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Post by lisae on Jul 29, 2016 12:59:50 GMT
You are way more patient to have put up with all this than I am. And I most definitely would not tip in that situation. Since the manager clearly doesn't care, I'd call corporate.
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purplebee
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,738
Jun 27, 2014 20:37:34 GMT
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Post by purplebee on Jul 29, 2016 13:15:49 GMT
Yeah, email corporate, you were treated very poorly and should never have had to pay for your meals. Good luck!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 2, 2024 3:07:38 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2016 13:19:26 GMT
I'm another one cracking up at the Code Red alerts. But then why have a Code Red if no one answers it?
Definitely email corporate. Even if it was "one of those nights," the staff could have been helpful and friendly instead of rude.
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Anita
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,647
Location: Kansas City -ish
Jun 27, 2014 2:38:58 GMT
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Post by Anita on Jul 29, 2016 13:28:51 GMT
My DH, who was a restaurant server from 13 to about 20, would have left one penny. He has a whole spiel about it that I have been listening to for 25 years. It's meant to be an insult. Supposedly it sends the message that you didn't forget them, you just had unbearably crappy service. On the flip side, if we get phenomenal service, he will tip 50% or better, plus a penny to show service was so wonderful he tipped as much as he could plus a penny, or something to that effect. In your case, I would have let him leave that penny.
Honestly, we wouldn't have made it to that point. If I am seated and don't have a server at least greet me within ten minutes, we leave. Life is too short for crappy service and bad attitude.
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Post by myshelly on Jul 29, 2016 13:34:45 GMT
I would have found a manager after 5 minutes at the table with no service.
I never understand these threads.
How/why do people let this go on for so long without finding a manager? I get that you saw manager, but you didn't ask for him and you didn't explain all the problems to him. He had only talked to the waitress so he only had her point of view. You should have asked for him when the first problem occurred.
Why come here and write it all out the next day and think about contacting corporate?
Get a manager the moment you feel dissatisfied. If he doesn't solve the issue, leave. Why do people stay and pay to be treated like this?
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Post by Meri-Lyn on Jul 29, 2016 13:45:54 GMT
In all the years I've eaten out, I've left no tip exactly twice! (in 30 some years.) The last situation was similar to yours, at a local sports bar chain, and I had to go inside (we were eating on the patio) and chase down the manager to find out where the heck my server (and my food!) was. I emailed corporate, who forwarded my message to the store manager, who responded to my emailing by MISSPELLING the name of the restaurant in the subject line. It went downhill from there. I was done. I have not been back to this location since.
So, no tip, a complaint to management and an email to corporate would be my response.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 2, 2024 3:07:38 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2016 13:52:54 GMT
I still remember a stop at a CB when my twinkies were toddlers and needed high chairs. We went in and they seated us pretty quickly, but had no available high chairs. I count 2 or 3 in the whole restaurant! And then they got pissy with US about it like it was our fault they seated us without high chairs....
We used to drive long distances a lot with kids and I remember stopping one afternoon at a CB and they had an employee outside the door that wouldn't let anyone else in because the cook(s) had quit and it was already taking forever for those seated to get their food. Actually thought that was great customer service because they knew their limits.
It's different if you can tell they are understaffed but doing their best...doesn't sound like that was what was happening.
I would have talked to the manager, not left a tip and expected at least a partial comp of the meal.
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Post by myshelly on Jul 29, 2016 13:55:48 GMT
20 minutes to take your drink order? I would have walked out and gone to eat elsewhere. I say this because it's actually what I do. I've learned the hard way and tried to stick it out at the restaurant and the service and food just kept getting worse. So at the first sign that the wait staff is overwhelmed, nope, I'm going elsewhere. Exactly! WHY do people stay and PAY for what is clearly going to be a shitty experience?
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Post by Meri-Lyn on Jul 29, 2016 14:00:01 GMT
I can kind of see it. You got the kids settled in, it's the one food they like, there aren't many choices around, you think "oh, they'll be back in a minute," etc., etc. It's not something I would normally do, but it's happened.
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Post by JustKim on Jul 29, 2016 14:09:44 GMT
Wow, I would have not stayed calm and remained in the restaurant. I know your DD's wanted to say but I could not have done that. "Code Red" you were there for 2 hours. To me that is crazy. I don't know what a CB is but it sounds like a chain? No tip!! Tips are earned and not a given. The better the service the better the tip.
