PIOLA ON MIAMI BEACH

Piola is a pizzeria located at 1625 Alton Road, Miami Beach. As expected of most places on the Beach, it's a trendy spot that feels more like a discotech disguised as a restaurant. The pizza is baked in an open oven and served in large portions. But, we're not here to talk about the food. It's all about the service.
The young lady who was our primary server was pleasant and helpful enough. But, the manager for the evening lost it
when he decided to lecture us on the merit of the coupon we presented for a free pizza. The coupon was the only reason we wanted to go to this restaurant. We're not big pizza eaters, but the coupon was a gift to my husband so we invited a friend to try it out. Great advertising, right? Wrong. When we presented the coupon, it was met with what felt like a Spanish inquisition. He gave us this long-winded explanation including, but not limited to "I've never seen this before" to "we can only honor these when signed by the manager of another store". Incidently, my research shows it is the only Piola restaurant in South Florida.
Now at this point, we're starving, the only thing on the menu is overpriced personal pan pizzas, we haven't ordered anything and I'm way past tolerating his tone of voice. I would have left, but I had to consider my promise to serve you. So, I stayed and trudged forward, pursuing the mission of getting the free pizza that was owed to me. I asked him, "are you going to honor it or not?" After a few moments of more excuses and explanations, we finally get him to say "yes" as if he were doing us a favor. Eventually, he went away, we resumed our evening with the regular server and the rest of the evening went off without a hitch.
The lesson learned here, use better judgement before lecturing customers. Is it worth the cost of the potential gain you stand to lose. In this case, he gave us an 8.95 pizza and our bill was a little over $50 (it would have been more, but the food wasn't good enough to risk dessert). That's an 80% return, almost lost due to a bad attitude.
The views expressed on this blog are my own. Use this as a guide only. This critique was not solicited, nor was I hired to share these thoughts. I am not a professional. I'm just a customer looking for great service. The names of the individuals mentioned are eliminated, primarily to protect me. Please remember, everyone's opinion is different and I encourage you to check it out for yourself.
By the way, this was my first time at this establishment and it will probably be my last. I'll keep you posted.

WHO IS INSPECTOR SERVICE?

I'm a sucker for great customer service. I'll patronize and recommend a restaurant with good service, over mediocre food any day. Over the past few years, I've noticed service doesn't seem to be that important anymore. What happened to the days when a smile or a pleasant hello was not too much to ask, never mind actually doing your job and providing assistance when needed. That brings me to the reason I created this blog. I feel it is my responsibility to share my shopping experiences, good or bad, with other "hard working, need to be selective about where to spend your money" consumers. And now that I have a forum to do so, I hope you allow me the opportunity to serve you with information on where to get the most for your buck.
Unfortunately, my reviews will primarily come from South Florida companies because I live in Miami, FL. It's a big city though and I'm sure I'll have a lot to write about. I'll critique as many places as I can. No place is too large, or too small. Actually, this will give me a chance to go to and experience places outside of my regular stomping grounds.
I would be remise if I didn't say, the views expressed on this blog are based on my opinion. This critique was not solicited. Nor, have I been hired by anyone to endorse or criticize any business. Please use this as a guide only. Remember everyone's opinion is different and I encourage you to check it out for yourself. That being said. To all the businesses in the area including restaurants, department stores and all services, beware! You'll never know when I might walk into your establishment. I"m telling everything I know and for your sake, I hope "it's all good".
INSPECTOR SERVICE