Kalkan Turkey Forum - EnjoyKalkan.com
Kalkan Discussion => Restaurants, Bars, Nightlife & Shopping => Topic started by: Mags on June 08, 2011, 12:14:02 PM
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This is a general issue, about which I wonder from time to time, rather than this post being provoked by any particular experience recently.
If EK members have had a bad meal somewhere, would they make a posting about it, or just chalk it up to experience and not go back to the establishment in question? The line I tend to take is that I will usually post about an exceptionally GOOD meal, but would only post about a bad one if the place had poisoned me or the service had been objectionable (not just sloppy), as people's preferences and standards vary so much.
I am sometimes tempted, though, when I read postings praising to the skies places where we have had really bad meals (and I mean so bad that we left after the main course each time and went somewhere else for dessert and a glass of wine, to try to rescue our evening!). There's an EK helper who frequently posts ecstatically about 2 places each of which which we have visited twice and both times had a very poor meal and I do wonder how our experience can be so at variance with his/hers!! Maybe we were just unlucky, but it shouldn't be possible to be "unlucky" in a high-quality restaurant - and not twice!
What do other members think? Would you put a bad review onto the forum? One doesn't read many very critical restaurant reviews on here, so perhaps the answer is "no" - or maybe Kalkan restaurants are so good that the question seldom arises.......
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I dared to post a bad review and was I hounded...I had the friends of the owners coming after as well as the owners......all because I put what I thought was an honest well my honest opinion of the place....certain people will not have any thing negative said about anything in Kalkan.....you have to keep the rose tinted glasses on at all times...even if you have had a bad meal....pestered by dogs had your budgie eaten by a cat and have had no water for a week..... >:D :angel: >:D :angel: >:D :angel:
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Mags in my view you should certainly make your views known as long as it is subjective and valid reasons given
Not just I didnt like it - as many people seem to order items which they then "don't like" i.e it was not what they thought it would be - or it was not to their tastes,etc etc but may be perfectly acceptable to others
As you say some people on here eulogise over everthing, as the waiter is their best friend in the world ever etc etc and whatever they were given, they would feel duty bound to enthuse over
Its a little like Trip Advisor - read all the comments and then take a view and make up your own mind !!
No it's good to know when standards fall short as eating out here is not cheap anymore and it should also help the restaurants in question to improve
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Its a hard one, I would say.............Very good, yes.....................Very very very bad, yes/maybe !. Its a real tough one, you are dealing with peoples livelyhoods. (in some cases). You have to ask yourself the question.... "Would 'I' like it" ?
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The sad thing is it is much easier to praise publicly than to complain.
If you have complained at the time and did not get the response you wanted/expected (ie an apology, reason, excuse or refund) then yes complain away.
I have no time for people who say nothing at the time but then rant about poor food or service on line where there is no redress for the chef, cook, waiter, owner etc.
On a recent trip we visited a well praised restaurant and the food was poor at best, my sister in laws meal was a disgrace. The waiter asked us if we had enjoyed the meal (it was apparent we had not as most of it had been left) we truthully answered no, the whole service team were horrified, offering another meal and a free drink, apologies etc.
We declined the meal but had the free drink ( >:D) and left reasonably happy with our lot.
Remember, a happy customer will tell 3 an unhappy one will tell 12.... :-[
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Spot on ...........Legionaire. Youv'e got my vote........and from any restaurant thats interested in constant customer satisfaction...........their vote
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If you bought a tyre for your car and it was flat you'd complain surely, so why not a bad meal or service?
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I think I've only ever posted a bad review about one restaurant and I did it because I'd previously posted a good review about the place. I believe we gave the establishment ample opportunity to put the first bad experience right both on the night, and when we visited for a second time later on in the year. Sadly, they did not live up to their billing on either occasion and we have since decided to take our business elsewhere. We originally went there as a result of the reviews on this forum, as many other people will so its only fair that other views are expressed.
