"Abysmal Customer Service"
A review of Surma Curry House by E.Dulwich resident - Friday 5th of January 2007
Both my partner and I have lived in the East Dulwich area for the last 8 years. We go for a curry every 4 – 6 wks. In resent years we have always gone to the Surma Curry House as we have found the food and service to be very good. However this was not the case on New Years Eve this year (2006)
As it was a Sunday night we opted for the buffet. We primarily took this route as it is quick and convenient not just because it’s the cheaper than the menu option. Now I can generally appreciate that customers who have a meal from the menu require a higher level of service as they have different courses to be served etc. But from the onset we were a little ignored at times and waited a while for our drinks. Not the end of the world as they were fairly busy.
When we ordered a second round of drinks I had another bottled beer and my brother had a half of draft beer. However his draft bear tasted rather off. Three of us all tried it and agreed it was not right, his first pint had been fine. My girlfriend took the half beer to the bar to let them know it was not right.
The reaction she got was very disappointing. She was not believed, but after much debate the manager rudely asked her what she wanted instead. She didn’t ask for a full pint, nor a free meal etc etc. Simply half a bottle of beer.
From that moment onwards we may as well have not existed. When I eventually got the bill the half bottle of beer had been added. I questioned this with the Surma’s manager and was told that I had to pay for it as there is nothing wrong with the draft beer. I found this astonishing. How could he offer us a replacement drink and expect it to be paid for. We hadn’t sought to gain anything, in fact we lost out on half a pint of flat beer. I told the manager that I would pay for it but would never return and that I was insulted by his attitude towards us. This didn’t seem to matter to him. He went on to explain that he had been doing this for 13 years and there was nothing wrong with his draft beer. Had he never heard of grease on a glass making a beer taste flat? Cleary not. We were wrong and he was right.
We were made to feel like inferior customers who were trying it on to get a free drink. In fact we are decent polite people who are very hurt by the prejudiced attitude show towards us.
A horrible experience, be ware if you eat or drink in the Surma curry house to check your bill.
|
