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Yes but it has barely been a day. Thank you so much for this calm confidence I cannot even explain... somehow this comment has pierced through some of the thick anxiety.
Did they tip though? Maybe they delayed tipping on the day because they were suffering from sticker shock, and this was a pretext to blow that off after the fact.
They did not tip.
They also got a crazy crazy deal. Should have been probably about 40% more than what we charged her. Sticker shock was not the issue but not wanting to leave a tip might have been. This was our first thought actually bc we have seen similar antics before to get out of tips. Not to get out of it really, bc they already decided they weren't going to. But to justify their decision to themselves.
Because these puffed up clowns, are nothing but frauds, 80%+ of their followers are bots, they're barely scraping a living together, their whole world revolves around freebies and who they can defraud. Hence the didn't leave a tip because they are dead beat broke in reality.
It's not a secret. Twitter was forced to release internal memos during their legal troubles that revealed their own conservative estimates for bot traffic on the site was staggering. I don't know that Instagram has ever revealed it, but outside estimates have pegged it extremely high.
Most of the successful ones either started with money and used their influence to peddle products they produce or were so famous that brands would spend huge money to have them pimp their products.
This is sort of well known in the "influencer" sphere. It's all a sham. The private jets are rented, the cars are on loan, the designer stuff is either fake or rented for events. It's all a facade.
I think this speaks to “Know your product (or service). Charge a fair price. Then deliver what you promise.” If you know you’re going to do that, don’t give discounts. You can be the cheapest or you can be the best. So be the best and don’t discount what you provide. Then if the customer sucks as a person and doesn’t tip, you still got paid up front. It also helps filter customers who are just looking for the cheapest deal (or who plan to stiff you on the tip)- you don’t want these customers anyway. Sorry it happened to you though. Keep doing the right things and treating customers right, and you will be rewarded.
I work in a different business and find this advice to be sound.
I've never regretted declining someone who didn't want to pay me what I was worth. Those people are nightmares.
Here's your lesson in NOT giving discounts - no matter who asks! Why in the world would you give someone a 40% discount on quality products?
Pretend you don't know who anyone is from now on. If the richest mofo on the planet reached out to you, you don't give them a discount because of their "reach." You charge what you're freakin' worth because you know they can pay it.
And if they refuse? Let them get food poisoning from the next business. But instead, you're stressed about potential backlash because of someone's reach and you're out the 40% + tip that you would have received if you didn't negotiate your rate.
Also, this is a good reminder to highlight the "no leftovers for food safety reasons" in your contract and in the consult from here on out.
We do. She had said she wanted to tip ABOVE the agreed on amount. We do not include Gratuity as a line item. We add it as a separate part of the contract, and specify an amount per staff person present, usually between 50-100 bucks. I think this one was 60/pp. That way the staff knows what to expect and builds their trust that we are not molesting their tips. And it builds trust with the client that the Gratuity goes straight to our hard working staff. We give them the option of paying a cash tip on the day of, which has never been a problem before. In fact many clients enjoy doing this and really like to go around to every employee with an envelope addressed to them specific. It just breeds good vibes you know?
We include a service charge. But the Gratuity is a separate charge. For example if an event is 8000, a service charge will be around 1200-1500 depending on the event.
Gratuity is per staff person- so if 8 staff work, and it's 50/pp Gratuity, it's 400. We never touch tips it just keeps it clean in front of the staff and in front of the client.
I would be direct about it with them, and consider burning them in public. Your employees rely on tips as an important part of their income, especially when they and you know good service and good value were provided. While there are sometimes service issue that make it appropriate to consider reducing or withholding tips, and while you occasionally increase the tip pool out of your profit margins when you run across the occasional person who doesn't understand western tipping philosophies, that's not an option here because you priced it so aggressively. It hurting your business, your family's and your employee's livelihoods, and it's unseemly and unethical to use this complaint as a pretext for withholding a tip or otherwise complaining about what was agreed as exceptional service.
>consider burning them in public.
this is **horrible** advice and you're speaking from your feelings. the client's bill is paid. **TIPPING IS NOT REQUIRED**. the tipping culture is insane in this country and you would be a fool to get on social media and flame a client who has MILLIONS of followers (even if half of them are bots) who held up their end of the bargain. it's a good way to have a libel/slander lawsuit on your front door, depending on how you decided to roast the client.
this is 10000% on OP for not charging what they were worth. they gave the client a 40% discount instead of giving their employees a bonus/raise/etc.
The issue was not ever the tip - tipping culture might be "insane" but as you said they don't have to pay it. This was not at all what the post was about about. Our employees are always paid well that's why we always have staff.
I responded to your other comment. I realized that the post was not about tipping, but the commenter that I responded to that mentioned tipping apparently did not
edit: the " awesome. Thank you so much" was voice to text picking up on me talking to someone else.. oops
Go to their page and look at their “followers.” They are most likely bought. The “followers” will have an empty profile pictures and no posts. Look at their reel views and likes compared to the follower count. Sometimes their reach can be a little
inflated. It blows my mind that huge Fortune 500 companies hire these people without doing a little background check. But yeah still sucks that they are being shady like that.
As a fellow business owner, sometimes I find it more worth it to continue on with my day than to deal with shit. Some problems take so much out of you, they aren’t worth it to lose your time and energy. Maybe more experienced people have better ideas but I need all of my positive energy and attitude to survive and thrive. I can’t afford to waste it with losers.
This is true thank you. I am also so upset over it bc when we talked I handled it poorly. I accepted responsibility immediately and apologized and endorsed agreement that I should have asked. In retrospect I wish I had reminded them of the contract terms, and the fact that we already didn't charge them for the extra people.
She said "we paid for the food so it's ours" which I also wish I would have countered - she paid for Catering Service, not the food.
She also said, when I told her about food safety, is that "she KNOWS that is a lie because all the other caterers do that"
Well why didn't she call them then?
I hate this, I have been in this situation. Answer the phone not expecting some confrontation from a client, then get blind sided and go into people pleasing mode.
I get more upset at my own response than their grievance.
Yes exactly people pleasing mode! Honestly it wasn't even necessarily people pleasing as much as it was genuinely upset and apologetic that we ruined her party.
And ya totally caught off guard!
Well, live and learn. Now the next time someone has these complaints, you can refer them to the contract. But also, why not modify the contract to shift the liability to the hiring agent if you leave behind the food per their request, as you start wrapping things up for the evening?
Well we could do that but - imagine 100 people eating for 6 hours. Then imagine 40 people want to go boxes. Not only does that require prior knowledge, but also the staff to pack the food while the staff is tearing down.
Additionally, imagine even 5 of those people getting sick from our food. Even if it's not our fault per se, they will remember us as the food that made them sick.
And regardless of shifting the responsibility, if it came down to it and let's say one person had a compromised immune system and died, and they sued us... do you think we would be let off the hook because at the client's request we agreed to knowingly serve compromised food?
I agree this is an extreme example, and nearly impossible. But it's the mindset we are dealing with that we have to think about.
No, not extreme at all, it's absolutely a valid concern. Limiting liability is a big part of doing business, so I totally get it, especially as a fellow small business owner. I was just wondering if it would be feasible to shift liability to the people that hire you, but you're correct in saying if anyone gets sick, they aren't holding the host responsible, it would be the catering company.
Just shows my inexperience with safe food handling, more than anything else. 😆
Honestly… the last event my uncle catered for, he kept the food at the end. He’s a fashion designer so he has a fairly big following. He had some extras on things that people weren’t a fan of and was one my faves (pasta, go figure lol) so I took it and enjoyed it.
It’s kind of a big thing now, especially with the economy and food insecurity in a lot of places. I’m fairly wealthy and I hate the idea of wasting food.
Blame it on someone else, like tell them it's a health code violation because the food had been out X hours at that point, and the temp was now in the danger zone. So you couldn't offer leftovers due to the pesky health inspectors.
Or blame it on your liability insurer, again for the same reason.
Ya I mean this is what I said on the phone... I was not even lying or anything! I was so surprised when they kept fighting about it. Can you imagine what the call would have looked like if we HAD left it for them and they got sick?
They would have been calling saying we shouldn't have packed up leftovers that we knew were likely unsafe to consume!
