A letter I wrote to complain about a violent bartender at Bridge Bar and Eating house.
January 19. 2010
To whom it may concern.
Yesterday afternoon (january 18, around 19:00) while I was waiting for my flight at Heathrow airport, me and my family decided to try your restaurant (Bridge diner, terminal 1) because it had been recomended it to us. We ordered at the bar and a young man took down our orders. My travel mates were with me and they ordered burgers and I ordered a tuna salad and a coke.
After about ten minuetes, a very friendly waiter came with the burgers but there was no tuna salad, I waited a further five minuetes before deciding to ask the waiter if the salad was on it´s way.
He was very polite and professional and went to the bar to ask about if I had ordered a salad and it turned out he had not taken down my order, so I went to the bar to order the salad. I told him that I had ordered a tuna salad and he quickly and rather aggressively answered, that I had ordered no such thing, but I had two eyewitnesses that can confirm that I did infact place an order and I told him that. He would not accept that he had made a mistake and I found his attitude towards me for pointing out this mistake very rude. I again told him that I had in fact ordererd a tuna salad and he must not have heard me, I said that I did not want to argue anymore about this and payed for the salad and said that I would not leave a tip, since a decent tip had already been given after our previous order.
Another person working at the bar was obviously baffled by his attitude towards me, told me I would get the salad in about ten minuets which I did. But when I was heading to my seat the man at the bar “ you´ll get your bloody salad” (that´s not what he said but I think it paints a clear picture) I asked him what his problem was, and he walked to the edge of the bar and var very aggrivated and asked me very loudly so the was no missing it if I wanted to fight him, while he was holding a large wine bottle in his hand! At this point I did not know what was going on. I went to my seat feeling very bad about what had happened. I could hardly enjoy the salad the friendly waiter had brought me and I told him about what had happened, he told me just to forget about it, but it was to late for that.
I myself have worked at bars and restaurants and behaviour like this would have gotten me fired instantly at any one of them. I find myself obliged to warn other people about your restaurant beacause of this man! I can´t imagine how the image of your restaurant will benefit from employing people that react violently to when they´re mistakes are pointed out to them (we all make mistakes). I certainly will not be dining at Bridge in the future and neither will my family. I sincerely hope that in the future there will be no incidents like this because it put a very black spot on my trip otherwise higly enjoyable trip, and I can imagine it would affect others in the same way. Thank you for reading this and I hope that this matter will be dealt with in a propper manner.
Sincerely, Jón Haukur Árnason.
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