Appalling and ****** Service

To Whom it May Concern

My name is Thabang Katane from Rustenburg and I'm a mother to four daughters. We are a family of six along with my husband. We have been going to Mikes Kitchen for years and we have always received exceptional first class service. A Zimbabwean gentleman by the name of Bruce used to be our favourite waiter and we later learnt that he had left. Another big boned Zimbabwean lady who worked as a waitress was also our personal favourite, along with a black middle aged woman who worked at the bar as a barista/bartender and a young skinny Caucasian gentleman who worked as waiter and later got promoted as part of the management team. Everyone delivered exceptional customer service but especially the above mentioned. They knew everything from our favourite beers, ****tails, meals, kids favourite milkshakes and our favourite table. They sure made our visits special enough to refer friends and family. Unfortunately my most recent visit to Mike's Kitchen Rustenburg was absolutely disgusting to say the least.

On the 6th of September 2020 my family and i visited mikes kitchen Rustenburg roughly around 16H00 if memory serves me well. Upon arrival, we were welcomed by three waitresses at the door, witty and friendly ladies. A lady by the name of Palesa took us to the table I showed her was our favourite, in the smoking area, she informed us that kids were not allowed there and we already knew so we showed her the table across ours where the kids normally sit but in the non-smoking area. We sat down and the kids went on to the play station and we asked that she reserve the table for them. I proceeded to order four kiddies cheeseburgers and I told her that their drinks would be ordered after eating. I ordered t bone and wings for myself and my husband ordered a rump farmhouse. We ordered two beers with this. When she returned with our beers I asked for an ashtray and she never returned with one but I was absolutely ok with this as she wouldn't be human if she didn't forget at times. I stood up and went inside and found a black gentleman and asked him for an ashtray, he provided me with one. I later learnt that he is the kitchen manager, Lester. We ordered the second round of beers and the kids constantly kept coming to ask about their food. After 45 minutes after placing our meal orders Palesa comes back to inform us that they are out of burger buns for my kids' food and they had sent someone to go buy them. Irate, I asked Palesa why she didn't let us know from the moment we placed our orders so I could have ordered something else instead of the burgers. Her explanation was that she was also not informed about the shortage of the buns. I told her that it's unacceptable to inform us only three quarters of an hour later & that my kids are starving! I told her to get four milkshakes for the kids in the meantime so they could at least snack on them while they wait for their burger buns. I made myself clear that I would not pay for those milkshakes. She went on to tell us that our food is ready and she can bring it and I told her that my husband and I absolutely can't feast on, while my kids are irritable and starving and that we would only eat when their food arrives. She then went off to "order" the milkshakes. My husband quietly suggested that we leave for another restaurant and i convinced him that because this has never happened to is us at mike's kitchen Rustenburg and that we've only always received the best it's probably just a bad day for them and that leaving is unnecessary, & that we would start again at another restaurant and the kids are too hungry for that. He agreed. Palesa was not showing up and after realising that she's buying time I stood up and went inside and asked for the manager & she referred me to Lester. I explained my situation to Lester and told him to order milkshakes for my kids and I also made it clear to him as well that I'm not paying for those shakes. He agreed and ordered the shakes quickly. I went to fetch my kids from the play station and had them seated NEXT to the table we had initially asked to be reserved for them as another waiter earlier seated other customers there disregarding the RESERVED sign but it wasn't a big deal. They gave my kids their milkshakes and I went back to my table. I shortly saw them serving their burgers. I was happy. Our food arrived too and it was COLD!!! We asked Palesa to warm it up, she did so but it still wasn't warm enough but we took it anyway because we had also been starved for the longest time. Both our steaks were very well done and we had asked for medium. The wings were drier than biltong. I hardly ate and asked for a take away. I went over to my kids table to cut their burgers for them, and I discovered their burgers and chips were also cold and very dry. They didn't even have the decency to provide them with condiments, I had to find Palesa & ask! My kids didn't want the food warmed up as they believed it would be another wait of not telling how long. They ate the cold dry food as I watched painfully. This was horrific. While sitting back at my table I asked Palesa to call the manager for me, the restaurant manager and not the kitchen manager Lester. She told me she doesn't know where she is and I told her to make a plan and phone her if she has to. After sometime a Caucasian woman arrives and introduces herself as the manager, Christall. I explain my situation to her and tell her that i expect some sort of compensation and she offers a 25% discount and i reject her offer expressing that its not good enough and she offers a 50% discount and i accept her offer and request that at the back of the bill if she could please write her name along with Palesas and Lesters. She leaves and sends Palesa with the discounted bill and to my shock the milkshakes are ALSO billed. I ask Palesa to call Christall again who takes her sweet time coming and when she eventually does i explain what bothers me concerning the bill and she starts getting frustrated and says she will make a phone call and see what she can do. She disappears for good this time and I see her happily serving another table. She didn't bother delegating anyone to update me on whether or not she succeeded in resolving the issue. She instead sends Palesa with a speedpoint machine to settle the bill without any message whatsoever. Palesa said she was told nothing except to just come settle the bill. THE AUDACITY AND UNPROFESSIONALISM!!!! WHERE IS THE PRINCIPLE IN THAT?????!!! Very angry yet laid back and quiet, my husband decides to settle the bill leaving Palesa a tip of R64 as attached below. He convinces me to leave because he's had enough of Mike's kitchen and that I must let it go because we dont ever have to go back there ever again. As we leave I see Christall leaning over the bar bar counter and I confront her as to why she left me hanging for that long and not bothering to come back or send a message with her waiter or some sort of delegation. She bluntly tells me to my face that she was busy with Mr B and that I am not the only customer. I tell her that I expect her to work on a first come first serve basis and that it's ********* to have me wait while she attends to other customers who arrived after me and she said that she is not going to work on my terms and if I continue shouting at her she will walk away. I honestly dont want to pull the racisim or ************** card but what should i make of this? Kindly enlighten me. She then says "where is your husband because clearly he is the more sensible one"!!! THIS LEVEL OF DISRESPECT IS UNCALLED FOR AND DISGUSTING TO SAY THE LEAST. She continues threatening that she will walk away and i told her that she wouldn't dare as the customer is always right and she is beyond unprofessional. In fact, unprofessional is an understatement. Lester arrives as I would assume all the commotion drew him to us and as soon as she arrives Christall says "Thank God' and she leaves. she had the audacity to leave me standing there with Lester and went to my husband in the car and knocked on his window. I'm gonna indicate once again how unacceptable and disrespectful these actions are. Absolutely appalling. She then sells my annoyed husband some soppy story, who told her to watch the kids in the car while he fetches me from the restaurant. I told her that i would be back on my own without my sensible husband.

I would like to express my anger and dissatisfaction. I was just disappointed at first with Palesa, but i later became furious and appalled at Christall and I still am. How such a massive restaurant chain dismisses it's customers in such an absolutely rude manner is beyond me. Mikes Kitchen clearly does not strive to deliver exceptional customer service. I work for a living, I don't pick money off trees, it is heart breaking to have my HARD EARNED MONEY get flushed down a toilet by your restaurant. Is this what you do to your black customers?

Look I want this matter resolved by the close of business and I expect some sort of compensation and if this cant be resolved to my satisfaction i will further escalate it and ensure that i expose you through hello Peter and other platforms.

i can be reached on the above address or alternatively on *** at anytime.

Regards Thabang Katane