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Post by Meri-Lyn on Jul 29, 2016 14:11:24 GMT
CB = Cracker Barrel
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psiluvu
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,217
Location: Canada's Capital
Jun 25, 2014 22:52:26 GMT
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Post by psiluvu on Jul 29, 2016 14:12:33 GMT
We just had a very similar experience at Montana`s. The manager didn`t care while we were there. I didn`t figure he would care the next day so I didn`t bother contacting tem again. I put a review on Trip Advisor and vowed never to go there again.
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marimoose
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,282
Jul 22, 2014 2:10:14 GMT
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Post by marimoose on Jul 29, 2016 14:13:02 GMT
I still would have tipped, but I used to wait tables. Maybe some people called in and left them short handed. I've been in their shoes. It sucks! It seemed like the harder I tried the more shit I did wrong. I'll give a place a second chance, if it's still crappy then I'll complain. Your thoughts are exactly what I was thinking. They expressed several times that it has been that kind of night, not that any of this is your problem but it was a clue that something was wrong and they knew it. There are so many people who call off to work in these service industries that I think the average person would be surprised that they haven't encountered more problems, more often. My daughter worked a retail store and it was a regular thing to have a minimum of 6 people call out on a Sunday. We can say fire them but then you run short during the week because they are already short staffed normally. It is a vicious circle. I hope this was an isolated incident. I would call the corporate office to express your disappointment. They should offer you a refund or free meal for how awful your visit was and give them the opportunity to show that they can be better. Ironically I was at a Crackerbarrel in Colorado last night, haven not been in one since I was a teen but my daughter loves the place and visited them while she was on vacation. I had a far better experience, amazed at how quick they were, how reasonable the prices were, etc. My glass never got below half full. I mentioned that I was going to need to drink alot more sweet tea to help me stay awake for my long drive home that evening and our waitress offered to give us to-go cups of sweet tea. It was awesome service. I hope you give them another chance to see if this was a fluke. Sometimes life just offers a challenging day and they are human.
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Post by hollymolly on Jul 29, 2016 14:13:42 GMT
I was a server for a while, and am a bit of an over-tipper because of it. I also tip well if there is clearly a problem in the kitchen that is not the fault of the server, because I know the server's other tables will likely not tip as well even though the problem is out of the server's control. I've been screwed over by a bad night in the kitchen and it sucks to work so hard and not get a tip.
In this instance, it was clearly the waitstaff at fault, among others. I'd do the one penny tip. In the restaurant community, that's exactly what it means. If you leave no tip, the server can just assume that you don't know to leave a tip or are cheap. A penny is intentional and leaves a message. If you don't have a penny, any single coin says the same thing.
I don't stay when the wait is that long either, but it's different when you're with your kids. They tend to be more forgiving of things like that, and more sensitive to "making a scene." Even when you aren't making a scene. My DS as a pre-teen/teenager would have been embarrassed if we left without getting our food, even if we did it quietly and no one noticed.
I definitely would have asked for a manager, but that's hard to do when you are waiting so long just to see your server. And in my experience, when that much is going wrong, the servers tend pop up with your food and then run away before you have a chance to say anything at all. I don't know that it would have helped you much anyway, because bad management was the root of all the problems you had, from the hostess to the Code Red. And seriously, what's the point of using code words when the manager asks why instead of just high-tailing it out there to deal with the problem?
Write to corporate. They need to know that they've lost your business, and why. The manager may not care, but they need to know that too so they can get a new manager in who will take care of their business.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Jul 29, 2016 14:39:56 GMT
I get it that people have bad days, people call in sick leaving the rest of the employees to pick up the slack, etc. However, the way I respond is directly correlated to how I'm being treated and in this case you were treated horribly by the entire gamut of employees you encountered. I'm another that would have asked for a manager at the first sign of a real problem, I wouldn't have left a tip and I would have written a message on the back of the check as to why so there would be NO confusion that it wasn't an oversight. I also would not be paying the check for any of it.
If there was no improvement after the manager was involved, then I would take it further up the food chain and complain in writing. That level of incompetence is unacceptable. It is the server's job to provide SERVICE, and if the whole day goes sideways they have to work all the harder to be apologetic and do what *they* can to make the best of it so the customer is minimally affected. It is the manager's job to make sure that the servers and kitchen are adequately staffed, and if that means they get their own butt out on the floor to help in whatever ways necessary, so be it. I'm willing to overlook quite a bit if the person on the front end is obviously trying, and I would still tip in that instance. Having a good attitude and doing what is possible goes a long way with me but it doesn't sound like anyone was even attempting to do that all the way down the line.