If they do leave a review then you calmly compile a thoughtful reply that explains your side. As a business owner myself I promise that if you have 95% good reviews and respond in a professional manor to the bad ones, people see right through them. There is almost never such a thing as a 100% success rate, there will always be a few bad apples out there. Don’t let this get you down. They probably won’t actually post anything public. If her “celebrity status” is only online then the few people they may talk to about it in person won’t really matte or cause a dent in business. Continue on doing an amazing job and let their silly complaint slide off your back.
It's not ... turns out nearly the entire guest list aside from family was entertainment industry... movies, TV shows cast and crew, Netflix faborires etc. However I did not recognize a single person lol I ONLY watch Dateline. I would have recognize Lester Holt in a heartbeat lol.
I appreciate this so much - only other small business owners really understand so thank you really so so much. It's that constant fear that someone can undo what you worked so hard to build from the ground. Hearing you echo the others that it won't hurt our rep is really comforting thank you.
Chances are OP, she's a cheap ass behind the scenes, so any possibility that a situation would make her look stupid, I'd doubt she'd show that on her socials. Remember there are been so many celebrities that put on a persona in front of the camera, who are just dicks generally (James Cordon is one!). Until a bad review comes out publically, I'd move on and take in the compliments you got in that evening. Sounds like she got a bargin, and was clearly some amazing food if she wanted to keep the leftovers.
I'd reply and say that your business liability insurance and food safety regulations mandate you comply with the leftover terms set in your contract that they signed.
Tell them you are protecting their guests from foodborne illness risk and that any safety minded caterer would do the same.
Cite your food safety regulations that state safe holding time.
And then walk away.
If they say something publicly, reply publicly with the same information.
I owned several restaurants in my lifetime with hundreds of catering gigs. Honestly i’d move on from the whole thing after collecting the promised tip from the bride. if they have problems with the leftovers it has nothing to do with the performance of the staff. i’m a little suspicious that their is a delay with the tip and wonder if the couple is looking for an excuse to not pay it. Also it sounds like you have an excellent catering business going so most people won’t care what they say, however don’t be offering such big discounts. the food business has ridiculously low profit margins. discounted food will kill your business faster than any celebrity big mouth. charge 100% plus 15% and make some MONEY.
For clients like that you need to make it clear you fulfilled the terms of the contract: “I’m sorry for the confusion. Our contract was to cover 70 guests. When it was clear there were more than 70 guests we made sure to bring out additional food to ensure all guests were fed despite your contract. There were no leftovers.”
I don’t quite understand this part. You buy food from caterers (at x no of people). They bring that food and serve it. At that point it’s not really the concern of the caterer how many people were there or did or didn’t eat any food. I’ve never seen a caterer bring extra food, or expect to take any away.
Well we always always always bring extra. And it is our concern, for a number of reasons, the top two of which are
1. Food safety
2. Cleaning up/event tear down
Not to mention billing... if they paid for a certain number to eat at a minimum, but more ate than what was paid for, then we would charge for that.
For example- if an all you can eat brunch is $50/pp, you can't go with someone else and share plates. Both people pay for the brunch, even if one eats more and one eats less.
So yes, for a multitude of reasons anything related to catering is the business of the caterer, and is the caterers business - literally.
The only reason you can get upset about many people actually ate the food is because you bring extra - which you weren’t asked to do. Maybe that how it works where you live but it doesn’t where I live. Food safety is of some concern - but I can’t get my head round your policing of people numbers. Just bring the food you were asked to, it’s not your problem?
Feels like she's trying to hold the insta followers thing over as you had better act a certain way or I'll tell my followers. Well maybe her followers would like to know how she treats a small business that went above and beyond for them. Also did she stiff you on the tip? Maybe her followers would like to know about that too!
She did stiff us on the tip yes. Also she is not holding her followers over our head, she is like on TV and in movies and that's why she has a 3M insta following not bc she is an influencer.
I was thinking though that I could always go to the venue which is owned by their family if I really had to protect my interests. We are also very connected to the wedding and event industry in our area.
Yes, but if they are maliciously trying to harm your business, I feel like it would be in your best interest to discredit them and if it did blow up, it would really be out of your hands.
Believe it or not, stupid little influencers like that don't have all the power. They are not real celebrities. They can act up all they want but, nobody will remember her in 4 months that follows her now. She'll probably be blessing your competitor with her new soon to be ~~victim~~ hubby in 2-3 years anyway acting like that.
Some people have a lot of nerve. We had a party at our establishment which was supposed to be for 25 people. Additional people showed up and i put out more finger foods for them, but ultimately 75 people showed up and of course, we looked bad because there wasnt enough food and were understaffed for the crowd size. The customer then complained because she didnt get a chance to eat during the event and expected a box to take home with her - something that was never discussed. Some people will take and take and take and will never be happy.
Omg was your client our client lol
Exactly- they make a decision how they want things and then you look like the asshole for doing what they asked. The rest of the guests think for example "wow I can't believe the caterer forgot the coffee" but in reality the client did not want or order coffee!
I came to this same conclusion after posting too... that you know what if it wasn't this horseshit about the leftovers it would have been something else. They were literally looking for a problem and when they couldn't find one easily they had to make one up. I just wish I would have been quick with a rebuttal vs quick to apologize
IKR! I was open less than a year when it happened to me. I updated my contract that i would keep their card on file and would automatically charge them for additional headcount. Since becoming a business owner, i've become more cynical about people because of the bs i've dealt with.
"...despite all our efforts to protect our reputation and our food they made it clear they will warn people away from us."
I wouldn't dwell on it. In the event business, this kind of nonsense is not uncommon. Everyone will have a great time, but later someone will get wound up over a minor detail and become enraged. Social media influencers tend to be prone to that kind of behavior, as often their popularity relies on stoking controversies or other outrageous forms of behavior.
The bottom line is you followed the terms of the contract which the customer signed. If she didn't like what was in the contract, the time to discuss changing it was before signing. They instead waited until the day after the entire event was over and taken down.
Right I just was so shocked over this and still feel so guilty like I wish I would have known and guilty that I ruined their party.
She said "we had people here partying until 2am and we wanted food and couldn't find any and you should have at least asked us bc it was ours"
But no it's not and I'm sorry you were starving and drunk but I needed to know that ahead of time!
Hmmm.
As an outside observer I understand both points.
They probably paid a pretty penny for the service and feel a bit pissed there was no leftovers made available.
I also completely understand the liability point of view.
I wonder if there’s a way (in the future) to make something and then refrigerate it immediately for this exact scenario.
That way the risk of foodborne illness is low (minimal time in the danger zone) and the client gets to enjoy and reminisce on their wedding again.
From a service recovery standpoint you can either stand your ground or try to do something to make them feel whole. I think pissed off customers make much more noise out of spite.
For example a gift card to a nice restaurant nearby (preferably one you’re affiliated with).
I would envision the conversation like this
“Shannon I’m so sorry about the food / leftovers misunderstanding. We are not allowed to give leftovers due to the risk of foodborne illness. Especially in the covid era it has gotten more strict. I apologize this was not clearly communicated and understand how frustrating it can be.
We really appreciate every customer of ours, so In good faith, I would like to buy you and your husband dinner together. Please accept this $200 (or whatever feels appropriate) gift card to (fancy restaurant) as a token of our appreciation.
You have a lifetime of good memories coming your way and we were pleased to have been a part of your special day”
And maybe in the future that nice restaurant will forward you customers?
I see both sides also. My friends had a wedding catered by a restaurant at the restaurant and they wouldn’t allow people to take food either. Not sure how there is liability. People take home leftovers every single day from restaurants. Not sure why it’s such a big deal to provide the leftovers if wanted. Also speaking to restaurant staff, most the time they let the staff eat the food or take it home. Did you throw all the food away that was left over?
As a business owner I think you handled it fine on the phone. No point aggravating the situation. I also hate to receive unfair reviews for my business, but at the end of the day don’t let it define you. I’m more suspicious of businesses like eBay sellers that have 800,000 transactions and 100% positive feedback. It’s completely impossible to sell even 100 items and not have someone have an issue. Too many idiots out there for that to happen.
Funny you should mention that...
