Lobster Pound Disaster

ironhorsetim · 08-13-2010, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shreddy

Kind of a cowardly move

Kind of harsh in my opinion but you know what they say about opinions

What I want to know is why Mr.sox hasn't been back on...Ya think he's been checking on this thread or what.
I've been to the LP many times since they opened and have never had a bad night...must be one of the lucky one's

Shreddy · 08-13-2010, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ironhorsetim

Kind of harsh in my opinion but you know what they say about opinions

What I want to know is why Mr.sox hasn't been back on...Ya think he's been checking on this thread or what.
I've been to the LP many times since they opened and have never had a bad night...must be one of the lucky one's

I couldn't think of another word, and I felt that it fit. Mike was extremely defensive and now won't clear up the dilemma. I'll agree, I'm curious about Mr. Sox, but there has been enough bad reviews coupled with how Mike has handled the situation to make me stray away from the LP for a while.

Bigstan · 08-13-2010, 10:08 AM

It is absolutely 100% the right move for Mike to bow out on this. He was smart enough to see that defending your every action ends up being a lose-lose situation in the long run.

Newbiesaukee · 08-13-2010, 10:55 AM

I absolutely agree that it was prudent for Mike Ray to stop defending his every move. However, he could have accomplished this simply by not defending every negative comment about the LP. It was not necessary to "resign" from the Forum which seems conterproductive to me.

jetskier · 08-13-2010, 11:03 AM

This comes across as "I am going to take my ball and go home." It is one thing to not participate officially on the forum and it is another to publicly declare that you are leaving. IMHO, this has all been handled poorly by LP and as has been previously stated all that had to happen is that they indicate that they had a problem (no one is perfect), make it right with the customer, and move on. The true mettle is tested when things go wrong...Mike, you are not here to read this, but you just failed. Good luck to LP, my money will continue to go elsewhere.

Jetskier

Woodsy · 08-13-2010, 12:13 PM

WOW!! Its kind of amazing to me how some people are....

Let me first state... I am a local, and I personally LOVE the LP.... I go there all the time! I am sure I will be there tonight at some point. The staff has been nothing but GREAT and the food EXCELLENT! These guys step up for charities (Brenda's Ride this weekend) and all in all try to be good members of the community!

SkiSox had a bad meal... it happens! No doubt with the time constraints they became a little sour when it wasnt as prompt as they would have liked. I am kinda with a few others on this... showing up and expecting a full meal at 6:55 for an 8:00 concert thats a 8-10 minute drive away plus parking time is kinda silly! If you just wanted some beers & apps I would understand. Essentially skisox had 40 minutes or so to get drinks, apps and dinner. Talk about dinner impossible!

The reality is you CANNOT please 100% of your customers... its statistically impossible. The LP must be doing something right because there are cars in the lot all the time! I have watched the place grow... I live up the street!

Instead of trying to tear down a place of business, why not just be constructive? These guys (and all of the other local folks) are in business to make a few $$$.... its def not in thier best intrests if you leave unhappy. You have bad meal, bring it up to them, they cant fix it or make it right if they dont know its broken....

Woodsy

Resident 2B · 08-13-2010, 12:26 PM

I hope that Mike Ray does not go away from posting on this forum. Mike runs a very good restaurant, The Lobster Pound. I enjoy this place for dinner and for drinks, or for both.

Mike, you have built a solid business and as a result, some will take a poke or two at you and the restaurant. Listen a bit, but do not stop what you are doing. Some of the comments may help you in your efforts towards continuous improvement, while other comments are pure crap. I know you can tell the two apart.

Keep up the good work and thank you for taking The Lobster Pound to where it is today.

R2B

ishoot308 · 08-13-2010, 12:34 PM

I must say, I have seen a lot more damage done in a few of these restaurant threads than I have seen in the entire boating forum! Unfortunately the damage done here can really hurt a local business whereas the boating forum banter is simply bickering...

Go figure..

