| By Cvincolorado (Cvincolorado) on Thursday, August 12, 2004 - 01:30 am: Edit |
I had an interesting experience tonight and need to see what you guys think. Here is the intro. Table of four, three adults and a kid. Orders are two fettucine with chicken, one bowtie shrimp and one kids chicken tenders with fries. In the middle of the meal, the server notices the gentleman is gone and his fettucine is still there, uneaten. She asks if everything is OK and the woman replies "It doesn't suit his taste, he went up to his hotel room" She asks if the man would like something else and they say no. The server asks me if she should take it off the bill. I tell her that he is responsible to pay for what he orders. She feels uncomfortable and brings the owner in on the situation. The owner goes to the table and the woman informs her that all the meals were no good except the chicken tenders. Pretty funny huh? So they agree to take the uneaten fettucine off the bill and they end up stiffing the server(not even a dime). What does everyone think? Should someone not have to pay for a well described menu item if it "does not suit thier taste" ?
| By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Thursday, August 12, 2004 - 07:46 am: Edit |
"Does not suit their taste" is a wide spectrum of interpretation!!!!!
Basically one per person at least!!!!!
I love fettucine with shrimp or chicken, it depends how it's made that makes it good or not.
Having said that, if they did not like it the customer should have said so within one or two bites.
The meal that was uneaten should not be charged and the others, well it depends on how much they ate of it. If they ate more then a bite or two they should pay for them. On the other hand, if they are regular customers you may want to reconsider.
Many variables come into play in a situation like tat, hard to tell unless you (me) are there, did they act like they were trying to get a free meal??....were they rude and abnoxious????....were they corteous when they inquired about the one meal taken off the bill???
I think all this has to be taken into consideration in a very short period of time....seconds at times.
| By Snuffaluff (Snuffaluff) on Thursday, August 12, 2004 - 09:09 am: Edit |
the guy didn't even say anything about it... he just left! I mean heck, If I bite into something and think it tastes like horse, I'm not gonna eat anymore and ask the waitor take this away and order something else. I agree with Manny that the plate should be taken off the bill, but geeze man... he shoulda said something.
A story from me... Yesterday I went to a well known breakfast place. We are seated and sit there for 15 minutes and noone ever says a word to us.(dad and I) The place wasn't busy at all since it was about 10am. There are two different waitors helping the tables on either side of us, and I make eye contact with both of them. They walk off, come back and give checks to the other tables and still havn't said a word to us. We just got up and left. Should I have said something to the manager? I felt like I should have, but we were already outta the building and in the car.
| By Cheftim (Cheftim) on Thursday, August 12, 2004 - 10:16 am: Edit |
Why did it take you 15 minutes? Five is to long.
| By Chefgibz0 (Chefgibz0) on Thursday, August 12, 2004 - 11:42 am: Edit |
O.K.
Cvin, I agree with Manny. What you asked is a loaded question. Are they regs? Are they first timers? tourists? I do think is is suspect that she did not say that her food was bad until it became a "situation". Did anyone ask why he just left? Was there a service issue as in Snuffs case? Maybe he waited too long and left. Part of me says you ordered it you pay for it. The other wants to make the customer feel welcome and comfortable and we as an establishment would bend over backwards for them. Then you have the freeloaders, and what do you do with them??
"Should I have said something to the Manager?"
Hell yes!! My wife and I went out for our aniversary a few years back. When arriving at our restaurant of choice we discovered it to be closed. Then upon going elsewhere they were either too long of a wait or closed. So we end up at a chain. Get in and wait. Ten min. go by and the manager walks by and asks if everything is alright. We tell them no, that no one has seen us. "O.K. they will be right there!" Ten more minutes go by and Forget about this. We get up and leave. The manager chases us out of the restaurant and tries to get us back in. "A free meal" she says. I tell her, "If I wanted a free meal I would have asked for it. What I want is service and you failed. Even a free meal is not worth it without good service!"
So ya know what.......charge for the uneaten meal! Double charge for the kids fingers just cuz they were THAT good. And charge for an inconvienence fee just cuz they caused a situation. charge charge charge!!!! no just kiddin.......refer to my prior statement.
| By Snuffaluff (Snuffaluff) on Thursday, August 12, 2004 - 01:50 pm: Edit |
I guess I waited 10-15min just to give them a chance. I have patience, but not more than that. I never saw a manager or I'm sure I woulda said something to him/her. I know that someone should at least acknowledge your presence within 2minutes of your sitting down. Again, I waited just to wait... after all, I was hungry for some flap-jacks...lol
| By Chefgibz0 (Chefgibz0) on Thursday, August 12, 2004 - 03:00 pm: Edit |
15 min for breakfast!!!!!!!!!!!.....where I'm from you should be finishing your coffee in 15 minutes.....lol
| By Snuffaluff (Snuffaluff) on Friday, August 13, 2004 - 10:52 am: Edit |
lol.... I agree Chefgibz... totally agree...
| By Cheftim (Cheftim) on Friday, August 13, 2004 - 04:31 pm: Edit |
When I ran a restaurant I replaced or comp any meal someone did not like even if the reason was "I didn't think it was going to be like that", as long as the meal was relitively uneaten. NO questions, NO blame. The policy went a long way in creating return customers.
| By Jonesg (Jonesg) on Tuesday, August 24, 2004 - 07:40 am: Edit |
The customer pays the bills, they reserve the right to be wrong and be as stupid as we do.
So, reacting to them (taking the bait) is as silly as they are.
If some customers really know how to push our buttons, the best answer to that is to stop sewing them on.