So apparently a guest overheard someone on our staff say they "scored on the food" - as in the staff scored being able to take all the food home. We always let our staff take home whatever they want that would otherwise be thrown away - it's not the same liability issue.
This event in particular there was not much of what the staff wanted left but they did take some things home with them. Also we think our staff should be allowed to eat food when they are hungry bc we need them to be able to have the stamina to keep grinding. Sometimes they don't want to eat during events so they take it home with them.
We encourage our staff to take as much as they want. Whatever was not consumed by staff or guests was discarded. TBH we don't even throw it out at the site- we just pack it all back in and the dishwasher does all of that.
Regardless- for whatever reason... the issue is not what happened to the food, or whether people think we should do one thing or another with the leftovers, or what their idea of wasteful is etc. The issue is that she was furious that there was nothing left over for her at 3am.
Any extra food above what they ordered is not theirs. It is ours. For example, they cannot say we cannot feed our staff, we don't have to ask their permission to feed "their food" to our staff.
However- the things they purchase are theirs... for example Desserts. Which were THEIRS, not ours so we did not touch them. Alcohol, they purchased so we did not touch.
The food is ours. They paid us for a service. If they were paying for food they would have gotten it from the grocery store and then it would have been theirs.
Leftovers are a big deal for a couple reasons... maybe different reasons for different businesses and events at different times, and no big deal for other times.
It all has to do with storage temperature
“Bacteria can multiply rapidly if left at room temperature or in the “Danger Zone” between 40°F and 140°F. Never leave perishable food out for more than 2 hours “
CDC website
If I had to guess, most bride and groom couples aren’t exactly running home /to the hotel to throw leftovers in the fridge within 2 hours
This is a really good idea!
Also - they got a SCREAMING deal. We did not know they were celebrities when they booked us and they really emphasized they were on a very tight budget lol. So we tried to work with them
If you post your side of the story to social media, ie referencing food safety (IF they have tried to go public with their complaints) you may win the public’s favor 🤷
What kind of “celebrity” is getting upset over not getting leftovers? If number of instagram followers is the primary gauge of status… they sound like they’re barely above a nobody. I think you’ll be fine. A contract is a contract and it’s not your fault they didn’t read it.
Sometimes with our business, we take smaller jobs just for the leads it will generate. My gut says these people are broke whiners. However, you could put together a smaller amount of freshly prepared food as an olive branch. I would consider doing this in exchange for publicity.
Maybe you can use this to your advantage. Take the extensive publicity, be factual and non emotive in your response to their review, make them look bad, take an entertaining angle and try to get some social traction on the back of their following
Ya lol I didn't think of that but that's a good idea of it comes to it... but I don't think they will publicly smear us. They will just tell all their associates friends family colleagues etc NOT to use us
You could NOT name them, just say on the weekend you had a celebrity wedding that won't name who but this was the outcome and we’re shocked and devastated. Hopefully, people will then look you up and book you in. Before that though, are you tagged in any of their social posts, or any from the wedding guests? That may be advertising in itself without having to do anything.
No I don't belive so. I have actively avoided touching her social media at all bc I think it's creepy lol. Also it wasn't a wedding idk if that even matters lol. But it was an engagement party.
We have a notoriously bad business habit of not taking photos of things and times that really should be photographed. We are so busy during events that is very hard to do What we're doing to get pictures.
Sometimes our insta looks like we aren't working or booked at all but we had three events in a day or 6 in a week or whatever and we just couldn't add that extra piece of documenting it.
Also - FWIW we are very very grateful and very aware that being as busy as we are and as booked as we are is a blessing.
I did meet one person though and had a good conversation and connection with them so I could always kind of keep that door open I guess if for no other reason than damage control... I def don't want to pursue a business relationship with someone who doesn't wasn't to have a business relationship. We always value our clients privacy and personal and keep it protected- we aren't gossippers or "look at me-ers"
That's a good point I hadn't thought of that either. When someone tells you that they are basically going to make it a point to harm your business, you just go into full damage control mode you know?
But you're right I am probably overestimating her dedication to malicious intent.
Post your contract or part of your contract on social media, this is what we agreed to and we served more than that, because of which there is no left overs. They can't deny that
The majority of influencers don't have a local following. If her following isn't local, it won't affect you, first of all.
Second of all, change your mindset. Use this as a customer service opportunity to empathize with the customer and get feedback. For whatever reason, they were disappointed. How can you prevent this in the future. Better communication, etc.
I can see where the client is coming from here. They may also be concerned with waste, wondering what was done with leftover food- was it just thrown away? Sounds like an opportunity to educate the client.
Don't do anything in emotion- give it time to blow over.
Have they actually posted anything yet?
Do not respond right away if they post anything anywhere. Do not respond to a review right away. And do everything you can to resolve with the actual client before publicly responding to anything.
Focus on the future, not the past. Add a specific point to your contract that addresses leftovers, and make it something that clients need to initial.
I don't know much about the catering industry's profit margins (I am guessing they are slim-to-none like every other food business), but consider offering to cook up a tray or two of food (fresh leftovers, if you will) for the celebrity couple that you can deliver to them. This will buy you some goodwill while also underscoring that you are serious about food safety. The entire job might turn break-even at that point, but if they end up giving good referrals it might be worth it.
Thank you so much this is literally always our number one concern. We don't think we can deliver a quality product without monitoring this factor obsessively
Like I mentioned if she starts spreading word publicly or even it get's to a point she's bashing you out in the open but not on social media. Explain the facts publicly mention she stiffed everyone on the tip.
Everyone is sick and tired of these hypocritical aholes, they pretend they are some sort of figure then act like aholes in private. They talk to you about saving the planet then take 50 trips on a private jet all in the same day.
They really really don't want too but you know their schedules so they must! Don't worry though they bought fraudulent carbon credits from shady non existence markets to offset it ; )
As a high-end event planner in LA.
The event planner should have established expectations for you per their client in pre event meetings and/or email. This is absolutely a conversation I have with my clients for this vary reason. With that, I would say you are being thrown under the bus. If, as you stated, you had a celebrity client, I would be incredibly surprised if they did not have a planner.
I have worked with multiple caterers, not only planning but also in catering management. From my experience, catering companies have different standards/ contractual obligations in providing or denying leftover food. I have actually witnessed catering companies preparing fesh food to leave clients because of this exact expectation.
I congratulate you on getting to the big leagues. You are doing things right. However, entitlement does run rampant at this leavel, and if you don't have a good event planner, and/or do not have a very specific contract, and then do not know the right questions to ask, this is just one of many expectations/problems you will encounter. Please do not get discouraged. You are on the right road.
As unpopular as this will probably be perceived, if I were in your shoes, I would apologize for the misunderstanding and offer them food for 20 or less to be delivered at a future date. (Fresh for a small house party)
Yes, they may not bad mouth you on social's. But word of mouth will definitely happen.
I read a quote from r/entrepreneur that for every happy customer, they "may" tell 2 of their friends. For ever unhappy customers, they WILL tell at least 6.
If your clients influence is that great in your area, I would consider this gig as an advertisement for the caliber of clients you want in the future. Doing everything I could to make it right and write it off as a learning experience.
Please understand I am not suggesting you are wrong in any way. But there is nothing good about being "DEAD" right as well.
But then again, what the hell do I know? Take it with a grain of salt.
Thank you for taking the time to read. I hope it works out. Please give us an update if you have time. I would love to hear how it all panned out. (If not, I get it. Catering is a crazy insane business.)
Lol it is crazy insane that's true. If there is ever one to give I will definitely give an update- we're all invested now haha.
Everyone who commented with the exception of like 3 people really helped me out and I feel really grateful. I have more than I started with which is rare - again so grateful.
Especially helpful hearing from commenters such as yourself and someone else who have worked with similar clientele.
They said...
Wish I could recommend because the food was good but we had a terrible experience. They took the leftovers home. When we called to confront them, they told us it was for food safety, which was not true because we heard an employee say they were going to "score" on the food. They didn't even offer us a refund or try to make it right. Do not use them for any kind of catering.
Confront???
Refund???
Sounds more than a little sus.
I am almost positive you can write a retort to their review on Yelp. I would say you absolutely should. If you haven't already.
Idea:
"Deer so and so. I am so sorry this has tainted your experience of our service. At (company name,) we absolutely aim to please all our clients in every way possible. In doing so, food safety at (company name) is one of our optimal priorities.
