Customer Service Problem

[Natasha]

There is a bit of a controversy stirring on a travel board about customer service at a local Philadelphia deli. I thought some of you might be interested. If this is against policy on this board, please delete. I did look at the rules and it seemed OK.

http://tinyurl.com/pscd9

Edited September 25, 2006 by Natasha (log)

[Holly Moore]

"Kinda makes one glad that eGullet is a moderated board," Holly moderatedly observed after following that link.

As to Famous, they've always done fine by me, other than once serving me a plate of corned beef hash that could have fed the entire 400 black of Bainbridge Street.

Edited September 25, 2006 by Holly Moore (log)

[philadining]

I always think it's dangerous to generalize from isolated stories, especially from sources one is not familiar with. It's entirely possible that the customer who voiced the complaint was treated poorly, while it's also conceivable that she contributed to the problem. I'm much more likely to give weight to the opinions of regulars here on this board, because eGullet, in addition to being moderated, is more of a community, and we come to know whether a person is never happy about anything, or conversely too forgiving, or somewhere in-between.

There had been a funny post on Chowhound a while back that related an incident at Famous that sounded alarmingly like the Wheat Toast scene from Five Easy Pieces, so who knows, maybe there are some customer service issues.

But from my own experiences, I'm with Holly, they've always treated me very kindly, and like Holly, my only complaint would be that they served me sandwiches that caused me to violate a maxim I picked up from the title of a B. Kliban book: Never Eat Anything Bigger Than Your Head.

[Buckethead]

If the 'worst experience of my life' I had ever had at a restaurant was being charged twice for a $1.86 cup of coffee, that would be fine with me. For what it's worth, I love breakfast at Famous. My eggs usually come out perfectly over easy, the coffee is decent, and their potato pancakes are great. I'd prefer if they left out the 'free' danish and cookies, since it usually prevents me from getting a side of bacon, but I don't refuse them either.

Plus, their carrot cake is the best I've ever had in my life. I bought one as a wedding cake.

[aaronwcpa]

Isn't there an old maxim that the customer is always right. Even assuming the cusomer made some mistakes and even assuming the customer for one reason or another did not pay the $1.86, the management should have accepted the customer's explanation and avoided any "scenes."

[Jeff L]

Isn't there an old maxim that the customer is always right. Even assuming the cusomer made some mistakes and even assuming the customer for one reason or another did not pay the $1.86, the management should have accepted the customer's explanation and avoided any "scenes."

←

I'm with Buckethead on this one. Really folks, perspective is needed here. I could list my top ten worse dining experiences and none of them would be about a deli and none of them would be about getting charged twice for coffee.

But for those who really know me, if that happened to me, I would have done one of 2 things. First I would have left without paying a second time, or if I were feeling charitable, I would have left the $1.86 in pennies on the table.

[herbacidal]

Only been to Famous once, a few months ago; service and food were both great.

True to form, there was some political hobnobbing and dealmaking going on at another table.

Edited September 26, 2006 by herbacidal (log)

[SteveR]

"Kinda makes one glad that eGullet is a moderated board," Holly moderatedly observed after following that link. 

As to Famous, they've always done fine by me, other than once serving me a plate of corned beef hash that could have fed the entire 400 black of Bainbridge Street.

←

Wasn't it on this Board that the person told the story of trying to ordered Chopped Liver on a Bagel and was told it was against Famous' policy to have Liver on anything but bread? I couldn't believe it! UNTIL a few weeks ago a waiter at another restaurant I go to - who works at Famous P/T confirmed that it is - in fact - the policy.

Sunday and Saturday's at lunch seem pretty busy but 1/2 or less of the tables seem to be filled at Dinner.

I've been once but haven't been back because I don't like to have half a sandwich the next day and the sandwiches are made for two! At least Honey's Sit and Eat offers a half sandwich with 8 ounces of corned beef on it (for $6.00 too!)

Steve R

[Diann]

Wasn't it on this Board that the person told the story of trying to ordered Chopped Liver on a Bagel and was told it was against Famous' policy to have Liver on anything but bread? I couldn't believe it! UNTIL a few weeks ago a waiter at another restaurant I go to - who works at Famous P/T confirmed that it is - in fact - the policy.

←

Nope! The chopped liver on a bagel story is on that other board.

I still think the Famous is the closest you can get to genuine New York deli in Philadelphia. Thank god they're around.

[serpentine]

Horrors! A TEN-MINUTE WAIT? On Sunday? Who'da thunk it. Good thing he fortified himself with that coffee.

(I like the people who confirmed that the service is sketchy, but acknowledge that they haven't been since it changed hands.)

[KOK]

Horrors! A TEN-MINUTE WAIT? On Sunday? Who'da thunk it. Good thing he fortified himself with that coffee.

(I like the people who confirmed that the service is sketchy, but acknowledge that they haven't been since it changed hands.)

←

I took the time (with my tiny and pathetic life) to read all the posts (it seems the thread has been locked) and even all the follow-up thread posts (since deleted) and it appears the OP wasn't 100% on the up-and-up. It also appeared (though some of the posts pointing to this were in the deleted 2nd thread) that either someone who works at, or knows someone at, the restaurant posted in refute without identifying them self.

Ten minutes and $1.86 does seem amazingly trivial to be declared the worst experience of a life. Though I tend to be childish, if I were the original poster, as soon as the owner/employee chastised me beyond appropriateness (if this is what happened) I'd have thrown two dollars on the floor ala Sonny Corleone and the photographers at the weeding and left.

Thanks,

Kevin