Bad Restaurant Experience

[Billy Bob]

Here is just a EXAMPLE (BELOW) of a bad restaurant experience I have read somewhere else.....we have probably all experience a bad dinner while dinning out...maybe not this bad or maybe even a little worse...

 

I have never said "I am not paying for this dinner" but a couple times on the way home I wish I had.....has anyone NOT paid for their dinner and if so how did you handle it.

 

 

 

We were invited to Restaurant X for dinner with 8 other couples. We were very excited to go because of our previous experience with the restaurant. My husband and I had been there before and had very good food and service. Unfortunately, food and service change when management changes. We sat down for our reservations at approximately 7:50 and ordered shortly afterwards. Appetizers and salads came out slowly. However, our dinners did not even begin to be served until around 9:50. One of our guests had to leave because of family obligations and took his dinner home in a to-go container. Dinners slowly trickled in at about 9:50 one at a time. We could not all eat together because not everyone had a dinner. Six guests had order fillets but did not get them prepared as ordered. They were very tough and not cooked to their request. Two of our guests never got their dinners! It was only after about 15 minutes after the last dinner was brought out (approximately 10:30) that the server came back to ask about the dinners. This is when they were told that the final 2 dinners were never served. Unfortunately, the owner/management never came out to make amends. He stayed in the back and let his servers deal with the unsatisfied customers. He never came out to apologize or offer any complimentary drinks, appetizers to hold over the guests who did not get their dinner, or any money off the bill. Two dinners and one dinner that was sent back, were taken off the bill only after one of our guests requested it.

Obviously, the kitchen and staff were not prepared. Several times during the evening the servers stated that they were going through a transition. Transitions happen but bad customer service is unacceptable. As much as I enjoyed my visit to Restaurant X for our couple dinner, I would never go back because of the change in owners or management which made this experience very disappointing.

[Governator]

Sounds like Hell's Kitchen.

 

I've had terrible service three times from a certain franchise of breakfast joints (Which after our last experience we don't go to anymore). Super slow service, dirty cups, forgot to give me half my order but then charged me for all of it. Only place I've been too where I didn't leave a tip.

[crappieperchhunter]

Wow. Life's too short Billy Bob.

 

Go fishing.

[irishfield]

East Side Marios in Cambridge, Jan2nd.. lip stick on two wine glasses brought to the table, hair in Jesse's draft beer glass and my Chicken Parmagine.. no it wasn't curly.. but no we didn't pay!

 

..and what CPH said !!! PLEASE !

Edited January 14, 2011 by irishfield

[misfish]

East Side Marios in Cambridge, Jan2nd.. lip stick on two wine glasses brought to the table, hair in Jesse's draft beer glass and my Chicken Parmagine.. no it wasn't curly.. but no we didn't pay!

 

Ate there last year wayne,same thing.Didnt pay aswell.Dont eat the fish.

[muddler]

I have refused to pay for meals that have not been prepared as I/we requested. I would have asked to speak to the manager/owner first. Then I would have issued my complaint and then I would never go back to that restaurant.

 

You are paying for a service. If I did not get the service so I don't feel obligated to pay for something I did not want or expect.

 

On the other hand if there was a real effort to quickly remedy the situation by the management I have no difficulty paying for this appropriately. I tip based on the quality of both the service and prepartion of the food. The atmosphere is much more than the ambionce of the restaurant and this includes how well I was treated too. I never blame the waiter/waitress for management arragance.

 

In the case above, I would be very upset with the service and I would not pay for it.

 

Just my 3 cents (inflation) .... muddler

Edited January 14, 2011 by muddler

[wallyboss]

My worst experience happened a few years back when it was still legal to smoke inside. I stopped in to this restaurant to warm as my work that day was outside. So I order my fries and a burger combo. Sit down and I lite up a cigarette. There was 2 of us smoking and it took about 20 minutes to get our food. 20 minutes, 2 smokers there was lots of stray ashes around the ashtray. My buddy gets his order and I get my burger, I asked the waitress about my fries and she says that she was busy and forgot, so she goes back to the kitchen and 5 minutes later comes back to the table with my order of fries and puts it in front of me but 4-5 fries fall off the plate and into the stray ashes, she reaches over grabs the fries and puts them back in my plate. I completely lost it on that stupid waitress. I didn't pay for my food and walked out, so the manager comes out to try to gte me to pay and I told him the story he politely told me not too worry about the bill and walked back in. Within 25 minutes the waitress comes out to ask me what I had told the manager because she just got fired. My response was " You got to be kidding me, having the nerves to ask"

