Complaint: I am rejecting this response because: I appreciate the efforts of the Health Deptand the cooperation of Downey's in investigating the source of the food poisoning effects my girlfriend suffered after eating at Downey's That part of my complaint is now resolvedIt does not resolve the other, larger part of my complaint, which is a price:value and experience issueThe dining experience - at least the one we experienced - was dramatically inferior to the restaurant's promise and price point, in every wayYes, from the table setting to the food The owner seems to suggest in his response that since we stayed through the meal then the restaurant is absolved of responsibility for quality I'm not sure what he would have had us do We had confirmed reservations so couldn't exactly back out once seated and served At that point we were basically committed to enduring dinner there I would have happily left early if I had imagined the owner would have thought differently about handling this complaint Again, the customer experience both during dinner and now, in trying to resolve this issue, is dramatically inferior to any I have seen when there is a significant customer dissatisfaction issue in view I simply wish the owner would recognize that issue and offer to resolve it Regards, E [redacted] ***
We believe that the complaint regarding the alleged food poisoning was resolved in several waysFirst and foremost, the Health Department responded to the complainant after a thorough inspection of our facilityIncluded in their inspection was a thorough inspection of where our food was sourcedThere was not any indication of anything that would cause food poisoningSecondly, there is not any mention of any other location where the complainants had a meal on that same dayWe also do not really know if she had a flu or any other condition that might be indicated by her symptomsAnd most importantly, it is telling that there were seventy two other diners in our restaurant on that eveningNot one, except the complainant, had an issue with food poisoningWe do not believe that a customer can refuse to pay because of their sense of “value and experience.” They each paid half of the amount for their dinner, and each left a respectable gratuityThe only complaint he made during the evening was that he did not like the veal dish he had ordered, and he chose another entréeIn his follow up information he sent to you, he states, “...we were basically committed to enduring dinner thereI would have happily left early if I had imagined the owner would have thought differently about handling this complaint.” They could have left at any timeWe have been offering a fine dining experience for years, so we might deduce that our prices are reasonableThere wasn't any reason he could not have simply said that the menu, the room, the accoutrements on the table were not up to his standardsWe certainly would not have forced him to stayHis comment in italics (above in this paragraph) seems to suggest that he anticipated receiving a full refund (which he has requested) and yethe stayed and continued to eat and drinkAgain, they could have left at any time, When they arrived and found the restaurant half empty, they might not have noticed that the tables were filled again for the second seating within the hourWhen he was unhappy with the quality of the table settings, when the cabernet was uninteresting, when the salad was boring, when our home cured prosciutto was less flavorful than common Parma, when the soup was over salted, when the veal loin had an unappetizing cross section, when the beef fillet was the blandest meat in his working memory, when the vegetables could have been from a dinerAnd finally that the chef should be cooking for the airlines, there was no reason why they could not have leftThe comments in the preceding paragraph are all his opinionsOur opinion is that not one of his comments is basis for a refund of the four course meal they ateBefore he contacted us directly, he posted reprehensible comments and insults about D***'s Restaurant on Open Table, Yelp and Trip AdvisorAnd only after he posted his comments did he email us suggesting that a refund was in orderConsidering all of these factors we stand by our decision to deny a refundSincerely, [redacted] & [redacted] D***
On New Year's Eve we offered a four course dinnerIt was posted as such on our website, including a menu with choices of each course as well as the price for the dinner, excluding wine or taxThe customer who contacted you booked via the webHe and his dining companion ordered and ate everything that we served to them, including two glasses of wineThey each paid separately, both left a tip and leftThe next day we found his email, which is copied for your perusalWe chose not to respond to his email after reading the scathing reviews he wrote on Open Table, Google and Yelp before contacting usThose reviews are also available for you to read, some of which we found really insultingOn January 5", 2016, our health inspector arrived and showed paperwork that the guest reported the alleged food poisoningWe showed her their guest check so that all the food could be reviewedThere were guests in our dining