March 23, [redacted] I would like to respond to this customer’s concernsI am sorry she is not happy with the overall result of this eventWe always strive to please our customersWe believe that “behind every event is somebody special”We live this philosophy every day with every event, in conjunction with our core valuesWe value honesty and the truthWe have never had to respond to a request from the Revdex.com in our years of operationWe currently have an A+ rating and are very proud of this! We are truly sorry that this customer did not feel special after the eventPrior to her call, all accounts, emails, text messages, and verbal discussions, expressed her overall happiness and extreme satisfaction with the eventWe were very surprised to learn of her changed opinionWe pride ourselves on documenting nearly all correspondence with our customers so that we can produce their optimum eventWe tried very hard to provide what our customer requestedWe have over email correspondences since April 8, We have seven different versions of quotes that were given to her, trying to accommodate her requestsWe again attempted to offer alternative budget options as close as one month prior to the wedding because her guest count increased from to and she was concerned for her budgetThe night of the event, her Sales Rep, who was also her Head Server, was told by both the bride, her husband, and her wedding coordinator, that everything was great! The Sales Rep checked in with the bride at least four different times and the wedding coordinator multiple timesThey were all extremely happy! The bride said everything was absolutely perfect, and that she loved it allShe even gave the Sales Rep another hug and was thankful for working with her throughout the process and for being patient with everythingHer husband came up to the Sales Rep at the very end and gave her a hug as well and said that things couldn't have went better and that he was super pleased with everythingThis was also relayed both verbally and via text message to the venue manager after the eventIn addition, they paid each server a cash tip of $This tip was distributed to each server at the end of the eventWe do not mandate gratuity, so this was completely the customer’s decisionThe customer’s first call to express her concerns was on Tuesday, March She requested to speak to the Sales ManagerThe Sales Manager called her back after her morning meetingThe Sales Manager stated that the customer was pleasant on the phone and said that she had a few concerns that she wanted to discussThe customer said that she wanted to point out that the food was delicious and overall the event was wonderfulShe had concerns about the serving size of the starchesShe was also told that some adults who were trying to eat off of the kids buffet were told it was not available to the adultsUnfortunately, her father was one of those adults and the server didn’t realize itShe wanted to know if there was any food left over and felt she should be refunded for “left-over” foodThe Sales Manager investigated this matter and replied back to her on Wednesday, 3/8/17, via a phone call and emailThe Sales Manager explained that there was still half a pan of food on the buffet for all items and a full pan of meat that was donatedThe Sales Rep also said that it was brought to her attention the night of the event (by one of the wait staff) that one of the servers was serving “smaller than normal” starch portionsWe understand that she may be concerned about thisIt was immediately corrected that nightIn addition, the buffet was left open an additional minutes for people to go back through for additional portions, with plenty of food still left on the buffetThe Sales Manager apologized via phone to the customer and said we would see what we could do as a “goodwill” gestureWe do not refund for “left-over” food, per the contractIt is either thrown away or donated, pending the integrity of the food at the end of the eventThe customer mentioned she had not yet been charged for her soft drink consumptionThe Sales Manager sent her an email offering a $cash refund and credit of $for the soft drinksThe customer’s email response dated March stated that this was the only concern she had and stated that she would accept this offeringThe check was placed in the mailbox on March Her total credit refunded was $With this agreement, we thought the issue was resolved and she was still pleased with the outcomeOn Thursday, March 9, the customer’s mom called the Sales Rep to complain about the amount of the refundThe Sales Rep listened to her issuesWe always appreciate insight to improve our processWhen she began discussing refunds, the Sales Rep told her of our conversation with the daughter, and the resolutionShe said it was not acceptableThe Sales Rep then told her that while we appreciate her insight, we could not discuss the contract specifics with her because she is not the signer on the contractFor confidentiality and event clarification issues, we ask that the signer of the contract is the sole point of contact for the eventThe mother then became upset with the Sales Rep and threatened to write several hateful reviews on social media, contact the venue manager, Revdex.com, etcif everything was not resolved to their standardsShe became very abrasive with the Sales Rep on the phoneThe Sales Rep again apologized and suggested that she review her venue contract terms with regard to the “Non-Disparagement” clause before she made any harsh decisionsLater on Thursday, the bride then called the Sales Rep two times during the dayThe Sales Rep explained via email that she was in meetings until 6:30pm, but would be more than happy to call her then, even though it was outside business hoursShe requested that the Sales Rep call her that eveningWhen the Sales Rep called the customer, she immediately explained her confusion and shock about the customer’s concerns of the eventIt was her understanding that the event went very well and the customer was very pleased, especially considering the conversations they had the night of the eventShe apologized again for the smaller portion sizes and explained that we corrected it as soon as it was brought to our attentionShe also explained that the buffet was open for an additional minutes for guests who may have wanted to go through for secondsThe customer explained that she was very pleased with the conversations with the Sales Manager and that she really appreciated how apologetic we wereShe expressed that she wanted money back for poor serviceWhen asked to explain further, she stated that it was not the fact that people received smaller portions, but that it was the server who told her Father that he could not go through the kids buffet line until after the main line went throughThe Sales Rep apologized againThe customer said that if she did not receive $or more in compensation then she was going to go online and do a public service announcement about how unhappy and unsatisfied she wasThe Sales Rep again suggested that prior to doing that, she review the non-disparagement clause in the venue contractThe Sales Rep was then told by upper management that she was to have no more contact with this customerUnfortunately, our sincere apologies and cash refund was not considered sufficient for the customerSince we feel that our customers and our staff should be treated special, we did not feel it was fair to subject the Sales Rep to further demands and abrasive behavior on the phoneShe repeatedly went out of her way to please this customer and communicate with herUnfortunately, the customer was unable to be placatedWe have met or exceeded every requirement in this contract as statedWe have apologized repeatedly for the incident where the server mistakenly served smaller portions of the starch, for a very short time, on the buffetWe issued a refund for this as wellWe are also very sorry for the request to the Father of the bride to wait for the children to go through the kids buffet before he went through the buffetIt was an honest mistake by the serverExpressing this disgruntlement could have been handled the night of the event by not distributing the gratuity to the serversAgain, we do not require a mandatory gratuityWe work very hard to please our customers on all accountsThis customer’s refund requests are simply not reasonable or substantiatedWe truly hope that she will reconsider her position and accept the sincere apologies and cash refund[redacted]
This response is in reference to claim no [redacted] The letter sent as a follby the customer contains no new informationTherefore, our position remains unchanged from the initial response sentI sincerely appreciate the Revdex.com's role in attempting to remedy this complaintAs I explained to Revdex.com on the phone, the refund check was sent on 3/9/as promised per her discussion with [redacted] , our Sales Manager, and acceptance of the offerThe check was cashed on 4/7/I also explained to Revdex.com on the phone that we have been on vacation since 3/31/and did not receive the last letter until I picked up the mail on 4/8/My first day back from vacation is actually 4/11/However, I wanted to speak with the Revdex.com to understand the process further and told her I would send my response by end of todayThus, I apologize for missing the day windowI thought the issue had been resolved since I received a letter stating it was closed before I left for vacationThank you again for your efforts[redacted]
