Horrible restaurant experiences

[quagmire]

For how long would you wait before giving away their table? Have you ever worked in a restaurant?

10 minutes, 15 max. Again, call if you were going to be late. The restaurant should not beheld hostage of keeping a table empty for people who didn't have the common courtesy to call to let them know they would be late. The restaurant doesn't know if they blew it off or still coming. Whenever I know I am going to be 5-10 minutes late for a reservation, I call.

No I haven't worked in a restaurant.

 

[Aeolius]

My wife made reservations for Saturday night at 8:30pm at a nice little French restaurant in the area ... Fortunately, there is a happening Greek restaurant next door, so we went in and asked for a table.

"Forget Paris. The French can be annoying. Come to Greece. We're nicer." - Crazy People

 

[hafr]

I didn't understand it obviously. It was too complicated and well written for me to follow. Maybe you can provide pictures to better help little ol' me?

Obviously we're talking about different situations. My original response was about people with reservations and your response was about walk-ins. Soooo.....

Ten minutes late - I called. Twenty minutes late - I gave the table away. Usually this is no problem though, because tight bookings are just that - tight bookings and in case someone is a few minutes late it's not a question about letting them having to wait an hour.

But I would never give away a table for four to a party of two until after the 20 minutes (longer if they had informed me of them being late), because the juggling required there is not doable.

----------

10 minutes, 15 max. Again, call if you were going to be late. The restaurant should not beheld hostage of keeping a table empty for people who didn't have the common courtesy to call to let them know they would be late. The restaurant doesn't know if they blew it off or still coming. Whenever I know I am going to be 5-10 minutes late for a reservation, I call.

No I haven't worked in a restaurant.

So you don't really know how such an attitude would affect business?

 

[quagmire]

What? The attitude to actually request customers to call if they would be late?

 

[mrsir2009]

What's the name of the French restaurant?

What's the name of the Greek Restaurant?



And yes, bag them out on Google Reviews, and make sure it shows up on Google Maps as well.

Urbanspoon is another good site.

I think tripadvisor does restaurants as well.

 

[Surely]

I wasn't there so I can't really say anything

You should have just gone with this in the first place.

I'm not going to waste my time replying to your nonsense.

 

[Moyank24]

So you don't really know how such an attitude would affect business?

Probably just as badly as it would affect business in a situation where someone showed up on time for a reservation and was made to wait.

In the OP's case - that restaurant lost a new customer. Chances are if the "regulars" would have been made to wait, they would have understood. Because, you know, they were late. On the other hand, the new customer was treated poorly - and the restaurant lost business that night and future business because of it.

You don't have to have worked in a restaurant to understand logic. If some of these restaurants put themselves in the shoes of their customers, they would probably be better off.

 

[NZed]

I once stepped into a restaurant. Asked for a Lemon Soda. They gave me a bottle of soda, and some lemons...

 

[radiogoober]

I once stepped into a restaurant. Asked for a Lemon Soda. They gave me a bottle of soda, and some lemons...

I know you're joking... but, we went to this "new & hip" pizza place. We had a semi-big party, and someone asked about trying a small sample of the house wine. So the waitress brings out an empty glass and asks someone else at the table to pour some of the wine out of the glass they had bought and paid for into the other glass for the person to try. We were all so shocked that everybody just stared at each other. Absolutely the worst and stupidest waitress on planet earth.

The place obviously closed soon after. It then opened up to yet another new & hip pizza joint. They have some of the most unique beers in our crappy city. However, the waiters all look like stoned crackheads, and they carry the beer out with their dirty, grubby hands all where your mouth goes to drink, and one wiater actually carries the beer with his hand OVER the top of the glass. Yes, imagine a monkey walking carrying a glass, with his dirty hands all over the rim and his dirty palm covering the top.

I never had to tell a waiter how to do his job, but I did then. No way in hell am I drinking out of a glass that has pot-smoker fingers all over the rim, and that his dirty hand probably touched all head of the draft beer.

Another nasty thing is bars that just do the crap-wash for their glasses, you know, they dip it in dirty soapy water, then in supposedly clean water, then let it air dry. Absolutely disgusting. I hate ordering a draft beer and tasting that ****** soap on the glass. I always send it back. This is why I'm buying a kegerator and having it permanently installed in the kitchen.

Eating out sucks

 

[notjustjay]

By the way, if you folks haven't stumbled upon the Not Always Right website, have a look. The stories there will make you laugh, or cry out in frustration, probably both.