room on that night, and not one other person claimed that they were ill after dining in our restaurantWe offered to call all who had consumed the same dishes, but the health inspector declinedShe conducted a thorough investigation and concluded there were no violations of good food handling practices that might have caused any alleged food poisoningThe vehemence of this customer's complaints are an anomalyHis rant against the food served, the wine, the décor, the linens and the china were over the topHis reservation was at 9:and of course there were a few empty tables, which booked again at 9:Everything was wrong in his opinion from the moment he walked in the doorWe very rarely get a complaint about anything at Downey's; let alone every single thing! We've been doing things right for over thirty years, so to read online about how bad everything was seems excessiveOther online reviews are overwhelmingly Five-Star positive as was the verbal appreciation of other guests on the night in questionBased on the lack of evidence of any wrong-doing on our part regarding the alleged food poisoning and the fact that this customer did indeed eat and drink everything that he was charged for, we decline to offer any re-imbursementThis was communicated to him by mail dated January 9"Sincerely, J [redacted]
On New Year's Eve we offered a four course dinnerIt was posted as such on our
website, including a menu with choices of each course as well as the price for the dinner, excluding wine or taxThe customer who contacted you booked via the webHe and his dining companion ordered and ate everything that we served to them, including two glasses of wineThey each paid separately, both left a tip and leftThe next day we found his email, which is copied for your perusalWe chose not to respond to his email after reading the scathing reviews he wrote on Open Table, Google and Yelp before contacting usThose reviews are also available for you to read, some of which we found really insultingOn January 5", 2016, our health inspector arrived and showed paperwork that the guest reported the alleged food poisoningWe showed her their guest check so that all the food could be reviewedThere were guests in our dining room on that night, and not one other person claimed that they were ill after dining in our restaurantWe offered to call all who had consumed the same dishes, but the health inspector declinedShe conducted a thorough investigation and concluded there were no violations of good food handling practices that might have caused any alleged food poisoningThe vehemence of this customer's complaints are an anomalyHis rant against the food served, the wine, the décor, the linens and the china were over the topHis reservation was at 9:and of course there were a few empty tables, which booked again at 9:Everything was wrong in his opinion from the moment he walked in the doorWe very rarely get a complaint about anything at Downey's; let alone every single thing! We've been doing things right for over thirty years, so to read online about how bad everything was seems excessiveOther online reviews are overwhelmingly Five-Star positive as was the verbal appreciation of other guests on the night in questionBased on the lack of evidence of any wrong-doing on our part regarding the alleged food poisoning and the fact that this customer did indeed eat and drink everything that he was charged for, we decline to offer any re-imbursementThis was communicated to him by mail dated January 9"Sincerely,
J*** ***
We believe that the complaint regarding the alleged food poisoning was resolved in several waysFirst and foremost, the Health Department responded to the complainant after a thorough inspection of our facilityIncluded in their inspection was a thorough inspection of where our food was sourcedThere was not any indication of anything that would cause food poisoningSecondly, there is not any mention of any other location where the complainants had a meal on that same dayWe also do not really know if she had a flu or any other condition that might be indicated by her symptomsAnd most importantly, it is telling that there were seventy two other diners in our restaurant on that eveningNot one, except the complainant, had an issue with food poisoningWe do not believe that a customer can refuse to pay because of their sense of “value and experience.” They each paid half of the amount for their dinner, and each left a respectable gratuityThe only complaint he made during the evening was that he did not like the veal dish he had ordered, and he chose another entréeIn his follow up information he sent to you, he states, “...we were basically committed to enduring dinner thereI would have happily left early if I had imagined the owner would have thought differently about handling this complaint.” They could have left at any timeWe have been offering a fine dining experience for years, so we might deduce that our prices are reasonableThere wasn't any reason he could not have simply said that the menu, the room, the accoutrements on the table were not up to his standardsWe certainly would not have forced him to stayHis comment in italics (above in this paragraph) seems to suggest that he anticipated receiving a full refund (which he has requested) and yethe stayed and continued to eat and drinkAgain, they could have left at any time,
