Usually when I go to this Tex-mex place with friends or co-workers, no
problems at all. Quick, courteous service. In and out in under an hour.

Wednesday, we were tied up in meetings from 9:00 a.m. until almost 11:30.
We left for lunch, were seated upstairs. The server took our orders. "M"
ordered 1/2 plate of nachos but only with the meat and the cheese, no
lettuce, no sour cream, no guac. I indicated I wanted the same thing. "S"
ordered mushroom quesadillas with extra sour cream.

Our food arrived. The server gave me mushroom quesadillas. I said, excuse
me, I ordered what *she* did. He said, "Well, you didn't POINT to her when
you ordered." I said, huh? )Keep in mind, no one else had ordered at that
point. Why would I need to point?) He continued, you didn't tell me you
wanted HER order, I just assumed... (that and $1 will get you a latte
someplace).

So he removes my plate, then goes all around the room checking on everyone
elses drinks, taking orders, whatever. Not returning to the kitchen to
correct my order. Meanwhile my dining companions are going, should we go
ahead and eat? Of course! I'm watching the server. Maybe 10 minutes later
he takes my 'refused' plate back downstairs. He came back in record time
with my nachos. So all would have been good... I was happy and very polite.
We had a good lunch, chatting and laughing.

Then come the checks. He never bothered to change my check from the more
expensive quesadilla mistake to the less expensive 1/2 order of nachos. He
finally comes back to collect and I said, "This isn't right. I had the 1/2
nachos, not the quesadillas." He says, snotty-like, "It will take me 5-10
minutes to fix this." I replied, "I don't *have* 5-10 minutes." He took it
away. I noticed there was a manager (someone I recall working with 14 years
ago!) helping him out by refilling drinks, checking tables.

He would have been fine with a tip for the first screw up. But he should
have corrected my check with the correction of my order. In all the
restaurants I've worked in, you cannot submit another order without the
change being on the ticket.

He did come back just a few minutes later with my corrected check, but I did
NOT leave him a tip. On the check I wrote "Attitude!" What happened to the
"customer is always right?" You don't stand and argue about who screwed up
an order. If I'd wanted mushroom quesadillas I'd have asked for them,
regardless of who I pointed or did not point to at my table.

Oh, and while he was taking my check away to fix it, a gentlemen got up from
another table and followed him, saying, "Excuse me.... EXCUSE ME?"
Apparently I wasn't the only one who had a problem with the service.

But the food was good Salsas, in East Memphis. I won't let this one bad
experience keep me from dining there again.

Jill

jmcquown wrote:
[snip] What happened to the "customer is always right?"

But the food was good Salsas, in East Memphis. I won't let this one
bad experience keep me from dining there again.

Jill

Nobody gets to be always right. I'm not saying you were wrong in this
case, but that phrase is amoung my many pet peaves. I do software service
work, and when a customer has the attitude that they are always right just
because they are the customer, it makes it a lot more difficult to actually
fix the problem. I don't care who's right and who's wrong, I'm being paid
to fix it -- and an unreasonable customer takes away a lot of my options
and wastes my time. There's one case in particular that I have been
dealing with since November; I cannot fix the problem on my side, it has to
be fixed on the customer's side and I've identified exactly what needs to
be changed. We've spent countless hours arguing (not just me; several
levels of management too) because the customer says he shouldn't have to
change anything *just because he is the customer*.

[how did I end up on a soapbox again?]

BTW, we got great service and good food at a Mexican restaurant on the
north side of Nashville a couple of months ago. It was just off I65, and I
think I could find it again but I can't remember the name because it was
something ubiquitous. The greasy white cheese melted with chorizo that I
ordered as an appetizer was especially good. The waiter, who barely spoke
English, went to the kitchen as we were about to leave and got a taco for
our puppy that was in the car watching us through the window. :-)

Best regards,
Bob

On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 12:34:50 -0600, "jmcquown"
wrote:


He did come back just a few minutes later with my corrected check, but I did
NOT leave him a tip. On the check I wrote "Attitude!" What happened to the
"customer is always right?" You don't stand and argue about who screwed up
an order. If I'd wanted mushroom quesadillas I'd have asked for them,
regardless of who I pointed or did not point to at my table.

You *did* speak to the manager about your experience, I hope?

"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
Usually when I go to this Tex-mex place with friends or co-workers, no
problems at all. Quick, courteous service. In and out in under an hour.

snip story

Oh, and while he was taking my check away to fix it, a gentlemen got up
from
another table and followed him, saying, "Excuse me.... EXCUSE ME?"
Apparently I wasn't the only one who had a problem with the service.

But the food was good Salsas, in East Memphis. I won't let this one
bad
experience keep me from dining there again.