 

[iDuel]

At least you had a better expirence at the Greek restaraunt. Your meal looked delicious and your Beer is one of the most popular brands of alcohol here.

 

[shinobi-81]

Sorry to hear about this, OP.

It's common that restaurants overbook tables, speculating that there will be no-shows. Then they can charge the no-show-guests a fee while still gaining income from the very same table that was reserved. In the city where I live, I know there are some restaurants that wouldn't have survived if it wasn't for no-shows. In some weird manner, it actually works.

Airlines, hotels, hair-dressers, dentists and all kinds of service-providing businesses (more or less) are likely to overbook. The only differences are how far they take it, and how they handle the situation when a collision is a fact and too many customers actually do show up. It seems to me like the French restaurant at hand has handled it rather poorly. I can understand that they prioritize regulars, but the attitude of the staff seems obnoxious and un-professional.

 

[quagmire]

I can't ask shin the question since he is apparently banned now, but anyone in the business how can the restaurant charge no-shows a fee? They don't have the credit card number from the no-shows. If they require to give them the number upon booking the reservation( I have never even heard of this practice), screw them. I will not be eating at their restaurant.

 

[snberk103]

I'm gonna go with another positive story. Just as balance. Mansion House, St Catharines Ontario in the 1980s. It was a busy bar popular for cheap beer and solid pub food. Wait staff were the best anywhere... they had all been working in that same bar for 30+ years, far we could tell.

No one used paper, you just sorta yelled over the hub-bub what the table wanted and they listened and understood, regardless of how big a table you had and how noisy it was. Several minutes later they'd be back with a tray of drinks... balanced on one hand of course. And you paid for each round as it came.

Interleaved in the fingers of their tray hand was the paper money, each bill folded in half lengthwise. Each finger had bills of a different denomination. Around their waist was one of the change dispensing gizmos on a belt. You'd toss a couple of $10s or $20s their way (this was 30 years ago remember) and without looking they'd peel the bills for change off their fingers, put the new bills into place, and dispense the change. The combination of bills and change you got back always made it easy to tip them without having to ask them for change. (In my books, this is the sign of a true professional...in fact the combination given for change should encourage a healthy tip without being obvious).

While they walked the rooms, they'd scan their tables constantly. When it was time for another round you'd just glance around and look for your server. Unless they were dealing with a table at that moment you waited 10 to 20 secs at most before you caught their eye and signalled. A circle in the air for a round for the table. Point at yourself and then one finger to order whatever you've been drinking. If you had a clear sight-line you could point at a couple of people, and raise the appropriate number of fingers for the number of people. And if you raised a pub food menu the server came over to your table... you never ever gestured a "come here".

Paying was easy since it was pay as you go... so when you were done you just got up and left.

No reservations were taken....

 

[adk]

I can't ask shin the question since he is apparently banned now, but anyone in the business how can the restaurant charge no-shows a fee? They don't have the credit card number from the no-shows. If they require to give them the number upon booking the reservation( I have never even heard of this practice), screw them. I will not be eating at their restaurant.

Some of the most popular restaurants in Chicago are now requiring a CC for a reservation. I think it's fair that they get some sort of guaranteed payment if they're willing to block of a table for you.

 

[NZed]

I know you're joking... but, we went to this "new & hip" pizza place. We had a semi-big party, and someone asked about trying a small sample of the house wine. So the waitress brings out an empty glass and asks someone else at the table to pour some of the wine out of the glass they had bought and paid for into the other glass for the person to try. We were all so shocked that everybody just stared at each other. Absolutely the worst and stupidest waitress on planet earth.

The place obviously closed soon after. It then opened up to yet another new & hip pizza joint. They have some of the most unique beers in our crappy city. However, the waiters all look like stoned crackheads, and they carry the beer out with their dirty, grubby hands all where your mouth goes to drink, and one wiater actually carries the beer with his hand OVER the top of the glass. Yes, imagine a monkey walking carrying a glass, with his dirty hands all over the rim and his dirty palm covering the top.

I never had to tell a waiter how to do his job, but I did then. No way in hell am I drinking out of a glass that has pot-smoker fingers all over the rim, and that his dirty hand probably touched all head of the draft beer.

Another nasty thing is bars that just do the crap-wash for their glasses, you know, they dip it in dirty soapy water, then in supposedly clean water, then let it air dry. Absolutely disgusting. I hate ordering a draft beer and tasting that ****** soap on the glass. I always send it back. This is why I'm buying a kegerator and having it permanently installed in the kitchen.