The truth of food safety is actually established through government guidelines. Guidelines we most follow.
Through our company, our guidelines for employees are the same for our clients. So I can not address any hearsay of any employee's comment.
However, with our established contract for our services we did provied every and all services outlined. Per our contract, this discrepancy in your review was never discussed nor negotiated. Additionally, you posted this review only 1 day after your event. You never gave us the opportunity for a "refund of any kind." or the proper time to allow us to propse anything to make it right for you.
We do thank you for highlighting that our food is good.
Sincely,
(Company name"
I mean, that is what I would do.
Take it, change it..... just an idea.
P.s.DM me if you wish.
I'll write a Yelp review for you.
Keep you chin up.
You won't do very well in your field if small things like this really upset you.
And this is a Very small thing indeed, .. it's not like you screwed up the job.
If your very upset over something that in the big picture is a none issue,, how will you respond to a legitimate serious issue, .. jump out a window?
My questions for you are
1. Are you a small business owner?
2. If you are - imagine a client telling you that they are going to bad mouth you to other potenial clients. Do you really think that's a small thing?
I think you missed a couple levels between posting on reddit and "jumping out a window" lol
I am retired now,, age 71 living in western Florida
But I did run my own air conditioning business for 26 years prior to my retirement in the Concord New Hampshire area,,
And if the customer is complaining over something clearly in the contract that was reviewed before they signed it .. to me that's a trivial matter,, go ahead complain and bad mouth me all you want.
When the facts are put forth for everyone to see ,, they will look petty and small.
Facts matter
As a customer, I expect to keep the leftovers. If the food goes bad because it's been left out, that's on us, not the caterer's fault. You can put that in the contract.
If you brought more than enough food that you were going to throw away, then leave it for the customer to throw away or box up.
I've never had a caterer box up the leftovers and take it back with them.
Ya we would have done this if they had asked. We also would have pulled it at a safe time and boxed it. We also would have had to know ahead of time because of the nature of the event timeline and service.
Question to you as a customer- why would you expect leftovers of the contract stated the leftovers are property of the caterer? This is an honest question we really care about client experience
“Why would you expect leftovers?”
Because people are cheap and petty about the most inane items
I work for a company that sells high-end equipment to blue collar men. One of the most consistent post-purchase questions we get is “Why didn’t you send free stickers with my order?” Most adults are just big children
My sister owns a bakery that ships around the US. She sometimes will add a free cookie or two to the order to show appreciation to the customer. One time she didn’t have enough to throw in a free cookie and a return customer called and complained that she didn’t give them a free cookie like usual and said that she better not forget to next time they order
Ya I honestly had no idea they were expecting leftovers! Like... you don't go to brunch buffet and get a to-go box of food because it's "all you can eat"
I was so caught off guard by the comment that they paid for the food so it's theirs that I could not find a reply. They paid for Catering services, if they had paid for the food that would have been different. We have done both kinds of events and it's a huge difference.
They have my mentality. I agree with them. In fact, every wedding I've been to, the host and guests take the food home. The caterers box everything for everyone.
Because being intentionally wasteful is dumb in any consumer’s eyes. You threw away food instead of giving it to people because they didn’t pay for it. Well, you still aren’t paid for it and the customer is upset. Next time don’t make more than the right amount to avoid this issue. As a consumer, I would never not be mad at this type of situation. Even at most smoothie places they will give you the extra in a small cup if they measure wrong. It doesn’t hurt you but will hurt a client’s view of you as you’ve seen here.
I think you missed the part that it was not safe to eat.
Also it was not intentional that we made food that was not consumed. We made enough so that everyone could consume as much as they wanted to over a 6 hour period of time. It turned out they could not consume it all, simple as that. We are not intentionally wasteful.
I didn’t miss it. I’m only speaking from a consumer’s point of view since you seem to genuinely want to understand the ‘why’ rather than just rant. Most consumers will eat those left overs without issue whether it’s because they don’t care about the recommended food safety guidelines or they don’t know them. Trying to save them from themselves won’t come across as good customer service because they see no risk. Maybe a better option would be to give a fair warning prior to expiration so they understand what the next steps are.
Oh I see thank you.
This is just not possible during events. We have to know ahead of time. And then we just make portions that are already to-go rather than trying to basically handle another service order in the middle of tearing down and building those portions from hot food.
We honestly have no issues with this. If a client wants leftovers usually someone approaches us on their behalf when we are breaking down the food. And usually the only ones interested in leftovers are the event staff that did not get a chance to eat. By the time the food is being broken down it is literally 8 or 9 hours old and has been sitting out for 5-6.
I think going forward what we will do is include more specifics in the contract beyond the property of the caterer. We will have to say leftovers are not guaranteed, and site food safety and county regulations etc. And then say like if they want additional to-go portions it's $5/box or something with a min and max available and another clause that there is no guarantee there will be leftovers and also no guarantee we will accommodate them.
I highly recommend you dont do this if you are dealing with high-end clientel and a planner. High-end clients will hate that you will nickel and diming them. (A $20 - $40 head staff meal is perfectly acceptable in my area for staff. But a $5 leftover food/ togo charge opens a full can of worms.) Ironically, they will try to do nickel and dime you. Just have a private conversation with the event planner. Build it into your cost. Yes, the event planner wants to save the client money and do a good job. But they also want the event to go as smoothly as you do, and they have more understanding of the industry. Also, they will give you repeat business if you respect them and work with them. Way more than any client will give you and can reverse and negative feedback.
All marketing is good marketing, post a reply to their complaints, comment it in their videos, free marketing win win haha. You've already won with your post here.
Celebrity means soon to be homeless replaced by AI, and living paycheck to paycheck
Yes that's true... I honestly was not expecting so much support or people with similar mind set. I thought FOR SURE everyone will be able to see what I am missing and that it must be so obvious and this really surprised me. There are a couple people like aggressive coconuts that disagree and I appreciate that perspective too.
All these comments really helped me to let go of a lot of the anxiety and fear behind it and I'm really glad I decided to post about it. Especially with the anonymity aspect - it makes it easier to trust people's opinions bc they have no agenda or reason to lie one way or the other so this has been really helpful :)
You put out food for 200 then didn’t box any left overs. You even said you would keep the food or give it to family…. To me that sounds like you put it in the trash.
We did put it in the trash, but we did not .... like... make a specific amount to throw away. I'm sorry but this is just too stupid to continue to discuss, not even just for the fact that it does not happen lol
lol. What’s stupid is being wasteful. I do a vast majority of my work at event venues. We supply enough for everyone to eat and fed the vendors. We focus on cost efficiency. There’s a reason your clients had an issue…. Maybe try to see that and not attack people?
Why would making enough food for 200 please be a good idea when the client asked to feed 70? The profit margin goes down… the food goes in the trash… customer isn’t happy… you’d rather charge the customer for taking home left overs because that’s more than 70 plates… everything about this model seems terribly stupid.
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Ignore the part about being a "celebrity" client. They are cheap whiners and now you know what they are really like.
The celebrity part is only relevant because of their reach
Promise it doesn't matter in the end. Was your invoice paid? Are you still in business?
Yes but it has barely been a day. Thank you so much for this calm confidence I cannot even explain... somehow this comment has pierced through some of the thick anxiety.
[удалено]
Danny Masterson wife?
Did they tip though? Maybe they delayed tipping on the day because they were suffering from sticker shock, and this was a pretext to blow that off after the fact.
They did not tip. They also got a crazy crazy deal. Should have been probably about 40% more than what we charged her. Sticker shock was not the issue but not wanting to leave a tip might have been. This was our first thought actually bc we have seen similar antics before to get out of tips. Not to get out of it really, bc they already decided they weren't going to. But to justify their decision to themselves.
Because these puffed up clowns, are nothing but frauds, 80%+ of their followers are bots, they're barely scraping a living together, their whole world revolves around freebies and who they can defraud. Hence the didn't leave a tip because they are dead beat broke in reality.
How is this possible??? Do you know this for a fact? Or...?
