have eaten there before however the location is second to none, and hats of to you for that. I understand pet friendly restaurants, as i work in one myself, and this is what Stella is supposed to be. I am also aware there is a certain etiquette.
We ordered 2 glasses of wine. They took close to 20 minutes to come once ordering. There seemed to be no sense or urgency and at my mother even commented, "how long does it take for 2 glasses of wine to arrive??" But that's Ok.. The couple next to us had a dog and that is completely fine in my world. At the same time when one takes a dog or animal to a restaurant, they need to make sure its well behaved and know what tools are needed to control their dog.
For over an hour, this dog barked at the top if its lungs continuously..!!! To the point a poor disabled man came through in his wheelchair and it went off, barking crazy. Our conversation was going nowhere. We witnessed staff members, patting the dog and then serving food without having washed their hands. Stella, have your staff been trained in health and safety? The Authorities would love to sink their teeth into that.
Paying customers spending their money, trying to eat their food in peace and trusting in Stella, where looking left right and centre at the noise factor of this dog continuously barking, and not one thing was done.
No-one had the enunciative or the sense to maybe offer the dog a bowel of water or say something to the owner..Maybe take it for a quick walk . something!!! It was completely ignored. Our rights as paying customers wanting to have a peaceful drink and meal was completely taken away from us. Why had not one waiter/manager, tried to to deal with the situation on behalf of all your other customers..? Did we not exist..? Was our clientele not valuable to you? Or maybe it was too much trouble and hard work...lets just milk the double time rate.. who cares....
We got to the point where we couldn't take it any more and we decided to not order another drink but pay up and leave. I paid my $19 for two glasses of wine. Whilst paying i decided to speak to the manager and explain the above and how uncountable in made me feel in hope it may fix things for the rest of the outside customers.
I was shocked by the response... I was asked, "why didn't i complain...?" Ok Mr manager, do you honestly think I go out for a drink with my mother to 'Complain" to make people's lives difficult??. As a paying customer, I should have to, not to mention there where no table available at the time to have moved us, even if had asked to to do so.
Out of all your staff members working that night, not one had the awareness that something had to be done or at least said..? You wanted me as a paying customer to sort out your problems.. My response was, " If I as a woman came into this restaurant and screamed at the top of my lungs for over an hour, would you wait for someone to "complain" in order to sort things out..?" the answer is a clear NO. So what's the difference.. the customer service was appalling.
But wait.. it gets even worst...He asks me to show him the outside table that we were sitting on, and decides to discuss my complaint, behind and five feet away from the the customer, I was complaining about.. Do you understand the word "confidentiality"..??? I was so mortified ... it's time to own this and explain myself to this customer with the barking dog.
I approached the customer and mentioned in a very diplomatic manner, that their dog was barking at the top of its lungs disrupting everyone having a meal. I mentioned to the manager, i was going to do so . Not one of you have done so, so now i will and lets face it, the situation i've been put inn, what more can one do??.
This resulted in the customer screaming at me, telling me, continuously to "Piss off" in which he stood up over me and was raising his hands as if he was going to hit me.. Mental.. Any normal person would have apologised calmly...My 70 year old mother was witnessing all of this...
Not one staff member stepped inn. I walked away trembling and shocked as i could see this was going to escalate and not in a pro active manner.. Shocked and disgusted, the cherry on the top was placed, when the manager turned to me and said "why did you do that..??" There was apology.. are you ok..? Nor did he have he balls or skills to step inn and try and rectify the situation.
We walked away, shaken up, trembling and absolutely speechless. Never in my life have i experienced anything as poor a read more