I have a rather large update with photographs brought to you in Technicolour(TM), but right now seeing as I just got to work and should probably be doing something other than updating my blog, I thought I'd post an update that I should have done when I was at mom's and dad's this weekend. I say "mom's and dad's" because the apostrophe "s" indicates a possessive by my mom and dad as I've been taught by my English prof at Camosun College. However, it just sounds plain weird when said. Most people would have just left the possessive to the last person indicated as in "mom and dad's," but they'd have been wrong! That's my English lesson for the day.

I actually ended up emailing Moxie's after I finished my last update, and here is what I sent them:

Topic: Disapointed

Good day,

After being a long-time patron of your Victoria location where we've celebrated birthdays, friends and special occasions, we had to say good-bye when we moved to Calgary. We have now found that after being pleased with every experience we've had in Victoria, even when things didn't go smoothly the staff was always quick to remedy, we are now disappointed with our first, and quite possibly our last, Calgary Moxie's experience at Market Mall.

My first complaint is personal as it deals with a favourite meal of mine. In Victoria, Moxie's does a chicken version of your Philly cheese steak sandwich. Apparently in Calgary you do not. I realize I will have to live with this no matter how terribly it affects me.

Secondly, and this is the most important, one of the things that I've admired about Moxie's is that the people who work there are always striving to make each dining experience an enjoyable and stress free one. People should always feel pleased after dropping their cash down for the meal they've just ate, and they should feel that their waiter or waitress deserved the tip that was left. That being said....

My daughters ordered their meals from the children's menu. My youngest one order a pizza with fries. I found this meal combination odd, but that is what she ordered. It wasn't until I got my bill that I found out fries did not come with the kid's pizza, and the waiter did not make any mention of this at all. My children also ordered soft drinks which have always been included in the cost of a kid's meal since we started bringing them to Moxie's, but when I received my bill there were four soft drinks listed for our party of four (me, my wife and two daughters). I asked the waiter why this was, and he said it was because the drinks were not junior drinks. I said, "You served my daughter's adult size drinks?" He just said sorry and charged me anyway. When it was apparent the volcanoes were on the way for the kid's deserts, the waiter did not ask what topping the girls would like. They came with chocolate sauce. When we informed the waiter that my oldest daughter didn't like chocolate sauce he just said that the kitchen had already made them up. Not once did he try to remedy anything.

And that is our disappointing experience with Moxie's. I guess we'll just visit your establishment in Victoria when we go back for visits.

Thank you for every other dining experience you've given us.

Derek Mohninger

Not very eloquent, I know, but no one has ever accused me of literature. Ever! Any who, I get an email back, not from head office but the actual general manager of the Market Mall Moxie's (say that five times at a speedy rate). Here's what he had to say:

RE: Disappointed

Dear Derek,

Thanks for taking the time to right to me about your recent experience at Moxies Market Mall. As a long standing loyal guest of ours I am deeply saddened that we disappointed you. Please accept my apology for this awful experience you had here at Moxies Market Mall.

We continue to coach all of our employees to ensure that every guest leaves happier than when they came in. The guest’s dining experience is our main concern and indifference of any kind is grounds for discipline up to and including dismissal. I will definitely speak to your server about the way he dealt with you that day.

Secondly, although the Philly chicken is not on our menu, we can certainly make it for you. We have all the ingredients right here (as it is just a simple substitution) and would be pleased to make it for you anytime.

Please, give me the opportunity to re earn your patronage. Give me a call on my cell phone at XXX-XXXX or here at work at XXX-XXXX. I would love to speak to you further about your experience and see what I can do to re earn your trust and loyalty. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Al Rajan
General Manager
Moxies Market Mall

What do you think? Should I call him?

Hey! Quit grumbling! I said it was going to be a quick post, and seeing as most of it was written for me already, it was. I never implied that it would be quick to read! That's your fault for assuming.