Facebook members eat up diner dispute
Published Monday February 16th, 2009
Frank's | Owner says customers weren't treated rudely
A report of rude service and an allegation of disrespect for a disabled person has hundreds of people on Facebook up in arms and calling for a boycott of a well-known northside diner.
Anna Harris-MacPherson created a new Facebook group entitled "Support the decision to NOT EAT at Frank's Finer Diner" over the weekend after she felt she and a disabled dinner companion were treated poorly at the hands of Frank's Finer Diner owner and manager Marx Miles.
Harris-MacPherson and a wheelchair-bound friend went to the restaurant at Two Nations Crossing for supper and to see an Elvis impersonator's performance Saturday evening, she wrote in a message on the Facebook group.
She was disappointed when Miles seated them at a small table in a section of the diner reserved for staff meals, she wrote.
Miles told The Daily Gleaner on Sunday night it was busy and the table was made up especially to accommodate Harris-MacPherson and her friend, Chris Burlingame.
"It wasn't a good table, I admit," he said Sunday, but plenty of other customers lined up at the same time didn't get a table at all.
Burlingame couldn't be reached for comment Sunday night.
Harris-MacPherson said she feels Miles treated them rudely.
She said she became so upset with the way Miles spoke to her, she broke down in tears in the diner.
She and Burlingame decided to leave without eating or seeing the show.
"I just wanted to tell my story, and if I touch any ears, and sway anyone's decision on eating at his diner, then I feel I have made a stand," Harris-MacPherson wrote on Facebook.
"It is sad, because honestly, I liked the food there.''
Miles said he's seen the Facebook group.
"I don't feel there's been a fair assessment of the facts," he said. "They were there and were offered a table."
Miles said the pair was treated with respect.
"They were treated fairly. I'm being treated unfairly now," he said.
Harris-MacPherson said Sunday the issue isn't one of wheelchair accessibility but rather customer service.
She said she took her beef to Facebook because she's on the Internet all the time and felt the need to detail her experience.
"From my point of view, I just wanted everyone to know how I was treated," she said.
Despite what members of her Facebook group have posted, Harris-MacPherson said, she's always liked the food at Frank's and has never had a problem there during previous visits.
She admits it was a busy night and has no doubt Miles had had a long, hard day, she said, but it doesn't excuse rudeness.
Harris-MacPherson said she hasn't heard from Miles since she created the Facebook group, but would welcome a call if a sincere apology were offered.
"I would appreciate it," she said.
Miles said he's never seen any kind of complaint take on a life online like this one has in his 25 years of running Frank's Finer Diner. As of press time Sunday night, Harris-MacPherson's Facebook group was approaching 1,000 members and still growing.
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In the present economy, we should be doing everything we can to retain customers and initiate new ones. This event is certainly not a step in that direction.
Customers are relying more and more on consumer reviews & feedback scores from websites. Social media & websites should never be discounted by businesses or companies, as more people are choosing this forum for communication. This is the new grass roots communication tool. It is here to stay.
People are getting very choosy about where they spend their hard earned dollars and definitely would think twice before going somewhere that they have heard negative feedback about. I know I certainly do.
(
"It wasn't a good table, I admit," he said Sunday, but plenty of other customers lined up at the same time didn't get a table at all.)
We were there at 6. There were a lot of tables, this was not the issue. No ne at this time was turned away, the line came in for a good 45 mins after we were sat and no one was turned away
(I don't feel there's been a fair assessment of the facts," he said. "They were there and were offered a table.")
I agree, again I will state, when seated, I said to Mr Miles, "This is not the best seating area" to which he agreed with me - NOT ONCE after that, did I every ask for a different table, NOT ONCE did I complain about the table.
Therefore, I ask you Mr. Miles, as I asked you Sat night & you refused to answer me.
"why are you speaking to me like this?"
(Miles said the pair was treated with respect.)
If that is respect, then WOW what a world we live in
In case anyone wants to know, it was not busy at 6 when we arrived.
This table, WAS NOT made up especilly to accmmodate.... in fact it wasn't even made up lol
When he directed us that way, there was no chairs at the table at all, he grabbed one from elsewhere for me to sit.
There were no place sittings on the table.
This was a quickly made decision to get Chris and I out of the way as we were waiting by the pie window to be seated.
I do not understand why Mr Miles would say "It was made up especially" when only moments before sitting us he told Chris, "I will get you a good seat, I will make one if I have to"
Very confrontational and certainly not in the right direction for excellent customer service.
Also, restaurants and hotels are subject to critical review by professionals and individuals. All media is a forum for consumers to express their individual experiences at a certain establishment. Customers are well within their right to express how they were treated at a business.
Good companies and businesses welcome feedback, however negative or positive, and use it as an opportunity to improve how they appear to their customers and in the community as a whole.