Hospitality Lesson 101: How NOT to treat Patrons

My raving reviews about this exceptional eatery are on record on different digital platforms. This isolated incident would not deter me from visiting the restaurant again. I phoned the establishment yesterday morning at 11:06. I have a log of this call on my phone. During that conversation, I confirmed my booking for four people at 17:00 and I arranged that in the event that it was going to rain, we would prefer to have a table inside. The lady who answered the phone confirmed this arrangement. The booking had been done online, using the Google maps functionality on Tuesday already – three days in advance. Never ever was I treated so loudly in the most humiliating and condescending way in front of other patrons in a restaurant where some random manager, whom I have never seen there before, emphatically denied that I had a booking and claimed that the restaurant was fully booked anyway. I will spare you the details of this most unfortunate and unprofessional interaction, but I would like to tell you that at no stage between our arrival just before 17:00 and our departure after 21:00 was the restaurant filled to more than about half its capacity. Fortunately, he had a sudden change of heart and offered us a table minutes before our invited guests arrived. They thoroughly enjoyed the dining experience that we had invited them for without knowing what happened moments before their arrival. After his unprovoked and most aggressive behaviour, we were met with the usual high standard of service and the most delicious food that we have become accustomed to. Apart from my side dish of vegetables that never arrived, the dining experience was outstanding, and our guests were very impressed with the restaurant. The one even expressed that it was the most delicious meal he had ever had – a favourite that he always orders when it is on a menu. We shall return in future, and I will appreciate an explanation from that manager before he embarrasses himself in this despicable manner in future.