When they arrived and found the restaurant half empty, they might not have noticed that the tables were filled again for the second seating within the hourWhen he was unhappy with the quality of the table settings, when the cabernet was uninteresting, when the salad was boring, when our home cured prosciutto was less flavorful than common Parma, when the soup was over salted, when the veal loin had an unappetizing cross section, when the beef fillet was the blandest meat in his working memory, when the vegetables could have been from a dinerAnd finally that the chef should be cooking for the airlines, there was no reason why they could not have leftThe comments in the preceding paragraph are all his opinionsOur opinion is that not one of his comments is basis for a refund of the four course meal they ateBefore he contacted us directly, he posted reprehensible comments and insults about D***'s Restaurant on Open Table, Yelp and Trip AdvisorAnd only after he posted his comments did he email us suggesting that a refund was in orderConsidering all of these factors we stand by our decision to deny a refundSincerely,
*** & *** D***
Complaint:
I am rejecting this response because:
I appreciate the efforts of the Health Deptand the cooperation of Downey's in investigating the source of the food poisoning effects my girlfriend suffered after eating at Downey's. That part of my complaint is now resolvedIt does not resolve the other, larger part of my complaint, which is a price:value and experience issueThe dining experience - at least the one we experienced - was dramatically inferior to the restaurant's promise and price point, in every wayYes, from the table setting to the food.
The owner seems to suggest in his response that since we stayed through the meal then the restaurant is absolved of responsibility for quality. I'm not sure what he would have had us do. We had confirmed reservations so couldn't exactly back out once seated and served. At that point we were basically committed to enduring dinner there. I would have happily left early if I had imagined the owner would have thought differently about handling this complaint.
Again, the customer experience both during dinner and now, in trying to resolve this issue, is dramatically inferior to any I have seen when there is a significant customer dissatisfaction issue in view. I simply wish the owner would recognize that issue and offer to resolve it
Regards,
E*** ***
Complaint: I am rejecting this response because: I appreciate the efforts of the Health Deptand the cooperation of Downey's in investigating the source of the food poisoning effects my girlfriend suffered after eating at Downey's That part of my complaint is now resolvedIt does not resolve the other, larger part of my complaint, which is a price:value and experience issueThe dining experience - at least the one we experienced - was dramatically inferior to the restaurant's promise and price point, in every wayYes, from the table setting to the food The owner seems to suggest in his response that since we stayed through the meal then the restaurant is absolved of responsibility for quality I'm not sure what he would have had us do We had confirmed reservations so couldn't exactly back out once seated and served At that point we were basically committed to enduring dinner there I would have happily left early if I had imagined the owner would have thought differently about handling this complaint Again, the customer experience both during dinner and now, in trying to resolve this issue, is dramatically inferior to any I have seen when there is a significant customer dissatisfaction issue in view I simply wish the owner would recognize that issue and offer to resolve it Regards, E [redacted] ***
We believe that the complaint regarding the alleged food poisoning was resolved in several waysFirst and foremost, the Health Department responded to the complainant after a thorough inspection of our facilityIncluded in their inspection was a thorough inspection of where our food was sourcedThere was not any indication of anything that would cause food poisoningSecondly, there is not any mention of any other location where the complainants had a meal on that same dayWe also do not really know if she had a flu or any other condition that might be indicated by her symptomsAnd most importantly, it is telling that there were seventy two other diners in our restaurant on that eveningNot one, except the complainant, had an issue with food poisoningWe do not believe that a customer can refuse to pay because of their sense of “value and experience.” They each paid half of the amount for their dinner, and each left a respectable gratuityThe only complaint he made during the evening was that he did not like the veal dish he had ordered, and he chose another entréeIn his follow up information he sent to you, he states, “...we were basically committed to enduring dinner thereI would have happily left early if I had imagined the owner would have thought differently about handling this