Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams — Restaurant in Austin

We recently celebrated my daughter's birthday at a place near Jen's. I had planned to invite my daughter + her 5 friends to enjoy an ice cream after the primary activity. When we arrived, there was no line so the 6 teenagers and myself went in. We ordered 5 ice creams and 4 cups of water. Everyone was thirsty because they had just finished a fun, physical activity. I was there to pay and the guy who was behind the register asked if I would like to leave a tip. After I said yes, he asked, "A specific dollar amount or a percentage?" I agreed to leave a 15 percent tip. Since the area inside was small, I left and waited outside. When the group came out, they let me know that they had been given hot water. I thought, oh no problem, let me go back in and let them know. When I entered the store, there was a young woman at the register and the guy who had helped us was scooping ice cream. She stopped me at the door like I was there to rob the place. I explained nicely that we received hot water. I put the cup on the counter and she said, "Do what you need to do but don't leave that there and I can't touch it." I said, well you can feel that this water is hot to the touch and she said very loudly, "DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO." Meanwhile, the guy who had helped us said nothing. No, "sorry about that" -- nothing. So the woman asked for more water and the guy turned the faucet on and hastily filled 2 plastic cups halfway. As he grabbed both cups, he dipped his index finger into one of the cups - which the lady behind the register also saw. Nonetheless, she put those two disgusting cups of water on a tray and extended the tray towards me - as though we were in the Sahara Desert, stranded, rather than in The Domain on Wednesday night after I'd paid $30 for ice cream with a 15 percent tip. Jeni, you need to train your employees on customer service and on health and...

This evening's encounter was a far cry from the customary delightful experience, instead descending into a truly abysmal, odious, and repugnant affair.

The evening took a drastic turn for the worse when an employee precipitously decided to hasten the closure of the establishment, despite the official closing time being over an hour away. In a jarring display of disregard for customer comfort and well-being, the employee recklessly shook out a filthy carpet, replete with dirt and dust, in close proximity to our table, where we were enjoying our ice cream. This egregious act was not only unsanitary but also posed a significant risk to my companion's health, given his asthma condition. Notably, there were four patrons present, including ourselves, who were subjected to this unacceptable behavior. As a result, I now have dirt in my shoe and on my person, serving as a tangible reminder of the employee's thoughtlessness. I endeavored to reason with the employee, politely requesting that she relocate the task outside or to a rear area, but my concerns were met with a deafening silence, devoid of even a cursory apology.

Yeah, the employee's behavior could definitely impact future visits. When you have a bad experience like that, it leaves a lasting impression. You might think twice about going back, especially if you feel like the staff doesn't care about the customers. Plus, word of mouth spreads quickly-if you tell your friends about the bad experience, they might decide not to visit either. It's really important for businesses to make sure every visit is a good one to keep people...

My hubs loves ice cream so he wanted to try this place when we walked by (we are not fr Austin). I needed to use the ladies room as well, so I called out several times to the red-headed employee who either did not hear me the 5 or 6X I kept calling out, or just flat-out chose to ignore me. Another young woman (dyed blonde-ish hair, very short in height, maybe latina), walked into the work area and I said "excuse me ma'am" and waved to her as well-- she looked straight at me and raised her eyebrows then walked to where the red-headed employee was & never acknowledged that I was trying to catch her attention, never came up to me to see if I needed help.

Thank goodness that the nice Asian woman behind the register finally became free & I was able to let her know what just happened. She quickly apologized & took it up on herself to get our orders.

I have no idea what was going on with the other 2 employees.. I know 100% that I didn't do anything wrong-- I was just trying to politely get their attention so I could ask for the restroom code. Either way, I never told my hubby what happened so he could just enjoy his Ice cream and we get the h--- out of this city.. maybe it's bc I'm Asian?? But their co-worker is Asian too.. then again, I don't know how they treat her outside of the 5 minutes that I was there . Anyway, the ice cream itself was good (banana foster, I think?), but quite pricey -- $15 for 2 cones, with just 1 scoop each. Despite the yummy flavor, because of the way I was treated and the pricing, I would...