3 Comments

1. POSTED BY waves2ya  |  March 03, 2012 @ 12:50 pm

   We’ve been now a couple of times and if the owners read feedback – the place/space is very well done; the food good, promising – but the service, like eating in a diner.

   With that being an insult to many diners…

   Was astonishing to have someone invest so much in renovation, and cuisine, to have it undone by painfully bad service. However, then owner walked floor during our meal, overseeing all, and either doesn’t know what good service is, can’t hire good help – or doesn’t care.

   Fortunately Montclair has a lot of dining options.
2. POSTED BY blynch  |  February 27, 2012 @ 6:15 pm

   I have been to Fin twice and the food has been very good both times. The second time we experencied the same poor service as described above. Some of the problems were entree brought out with appetizer still on table. Had to get up twice for silverware from empty table. Wine not opened on table and glasses empty for a good 10 minutes while runnner’s looked for waiter ( He was at front talking to someone at bar seating area ) I will give it another try one day as our first encounter was good service wise?
3. POSTED BY jingoistic  |  February 08, 2012 @ 5:05 pm

   Food is awesome, service is so poor i’m never going back. Made sat reservations more than 3 weeks in advance. Didn’t hear from them on friday so i called around 3pm. Told they didn’t have my res BUT could fit our table of 4 in at 8:15pm on Sat. Showed up at 8:10pm with full party. Didn’t sit till 9:05pm after they sat a couple of 6 tops ahead of us.

   After a nice long wait to talk to waitress we ordered, and had another long wait until half our apps came out. After another long wait, the waitress came over to explain that there’s a delay on the oysters we ordered. As we’re finishing up the the other apps, some other woman (i presume she was an employee, they all dressed like Marlon Brandon in The Wild Ones sans jacket and hats) came to tell us an order of 5 dz oyters came in ahead of ours so its going to take a bit.

   All told, 2.5 hours for dinner for 4. I don’t like to be rushed, but i’d rather not pay double for dinner because of extra time for the baby sitter.

   I was in the restaurant business for many years. These things happen through the fault of no one. HOWEVER, when a restaurant royally F’s up, there are a few simple things to do to make the customer feel thay aren’t being deliberately screwed. #1 appologize–sorry you had to wait. #2 Tip the waitress off that table X waited for nearly an hour for their reservation THUS if something is going to be a problem let the customer know so they can adjust if they want to. #3 Assuming the second ‘wild one biker chick’ hostess had any power, when she realized that the same table who’d been screwed in seating was going to get the short end of the oysters, offer free coffee and desserts as a make up for the crappy service.

   FIN or other restaurants might suggest those are three very hard things to do on a busy sat night. I can tell you, I’ve done it with teenager waiters and made repeat customers out of screaming whiners. Its not hard, you just have to be of the mindset that every customer is paying and thus deserves a minimum of service and courtesy.

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