Dear Migros team,First of all, I would like to emphasize that I am very satisfied with you, your stores, your offers and, above all, your aha products. However, I have one small suggestion for improvement... When I wanted to use the microwave in Migros today to heat up the food I had brought with me, the Migros manager politely but firmly pointed out to me that Migros is a restaurant and that I was therefore not allowed to consume any food I had brought with me. I explained to the Migros manager that I suffered from allergies. He replied that he would hear that every week. I wanted to prove my allergies to him "in black and white", but he refused. So I tried to explain that I would like to eat with my friends and that this was the only option. But he insisted that I would have to buy my food in the restaurant. I just said that I couldn't see fries anymore. He then replied that there were other dishes that I could eat and that the kitchen staff were very knowledgeable and would be happy to prepare a "special menu" for me. I replied that this was a matter of trust and that my experiences with the catering staff had sometimes been rather disappointing. Nevertheless, I complied with his request and spoke to the kitchen staff. When I explained my allergies (which are not "exotic allergies"), the chef gave me the expected questioning look and it all ended with me having chips on my plate again... I can totally understand why bringing food into a restaurant is not allowed. However, this situation today gave me the idea that there are no options in public to heat up your own food in company... But it would be a great relief, especially for allergy sufferers like me. According to your chef and to my knowledge, there are a lot of allergy sufferers - and the trend is rising... So here's my idea for you: how about allowing people to heat up their own food in the restaurant for a certain fee... This would allow you to live your "aha philosophy" and make everyday life much easier for various allergy sufferers... We could enjoy our "safe" food in company without having to worry about "complaints", you would generate a small turnover and have achieved increased customer satisfaction... Win-win I would say... I am looking forward to your feedback. sincerely
All replies (13)
Hello @Jane5, thank you very much for your contribution. Can you please let me know which Migros restaurant this is? Many thanks in advance and best regards, Luisa
At the risk of starting a controversial discussion here (although such discussions do not have to be bad per se), I wanted to share my own personal opinion. Even as a guest in a company restaurant, I can't help but feel slightly irritated when individual employees eat their lunch from Tupperware. I can't really explain this rationally, because I don't consider myself to be an intolerant person. It's just a vague feeling, as if eating from Tupperware dishes is somehow detrimental to the atmosphere. But at least I always keep quiet and don't stare at the people in question or anything. I'm only saying this to try and make people understand that, as a customer of a Migros restaurant, I wouldn't consider the presence of picnicking guests (apparently in increasing numbers) to be a great enhancement of the restaurant.
The other side of the coin is practicality. Once you are allowed to heat up your own food, it will probably be a matter of minutes before the first people want to use the restaurant's crockery and cutlery. If the restaurant does not allow this, the next discussion is inevitable (there would be no additional costs because of this... If you can't pay a small surcharge.... We've seen it all before). If the use of crockery and cutlery is permitted - in contrast to the staff restaurant I know - it probably won't be long before the first people to use their own crockery and cutlery complain because they have to pay the same as the others just to heat up their food. Then, of course, there are those who eat food they have brought themselves, but which does not need to be reheated. Should this be allowed or not? If not, how do you explain this to the uncomprehending people concerned? If so, at what price? Differentiation with/without reheating? With/without crockery and cutlery? Graduated tariff system for each possible combination? Pragmatic solution including discussion with the troublemaker of the day? Anyone who thinks all this is exaggerated has probably never had a job with regular contact with a large and very mixed clientele. I certainly wouldn't want to be a restaurant manager.
I think it's good and exciting to hear other approaches that are quite justified... I find your arguments and your assumptions really understandable... But I am actually also against ALL being allowed to take and eat their food in a restaurant... But for me it was exclusively about the issue of ALLERGICS... I ask all restaurant testers: What do you prefer? To have to bear the responsibility if allergens mistakenly end up on the food, with life-threatening consequences, or to put your own pride aside and tolerate allergy sufferers eating their own food (guaranteed without allergens)... This means we don't have to inconvenience any restaurateurs and can still enjoy our food in company without looking like a crazy weirdo...! Win-win...!
LG
OK, but what does the restaurant manager, who I don't want to be, do with guests who heat up food they have brought themselves and claim to be allergy sufferers? Turn them away if they can't produce an allergy pass? Anything else would make little sense, as the microwave could be made available to everyone. With the passport option, however, it is to be hoped that only people who actually suffer from an allergy receive one. Otherwise, the person who... you know what I mean. And what if the guest has an ID card, but only cat and soap allergies are listed? Until the end, an employee is needed to stand next to the microwave and check the authorization to use it. All exaggerated? See above...
No, it's not exaggerated for those affected... And people who take advantage of such situations, invent allergies or the like - I just feel sorry for them! Because ultimately the allergy sufferers suffer and I think we suffer enough already!!!
I fall into the usual pattern with my intolerances, as they are very rare. So the only thing left for the restaurant manager to do would be to trust me and I'm sure many people would suddenly have an intolerance, allergy etc.
I'm also familiar with the barely detectable intolerances. But still... There must be a solution. And there should also be a bit of trust...
I absolutely agree that a little bit of trust should be possible - that applies to life in general. On the other hand, the extent to which you can realistically rely on people not abusing that trust is something I see every Saturday, for example, when I walk past the glass collection point in my neighborhood after closing time. Or a graphic in yesterday's newspaper:
Thank you for your patience @Jane5
We have received the following feedback from the cooperative. We are sorry that we have not yet been able to offer you a wider range of products. Just fries all the time is of course too boring in the long run. In order to find the right offer for you, it would be helpful to know your allergies. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate you with your microwave suggestion.
However, we will be happy to work out options for you with our chefs as soon as we know what you are allowed to eat. Then you won't have to resort to chips every time. If you would prefer to discuss your request with us in person, you are welcome to send us your telephone number and we will call you.
Best regards
Tamara