[Governator]

My worst experience happened a few years back when it was still legal to smoke inside. I stopped in to this restaurant to warm as my work that day was outside. So I order my fries and a burger combo. Sit down and I lite up a cigarette. There was 2 of us smoking and it took about 20 minutes to get our food. 20 minutes, 2 smokers there was lots of stray ashes around the ashtray. My buddy gets his order and I get my burger, I asked the waitress about my fries and she says that she was busy and forgot, so she goes back to the kitchen and 5 minutes later comes back to the table with my order of fries and puts it in front of me but 4-5 fries fall off the plate and into the stray ashes, she reaches over grabs the fries and puts them back in my plate. I completely lost it on that stupid waitress. I didn't pay for my food and walked out, so the manager comes out to try to gte me to pay and I told him the story he politely told me not too worry about the bill and walked back in. Within 25 minutes the waitress comes out to ask me what I had told the manager because she just got fired. My response was " You got to be kidding me, having the nerves to ask"

 

 

That's freakin' disgusting. Good on ya.

[grt1]

Last night the wife and I were staying in Dryden and decided to order some "chester fried chicken" . I have had this in Gimli Manitoba and it was really great, so we figured it is a chain type product, must be good in Dryden, Boy was I wrong.

 

The chicken must have been sitting under heat lamps for a day, it was tough, dried out and very small pieces. I had one piece that looked to be a fair size and when I broke it in half to pick it apart with my fingers, it was 2 potatoes stuck together that had been battered and stuck in with the chicken.

 

So guys and gals if you go through Dryden and you see the chicken sign at the Husky station , don't stop, the colonel is just a few blocks away.

[Pikeslayer]

My worst experience happened a few years back when it was still legal to smoke inside. I stopped in to this restaurant to warm as my work that day was outside. So I order my fries and a burger combo. Sit down and I lite up a cigarette. There was 2 of us smoking and it took about 20 minutes to get our food. 20 minutes, 2 smokers there was lots of stray ashes around the ashtray. My buddy gets his order and I get my burger, I asked the waitress about my fries and she says that she was busy and forgot, so she goes back to the kitchen and 5 minutes later comes back to the table with my order of fries and puts it in front of me but 4-5 fries fall off the plate and into the stray ashes, she reaches over grabs the fries and puts them back in my plate. I completely lost it on that stupid waitress. I didn't pay for my food and walked out, so the manager comes out to try to gte me to pay and I told him the story he politely told me not too worry about the bill and walked back in. Within 25 minutes the waitress comes out to ask me what I had told the manager because she just got fired. My response was " You got to be kidding me, having the nerves to ask"

After spending a considerable length of time (in my 20's/30s) in 'the biz' and working up to a senior management position, I've pretty much 'seen it all'. So unfortunately, I feel a need to take exception to the above post.

"20 minutes, 2 smokers there was lots of stray ashes around the ashtray"

"but 4-5 fries fall off the plate and into the stray ashes"

"I completely lost it on that stupid waitress."

"she just got fired"

So some 'stupid waitress' lost her job because you left lots of stray ashes??????? There would never be any room for that type of manager in one of my restaurants.

[fishing n autograph]

had a huge issue with Mandarin.....literally found short and curlies in EVERY dish selected even the ice cream....gross

[Harrison]

Had issues at Hooters once, the "wings" were no where near the size we expected.

[misfish]

had a huge issue with Mandarin.....literally found short and curlies in EVERY dish selected even the ice cream....gross

 

 

OMG,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,But were there any in the crab legs? This is a very important question?

 

Had issues at Hooters once, the "wings" were no where near the size we expected

 

They were just tucked behind the breasts.

Edited January 14, 2011 by Misfish

[Pikeslayer]

I think the simple and most effective way to handle a negative restaurant experience is:

1.Relax and stay calm- being overbearing, rude, agressive or demanding will only make matters worse and most likely embarrassing for everyone involved (including other diners).

2.Ask to speak with the manager away from your table (at the bar or hostess station).

