All It Takes Is One Moldy Bun

A couple of weeks ago, I was excited to read an article in the local paper about a new restaurant that had opened in the area. The menu tantalized my taste buds, and I resolved to try it soon. However, my excitement was due to more than an interest in food. Seeing a business get good press always excites me.

Shortly after reading the article, I was talking to a friend who related a horrific story about the same new area restaurant. An acquaintance of hers had been at the restaurant and ordered a burger. When the burger arrived, he picked it up and, as he was about to take a bite out of it, noticed mold on the underside of the bun. Shocked, he set the burger down and motioned to the waitress. "This bun has mold on the bottom," he pointed out to her.

After much discussion, management reluctantly agreed not to charge him for the burger, but insisted that he pay for the French fries and coleslaw which were a part of his meal. He unhappily did so, and, as he walked out the door, he overheard the staff talking. "Some people are so picky," one of them commented.

At this point in the story, I said, "No way! Why would someone be so foolish as to not just give the entire meal for free? Then why would you rub salt into the wound with negative comments about the incident within earshot of the customer?"

This story seems too ridiculous to be true. Unfortunately, it is.

But the problem is not the moldy bun.

The problem is the response of management and staff to the situation.

Mistakes happen. Most customers understand that. How you handle a customer complaint or problem determines if the customer remains your customer. Further, your handling can actually develop that customer into someone who does more business with you. Perhaps most importantly, your handling either encourages bad word of mouth or good word of mouth.

In this case, management and staff created very bad word of mouth by their handling of the situation. While I wasn't there to verify the details, what matters for the restaurant is not if the details are correct but that this horrible story is being passed from one person to another. The management and staff created very bad press for the establishment.

I always get excited about good press for a business. I highly recommend that businesses seek good press with the media and particularly with their customers. However, no amount of good press or good marketing can cover for the bad treatment of a customer. Some things happen in a business that are out of our control. How you treat a customer regardless of the situation's details is always within your control. Treat customers well, and you will do more business. Treat them badly, and you will do less business, not only with that customer but with others as well.

Remember, all it takes is one moldy bun and how you react to it.