RAGE
Dan and I have had a tasting scheduled (tomorrow at 5pm) with Highland Manor (our wedding venue) for two weeks. It took almost a week to get in touch with them in the first place. Here is the email I received tonight, along with our response.
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1/21/10 at 4:44pm
Hello Katie and Dan,
I wanted to get with you asap - our restaurant is closed from today until February doing some updating in the kitchen during this extremely slow time. I am excited - but also unavailable to do your tasting tomorrow night. It was a decision by the owners and I am really sorry - however - we can still meet if you want. I was doing the herb roasted chicken breast, and grilled tenderloin of beef - so if you want to list that on your invitation - we can always select a sauce in February - I feel bad but have no control of this unfortunately. It is the only time of year they can do this as we are so busy from February - which is a GREAT thing!
I do hope you understand - making improvements is always good!
Let me know your thoughts - I will be here all day tomorrow.
Thanks,
--
Toni Curlin - Director of Sales and Private Dining
Highland Manor
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1/21/10 at 9:50pm
Toni,
Dan and I saw your email tonight at 6pm and we are very disappointed. We continue to have multiple reservations about working with Highland Manor, and this development makes us feel even more unsettled. Ever since signing our contract we have had multiple issues with communication, false information, and professionalism. We chose Highland Manor because we loved the aesthetics of the property, because it fit our needs in terms of size, budget, and what the venue provides, along with our enthusiasm about hiring an experienced chef to contribute what was promised to be excellent cuisine for our wedding day. The escalation of our problems with Highland Manor, without any assurance of resolution, is causing this piece of our planning to be a very stressful undertaking. We certainly don't expect our wedding preparations to be problem-free, but we never expected this degree of disappointment, frustration, and regret.
While I don't know the full story of what is going on, I understand that the decision to close the restaurant is out of your control. However it is somewhat upsetting that, as the event planner, you would be given less than 24 hours notice of such a substantial development in the operation of this venue. We would have liked to have been able to plan our tasting in advance of Highland Manor’s renovations. Postponing the one meeting that incorporates our most significant decision about the reception - the menu - seems to warrant a bit more explanation, along with a plan for how we are to proceed. We appreciate your suggestion to place chicken and beef options on our invitations, but Highland Manor's disorganization seems to have forced our hand into serving our guests food that we have not yet sampled.
Dan and I are eager to hear your ideas regarding how Highland Manor will remedy these concerns, and how will we be moving forward as a team.
- Katie Schrumpf
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1/21/10 at 4:44pm
Hello Katie and Dan,
I wanted to get with you asap - our restaurant is closed from today until February doing some updating in the kitchen during this extremely slow time. I am excited - but also unavailable to do your tasting tomorrow night. It was a decision by the owners and I am really sorry - however - we can still meet if you want. I was doing the herb roasted chicken breast, and grilled tenderloin of beef - so if you want to list that on your invitation - we can always select a sauce in February - I feel bad but have no control of this unfortunately. It is the only time of year they can do this as we are so busy from February - which is a GREAT thing!
I do hope you understand - making improvements is always good!
Let me know your thoughts - I will be here all day tomorrow.
Thanks,
--
Toni Curlin - Director of Sales and Private Dining
Highland Manor
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1/21/10 at 9:50pm
Toni,
Dan and I saw your email tonight at 6pm and we are very disappointed. We continue to have multiple reservations about working with Highland Manor, and this development makes us feel even more unsettled. Ever since signing our contract we have had multiple issues with communication, false information, and professionalism. We chose Highland Manor because we loved the aesthetics of the property, because it fit our needs in terms of size, budget, and what the venue provides, along with our enthusiasm about hiring an experienced chef to contribute what was promised to be excellent cuisine for our wedding day. The escalation of our problems with Highland Manor, without any assurance of resolution, is causing this piece of our planning to be a very stressful undertaking. We certainly don't expect our wedding preparations to be problem-free, but we never expected this degree of disappointment, frustration, and regret.
While I don't know the full story of what is going on, I understand that the decision to close the restaurant is out of your control. However it is somewhat upsetting that, as the event planner, you would be given less than 24 hours notice of such a substantial development in the operation of this venue. We would have liked to have been able to plan our tasting in advance of Highland Manor’s renovations. Postponing the one meeting that incorporates our most significant decision about the reception - the menu - seems to warrant a bit more explanation, along with a plan for how we are to proceed. We appreciate your suggestion to place chicken and beef options on our invitations, but Highland Manor's disorganization seems to have forced our hand into serving our guests food that we have not yet sampled.
Dan and I are eager to hear your ideas regarding how Highland Manor will remedy these concerns, and how will we be moving forward as a team.
- Katie Schrumpf