Poor Customer Service

My wife, Lyn, and I have been planning a Rehearsal Dinner for her son's wedding that is scheduled for August 8th in Marblehead, MA. Three weeks ago, we decided on a restaurant in Swampscott, MA called Anthony's Hawthorne by the Sea that has a beautiful view of Boston's skyline. From the beginning, this experience has been a nightmare culminating in our decision (3 days before the wedding) to cancel the event and switch to another restaurant in nearby Salem. To share with all of you the kind of problems that can arise in dealing with inflexible management people, I offer a short synopsis of the events leading up to our decision.

1. When we first visited the facility, we felt that the banquet room was not up to par with the rest of the restaurant - dirty windows looking over the bay, unimaginative decor, worn carpets, etc. A later visit for dinner with the bridal couple and brides mother showed that they had neither cleaned up the room nor washed the windows.


2. We asked if they could supply table decorations such as candles or flowers for the 11 tables that we required and the answer was no. If we wanted to decorate the tables, it was our responsibility.


3. We asked for an event menu to choose from and quickly realized that ordering al a carte plate service would bring the total for 60 people way over our $ 7,000.00 budget. We decided to order a buffet style service but asked if we could add items or substitute items from their standard buffet. Their first answer was a firm no but they would ask the owner. They agreed to do so but the price went up to $ 45.00 a person and that did not include the appetizers. As it was the final cost for the food alone was $ 3,660.00.


4. Having decided on the food, we asked what options were available for drinks and were told that we could have domestic wine and beer but they would charge us $ 25.00 per person (regardless of age). Since most of our guests are not big drinkers and we have at least 15 underage minors in the group, we thought this was excessive but they offered to refund us the difference after the party. We added then an additional $ 257.00 for a champagne toast.


5. The price now for the event including a mandatory 18 % gratuity and tax came up to $ 6,327.34 although we never received a firm quote or contract from the restaurant. At this point, one week before the wedding, they told us that they required 100 % of the amount by cashiers check in advance of the event. We countered by sending them a cashiers check for 90 % with the promise that we would pay cash for the difference after the event. We received a call from their manager at that point and said that this was completely unacceptable and their policy (no where shown to us in writing) was 100 % in advance of the party. They would not bend on this policy and threatened us with imposing a cash bar on our guests if we did not pay the balance. This blatant attempt to humiliate us into paying the full amount was delivered in a smug, arrogant manner that was obnoxious to the extreme.


6. At this point, three days before the event, Lyn and I decided that we could not trust them to either return us the excess money for the drinks nor that they would put their best effort into this event. As a result, we canceled the contract and I called to alert them that we would pick up the cashiers check sent them for $ 5,244.60. Their immediate response was that they had not received the check despite the fact that we had a signed notice of receipt dated the previous day. I hope that they will find the check however I have the distinct impression that they had already cashed the check. We anticipate having to resort to lawyers at this point to collect our money less the $ 500.00 deposit which we acknowledge is due to them.

I regret that I have to post a blog to vent my frustration but the supercilious manner in which we have been dealt with warrants posting a warning to any other people who might consider this place a a venue for a special event. As a customer, one has the right to be treated with respect and courtesy, all of which is lacking at Anthony's and from my understanding at all restaurants belonging to the Anthony's Pier 4 Group.