Problem With Banquet Manager Slandering My Business!
Business By weddingsbymindy Updated 13 Jun 2007 , 9:20pm by mgdqueen
Hello to all here at CC,
Today I met with a client to finalize her plans and to keep this as short as possible she told me that her banquet manager had negative things to say about my business!!!! I was shocked as I have never even heard this persons name and have never met her!
History; We had a cake deliver that was 30 minutes later than planed due to minor fender bender in February. We called the hall club and told them we were on they way. The staff I talked with said it was no problem as the guests were in the cocktail room and the cake was to be set up in another area. When we arrived the DJ wasn't done setting up and there were no guests in the room. The bride's aunt met us and held the doors open for us. The cake was a simple stacked Swiss dot design but had hand made fondant pearls hat had to be added on site. The cake was finished and the bride's aunt said the cake was beautiful. I saw the bride as we were leaving and she said it was perfect, I apologized for being late and she said "you were right on time, all the guests are still in the other room" I said wonderful and congratulations.
Now months later my current bride said the banquet manager thew her pen down onto the table sat back in her chair, crossed her arms and said "I would be worried, they delivered a damaged cake in the middle of a reception!"
So......... my question is; This is a major facility and very important to my business, how do I recover this situation? My current client said she has full confidence in my abilities and gladly paid in full along with ordering a grooms cake at this final meeting. I need to talk with this banquet manager and have composed a letter to the manager but I want to be sure it sounds professional and not defensive or hostile in any way. We all tend to vent on this site but in this case there is some truth to the story but its not 100% correct. I can admit when I am in the wrong and take full responsibility for my actions. Please give me your thoughts so I can repair the damage.
Hello Valerie,
Allow me to introduce myself; my name is Mindy ******** Owner of *****.We me with a client today Jessica ******, that has booked your facilities for her wedding June 16Th. She mentioned that when she recently met with you and gave a list of her vendors that your response for my company was negative. Jessica said you told her we were "so late to a reception that we were setting up in the middle of the reception and the guests were all watching us and the cake was damaged and needed several minutes to repair." The only wedding we have had to Club ******* that even comes close to this description was in February. We were a bit later than we planed to be due to a minor car accident, which I told a staff member over the phone as we were on our way. We were in fact done setting up before the first guest came into the room and the brides aunt even signed off on the cake giving it her "it is beautiful approval".
Also as for the cake being damaged.... that cake had hand made sugar pearls that had to be placed on site due to the weight of the pearls. There was no damage and the bride nor her family ever said there were problems. Perhaps the additional set up time was misinterpreted, but the cake was prefect as pictures we have show.
We take our work and reputation seriously. There was no indication of a problem from the bride or the staff at the club. We would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you and have you taste our truly delicious and unique designs. We hope this clears up any misunderstanding and in the future if there were any issues with my business or any vendor for that matter, we be given the opportunity to here from the source and not receive second hand negative feedback.
CC'rs let me know what you think, I was sick all day over this!!!! I need to do some damage control and have never had this situation with another vendor. Thank you all for taking the time to read this!
Your letter is very professional and reasonable.
I hope you don't mind, but I've proofread it for you (changes are in bold).
Hello Valerie,
Allow me to introduce myself: my name is Mindy ********, owner of *****. We met with a client today, Jessica ******, who has booked your facilities for her wedding June 16Th. She mentioned that when she recently met with you and gave a list of her vendors that your response to my company was negative. Jessica said you told her we were "so late to a reception that we were setting up in the middle of the reception and the guests were all watching us and the cake was damaged and needed several minutes to repair." The only wedding we have had to Club ******* that even comes close to this description was in February. We were a bit later than planned,due to a minor car accident; as I explained to a staff member over the phone while we were on our way. We were, in fact, done setting up before the first guest came into the room and the bride's aunt even signed off on the cake, giving it her "it is beautiful" approval.
Additionally, the cake was not damaged. The design chosen by the bride had hand-made sugar pearls that had to be placed on the cake on-site due to their weight. Again, there was no damage and the bride nor her family ever communicated problems with the delivery, set-up, or final appearance of the cake to us. Perhaps the additional set-up time was misinterpreted, but the cake was perfect, as our photographs document.
