[Resolved]  Taj Hotels — Rude Behaviour

Address:

Delhi

We reserved a table at the Blue Ginger Taj Palace, New Delhi on 22nd February 2011 for dinner on the 26th of February 2011. During my reservation I had requested that we would like to continue at the Blue Bar (after dinner) so kindly reserve a table there also. I was told that since they do not take reservations at Blue Bar , they will put my name on the priority list since I was calling a week in advance and would give the table to us after our dinner.

We finished our dinner at the Blue Ginger and as planned moved to Blue Bar. We went to the lounge open area and waited for a table to get empty. Soon after we saw that a table of 4 was finishing up and 2 of them were leaving. We requested the other 2 people if we could share the table with them. We were 3 o[censored]s , myself and 2 ladies. The ladies sat on the table and soon after Subba Raman came running to us and started off with his unreasonable talks. Without knowing anything from my side of the story he started off that I have 8 tables on waiting I cannot give you this table. You have to be on number 9 on waiting list. I tried explaining him that we had made a booking on Monday the 22nd but he just did not want to listen. He was very adamant and his attitude was very aggressive. I told him this table has not gotten free it has partly been shared by us with the other people who were sitting there. He said you have to understand that I cannot give you this table , PERIOD! His rude way of talking and having no respect for any person other than himself he said the most shocking and surprising thing no one can ever imagine in any good hotel, let it be the TAJ. I told him that the ladies are already sitting since I am standing you can request them and discuss with them what is to be done. He said “IF YOU KEEP SITTING HERE YOU WILL NOT BE SERVED AT ANY COST AT BLUE BAR”

I was so taken aback and astounded to hear those words I asked him to repeat the line. He repeated those lines even more rudely. I told him you cannot talk to any customer in a 5-star hotel like this. You have not been trained properly. He replied “I am very professional and need not be told how to talk to customers.”

I told him I cannot talk to such a rude person so please call the manager. Ashutosh Kapoor (Restaurant Manager) arrived at the scene. He was no better. He apologized for the words said by Subba but insisted that we were wrong and should not be sitting there. We showed him 3 people behind us who just walked to a table like we did. We told him how come you have not said anything to them?? We told him you can go and check this. His reply to this was – “YOU CAN GO AND CHECK WHATEVER YOU LIKE”

By now our pleasant evening from Blue Ginger was already ruined. Ashutosh asked us if we would like to wait for another table and in the mean time order some drinks. Since we were so disgusted with the attitude of Subba, we told him that you still expect us to “ORDER” our drinks. Ashutosh confidently replied – offering you anything on the house is not possible.

We told him shouldn’t Subba apologize for what he said? After much resistance from Ashutosh, Subba came and apologized for a brief period just for the sake of it. We asked him that is the way you spoke to us justified whether or not we get the table? He replied in my 16 years of Taj I have said this to many customers. He said I am under lot of pressure and there are 200 people waiting outside , how can I give you the table. He said you as customer should understand and leave this table. He kept telling me let us just finish the argument , he is telling me we are wrong and were creating an argument there. Clearly he did not feel sorry even one bit.
Then he offered us a drink and asked for a credit card. Again we told him , how can you even ask us for paying after what has happened the entire night. We are only staying here if you want us to. If you want us to stay as a customer you have to solve the problem you created. When we said should be just leave? His reply was “SIR UP TO YOU”

We walked away from Blue Bar with our evening spoilt and the entire Taj Experience down the drain. No one was sorry , no was tried to stop us. We met Ashutosh at the entrance upon leaving and told him that we were leaving because of Subba’s rude behavior, however Ashutosh was least bothered and ignored us. We all were shocked with the uncouth behavior of first Subba Raman and then Ashutosh Kapoor. If the head of the restaurant is going to act like the junior then why is he called the head!

We still do not understand what was the urgency since there was no waiting outside at Blue Bar it was rather empty. It seemed like Subba and Ashutosh clearly did not know how the manage the customers because no one was given the table that we emptied.

What a drastic change it has been for us in 3 days. The same company – TAJ. Is it supposed to be a 5 –star? With people like Subba Raman TAJ will go down the drain very soon. The team of Subba and Ashutosh is denting the entire Taj image and setting low standards for the entire company.

There are many hotels in India, as customers we have many options, as hotels you have many customers but nowhere in the world in the hospitality industry in my 30 years of experience I have ever come across a person like Subba whose designation is of a manger but behavior of a junior assistant. This is not expected and acceptable from a hotel like Taj.

Thanks,