Nando's (Southbank)

i just got back from nandos.WHAT A RIPOFF!!! puny portions.
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joe
6 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 0
Sunday, February 21, 2010

I thought I'd share my latest bad experience with the staff at this Nandos. It seems that almost every time my friends and I visit this place, at least one of us leaves feeling demeaned or patronized by the rude staff.

Unfortunately my efforts to contact Nandos with my complaint have fallen on deaf ears. It seems they're happy with how much money they already make and they don't need our custom.

When I visited the branch to order a takeaway, a staff member, whom I shall refer to as C, treated me with what I can only describe as sheer contempt. Her tone and body language were utterly condescending and dismissive, and her hostility was virtually palpable.

I was barked at throughout the order-taking. For example, upon asking for a side of chips she was apparently annoyed that I didn't specify my spiciness requirements.

I asked her if it would be possible to transfer signatures from my tattered loyalty card to a new one - but I was given no response. I asked a second time, thinking I may not have been heard. Then a third time, taking great care to be gentle and polite. After my third request C broke her silence to bark "I heard you the first time." Struggling to keep my calm, I gently asked why she had not responded. With a look of petrifying disgust she said "I went like this" and nodded her head. If she had nodded, it was imperceivable, but this is besides the point.

At this point I somewhat lost my cool, and asked her if I had done anything to offend her. Realising I might not be happy that she was treating me badly, she offered a feeble "No" before proceeding to ignore my request about the loyalty card.

Eventually I asked the kind lady at the door if the signatures could be transferred and she was very helpful. Maybe she should be promoted and help train the others on how to at least pretend to be nice.

My questions for Nandos are: Why is C venting frustrations upon customers? Is she under pressure from higher powers not to give away free chicken i.e. is the loyalty scheme a scam? Does she just not like the look of me? Are the staff openly prejudice? Did she feel she could treat me like one of their battery chickens without fear of repercussion? Does the Clink Street branch make enough money so that she need not serve the customer with even a fake smile?

Needless to say, there was no apology. Rather bewildered by the whole event, I collected my takeaway and left. A friend later suggested that I should have openly lost my cool and made a scene. In retrospect, I certainly should have, there were many customers behind me in the queue.

This is not my first experience of disagreeable attitude at this branch and my friends describe similar events. We have been loyal to the branch since it opened and we do enjoy the food and decor. However we have grown to question our continuing custom. I reckon there are hundreds of similar stories out there about this particular branch.
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4 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 5
Saturday, May 09, 2009