Dan

Irish mist · 08-13-2010, 02:44 PM

You can't prove it, but from what I have read over the years it looks like the LP was targeted by some individuals for whatever reason......I'll leave that for you to figure out why. It does not help that Mike has thin-skin IMO, but the guy has sunk millions of dollars down the Weirs. It's a no win situation for him.

NoBozo · 08-13-2010, 06:32 PM

LP Posts: I didn't bring this up in my earlier post where Mike addressed MY posts directly. I didn't think the LP needed to RE-Live the 2008 thread again so I didn't bring it up. The OP in this thread had only TWO posts out of 143 in that old thread. Yet he is attacked incessantly in THIS thread.

THIS thread is up to 91 posts. There seems to be some supporters here who are LOCAL... I think: So they support their own. That's understandable.

Maybe the unhappy customers posting here are those loathsome FLAT Landers who bring money.....and expect something for it. Just wondering.

Where there's smoke there's fire......NO...??

skisox24 · 08-13-2010, 08:53 PM

I am sorry for not having responded to the many posts since mine of July 31. I have not logged onto Winnepesaukee.com since August 1st.

NonVotingTaxpayer noted that I had a previous post criticizing the Lobster Pound. That is probably true and, if my memory serves me correctly, I complained about the outrageous cost of one pound of steamers compared with the same quantity of steamers at two other lakes region restaurants in the area at that time. I also appreciate his acknowledgment of my positive post for another seafood restaurant in the area. I do not enjoy slamming a restaurant in public and would much prefer promoting a good experience. And, I have had several complimentary posts on Winnepesaukee.com. But my party's experience that night of July 30 was exactly as I had described.

With respect to Mike Ray's August 3rd reply to my post, I did not see his statement until tonight. As for Mike Ray's assertions, I am shocked at the misrepresentations that he presents. The very first thing that I stated to our waitress when seated was that we had time constraints because of our Meadowbrook tickets. I will grant the possibility that she was so busy that evening that she may have forgotten that we told her of our schedule. I will not, however, allow Mike Ray or the waitress to escape a total lie. I ate one peel-and-eat shrimp and my son had two. I don't recall how many shrimp are contained in a one pound serving, but will guess at somewhere between eight and fourteen. We conumed no more than three and the rest were left untouched. For the waitress to report that all were eaten tells me a great deal either about her credibility or Mike Ray's inability to accept accountability.

Mike Ray is correct in that we chose not to complain to the waitress about the shrimp, nor did we complain about my fish entree, or my son's ahi tuna. We chose to make our statement with a 10% gratuity (and we always leave 20% of the gross amount of a restaurant tab). And, I will acknowledge that following the inedible shrimp which was delivered unacceptably late, that our level of disappointment was transitioning into anxiety. How can a restaurant acknowledge as acceptable a practice whereby the waitress never stops by the table a short period after the delivery of food to check on the level of customer satisfaction? That is waitressing 101. Not only did she not stop by, but we had to seek her out by asking two other employees to please have her sent over to our table. This was after a lengthy period of our failed visible search for her presence anywhere near our table.

I am always willing to excuse a restaurant from good service when they are excessively busy. However, the total lack of attention to our specific request for attentive service because of our concert arrangements, and the waitress's failure to check back in with us at least once is inexcusable.

Several posters stated that our time sensitive goal at the Lobster Pound on a Friday night in mid-season was unrealistic. On that point, I will accept responsibility for a bad decision on our part. Actually our first choice was Patrick's Pub, and when we arrived in their parking lot we discovered that there was more than an hour wait. We then drove to the Lobster Pound where we were sat at a table immediately....no waiting at all. Does that support the contention that the restaurant was unusually busy and, therefore, unable to deliver routine restaurant services?

