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Question about bad restaurant experiences
Last Saturday we had the most awful dinner EVER. I won't say where we went because it gives away my location completely, but it was in the Yukon/OKC area. Our food was awful, it took forever to get it, my indian taco came out with cole slaw and tarter sauce cups on it...it was just crap the entire time. My meal was nasty and H's was too. The waitress was terrible--we had to ask two others at two separate times to refill my tea and H's Dr. Pepper. The only thing that was right was B's pizza--but it was a frozen one heated up, so how hard is that?
I never saw a manager on duty, so we paid and left. After we left, I got online, found the manager's e-mail and sent them one regarding our awful experience. I told him that I didn't mind paying for dinner and wasn't looking for any hand outs--and that we'd had previously good experiences with them, so I was surprised at how awful our meal and service was.
He of course has e-mailed me back asking for our address so that he can send us a gift card. I'm not sure why, but this makes me feel bad. I don't want a free meal...I just want to have decent service and my order to be somewhat right when I go back! IF I go back.
Have you had an unusually bad experience at a restaurant? How did you handle it?
Re: Question about bad restaurant experiences
It is rare to never that I have a bad restaurant experience. I have had slow service before, but it's never been so slow that I was angry about it. I've seen people at the same table as me get frustrated so maybe I just have a high tolerance for inadequacy?
The vast majority of the time, I get great service and my food is correct, especially at local places.
Honestly, I can't think of the last time we had service this bad. I think I would have sent the food back. I have been "that woman" before at a restaurant who got up, went to the server station, and got my own refill when the service was just TERRIBLE.
If, like your situation seems to be, it was an otherwise good restaurant that had a way "off" night, I'd do exactly what you did. I'd talk to the manager, either in person or via email. If the place is normally good, I'd accept the free gift card and give it another try. If it was the first time I've ever been, I probably just wouldn't ever go back.
I would accept the gift card, since you say you've had good experiences with them before. Like PP, if I have a bad (or mediocre) experience the first time I go to a restaurant, I never go back.
You've made the manager aware of a negative situation that could have driven off other customers, so now he has a chance to fix it before he loses any more. It's much more cost effective for him to give you a free meal than to lose customers, especially if it will get you to come back and give the restaurant another chance rather than losing your business forever.
Good, I'm glad I am not the only one who complains! I certainly don't do it often, but when it is so bad that the first thing that pops into my mind is "I have to write them a letter!" then well, there you go.
I have decided that I am not e-mailing back with my address. I stated in the first e-mail that I wasn't out for a free meal from him, so I'm not going to get one. I just seriously want him to say something to the wait staff/kitchen so that they know that them half assing it is not going to bring back repeat business.
I have written a few times (3-4) over the past 7 years. I've gotten GCs and offer for free meal on them, but I honestly have never taken them up on it. One place was a place I really liked (local) and I had two bad sandwiches in a row. I wanted to love that place again, not get a free meal.
I don't complain if I get bad service, but if I get bad service and they handle it wrong, I might complain. I understand that things don't always go right. One fast food place had one car in front of me but they had a larger order and I waited 15 minutes in line. My food was cold and my shake was half melted when I got it, but not only that, they lady didn't greet me or apologize for the wait. She just shoved the food at me. I called the manager, left a message, and never got a call back. I wrote their corporate office. All she had to do was say sorry for the wait or they should have told the car in front of me with the large order to pull off to the side as I have seen done at other places.
One experience that stands out is the first time we went to a certain Norman restaurant. We were seated quickly and DH and I both really liked our food, but our service was HORRIBLE. I know every server has their off night, but the only time we saw our waiter was when we took our order and brought us drinks. We never saw him again. Someone else brought out our food and refilled our drinks. A manager happened to come by and ask how things were and DH and I just looked at each other. We told him everything was great but that our waiter was MIA. He apologized and made sure our food was okay. Then he came over later and told us he had comped our meal. DH fought him on that, told him we weren't looking for a free meal, just that we wanted him to know he had a server who wasn't doing his job and that other servers were taking up his slack.
I'm not generally a complainer, but if my food is wrong I have no problem sending it back (in a nice manner of course) and again I realize every server has their off night--but that waiter was horrible. I've never emailed/written a manager before, but if I had an experience as bad as yours I would.