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smartypants71
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,714
Location: Houston, TX
Jun 25, 2014 22:47:49 GMT
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Post by smartypants71 on Jul 29, 2016 14:52:18 GMT
What would I do? I'd probably Yelp it or post something on their FB page. Even that's probably a waste of time though - does anyone read reviews before going to a CB? LOL!
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Post by auntkelly on Jul 29, 2016 15:15:39 GMT
I wouldn't waste one more second of my time bothering to complain to corporate. I would never set foot in Cracker Barrel again no matter how many gift certificates they gave me.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 2, 2024 3:07:38 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2016 15:25:04 GMT
I'd complain to corporate. It's one thing to be shorthanded, totally another thing to have a crappy attitude when a customer tells you that their order is wrong. And what is with the Code Red? Sorry OP, I'm laughing now but at the same time, I would have been pissed if someone kept referring to me as "Code Red" while I was telling them how poor their service was.
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sweetpeasmom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,594
Jun 27, 2014 14:04:01 GMT
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Post by sweetpeasmom on Jul 29, 2016 15:26:32 GMT
I would have found a manager after 5 minutes at the table with no service. I never understand these threads. How/why do people let this go on for so long without finding a manager? I get that you saw manager, but you didn't ask for him and you didn't explain all the problems to him. He had only talked to the waitress so he only had her point of view. You should have asked for him when the first problem occurred. Why come here and write it all out the next day and think about contacting corporate? Get a manager the moment you feel dissatisfied. If he doesn't solve the issue, leave. Why do people stay and pay to be treated like this? This is my thoughts too. If they were truly having a day, then the manager was having one too. If he only got her side of the story, it very well could be that she bitched that even though you ordered ABC, you say you ordered XYZ. So it came across as you were being difficult. When in fact, they were the ones that were screwing up. Honestly, I wouldn't have left without a box for my child's food, the manager knowing my side of the story and at least having my daughter's food comped. Save
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julieb
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,845
Jul 3, 2014 16:02:54 GMT
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Post by julieb on Jul 29, 2016 15:35:25 GMT
You should have stayed and talked to the manager then and there. You had a chance to rectify it then and you left. I wouldn't go back if I were you and call it a day.
Okay, that was a quick change of mind on my part. You did wait too long for everything. Call corporate.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 2, 2024 3:07:38 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2016 15:40:33 GMT
No way in hell would I wait around for over 2 hours at a freakin' Cracker Barrel.
I would have complained in the moment and left, but I wouldn't do anything after the fact because I'd have no interest in discounts, coupons, etc. I'd never go back.
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Post by crimsoncat05 on Jul 29, 2016 15:59:31 GMT
we don't tip in horrible customer service situations like that, either. And my BF (who usually takes care of the bill) HAS written very detailed notes on the receipt as to why there was no tip.
The manager should have come to your table LONG before you were done... the fact that the cashier was doing the "code red" thing while you were at the cash register, and he didn't even bother to come up then?!? That says to me that the manager was either also overwhelmed, or just didn't care. In that case, I'd be making phone calls or writing letters somewhere higher up the chain. Because like someone else wrote, Cracker Barrel is set UP to be- and geographically positioned to be- a place that highway travelers can stop, get a meal in a nicer setting than a fast food restaurant, and get back on the road fairly quickly.