3.Remain calm, speak in an even tone.

4.Tell the manager exactly what was wrong with your dining experience and do not exagerate.

5.Ask the manager, what she/he is willing to do to make it right and to convince you to come back to his/her establishment.

 

Depending on the offer and whether or not you are satisfied would determine whether you choose to return to the establishment or tell every living soul about your negative experience.

The good establishments make it right. The bad ones close their doors.

[Fish4Eyes]

I worked in the industry for 8 years before starting my career. Some of the above is valid reasoning, but alot of it is not.

 

BillyBob: a manager will not come out and speak to you, if you did not request one, or if the server did not tell his/her manager about the issue. Servers will avoid telling managers about issues because they dont want to get in crap. They usually just take the loss and expect to not get no tip. Next time request a manager and watch the bill get lowered or free items brought to your table.

 

Key word of advice to people in a restaurant: snarkyness will not get you nothing but bad service because as soon as you do that they already know you are not the "tipping" type. Being polite and professional will get you the best service. Before complaining about how long you have waited for your food (I agree BillyBob 2 hours is ridiculous), take a look around you and observe how busy the restaurant is, and how busy the server is. If you want quality service, don't eat out on the weekends, and if you do, make sure it is after 8pm.

 

I bet money pikeslayer agrees with all of the above

[Big Cliff]

I bought some chinese food from a local Lindsay restaurant one time, previous experiences had been quite good. When I got home with my order, the food was lousy, no, it was REALLY bad. I went back the next day (1/2 an hour drive each way)with the food and asked to see the manager, he wasn't in so I asked that he call me.

 

He did call the next day and I explained that we had got food there many times before and it was always excellent but this was just not up to the standards we had come to expect from them.

 

He apologized and told me he had all new staff from Toronto and was having problems with them and if I would come back he would give me replacement food. I told him that I would love to come back but that I would appreciate it if he would call me when he had his staff straightened out because I really didn't want more of the same. He promissed he would. That was two years ago and I still haven't heard from him nor have I gone back again.

 

Unfortunatly if you want good chinese food in Lindsay I would suggest you go to Fenelon Falls! Now there is quality!

[Harrison]

To be honest, I am not a fan of chain resturants ie. Kelseys, East Side etc. But I love Montanas wings. We have had issues there a couple times. However, the Manager was right there and offered discounts for the inconvenience. That, as well as the wings, keeps me coming back.

[irishfield]

Alice's Restaurant is my favourite... "cause you can get anything you want.. at Alices' Restaurant" !

[Roy]

Alice's Restaurant is my favourite... "cause you can get anything you want.. at Alices' Restaurant" !

 

Exceptin' Alice.....

[corvette1]

why not witch one your not going back are you

[DRIFTER_016]

My friends and I had a crappy dinner at a place in Port Credit once.

The service was super slow and the waiter a moron.

What we did was pay for the food and left the waiter 1/2 of a five dollar bill as a tip.

Hopefully he got the hint.

[lew]

Wife and I went into a restaurant and I ordered fish & chips. Waitress asked if I wanted gravy on the chips and I said sure. Food was great but when I got my bill it was a dollar more than what was on the menu. I asked howcum it was a dollar more and she said we charge an extra dollar for the spoonful of gravy.

 

I never went back to that restaurant again.

[Billy Bob]

Wow. Life's too short Billy Bob.

 

Go fishing.

 

I myself am guilty of either not reading the complete post or not comprehending what others have written. So I ask you to go back and read it again because as I said...."Here is just a EXAMPLE (BELOW) of a bad restaurant experience I have read somewhere else".....that was not my experience......I just wanted some advice on how others handle a situation similar to what I have read.

 

BTW great post by everyone....

[Billy Bob]

 

Unfortunatly if you want good chinese food in Lindsay I would suggest you go to Fenelon Falls! Now there is quality!

 

Cliff,

 

A few years ago (2004 or 2005) I ate at a Italian Restaurant in Fenelon Falls....it was a bit small and if walking from the canal it was on the right side of the road...pretty sure it was a family run place.....it was by far the best Italian food I ever had....don't know the name but I'm hoping you do....and is it still there as we would like to go back someday.

 

Bob

[snoil]

I make the best homemade pizza and wings!! If i wanna go out i'll let the wife cook!!