Unprofessional and Hostile Treatment at Tiger's Milk Harvest Place

I am writing to express my deep disappointment and frustration following an incident at Tiger's Milk Harvest Place on 1 June. This experience was highly distressing for my wife, sister, and me, and I feel compelled to share it here in the hope that appropriate action will be taken.

Upon arriving at the establishment around 20:40, we were greeted by security who, when asked if a waiter would assist us, told us to "fight for a table." We managed to find a table, although it was not set up. My wife spotted a waiter, later identified as Olwethu, and requested his assistance. We had already started smoking and asked him to bring an ashtray, which he agreed to do. It took him around 3-5 minutes to return, during which time I ashed on the table with the intention of cleaning it once we had the ashtray.

When Olwethu returned, he opened my wife's drink and upon seeing the ash on the table, he began shouting about how "this is not right" and that we should have ashed on the floor. Despite my attempt to explain our reasoning, he continued to shout and forcefully grabbed a serviette from my wife’s hand, blowing the ash onto my lap. When I stood up to question his actions, he screamed that if we "don't want to get served by him then he will find us another server" before storming off.

My sister found the manager on duty, Thato, to explain the situation. As we were discussing it, Olwethu walked past, and I identified him as our waiter. Thato called him back, and he continued to be agitated. I lost my temper and moved towards him, and he provocatively responded with "Ngishaye lkeh!" meaning "Come beat me up." Security intervened, and we decided to leave the establishment.

After leaving, we contacted Thato, who regretted that we had left without resolving the situation and assured us she was addressing it. She promised feedback within 30 minutes, which never came. The following day, I spoke to Charles, the manager on call, who acknowledged Olwethu's fault and promised feedback before 3pm. Charles later called to arrange a meeting with the General Manager, Bryan. Due to prior commitments, I could not attend the meeting but left multiple messages for Bryan throughout the week without any response.

On 7 June, I visited in person to meet Bryan, who informed me that the cameras do not cover client tables due to the POPI Act and thus, he had no footage of the incident. He further stated that he could not disclose the internal HR process and suggested that I had initiated the altercation with Olwethu, asserting that "raging is not in his character."

This experience has been extremely disappointing and distressing. It is unacceptable for a customer to be treated with such unprofessionalism and hostility. I am seeking immediate action against Olwethu for his conduct and a clear outline of the measures that will be implemented to prevent such incidents in the future. Ensuring a respectful and professional environment is crucial for the reputation of Tiger's Milk and the satisfaction of its patrons.