Does This Seem Petty?

I just tasted with the buyer at the restaurant in SF earlier today. He himself groaned about the quality of the glasses; last time I raised the issue with the manager he said in effect 'we do 600 meals a day, can you imagine the breakage.'

The more people who complain the more they'll take it seriously.

In the best of all possible worlds, your e-mail would have gotten a response from the owner that was something along the lines of, "This is very surprising, it's the first time I've heard this complaint. In the future, anyone who asks for better stemware for their wine will get it with no questions asked. And next time you're here, ask for me and I'll see to it that your dessert is on the house."

I wish that were true; a very good customer of mine in San Francisco has some of the best food in the city and dreadful Libby glassware. They often don't understand that it makes a difference.

I hear ya, Oliver, but I think the "pettty" part of this experience wasn't that they didn't have the right glasses, it's that they actually did have them and refused to provide them - even when requested. The former is regrettable, the latter inexcusable.

Sorry, went off topic. You're right.

In the best of all possible worlds, your e-mail would have gotten a response from the owner that was something along the lines of, "This is very surprising, it's the first time I've heard this complaint. In the future, anyone who asks for better stemware for their wine will get it with no questions asked. And next time you're here, ask for me and I'll see to it that your dessert is on the house."

Mike,

Unfortunately the response I got amounted to, "You're a cry-baby - deal!". Gotta love that focus on customer service. Anyway, I will vote with my pocket book. There are plenty of places with large wine glasses out there.

I agree with the majority here. But I'm going to offer a slightly different viewpoint. Forget about the wine geekiness of the correct stem for the wine. Just think of the customer service aspect of this. If Sam asked for the wine to be served in orange juice glasses, a high-end restaurant wait staff should have done so....no questions asked!!!!! If he asked for his coffee in styrofoam, it should have been done!!! You get my drift.

If you want to sell a premium product and command premium prices, you don't argue with the customer, especially over something that costs you next to nothing to do. Instead, you go out of your way to make his experience flawless.