Jill


This reminds me of an experience I had at Chevy's, which is also TexMex
style. I ordered fajitas. Steak and chicken. He brought me chicken
enchiladas. How do you mistake fajitas for enchiladas??? Then he proceeded
to argue with me about what I ordered!? I politely told him that I would not
have ordered enchiladas as I cannot eat them, and that I wanted to speak to
his manager. He then told me that "The manager is busy, so if you want to
wait around a while, I'll get him when he is out of his meeting". And he
walked away. So then the guy who replenishes the chips and salsa came over
and I asked him to get the manager. Short meeting I guess because the
manager took about a minute to get there. I explained the situation, the
manager's reply was "Oh he's new. He doesn't know any better." So that is
supposed to make it ok?? Ha. I reminded him that I neither signed on to
train his waitstaff, nor was offered a reduced price for the reduced
service. He assigned us another server and offered us dessert, and went to
the kitchen to get my fajitas. I left a tip, but I was sure to put it in the
hands of the replacement server, who was wonderful, and said I didn't want a
dime to go to the first one.

kimberly

What happened to the "customer is always right?"

"Customers get what they want" is the axiom better
establishments follow.

Notwithstanding your experience here where you were
wronged, customers are not always right, but they do
get what they want. Either from your business or
your competition.

--
Think thrice, measure twice and cut once.

Sanding is like paying taxes ... everyone has to do it, but it is
important to take steps to minimize it.

There is only one period and no underscores in the real email address.



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zxcvbob wrote:
jmcquown wrote:
[snip] What happened to the "customer is always right?"

But the food was good Salsas, in East Memphis. I won't let this
one bad experience keep me from dining there again.

Jill

Nobody gets to be always right. I'm not saying you were wrong in this
case, but that phrase is amoung my many pet peaves. I do software
service work, and when a customer has the attitude that they are
always right just because they are the customer, it makes it a lot
more difficult to actually fix the problem.

Heh, I do software tech support myself. I have to pretend the customer is
always right even when they aren't. It's all about service, am I right?

with chorizo that I ordered as an appetizer was especially good. The
waiter, who barely spoke English, went to the kitchen as we were
about to leave and got a taco for our puppy that was in the car
watching us through the window. :-)

Best regards,
Bob

Ah ha! He got to you through your dog! Now *there* is someone who knows
the meaning of "service" ROFL!

Jill

MareCat wrote:
On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 12:34:50 -0600, "jmcquown"
wrote:


He did come back just a few minutes later with my corrected check,
but I did NOT leave him a tip. On the check I wrote "Attitude!"
What happened to the "customer is always right?" You don't stand
and argue about who screwed up an order. If I'd wanted mushroom
quesadillas I'd have asked for them, regardless of who I pointed or
did not point to at my table.

You *did* speak to the manager about your experience, I hope?

No, I didn't. By the time we left the lunch rush was in full swing (12:30
PM) and we didn't have time to dally waiting for the manager to be free.
Normally I would have. And I didn't want the guy to lose his job, just to
know he didn't do a good one in my case.

Jill

jmcquown wrote:

We left for lunch, were seated upstairs. The server took our orders. "M"
ordered 1/2 plate of nachos but only with the meat and the cheese, no
lettuce, no sour cream, no guac. I indicated I wanted the same thing. "S"
ordered mushroom quesadillas with extra sour cream.

Our food arrived. The server gave me mushroom quesadillas. I said, excuse
me, I ordered what *she* did. He said, "Well, you didn't POINT to her when
you ordered." I said, huh? )Keep in mind, no one else had ordered at that
point. Why would I need to point?) He continued, you didn't tell me you
wanted HER order, I just assumed... (that and $1 will get you a latte
someplace).


You were there, and I wasn't so I'm not going to argue too strenuously.

I will point out, however, from the waiter's point of view that
understanding what the customer is talking about can be a wild and
exciting challenge. I haven't waitressed in years, but when I did, I
could repeat back what the customer said, serve it exactly the way they
said, and still get it wrong. It wasn't unusual for different customers
to say exactly the same thing and mean something totally different.


This might sound farfetched, but I'll make my point with this example.


Earlier that day the waiter had a table in which one person ordered
nachos but only with the meat and cheese, no lettuce, sour cream nor
guac. Another at the table ordered the same thing. He brought 2 plates
of nachos with only meat and cheese, but when he got there, one customer
complained because she wanted hers with the lettuce, sour cream and guac
and figured the waiter should have known that. Then she said that he
should have known because she pointed. Customers have made more absurd
excuses and gotten away with them.


With that in mind, as a customer, I'm careful to be as clear as I can
be. I usually say what I want while pointing to the item on the menu
and say both what I want the item with and without. "So that's only the
meat, cheese and nachos, no lettuce, no sour cream and no guacamole."
Usually I try to order something on the menu and only ask for exceptions
if I truly can't find something I like as is.


You say this is a restaurant where you've gotten good service in the
past. I'd forget about his one bad experience-- unless it is repeated.


--Lia

Nexis wrote:
"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
Usually when I go to this Tex-mex place with friends or co-workers,
no problems at all. Quick, courteous service. In and out in under
an hour.

snip story

Oh, and while he was taking my check away to fix it, a gentlemen got
up from another table and followed him, saying, "Excuse me....
EXCUSE ME?" Apparently I wasn't the only one who had a problem with
the service.

But the food was good Salsas, in East Memphis. I won't let this
one bad experience keep me from dining there again.

