"You're a star!" stories

We’ve been to the restaurant many times with my friends and family. We always go back because we love the wings and the customer service is great. Especially one of the staff members gives great service without fail, and we often say that she is probably one of the best in Tampere. She is always cheerful and makes us feel a bit special, and if we’re not in the mood for wings, she can always recommend something good. I saw this campaign, and I think she deserves the title.

Rewarded memeber of the staff: Janos, waiter, Sticky Wingers, Tampere

I came to Mattolaituri after a tough week to spend the first Friday of my vacation. This occurred on June 28, around 6 p.m. Because the weather was great, the place was bursting at the seams, but a helpful bartender finally managed to show us to a free table. The customer service was so good that we didn’t even mind the long wait. The same beautiful young woman has served us before, for example, last summer at Löyly. She has always provided me with exceptional customer service. And what’s best, even though she’s busy, she always has a big smile on her face. Clearly, she loves her job. It’s rare to see a person working in a restaurant whose love for the industry is so clearly visible to the customers! A big ‘thank you’ to Ronja, who made our evening unforgettable!

Rewarded memeber of the staff: Ronja, shift manager, Mattolaituri, Helsinki

We want to give some feedback about an employee called Jukka at Pyynikin Brewhouse in Tampere. For several times now, Jukka has treated us to a really unique customer experience thanks to his excellent customer service. Last time, we came in from pouring rain and he gave us a corner table and stayed to chat for a while even though the restaurant was making a killing that day. He dedicated that time to us even though the place was palpably busy at the time. Later on a different day, near the closing time while he was tidying up the place, he stopped to chat to us about wines and other restaurants in Tampere, although it was obvious that he had work to do. Even though there have been plenty of customers in the place, we as customers received great service with a personal touch. Unbelievable customer service! I have never met restaurant staff this great! PS. We had meant to have one bottle of wine but thanks to the great customer service, we ended up staying for another bottle.

Rewarded memeber of the staff: Jukka, waiter, Pyynikin Brewhouse, Tampere

There was a waiter bustling around in the restaurant, one you might bump into in the US but never in Finland. It’s not so much a question of the service our dinner party received, more like how Ninnu (if I caught her name right) always seemed to be on top of things and constantly on the move. She noticed and acknowledged at the right time new customers arriving in the restaurant as well as parties that had finished eating. Unfortunately, this is quite rare. For example, it can be a real pain in the neck to attract a waiter’s attention when you want to pay. Ninnu, on the other hand, had a real knack for it. She even directed her colleagues in this respect, so that each corner of the room received equal attention. Another thing that really caught my eye was how she rearranged tables depending on the dinner parties arriving in the restaurant to unexpectedly find room for them. This kind of initiative and flexibility is hard to find. A hard-working, enterprising, and energetic customer service person of this caliber is a veritable gold mine for a company. Not only does she leave the customers in high spirits, surely she also increases the sales. Despite the rush, she did her job with a big smile on her face and even found the time to check if we were OK once our food had arrived. A proper pro who really made my day. Also, a special thanks for providing a feedback channel and reward system like this. We read about it and found the link in the ‘business cards’ on the tables at the restaurant.

Rewarded memeber of the staff: Annika, waiter, American Diner Zsar, Vaalimaa

We had met this Australian guy in the bar next door, who was on a day trip to Jyväskylä on his way from Estonia to Norway. We showed him around the city and visited some pubs, and around 1 p.m., we also stopped by at Harry’s. A couple of the Finns in our entourage ordered Long Gin Drink, which was a complete novelty to our Aussie mate. He asked the bartender, Jussi, what the drink contains, and without batting an eyelid, Jussi showcased his excellent knowledge of the drink, including its history and origins, all in fluent English. On top of everything, he even gave a little taster. Our Aussie mate got to taste Long Gin Drink for the first time in his life, and he was completely blown away by the quality of the service, as were all of us. Extra bonus points to Jussi for taking care of a situation I witnessed earlier that day from the beer garden of the bar next door. This guy, who was completely out of it because of drugs and in some kind of psychosis to boot, was going from one beer garden to another, shouting aggressively at innocent customers. When he arrived at Harry’s beer garden, Jussi addressed him calmly, while the staff inside called the cops. In the meantime, the guy was chucking his things on the street and shouting at Jussi to come and fight. But Jussi remained calm and managed to talk the guy to staying still without harming anyone, until the police arrived and took the guy away. All things said and done, Jussi is clearly a real pro who knows his products as well as his customers 🙂

Rewarded memeber of the staff: Jussi, bartender, Harry’s, Jyväskylä

My husband took me out to dinner for my birthday. I wanted to eat scallops at Sandro because I’d tried them there once before and they were really good. However, when we got our menus I saw that scallops were not on the list. I was cursing the fact to the waiter. However, the waiter promised to ask if there were any scallops left and whether the chef would mind preparing them. This turned out to be fine, and I got my scallops even though they weren’t on the menu. A big ‘thank you’ to the chef who was so flexible and made my wish come true! Usually, all you get is ‘sorry, no can do’. Well, this time they could do, making my birthday perfect!

Rewarded memeber of the staff: Mia-Maria, waiter, Sandro Ratina, Tampere

I was out for lunch with my friend and our kids. We got our bellies full, and the price-quality ratio was right on the money. But the most astonishing thing was the customer service we received! As we were finishing our meals, the waiter stopped by to ask if we were happy with the food. She then noticed that the kids were arguing about whose turn it was to play on the game device. She left but returned after a moment with three inflatable beach balls and asked the kids if they wanted them. And as if that wasn’t enough, our waiter then asked if the kids wanted to play with her if she got one more ball. That was the end of the bickering. The kids forgot all about the game console as the ball game grabbed their attention. So a massive thanks to you who served us at American Diner in Sampokeskus. You’re a customer service person of the highest order. Words alone can’t describe the feeling of happiness you gave us!

Rewarded memeber of the staff: Rosa-Emilia, waiter, American Diner, Rovaniemi

My friend and I were visiting Teatteri for the first time. We weren’t quite sure if we wanted a bite to eat or just a glass of wine and a chat. We ended up at Grilli, where a cheerful and polite maître d’ greeted us. We mentioned that our plans were still a bit open, were instantly shown the way to the sofas by the wall instead of a table and provided with a wine list plus recommendations. It didn’t take long for both us to have a glass of wine in hand, and a pretty good one, too. After a while, we decided to ask to see the menu. From a wide range of good options, and after slight encouragement from the maître d’, we went for the Teatteri hamburger that had apparently received praise from the customers. We just had to give it a try. The burgers were served to our sofa corner, and by the way, they were top notch. The meat was done perfectly medium, and the cheese and mayo combined with the smoky charcoal flavor created a beautifully smooth and spicy mood. The maître d’ acting as our waiter asked us expertly already at the start of our meal what we thought of the burger. There were no complaints! On top of good wine and food, we received very warm and personal service during our stay, even though we had arrived with no clear plan as to the destination of our visit. Once again, this proves that, as if by magic, the evening of two slightly lost friends can be turned into a memorable restaurant experience at the hands of an expert customer service person. If you’re short of ideas, why not trust in the advice of a professional? All I had to do was focus on having a conversation with my friend! A big fat ‘thank you’ to our blonde Ella for a wonderful customer service experience. I’ll be sure to stop by at Teatteri again.

Rewarded memeber of the staff: Ella, maître d’, Teatteri, Helsinki