Restaurant owner brands customer a ‘disgrace’ for complaining about poor service

An Australian restaurant owner has blown up at a customer over email after she complained about poor service when they were running low on staff due to Covid.

A woman identifying herself as Kristina told news.com.authat she had received an “abusive” email from the owner of Pelicans Landing in Williamstown and was “completely shocked”.

Kristina said she’s booked a table for three people and asked specifically for a table with a view, as well as asking if the restaurant’s $19 menu was available.

In the email to the restaurant, she wrote: “To both of these questions I was advised yes.”

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She continued: “I caught an Uber there costing $25 and then waited over 15 minutes just to be seated. The table with a view I had requested was not available.

“I waited another half an hour without being offered a menu or drink. I finally went up to get a drink from the bar and was going to order meals and was told there was only a limited menu…

“I understand it’s hard in Covid with staff shortages but this level of customer service is very disappointing and unacceptable.”

She wasn’t expecting a response from the restaurant owner John Mousaferiadis, but when she received it, Christina said she was “completely shocked”.

Mousaferiadis went on a rant about how Covid had badly affected their staffing levels and called her “low” a “scab, and a “disgrace”.

In the email, Mousaferiadis wrote: “Obviously you have no idea what we are going through and lucky to be just open and trying to serve everyone with no staff.

“Are you serious? I had a wedding upstairs with two staff on and 104 people booked in … and yes we did have bar meals on but had to take them off as had no staff on virtually.

“With 37 staff down with Covid you just don’t understand and then to have a go at me in front of your mother … what an embarrassment for her.”

He continued: “What a disgrace you are to not only yourself but to me and your mother and now my staff.

“I don’t need your comments and you don’t understand. In my 23 years of owning Pelicans Landing, I have never met anyone as low as you and not even to respect what the whole of the world is going through.

“At least I was open trying to accommodate who I had on. And yes if you had to eat like everyone else you would have got served finally.”

He went on: “And yes so what we did not have the bar meals on what a scab you are and so what spend another ten dollars and you would have been served.

“You should be ashamed of yourself. Stay home and eat baked beans on dry crusty bread next time.

“Your [sic]  an embarrassment. And now you also throw in you spent $25 on Uber. What do you expect me to return that money to you also now.”

indy100 has contacted Pelican’s Landing for comment.