Cafe Pitini Review-worst Ever Service

[Mobi]

As later customers received their food ahead of you, we can only assume that (1) they forgot about you, or (2) they had to go and buy some missing ingredients, or , most likely (3) they just didn't give a shit, and it will get done when it gets done, without any rhyme or reason.

The attitude of staff and owner is typical of many (but not all) Thai run businesses in Pattaya and elsewhere in Thailand, particularly in the tourist sector. And they will never admit they are wrong, and will lie till the cows come home to prove they are right and that you are a stupid, ungrateful, idiot farang.

To the OP - please note, there is no such thing as offering a freebie in any Thai commercial establishment to compensate for mistakes, bad service or faulty products - the concept just doesn't exist, so don't ever expect anything to be offered. When was the last time you even given a free drink in a bar? - rarely, if ever, I'll be bound - yet if you go to Cambodia or, say, the Phillppines, where they know how to look after their customers, free drinks are frequently handed out to regulars in appreciation of their custom.

Once out of the Thai toursist sector, the service is a different matter. Go to any Thai restaurant - cheap or expensive, that is frequented by Thais, and in particular rich Thai/Chinese and you will see the the staff jump like their lives depend on it, and woe betide them if they are late with an order or get anything wrong.

I'm sorry, it's just a mindset against farangs, which is slowly pervading the nation. From my personal observations, it has changed so much in the past 36 years. Even some of my most 'died in the wool' farang friends who have lived here for up to 40 years, and who were previously in denial ("you just have to know how to talk to them etc etc."), are now reluctantly accepting that the attitude of Thais really has changed.

Edited July 17, 2009 by Mobi

[Jingthing]

Yeah there is a lot of bad attitude out there, and there is one way to deal with it. When you get treated really badly BOYCOTT THE BUSINESS and tell people about it. I also believe in telling people about good businesses with good service who will compensate you if you have a legit complaint (yes that is very rare here). An example: SWISS FOOD in Pattaya.

http://www.swissfood.net/

Edited July 17, 2009 by Jingthing

[raro]

Nice sexy avatar Meg (am I the only one to move the laptop upside-down for a better look?)

Upside down? On my comp the avatar is perfectly Upside up...or did you change it again and I missed something?

[barryofthailand]

This place was great when it first opened, by An American with the last name of Pittini. He sold it about two or three yrs ago, and that's when it started to go down hill.

Barry

[raro]

Nice sexy avatar Meg (am I the only one to move the laptop upside-down for a better look?)

Upside down? On my comp the avatar is perfectly Upside up...or did you change it again and I missed something?

okokok....ctrl-F5 did the trick...thanks to the friendly board member who pointed it out for me.

[obsession]

I was one of the guys who complained about it on another forum. I got cheek off one of the staff as another BM had. In his case she phoned in the "heavies". I was more lucky and just got her cheek. The worst thing was that the owners "friends", joined the forum and tried to defend the behaviour. I could have accepted them saying bthat employee was a dud and they dismissed her, but sticking up for her was admitting that poor service is ok with them. I wont go back, and will advice people against it.

[kuffki]

I was one of the guys who complained about it on another forum. I got cheek off one of the staff as another BM had. In his case she phoned in the "heavies". I was more lucky and just got her cheek. The worst thing was that the owners "friends", joined the forum and tried to defend the behaviour. I could have accepted them saying bthat employee was a dud and they dismissed her, but sticking up for her was admitting that poor service is ok with them. I wont go back, and will advice people against it.

What forum was that? i would like to add my story, and spread the word, i love to see how his mates will defend this incident

As it seems the complains about the place keep building up and yet i have not come across even one praise for the service.

May be his mates need t make some (LOL) before there will be no patrons there at all

[moo9]

jai yen yen....I used to go go to this place a few times, nothing special to comment. Breakfast was ok, some dishes a bit overpriced and the staff ok.

Cheers

[pattaya_girl]

Reading the link given on post no 7, it appears one of the staff has a foul Mouth, I am staying well away from there.

If I ever take a walk past there Kuffki, I shall toss them a dirty look for you ok.

[Jingthing]

In the OP's story, I think the lousy response of the owner is a much bigger problem than a slow moving sandwich.

I recently had a messed up order at another place. Two dishes, the second one never came. I was still hungry so I ordered something else other than the missed dish because that was an appetizer. They were apologetic and I will go back. However, if I was the management there, I would have charged only for the first missed dish rather than the replacement as a courtesy. Such courtesies are so rare here you can really stand out by offering them. The concept of sometimes taking a short term loss to insure future good will is really not in the culture here.

Edited July 17, 2009 by Jingthing

[kuffki]

Reading the link given on post no 7, it appears one of the staff has a foul Mouth, I am staying well away from there.

If I ever take a walk past there Kuffki, I shall toss them a dirty look for you ok.

Oh that was not my post, i just came across it. but it does show that the bad service seems to be the culture in the place

[kuffki]

In the OP's story, I think the lousy response of the owner is a much bigger problem than a slow moving sandwich.

