Extremely Disappointing and Unacceptable Treatment Harassment and Abuse by Manager Andre After 6 Years as Loyal Customers
Extremely Disappointing and Unacceptable Treatment Harassment and Abuse by Manager Andre After 6 Years as Loyal Customers
My family and I have been regular customers of Manicomio Chelsea for over six years, dining there at least once a week. Until now, we never imagined we would be treated in such a shocking and humiliating way.
Today, when we called to make a reservation, the manager Andre after hanging up the phone to us six times then when he finally decided to speak to us, refused to take our booking by stating that we are banned by the restaurant and abruptly hung up the phone on us. The justification given was a claim that I “vape inside the restaurant and ignore remarks.”
This allegation is categorically false. I have always gone outside to vape, and on a previous visit this very same manager even asked me if I wanted the outdoor heater turned on, fully acknowledging that I was seated outside. In six years of constant patronage, we have never once received a warning, a comment, or a complaint of any kind.
This makes today’s accusation not only false, but deeply offensive. Even if a restaurant has an internal policy on vaping (which is a matter of house rules as The Health Act 2006 bans smoking tobacco indoors, but e-cigarettes/vaping are not covered by that law), that still does not justify false accusations, rude behaviour, or the abuse of authority.
What makes this even more serious is that this is not the first time this same manager has behaved in a hostile and targeted manner toward us. Today’s behaviour crossed the line into what clearly felt like harassment and bullying, especially given the manner in which the call was terminated.
We fully understand that a private business can refuse service. What it cannot do is:
• Make false allegations
• Apply rules in a targeted or malicious way
• Behave in a humiliating or abusive manner
• Or engage in behaviour that may be perceived as discriminatory
After six years of loyalty, this was not only shocking — it was deeply distressing.
Until this matter is formally addressed by ownership, we cannot in good conscience recommend this restaurant, regardless of the food quality. No establishment should treat long-standing customers with such disrespect and contempt.