jeudi, août 02, 2007

Letter to The Management of Pizzeria La Smorfia

The Management
La Smorfia
Via Grandi 22
41058 Vignola (MO)

Dear Sir/Madam,
Abuse of Prices

We were at your restaurant last evening to listen to the Ferrari Band play. My husband is a Director in the company and a few of the band members work for him.

We were 5 (2 Adults and 3 Bambini), Table Number 18, DXX.

  • Nobody among your staff explained to us how the evening’s meal was to proceed;
  • Seeing that you were very understaffed (no knives at the table, nobody came to take our order for drinks etc), we decided to keep things simple and order the minimum : 1 Pizza prosciutto cotto, 1 Aqua gassata, 2 Tea Limone, 1 Café;
  • The drinks took one hour to arrive, the pizza 2 hours;
  • When we went to pay the bill, we were shocked to be asked to pay 125 Euros!!! 25 euros per head...

We are scandalised. 125 euros for a pizza and almost no service? And it is not normal that you charge the same price for both adults and children as little as 3 and 4 years old. This is the first time that I see that. I call that an abuse of prices. A total rip-off.

I want you to know that we are very unhappy about this. It has spoilt an otherwise pleasant evening for us. And my impression of Italian ethics is at one of its lowest.

Yours Sincerely,

S. DXX.

4 commentaires:

last frontier a dit…

Very well done Serene ! I would do it a little bit stronger, but it is ok even so. That is a meal for maximum of maximums 30€, not 125€. Have you seen the Menu prices ? I wouldn't pay that. I would certainly ask for the reclaim book and probably I would call the police !

Beau Lotus 涟 a dit…

Sigh, in consideration of Hubby's position, I couldn't be my usual undiplomatic self. I couldn't even do it in his stupid name, had to write the letter and post it myself - all in English. Couldn't even use our address (up to the 1980s, Italy was a very mafia society, so you never know), just an email. This considerably weakens the impact of my letter. The satisfaction is all only on my side.

le radical galoisien a dit…

It must be my American sense of fast-food cheapness, but even 30 Euros (which google says is 41 USD) sounds too expensive.

I don't know whether this is just me too, but when restaurants charge per head one usually expects a buffet, no? ;-)

Beau Lotus 涟 a dit…

Hello Jon (singing)!!! Long time no see...
Congrats on your great grades, sigh, I wish I have a son like you.
And no, don't ever spend 30 euros on a pizza. Make sure the service is good and the food innovative before paying such money.
There was a buffet of cold starters (Parma ham, pasta, melon...) and I think for 25 euros per head they must also include a pizza per head and at least a drink. Just that nobody informed us how the whole thing worked and Hubby didn't bother to ask and in the end we were overcharged for almost nothing eaten. But the thing that irked me the most was the fact that they charged the same for small children. I'm a buffet expert (having eaten a good number in my youth), so I can safely say that we were particularly abused on this account.