Phyllis Orozco
Google
I had a deeply troubling experience involving the general manager, Kwan. As a long-time fan of The Boil, I was shocked by the level of unprofessional and aggressive behavior I encountered.
I placed a to-go order that included a lobster roll. Upon tasting it at home, I immediately noticed it was prepared completely differently than usual—specifically, it was extremely spicy, to the point of being inedible. I called the restaurant multiple times but was repeatedly disconnected before finally reaching someone who identified herself as Kwan.
When I explained the issue, she told me she would need me to send a video to prove the lobster roll was made incorrectly before she could consider remaking it. I expressed that this approach was inappropriate and unhelpful, especially as I had already been trying to resolve the matter for over 40 minutes. My husband’s meal was getting cold while I still had no dinner. I offered to return to the restaurant with the untouched lobster roll so it could be reviewed and remade. Instead of working toward a solution, she abruptly hung up on me.
Wanting to resolve the issue, I brought the lobster roll back in person. What followed was behavior that was nothing short of alarming: Kwan leaned over the counter at me aggressively, screamed in front of staff and customers, and made a shocking and invasive claim that she had called my previous employer, who she said had “never heard of me.” On the phone I had mentioned that I understand things go wrong in kitchens as I had work experience in the restaurant business and I made the mistake of telling her the name of the establishment, when asked. I truly cannot understand what would prompt a restaurant manager to take such an extreme and inappropriate step. Her behavior was completely unhinged and humiliating. I am deeply disturbed and very concerned about what her goal could have been in contacting a customer’s previous employer.
I asked if there was someone above her I could speak with, and she said there was not. Given how uncontrolled and unprofessional her actions were, I felt it was necessary to try every outlet to contact a higher authority.
As someone who has worked in the restaurant industry, I understand that difficult service situations arise. But this went far beyond a miscommunication or even a dispute over food quality—this was a verbal attack by someone in a position of authority who handled the matter in a deeply unacceptable and threatening manner.
I hope this is taken seriously, not only for the sake of future customers but also for the integrity of the brand.