Urgent Complaint – Unacceptable Experience at Steers Sunningdale West Coast Village

I am writing to formally escalate a deeply concerning experience I had at your Steers branch in Sunningdale West Coast Village, Cape Town, on 9 February 2025 between 2:30pm & 3:15pm.

I frequently order from this branch via Mr D, and due to a severe intolerance to mustard, I always include clear instructions—written in CAPITAL LETTERS—requesting that no mustard be added to my burger. Despite this, my orders have repeatedly arrived with mustard, posing a serious risk to my health.

In an effort to prevent this from happening again, I decided to visit the store in person. I went through the drive-thru and explicitly informed the staff member taking my order that my burger should have no mustard. I also emphasized that I cannot consume mustard due to health reasons. The staff member confirmed my request and relayed it over the microphone to the kitchen.

When we arrived at the collection window, our order was handed to us immediately—prepared in what seemed like an unusually short time. Concerned, I specifically asked the staff member at the window to confirm once again that my order had no mustard, and she reassured me that it had been prepared correctly.

However, upon returning home, I discovered that my burger was covered in mustard and was also missing the cheese sauce. Understandably frustrated, I returned to the store to resolve the issue.

Upon arrival, I asked to speak to the manager. Unfortunately, I was met with complete indifference from the staff. When I requested to escalate the matter to the regional manager or franchise owner, the manager called the owner, Marius Smit, and handed me the phone.

What I heard next was appalling. The owner, unaware that a customer was on the line, was shouting at the manager for calling him. This behavior was not only unprofessional but also indicative of a toxic work environment. When I attempted to explain my situation, Mr. Smit rudely interrupted me, dismissing my concerns before even understanding the full extent of the issue. He repeatedly cut me off, refused to acknowledge the complaint properly, and outright defended the store's mistakes instead of taking accountability.

Even after the drive-thru staff confirmed that I had, in fact, requested no mustard, Mr. Smit continued to be combative, asking me, "What do you expect us to do?" This response was completely unacceptable for a franchise owner handling a legitimate customer complaint. Additionally, when I expressed concern about how quickly my order was prepared—raising doubts about its freshness—his response was that I should be happy that my food came out so fast.

I have worked in the food and franchise industry for many years, and I have never encountered an owner who disregards customer concerns in such a dismissive and unprofessional manner. Furthermore, his treatment of his employees, as demonstrated during our call, was equally alarming. Employees deserve to be treated with respect, and the lack of morale in that store is evident.

As a loyal Steers customer who frequents the brand at least once a week, I am extremely disappointed by this experience. Until this matter is properly addressed, I will no longer support Steers and will be sharing this complaint on relevant community platforms, including Facebook, HelloPeter, and Google Reviews, to ensure that other customers are aware of how this branch is being operated.

I look forward to a formal response and immediate corrective action regarding:

The repeated failure to follow critical food instructions that could result in serious health consequences. The unacceptable behavior of the franchise owner, Marius Smit, in handling customer complaints. The evident mistreatment of staff and overall lack of professionalism within this branch. I look forward to your urgent feedback.