Boycott Piccolo in Santa Cruz

by Juliette
(US)

The other day I went to Piccolo on same street as the main post office in Santa Cruz with some visitors from Europe. One of them ordered what we believed to be pork chops from the picture on the menu. When he got his order, what he got was fish. He's allergic to fish so I called the waitress over and I said this isn't what we ordered. She got MAD and argumentative and defensive! and said, "It is! I'll show you on the menu!"

I told her, look it's really awful of you to argue with a customer. If we ordered the wrong thing, OK, but it's not right to argue with a customer. My friend is allergic to fish. If he eats it he could die.

She said, "Well that's what he ordered!"

Now, if we made a mistake that's OK, we understand but we considered that at the very LEAST she would be respectful! So I told her, "so you would rather a person die then offer to bring them something different? Is if because if you change the order the restaurant owners will discount this from your pay?" At which point she said, "yes, they'll take it out of my pay".

So I called the manager and told her "this is what you are teaching your employees - that it's preferable for a customer to die than change out an order!"

To which the MANAGER said, "well, that's what he ordered!!"

That was it!!! No offer to solve the problem, bring something else, change the order, nothing!

So my friend very meekly said, "OK, I'll just eat the veggies and rice and skip the fish" and the manager said "right, you do that!!"

I just couldn't believe it. I really just could NOT believe it. I realize we are probably the ones who made the mistake and ordered the wrong thing - but you just do NOT treat a customer like that. As a waitress myself I was always taught the customer is ALWAYS right, even when the customer is wrong because the business wouldn't exist without them.

Deplorable. Just deplorable service there. And all of this after it took them nearly an HOUR to serve the food in the first place. Buyer beware and try a different place. Piccolo is not worth spending your money on.

Comments for Boycott Piccolo in Santa Cruz

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Jan 06, 2015
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Same with us
by: Gabriela

It was not different with us!
We are brazilians and we never heard about this restaurant. We ordered an icecream and it came with a fly inside... it was still moving, it was trying to scape from the chocolate!
Well, we called the waiter and he changed the icecream... Not the strawberrys, not the other components, just the icecream...
Whatever... The new icecream arrived... The icecream was not even close to the description... The menu said that there was a hot brownie with a rum truffle, and they sent us, both times, a cold brownie with that bonbon called "bon o bon". Frustrating!
Finally, we ordered the bill... it takes MORE THAN 20 minutes to bring it and I had to order it more than 4 times!!! And the price of the icecream was BS 40, instead of BS 39, the menu price.
To summarize, it was disgusting, unpleasant and a terrible experience...
Jun 25, 2013
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Please be more respectful
by: Anonymous

I can tell you are from the States. We are a little spoiled in the States. Yes in the States the customer is always right. But you were not in the States! You were in Bolivia. If you are going to travel to other countries you need to understand that other cultures do not have the same customs that we have. No wonder other countries do not like us. People like you make us look bad. So if you are going to continue with this kind of attitude, then you need to stay home!
Apr 15, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Customer Service
by: Anonymous

Welcome to Bolivia Customer Service. The business never makes a mistakes and the customer is always at fault. One thing about it, since Piccolo gives you the bill after eating, you should have refused to pay the bill!
Apr 14, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		picolo in santa cruz
by: joe flores

yeah, Ur right, Picolo sucks. they charge an arm and a leg for a food I could eat a better served one more much less. That place is overpriced (I need to emphasise it)
I happen to know a lady who does work there, sure enough she hardly can make ends meet, if not for the tips she gets, she won´t be able to survive.
I did already started the boycott on my previous trip down there.
Feb 14, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Customer Service in Boliva
by: Steve Baker

Ah, yes! You have encountered two very common phenomena here, not limited to Picolo. Problems of any kind--wrong orders, shop lifting, people not paying--are taken from the little pay workers receive. And surly, let-the-customer-be-damned service seems to be much more common than what is encountered in much of the rest of the world, especially the US. Smiles from the staff and working to satisfy customers is more rare. The latter can be found at Fridolin, among a few other establishments. But, think about it, when did you last receive a smile at Wal-Mart? How happy can you expect workers to be who are forced to work part-time, with no benefits and no living wage, or be unemployed?

I like the wraps at Picolo, but once, at the San Martin establishment, I got one with a bunch of hair sticking out the end of it. After blank stares from the waiter, I called over the manager and received more blank stares. I left immediately, without paying, and have never gone back.
Jan 26, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		you are right!
by: Fatme

indeed picolo sucks! it takes a lot for someone to give you the menu, it takes even more for someone to take your order, definitely the service in picolo sucks really bad! and not just there! in any branch!

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