This New Manager Is No Truffle At All

Our new manager is from the UK (the brother-in-law of the owner), and he’s the chillest and most straight-to-the-point individual I have ever met. He seems to have brought his management style over from “across the pond” because where previous managers would bend over backward to appease every whiny customer, this one just… gets it.

A customer has called over the manager because she ordered an expensive truffle pasta dish that actually contains truffle shavings, but then, she decided she didn’t like the truffle flavor. She is complaining that it hasn’t been taken off the bill.

Manager: “You’re being charged for an item that you ordered that contained ingredients that were both listed on the menu and explained to you when you ordered.”

Customer: “But I didn’t like it.”

Manager: “I’m sorry about that. Would you like to order something else?”

Customer: “No.”

Manager: “Okay, is there anything else I can do for you?”

Customer: “I don’t want to pay for this.”

Manager: “I’m sorry that you feel that way.”

My manager walks away to deal with something else but is summoned back to the customer two minutes later.

Customer: “Why is this still on my bill?”

Manager: “Haven’t we been over this?”

I’m sure he is being deliberately obtuse, and maybe some could view his stance as a little antagonistic, but after years of having a manager kowtowing to every customer for every trivial thing, I’m not going to deny the satisfaction we all get from getting a manager who does the exact opposite.

When the owner complains to the manager that this attitude means these customers won’t come back, his only response is:

Manager: “You’re welcome.”