AE K.
Yelp
Bottom line up front: The customer service experience that I endured was sub par, humiliating, and I will not be back.
I came into town from Nashville to visit my parents. My mother and I decided to pick up takeout for Sunday lunch on April 21, 2024 between 12:30 and 1:45 PM. I normally support J&F Caribbean Delight, but they were closed, and Tropical Flava was nearby. We walked in and a woman with short cropped blond hair took my order and I paid in cash. My mom and I sat down and waited for the meal. One hour later, we were still seated and waiting. I asked the young man at the cash register for a time check on the arrival of the food. He went to check at the serving window and I saw him subsequently ask the woman whom I had paid about the status of my meal. After she looked for the ticket, it appears that she went to check on the status. It was clear to me that my ticket had been misplaced and the cooks did not have my order. As I continued to wait, my mom and I watched three groups of people receive their food after having walked in 15 to 20 minutes after we came in. The woman with the blond hair walked over to me to tell me that my food would be out shortly. I waited for nearly 15 more minutes, and finally having had enough, asked for a refund to which the woman responded she completely understood. To my astonishment, she then proceeded to look for the ticket with my order, walked back over to me, and inquired if I had actually paid for the food! She further inquired about who I had actually paid. At this point I was speechless and so taken aback by her lack of accountability that I told her to just keep the $21.00 that I paid because if I did not leave, escalation would have been my only recourse. I was angry, insulted, and completely overwhelmed with what has to be the absolute worst customer service experience of my life. As my mom and I departed, the blond lady came out of the store to further inquire, for a second time, about whether or not I actually paid her specifically. I pointed out to her that noone comes into the restaurant, gives her the order and skips payment. She asks for payment after every.single.order. I further communicated that I would not have waited over an hour without having paid. To be clear, my angst was not just about the fact that over an hour of my time was wasted on a Sunday with my parents. What most upset me was the complete lack of accountability, humility, and the demonstrated disregard for a mistake that she made and the blatant attempt at blame shifting that left me frustrated, humiliated and exasperated.
I love to support minority businesses. It is something that I take seriously, and I thought long and hard about this review. However, this is a blind spot for this particular establishment and the egregious slight could not go unanswered. The owner should be wary of how her/his cash register is managed, as I am quite sure that I am not the first nor will I be the last to have this experience if the current representation keeps her job. The rest of my family has been made aware, as they have also frequented this establishment in the past, and suffice it to say that this represents at least 6 people who will not be back.
In short, I will wait until J&F Caribbean Delight is open next time. I never leave there feeling like my patronage is taken for granted.