Directory America, incHaverston Road,Lyndurst, Ohio 44124Revdex.comEuclid Ave., 4th floorCleveland, Ohio 44112-2408RE: ID [redacted] ***Re: trouble number [redacted] Dear [redacted] ***,Please be informed that the above mentioned complaint has be address as requested by [redacted] ***Service has been cancelled and credit being sentIt may take two billing cycles for adjustments to appear.Sincerely,Sally G [redacted]
Revdex.com: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below [I have never had to file a complaint with the Revdex.com until my involvement with The Catering Company I understand the business’s philosophy is that “behind every event is somebody special” and the catering slogan is “from welcome to well done” Maybe they are a good company that had a bad night- I expected their response following my initial complaint follow these same philosophies I have denied the request for compromise and in response I would like to share my experience working with this company I had around guests at my wedding, which consisted of family, relatives, friends, and co-workers All these guests were there to celebrate our marriage and we were busy celebrating with our guests I was made aware of the issues with the service the following day when several guests mentioned the small serving sizes they received along with comments made by the service staff, which they viewed as rude or unprofessional Upon receiving incorrect portions, when guests asked for more they were told “no” and “they need to make sure they have enough for everyone” This comment was made to many quests, including a member of the wedding party that confirmed he was the first person through the buffet line As a customer, I would expect a catering company to prepare enough food for all the guests in attendance since this number was agreed upon prior to the event and treat the guests with respect Guests attending the wedding should not be told “no” when asking for more food and a catering company should know they have enough food through proper preparation for an eventThis issue could not be handled the night of the wedding as suggested in their response No guests felt comfortable approaching the bride or groom on the wedding night to complain about the catering service Nor did family members feel it was appropriate to complain to the company the night of the wedding However, once the event had ended guests felt they could opand share their own experience with the company during that night Any guests that I have talked to shared stories which included small portions, rude staff, and inadequate service.On March 7th, I contacted [redacted] on the phone and she was apologetic about the unprofessional comments made by the service staff and the small serving sizes She communicated that she would look into what happened and would see about providing a refund When she responded on March 8th, she said a refund of $would be refunded and $for soda consumption would not be charged I received an email on March 8th about the refund and she included I should feel free to call her if I would like to discuss further Due to the fact I felt this refund was not in line with what I had paid, I attempted to call to come to an agreement more in line with the cost incurred When I called the company’s number I was unable to reach anyone even though it was business hours of operation As customers, we worked with this company for months and paid over $11,for their services which did not make us feel valued or special If this company truly values people’s insight to improve their process and consider the company successful- threatening to file charges on us for writing an honest review of our negative experience with their company does not make us feel like we dealt with a company that values honesty I continually attempted to call the company to speak with [redacted] , my point of contact with the company and was never able to get through to anyone- until I used a different phone This made me feel that the company was no longer willing to work with me on these issuesI was connected to a secretary who relayed that [redacted] was in a meeting In the meantime, I emailed [redacted] asking for her to return my phone call [redacted] called me back on the evening of Thursday, March 9th The conversation with [redacted] was civil and she listened to the issues about the service She apologized for the small portion sizes and said the buffet was open minutes longer so guests could go through for seconds [redacted] was very apologetic for how I was feeling and voiced she understood my concerns She said she would discuss with [redacted] about a more appropriate solutionShe ended the call telling me she would call me the following day I never got a call back from her company Instead I got a letter from an attorney on behalf of their company threatening to pursue legal charges against meTechnically they did not violate any terms of the contract, but one expects a service company to provide competent and courteous service; this includes being respectful to guests, adequate serving sizes, and organized service We paid over $11,for their services and those expectations were not met We feel The Catering Company provided unprofessional service and in return used threats of litigation against us so they are not accountable for their actions on the night in questions Having represented my perception of the events and my feelings about them, I would like to rebut specific points brought up in the company’s response letter Their response included a recounting of my complaint concerning my father and a chicken nugget from the kid’s buffet This incident was not the primary complaint, but served as a demonstration of treatment of my guests and an attempt to show your inconsistent service I have multiple guests that confirmed they ate from the kid’s buffet which draws a sharp contrast with the service my father received while making a similar request I would also like to address the misunderstanding about my tipping the service staff on the night of the event The catering company does not require a tip, but their contract suggests an 18% gratuity be added onto the final bill, which needs to be indicated upfront and prior to service within the contract Tipping your vendors is considered proper wedding etiquette but I did not feel it was appropriate to tip for the price of linens, china, silverware, and the $facility feeI emailed [redacted] on January 28th inquiring about the cost of food alone to budget a tip that reflected the price She emailed me explaining that is not something they typically provide their clients because everything comes as a package, but would see what she could do Instead I emailed her back saying I no longer needed the price of food, but wanted 0% gratuity be written into the contract with plans to pass out cash the night of my wedding I gave my wedding coordinator money prior to the wedding to pass out to any/all vendors as I would not have time the night of the event My coordinator did this automatically irrespective of the actual service provided on the night in questionIn closing, I appreciate the company’s apology regarding my concerns, but to quote the response from the company’s president, “we believe that ‘behind every event is somebody special’”, and “we value honesty and truth” and I did not feel that the catering company followed that philosophy on the night of the event, nor during the addressing of my concerns afterwards As a customer that paid over $11,to your company I feel a $1,000-$2,refund is appropriate for your company’s failure to uphold your values and philosophy I hope the experiences I have shared regarding my wedding are substantial enough that you reconsider your initial response and respond in a more fitting of a successful company that values its customers [redacted] ] Regards, [redacted]
Revdex.com: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to [redacted] , and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below [First, I would like to thank the Revdex.com in their attempt at conflict resolution with this companyI feel like my concerns were treated as afterthoughts to this company Please know that in the days I reminisce about my wedding that I will treat this company as less than that] Regards, [redacted]
Please be informed that the above mentioned complaint to have phone numbers removed from our data base as requested by ** has been ordered.Sincerely,*** ***
This response is in reference to claim no. [redacted]. The letter sent as a follow-up by the customer contains no new information. Therefore, our position remains unchanged from the initial response sent. I sincerely appreciate the Revdex.com's role in attempting to remedy this complaint. As I explained to Revdex.com on the phone, the refund check was sent on 3/9/2017 as promised per her discussion with [redacted], our Sales Manager, and acceptance of the offer. The check was cashed on 4/7/2017. I also explained to Revdex.com on the phone that we have been on vacation since 3/31/2017 and did not receive the last letter until I picked up the mail on 4/8/2017. My first day back from vacation is actually 4/11/2017. However, I wanted to speak with the Revdex.com to understand the process further and told her I would send my response by end of today. Thus, I apologize for missing the 10 day window. I thought the issue had been resolved since I received a letter stating it was closed before I left for vacation. Thank you again for your efforts.[redacted]
March 23, 2017 [redacted] I would like to respond to this customer’s concerns. I am sorry she is not happy with the overall result of this event. We always strive to please our customers. We believe that “behind every event is somebody special”. We live this philosophy every day with...
