What I don't really like is if expensive coffee shops treat customers like shit. I spent a hell lot of money at Gloria Jean's Vietnam, and have been there alone, with friends and business partners as well as with my wife and dogs. Today I was sitting at Gloria Jean's when my wife and the dogs arrived. I took the dogs, my wife ordered a coffee, we sat down, opened the computers and started surfin the internet. After ten minutes, the manager came and told us we have to leave (or sit outside) because dogs are not allowed. Security had informed him (what means, he doesn't know anything about companys policy).
I would understand this if we enter with the dogs and the tell us "no dogs". I would understand this it they have a sign "No dogs". But taking the money first and then throwing people out is just ripping us off. Its the same fucking behavior like Highlands waiting until you took seat, studied the menu and when you order they say "No baguette".
They don't get it. Most restaurants and coffee shops investing in design and branding, but never in operations and improvement. And the staff speaks barley English, mostly they are able to get the order, but that"s it.
I don't expect English at a side street coffee shop, but I do at places like Highlands and Gloria's in Phu My Hung.
UPDATE: A few days later. I sit in Gloria Jeans again. A young couple comes in with a puppy. The same guy who throw us out says now "oh, what a cute puppy". The security doesn't care. So, either they just forgot what happened some days ago, or they just handle people different. (The problem is a management problem, I don't really blame the staff)
My Dog Pimmy
13 years ago
7 comments:
I really feel daFor Highlands, I frequently orders curry with baguette at Highlands Saigon Centre. There was only 2 times when they came to me and said sorry about “no baguette”. Maybe it’s inventory problem at Highlands PMH.
I really feel disappointed of Gloria Jeans. No need to say. I was forced to go there sometimes and those were bad experiences.
In the morning on 16th September, at 11 o’clock, I went to buy a drink at Gloria Jean located on Dong Khoi Street, District 1. Then, I ordered “Mocha” after asking for two or three types of non –existing drinking in that shop. The selling price for one Mocha is VND 50,000. When I opened my billfold, I found two papers money of VND 20,000 and another blue paper (I might consider it as VND 20,000 also). After paying for my Mocha, VND 10,000 was paid back to me.
45 minutes later, when I was having lunch at a Sushi shop -20m far from Gloria Jean located on the same street, I found out that the paper money of VND 500,000 disappeared. Therefore, I returned Gloria Jean immediately and asked: “Excuse me; I have just bought Mocha at VND 50,000 per unit. However, as soon as paying cash, I might give 2 papers money, one for VND 20,000 and the other was VND 500,000 instead of paying 2 papers of VND 20,000. Please check it for me!” . A female seller intended to do but a male seller stopped her. He claimed they could not check the cash until the end of the day and asked me come back tomorrow. After writing my name and cell phone number on a piece of paper, they left me there alone. I wondered whether who was the one would take responsibility to solve such problems like that in this store. However, trusting in the goodwill of Gloria Jean, I decided to go home.
In order to make sure that my requirement would be done, I called the store and asked to communicate with the sale leader. Nevertheless, as soon as I remind him about my problems, his voice sounded surprise much, he even ask my name and cell phone number again. Then, he said that he would recheck and call me tomorrow. One more time, I still have a big question here, how could a problem involving money that might put a negative effect for the goodwill of Gloria Jean that a sale leader must be the first one who knows it clearly but he did not.
Not until 16h20’, the sale leader called me and informed that they had audited the finance but there was no surplus. Therefore, he suggested me that I should remember carefully and find my lost money again in case I left it somewhere that might not due to the mistake of the store. I found it anywhere from my bag to my billfold, but what I received was nothing.
And, sure, they had a bad manager.
Thomas,
It's very common that local business people rarely have long term thinking. It's not their fault because it's society that creates such condition. In Vietnam's society, nobody trusts anybody including the government in leveling the playing field. They always look for a quick buck, and not worrying what will happen next week or next month. In Vietnam's society, they tend to value the present time and not the future. You will never get a waiter that can speak good English at a restaurant of cafe because local owners treat their employees like dirt and pay them cheap wages and therefore, they would rather work for a foreign enterprise office if they know decent English.
Tommy, first of all the situation got better since many customers complained. Second, Gloria Jean's is NOT a local business. You actually get a handbook what to do. I always hear the excuse of "it's the society". It's not. I know many young people in Vietnam who are different and think different. They just don't get a chance because of a corrupt elite running the economy.
I was googling for "gloria jeans, dong khoi, vietnam" and I found your post. I was still fuming mad with their darn annoyingly inefficient & thick-skulled staffs during lunchtime today and I wonder which email address I should drop my "bomb" to!
Soo, You will never get your rants and raves to the right person. The culture of corruption has indirectly to do with this. The people mean well but it's the system that runs things is corrupt. You just have to take the loss and consider lessons learnt because the situation will be similar else where in VN including 5 star hotels there. I would like to make a laminated index card that has written agreement to hand it out at a restaurant that looks like this in Vietnamese: "If you don't one of the stuff I ordered, don't need to tell me right away and stop using substitutes and expect me to pay for it".
Apologies for the confusion I made. There were careless typos. The phrase in Vietnamese should print on an index card as:
"If you don't have one of the stuff I ordered, you need to tell me right away and stop using substitutes and expect me to pay for it".
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