Filed under: General Commentary
So we went out for lunch the other day, one of those tiny little coffee shops that styles itself like a French cafe (yes, a little wannabe) with tiny tables and books on photography scattered around.
Still, they have great cakes and tea so we figured we’d give their sandwiches a try.
Their menu described the lunch choice as..parma ham + mozarella on toasted wholewheat olive bread. Served with a ‘side’ of salad. Sounds good to us, we thought. And promptly ordered it.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we present a ‘SIDE’ of salad as defined by Pumpernickel:
The side of salad = a single slice of cucumber topped by a single slice of cucumber. We thought it was barely an apology for a salad, let alone any kind of ‘side’. But ranting aside, what does it mean for the brand?
To over promise and then underdeliver, or worse – not deliver at all – actually ruins any affinity your customer might have had. This lovely salad didn’t leave us wanting to come back more, just annoyed and angry at being over charged and treated like a fool. come on, your customers know what they want and passing off rubbish as chef’s creation is hardly likely to delight anyone.
Rant Over. Stick to sushi + Pret now on!
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Ha ha – this is funny and slightly sad at the same time. I dislike Pumpernickel for other reasons though. Mostly because of the frosty treatment I received after daring to sit at a whole table when I went for a sandwich by myself (my first and only visit to the cafe). The sandwich itself was forgettable, but the service was extremely memorable – and inexcusable. Had it been friendly, I may have given them a second go despite the mediocre food. As it is, I will never go back, and in fact actively discourage others from going at any opportunity. Unfair? Perhaps. But – note to Pumpernickel and others – unless you are dirt cheap, this is how it works.
Comment by David B July 16, 2009 @ 12:54 pmHey David, couldn’t agree with you more
We would’ve laughed off the (un)salad too had the service been friendlier. But their snotty attitude and indifference turned us off!
Sure, we wouldn’t expect conversation and smiles at a Dai Pai Dong (though we’d be more likely to get it) – but at these prices, Pumpernickel really needs to get their act together!
Comment by Sunshine July 20, 2009 @ 1:36 pm