I recently had a messed up order at another place. Two dishes, the second one never came. I was still hungry so I ordered something else other than the missed dish because that was an appetizer. They were apologetic and I will go back. However, if I was the management there, I would have charged only for the first missed dish rather than the replacement as a courtesy. Such courtesies are so rare here you can really stand out by offering them. The concept of sometimes taking a short term loss to insure future good will is really not in the culture here.

Thats exactly right. slow food prep is annoying but not an issue, but owners response is the major problem, and if you read other peoples experience you find that in every instance owners or managers response was the bigger problem then the original problem.

[Jingthing]

Thats exactly right. slow food prep is annoying but not an issue, but owners response is the major problem

Yes, I can doubly vouch for that as anyone who recalls my "historic" experience at a certain Jomtien Fish & Chips joint where the owner lied to the waitress about what was written on a not-honoured coupon and in response the waitress threw the coupon at my face. Unforgettable! (Never been back.)

[sungod]

Used to go there myself until I had a problem with my bill.Well it wasn't my bill that was the problem really, more like someone elses. Anyway, pointed out that half the stuff on it wasn't mine when the 'manageress' started getting shitty with me. However, I always like to give credit where credit is due, she gave me a great bit of advice which I took her up on,'if you don't like it then go somewhere else!' I took her advice and wave to her daily from the Robin's Nest 2 doors away.

[kuffki]

Thats exactly right. slow food prep is annoying but not an issue, but owners response is the major problem

Yes, I can doubly vouch for that as anyone who recalls my "historic" experience at a certain Jomtien Fish & Chips joint where the owner lied to the waitress about what was written on a not-honoured coupon and in response the waitress threw the coupon at my face. Unforgettable! (Never been back.)

Sounds like your experience was much worse then mine!

I honestly think that bad experiences in cafe's need to be reposted time to time to warn and remind new and old members of the services we sometimes receive.

Lets face it, half of these business make money only because of us and there is no room for this kind of attitude.

Should this kind of thing happen back home, we always have some action to be taken, but unfortinately the only thing we can do in Thailand is warn others and only hope that no one else goes through the same.

[kuffki]

Used to go there myself until I had a problem with my bill.Well it wasn't my bill that was the problem really, more like someone elses. Anyway, pointed out that half the stuff on it wasn't mine when the 'manageress' started getting shitty with me. However, I always like to give credit where credit is due, she gave me a great bit of advice which I took her up on,'if you don't like it then go somewhere else!' I took her advice and wave to her daily from the Robin's Nest 2 doors away.

HAHA-LOL-HAHA

Anyone looking for a "great" manager?! LOL

[sanmiguellight]

she gave me a great bit of advice which I took her up on,'if you don't like it then go somewhere else!' I took her advice and wave to her daily from the Robin's Nest 2 doors away.

Id sooner bad service, wait half an hour for my food and being beat up by some waitresses Motorbike Taxi BF before eating in Robins Nest.

[Jingthing]

Oh I just realized that I had actually eaten at the Patini one time.

I had a hamburger with potato salad. The potato salad was quite good but I had some issues with the burger. As it typical in Thailand it was rough gristly Thai beef, hard to expect more but that's why I rarely have hamburgers here. I also hated that they heavily BUTTERED both buns which was something I had to scrape off. The service was normal, not friendly but nothing thrown in my face either. My overall impression was the food wasn't good enough to make it a regular place.

Edited July 17, 2009 by Jingthing

[farangpattaya]

Thanks for the warning, I have eaten in that area before and will remember the name of the place next time.

What did you actualy do with the Sandwich you ended up paying for ? I hope you made it so that they could not give it to someone else, or eat it themselves.

Reminds me of when I got stopped at the Airport a few years back with a full Litre of Whiskey, the new law had just come out that we could not take liquids onto the Plane, the guy at the desk really wanted me to leave it with him,,, but no, i went to the nearest toilet and poored it away.

You should have seen his face when i returned without it.. ha.

I dont believe in giving stuff free to strangers, no one give me anything for nothing.

Next time, poor away about 1/3 of the whisky and fill it up again with ......... well, since you're in the toilet...............

and than leave it with the guy.

[pattaya_girl]

Thanks for the warning, I have eaten in that area before and will remember the name of the place next time.

What did you actualy do with the Sandwich you ended up paying for ? I hope you made it so that they could not give it to someone else, or eat it themselves.

Reminds me of when I got stopped at the Airport a few years back with a full Litre of Whiskey, the new law had just come out that we could not take liquids onto the Plane, the guy at the desk really wanted me to leave it with him,,, but no, i went to the nearest toilet and poored it away.

You should have seen his face when i returned without it.. ha.

I dont believe in giving stuff free to strangers, no one give me anything for nothing.

Next time, poor away about 1/3 of the whisky and fill it up again with ......... well, since you're in the toilet...............

and than leave it with the guy.

Better still, pour 75% of it away, and fill it up with .......... But maybe they might arrest me !!!!

[soundman]

Personal observations & critiques about the restaurant in question have been posted by a number of members.

I have left the topic open for a few days to see if there were any different reports from other members, not much forthcoming, so this topic will now be closed because there are comments that are personal in nature and other nasty comments creeping in.

Closed.