Local business lacks social media etiquette
On April 15, a group of friends and I traveled to Howler’s Bar and Grill to take advantage of their Wing Wednesday special.
In all transparency, this trip to Howler’s was actually the best tasting meal I’ve had there since they replaced Pro’s two years ago — which isn’t saying much. With any popular business promotion, we expected the place to be busy, but our experience and what we witnessed at Howler’s was far from exceptional.
With it being incredibly short-staffed during a peak business time, our service was definitely below average. The point of frustration for me as a consumer was witnessing the owner standing in the corner for at least an hour, visiting with what looked like two friends, all while his employees were scrambling to serve their waiting customers.
Many people were left standing at the “Please wait to be seated” sign for what felt like forever. Customers were looking around the room, waiting to either be served, to receive refills or even just to get their check.
Through all of my experiences at Howler’s, I finally decided to take to social media to express my disappointment in this final performance by simply stating, “I don’t know why I come back to @HowlersBar. They are short staffed, people waiting to be seated, slow service, and the food isn’t the best.”
I don’t know why I come back to @HowlersBar. They are short staffed, people waiting to be seated, slow service, and the food isnt the best.
— Tyler L. Tordsen (@TTordsen) April 16, 2015
The response that I would receive from the official Howler’s account, run by the owner, was downright unprofessional, immature and ignorant.
@TTordsen You were in & out in 40 min, if you want McD go there, People wait cause were good at what we do! #fullofyou #callmebitch — Howlers Bar & Grille (@HowlersBar) April 16, 2015
@TTordsen no response? Funny when you don’t think someone will see your shit! You know my number! #callmebitch
— Howlers Bar & Grille (@HowlersBar) April 16, 2015
In this day and age, social media is a powerful tool that allows businesses to directly communicate with their customers, helping to push promotions, settle complaints and improve the overall brand. The little respect I had left for this local business has greatly diminished. My hope through this process is that the management will learn that customer service should always remain a priority, regardless of what medium is used for communication.
— Tyler Tordsen, USD student