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Post by mollycoddle on Jul 29, 2016 16:08:00 GMT
So I take the girls to Cracker Barrel ( their choice, the love their grilled chicken). We stand at the hostess station and a CB employee comes up and asks me something I cannot quite understand ( she was mumbling) I saw "we have 3", she states that " she is not the hostess" and walks off, while I'm saying "oh, sorry". We stand there another 3-4 minutes before a hostess comes up and says "I'll be right with you". She comes back 2-3 minutes later and takes us to our seats, stating that "it's been one of those nights." ( there are others behind us, 3 groups of 2-4 people) we are seated with menus. The restaurant is 1/4 full. It takes another 20 minutes for a server to come to the take to say, "I'm not your server but I'll get your drinks". I ask if we can give our order, we thought we had been forgotten, and she says sure. I say thank you and She takes our order and walks off. It takes 10 more minutes before we have beverages delivered by same waitress. We say thank you. People who came in behind us have drinks and food. Another 30 minutes goes by and food us brought to table by our "real" server (not who took our order) Both the girls orders were wrong. I calmly state that their orders are wrong, so she puts all the food on the table behind us, pulls the order and says " well this is what you told the other server". I calmly said "no, DD1 ordered this, this, with this" and DD2 ordered "that, that, with that". Two totally different food stuffs. My dinner was correct. So she is clearly pissed and takes all the food from the table behind us and huffs off saying "I'll put it back in to correct it". She comes out 10 minutes later with the same plate for my dinner (it's luke warm) and scraped off one thing off DD1's plate and puts the right thing there, and nothing for DD2. She states "sorry for the mix up, it's been a night". She asks DD2 what she's drinking and says she'll bring another drink. She does but it's what DD1 is drinking (DD1 had lemonade, DD2 was drinking tea), she sees her mistake and says she'll get her another. It takes over 15 minutes to bring her another. As a side note, my glass had been empty before my dinner and never refilled at all. DD1 had 4 glasses in front of her, from refills!!! So, 5-8 minutes later, the manager brings out DD2's food. (He's acting like it was this complicated special order, when in reality it was exactly off the menu.). Waitress brings check to my side. We are done, while DD2 is not even 1/2 through her dinner and decides to take the rest home. I ask for a box. We sit there for more than 15 minutes waiting for a box---I had asked our server when she brought the check. I cannot get anyone's attention to get a box, our waitress is bussing tables on the other side of the restaurant. I tell DD2 that I'll get her food at home if she's still hungry. I said I was about to carry her plate to the register to ask for a to go box, but DD's were horrified that I would do that! I get to the register, the cashier is joking with the people in front of me paying and teasing them, and I'm hoping she doesn't do it with me! DD's went to the car. Cashier compliments my shirt. I say thank you. She asks how it was, I stated calmly that the service was terrible all the way around, and that both the servers and manager knew it. I stated we left DD2's food on the table as we requested a box and 15 minutes later no box. She starts speaking into her apron "Code Red at Cashier, Code Red at Cashier" (lol). She's apologizing. I state that I just want to pay and get out of there, that I don't know what a Code Red means. She states she's calling her manager. Well, manager comes back on her microphone thing asking what she wants, and she again states "Code Red". She hands me my receipt, and says her manager can come out. I stated that he didn't care when we were being served, the servers knew they were messing up and kept messing up and that to trust me when I say that the manger would want to be in front of me now, and I turned and left. I hear her saying "Code Red is going out the door, Code Red is out the door!!" (I figured I was going to be apprehended, lol!!) I was pissed that they knew they had crappy service, just apologized (yet making errors). My sister thinks I should still call them tomorrow. Or call corporate. (She's a server at an upscale restaurant. My girls thought I should not be upset because they said they were having a bad day (apparently everyone who worked there) Would you have tipped? If so, what? (Bill was $40) What would you have done? Would you have expected them to offer a discount or one of DD's meals free? Should I call? I would call the manager first and give him a chance to make it right. But if he doesn't, then I would email corporate.
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PaperAngel
Drama Llama
Posts: 7,386
Jun 27, 2014 23:04:06 GMT
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Post by PaperAngel on Jul 29, 2016 16:11:53 GMT
I no longer wait more than 10 minutes for a server to engage or tolerate someone arguing with me over my order, which s/he didn't take, at any restaurant. I've learned there is always other restaurant options with staff who want & appreciate my business. No way would I have paid for the experience you describe; why pay for food & drink you didn't receive or reward horrible service? Regardless whether you intend to return to that location/restaurant, I suggest you call today & speak to a manager about your dining experience (including the ineffectiveness of their "Code Red"); perhaps your feedback will improve future service...
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Post by scrapbookwriter on Jul 29, 2016 16:16:01 GMT
I was a server for a while, and am a bit of an over-tipper because of it. I also tip well if there is clearly a problem in the kitchen that is not the fault of the server, because I know the server's other tables will likely not tip as well even though the problem is out of the server's control. I've been screwed over by a bad night in the kitchen and it sucks to work so hard and not get a tip. Like hollymolly , I waitressed for a while, and also over-tip because of it. My worst waitressing night ever: I worked at a popular ice cream shop in a college town. It was game night. All the other waitresses called in sick. I was the only waitress in the entire restaurant. I explained to every table that I was working alone. I worked my butt off that night. I did not get a single tip. Not one. Isn't that just sad? (If I had that week to live over, I would have gone to the manager the next day and asked him to compensate me for the missing tips. Because $1.65 an hour just did not cut it.) In the OP's case, it does not appear that understaffing was the problem, especially with the restaurant 1/4 full. Even if the kitchen was understaffed, that does not explain incorrect orders or missing drinks or no refills. I too would have tipped a penny and called corporate the next day.
