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What's the oddest/silliest thing someone in the food service has ever said to you? I'll start...
- Thread starter dawnnys
- Start date
richard-in-cincy
Well-known member
Don't mess with my fries...
I do not accept underdone or cold french fries when I am in a sit down restaurant that is pretending it's not a fast-food joint. When I order the occasionaly burger and fries, I even tell the wait staff: please make sure the fries are well done (i.e. extra crispy) and are hot (i.e. don't let them sit for 5 minutes before you bring them out), because I will send them back (friends usually chime in here: "And he will too!")
I am always assured they will be absolute perfection.
And I usually have to send them back.
But this time...
I tested the first fry (I always do this immeditately before they can walk away), cold as usual, and I tell her the fries are cold and I asked for them to be hot.
She reaches over to take my plate. So now she's going to take away my burger to sit while they throw the fries back in the fryer.
Uh, no. I'll keep the burger while you bring the correct fries.
Waitress: Well you don't expect TWO orders of fries do you?
Me: No, I expect one done right the way I asked for originally when I placed my order.
Waitress reaches across my plate, lowers her tray, and rakes the fries off my plate onto her tray.
Waitress walks away.
Richard walks out the door.
Interesting how I have never had this problem in any restaurants in Europe.
I do not accept underdone or cold french fries when I am in a sit down restaurant that is pretending it's not a fast-food joint. When I order the occasionaly burger and fries, I even tell the wait staff: please make sure the fries are well done (i.e. extra crispy) and are hot (i.e. don't let them sit for 5 minutes before you bring them out), because I will send them back (friends usually chime in here: "And he will too!")
I am always assured they will be absolute perfection.
And I usually have to send them back.
But this time...
I tested the first fry (I always do this immeditately before they can walk away), cold as usual, and I tell her the fries are cold and I asked for them to be hot.
She reaches over to take my plate. So now she's going to take away my burger to sit while they throw the fries back in the fryer.
Uh, no. I'll keep the burger while you bring the correct fries.
Waitress: Well you don't expect TWO orders of fries do you?
Me: No, I expect one done right the way I asked for originally when I placed my order.
Waitress reaches across my plate, lowers her tray, and rakes the fries off my plate onto her tray.
Waitress walks away.
Richard walks out the door.
Interesting how I have never had this problem in any restaurants in Europe.
It works both ways. I was a waiter at Marie Calendar's all through college.
It wasn't the most sophisticated crowd. We served a fairly mediocre turkey pot pie that couldn't be kept overnight, so we planned to run out. For some reason customers loved it and those in the know would ask us to save one right away, but sometimes we were out way too early. I remember one large party who all wanted pot pies. I told them I was sorry and that we were out but the very bossy matriarch said, "Don't listen to him he's kidding!" I assured her I never kid about pot pies and apologized again and as the others at the table started choosing alternatives she kept insisting, "No, he's KIDDING! Stop it! They can't be out of that many pot pies." It went on for what seemed like hours.
The sandwiches were called "stacks," as in, "Tuna Stack," "Ham Stack," etc. One customer asked the waitress "how many hotcakes come with that tuna stack."
My little sister was a hostess and she had a party of 8 waiting for a large table to clear. Meanwhile a two-top cleared and she sat the next party of two. A woman from the party of 8 stormed up to her and demanded to know why those two were seated before her when they had come in afterwards. My sister tried to explain that her party would not have fit at the small table that was available but the lady stormed off, went back to her party, pointed at my sis theatrically and shouted, "SHE didn't even apologize!"
Ah, memories.
It wasn't the most sophisticated crowd. We served a fairly mediocre turkey pot pie that couldn't be kept overnight, so we planned to run out. For some reason customers loved it and those in the know would ask us to save one right away, but sometimes we were out way too early. I remember one large party who all wanted pot pies. I told them I was sorry and that we were out but the very bossy matriarch said, "Don't listen to him he's kidding!" I assured her I never kid about pot pies and apologized again and as the others at the table started choosing alternatives she kept insisting, "No, he's KIDDING! Stop it! They can't be out of that many pot pies." It went on for what seemed like hours.
