Post # 1
Member
1254 posts
Bumble bee
A caterer I was working with stops returning my calls and emails after we had asked about doing a tasting and paying his deposit.
I left 2 voicemail messages and an email message over a 2 week span, to no avail. I called today using a different phone number and he immediately picked up. We got disconnected, so I called on my regular line. He picked up, then we got disconnected again. I called again on my regular line and it went straight to voicemail. Should I assume he is not interested in doing my wedding?
He was so helpful during our initial meeting, then suddenly when he learned we were serious he is nowhere to be found. WTF?!
Post # 3
Member
1418 posts
Bumble bee
That is a strange situation. Honestly, it sounds a bit like he is trying to blow you off! I would consider another caterer since you haven’t paid the deposit yet. This guy seems a bit sketchy to me!
Post # 4
Member
3997 posts
Honey bee
I’d keep it moving. Sounds like he’s not at all professional. I can see that being beyond frustrating and problematic.
Post # 5
Member
1184 posts
Bumble bee
assuming you have other options, i’d look at a different caterer. if he’s this difficult before you’ve even signed a contract, just think how much worse it could get once he has your non-refundable deposit in hand and knows you’re stuck with him.
Post # 6
Member
4383 posts
Honey bee
I would definitely run for the hills!
Post # 8
Member
459 posts
Helper bee
That’s a really odd situation, usually it’s the total opposite! Me personally, I would take that as a bad sign of how he would treat you going forward until the wedding. I just would be scared of someone like that.
There are plenty of catering options out there 🙂
Good Luck!
Post # 9
Member
1254 posts
Bumble bee
Thanks Bees! He is definitely acting very shady and it is so frustrating since finding a caterer has been the toughest task for me yet. I just hate having to start all over. But you are right, I’d rather he act this way now than later when he is holding my deposit. Grrr…
Post # 10
Member
1254 posts
Bumble bee
UPDATE ON CATERER:
It has been two weeks since I decided to drop this caterer and pursue another. The day after I started this thread, I added the caterer’s company name on Yelp with the intention of writing a review. It took 2 attempts and 4 business days for the company name to appear on the website, so it wasn’t until the following week that I was able to post his review.
I posted a review that was factual indicating dates of conversations, times of emails, etc. Two days after I posted the review, I received an email from him apologizing to me about not returning my call from “the other day” because his phone battery died. Mind you, it had been a full week since our last conversation in which I had also sent a follow-up email to the dropped phone call requiring a response. I assumed that the email he sent to me was prompted by my negative review. Come to find out today, it was not…
Ten minutes ago I received a nervous phone call from the caterer wanting to speak to me about his lack of responsiveness. Turns out, he had just now seen my Yelp review. Since I already told him on our last email exchange that I decided to go another route, I wasn’t really interested in talking to him so I made up a meeting I was supposed to be attending to get him off the phone. During our last email exchange, I listed the dates and times of all my voicemails and emails to him and let him know that, with his lack of responsiveness, we assumed he was no longer interested in servicing our event. His response:
“I am sorry to hear that. With my low princing and the high quality of the food, I get bogged down with refferals, as well as events. I wish you the best of luck with you choice.”
Understandable right? Except, all I needed from him was an address that I can mail his deposit check to. It would’ve taken him a minute to give me that information. Anyway, he seemed really frazzled on the phone and I told him I would call him back after my meeting.
Do you think I posted the review too soon? Should I have waited longer for him to respond?
Post # 11
Member
1465 posts
Bumble bee
Find a different caterer asap since this one is not professional at all. Definitely leave a review explaining the bad experience you have had with them.
