105 replies to this topic

[_john_doe_]

I didn't talk to the manager. My bf did. He wasn't concerned about the service (same attitude we got when we complained at BJs).

Perhaps the issue isn't with the restaurants if you are getting the same results at different establishments.

[cw68]

When I have a really bad experience, I often do talk to the management. More often than not, though, I don't because it's just not a good experience. IMO, it's not my responsibility to make sure they treat their customers right. I'm not going to spend a lot of my time telling a restaurant how to improve their business, that's their job. However, I will go out of my way to let people know when I've had a great experience.

Went to Malabar for the first time Saturday night for a beer. It didn't rock my socks off, seemed very low-key, overdone and had very little energy.

[Dave Burrell]

Perhaps the issue isn't with the restaurants if you are getting the same results at different establishments.

Does make one wonder about that..... perhaps its the projected attitude?

[tgianco]

When I have a really bad experience, I often do talk to the management. More often than not, though, I don't because it's just not a good experience. IMO, it's not my responsibility to make sure they treat their customers right. I'm not going to spend a lot of my time telling a restaurant how to improve their business, that's their job. However, I will go out of my way to let people know when I've had a great experience.

Went to Malabar for the first time Saturday night for a beer. It didn't rock my socks off, seemed very low-key, overdone and had very little energy.

Thank you for stating what I've been meaning to say. It is NOT the consumers responsibility to speak with management about a negative experience.

There's an old adage in the restaurant industry about a happy customer telling one or two others about a great experience, but a customer who has a bad customer experience telling 10 others. As restaurant consumers, we expect good service and good food as the norm, not the exception.

[ChipShot]

Thank you for stating what I've been meaning to say. It is NOT the consumers responsibility to speak with management about a negative experience.

Very true. I can usually get my server to make things right, but as far as talking to management, that can be uneasy and uncomfortable and unfulfilling anyway. But I will remember the experience, and likely not go back. That's how you vote....with your wallet.

[swmr545]

Does make one wonder about that..... perhaps its the projected attitude?

I invite you to dinner with us one night and you will see that we go in hoping to have a good meal. We do not go into a restaurant hoping to cause problems, make other patrons uncomfortable, or to recieve bad service because we are gay.

[ChipShot]

I invite you to dinner with us one night and you will see that we go in hoping to have a good meal. We do not go into a restaurant hoping to cause problems, make other patrons uncomfortable, or to recieve bad service because we are gay.

OK, I'll ask. Are you two overly flamboyant when out to dinner? Do you hold hands? Do you sit shoulder-to-shoulder next to each other? These are pivotal questions. No offense....

[mylo]

I'll take you up on your free dinner swmr! Where you wanna go? Can I bring my wife?

[Redone]

We waited 10 minutes before being taken to a seat (the restaurant was pretty much empty and there was no one else waiting). It took the waitress another 10 minutes to bring us two glasses of water. I ordered a chicken sandwich, the chicken was dry. He ordered a pizza, it was bland.

We weren't the only ones that had this though. As we were leaving another family was complaining to the manager about the lack of service/quality.

Maybe it 's what you ordered. I had filet with potatoes au gratin last time and they were 9 out of 10.

[swmr545]

OK, I'll ask. Are you two overly flamboyant when out to dinner? Do you hold hands? Do you sit shoulder-to-shoulder next to each other? These are pivotal questions. No offense....

My bf is noticably gay, I pass as straight. We do not hold hands or kiss. And we sit across from each other, not next to each other.

That's a pic of my bf. He doesn't have the pink hair anymore. He's got dirty blonde hair.

[swmr545]

I'll take you up on your free dinner swmr! Where you wanna go? Can I bring my wife?

I'm a poor college kid (except when it comes to sushi).

[tsukiji]

Business owners: customers, when dining out, do so for a variety of reasons. if we behave like reasonable people, then we deserve reasonable service and food quality appropriate to the price we are paying. under these conditions, expect that your revenues goals will be met as word gets around and you build a regular customer base. do more, get more. do less and experience darwin first hand.

Clientele: let's be reasonable. if the food and service is appropriate to the amount you pay, don't be harsh just because it wasn't to your liking. we all have our different levels of expectations. food service is a highly subjective industry with few absolutes. to each his own individual tastes. let's give all self-proprieters a chance. some may need to go through growing pains. live and learn. those who fail to learn will experience darwin. let's focus on the really good businesses out there. i'd really like to hear more comments about business that deserve new customers rather than hear about businesses that don't. like forest gump might say "my mama told me that if you can't say something nice, think about something else." except when something is atrociously wrong -- ie unethical businesses that are intentially defrauding customers. at the very least, let's all try to offer criticism constructively for the lurking business owners.

[Andrea V]

There are some coupons in the Clipper mag. in the mail today.

MAYBE I can get chris to try it again????

[Folsom Guy]

hey I'm with you, I like BJ's too for their beers and appetizers - good stuff and good times.

Amen to that....

[Folsom Guy]

When I have a really bad experience, I often do talk to the management. More often than not, though, I don't because it's just not a good experience. IMO, it's not my responsibility to make sure they treat their customers right. I'm not going to spend a lot of my time telling a restaurant how to improve their business, that's their job. However, I will go out of my way to let people know when I've had a great experience.

Heard on some radio talk-show - never go back to a restaurant where you complained - who know what will get added to your plate by some disgruntled worker...