I made a reservation for my friends to attend The English Rose Tea Room’s October 18 event. The reservation was confirmed through Facebook Messenger for five guests. Due to a family emergency, only two could attend, and I messaged the business at 12:29 PM that day to let them know.
When my friend arrived, she was told there was no reservation under Lisa and that she might have the wrong date. Apparently, there were two reservations under the name Lisa, one for two guests and another for five, which caused some confusion.
They asked my friend to show proof of the reservation, so she pulled up the Facebook messages confirming it. Instead of simply reviewing what they had asked her to provide, the response was, “You expect me to read all of that?”
I wasn’t physically there, but I was on the phone and heard the exchange myself. The way she spoke to my friend was horrendous. I was so upset by it that I actually told my friend to leave, but she wanted to stay and enjoy the experience she had come for. I respected that decision.
What bothers me is that my friend was simply doing what was asked of her. They requested proof of the reservation, she provided it, and she was met with an attitude that was completely unnecessary. There was no reason to embarrass her or speak to her that way. And just because she decided to stay and enjoy her afternoon doesn’t mean the interaction was acceptable.
I reached out privately because I’ve always held this business in high regard. I wasn’t asking for a refund, free food, or anything other than some accountability and a genuine apology for how my friend was treated.
Instead, I received explanations about their cancellation policy, how they didn’t charge for the three absent guests, and the confusion surrounding the reservations. No deposit or payment information was ever requested when I booked, but regardless, none of that was my complaint.
They also stated they didn’t receive my 12:29 PM message until 4:30 PM, despite Facebook Messenger displaying a read receipt. I understand that doesn’t necessarily mean the person working the event saw it, but I did make an effort to notify them of the change.
What bothered me even more was when they sent me a picture of my friends smiling at their table and responded, “Lol looks like they are enjoying the tea.”
I found that response incredibly dismissive. Just because my friends were smiling in a photograph doesn’t mean the earlier interaction didn’t happen or that they weren’t uncomfortable with how they were treated. They were there to enjoy an afternoon together, and that’s exactly what they tried to do. Using their photograph to dismiss my concerns was completely unnecessary.
The business did apologize for the misunderstanding, but the apology felt half-hearted when it was followed by more explanations defending how the situation was handled. My issue was never the reservation confusion or the cancellation policy. It was how my friend was spoken to when she was simply doing what was asked of her.
I genuinely didn’t want to leave a negative review, which is why I contacted them privately in the first place. Unfortunately, their responses afterward were just as disappointing as the original interaction.
I’ve personally visited The English Rose Tea Room twice before and absolutely loved both experiences. I’ve recommended this place to so many people. Looking back, there were things I overlooked because I’d always had such a good time there. But this experience, especially how my concerns were handled afterward, has completely changed my opinion.
I’m attaching screenshots of the reservation confirmation and our conversation so people can read them and form their own opinions.
I understand mistakes and miscommunication happen, but how you speak to customers and respond when someone raises a concern matters.