complaint.” They could have left at any timeWe have been offering a fine dining experience for years, so we might deduce that our prices are reasonableThere wasn't any reason he could not have simply said that the menu, the room, the accoutrements on the table were not up to his standardsWe certainly would not have forced him to stayHis comment in italics (above in this paragraph) seems to suggest that he anticipated receiving a full refund (which he has requested) and yethe stayed and continued to eat and drinkAgain, they could have left at any time, When they arrived and found the restaurant half empty, they might not have noticed that the tables were filled again for the second seating within the hourWhen he was unhappy with the quality of the table settings, when the cabernet was uninteresting, when the salad was boring, when our home cured prosciutto was less flavorful than common Parma, when the soup was over salted, when the veal loin had an unappetizing cross section, when the beef fillet was the blandest meat in his working memory, when the vegetables could have been from a dinerAnd finally that the chef should be cooking for the airlines, there was no reason why they could not have leftThe comments in the preceding paragraph are all his opinionsOur opinion is that not one of his comments is basis for a refund of the four course meal they ateBefore he contacted us directly, he posted reprehensible comments and insults about D***'s Restaurant on Open Table, Yelp and Trip AdvisorAnd only after he posted his comments did he email us suggesting that a refund was in orderConsidering all of these factors we stand by our decision to deny a refundSincerely, [redacted] & [redacted] D***
On New Year's Eve we offered a four course dinnerIt was posted as such on our website, including a menu with choices of each course as well as the price for the dinner, excluding wine or taxThe customer who contacted you booked via the webHe and his dining companion ordered and ate everything that we served to them, including two glasses of wineThey each paid separately, both left a tip and leftThe next day we found his email, which is copied for your perusalWe chose not to respond to his email after reading the scathing reviews he wrote on Open Table, Google and Yelp before contacting usThose reviews are also available for you to read, some of which we found really insultingOn January 5", 2016, our health inspector arrived and showed paperwork that the guest reported the alleged food poisoningWe showed her their guest check so that all the food could be reviewedThere were guests in our dining room on that night, and not one other person claimed that they were ill after dining in our restaurantWe offered to call all who had consumed the same dishes, but the health inspector declinedShe conducted a thorough investigation and concluded there were no violations of good food handling practices that might have caused any alleged food poisoningThe vehemence of this customer's complaints are an anomalyHis rant against the food served, the wine, the décor, the linens and the china were over the topHis reservation was at 9:and of course there were a few empty tables, which booked again at 9:Everything was wrong in his opinion from the moment he walked in the doorWe very rarely get a complaint about anything at Downey's; let alone every single thing! We've been doing things right for over thirty years, so to read online about how bad everything was seems excessiveOther online reviews are overwhelmingly Five-Star positive as was the verbal appreciation of other guests on the night in questionBased on the lack of evidence of any wrong-doing on our part regarding the alleged food poisoning and the fact that this customer did indeed eat and drink everything that he was charged for, we decline to offer any re-imbursementThis was communicated to him by mail dated January 9"Sincerely, J [redacted]
On New Year's Eve we offered a four course dinnerIt was posted as such on our
website, including a menu with choices of each course as well as the price for the dinner, excluding wine or taxThe customer who contacted you booked via the webHe and his dining companion ordered and ate everything that we served to them, including two glasses of wineThey each paid separately, both left a tip and leftThe next day we found his email, which is copied for your perusalWe chose not to respond to his email after reading the scathing reviews he wrote on Open Table, Google and Yelp before contacting usThose reviews are also available for you to read, some of which we found really insultingOn January 5", 2016, our health inspector arrived and showed paperwork that the guest reported the alleged food poisoningWe showed her their guest check so that all the food could be reviewedThere were guests in our dining room on that night, and not one other person claimed that they were ill after dining in our restaurantWe offered to call all who had consumed the same dishes, but the health inspector declinedShe conducted a thorough investigation and concluded there were no violations of good food handling practices that might have caused any alleged food poisoningThe vehemence of this customer's complaints