every event, in conjunction with our core values. We value honesty and the truth. We have never had to respond to a request from the Revdex.com in our 17 years of operation. We currently have an A+ rating and are very proud of this! We are truly sorry that this customer did not feel special after the event. Prior to her call, all accounts, emails, text messages, and verbal discussions, expressed her overall happiness and extreme satisfaction with the event. We were very surprised to learn of her changed opinion. We pride ourselves on documenting nearly all correspondence with our customers so that we can produce their optimum event. We tried very hard to provide what our customer requested. We have over 165 email correspondences since April 8, 2016. We have seven different versions of quotes that were given to her, trying to accommodate her requests. We again attempted to offer alternative budget options as close as one month prior to the wedding because her guest count increased from 200 to 269 and she was concerned for her budget. The night of the event, her Sales Rep, who was also her Head Server, was told by both the bride, her husband, and her wedding coordinator, that everything was great! The Sales Rep checked in with the bride at least four different times and the wedding coordinator multiple times. They were all extremely happy! The bride said everything was absolutely perfect, and that she loved it all. She even gave the Sales Rep another hug and was thankful for working with her throughout the process and for being patient with everything. Her husband came up to the Sales Rep at the very end and gave her a hug as well and said that things couldn't have went better and that he was super pleased with everything. This was also relayed both verbally and via text message to the venue manager after the event. In addition, they paid each server a cash tip of $20.00. This tip was distributed to each server at the end of the event. We do not mandate gratuity, so this was completely the customer’s decision. The customer’s first call to express her concerns was on Tuesday, March 7. She requested to speak to the Sales Manager. The Sales Manager called her back after her morning meeting. The Sales Manager stated that the customer was pleasant on the phone and said that she had a few concerns that she wanted to discuss. The customer said that she wanted to point out that the food was delicious and overall the event was wonderful. She had concerns about the serving size of the starches. She was also told that some adults who were trying to eat off of the kids buffet were told it was not available to the adults. Unfortunately, her father was one of those adults and the server didn’t realize it. She wanted to know if there was any food left over and felt she should be refunded for “left-over” food. The Sales Manager investigated this matter and replied back to her on Wednesday, 3/8/17, via a phone call and email. The Sales Manager explained that there was still half a pan of food on the buffet for all items and a full pan of meat that was donated. The Sales Rep also said that it was brought to her attention the night of the event (by one of the wait staff) that one of the servers was serving “smaller than normal” starch portions. We understand that she may be concerned about this. It was immediately corrected that night. In addition, the buffet was left open an additional 45 minutes for people to go back through for additional portions, with plenty of food still left on the buffet. The Sales Manager apologized via phone to the customer and said we would see what we could do as a “goodwill” gesture. We do not refund for “left-over” food, per the contract. It is either thrown away or donated, pending the integrity of the food at the end of the event. The customer mentioned she had not yet been charged for her soft drink consumption. The Sales Manager sent her an email offering a $175.00 cash refund and credit of $71.04 for the soft drinks. The customer’s email response dated March 8 stated that this was the only concern she had and stated that she would accept this offering. The check was placed in the mailbox on March 7. Her total credit refunded was $246.04. With this agreement, we thought the issue was resolved and she was still pleased with the outcome. On Thursday, March 9, the customer’s mom called the Sales Rep to complain about the amount of the refund. The Sales Rep listened to her issues. We always appreciate insight to improve our process. When she began discussing refunds, the Sales Rep told her of our conversation with the daughter, and the resolution. She said it was not acceptable. The Sales Rep then told her that while we appreciate her insight, we could not discuss the contract specifics with her because she is not the signer on the contract. For confidentiality and event clarification issues, we ask that the signer of the contract is the sole point of contact for the event. The mother then became upset with the Sales Rep and threatened to write several hateful reviews on social media, contact the venue manager, Revdex.com, etc. if everything was not resolved to their standards. She became very abrasive with the Sales Rep on the phone. The Sales Rep again apologized and suggested that she review her venue contract terms with regard to the “Non-Disparagement” clause before she made any harsh decisions. Later on Thursday, the bride then called the Sales Rep two times during the day. The Sales Rep explained via email that she was in meetings until 6:30pm, but would be more than happy to call her then, even though it was outside normal business hours. She requested that the Sales Rep call her that evening. When the Sales Rep called the customer, she immediately explained her confusion and shock about the customer’s concerns of the event. It was her understanding that the event went very well and the customer was very pleased, especially considering the conversations they had the night of the event. She apologized again for the smaller portion sizes and explained that we corrected it as soon as it was brought to our attention. She also explained that the buffet was open for an additional 45 minutes for guests who may have wanted to go through for seconds. The customer explained that she was very pleased with the conversations with the Sales Manager and that she really appreciated how apologetic we were. She expressed that she wanted money back for poor service. When asked to explain further, she stated that it was not the fact that people received smaller portions, but that it was the server who told her Father that he could not go through the kids buffet line until after the main line went through. The Sales Rep apologized again. The customer said that if she did not receive $1000.00 or more in compensation then she was going to go online and do a public service announcement about how unhappy and unsatisfied she was. The Sales Rep again suggested that prior to doing that, she review the non-disparagement clause in the venue contract. The Sales Rep was then told by upper management that she was to have no more contact with this customer. Unfortunately, our sincere apologies and cash refund was not considered sufficient for the customer. Since we feel that our customers and our staff should be treated special, we did not feel it was fair to subject the Sales Rep to further demands and abrasive behavior on the phone. She repeatedly went out of her way to please this customer and communicate with her. Unfortunately, the customer was unable to be placated. We have met or exceeded every requirement in this contract as stated. We have apologized repeatedly for the incident where the server mistakenly served smaller portions of the starch, for a very short time, on the buffet. We issued a refund for this as well. We are also very sorry for the request to the Father of the bride to wait for the children to go through the kids buffet before he went through the buffet. It was an honest mistake by the server. Expressing this disgruntlement could have been handled the night of the event by not distributing the gratuity to the servers. Again, we do not require a mandatory gratuity. We work very hard to please our customers on all accounts. This customer’s refund requests are simply not reasonable or substantiated. We truly hope that she will reconsider her position and accept the sincere apologies and cash refund.[redacted]
Directory America, inc.1224 Haverston Road,Lyndurst, Ohio 44124Revdex.com2800 Euclid Ave., 4th floorCleveland, Ohio 44112-2408RE: ID [redacted]Re: trouble number [redacted]Dear [redacted],Please be informed that the above mentioned complaint...
