Popular Minnesota Restaurant Opens Up on Social Media with Vulnerable Letter

We are all living life in a weird world right now...and it is TOUGH!  Unfortunately, our local businesses are experiencing more than any of us can imagine due to a lot of anger from extremely rude customers because life just isn't like it used to be.  To give a glimpse of what they are going through, several are opening up and being vulnerable on social media and the latest to do so is The Hubbell House in Mantorville, Minnesota.

The Hubbell House is asking customers to give "grace and patience".

Happy Friday everyone! We're going to take a moment to be vulnerable here. We're doing our best, and doing our best to be professional, transparent and upfront about doing our best amidst the many challenges small businesses are facing right now. Many of our customers are totally understanding, and continue to be patient with us and give us encouragement. To all of you- THANK YOU! Sometimes just your kind smiles or patience is what gets our staff through their shifts.

 

But not everyone seems to understand what we are going through. Everyday we get emails from customers who are not happy with us, whether it's because they can't make a large party (like they've done every year for 50 years), or because they couldn't sit in the bar before dinner for a drink (and they saw lots of empty tables!) To be totally honest, these types of emails and harsh criticism are wearing us even more thin. Are they really necessary? Are people writing complaint emails to every small business they visit (because I've been eating and shopping, and I know service is slow and not the same just about everywhere I go).

Sometimes complaints are totally valid, because we are not perfect and sometimes we screw up. And when we do screw up, we want to know, so we can remedy the situation and be able to welcome customers back in the future. But the challenges we are facing at the Hubbell House (staffing, supply chain issues) are not unique to us. Restaurants nationwide are struggling, and for the time being, the fine-dining service model looks a bit different. An open table or barstool does not mean there is a server/bartender to wait on you. Hours will probably continue to reduce. Many of our staff are young and inexperienced, but are eager and willing to work, and we're so thankful to have them! And on the note of staff, please remember you only see the staff who are front of house. The number of people we have working in the kitchen and back of house has a direct effect on how many guests we can serve in the restaurant.

 

In summary, please continue to give patronage to the small businesses you love and want to stick around (hopefully that includes the Hubbell House!) And please continue to offer these small businesses grace and patience, even when things have changed or it's "not how it used to be." At the same time, if we screw up, please let us know in a productive way, and understand the things in vs out of our control. We're open to feedback, and please remember kindness, empathy and listening goes a long way.
Thank you all. We really do have the best customers, and most of the time the love and encouragement we get from you is louder than the critics! - The Hubbell House Facebook Page

Instead of treating people like garbage, let's praise those in Rochester, Minnesota, and throughout Southeast Minnesota with amazing customer service!

Truly thankful for those who are showing up each day and working hard at their jobs.  A few weeks ago, I asked you who has the best customer service in Rochester and below are the top picks in town.  If there is someone you'd like to give a shoutout to that deserves a great big "thank you!" on-air? Let me know over on my Facebook Page - Jessica On The Radio - or send me an e-mail to jessica.williams@townsquaremedia.com.

Listen On-Demand below, with the Y105FM app, and on the following podcast platforms: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify

BTW, you should go give Hanisch Bakery and Coffee Shop in Red Wing a big 'ol like on their Facebook page.  I saw this story because of them and you can tell from their posts that they are huge advocates for other businesses.  Go support them too!