Look, my post was inspired by the fact that my experience that night represented the worst dining experience that I can ever recall in my adult life. I am sure that we were victims of a perfect storm of events that caused us to be treated with inferior attention. My goal was to share our experience with others for whatever benefit that might serve future customers of this restaurant. At the same time I will acknowledge having dined at the Lobster Pound three or four other times in recent years where service was totally fine and the food, while not exceptional, was quite acceptable. And, the Lobster Pound's outdoor seating venue is one of the best in the lakes region. It was a bad night for sure, but to me the most disturbing aspect of this entire controversy is the unfounded defense of Mike Ray with his inaccurate contentions that totally fly in the face of the truth. I am sorry that he feels that it is necessary to resort to that level of self-advocacy.

The internet and forums like Winnepesaukee.com can be an excellent medium for sharing information with members of the public. At the same time, I recognize the anonymity of internet postings and the potential for malicious abuse of the internet medium for unethical purposes. I assure everyone on the forum that our representations are totally accurate and I truly felt that my posting was warranted due to our treatment that evening. I have no intentions of hiding behind my anonymous "user name." I would be more than willing to meet with Mike Ray to discuss our experience directly with him, face to face. I am not looking for any special treatment, favors, or gifts from the Lobster Pound, and, in fact, I would refuse to accept any if offered. However, I am uncomfortable continuing this discussion with only one side of this dispute having a real identity. So, if Mike Ray would like me to stop by his business to discuss our complaint, I would be totally agreeable to doing so at a time convenient to us both.

VitaBene · 08-13-2010, 09:28 PM

Thank you for posting and your willingness to meet with the LP.

partsman · 08-15-2010, 08:30 PM

This forum never ceases to amaze me!

08-13-2010, 10:08 AM	#3
Bigstan Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Gilford NH Posts: 376 Thanks: 9 Thanked 163 Times in 91 Posts	Right move. It is absolutely 100% the right move for Mike to bow out on this. He was smart enough to see that defending your every action ends up being a lose-lose situation in the long run.

08-13-2010, 11:03 AM	#5
jetskier Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: North Reading, MA and South Down Shores Posts: 851 Thanks: 57 Thanked 183 Times in 114 Posts	Poor form! This comes across as "I am going to take my ball and go home." It is one thing to not participate officially on the forum and it is another to publicly declare that you are leaving. IMHO, this has all been handled poorly by LP and as has been previously stated all that had to happen is that they indicate that they had a problem (no one is perfect), make it right with the customer, and move on. The true mettle is tested when things go wrong...Mike, you are not here to read this, but you just failed. Good luck to LP, my money will continue to go elsewhere. Jetskier

08-13-2010, 12:13 PM	#6
Woodsy Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Weirs Beach Posts: 1,965 Thanks: 80 Thanked 979 Times in 440 Posts	WOW!! Its kind of amazing to me how some people are.... Let me first state... I am a local, and I personally LOVE the LP.... I go there all the time! I am sure I will be there tonight at some point. The staff has been nothing but GREAT and the food EXCELLENT! These guys step up for charities (Brenda's Ride this weekend) and all in all try to be good members of the community! SkiSox had a bad meal... it happens! No doubt with the time constraints they became a little sour when it wasnt as prompt as they would have liked. I am kinda with a few others on this... showing up and expecting a full meal at 6:55 for an 8:00 concert thats a 8-10 minute drive away plus parking time is kinda silly! If you just wanted some beers & apps I would understand. Essentially skisox had 40 minutes or so to get drinks, apps and dinner. Talk about dinner impossible! The reality is you CANNOT please 100% of your customers... its statistically impossible. The LP must be doing something right because there are cars in the lot all the time! I have watched the place grow... I live up the street! Instead of trying to tear down a place of business, why not just be constructive? These guys (and all of the other local folks) are in business to make a few $$$.... its def not in thier best intrests if you leave unhappy. You have bad meal, bring it up to them, they cant fix it or make it right if they dont know its broken.... Woodsy __________________ The only way to eliminate ignorant behavior is through education. You can't fix stupid.