has be address as requested by [redacted]. Service has been cancelled and credit being sent. It may take two billing cycles for adjustments to appear.Sincerely,Sally G[redacted]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[First, I would like to thank the Revdex.com in their attempt at conflict resolution with this company. I feel like my concerns were treated as afterthoughts to this company. Please know that in the days I reminisce about my wedding that I will treat this company as less than that. ]
Regards,
[redacted]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[I have never had to file a complaint with the Revdex.com until my involvement with The Catering Company. I understand the business’s philosophy is that “behind every event is somebody special” and the catering slogan is “from welcome to well done”. Maybe they are a good company that had a bad night- I expected their response following my initial complaint follow these same philosophies. I have denied the request for compromise and in response I would like to share my experience working with this company. I had around 260 guests at my wedding, which consisted of family, relatives, friends, and co-workers. All these guests were there to celebrate our marriage and we were busy celebrating with our guests. I was made aware of the issues with the service the following day when several guests mentioned the small serving sizes they received along with comments made by the service staff, which they viewed as rude or unprofessional. Upon receiving incorrect portions, when guests asked for more they were told “no” and “they need to make sure they have enough for everyone” This comment was made to many quests, including a member of the wedding party that confirmed he was the first person through the buffet line. As a customer, I would expect a catering company to prepare enough food for all the guests in attendance since this number was agreed upon prior to the event and treat the guests with respect. Guests attending the wedding should not be told “no” when asking for more food and a catering company should know they have enough food through proper preparation for an event. This issue could not be handled the night of the wedding as suggested in their response. No guests felt comfortable approaching the bride or groom on the wedding night to complain about the catering service. Nor did family members feel it was appropriate to complain to the company the night of the wedding. However, once the event had ended guests felt they could open-up and share their own experience with the company during that night. Any guests that I have talked to shared stories which included small portions, rude staff, and inadequate service.On March 7th, I contacted [redacted] on the phone and she was apologetic about the unprofessional comments made by the service staff and the small serving sizes. She communicated that she would look into what happened and would see about providing a refund. When she responded on March 8th, she said a refund of $175 would be refunded and $71.04 for soda consumption would not be charged. I received an email on March 8th about the refund and she included I should feel free to call her if I would like to discuss further. Due to the fact I felt this refund was not in line with what I had paid, I attempted to call to come to an agreement more in line with the cost incurred. When I called the company’s number I was unable to reach anyone even though it was business normal hours of operation. As customers, we worked with this company for 8 months and paid over $11,000 for their services which did not make us feel valued or special. If this company truly values people’s insight to improve their process and consider the company successful- threatening to file charges on us for writing an honest review of our negative experience with their company does not make us feel like we dealt with a company that values honesty. I continually attempted to call the company to speak with [redacted], my point of contact with the company and was never able to get through to anyone- until I used a different phone. This made me feel that the company was no longer willing to work with me on these issues. I was connected to a secretary who relayed that [redacted] was in a meeting. In the meantime, I emailed [redacted] asking for her to return my phone call. [redacted] called me back on the evening of Thursday, March 9th. The conversation with [redacted] was civil and she listened to the issues about the service. She apologized for the small portion sizes and said the buffet was open 45 minutes longer so guests could go through for seconds. [redacted] was very apologetic for how I was feeling and voiced she understood my concerns. She said she would discuss with [redacted] about a more appropriate solution. She ended the call telling me she would call me the following day. I never got a call back from her company. Instead I got a letter from an attorney on behalf of their company threatening to pursue legal charges against me. Technically they did not violate any terms of the contract, but one expects a service company to provide competent and courteous service; this includes being respectful to guests, adequate serving sizes, and organized service. We paid over $11,000 for their services and those expectations were not met. We feel The Catering Company provided unprofessional service and in return used threats of litigation against us so they are not accountable for their actions on the night in questions. Having represented my perception of the events and my feelings about them, I would like to rebut specific points brought up in the company’s response letter. Their response included a recounting of my complaint concerning my father and a chicken nugget from the kid’s buffet. This incident was not the primary complaint, but served as a demonstration of treatment of my guests and an attempt to show your inconsistent service. I have multiple guests that confirmed they ate from the kid’s buffet which draws a sharp contrast with the service my father received while making a similar request. I would also like to address the misunderstanding about my tipping the service staff on the night of the event. The catering company does not require a tip, but their contract suggests an 18% gratuity be added onto the final bill, which needs to be indicated upfront and prior to service within the contract. Tipping your vendors is considered proper wedding etiquette but I did not feel it was appropriate to tip for the price of linens, china, silverware, and the $843.94 facility fee. I emailed [redacted] on January 28th inquiring about the cost of food alone to budget a tip that reflected the price. She emailed me explaining that is not something they typically provide their clients because everything comes as a package, but would see what she could do. Instead I emailed her back saying I no longer needed the price of food, but wanted 0% gratuity be written into the contract with plans to pass out cash the night of my wedding. I gave my wedding coordinator money prior to the wedding to pass out to any/all vendors as I would not have time the night of the event. My coordinator did this automatically irrespective of the actual service provided on the night in question. In closing, I appreciate the company’s apology regarding my concerns, but to quote the response from the company’s president, “we believe that ‘behind every event is somebody special’”, and “we value honesty and truth” and I did not feel that the catering company followed that philosophy on the night of the event, nor during the addressing of my concerns afterwards. As a customer that paid over $11,000 to your company I feel a $1,000-$2,000 refund is appropriate for your company’s failure to uphold your values and philosophy. I hope the experiences I have shared regarding my wedding are substantial enough that you reconsider your initial response and respond in a more fitting of a successful company that values its customers. [redacted] ]
Regards,
[redacted]