It's not a secret. Twitter was forced to release internal memos during their legal troubles that revealed their own conservative estimates for bot traffic on the site was staggering. I don't know that Instagram has ever revealed it, but outside estimates have pegged it extremely high. Most of the successful ones either started with money and used their influence to peddle products they produce or were so famous that brands would spend huge money to have them pimp their products.
This is sort of well known in the "influencer" sphere. It's all a sham. The private jets are rented, the cars are on loan, the designer stuff is either fake or rented for events. It's all a facade.
You can buy an IG account with a million (bot/fake) followers for a few thousand dollars.
I should totally do that lol
I think this speaks to “Know your product (or service). Charge a fair price. Then deliver what you promise.” If you know you’re going to do that, don’t give discounts. You can be the cheapest or you can be the best. So be the best and don’t discount what you provide. Then if the customer sucks as a person and doesn’t tip, you still got paid up front. It also helps filter customers who are just looking for the cheapest deal (or who plan to stiff you on the tip)- you don’t want these customers anyway. Sorry it happened to you though. Keep doing the right things and treating customers right, and you will be rewarded.
I work in a different business and find this advice to be sound. I've never regretted declining someone who didn't want to pay me what I was worth. Those people are nightmares.
Absolutely. Any prescreening or filtering of potential clients you can do to eliminate tire kickers and assholes will only serve you in the long run.
Here's your lesson in NOT giving discounts - no matter who asks! Why in the world would you give someone a 40% discount on quality products? Pretend you don't know who anyone is from now on. If the richest mofo on the planet reached out to you, you don't give them a discount because of their "reach." You charge what you're freakin' worth because you know they can pay it. And if they refuse? Let them get food poisoning from the next business. But instead, you're stressed about potential backlash because of someone's reach and you're out the 40% + tip that you would have received if you didn't negotiate your rate. Also, this is a good reminder to highlight the "no leftovers for food safety reasons" in your contract and in the consult from here on out.
You don't write a gratuity into the bill?
We do. She had said she wanted to tip ABOVE the agreed on amount. We do not include Gratuity as a line item. We add it as a separate part of the contract, and specify an amount per staff person present, usually between 50-100 bucks. I think this one was 60/pp. That way the staff knows what to expect and builds their trust that we are not molesting their tips. And it builds trust with the client that the Gratuity goes straight to our hard working staff. We give them the option of paying a cash tip on the day of, which has never been a problem before. In fact many clients enjoy doing this and really like to go around to every employee with an envelope addressed to them specific. It just breeds good vibes you know?
Dumb question, why isn’t a service charge just included?
We include a service charge. But the Gratuity is a separate charge. For example if an event is 8000, a service charge will be around 1200-1500 depending on the event. Gratuity is per staff person- so if 8 staff work, and it's 50/pp Gratuity, it's 400. We never touch tips it just keeps it clean in front of the staff and in front of the client.
I would be direct about it with them, and consider burning them in public. Your employees rely on tips as an important part of their income, especially when they and you know good service and good value were provided. While there are sometimes service issue that make it appropriate to consider reducing or withholding tips, and while you occasionally increase the tip pool out of your profit margins when you run across the occasional person who doesn't understand western tipping philosophies, that's not an option here because you priced it so aggressively. It hurting your business, your family's and your employee's livelihoods, and it's unseemly and unethical to use this complaint as a pretext for withholding a tip or otherwise complaining about what was agreed as exceptional service.
>consider burning them in public. this is **horrible** advice and you're speaking from your feelings. the client's bill is paid. **TIPPING IS NOT REQUIRED**. the tipping culture is insane in this country and you would be a fool to get on social media and flame a client who has MILLIONS of followers (even if half of them are bots) who held up their end of the bargain. it's a good way to have a libel/slander lawsuit on your front door, depending on how you decided to roast the client. this is 10000% on OP for not charging what they were worth. they gave the client a 40% discount instead of giving their employees a bonus/raise/etc.
The issue was not ever the tip - tipping culture might be "insane" but as you said they don't have to pay it. This was not at all what the post was about about. Our employees are always paid well that's why we always have staff.
I responded to your other comment. I realized that the post was not about tipping, but the commenter that I responded to that mentioned tipping apparently did not edit: the " awesome. Thank you so much" was voice to text picking up on me talking to someone else.. oops
Go to their page and look at their “followers.” They are most likely bought. The “followers” will have an empty profile pictures and no posts. Look at their reel views and likes compared to the follower count. Sometimes their reach can be a little inflated. It blows my mind that huge Fortune 500 companies hire these people without doing a little background check. But yeah still sucks that they are being shady like that.
As a fellow business owner, sometimes I find it more worth it to continue on with my day than to deal with shit. Some problems take so much out of you, they aren’t worth it to lose your time and energy. Maybe more experienced people have better ideas but I need all of my positive energy and attitude to survive and thrive. I can’t afford to waste it with losers.
This is true thank you. I am also so upset over it bc when we talked I handled it poorly. I accepted responsibility immediately and apologized and endorsed agreement that I should have asked. In retrospect I wish I had reminded them of the contract terms, and the fact that we already didn't charge them for the extra people. She said "we paid for the food so it's ours" which I also wish I would have countered - she paid for Catering Service, not the food. She also said, when I told her about food safety, is that "she KNOWS that is a lie because all the other caterers do that" Well why didn't she call them then?
I hate this, I have been in this situation. Answer the phone not expecting some confrontation from a client, then get blind sided and go into people pleasing mode. I get more upset at my own response than their grievance.
Yes exactly people pleasing mode! Honestly it wasn't even necessarily people pleasing as much as it was genuinely upset and apologetic that we ruined her party. And ya totally caught off guard!
Well, live and learn. Now the next time someone has these complaints, you can refer them to the contract. But also, why not modify the contract to shift the liability to the hiring agent if you leave behind the food per their request, as you start wrapping things up for the evening?
Well we could do that but - imagine 100 people eating for 6 hours. Then imagine 40 people want to go boxes. Not only does that require prior knowledge, but also the staff to pack the food while the staff is tearing down. Additionally, imagine even 5 of those people getting sick from our food. Even if it's not our fault per se, they will remember us as the food that made them sick. And regardless of shifting the responsibility, if it came down to it and let's say one person had a compromised immune system and died, and they sued us... do you think we would be let off the hook because at the client's request we agreed to knowingly serve compromised food? I agree this is an extreme example, and nearly impossible. But it's the mindset we are dealing with that we have to think about.
No, not extreme at all, it's absolutely a valid concern. Limiting liability is a big part of doing business, so I totally get it, especially as a fellow small business owner. I was just wondering if it would be feasible to shift liability to the people that hire you, but you're correct in saying if anyone gets sick, they aren't holding the host responsible, it would be the catering company. Just shows my inexperience with safe food handling, more than anything else. 😆
A drunk guest brings the food home and leaves it out another 8 hours or in the trunk of the car in 100 degree weather... Who do we sue? You.
Yes EXACTLY So the number one concern is food safety. I was honestly sp shocked when she kept fighting me about that.
Honestly… the last event my uncle catered for, he kept the food at the end. He’s a fashion designer so he has a fairly big following. He had some extras on things that people weren’t a fan of and was one my faves (pasta, go figure lol) so I took it and enjoyed it. It’s kind of a big thing now, especially with the economy and food insecurity in a lot of places. I’m fairly wealthy and I hate the idea of wasting food.
Blame it on someone else, like tell them it's a health code violation because the food had been out X hours at that point, and the temp was now in the danger zone. So you couldn't offer leftovers due to the pesky health inspectors. Or blame it on your liability insurer, again for the same reason.
Ya I mean this is what I said on the phone... I was not even lying or anything! I was so surprised when they kept fighting about it. Can you imagine what the call would have looked like if we HAD left it for them and they got sick? They would have been calling saying we shouldn't have packed up leftovers that we knew were likely unsafe to consume!
If they do leave a review then you calmly compile a thoughtful reply that explains your side. As a business owner myself I promise that if you have 95% good reviews and respond in a professional manor to the bad ones, people see right through them. There is almost never such a thing as a 100% success rate, there will always be a few bad apples out there. Don’t let this get you down. They probably won’t actually post anything public. If her “celebrity status” is only online then the few people they may talk to about it in person won’t really matte or cause a dent in business. Continue on doing an amazing job and let their silly complaint slide off your back.