Eating out sucks

I'm not even joking, they seriously didnt have a Lemon Soda. This wasnt high class restaurant btw.

 

[quagmire]

Some of the most popular restaurants in Chicago are now requiring a CC for a reservation. I think it's fair that they get some sort of guaranteed payment if they're willing to block of a table for you.

Only for large parties would I consider it fair. The revenue lost from a party of 2-4 no showing will be made up pretty quickly as it will be easy to fill those tables with more people.

 

[leekohler]

I hate threads like this. For every restaurant horror story any of you may have, I've got dozens more customer horror stories. Trust me, some things would curl your hair.

Why not focus on the good for a change?

 

[jbennardo]

I hate threads like this. For every restaurant horror story any of you may have, I've got dozens more customer horror stories. Trust me, some things would curl your hair.

Why not focus on the good for a change?

I'll bet you do. The "customer is always right" entitlement movement is way out of control these days. Perhaps not so much in Surely's case, but in general people need to get over themselves.

 

[leekohler]

I'll bet you do. The "customer is always right" entitlement movement is way out of control these days. Perhaps not so much in Surely's case, but in general people need to get over themselves.

I spent 20 years in the business. It eventually got to the point where I had to leave. I was beginning to hate people in general. It has gotten much worse.

 

[Surely]

@jbennardo: Just FTR, I don't think that the customer is always right. However, if the customer is being reasonable and the business doesn't hold up their end of the deal, then the customer has a right to complain and/or take their business elsewhere.

I hate threads like this. For every restaurant horror story any of you may have, I've got dozens more customer horror stories. Trust me, some things would curl your hair.

Why not focus on the good for a change?

I guess you're going to have to apply that philosophy to any thread that you start in PRSI now. You're going to have to start focusing on the good....

Something happened to me, and I wanted to share. I don't see why I shouldn't have created this thread to talk about it.

 

[jbennardo]

@jbennardo: Just FTR, I don't think that the customer is always right. However, if the customer is being reasonable and the business doesn't hold up their end of the deal, then the customer has a right to complain and/or take their business elsewhere.

I totally agree. I wish I had the stones to do that more myself.

 

[notjustjay]

Yeah, that Not Always Right link I posted features stories of customers who are definitely NOT always right.

I think that working in a customer service job should almost be mandatory for every teenager. Give them a high school credit for working shifts at McDonald's or Wal-Mart or wherever. I suspect that people will learn to curb their own attitudes and respect other people more once they've experienced some of the abuses that self-entitled people dish out.

One summer in my mid-20's I spent a few months working at Canadian Tire (for my American friends, think Wal-Mart crossed with Harbor Freight). For the most part I enjoyed helping people, and most were appreciative of any advice I could give (and understood that the $8/hour minimum wage worker was not a contractor or home renovation expert). There were some people though...

 

[leekohler]

@jbennardo: Just FTR, I don't think that the customer is always right. However, if the customer is being reasonable and the business doesn't hold up their end of the deal, then the customer has a right to complain and/or take their business elsewhere.

Agreed.

I guess you're going to have to apply that philosophy to any thread that you start in PRSI now. You're going to have to start focusing on the good....

I do when something good happens. Unfortuately, not much is good about politics or religion these days.

Something happened to me, and I wanted to share. I don't see why I shouldn't have created this thread to talk about it.

It's fine. I never said you shouldn't make a thread. But you didn't create a thread about your experience. You asked everyone to share all of their restaurant horror stories. Understand that people inside the business take a lot of abuse from a lot of people on a daily basis. That's all I'm saying.

 

[Surely]

It's fine. I never said you shouldn't make a thread. But you didn't create a thread about your experience. You asked everyone to share all of their restaurant horror stories. Understand that people inside the business take a lot of abuse from a lot of people on a daily basis. That's all I'm saying.

I just figured that it would make for a more interesting thread if others shared their experiences instead of keeping it solely focused on mine.

Just because there are incidents of people in the restaurant business taking abuse from customers doesn't mean customers don't have the right to bitch about incidents in which they were treated like crap. If someone who worked at a restaurant started a thread complaining about a bad experience with a customer and asked for others to share their experiences, I wouldn't tell them to suck it up and focus on the good instead.

I can't control how other customers treat restaurant staff.....I can only control how I treat them.