March 23, [redacted] I would like to respond to this customer’s concernsI am sorry she is not happy with the overall result of this eventWe always strive to please our customersWe believe that “behind every event is somebody special”We live this philosophy every day with every event, in conjunction with our core valuesWe value honesty and the truthWe have never had to respond to a request from the Revdex.com in our years of operationWe currently have an A+ rating and are very proud of this! We are truly sorry that this customer did not feel special after the eventPrior to her call, all accounts, emails, text messages, and verbal discussions, expressed her overall happiness and extreme satisfaction with the eventWe were very surprised to learn of her changed opinionWe pride ourselves on documenting nearly all correspondence with our customers so that we can produce their optimum eventWe tried very hard to provide what our customer requestedWe have over email correspondences since April 8, We have seven different versions of quotes that were given to her, trying to accommodate her requestsWe again attempted to offer alternative budget options as close as one month prior to the wedding because her guest count increased from to and she was concerned for her budgetThe night of the event, her Sales Rep, who was also her Head Server, was told by both the bride, her husband, and her wedding coordinator, that everything was great! The Sales Rep checked in with the bride at least four different times and the wedding coordinator multiple timesThey were all extremely happy! The bride said everything was absolutely perfect, and that she loved it allShe even gave the Sales Rep another hug and was thankful for working with her throughout the process and for being patient with everythingHer husband came up to the Sales Rep at the very end and gave her a hug as well and said that things couldn't have went better and that he was super pleased with everythingThis was also relayed both verbally and via text message to the venue manager after the eventIn addition, they paid each server a cash tip of $This tip was distributed to each server at the end of the eventWe do not mandate gratuity, so this was completely the customer’s decisionThe customer’s first call to express her concerns was on Tuesday, March She requested to speak to the Sales ManagerThe Sales Manager called her back after her morning meetingThe Sales Manager stated that the customer was pleasant on the phone and said that she had a few concerns that she wanted to discussThe customer said that she wanted to point out that the food was delicious and overall the event was wonderfulShe had concerns about the serving size of the starchesShe was also told that some adults who were trying to eat off of the kids buffet were told it was not available to the adultsUnfortunately, her father was one of those adults and the server didn’t realize itShe wanted to know if there was any food left over and felt she should be refunded for “left-over” foodThe Sales Manager investigated this matter and replied back to her on Wednesday, 3/8/17, via a phone call and emailThe Sales Manager explained that there was still half a pan of food on the buffet for all items and a full pan of meat that was donatedThe Sales Rep also said that it was brought to her attention the night of the event (by one of the wait staff) that one of the servers was serving “smaller than normal” starch portionsWe understand that she may be concerned about thisIt was immediately corrected that nightIn addition, the buffet was left open an additional minutes for people to go back through for additional portions, with plenty of food still left on the buffetThe Sales Manager apologized via phone to the customer and said we would see what we could do as a “goodwill” gestureWe do not refund for “left-over” food, per the contractIt is either thrown away or donated, pending the integrity of the food at the end of the eventThe customer mentioned she had not yet been charged for her soft drink consumptionThe Sales Manager sent her an email offering a $cash refund and credit of $for the soft drinksThe customer’s email response dated March stated that this was the only concern she had and stated that she would accept this offeringThe check was placed in the mailbox on March Her total credit refunded was $With this agreement, we thought the issue was resolved and she was still pleased with the outcomeOn Thursday, March 9, the customer’s mom called the Sales Rep to complain about the amount of the refundThe Sales Rep listened to her issuesWe always appreciate insight to improve our processWhen she began discussing refunds, the Sales Rep told her of our conversation with the daughter, and the resolutionShe said it was not acceptableThe Sales Rep then told her that while we appreciate her insight, we could not discuss the contract specifics with her because she is not the signer on the contractFor confidentiality and event clarification issues, we ask that the signer of the contract is the sole point of contact for the eventThe mother then became upset with the Sales Rep and threatened to write several hateful reviews on social media, contact the venue manager, Revdex.com, etcif everything was not resolved to their standardsShe became very abrasive with the Sales Rep on the phoneThe Sales Rep again apologized and suggested that she review her venue contract terms with regard to the “Non-Disparagement” clause before she made any harsh decisionsLater on Thursday, the bride then called the Sales Rep two times during the dayThe Sales Rep explained via email that she was in meetings until 6:30pm, but would be more than happy to call her then, even though it was outside business hoursShe requested that the Sales Rep call her that eveningWhen the Sales Rep called the customer, she immediately explained her confusion and shock about the customer’s concerns of the eventIt was her understanding that the event went very well and the customer was very pleased, especially considering the conversations they had the night of the eventShe apologized again for the smaller portion sizes and explained that we corrected it as soon as it was brought to our attentionShe also explained that the buffet was open for an additional minutes for guests who may have wanted to go through for secondsThe customer explained that she was very pleased with the conversations with the Sales Manager and that she really appreciated how apologetic we wereShe expressed that she wanted money back for poor serviceWhen asked to explain further, she stated that it was not the fact that people received smaller portions, but that it was the server who told her Father that he could not go through the kids buffet line until after the main line went throughThe Sales Rep apologized againThe customer said that if she did not receive $or more in compensation then she was going to go online and do a public service announcement about how unhappy and unsatisfied she wasThe Sales Rep again suggested that prior to doing that, she review the non-disparagement clause in the venue contractThe Sales Rep was then told by upper management that she was to have no more contact with this customerUnfortunately, our sincere apologies and cash refund was not considered sufficient for the customerSince we feel that our customers and our staff should be treated special, we did not feel it was fair to subject the Sales Rep to further demands and abrasive behavior on the phoneShe repeatedly went out of her way to please this customer and communicate with herUnfortunately, the customer was unable to be placatedWe have met or exceeded every requirement in this contract as statedWe have apologized repeatedly for the incident where the server mistakenly served smaller portions of the starch, for a very short time, on the buffetWe issued a refund for this as wellWe are also very sorry for the request to the Father of the bride to wait for the children to go through the kids buffet before he went through the buffetIt was an honest mistake by the serverExpressing this disgruntlement could have been handled the night of the event by not distributing the gratuity to the serversAgain, we do not require a mandatory gratuityWe work very hard to please our customers on all accountsThis customer’s refund requests are simply not reasonable or substantiatedWe truly hope that she will reconsider her position and accept the sincere apologies and cash refund[redacted]
This response is in reference to claim no [redacted] The letter sent as a follby the customer contains no new informationTherefore, our position remains unchanged from the initial response sentI sincerely appreciate the Revdex.com's role in attempting to remedy this complaintAs I explained to Revdex.com on the phone, the refund check was sent on 3/9/as promised per her discussion with [redacted] , our Sales Manager, and acceptance of the offerThe check was cashed on 4/7/I also explained to Revdex.com on the phone that we have been on vacation since 3/31/and did not receive the last letter until I picked up the mail on 4/8/My first day back from vacation is actually 4/11/However, I wanted to speak with the Revdex.com to understand the process further and told her I would send my response by end of todayThus, I apologize for missing the day windowI thought the issue had been resolved since I received a letter stating it was closed before I left for vacationThank you again for your efforts[redacted]
Directory America, incHaverston Road,Lyndurst, Ohio 44124Revdex.comEuclid Ave., 4th floorCleveland, Ohio 44112-2408RE: ID [redacted] ***Re: trouble number [redacted] Dear [redacted] ***,Please be informed that the above mentioned complaint has be address as requested by [redacted] ***Service has been cancelled and credit being sentIt may take two billing cycles for adjustments to appear.Sincerely,Sally G [redacted]
