Serving Customers the Wrong Alcohol and Mocking Them for Complaining

I had a very disappointing experience at La Parada Newmarket Lifestyle Centre Alberton.

I ordered a glass of Pongrácz Brut and enjoyed it. When I ordered a second glass, I immediately noticed it looked different. It wasn’t sparkling, had no bubbles, and smelled like a cheap white wine rather than Pongrácz.

My partner and I went to the bar to raise the concern because we couldn’t find our waiter. While the waiter was speaking to the bartender, the bartender didn’t realize we were standing right there. He responded by saying, “Mxm, those people don’t know champagne or sparkling wine. I’ll pour them Robertson’s.”

I was shocked.

The issue isn’t only the disrespectful comment. The bigger concern is that it appeared we were being served something completely different from what we ordered and were expected to pay for. Only after realizing we had overheard him did the bartender return and pour what appeared to be the correct drink.

We immediately asked for the manager and later spoke directly to the owner. He apologised and offered us another round of drinks but I don’t believe the seriousness of the situation was fully appreciated.

Customers should receive exactly what they order and pay for. Substituting a premium drink with a cheaper alternative, while assuming customers won’t notice, is unacceptable and raises serious concerns about trust and service standards.

We left shortly afterwards because we no longer felt comfortable ordering anything else.

I hope management investigates this matter thoroughly and ensures it does not happen to other customers.