are an anomalyHis rant against the food served, the wine, the décor, the linens and the china were over the topHis reservation was at 9:and of course there were a few empty tables, which booked again at 9:Everything was wrong in his opinion from the moment he walked in the doorWe very rarely get a complaint about anything at Downey's; let alone every single thing! We've been doing things right for over thirty years, so to read online about how bad everything was seems excessiveOther online reviews are overwhelmingly Five-Star positive as was the verbal appreciation of other guests on the night in questionBased on the lack of evidence of any wrong-doing on our part regarding the alleged food poisoning and the fact that this customer did indeed eat and drink everything that he was charged for, we decline to offer any re-imbursementThis was communicated to him by mail dated January 9"Sincerely,
J*** ***
We believe that the complaint regarding the alleged food poisoning was resolved in several waysFirst and foremost, the Health Department responded to the complainant after a thorough inspection of our facilityIncluded in their inspection was a thorough inspection of where our food was sourcedThere was not any indication of anything that would cause food poisoningSecondly, there is not any mention of any other location where the complainants had a meal on that same dayWe also do not really know if she had a flu or any other condition that might be indicated by her symptomsAnd most importantly, it is telling that there were seventy two other diners in our restaurant on that eveningNot one, except the complainant, had an issue with food poisoningWe do not believe that a customer can refuse to pay because of their sense of “value and experience.” They each paid half of the amount for their dinner, and each left a respectable gratuityThe only complaint he made during the evening was that he did not like the veal dish he had ordered, and he chose another entréeIn his follow up information he sent to you, he states, “...we were basically committed to enduring dinner thereI would have happily left early if I had imagined the owner would have thought differently about handling this complaint.” They could have left at any timeWe have been offering a fine dining experience for years, so we might deduce that our prices are reasonableThere wasn't any reason he could not have simply said that the menu, the room, the accoutrements on the table were not up to his standardsWe certainly would not have forced him to stayHis comment in italics (above in this paragraph) seems to suggest that he anticipated receiving a full refund (which he has requested) and yethe stayed and continued to eat and drinkAgain, they could have left at any time,
When they arrived and found the restaurant half empty, they might not have noticed that the tables were filled again for the second seating within the hourWhen he was unhappy with the quality of the table settings, when the cabernet was uninteresting, when the salad was boring, when our home cured prosciutto was less flavorful than common Parma, when the soup was over salted, when the veal loin had an unappetizing cross section, when the beef fillet was the blandest meat in his working memory, when the vegetables could have been from a dinerAnd finally that the chef should be cooking for the airlines, there was no reason why they could not have leftThe comments in the preceding paragraph are all his opinionsOur opinion is that not one of his comments is basis for a refund of the four course meal they ateBefore he contacted us directly, he posted reprehensible comments and insults about D***'s Restaurant on Open Table, Yelp and Trip AdvisorAnd only after he posted his comments did he email us suggesting that a refund was in orderConsidering all of these factors we stand by our decision to deny a refundSincerely,
*** & *** D***
Complaint:
I am rejecting this response because:
I appreciate the efforts of the Health Deptand the cooperation of Downey's in investigating the source of the food poisoning effects my girlfriend suffered after eating at Downey's. That part of my complaint is now resolvedIt does not resolve the other, larger part of my complaint, which is a price:value and experience issueThe dining experience - at least the one we experienced - was dramatically inferior to the restaurant's promise and price point, in every wayYes, from the table setting to the food.
The owner seems to suggest in his response that since we stayed through the meal then the restaurant is absolved of responsibility for quality. I'm not sure what he would have had us do. We had confirmed reservations so couldn't exactly back out once seated and served. At that point we were basically committed to enduring dinner there. I would have happily left early if I had imagined the owner would have thought differently about handling this complaint.
Again, the customer experience both during dinner and now, in trying to resolve this issue, is dramatically inferior to any I have seen when there is a significant customer dissatisfaction issue in view. I simply wish the owner would recognize that issue and offer to resolve it
Regards,
E*** ***