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Hello Mags,
Since you wrote this about one of my posts before, I guess I could be the helper in question?! Maybe not. Whatever.
""I too always find Antler's reports interesting, even though we have had bad experiences at a couple of the restaurants which are among his favourites and probably wouldn't go back there (but in both cases, we have known the proprietors for over 10 years and they are very nice people!). I think that just proves that Kalkan has something to offer everyone and we all have different experiences of meals and different fave places!
Hope Antler & family carry on having a brill holiday........ ""
Yes, in that same holiday I had a bad experience in a a restaurant that was repeatedly one of the favourites. I challenged the owner, after a meal ruined by poor service. The place had been full of Brits, who came in at 8pm and all wanted serving. Tables of 10, 12, 8 plus 2's and 4's. The Brits were screaming for their food, a chef had walked out and they were helpless; you could feel the tension, the chaos. I asked the owner what had gone wrong, why they took so many bookings at 8pm etc etc. I could see and feel the remorse. We were offered an apology, a very large nightcap, and we chatted about what went wrong and the future. So did that approach, that admittance of failure drive me to write on here about it? No, I slept on it and decided the next day to move on. I believed it was probably a one-off based on SO many positive reviews.
Overall, I think I try and take a balanced view and reason my view with that of other public opinion. The two restaurants I often talk so passionately about continue to get very good comments on Enjoy Kalkan.
Cheers
Antler
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We generally only review restaurants if we've been happy with the service/food.
We did however prefer our meals at the cheaper restaurants rather than the more expensive ones when we were in Kalkan earlier this month. Tried lots of new places this time instead of our "old favourites" but still haven't been to many of the ones on the harbour - mainly because we find them rather pushy.
One place we ate at was not so good - one of my starters (on a mixed plate) was still frozen, so possibly out of a packet. The rest of the meal was average - only the fact that there was live entertainment saved the night.
The last place we went to for a late lunch got our order wrong - instead of sizzling chicken we got sizzling beef or lamb, couldn't tell which. Offered a change but no time as we had to leave for the airport. No offer of a refund either!
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Perhaps slightly off the theme but I have been astonished this year to read a few rave reviews of restaurants before they even opened. Now, we all have friends in the village, some of whom have restaurants and bars. I have lived here for about eight years, but it would never occur to me to give them glowing reports based on personal relationships.
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Certainly new establishments getting praise when they've just opened the doors (or not even that far), deserve an air of cynicism about the review. I would certainly avoid them until more time had passed and the customers had had their say.
On a more general note, we take the approach that things can always go wrong, especially in a busy restaurant/kitchen. No-one is immune to error, so we try to point out these things to staff as soon as we find them. If it's rectified there and then, we don't think much more about it. If we can spot reasons (like a party of 10 arriving unannounced) we will act with some tolerance to the staff, but will still expect to get good service and quality, but in a more prolonged timescale.
The matter of giving a bad review occurs when the issue is not dealt with properly at the time. We have had difficulty in attracting a waiter to get something fixed because they seem to have blinkers on (and are deaf), or check whether everything is alright when you've given up and lost your appetite.
In one case (no names, but they have a magician) where we had a slow and indifferent meal, were ignored by staff who took 20 minutes to clear plates and then took 40 minutes to ask if we wanted a dessert or coffee (which took another 20 minutes to arrive, after the compulsory card tricks). They then had the temerity to blame us for complaining. This was two years ago - we haven't been back...
In short, if it's not right, say something at the time; if it's put right to your satisfaction, end of story. If it's not of expected quality, then be wary, but give them another chance. If their staff are incompetent, or fail to sort out the problem, tell them, then everyone else.
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There was one new restaurant which was getting (or giving itself) rave reviews for everything (food, service, atmosphere and music) weeks before it opened. I understand they are doing well but have yet to hear a review of any sort for them, but look forward to seeing one and wish them well.