Creations In Catering Aka Dole Ballrooms, hawaiicaterers.com, doleballrooms.com, Michael E. Creations In Catering Aka Dole Ballrooms, in Hawaii Rips off Corporate and Local Clients (Beware of these so-called Christian Con Artists) Honolulu Hawaii Internet

Re: report # 325502

I was recently doing marketing research on the company I work for (Creations in Catering at the Dole Ballrooms) and found this report. I was surprised by the insulting and rude manner in which it was written, mainly because such an approach would seem to be less factually credible, and emotional at best.

That being said, I would like to address some of the points that were brought up in this tirade and I would also like to invite the person who wrote this, as well as anyone who is unclear or has any questions about our company to contact me directly so that I might clarify and resolve any questions or issues that remain unclear:

Point 1)

The person who wrote this complaint states that they had their event with us at The Dole Ballrooms in June 2007 and that the event was coordinated by our company's president, Mike Rabe. In fact, Mike rarely coordinates events (1-5 per year, compared to the hundreds that my Special Event Planners handle) and he did not coordinate any corporate or private/social events in June of 2007. I can easily search our detailed records of events by planner, and he does not show up in the month of June 2007, nor in any subsequent months except for coordinating his son's wedding in September of 2007.

Point 2)

The person who wrote this complaint states that they were extremely overcharged for numerous items that did not pertain to our party and that We had been charged for fruit platters, vegetable crudites, star laser lights, and a horrible PA system. None of which was stated on our original contract. In fact, ALL of our proposals and BEOS (Banquet Event Orders) state unconditionally everything that is going to be provided and charged for AND all of this is presented up front for the client so that they can approve it and we can be paid BEFORE the event. If there are any discrepancies, they are addressed before the event occurs and prior to receiving payment. In this way, the client receives the product they are requesting and we receive the payment for that product, without accruing additional costs for things the client doesn't want! Upon completion of an event, our supervisors and Operational Managers check with the client to see if everything went according to their expectations. Our Event Planners also send out an evaluation form to the client the next business day. A disgruntled client has ample opportunity to raise concerns or point out problems via our feedback procedures. With this in mind, posting a complaint on the internet 10 months after the event supposedly occurred seems a bit odd.

Point 3)

The person who wrote this complaint states that His (Mike's) sales staff are trained under his tootlege (I believe you mean tutelage) and also has similar liking to him. In fact, I am the Sales Manager for Creations in Catering at the Dole Ballrooms and while yes, I do answer to Mike Rabe and also implement policy at his direction, I also have many years previous experience not only in F & B sales, but also being a human being. I would never justify a product that was not ordered or delivered and I always make every effort to rectify any issues that arise, no matter how seldom or what they entail. These are the same ethics and policies that my entire sales team follow. Creations in Catering is an active member in good standing with NACE ( National Association of Catering Executives), ICA (International Catering Association) and ISIS ( International Society of Event Specialists). Multiple employees from Creations in Catering regularly attend the conferences and seminars put on by these organizations and bring back what they have learned and apply it to Creations in Catering policy, procedure, and execution.


Creations in Catering at The Dole Ballrooms has been in Business in Honolulu for over 23 years providing successful corporate and social events. We have won numerous local, national, and international awards for our catering excellence, creativity, and innovation. We are a member of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) in good standing as well as the Honolulu Chamber of Commerce. While we have had obstacles come up in our companies history that we had to address in order to move on, they are minuscule and rare in comparison to the thousands upon thousands of events that we have successfully executed during the existence of our company. I would invite anyone unsure or doubting this to contact me so that I might not only explain and tell you about our company and it's capabilities and history, but also so that I might show you our multitudinous collection of evaluation sheets that show a overwhelming positive experience and in many cases, an exceptional and moving experience. In addition, maybe you could come into our offices and I could show you the multiple local and national awards we have won for our services or the list of non-profits we work with every year in sponsorship of their event and cause. At the very least I could show you our events calender full of RETURNING corporate clients including the biggest and most well respected local, national, and international companies, or maybe you could drop in while we are meeting with an ecstatic bride and groom who has just glimpsed the decor vision we have unveiled for their wedding, or who has just tasted our award winning food.

By all means, please contact me and let me not only show you these positive things about our company. Let me also address ANY concerns or questions you have to the best of my ability.

The person who wrote the original compliant alleging a bad experience with Creations in Catering is correct, Oahu is a small island, and we cannot go around treating one another as if they don't matter or being insulting and petty. If there are real problems, let's address them and strive for the best win - win solution. If we can solve them, GREAT! No matter what situation may arise, we are a community and as such, we must treat one another with respect and dignity..

Sincerely,


Aaron Haynes
Sales Manager
Creations in Catering @ The Dole Ballrooms
808.521.7101
ahaynes@hawaiicaterers.com