Revdex.com: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below [I have never had to file a complaint with the Revdex.com until my involvement with The Catering Company I understand the business’s philosophy is that “behind every event is somebody special” and the catering slogan is “from welcome to well done” Maybe they are a good company that had a bad night- I expected their response following my initial complaint follow these same philosophies I have denied the request for compromise and in response I would like to share my experience working with this company I had around guests at my wedding, which consisted of family, relatives, friends, and co-workers All these guests were there to celebrate our marriage and we were busy celebrating with our guests I was made aware of the issues with the service the following day when several guests mentioned the small serving sizes they received along with comments made by the service staff, which they viewed as rude or unprofessional Upon receiving incorrect portions, when guests asked for more they were told “no” and “they need to make sure they have enough for everyone” This comment was made to many quests, including a member of the wedding party that confirmed he was the first person through the buffet line As a customer, I would expect a catering company to prepare enough food for all the guests in attendance since this number was agreed upon prior to the event and treat the guests with respect Guests attending the wedding should not be told “no” when asking for more food and a catering company should know they have enough food through proper preparation for an eventThis issue could not be handled the night of the wedding as suggested in their response No guests felt comfortable approaching the bride or groom on the wedding night to complain about the catering service Nor did family members feel it was appropriate to complain to the company the night of the wedding However, once the event had ended guests felt they could opand share their own experience with the company during that night Any guests that I have talked to shared stories which included small portions, rude staff, and inadequate service.On March 7th, I contacted [redacted] on the phone and she was apologetic about the unprofessional comments made by the service staff and the small serving sizes She communicated that she would look into what happened and would see about providing a refund When she responded on March 8th, she said a refund of $would be refunded and $for soda consumption would not be charged I received an email on March 8th about the refund and she included I should feel free to call her if I would like to discuss further Due to the fact I felt this refund was not in line with what I had paid, I attempted to call to come to an agreement more in line with the cost incurred When I called the company’s number I was unable to reach anyone even though it was business hours of operation As customers, we worked with this company for months and paid over $11,for their services which did not make us feel valued or special If this company truly values people’s insight to improve their process and consider the company successful- threatening to file charges on us for writing an honest review of our negative experience with their company does not make us feel like we dealt with a company that values honesty I continually attempted to call the company to speak with [redacted] , my point of contact with the company and was never able to get through to anyone- until I used a different phone This made me feel that the company was no longer willing to work with me on these issuesI was connected to a secretary who relayed that [redacted] was in a meeting In the meantime, I emailed [redacted] asking for her to return my phone call [redacted] called me back on the evening of Thursday, March 9th The conversation with [redacted] was civil and she listened to the issues about the service She apologized for the small portion sizes and said the buffet was open minutes longer so guests could go through for seconds [redacted] was very apologetic for how I was feeling and voiced she understood my concerns She said she would discuss with [redacted] about a more appropriate solutionShe ended the call telling me she would call me the following day I never got a call back from her company Instead I got a letter from an attorney on behalf of their company threatening to pursue legal charges against meTechnically they did not violate any terms of the contract, but one expects a service company to provide competent and courteous service; this includes being respectful to guests, adequate serving sizes, and organized service We paid over $11,for their services and those expectations were not met We feel The Catering Company provided unprofessional service and in return used threats of litigation against us so they are not accountable for their actions on the night in questions Having represented my perception of the events and my feelings about them, I would like to rebut specific points brought up in the company’s response letter Their response included a recounting of my complaint concerning my father and a chicken nugget from the kid’s buffet This incident was not the primary complaint, but served as a demonstration of treatment of my guests and an attempt to show your inconsistent service I have multiple guests that confirmed they ate from the kid’s buffet which draws a sharp contrast with the service my father received while making a similar request I would also like to address the misunderstanding about my tipping the service staff on the night of the event The catering company does not require a tip, but their contract suggests an 18% gratuity be added onto the final bill, which needs to be indicated upfront and prior to service within the contract Tipping your vendors is considered proper wedding etiquette but I did not feel it was appropriate to tip for the price of linens, china, silverware, and the $facility feeI emailed [redacted] on January 28th inquiring about the cost of food alone to budget a tip that reflected the price She emailed me explaining that is not something they typically provide their clients because everything comes as a package, but would see what she could do Instead I emailed her back saying I no longer needed the price of food, but wanted 0% gratuity be written into the contract with plans to pass out cash the night of my wedding I gave my wedding coordinator money prior to the wedding to pass out to any/all vendors as I would not have time the night of the event My coordinator did this automatically irrespective of the actual service provided on the night in questionIn closing, I appreciate the company’s apology regarding my concerns, but to quote the response from the company’s president, “we believe that ‘behind every event is somebody special’”, and “we value honesty and truth” and I did not feel that the catering company followed that philosophy on the night of the event, nor during the addressing of my concerns afterwards As a customer that paid over $11,to your company I feel a $1,000-$2,refund is appropriate for your company’s failure to uphold your values and philosophy I hope the experiences I have shared regarding my wedding are substantial enough that you reconsider your initial response and respond in a more fitting of a successful company that values its customers [redacted] ] Regards, [redacted]
Revdex.com: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to [redacted] , and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below [First, I would like to thank the Revdex.com in their attempt at conflict resolution with this companyI feel like my concerns were treated as afterthoughts to this company Please know that in the days I reminisce about my wedding that I will treat this company as less than that] Regards, [redacted]
Please be informed that the above mentioned complaint to have phone numbers removed from our data base as requested by ** has been ordered.Sincerely,*** ***
This response is in reference to claim no. [redacted]. The letter sent as a follow-up by the customer contains no new information. Therefore, our position remains unchanged from the initial response sent. I sincerely appreciate the Revdex.com's role in attempting to remedy this complaint. As I explained to Revdex.com on the phone, the refund check was sent on 3/9/2017 as promised per her discussion with [redacted], our Sales Manager, and acceptance of the offer. The check was cashed on 4/7/2017. I also explained to Revdex.com on the phone that we have been on vacation since 3/31/2017 and did not receive the last letter until I picked up the mail on 4/8/2017. My first day back from vacation is actually 4/11/2017. However, I wanted to speak with the Revdex.com to understand the process further and told her I would send my response by end of today. Thus, I apologize for missing the 10 day window. I thought the issue had been resolved since I received a letter stating it was closed before I left for vacation. Thank you again for your efforts.[redacted]
March 23, 2017 [redacted] I would like to respond to this customer’s concerns. I am sorry she is not happy with the overall result of this event. We always strive to please our customers. We believe that “behind every event is somebody special”. We live this philosophy every day with...