08-13-2010, 12:26 PM	#7
Resident 2B Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: North Shore, MA Posts: 1,357 Thanks: 994 Thanked 313 Times in 163 Posts	Do Not Go Away I hope that Mike Ray does not go away from posting on this forum. Mike runs a very good restaurant, The Lobster Pound. I enjoy this place for dinner and for drinks, or for both. Mike, you have built a solid business and as a result, some will take a poke or two at you and the restaurant. Listen a bit, but do not stop what you are doing. Some of the comments may help you in your efforts towards continuous improvement, while other comments are pure crap. I know you can tell the two apart. Keep up the good work and thank you for taking The Lobster Pound to where it is today. R2B

08-13-2010, 08:53 PM	#11
skisox24 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 74 Thanks: 9 Thanked 5 Times in 3 Posts	My Reply I am sorry for not having responded to the many posts since mine of July 31. I have not logged onto Winnepesaukee.com since August 1st. NonVotingTaxpayer noted that I had a previous post criticizing the Lobster Pound. That is probably true and, if my memory serves me correctly, I complained about the outrageous cost of one pound of steamers compared with the same quantity of steamers at two other lakes region restaurants in the area at that time. I also appreciate his acknowledgment of my positive post for another seafood restaurant in the area. I do not enjoy slamming a restaurant in public and would much prefer promoting a good experience. And, I have had several complimentary posts on Winnepesaukee.com. But my party's experience that night of July 30 was exactly as I had described. With respect to Mike Ray's August 3rd reply to my post, I did not see his statement until tonight. As for Mike Ray's assertions, I am shocked at the misrepresentations that he presents. The very first thing that I stated to our waitress when seated was that we had time constraints because of our Meadowbrook tickets. I will grant the possibility that she was so busy that evening that she may have forgotten that we told her of our schedule. I will not, however, allow Mike Ray or the waitress to escape a total lie. I ate one peel-and-eat shrimp and my son had two. I don't recall how many shrimp are contained in a one pound serving, but will guess at somewhere between eight and fourteen. We conumed no more than three and the rest were left untouched. For the waitress to report that all were eaten tells me a great deal either about her credibility or Mike Ray's inability to accept accountability. Mike Ray is correct in that we chose not to complain to the waitress about the shrimp, nor did we complain about my fish entree, or my son's ahi tuna. We chose to make our statement with a 10% gratuity (and we always leave 20% of the gross amount of a restaurant tab). And, I will acknowledge that following the inedible shrimp which was delivered unacceptably late, that our level of disappointment was transitioning into anxiety. How can a restaurant acknowledge as acceptable a practice whereby the waitress never stops by the table a short period after the delivery of food to check on the level of customer satisfaction? That is waitressing 101. Not only did she not stop by, but we had to seek her out by asking two other employees to please have her sent over to our table. This was after a lengthy period of our failed visible search for her presence anywhere near our table. I am always willing to excuse a restaurant from good service when they are excessively busy. However, the total lack of attention to our specific request for attentive service because of our concert arrangements, and the waitress's failure to check back in with us at least once is inexcusable. Several posters stated that our time sensitive goal at the Lobster Pound on a Friday night in mid-season was unrealistic. On that point, I will accept responsibility for a bad decision on our part. Actually our first choice was Patrick's Pub, and when we arrived in their parking lot we discovered that there was more than an hour wait. We then drove to the Lobster Pound where we were sat at a table immediately....no waiting at all. Does that support the contention that the restaurant was unusually busy and, therefore, unable to deliver routine restaurant services? Look, my post was inspired by the fact that my experience that night represented the worst dining experience that I can ever recall in my adult life. I am sure that we were victims of a perfect storm of events that caused us to be treated with inferior attention. My goal was to share our experience with others for whatever benefit that might serve future customers of this restaurant. At the same time I will acknowledge having dined at the Lobster Pound three or four other times in recent years where service was totally fine and the food, while not exceptional, was quite acceptable. And, the Lobster Pound's outdoor seating venue is one of the best in the lakes region. It was a bad night for sure, but to me the most disturbing aspect of this entire controversy is the unfounded defense of Mike Ray with his inaccurate contentions that totally fly in the face of the truth. I am sorry that he feels that it is necessary to resort to that level of self-advocacy. The internet and forums like Winnepesaukee.com can be an excellent medium for sharing information with members of the public. At the same time, I recognize the anonymity of internet postings and the potential for malicious abuse of the internet medium for unethical purposes. I assure everyone on the forum that our representations are totally accurate and I truly felt that my posting was warranted due to our treatment that evening. I have no intentions of hiding behind my anonymous "user name." I would be more than willing to meet with Mike Ray to discuss our experience directly with him, face to face. I am not looking for any special treatment, favors, or gifts from the Lobster Pound, and, in fact, I would refuse to accept any if offered. However, I am uncomfortable continuing this discussion with only one side of this dispute having a real identity. So, if Mike Ray would like me to stop by his business to discuss our complaint, I would be totally agreeable to doing so at a time convenient to us both.