The sandwiches were called "stacks," as in, "Tuna Stack," "Ham Stack," etc. One customer asked the waitress "how many hotcakes come with that tuna stack."
My little sister was a hostess and she had a party of 8 waiting for a large table to clear. Meanwhile a two-top cleared and she sat the next party of two. A woman from the party of 8 stormed up to her and demanded to know why those two were seated before her when they had come in afterwards. My sister tried to explain that her party would not have fit at the small table that was available but the lady stormed off, went back to her party, pointed at my sis theatrically and shouted, "SHE didn't even apologize!"
Ah, memories.
steve2-in-la
Well-known member
As a former TGIFriday's peon, I can attest there's nothing quite as satisfying as serving the public
BTW Dawn, I sound like a broken record, but a polite email to the management of the bakery
is in order.
Maybe they really are that rigid or maybe their employee needs to be told that there are exceptions to the "left to right" policy when a customer wants a specific piece!
Either way, they should know they lost a potential order.
is in order.
Maybe they really are that rigid or maybe their employee needs to be told that there are exceptions to the "left to right" policy when a customer wants a specific piece!
Either way, they should know they lost a potential order.
A few years ago, I was in Whole Foods Market and asked for one of their
"signature" sandwich creations, but with a substitution of one sauce for another.
I was informed that there were no substitutions. I said I would pay more for it, but no go - they would only put that particular sauce with a certain combination of sandwich fillings (reminds me of the Jack Nicholson reference Joe made above).
After asking the person behind the counter if he was serious, I walked out - leaving my cart full of groceries in the aisle.
"signature" sandwich creations, but with a substitution of one sauce for another.
I was informed that there were no substitutions. I said I would pay more for it, but no go - they would only put that particular sauce with a certain combination of sandwich fillings (reminds me of the Jack Nicholson reference Joe made above).
After asking the person behind the counter if he was serious, I walked out - leaving my cart full of groceries in the aisle.
amanda_pennsylvania
Well-known member
This didn't happen to me, but it's classic.
A new diner opened in town about a year ago. We went and thought the food was bad and the service was terrible. Haven't been back. One of my friends went and said that the waitress brought her the wrong order. When my friend pointed out that she had the wrong food, the waitress asked if she could eat it anyway (apparently not joking).
How they are still in business, I'll never know.
A new diner opened in town about a year ago. We went and thought the food was bad and the service was terrible. Haven't been back. One of my friends went and said that the waitress brought her the wrong order. When my friend pointed out that she had the wrong food, the waitress asked if she could eat it anyway (apparently not joking).
How they are still in business, I'll never know.
oh, this reminds me of a dinner we had on top of the Seattle Space Needle. they brought me the
wrong dinner, which happened to be lamb and I do not like lamb and would never have ordered it. The waiter insisted that I had ordered it. I couldn't believe the attitude. I'm sure it was a costly mistake for him, but I just couldn't eat it. We waited forever for them to bring me the beef dish I had ordered. It was an awful dining experience at a fancy schmancy place.
wrong dinner, which happened to be lamb and I do not like lamb and would never have ordered it. The waiter insisted that I had ordered it. I couldn't believe the attitude. I'm sure it was a costly mistake for him, but I just couldn't eat it. We waited forever for them to bring me the beef dish I had ordered. It was an awful dining experience at a fancy schmancy place.
And then there was the time about a year ago when I ordered a combo
that came with home fries, and was told they were out of home fries... so I ordered potatoes instead. Not only did they charge me full price for a "side order" but about 10 minutes after my meal came, I saw a frittata coming out of the kitchen heaped to the top with - home fries! Argggh...
that came with home fries, and was told they were out of home fries... so I ordered potatoes instead. Not only did they charge me full price for a "side order" but about 10 minutes after my meal came, I saw a frittata coming out of the kitchen heaped to the top with - home fries! Argggh...
music-city-missy
Well-known member
Pat - I love that one! How does a burger joint run out of burger meat?