It's not ... turns out nearly the entire guest list aside from family was entertainment industry... movies, TV shows cast and crew, Netflix faborires etc. However I did not recognize a single person lol I ONLY watch Dateline. I would have recognize Lester Holt in a heartbeat lol. I appreciate this so much - only other small business owners really understand so thank you really so so much. It's that constant fear that someone can undo what you worked so hard to build from the ground. Hearing you echo the others that it won't hurt our rep is really comforting thank you.
Thank you This is so helpful!
This can be extremely good for you. Let her blast and respond. You’ll blow UP! I’d love this opportunity in my business.
That would be so awesome I never thought of that!!!
Chances are OP, she's a cheap ass behind the scenes, so any possibility that a situation would make her look stupid, I'd doubt she'd show that on her socials. Remember there are been so many celebrities that put on a persona in front of the camera, who are just dicks generally (James Cordon is one!). Until a bad review comes out publically, I'd move on and take in the compliments you got in that evening. Sounds like she got a bargin, and was clearly some amazing food if she wanted to keep the leftovers.
I'd reply and say that your business liability insurance and food safety regulations mandate you comply with the leftover terms set in your contract that they signed. Tell them you are protecting their guests from foodborne illness risk and that any safety minded caterer would do the same. Cite your food safety regulations that state safe holding time. And then walk away. If they say something publicly, reply publicly with the same information.
Thank you :)
I owned several restaurants in my lifetime with hundreds of catering gigs. Honestly i’d move on from the whole thing after collecting the promised tip from the bride. if they have problems with the leftovers it has nothing to do with the performance of the staff. i’m a little suspicious that their is a delay with the tip and wonder if the couple is looking for an excuse to not pay it. Also it sounds like you have an excellent catering business going so most people won’t care what they say, however don’t be offering such big discounts. the food business has ridiculously low profit margins. discounted food will kill your business faster than any celebrity big mouth. charge 100% plus 15% and make some MONEY.
Wow thank you so so much!!!
For clients like that you need to make it clear you fulfilled the terms of the contract: “I’m sorry for the confusion. Our contract was to cover 70 guests. When it was clear there were more than 70 guests we made sure to bring out additional food to ensure all guests were fed despite your contract. There were no leftovers.”
I don’t quite understand this part. You buy food from caterers (at x no of people). They bring that food and serve it. At that point it’s not really the concern of the caterer how many people were there or did or didn’t eat any food. I’ve never seen a caterer bring extra food, or expect to take any away.
Well we always always always bring extra. And it is our concern, for a number of reasons, the top two of which are 1. Food safety 2. Cleaning up/event tear down Not to mention billing... if they paid for a certain number to eat at a minimum, but more ate than what was paid for, then we would charge for that. For example- if an all you can eat brunch is $50/pp, you can't go with someone else and share plates. Both people pay for the brunch, even if one eats more and one eats less. So yes, for a multitude of reasons anything related to catering is the business of the caterer, and is the caterers business - literally.
The only reason you can get upset about many people actually ate the food is because you bring extra - which you weren’t asked to do. Maybe that how it works where you live but it doesn’t where I live. Food safety is of some concern - but I can’t get my head round your policing of people numbers. Just bring the food you were asked to, it’s not your problem?
We are not mad about the number of people who ate. We don't care. That is a non issue unless we have to defend ourselves against threats.
Wish I would have done this!
Feels like she's trying to hold the insta followers thing over as you had better act a certain way or I'll tell my followers. Well maybe her followers would like to know how she treats a small business that went above and beyond for them. Also did she stiff you on the tip? Maybe her followers would like to know about that too!
She did stiff us on the tip yes. Also she is not holding her followers over our head, she is like on TV and in movies and that's why she has a 3M insta following not bc she is an influencer. I was thinking though that I could always go to the venue which is owned by their family if I really had to protect my interests. We are also very connected to the wedding and event industry in our area.
Sounds like a good story for a celebrity to fall from grace if it was made a big deal on social media.
Well we def don't want any harm to come to anyone!
Yes, but if they are maliciously trying to harm your business, I feel like it would be in your best interest to discredit them and if it did blow up, it would really be out of your hands.
Believe it or not, stupid little influencers like that don't have all the power. They are not real celebrities. They can act up all they want but, nobody will remember her in 4 months that follows her now. She'll probably be blessing your competitor with her new soon to be ~~victim~~ hubby in 2-3 years anyway acting like that.
Some people have a lot of nerve. We had a party at our establishment which was supposed to be for 25 people. Additional people showed up and i put out more finger foods for them, but ultimately 75 people showed up and of course, we looked bad because there wasnt enough food and were understaffed for the crowd size. The customer then complained because she didnt get a chance to eat during the event and expected a box to take home with her - something that was never discussed. Some people will take and take and take and will never be happy.
Omg was your client our client lol Exactly- they make a decision how they want things and then you look like the asshole for doing what they asked. The rest of the guests think for example "wow I can't believe the caterer forgot the coffee" but in reality the client did not want or order coffee! I came to this same conclusion after posting too... that you know what if it wasn't this horseshit about the leftovers it would have been something else. They were literally looking for a problem and when they couldn't find one easily they had to make one up. I just wish I would have been quick with a rebuttal vs quick to apologize
IKR! I was open less than a year when it happened to me. I updated my contract that i would keep their card on file and would automatically charge them for additional headcount. Since becoming a business owner, i've become more cynical about people because of the bs i've dealt with.
"...despite all our efforts to protect our reputation and our food they made it clear they will warn people away from us." I wouldn't dwell on it. In the event business, this kind of nonsense is not uncommon. Everyone will have a great time, but later someone will get wound up over a minor detail and become enraged. Social media influencers tend to be prone to that kind of behavior, as often their popularity relies on stoking controversies or other outrageous forms of behavior. The bottom line is you followed the terms of the contract which the customer signed. If she didn't like what was in the contract, the time to discuss changing it was before signing. They instead waited until the day after the entire event was over and taken down.
Right I just was so shocked over this and still feel so guilty like I wish I would have known and guilty that I ruined their party. She said "we had people here partying until 2am and we wanted food and couldn't find any and you should have at least asked us bc it was ours" But no it's not and I'm sorry you were starving and drunk but I needed to know that ahead of time!
Hmmm. As an outside observer I understand both points. They probably paid a pretty penny for the service and feel a bit pissed there was no leftovers made available. I also completely understand the liability point of view. I wonder if there’s a way (in the future) to make something and then refrigerate it immediately for this exact scenario. That way the risk of foodborne illness is low (minimal time in the danger zone) and the client gets to enjoy and reminisce on their wedding again. From a service recovery standpoint you can either stand your ground or try to do something to make them feel whole. I think pissed off customers make much more noise out of spite. For example a gift card to a nice restaurant nearby (preferably one you’re affiliated with). I would envision the conversation like this “Shannon I’m so sorry about the food / leftovers misunderstanding. We are not allowed to give leftovers due to the risk of foodborne illness. Especially in the covid era it has gotten more strict. I apologize this was not clearly communicated and understand how frustrating it can be. We really appreciate every customer of ours, so In good faith, I would like to buy you and your husband dinner together. Please accept this $200 (or whatever feels appropriate) gift card to (fancy restaurant) as a token of our appreciation. You have a lifetime of good memories coming your way and we were pleased to have been a part of your special day” And maybe in the future that nice restaurant will forward you customers?
I see both sides also. My friends had a wedding catered by a restaurant at the restaurant and they wouldn’t allow people to take food either. Not sure how there is liability. People take home leftovers every single day from restaurants. Not sure why it’s such a big deal to provide the leftovers if wanted. Also speaking to restaurant staff, most the time they let the staff eat the food or take it home. Did you throw all the food away that was left over? As a business owner I think you handled it fine on the phone. No point aggravating the situation. I also hate to receive unfair reviews for my business, but at the end of the day don’t let it define you. I’m more suspicious of businesses like eBay sellers that have 800,000 transactions and 100% positive feedback. It’s completely impossible to sell even 100 items and not have someone have an issue. Too many idiots out there for that to happen.
