Trash Talk

Have you ever had anyone trash talk about your stand? And if you did how did you handle the situation and also did it cause you to lose business? Anyone ever had the health dept sicked on you because of anonymous (bogus) phone calls?

Is this happening to you?

If you are not violating health codes and pass health inspections, why worry about the inspector. If the inspector keeps showing up because someone is complaining, post the inspection reports for everyone to see. It will help prove the complaints are bogus.

No it's happening to a friend of mine.

Health districts generally don't respond to anonymous complaints; there is too much liability involved. If the HD acts on an anonymous complaint and it were to harm the reputation of the business or create any other problems, it is a lawsuit waiting to happen.

An anonymous complaint, however, is different than the HD keeping the name of the source confidential. To initiate an investigation based on a complaint I would tell the complainent that I would keep their name confidential, but that the complaint would be an official request and required full disclosure. If the anonymous source declined, I would put a note in the file listing the complaint. When a regular inspection was conducted, I would review any notes and keep a bit of an eye out during inspection to see if anything might match the complaint, but that was as much as I would do with "anonymous" information.

The person has a stand down the block from them and he is telling his customers not to visit her stand.

quote:

Originally posted by Nightshift

The person has a stand down the block from them and he is telling his customers not to visit her stand.

And?

Take a look at the college post I just posted.

Think I kinda had this happen today. Guy I filled in for when he decided it was "too hot" saturday at the BMX thing set up directly next to me today with his raggedy little cart with his cruddy pork/chicken dogs and lukewarm sodas.

Thought he was gonna "get me back" for saturday. Some asked about my new partner and had a good laugh from it.

Like I said, some people just dont belong in this business.

Had a guy buy the exact same cart, with same color scheme, and copied my menu and price schedule. Ended up being assigned acroos the street. He tried to look like me to get the "business partner" status look (like spud) and when he couldn't meet my business, had a buddy call the HD and lodged three complaints (two were absolutly false or useless, one (selling bowls of chili) was absolutly the truth). I had no prob. with my inspector who just told me to stop. End of story, I am still rolling, he has been run out of his spot and eventually the biz altogether. I think he was one of the guys who thinks good carting is easy. NOT!

Also had a customer walkng across the street talking trash (I think he thought he was funny) like "I bet your hot dogs, ain't even good" etc, very loudly then says "But I'll look at your menu anyway" like he was doing me a grand favor. I looked him dead in the eye and told him "Most folks have enough common sense not to talk sh*t before I have the opportunity to spit in their food." He looked at me not knowing if i was serious or not and I said "You might want to find yourself another hot dog guy." (real Clint Eastwood like) and off he went.

That is an awesome story chiliman.

I'll just call you clint from now on. LOL or should I say dirty Harry.

Got a 44? LOL

When I first started and thought I had to please the world, I let some dingleberry do something very similar (" Man I bet your dogs ain't even that good! and "I bet your chips are stale.") and I did nothing about it. It haunted me to the very day I had the run in with this other nincompoop. It was awesome to be able to talk like that to someone who deserved it and it really gave me a feeling of redemption. I'm glad you enjoyed it Night! It is one of my favorite crowd entertaining stories ever.