Jill


This reminds me of an experience I had at Chevy's, which is also
TexMex style. I ordered fajitas. Steak and chicken. He brought me
chicken enchiladas. How do you mistake fajitas for enchiladas???

You don't, any more than you mistake 1/2 order of plain nachos for
quesadillas

Then
he proceeded to argue with me about what I ordered!?

That's what gets to me. Why stand there and argue? Just correct your
mistake and move on. (And then, in my case, why obviously and deliberately
wait 10 minutes before returning to the kitchen to get the correct item to
the point where my friends were embarrassed to have to start eating in front
of me?)

I politely told
him that I would not have ordered enchiladas as I cannot eat them,
and that I wanted to speak to his manager. He then told me that "The
manager is busy, so if you want to wait around a while, I'll get him
when he is out of his meeting". And he walked away. So then the guy
who replenishes the chips and salsa came over and I asked him to get
the manager. Short meeting I guess because the manager took about a
minute to get there. I explained the situation, the manager's reply
was "Oh he's new. He doesn't know any better." So that is supposed to
make it ok??

No it doesn't. Sometimes speaking to the manager is helpful, other times it
is not. Guess it depends on the restaurant.

kimberly

Having worked in restaurants, I consider myself to be fairly tolerant. I
understand being "in the weeds" and I understand mixups in the kitchen and
demanding, unreasonable guests who stress you out, and side-work and rolling
silverware and all that stuff. But, that tolerance only extends so far. It
does not extend to being argued with. I mean, why in the Hell would you or
I order something we didn't want?!

Jill

Nexis wrote:

This reminds me of an experience I had at Chevy's, which is also TexMex
style. I ordered fajitas. Steak and chicken. He brought me chicken
enchiladas.


Wow. You got service at that place? They opened one here and we decided
to try it. Sat for ten or fifteen minutes without anyone so much as
taking a drink order. I mean bare table, not even napkins let alone
chips. All the tables around us got drinks, had orders taken, when the
folks who got seated AFTER us got their lunch we walked out.

I suppose I could have chased down a waiter and tackled one to get some
service, but I doubt it would have improved much.



Dawn

(jmcquown)Wrote:
Usually when I go to this Tex-mex place with friends or co-workers, no
problems at all. Quick, courteous service. In and out in under an hour.
Wednesday, we were tied up in meetings from 9:00 a.m. until almost
11:30. We left for lunch, were seated upstairs. The server took our
orders. "M" ordered 1/2 plate of nachos but only with the meat and the
cheese, no lettuce, no sour cream, no guac. I indicated I wanted the
same thing. "S" ordered mushroom quesadillas with extra sour cream.
Our food arrived. The server gave me mushroom quesadillas. I said,
excuse me, I ordered what *she* did. He said, "Well, you didn't POINT to
her when you ordered." I said, huh? )Keep in mind, no one else had
ordered at that point. Why would I need to point?) He continued, you
didn't tell me you wanted HER order, I just assumed... (that and $1 will
get you a latte someplace).
So he removes my plate, then goes all around the room checking on
everyone elses drinks, taking orders, whatever. Not returning to the
kitchen to correct my order. Meanwhile my dining companions are going,
should we go ahead and eat? Of course! I'm watching the server. Maybe 10
minutes later he takes my 'refused' plate back downstairs. He came back
in record time with my nachos. So all would have been good... I was
happy and very polite. We had a good lunch, chatting and laughing.
Then come the checks. He never bothered to change my check from the more
expensive quesadilla mistake to the less expensive 1/2 order of nachos.
He finally comes back to collect and I said, "This isn't right. I had
the 1/2 nachos, not the quesadillas." He says, snotty-like, "It will
take me 5-10 minutes to fix this." I replied, "I don't *have* 5-10
minutes." He took it away. I noticed there was a manager (someone I
recall working with 14 years ago!) helping him out by refilling drinks,
checking tables.
He would have been fine with a tip for the first screw up. But he should
have corrected my check with the correction of my order. In all the
restaurants I've worked in, you cannot submit another order without the
change being on the ticket.
He did come back just a few minutes later with my corrected check, but I
did NOT leave him a tip. On the check I wrote "Attitude!" What happened
to the "customer is always right?" You don't stand and argue about who
screwed up an order. If I'd wanted mushroom quesadillas I'd have asked
for them, regardless of who I pointed or did not point to at my table.
Oh, and while he was taking my check away to fix it, a gentlemen got up
from another table and followed him, saying, "Excuse me.... EXCUSE ME?"
Apparently I wasn't the only one who had a problem with the service.
But the food was good Salsas, in East Memphis. I won't let this one
bad experience keep me from dining there again.
Jill
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After reading this post was thinking about the news clip last week
talking about how fast food restaurants here in metro Detroit area were
reorganizing the set ups starting with McDonalds
Customer walks in machine takes their order customers pay at the ATM
stand.
They said it would eliminate cashiers jobs-more profits- reduce
robberies-reduced insurance premiums- and errors -wasted food-
Non fast food restaurant owners stated they will be watching these new
set ups closely .
These people who have attitudes and don't take their job seriously might
just want to have a second thought because it looks like bad service
might be a thing of the past.