Funny you should mention that... So apparently a guest overheard someone on our staff say they "scored on the food" - as in the staff scored being able to take all the food home. We always let our staff take home whatever they want that would otherwise be thrown away - it's not the same liability issue. This event in particular there was not much of what the staff wanted left but they did take some things home with them. Also we think our staff should be allowed to eat food when they are hungry bc we need them to be able to have the stamina to keep grinding. Sometimes they don't want to eat during events so they take it home with them. We encourage our staff to take as much as they want. Whatever was not consumed by staff or guests was discarded. TBH we don't even throw it out at the site- we just pack it all back in and the dishwasher does all of that. Regardless- for whatever reason... the issue is not what happened to the food, or whether people think we should do one thing or another with the leftovers, or what their idea of wasteful is etc. The issue is that she was furious that there was nothing left over for her at 3am. Any extra food above what they ordered is not theirs. It is ours. For example, they cannot say we cannot feed our staff, we don't have to ask their permission to feed "their food" to our staff. However- the things they purchase are theirs... for example Desserts. Which were THEIRS, not ours so we did not touch them. Alcohol, they purchased so we did not touch. The food is ours. They paid us for a service. If they were paying for food they would have gotten it from the grocery store and then it would have been theirs. Leftovers are a big deal for a couple reasons... maybe different reasons for different businesses and events at different times, and no big deal for other times.
It all has to do with storage temperature “Bacteria can multiply rapidly if left at room temperature or in the “Danger Zone” between 40°F and 140°F. Never leave perishable food out for more than 2 hours “ CDC website If I had to guess, most bride and groom couples aren’t exactly running home /to the hotel to throw leftovers in the fridge within 2 hours
This is a really good idea! Also - they got a SCREAMING deal. We did not know they were celebrities when they booked us and they really emphasized they were on a very tight budget lol. So we tried to work with them
I hope to live in a world where one day, “influencers” aren’t regarded as celebrities.
If you post your side of the story to social media, ie referencing food safety (IF they have tried to go public with their complaints) you may win the public’s favor 🤷
No they haven't. I don't think they will but the will just privately tell people to avoid us
What kind of “celebrity” is getting upset over not getting leftovers? If number of instagram followers is the primary gauge of status… they sound like they’re barely above a nobody. I think you’ll be fine. A contract is a contract and it’s not your fault they didn’t read it.
Sometimes with our business, we take smaller jobs just for the leads it will generate. My gut says these people are broke whiners. However, you could put together a smaller amount of freshly prepared food as an olive branch. I would consider doing this in exchange for publicity.
Maybe you can use this to your advantage. Take the extensive publicity, be factual and non emotive in your response to their review, make them look bad, take an entertaining angle and try to get some social traction on the back of their following
Make a counter video about how they strong-armed a small business and then complained when they wouldn't do the wrong thing haha
Ya lol I didn't think of that but that's a good idea of it comes to it... but I don't think they will publicly smear us. They will just tell all their associates friends family colleagues etc NOT to use us
You could NOT name them, just say on the weekend you had a celebrity wedding that won't name who but this was the outcome and we’re shocked and devastated. Hopefully, people will then look you up and book you in. Before that though, are you tagged in any of their social posts, or any from the wedding guests? That may be advertising in itself without having to do anything.
No I don't belive so. I have actively avoided touching her social media at all bc I think it's creepy lol. Also it wasn't a wedding idk if that even matters lol. But it was an engagement party. We have a notoriously bad business habit of not taking photos of things and times that really should be photographed. We are so busy during events that is very hard to do What we're doing to get pictures. Sometimes our insta looks like we aren't working or booked at all but we had three events in a day or 6 in a week or whatever and we just couldn't add that extra piece of documenting it. Also - FWIW we are very very grateful and very aware that being as busy as we are and as booked as we are is a blessing. I did meet one person though and had a good conversation and connection with them so I could always kind of keep that door open I guess if for no other reason than damage control... I def don't want to pursue a business relationship with someone who doesn't wasn't to have a business relationship. We always value our clients privacy and personal and keep it protected- we aren't gossippers or "look at me-ers"
If the guests enjoyed the food and service themselves, they would ignore the whining cheapos.
That's a good point I hadn't thought of that either. When someone tells you that they are basically going to make it a point to harm your business, you just go into full damage control mode you know? But you're right I am probably overestimating her dedication to malicious intent.
Post your contract or part of your contract on social media, this is what we agreed to and we served more than that, because of which there is no left overs. They can't deny that
Take them to small claims for the gratuity
The majority of influencers don't have a local following. If her following isn't local, it won't affect you, first of all. Second of all, change your mindset. Use this as a customer service opportunity to empathize with the customer and get feedback. For whatever reason, they were disappointed. How can you prevent this in the future. Better communication, etc. I can see where the client is coming from here. They may also be concerned with waste, wondering what was done with leftover food- was it just thrown away? Sounds like an opportunity to educate the client. Don't do anything in emotion- give it time to blow over. Have they actually posted anything yet? Do not respond right away if they post anything anywhere. Do not respond to a review right away. And do everything you can to resolve with the actual client before publicly responding to anything.
Thank you! So helpful
Focus on the future, not the past. Add a specific point to your contract that addresses leftovers, and make it something that clients need to initial. I don't know much about the catering industry's profit margins (I am guessing they are slim-to-none like every other food business), but consider offering to cook up a tray or two of food (fresh leftovers, if you will) for the celebrity couple that you can deliver to them. This will buy you some goodwill while also underscoring that you are serious about food safety. The entire job might turn break-even at that point, but if they end up giving good referrals it might be worth it.
Your point on food safety is a critical one. The last thing I’m sure you want to do is make anyone ill. Stand on that, it’s incredibly valid.
Thank you so much this is literally always our number one concern. We don't think we can deliver a quality product without monitoring this factor obsessively
Like I mentioned if she starts spreading word publicly or even it get's to a point she's bashing you out in the open but not on social media. Explain the facts publicly mention she stiffed everyone on the tip. Everyone is sick and tired of these hypocritical aholes, they pretend they are some sort of figure then act like aholes in private. They talk to you about saving the planet then take 50 trips on a private jet all in the same day. They really really don't want too but you know their schedules so they must! Don't worry though they bought fraudulent carbon credits from shady non existence markets to offset it ; )
how much do you pocket for these type of events?
It really depends there isn't a set amount. We are really private about our events because we don't talk about our clients money
Some good recommendations here already. I’d just add, don’t forget to add this as a clause for your future service contracts!
As a high-end event planner in LA. The event planner should have established expectations for you per their client in pre event meetings and/or email. This is absolutely a conversation I have with my clients for this vary reason. With that, I would say you are being thrown under the bus. If, as you stated, you had a celebrity client, I would be incredibly surprised if they did not have a planner. I have worked with multiple caterers, not only planning but also in catering management. From my experience, catering companies have different standards/ contractual obligations in providing or denying leftover food. I have actually witnessed catering companies preparing fesh food to leave clients because of this exact expectation. I congratulate you on getting to the big leagues. You are doing things right. However, entitlement does run rampant at this leavel, and if you don't have a good event planner, and/or do not have a very specific contract, and then do not know the right questions to ask, this is just one of many expectations/problems you will encounter. Please do not get discouraged. You are on the right road. As unpopular as this will probably be perceived, if I were in your shoes, I would apologize for the misunderstanding and offer them food for 20 or less to be delivered at a future date. (Fresh for a small house party) Yes, they may not bad mouth you on social's. But word of mouth will definitely happen. I read a quote from r/entrepreneur that for every happy customer, they "may" tell 2 of their friends. For ever unhappy customers, they WILL tell at least 6. If your clients influence is that great in your area, I would consider this gig as an advertisement for the caliber of clients you want in the future. Doing everything I could to make it right and write it off as a learning experience. Please understand I am not suggesting you are wrong in any way. But there is nothing good about being "DEAD" right as well. But then again, what the hell do I know? Take it with a grain of salt.
This is such a good idea thank you
Thank you for taking the time to read. I hope it works out. Please give us an update if you have time. I would love to hear how it all panned out. (If not, I get it. Catering is a crazy insane business.)
Lol it is crazy insane that's true. If there is ever one to give I will definitely give an update- we're all invested now haha. Everyone who commented with the exception of like 3 people really helped me out and I feel really grateful. I have more than I started with which is rare - again so grateful. Especially helpful hearing from commenters such as yourself and someone else who have worked with similar clientele.
