FYI: I have deleted my original review to post this review. However, I have attached here screenshots of my original review together with the manager response. As is my style, I will refrain from ad-hominem attacks and disparaging comments that detract from an objective review...of events.
Before giving a detailed description of what actually happened back in Jan 2021 when I visited Sushi Airways (SA), I need to clarify that:
(1) My original review stated clearly that my visit to SA was back in Jan 2021, even though the review was only written and posted in Nov 2021. I see no issues with this since TripAdvisor's review system offers this as a feature.
(2) My original review was deliberately kept short and concise because I did not wish to further escalate things. However, since I have been "invited" by SA's management to prove myself, this review shall describe clearly the events of that day.
(3) I take offense to SA's response to my original review since it implied that I have a questionable and nasty character/personality. I will personally refrain from unbecoming ad-hominem attacks of specific individuals.
(4) I stand by my original review and I give credit where it's due. I do not lie, make up stories, or twist facts to make myself look good/better. My verdict was/is: SA offers 5-star food with 0-star service.
And now, on to the description of what transpired, in chronological order.
10 days before my visit to SA, I called in to make a reservation. I was advised, repeatedly, over the phone, when I enquired about the usage of Klook vouchers, that I could buy as many Klook vouchers as I wanted and stacked them to offset the bill of the meal.
To confirm this, I asked the person over the phone a few times: "as many vouchers as I want?", "sure can stack?", "multiple vouchers can be used?". The person responded in the affirmative each and every time.
Subsequently, I got a message on WhatsApp to confirm my omakase booking. I confirmed once again that I wanted the $200 omakase meal for 2 pax. I was asked to send them a screenshot of my Klook voucher after I have made the purchase, to which I acquiesce.
On the day of the dinner itself, some time after being seated, I was abruptly approached by Li Min to settle the bill, at the table, in the middle of a conversation with my BF. I was asked to confirm that I had purchased a total of 5 Klook vouchers (4 x $100, and 1 x $50) amounting to a total of $450. Upon my confirmation, Li Min pulled out a device to scan and redeem ALL of my vouchers. Up till this point, I was still pretty happy with the progress of things and was eagerly waiting for the food to be served.
Note that before the scanning and redeeming of vouchers, I was not advised of the actual final amount on my bill. There was also no mention of conflicting terms and conditions that would invalidate my redemption of said vouchers.
The redemption of ALL my vouchers succeeded without a hitch. However, halfway through my meal, we were once again disturbed by Li Min who finally came to inform me that I have an unutilized amount of $10. This was definitely news to me! I had originally thought that I would still have to top up with cash/card to pay for the meal given GST & service charge. I decided to ask for some time to look through the menu.
Barely a few minutes later, Li Min returned to ask us if we had decided on what we wanted. We told her that we were not interested in any of the other offerings available in the menu. She then recommended sake, to which we politely declined, as we did not wish to consume alcohol. I then asked Li Min if it was possible to un-redeem the $50 voucher. She was unsure but agreed to check and left the table.
At this point, my BF was beginning to wonder if he could help because he could clearly observe that there was an ongoing issue from the frequent visits by Li Min and her less-than-happy face. I explained to him the going-ons.
Some time after, a different server came to our table to advise us that it was time for the last order. We confirmed that we did not want anything else. I naively believed that my request for the voucher to be un-redeemed had been fulfilled since Li Min did not return to my table to advise otherwise.
To my shock, I was only approached by Li Min after the completion of our meal, and was advised that my unutilized $10 voucher value will be forfeited since she was not able to reverse the redemption process. I then asked if it was possible for me to make an additional drink order at this point, but was firmly rejected.
Upset, I protested and reminded them of the various problems with the entire process that led to this result: Firstly, I was not advised of the bill before my vouchers were redeemed. Secondly, I was not advised before last order that the reversal of my voucher redemption was not possible. I requested for a $10 return voucher that can be used on my next visit.
In response, Li Min advised that since the vouchers actually came with terms and conditions that would have invalidated their use for my omakase meal, they were already doing me a favour, and did not owe me anything. I was shocked and flabbergasted.
On the next day, I left a 1-star review on Klook, and was promptly approached by a friendly Klook staff via email to explain my experience. You can read the entire correspondence that details this Klook intervention for yourself in the attached screenshots. Ultimately, SA failed to provide a satisfactory explanation and their listing was taken down from the Klook platform.
Personally, I do not really expect or demand stellar 5-star service; after all, this is Singapore. Unfortunately, the service that I received at SA was truly horrific for a dining establishment of its calibre and price tag. Even though the amount of $10 is hardly "princely", as sarcastically described by SA in its reply to my original review, what really grated me was the entire process that led to this unhappy outcome.
Even more shockingly, the person who wrote the reply to my original review is the very owner of SA.
Should SA persist in such lackluster service, to put it mildly, I would not be surprised if they eventually end up on social media for all the wrong reasons. A quick search on TripAdvisor shows that I am not the only one to have been at the receiving end of such "unapologetically lousy service".
To end off, I would like to provide a brief summary of what I believe would have made for the ideal dining experience at SA:
- making sure to give your customers the correct information before encouraging them to buy your vouchers
- advising your customers of the total amount on their bill before actually redeeming their vouchers
- asking for payment BEFORE or AFTER the meal, and not duringMore
