Last week I posted this question on my Facebook wall: Have you ever switched doctors or stopped going to a restaurant due to rude staff?
I think I hit a nerve. A few of you had stories to share. Here’s one of the stories that prompted my question.
On our way home from the Pocono’s a few weeks ago, we decided to stop at a famous New Jersey Diner. It also happens to be the place where Kevin and I first met. The idea to stop for lunch was kind of romantic because our 6-year anniversary fell on the same week.
The waitress was rude from the start. First, she gave me a hard time about getting a menu (my husband was given one – and I received a specials menu). She told me people usually ordered from the specials menu. I politely asked for a regular menu, for the second time.
A few minutes later she returned with the menu, we placed our orders, and then finally received our lunch. I bit into my turkey wrap and realized it was not what I ordered. It was supposed to have pesto sauce on it. So I asked her about it. She returns to the kitchen, comes back and tells me they ran out of pesto.
Um-kay. Why didn’t they come and ask if I still wanted this meal?
I continue eating, and then realize it was supposed to have roasted peppers as well. I’m annoyed at this point and asked to see the menu. I questioned her again, “Did they run out of roasted peppers too?”
Meanwhile, my husband asked about the sides that were supposed to come with his meal. She proceeds to argue that his meal doesn’t come with a side dish when the menu clearly states that it does. She snips at my husband, “Would you LIKE a side dish, SIR?!”
I couldn’t take it any longer. This was my boiling point. “You have been nothing but rude from the moment we sat down – what is your problem?”
From that point on, her tune started to change, and she tells me she’s going to talk to the chefs in the back again about my wrap sandwhich. I guess you can say she was in damage control mode. She went back into the kitchen to check on the infamous sandwich again, and miraculously returns with the correct sandwich wrapped up to go. With roasted peppers. And pesto. So she LIED.
I can understand if a person is having a bad day, but this was over the top. We stopped to have a pleasant meal at this restaurant and the experience turned downright stressful.
My husband went to the register to pay. While he was signing the clerk asked how the meal was, and he told her. So she gave Emma a cookie. Not the best response, if you ask me. On the way home, Kevin said to me, “That’s the last time we eat there.”
It’s kind of sad. It’s the place where our story began. I don’t want this to be our last visit, but what choice do we really have?
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So, have you ever boycotted a place due to bad service?
I’ve stopped going to restaurants and doctors when the staff was rude or incompetent. I feel sorry for the doctor or manager that was foolish enough to hire them.
I’m infamous for boycotting restaurants. I try to give them one more chance then I’m done completely if they screw up again. Some places just don’t care about service.
That sounds awful! I had a terrible experience at the local Denny’s the night it opened. For starters our waitress quit half way through her shift. Secondly, they ran out of oreos but still tried to charge me for an oreo shake…I never got any shake at all! They are still pretty bad but they are one of the only 24 hour places so I still go on occasion.
I would not return because of bad service unless the food or restaurant was worth it. And I would definitely make the manager or proprietor aware of the issue. Rude behavior is NO excuse in the service industry, bad day or no!
ABSOLUTELY!! My favorite story ( Not actually a boycott since we haven’t been in the country since): While in Ireland on our honeymoon, we stopped at a small cafe on the way back to our B&B. We were dressed in hiking clothes (we were hiking the Burren Way) and I can only assume we didn’t seem to be worth their time. Finally after interminable waiting we simply ordered drinks at the bar, the attendant was so rude and dismissive that my husband left him only a 2 cent piece tip. (The Euro 2 cent, I don’t know if the implications translated, but it made us feel a little better.)
*This cafe was not representative of Ireland and we had a wonderful time :)
Wow! As a former waitress of over 15 years, this was completely uncalled for. Customers are the ones who pay you, not your employer. In most states, servers make about 1/2 minimum wage, the other half is supposed to be earned in tips. It doesn’t matter HOW bad your day is going, you treat each new table as if they’re your favorite customers. Oh, and it’s very simple to deal with missing items in a meal – roll your eyes and blame it on the kitchen- apologize and offer to fix the problem. Easy!
For restaurant bad service, I’ll usually go back after a while. One bad food experience, I would go back and try again after a while also, but two…I’m done for good.
Now retail??? Totally different. Bad service once and I’ll never go back.