The Following 5 Users Say Thank You to Bigstan For This Useful Post:
CGI3 (08-15-2010), Heaven (08-13-2010), ironhorsetim (08-13-2010), Lucky1 (08-18-2010), VtSteve (08-13-2010)

08-13-2010, 10:55 AM	#4
Newbiesaukee Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Coral Gables, winter; Long Island, summer Posts: 1,353 Thanks: 946 Thanked 573 Times in 298 Posts	I absolutely agree that it was prudent for Mike Ray to stop defending his every move. However, he could have accomplished this simply by not defending every negative comment about the LP. It was not necessary to "resign" from the Forum which seems conterproductive to me.

The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Woodsy For This Useful Post:
hazelnut (08-13-2010), SteveO123 (08-15-2010), VtSteve (08-13-2010)

The Following User Says Thank You to Resident 2B For This Useful Post:
Newbiesaukee (08-13-2010)

08-13-2010, 12:34 PM	#8
ishoot308 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Gilford, NH / Welch Island Posts: 6,231 Thanks: 2,382 Thanked 5,276 Times in 2,050 Posts	I must say, I have seen a lot more damage done in a few of these restaurant threads than I have seen in the entire boating forum! Unfortunately the damage done here can really hurt a local business whereas the boating forum banter is simply bickering... Go figure.. Dan

08-13-2010, 02:44 PM	#9
Irish mist Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 683 Thanks: 127 Thanked 85 Times in 49 Posts	You can't prove it, but from what I have read over the years it looks like the LP was targeted by some individuals for whatever reason......I'll leave that for you to figure out why. It does not help that Mike has thin-skin IMO, but the guy has sunk millions of dollars down the Weirs. It's a no win situation for him.

08-13-2010, 06:32 PM	#10
NoBozo Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Portsmouth. RI Posts: 2,231 Thanks: 400 Thanked 460 Times in 308 Posts	LP Posts: I didn't bring this up in my earlier post where Mike addressed MY posts directly. I didn't think the LP needed to RE-Live the 2008 thread again so I didn't bring it up. The OP in this thread had only TWO posts out of 143 in that old thread. Yet he is attacked incessantly in THIS thread. THIS thread is up to 91 posts. There seems to be some supporters here who are LOCAL... I think: So they support their own. That's understandable. Maybe the unhappy customers posting here are those loathsome FLAT Landers who bring money.....and expect something for it. Just wondering. Where there's smoke there's fire......NO...??

The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to skisox24 For This Useful Post:
ironhorsetim (08-15-2010), NonVoting Taxpayer (08-16-2010), Shreddy (08-16-2010)

08-13-2010, 09:28 PM	#12
VitaBene Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Moultonborough Posts: 3,575 Thanks: 1,609 Thanked 1,632 Times in 839 Posts	Thank you for posting and your willingness to meet with the LP.

08-15-2010, 08:30 PM	#13
partsman Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Meredith Posts: 28 Thanks: 1 Thanked 5 Times in 3 Posts	This thread This forum never ceases to amaze me!