Gin Thye apologises for lapses on Mother's Day, investigating cause of 'overripe' fruits on cakes

Gin Thye has apologised after multiple customers were left disappointed by the cakes that they had ordered from the bakery over the Mother's Day weekend.

Affected customers will be receiving a full refund and a complimentary cake, said the confectionery shop in a statement to Stomp on Thursday (May 14).

This comes after a Stomp report on May 12 about how customers received cakes that fell short of expectations on Mother's Day.

Common sentiments among the complaints were cakes not looking as advertised, "rotten fruits" apparently being used in the cakes, delayed deliveries, and a lack of response or updates from Gin Thye.

Here is the full statement from Gin Thye:

"Dear customers, We would like to offer our sincerest apologies for the incidents which occurred over the recent Mother’s Day weekend, resulting in customer disappointment.

"Gin Thye values every one of its customers and will continue to work on improving our service.

"In light of this, Gin Thye takes full responsibility and would like to offer you an explanation for the lapses in our service that has caused some unhappiness.

"The primary issues our customers have feedbacked include:

1. Late delivery / Missed delivery
2. Unsatisfactory condition of fruit cakes
3. Difference in the appearance of cakes received
4. Unsatisfactory customer service

1. Late delivery / Missed delivery

"Gin Thye experienced a sharp spike in orders totalling over a 500% increase. This led to our team being severely overwhelmed, resulting in lapses in deliveries.

"We also experienced a shortage in specific ingredients which impeded our ability to better fulfill the large volume of orders.

"We understand that Mother’s Day is a very special occasion for many of our customers and we truly apologise if our hiccups in delivery had affected that.

"We are re-looking the way we procure resources ahead of time as well as how we can ensure we avoid such oversights in the near future.

2. Unsatisfactory Condition of fruit cakes

"A handful of our customers who ordered fruit cakes have also shared that they had received cakes topped with overripe fruits.

"At Gin Thye, quality assurance is our priority and this is under no circumstance a representation of the quality we are known for.

"We are currently investigating the cause for this issue with the relevant third parties, such as our kitchen, and external delivery partners and will cease the sales of all fruit cakes for the time being.

3. Difference in the appearance of cakes received

"Due to the sheer amount of orders received over Mother’s Day, our production team had run out of the necessary resources and had insufficient lead time in procuring the required material to fulfil the influx of orders.

"In doing whatever we could to fulfil the orders, our staff took the liberty of using similar materials to create the same cakes, with good intention.

"Gin Thye acknowledges that this was a lapse in judgement and has since begun reaching out to all affected customers to ensure they are compensated accordingly.

"We kindly seek your patience and understanding, as our customer service team is hard at work in reaching out to all affected customers.

4. Unsatisfactory customer service

"We have also received complaints on the delayed or lack of response from our customer service team, during the Mother’s Day event.

"As mentioned, due to the shortage of manpower stemming from split team arrangements due to current circuit breaker measures, we are extremely regretful that we were unable to address concerned customers promptly.

"That, coupled with the fact that this is Gin Thye’s first foray into e-commerce, meant we found ourselves overwhelmed on the customer service front.

"We understand that a swift response would have reassured our affected customers under the circumstances. Therefore, we take full responsibility for the lack of foresight in anticipating and making the necessary arrangements ahead of time.

"We have since increased our customer service capacity by 200% and have mobilised extra resources to prioritise and remedy concerns from affected customers.

"At this time, it is of utmost importance that you hear from us.

Management Statement

"At Gin Thye, we take pride in product quality and regret that we were unable to hold ourselves to our ideal desired standards during this incident.

"We take full responsibility for the events that have transpired and working on solutions to better improve our service.

"Since we started in 1964, our priority has always been to deliver delectable treats that will keep our traditions alive. This has and always will be the root and core value of our business.

"We understand that Mother’s Day is an intimate occasion for most, especially during this circuit breaker period where it's been difficult to come together as a family. We sincerely apologise for your unsatisfactory experience with us.

"Over the course of this incident, the management team has learned of the lapses in the business that have led to the consequence of our customers receiving an unsatisfactory experience.

"We, as a management team, are working hard to rectify these lapses and are working towards ensuring such a situation does not happen again.

Service Recovery

"As an overall service recovery measure, we are working hard in reaching out to all our affected customers and will be issuing a 100% refund for their orders. On top of that, we are also offering a complimentary cake to our affected buyers.

"In the coming days, we will be working hard to reach our customers across all the platforms we’re selling on.

"We thank you for your patience in this time and hope that you and your family are keeping safe in this period of time as we tackle the global pandemic as a country."