every event, in conjunction with our core values. We value honesty and the truth. We have never had to respond to a request from the Revdex.com in our 17 years of operation. We currently have an A+ rating and are very proud of this! We are truly sorry that this customer did not feel special after the event. Prior to her call, all accounts, emails, text messages, and verbal discussions, expressed her overall happiness and extreme satisfaction with the event. We were very surprised to learn of her changed opinion. We pride ourselves on documenting nearly all correspondence with our customers so that we can produce their optimum event. We tried very hard to provide what our customer requested. We have over 165 email correspondences since April 8, 2016. We have seven different versions of quotes that were given to her, trying to accommodate her requests. We again attempted to offer alternative budget options as close as one month prior to the wedding because her guest count increased from 200 to 269 and she was concerned for her budget. The night of the event, her Sales Rep, who was also her Head Server, was told by both the bride, her husband, and her wedding coordinator, that everything was great! The Sales Rep checked in with the bride at least four different times and the wedding coordinator multiple times. They were all extremely happy! The bride said everything was absolutely perfect, and that she loved it all. She even gave the Sales Rep another hug and was thankful for working with her throughout the process and for being patient with everything. Her husband came up to the Sales Rep at the very end and gave her a hug as well and said that things couldn't have went better and that he was super pleased with everything. This was also relayed both verbally and via text message to the venue manager after the event. In addition, they paid each server a cash tip of $20.00. This tip was distributed to each server at the end of the event. We do not mandate gratuity, so this was completely the customer’s decision. The customer’s first call to express her concerns was on Tuesday, March 7. She requested to speak to the Sales Manager. The Sales Manager called her back after her morning meeting. The Sales Manager stated that the customer was pleasant on the phone and said that she had a few concerns that she wanted to discuss. The customer said that she wanted to point out that the food was delicious and overall the event was wonderful. She had concerns about the serving size of the starches. She was also told that some adults who were trying to eat off of the kids buffet were told it was not available to the adults. Unfortunately, her father was one of those adults and the server didn’t realize it. She wanted to know if there was any food left over and felt she should be refunded for “left-over” food. The Sales Manager investigated this matter and replied back to her on Wednesday, 3/8/17, via a phone call and email. The Sales Manager explained that there was still half a pan of food on the buffet for all items and a full pan of meat that was donated. The Sales Rep also said that it was brought to her attention the night of the event (by one of the wait staff) that one of the servers was serving “smaller than normal” starch portions. We understand that she may be concerned about this. It was immediately corrected that night. In addition, the buffet was left open an additional 45 minutes for people to go back through for additional portions, with plenty of food still left on the buffet. The Sales Manager apologized via phone to the customer and said we would see what we could do as a “goodwill” gesture. We do not refund for “left-over” food, per the contract. It is either thrown away or donated, pending the integrity of the food at the end of the event. The customer mentioned she had not yet been charged for her soft drink consumption. The Sales Manager sent her an email offering a $175.00 cash refund and credit of $71.04 for the soft drinks. The customer’s email response dated March 8 stated that this was the only concern she had and stated that she would accept this offering. The check was placed in the mailbox on March 7. Her total credit refunded was $246.04. With this agreement, we thought the issue was resolved and she was still pleased with the outcome. On Thursday, March 9, the customer’s mom called the Sales Rep to complain about the amount of the refund. The Sales Rep listened to her issues. We always appreciate insight to improve our process. When she began discussing refunds, the Sales Rep told her of our conversation with the daughter, and the resolution. She said it was not acceptable. The Sales Rep then told her that while we appreciate her insight, we could not discuss the contract specifics with her because she is not the signer on the contract. For confidentiality and event clarification issues, we ask that the signer of the contract is the sole point of contact for the event. The mother then became upset with the Sales Rep and threatened to write several hateful reviews on social media, contact the venue manager, Revdex.com, etc. if everything was not resolved to their standards. She became very abrasive with the Sales Rep on the phone. The Sales Rep again apologized and suggested that she review her venue contract terms with regard to the “Non-Disparagement” clause before she made any harsh decisions. Later on Thursday, the bride then called the Sales Rep two times during the day. The Sales Rep explained via email that she was in meetings until 6:30pm, but would be more than happy to call her then, even though it was outside normal business hours. She requested that the Sales Rep call her that evening. When the Sales Rep called the customer, she immediately explained her confusion and shock about the customer’s concerns of the event. It was her understanding that the event went very well and the customer was very pleased, especially considering the conversations they had the night of the event. She apologized again for the smaller portion sizes and explained that we corrected it as soon as it was brought to our attention. She also explained that the buffet was open for an additional 45 minutes for guests who may have wanted to go through for seconds. The customer explained that she was very pleased with the conversations with the Sales Manager and that she really appreciated how apologetic we were. She expressed that she wanted money back for poor service. When asked to explain further, she stated that it was not the fact that people received smaller portions, but that it was the server who told her Father that he could not go through the kids buffet line until after the main line went through. The Sales Rep apologized again. The customer said that if she did not receive $1000.00 or more in compensation then she was going to go online and do a public service announcement about how unhappy and unsatisfied she was. The Sales Rep again suggested that prior to doing that, she review the non-disparagement clause in the venue contract. The Sales Rep was then told by upper management that she was to have no more contact with this customer. Unfortunately, our sincere apologies and cash refund was not considered sufficient for the customer. Since we feel that our customers and our staff should be treated special, we did not feel it was fair to subject the Sales Rep to further demands and abrasive behavior on the phone. She repeatedly went out of her way to please this customer and communicate with her. Unfortunately, the customer was unable to be placated. We have met or exceeded every requirement in this contract as stated. We have apologized repeatedly for the incident where the server mistakenly served smaller portions of the starch, for a very short time, on the buffet. We issued a refund for this as well. We are also very sorry for the request to the Father of the bride to wait for the children to go through the kids buffet before he went through the buffet. It was an honest mistake by the server. Expressing this disgruntlement could have been handled the night of the event by not distributing the gratuity to the servers. Again, we do not require a mandatory gratuity. We work very hard to please our customers on all accounts. This customer’s refund requests are simply not reasonable or substantiated. We truly hope that she will reconsider her position and accept the sincere apologies and cash refund.[redacted]
Directory America, inc.1224 Haverston Road,Lyndurst, Ohio 44124Revdex.com2800 Euclid Ave., 4th floorCleveland, Ohio 44112-2408RE: ID [redacted]Re: trouble number [redacted]Dear [redacted],Please be informed that the above mentioned complaint...