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Post by ilikepink on Jul 29, 2016 16:25:38 GMT
All 3 of my sons have been servers, one is an assistant restaurant manager and another is a corporate exec chef - if the management doesn't know about the problem, they can't fix it. And if the manager is the problem, it can't be fixed unless upper management is aware.
Having a bad day in a restaurant like that isn't unusual, but it is easy to overcome. But the servers and manager have to be willing to work a little harder to get things back to an acceptable service level. For me, it's all about the attitude from the server - if the kitchen is having problems, and she is up front/apologetic about it and tries to make things go well, I'm more forgiving. But from what the OP said, no one cared, and no one took the time to make it better. I'd contact CB today, and if there was no satisfaction, go up to corporate. If they offer compensation of some kind, you can accept and pass in on to someone else, or decline and tell them that the solution to the problem is more than giving you a free meal, that they need better training for their staff.
OP, you might want use this is a teaching guide for your DD - about doing a good job and caring about your customers. Just a thought.
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Post by scrapmaven on Jul 29, 2016 16:45:32 GMT
I understand that you stayed because your dd's really wanted to stay. Otherwise I would have left. At any rate, I wouldn't tip and I would email corporate a note describing my experience. You could also call. What a terrible experience. I am a very generous tipper, but wouldn't have tipped a cent.
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oh yvonne
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,009
Jun 26, 2014 0:45:23 GMT
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Post by oh yvonne on Jul 29, 2016 17:13:21 GMT
My bff is famous for speaking up when she has bad service. She can get really mad and people jump through hoops apologetically to help my redheaded tornado GF.
I tend to be polite and afraid to complain too much, especially when it comes to food being served to me.
In the 16 years I've lived in my town I've never faced any time of discrimination, so I'm not hyper sensitive to anything.
But several years ago at our local Cheesecake Factory we had service almost identical to the OP's. My husband hates scenes, and I silently bit my tongue while our waitress repeatedly ignored us. That waitress was not overly busy, she was standing around talking to other waitstaff, and she was attending other tables just fine. At one point, I'd asked for a refill on my iced tea and she made a snort like, it was an inconvenience for her.
By the time our meal was over I was practically in tears. My DH just wanted out of there and he still left a tip. To this day I haven't been back there, and it makes me mad because I love CCF. I am so mad at myself for never calling corporate to complain. I've kicked myself about that ever since. They should have been made aware of how horribly we were treated.
Call and complain. You won't regret it.
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basketdiva
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,622
Jun 26, 2014 11:45:09 GMT
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Post by basketdiva on Jul 29, 2016 19:10:01 GMT
I would have found a manager after 5 minutes at the table with no service. I never understand these threads. How/why do people let this go on for so long without finding a manager? I get that you saw manager, but you didn't ask for him and you didn't explain all the problems to him. He had only talked to the waitress so he only had her point of view. You should have asked for him when the first problem occurred. Why come here and write it all out the next day and think about contacting corporate? Get a manager the moment you feel dissatisfied. If he doesn't solve the issue, leave. Why do people stay and pay to be treated like this? I agree with myshelly- I refuse to be a doormat. We have a personal policy about poor service. If we have a bad experience, we will wait a few months before going back and if the same thing happens, that place is written off. If it's a chain, we do give other locations a chance because not all operate the same. We were having a bad experience at a Tony Roma's. We immediately asked for a manager and a new server, which we got. I won't put up with incompetent service ( lost our order, had to come back and ask about the salad dressings, etc.)
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 2, 2024 3:07:38 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2016 20:41:49 GMT
I would have found a manager after 5 minutes at the table with no service. I never understand these threads. How/why do people let this go on for so long without finding a manager? I get that you saw manager, but you didn't ask for him and you didn't explain all the problems to him. He had only talked to the waitress so he only had her point of view. You should have asked for him when the first problem occurred. Why come here and write it all out the next day and think about contacting corporate? Get a manager the moment you feel dissatisfied. If he doesn't solve the issue, leave. Why do people stay and pay to be treated like this? Ditto! I added up all your minutes. You stayed there over TWO HOURS?
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