At the beginning of October, we organized an internal conference for about 100 young professionals in downtown Toronto and required food for breakfast and lunch. Overall, our experience left to be desired.
The lunch was good, but it arrived without plates when we had specifically asked for them (and had been confirmed to us). The man in charge of the delivery said he would send someone to retrieve some but they never came back. Thankfully, our venue had paper plates on hand. Things get missed in bigger orders and mistakes happen so I understand.
Our main qualm was the breakfast. When it arrived, it did not seem to be enough food for 100 people, so we had to run to a nearby grocery store to supplement the food with bagels, muffins and bananas. The menu online specifies that the country basket is 5$ per person and shows that each basket is composed of the following items (Mini Muffins, Croissants, Sliced Breakfast Loaves, Bagels, Butter, Light Cream Cheese, Fruit Preserves). We did not receive the Croissants or the Sliced Loaves.
The team agreed: though we paid for 100 people, this was not reflected in the quantity or variety of food received for breakfast. We tried calling that very morning to inquire but it seemed like the office was closed. I think moving forward, it would be good for them to make the menu clearer, explicit and generally more transparent. The value was just not there for the cost.
The conference was a success. Unfortunately, it got off to a rocky start with the breakfast situation adding unforeseen stress, then again when plates were missing. Customer service could use some work, especially given the anxiety caused the day of the event.