Fergburger in Queenstown. Photo: Google Maps
Management for Queenstown's Fergburger says it is investigating whether a "misunderstanding in communication" occurred during an encounter between staff members and a customer.
A woman said she was left "disgusted" by her treatment by employees at the popular burger joint after she tried to order a meal following a work shift during the early hours of Saturday morning.
In a post on a community Facebook page, she recounted the alleged incident in which she tried to order a steak from the restaurant, before staff members belittled her.
"They were making fun of me saying 'oh she wants the meat' and asking me why I only want the 'meat' laughing at me and repeating loud 'she wants the meat she wants the meat'," the post said.
"I felt so awkward, I couldn't understand why they were doing that to me."
Photo: SUPPLIED
It comes less than a month after Fergburger apologised to a customer after an order receipt contained a racial slur
Initially, the staff member told the woman they did not sell steak portions on their own, before another staff member informed them they did.
The woman then waited more than 45 minutes before her meal was "accidentally" given to someone else.
"I felt abused and as a seven-year local coming to this establishment I'm absolutely disgusted in how I was treated tonight," she said.
"I cannot believe the way I was treated that night and can understand why they need a security guard at their establishment now.
"Its sad to see a business that has been solid built and thriving, having their name thrown in the garbage by super disrespectful employees."
A handful of commenters on the post also claimed of previous occurrences of poor service at the establishment.
In a statement, Fergburger general manager Claire Burke said it was investigating the allegations.
"Upon learning of this allegation, I contacted the customer directly," she said.
"Our current priority is to understand the circumstances surrounding this complaint."
Burke said they had extended an invitation to meet with the customer in person to discuss their "experience and serious concerns", however, the offer had not been taken up.
"I had hoped that a meeting would provide a valuable opportunity to clarify some details and if a misunderstanding in communication between both parties may have occurred," she said.
"Fergburger deeply values the loyalty of all our customers, and we will resolve this matter."
Last month, a customer from Taiwan ordered from the restaurant on 16 February and photos show a server had written "ching chang" on the docket.
The customer then contacted local tour guide Roxie Fu, co-owner of Mini Tours following the ordeal.
Fu said the customer was hurt, as none of her friends she was with had a ticket containing the racial slur.
"She [had gone] there with her friends, like four of them and when the staff took the order they didn't take her name and she just paid and got the docket and then she found out the ticket had a word on it called 'ching chang', which is quite racist."
Fu said the woman felt like she was individually attacked.
"At the beginning, she was quite upset as she was not 100 percent if it was racist [but thought] What have I done? What have she done wrong? She didn't do anything wrong."