has be address as requested by [redacted]. Service has been cancelled and credit being sent. It may take two billing cycles for adjustments to appear.Sincerely,Sally G[redacted]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[First, I would like to thank the Revdex.com in their attempt at conflict resolution with this company. I feel like my concerns were treated as afterthoughts to this company. Please know that in the days I reminisce about my wedding that I will treat this company as less than that. ]
Regards,
[redacted]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[I have never had to file a complaint with the Revdex.com until my involvement with The Catering Company. I understand the business’s philosophy is that “behind every event is somebody special” and the catering slogan is “from welcome to well done”. Maybe they are a good company that had a bad night- I expected their response following my initial complaint follow these same philosophies. I have denied the request for compromise and in response I would like to share my experience working with this company. I had around 260 guests at my wedding, which consisted of family, relatives, friends, and co-workers. All these guests were there to celebrate our marriage and we were busy celebrating with our guests. I was made aware of the issues with the service the following day when several guests mentioned the small serving sizes they received along with comments made by the service staff, which they viewed as rude or unprofessional. Upon receiving incorrect portions, when guests asked for more they were told “no” and “they need to make sure they have enough for everyone” This comment was made to many quests, including a member of the wedding party that confirmed he was the first person through the buffet line. As a customer, I would expect a catering company to prepare enough food for all the guests in attendance since this number was agreed upon prior to the event and treat the guests with respect. Guests attending the wedding should not be told “no” when asking for more food and a catering company should know they have enough food through proper preparation for an event. This issue could not be handled the night of the wedding as suggested in their response. No guests felt comfortable approaching the bride or groom on the wedding night to complain about the catering service. Nor did family members feel it was appropriate to complain to the company the night of the wedding. However, once the event had ended guests felt they could open-up and share their own experience with the company during that night. Any guests that I have talked to shared stories which included small portions, rude staff, and inadequate service.On March 7th, I contacted [redacted] on the phone and she was apologetic about the unprofessional comments made by the service staff and the small serving sizes. She communicated that she would look into what happened and would see about providing a refund. When she responded on March 8th, she said a refund of $175 would be refunded and $71.04 for soda consumption would not be charged. I received an email on March 8th about the refund and she included I should feel free to call her if I would like to discuss further. Due to the fact I felt this refund was not in line with what I had paid, I attempted to call to come to an agreement more in line with the cost incurred. When I called the company’s number I was unable to reach anyone even though it was business normal hours of operation. As customers, we worked with this company for 8 months and paid over $11,000 for their services which did not make us feel valued or special. If this company truly values people’s insight to improve their process and consider the company successful- threatening to file charges on us for writing an honest review of our negative experience with their company does not make us feel like we dealt with a company that values honesty. I continually attempted to call the company to speak with [redacted], my point of contact with the company and was never able to get through to anyone- until I used a different phone. This made me feel that the company was no longer willing to work with me on these issues. I was connected to a secretary who relayed that [redacted] was in a meeting. In the meantime, I emailed [redacted] asking for her to return my phone call. [redacted] called me back on the evening of Thursday, March 9th. The conversation with [redacted] was civil and she listened to the issues about the service. She apologized for the small portion sizes and said the buffet was open 45 minutes longer so guests could go through for seconds. [redacted] was very apologetic for how I was feeling and voiced she understood my concerns. She said she would discuss with [redacted] about a more appropriate solution. She ended the call telling me she would call me the following day. I never got a call back from her company. Instead I got a letter from an attorney on behalf of their company threatening to pursue legal charges against me. Technically they did not violate any terms of the contract, but one expects a service company to provide competent and courteous service; this includes being respectful to guests, adequate serving sizes, and organized service. We paid over $11,000 for their services and those expectations were not met. We feel The Catering Company provided unprofessional service and in return used threats of litigation against us so they are not accountable for their actions on the night in questions. Having represented my perception of the events and my feelings about them, I would like to rebut specific points brought up in the company’s response letter. Their response included a recounting of my complaint concerning my father and a chicken nugget from the kid’s buffet. This incident was not the primary complaint, but served as a demonstration of treatment of my guests and an attempt to show your inconsistent service. I have multiple guests that confirmed they ate from the kid’s buffet which draws a sharp contrast with the service my father received while making a similar request. I would also like to address the misunderstanding about my tipping the service staff on the night of the event. The catering company does not require a tip, but their contract suggests an 18% gratuity be added onto the final bill, which needs to be indicated upfront and prior to service within the contract. Tipping your vendors is considered proper wedding etiquette but I did not feel it was appropriate to tip for the price of linens, china, silverware, and the $843.94 facility fee. I emailed [redacted] on January 28th inquiring about the cost of food alone to budget a tip that reflected the price. She emailed me explaining that is not something they typically provide their clients because everything comes as a package, but would see what she could do. Instead I emailed her back saying I no longer needed the price of food, but wanted 0% gratuity be written into the contract with plans to pass out cash the night of my wedding. I gave my wedding coordinator money prior to the wedding to pass out to any/all vendors as I would not have time the night of the event. My coordinator did this automatically irrespective of the actual service provided on the night in question. In closing, I appreciate the company’s apology regarding my concerns, but to quote the response from the company’s president, “we believe that ‘behind every event is somebody special’”, and “we value honesty and truth” and I did not feel that the catering company followed that philosophy on the night of the event, nor during the addressing of my concerns afterwards. As a customer that paid over $11,000 to your company I feel a $1,000-$2,000 refund is appropriate for your company’s failure to uphold your values and philosophy. I hope the experiences I have shared regarding my wedding are substantial enough that you reconsider your initial response and respond in a more fitting of a successful company that values its customers. [redacted] ]
Regards,
[redacted]