We take our work and reputation seriously. There was no indication of a problem from the bride or the staff at the club. We would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you and have you taste our truly delicious and unique designs. We hope this clears up any misunderstanding.
In the future, if there are any concerns about the quality of our work or professionalism of our employees, we prefer to hear directly from you or your staff so that we may address any such concerns immediately.
Very good letter, and the proofreading from pterrell is very good.
The statment
We hope this clears up any misunderstanding and in the future if there were any issues with my business or any vendor for that matter,
is a little defensive but Pterrell did a good job wordsmithing the statement.
Honestly... I would NOT recommend sending it! Yes, it's frustrating, however, the reality is that you could lose future business. Plan to arrive at the reception site earlier than you had originally planned, relaxed, and bring along a box of cupcakes or "leftovers" to leave for the reception staff.. Make it a point to meet up with the manager and laugh about how much easier things were this time around because the delivery went normal compared to the last time you went there.
Also, I include it in my contract about delays in transit because I've seen enough coordinators get their undies in a bundle if the cake person is 2 minutes late for their scheduled arrival. I've also had to walk across a room full of guests carrying in a completed 4-tier cake in my arms because I was running SIX HOURS late... But the bride was great, and she was just glad to have CAKE (she had done 3 face plants off of their party bus, the drycleaner had ripped half of her skirt off the dress the day before the wedding... and and and!).. It was a caketastrophy cake, but the price was right (her gift), and it got the job done.
I totally agree with CoutureCake! Nobody likes to have their hand slapped, and odds are that is how the banquet manager will react to this letter. I've been known to get a bit of an attitude myself, if I thought someone was calling me down. You have the perfect opportunity to prove yourself, and make nice with this person when you deliver your next cake. Also, I'm always a little Leary of things repeated to me by people I don't know personally. There are some people who can make things sound worse than they are, or put a different spin on what was said. Whatever you decide, best of luck!!
i wonder what this person has to gain by saying thesze things? do they have a friend or relative that they are refering cake clients to?
that's happened to me before, and from people i have never even heard of....but they were wanting to sell them to buy thier cakes from someone they knew.
i wouldn't send the letter either ....and i sure wouldn't sweat it, just do excellent work, and this will blow over.
BTW karma rox....the people bought a cake somewhere else...i had a customer tell me it was lopsided...and tasted like cornbread.
ha ha hs...the smartest person who ever lived said..."beware when all men speak well of you" (Jesus)
If it were me, I would not send a letter and go over to the facility and talk with the coordinator personally. I would be as sincere as possible and say that "I feel terrible and heard that you thought I was too late for a cake delivery and the cake was damaged?!" This will certainly open up a dialogue with her and then I would go into the story of the bride that recently booked with you. I think you being there in person, showing her that you appreciate her referrals and want to address any "suggestions" she may have that will make things better in the future would be best. I make sure I have a personal relationship with all the fuction coordinators. I service 5 local function halls and deal with 8 different coordinators. I know everyone's favorite cake flavor and occasionally bring in cakes just for them. I alway set up an annual meeting with each of them to discuss the up and coming wedding season and if there are any issues to address.
I do know how you feel about hearing any negative feedback. Recently one of the coordinators came up to me and said they were having a shortage of cake servings for this one particular cake design that I do. I appologized and assured her that it wouldn't happen again and told her if she ever had a situation like that happen, to cut the anniversary cake and I would replace it for the bride the next week. She thought that was great and I feel I satisfied her concerns.
I vote for personal contact! Good Luck and let us know how you made out!
Well.. I respectfully disagree! The letter should be sent as you don't know how many clients this banquet manager has turned your business off from! People need to be confronted in a professional manner making them aware that you know and do not approve of this way of business.It is actually slander and can become quite serious...In the end the Brides will decide for themselves about ordering from you....
I'm with those who say that you should clear this up right now! A personal contact of some kind (phone call, face-to-face meeting), may go over better, and I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that this woman back-peddles her slander quick smart - these kind of people always presume that what they say won't get back to those they are slandering, how stupid are they to think that?! I say sort it now!
I thought that the letter was actually very professional, it sounded great.