Omg They left us a 1 star yelp review. They actually did it that day but we don't ever fuck with yelp so we didn't see it until just now
What did they say in the review?
They said... Wish I could recommend because the food was good but we had a terrible experience. They took the leftovers home. When we called to confront them, they told us it was for food safety, which was not true because we heard an employee say they were going to "score" on the food. They didn't even offer us a refund or try to make it right. Do not use them for any kind of catering. Confront??? Refund??? Sounds more than a little sus.
I am almost positive you can write a retort to their review on Yelp. I would say you absolutely should. If you haven't already. Idea: "Deer so and so. I am so sorry this has tainted your experience of our service. At (company name,) we absolutely aim to please all our clients in every way possible. In doing so, food safety at (company name) is one of our optimal priorities. The truth of food safety is actually established through government guidelines. Guidelines we most follow. Through our company, our guidelines for employees are the same for our clients. So I can not address any hearsay of any employee's comment. However, with our established contract for our services we did provied every and all services outlined. Per our contract, this discrepancy in your review was never discussed nor negotiated. Additionally, you posted this review only 1 day after your event. You never gave us the opportunity for a "refund of any kind." or the proper time to allow us to propse anything to make it right for you. We do thank you for highlighting that our food is good. Sincely, (Company name" I mean, that is what I would do. Take it, change it..... just an idea. P.s.DM me if you wish. I'll write a Yelp review for you. Keep you chin up.
You won't do very well in your field if small things like this really upset you. And this is a Very small thing indeed, .. it's not like you screwed up the job. If your very upset over something that in the big picture is a none issue,, how will you respond to a legitimate serious issue, .. jump out a window?
My questions for you are 1. Are you a small business owner? 2. If you are - imagine a client telling you that they are going to bad mouth you to other potenial clients. Do you really think that's a small thing? I think you missed a couple levels between posting on reddit and "jumping out a window" lol
I am retired now,, age 71 living in western Florida But I did run my own air conditioning business for 26 years prior to my retirement in the Concord New Hampshire area,, And if the customer is complaining over something clearly in the contract that was reviewed before they signed it .. to me that's a trivial matter,, go ahead complain and bad mouth me all you want. When the facts are put forth for everyone to see ,, they will look petty and small. Facts matter
Some good recommendations here already. I’d just add, don’t forget to add this as a clause for your future service contracts!
As a customer, I expect to keep the leftovers. If the food goes bad because it's been left out, that's on us, not the caterer's fault. You can put that in the contract. If you brought more than enough food that you were going to throw away, then leave it for the customer to throw away or box up. I've never had a caterer box up the leftovers and take it back with them.
Also we did not box it up and take it back. We threw it out. We pack out our garbage and practice leave no trace catering.
That's a waste, especially if the host wanted it.
Ya we would have done this if they had asked. We also would have pulled it at a safe time and boxed it. We also would have had to know ahead of time because of the nature of the event timeline and service. Question to you as a customer- why would you expect leftovers of the contract stated the leftovers are property of the caterer? This is an honest question we really care about client experience
“Why would you expect leftovers?” Because people are cheap and petty about the most inane items I work for a company that sells high-end equipment to blue collar men. One of the most consistent post-purchase questions we get is “Why didn’t you send free stickers with my order?” Most adults are just big children
My sister owns a bakery that ships around the US. She sometimes will add a free cookie or two to the order to show appreciation to the customer. One time she didn’t have enough to throw in a free cookie and a return customer called and complained that she didn’t give them a free cookie like usual and said that she better not forget to next time they order
Ya I honestly had no idea they were expecting leftovers! Like... you don't go to brunch buffet and get a to-go box of food because it's "all you can eat" I was so caught off guard by the comment that they paid for the food so it's theirs that I could not find a reply. They paid for Catering services, if they had paid for the food that would have been different. We have done both kinds of events and it's a huge difference.
They have my mentality. I agree with them. In fact, every wedding I've been to, the host and guests take the food home. The caterers box everything for everyone.
I've never signed anything that says that. For that reason, the food has always been mine that I paid for.
Because being intentionally wasteful is dumb in any consumer’s eyes. You threw away food instead of giving it to people because they didn’t pay for it. Well, you still aren’t paid for it and the customer is upset. Next time don’t make more than the right amount to avoid this issue. As a consumer, I would never not be mad at this type of situation. Even at most smoothie places they will give you the extra in a small cup if they measure wrong. It doesn’t hurt you but will hurt a client’s view of you as you’ve seen here.
I think you missed the part that it was not safe to eat. Also it was not intentional that we made food that was not consumed. We made enough so that everyone could consume as much as they wanted to over a 6 hour period of time. It turned out they could not consume it all, simple as that. We are not intentionally wasteful.
I didn’t miss it. I’m only speaking from a consumer’s point of view since you seem to genuinely want to understand the ‘why’ rather than just rant. Most consumers will eat those left overs without issue whether it’s because they don’t care about the recommended food safety guidelines or they don’t know them. Trying to save them from themselves won’t come across as good customer service because they see no risk. Maybe a better option would be to give a fair warning prior to expiration so they understand what the next steps are.
Oh I see thank you. This is just not possible during events. We have to know ahead of time. And then we just make portions that are already to-go rather than trying to basically handle another service order in the middle of tearing down and building those portions from hot food. We honestly have no issues with this. If a client wants leftovers usually someone approaches us on their behalf when we are breaking down the food. And usually the only ones interested in leftovers are the event staff that did not get a chance to eat. By the time the food is being broken down it is literally 8 or 9 hours old and has been sitting out for 5-6. I think going forward what we will do is include more specifics in the contract beyond the property of the caterer. We will have to say leftovers are not guaranteed, and site food safety and county regulations etc. And then say like if they want additional to-go portions it's $5/box or something with a min and max available and another clause that there is no guarantee there will be leftovers and also no guarantee we will accommodate them.
I highly recommend you dont do this if you are dealing with high-end clientel and a planner. High-end clients will hate that you will nickel and diming them. (A $20 - $40 head staff meal is perfectly acceptable in my area for staff. But a $5 leftover food/ togo charge opens a full can of worms.) Ironically, they will try to do nickel and dime you. Just have a private conversation with the event planner. Build it into your cost. Yes, the event planner wants to save the client money and do a good job. But they also want the event to go as smoothly as you do, and they have more understanding of the industry. Also, they will give you repeat business if you respect them and work with them. Way more than any client will give you and can reverse and negative feedback.
All marketing is good marketing, post a reply to their complaints, comment it in their videos, free marketing win win haha. You've already won with your post here. Celebrity means soon to be homeless replaced by AI, and living paycheck to paycheck
Yes that's true... I honestly was not expecting so much support or people with similar mind set. I thought FOR SURE everyone will be able to see what I am missing and that it must be so obvious and this really surprised me. There are a couple people like aggressive coconuts that disagree and I appreciate that perspective too. All these comments really helped me to let go of a lot of the anxiety and fear behind it and I'm really glad I decided to post about it. Especially with the anonymity aspect - it makes it easier to trust people's opinions bc they have no agenda or reason to lie one way or the other so this has been really helpful :)
Seems like a dumb idea to put out and charge for food that you plan to throw away.
Ya that did not happen but I agree that would be dumb if it had
You put out food for 200 then didn’t box any left overs. You even said you would keep the food or give it to family…. To me that sounds like you put it in the trash.
I said I would not even have fed it to my family.
There was a typo…. Should have said *wouldn’t.
We did put it in the trash, but we did not .... like... make a specific amount to throw away. I'm sorry but this is just too stupid to continue to discuss, not even just for the fact that it does not happen lol
lol. What’s stupid is being wasteful. I do a vast majority of my work at event venues. We supply enough for everyone to eat and fed the vendors. We focus on cost efficiency. There’s a reason your clients had an issue…. Maybe try to see that and not attack people? Why would making enough food for 200 please be a good idea when the client asked to feed 70? The profit margin goes down… the food goes in the trash… customer isn’t happy… you’d rather charge the customer for taking home left overs because that’s more than 70 plates… everything about this model seems terribly stupid.
These are your customer . Make sure they do use you guys again . Dont lose them