Yesterday, a donnybrook broke out on Facebook when a customer, Michael Moran, called Maple and Motor and requested to place his order on the phone so that it would be ready when he got there. The woman who answered the phone told Moran that was against their policy. They take to-go orders, but not call-in orders to be eaten in the restaurant. Especially when there is a line of customers waiting to order. According to owner Jack Perkins, who was not at the restaurant, his M&M employee texted him and said Moran and a friend of Moran’s, Star Michaels, called four times to complain. Michaels showed up with a camera and took video of her complaint and posted it on her Facebook page (it had been taken down).
Then it got ugly. Moran wrote on Facebook: “Never eat at Maple Motor burger!! They are completely bigoted and against gay people. I would never post something like this if it was not true. Not only is the customer service terrible they make fun of gay people in their own establishment.” That, my friends, is a serious accusation to toss out.
Perkins called Moran who insisted that the customer is always right. Perkins explained the rules of his restaurant. “You don’t call a restaurant with a line out the door and ask to be put ahead of those people,” Perkins says. “I don’t do that for anybody. I don’t have to explain why, it’s just the rule. Plus, he threatened to ruin my business and called me anti-gay. How do I know a person is gay by answering the phone.” Eventually, Perkins posted a link to Moran’s Facebook page on the Maple & Motor site and said “This guy is gonna put me out of business because we won’t take his dine-in order over the phone. Come soon before we’re gone.”
Loooong story, short. Moran went on to write a lengthy post about bigotry and the anti-gay staff based on being refused to jump ahead of the line. At the end of his rant he writes: “No business has the right to then post a picture of that customer and berate them on social media. I am completely flabbergasted by this entire event. If the owner of this restaurant can’t take the heat, then he should get out of the kitchen!”
I’m going to ask this question in general, not specifically about Maple & Motor or Jack Perkins or Michael Moran. This happens more than you know.
So please, think hard before you answer. Should restaurant owners call out customers on social media?