I think the first reaction is to just blow up and freak out....but i think the letter will serve its purpose and with the changes made prterrell...makes it even better.
Face it, instinct is to just be mean and say nasty things back,,,, but you do need to have a business relationship with this person.
Also if you do send it and they do call for a meeting, make sure you have a good game face and don't let it get to you.... for the sake of your business.
good luck, let us know. 
The letter sounds great, but I would have to agree with bonjovibabe. A personal face-to-face or over the phone in a calm and sincere manner will (A) show the manager that you are not angry, upset, or trying to be obstinate, you are just trying to clear up what is obviously a misinterpretation by a third party (because no true professional would EVER badmouth a third party without good reason!); (B) clear up the situation immediately, without hard feelings (because you certainly don't have any, right? I mean, clearly that statement wouldn't have been made without proof positive, which is not in evidence here. [Do you hear the sound of manager backpeddling furiously...]); and (C) develop a professional working relationship between you and that manager (because if you call him/her on what he/she has done, he/she will certainly not even consider badmouthing you again, unless they want a libel lawsuit filed. You have proven that you will not tolerate gossip that will hurt your business.)
That is my feeling on the whole thing. I hope everything works out!!!
<S>
Well.. I respectfully disagree! The letter should be sent as you don't know how many clients this banquet manager has turned your business off from! People need to be confronted in a professional manner making them aware that you know and do not approve of this way of business.It is actually slander and can become quite serious...In the end the Brides will decide for themselves about ordering from you....
I agree 100%. I think your letter is very tastefully and professionally written. And, if this were ever to escalate (which it hopefully will not), you have a document that would hold up in court. I might even think about sending it "certified". I would be furious if someone was slandering my business! Like someone else said, you have no idea how many people she may have deterred from using your services. They legally cannot do what they're doing!!!
Adding: You bet your A** that if it was YOU slandering THEIR services, you'd get a letter too quick!
Think about it for a day or two. Decide if you really want to send it. I learned this the hard way in another job. Sending a letter/email when you are still angry can backfire on you. Sit on it and think about it. Remember, emails and letters can be taken in a way they weren't intended. You might be better off setting up a meeting with this person so that questions can get answered right away and no misunderstandings.
I would also take out every time you said, "Jessica said......." You don't need to drag the bride into this. Change it to 'my customer' or something like that, or even 'I heard from a customer of mine....'
I agree with taking out your customer's name. By the way, the member who edited the letter did a great job. I need help like that myself! After having said this though, I agree that you should at least think about it for a day or two. The member who said things could have been misquoted is right. I hate that your customer repeated the remarks in the first place. My mother always said, "Never repeat something that someone else has said that you know will hurt the person's feelings." I know she thought she was doing you a favor, but your good service will prove anything that was said to be incorrect. Good luck in whatever you decide.
I owned a boarding/grooming business in a small town for 15 years up until last Nov. About 6 months earlier one of my very good clients told me a very negative story that a vet tech from the clinic right next door to me told her about me. An unjust, not true story. I was PISSED!!!!!!!!!
I'm sure you all are aware that in a small town, it takes about 2 people talking negativally about you to shut down your business. So... I went over to the vet and confronted the entire staff about any problems they might have with me and the way I ran my business. Calmly, for the most part, professionally 
. The girl that actually said something to my client was not there at the time, but the rest of the staff apologized profusly and the office manager stopped by 2 days later and gave me a full report of how the girl was repremanded.
This was my lively hood and I was more than upset. Reading your story brought up hte same feelings I had then.
Definatly do something. I happen to enjoy watching people who get caught saying something they would never say infront of you try to explain thenselves, so I would do it in person. There is the chance that this person really believes what she said about you is true- her impression of the situation- and if that is so, you sure want to straighten out the story!
Please let us know what happens! I'll be watching for your posts!
First choice: a face-to-face meeting.
2nd choice: send the letter
I also wonder:
They might have a friend/relative they want to send business to. OR......
Maybe they have you confused with another vendor?
Either way, I'd address the matter. It's too important to ignore.
......There is the chance that this person really believes what she said about you is true- her impression of the situation- and if that is so, you sure want to straighten out the story!
