Customers outraged after row at city deli

Alex Chan says the treatment dished out at The Barrow was appalling with the Rugby World Cup fast approaching. Photo / Natalie Slade

A waterfront retailer is accused of insulting a customer over her choice of wine then abusing her colleague in an "appalling service failure" ahead of the Rugby World Cup.

Alex Chan, chief executive of customer service consultants Advantage Training and Consulting, said the incident, which happened to him and a colleague last week, soured to the point that he was threatened by staff: "You better hope I don't run into you on the street afterwards."

Mr Chan was with his firm's senior customer service trainer at The Barrow, a block from Party Central, when the dispute began over the final bill.

"I heard this commotion, and it was just a money dispute about what the bill added up to. Then it escalated to insults over choice of product and even choice of wine," Mr Chan said.

He told the attendant that it was no way to treat a customer and "your attitude sucks".

The manager then became involved, defending his staff, and the attendant began threatening and walking towards him. Mr Chan's colleague, who is petite, blocked the attendant's path.

He said it was appalling to see such cases of service failure with the cup and its expected thousands of visitors fast approaching.

"We have mystery shopped service providers for over 20 years but have never seen anything as bad as this."

Mr Chan said he had not provoked the attendant.

The manager of the Westfield Downtown store yesterday declined to comment.

Professor Simon Milne, head of AUT's NZ Tourism Research Institute, said all businesses and individuals needed to raise their game before the cup. A good visitor experience involved more than the conventional tourism industry.

"I'm not suggesting we all need to be brainwashed and become tourist-greeting zombies, but we all have to play a part in this," Dr Milne said.

"Literally, one bad apple can spoil the bunch."

Cup visitors would be well-heeled and particularly discerning, he said.

"The people that are coming are going to be experienced travellers and expecting a certain level of service," he said.

"We're going to be in the spotlight and we're going to have to raise our game."