Another great example of how those who know nothing about cake and cake construction want to tell those who DO know about it how to do it.
Ignorance may be bliss in some situations, but it this case, it just makes the person (at the banquet center) look like an idiot!
I would meet with the manager in person and tell them that it was brought to your attention that they might have a problem with the way you conduct your business. Do not mention the bride's name.. stay calm. Explain that you appeciate the working relationship you have with their venue and want to preserve it. It's never comfortable.. but you have to do it. A letter can be interpreted in so many ways.. often the way you did NOT intend it to be taken. I'd call and arrange a face to face.
Your letter is very professional and one that should definitely be sent. She has no right to slander your business and you may need written proof that she has done so. This is the purpose of your letter, to nicely put her on notice that you are aware of her unprofessionalism. You may not want to take it this far, but keep in mind that she is the banquet manager, not the owner. As such, she is an employee. If you take in delicious freebies, talk to her boss and explain to him that you don't understand why she is saying these things about you. Have your letter in hand for him. Whatever you decide, I think it would be a huge mistake to remain quiet.
I am not a lawyer, but my close friend is a lawyer. If you want legal documentation send the letter certified with return receipt. She says some states do not recognize email as a formal notice. Hopefully it won't go that far, but just a FYI.
The letter is good but you can always get more accomplished by meeting in person. The person might have mistaken you with some other business or could have gotten her/his information by third-party also.
Good luck!
I agree with some of the other posts. It might be better to talk to them personally.
If you do decide to send the letter, make sure all the spelling and grammar mistakes are corrected otherwise it won't look professional, and I, personally wouldn't use anyone's name.
Also, keep in mind that if you send the letter, they might simply ignore it and then you won't have the response or resolution you are looking for.
Good Luck,
Alex
A lot of fantastic advise on this situation!
One other thing you may want to think about, a persons perception is their reality, meaning the hall manager may have "perceived" problems with the delivery, therefore to her (or him) they were just that, problems (even though everyone else knew there were none).
If you send the letter now it may only deepen that perception (all the mgr will have to go off of is the written word; tone and intent could be misunderstood). I think it would be better to resolve this in person. So many times people have misconceptions that can be resolved if they just sit down and talk about it....
I worked in a corporate office for years and cant tell you how many times a memo, email, or written communication was taken the wrong way; but, they always got resolved by talking about it!
Good luck with the situation, Im sure it will all work out! Who knows this could be an opportunity to build a new business relationship!
no true professional would EVER badmouth a third party without good reason
The reason is that the OP DID deliver during a reception. It wasn't entirely her fault, but the fact is that her business messed up. That's the banquet manager's problem when it happens in the banquet manager's facility.
"Don't tell them that we messed up" doesn't hold much water when even you admit that you messed up. It's the banquet manager's job to know which vendors mess up.
no true professional would EVER badmouth a third party without good reason
The reason is that the OP DID deliver during a reception. It wasn't entirely her fault, but the fact is that her business messed up. That's the banquet manager's problem when it happens in the banquet manager's facility.
"Don't tell them that we messed up" doesn't hold much water when even you admit that you messed up. It's the banquet manager's job to know which vendors mess up.
however, it is also the wise individual, manager or otherwise, that will make allowances for "extenuating circumstances"
which in this case as a "fender bender"
accidents, beyond our control, do happen and in these cases, allowances should be made.
analogy.
big project due at work.
parent or other close family member dies or is in major accident.
boss should "understand" and make the necessary accommodations.
-----
i would find it impossible to believe that there never was an "extenuating circumstance" that happened to the banquet facility staff.
should the photographer, cake decorator, dj/musicians bad mouth the facility?
NO. Rather, they judge it by how well it handles the "extenuating circumstance" and graciously "hides the flaws/mistakes.
it's murphy's law in action -- and the test is how well you recover.
in this case the BM (hmmm.....just noticed those initials! 
) is in the wrong for:
a) not having really followed up to see if perception = reality >> as in speaking directly to the cake decorator.
b) libelous speech --> to not be libel has to have substantiated fact! -- and the BM did NOT gather the facts but went only upon impressions --- a common gossip!
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