Refused service at a restaurant tonight

[picard]

I guess that the best way is to make formal complaint to head office. You have to act belligerent in order to get any response from head office.
Is this common occurance in your city photowrangler? Was the waitress a younger or older woman? Young waitress tend to be inexperience in serving customers.

 

[picard]

ah, I re-read your original message. she was a punk looking woman. Punk kids tend to be cocky, arrogant who have attitude problem.

 

[PhotonWrangler]

Yes, she was young and punkish. I don't think she's going to last there long as that place is supposed to be a family restaurant and her demeanor is really out of place there.

 

[this_is_nascar]

[ QUOTE ]
PhotonWrangler said:
The title says it all. This tough-looking young waitress with spikey hair refused to wait on me while she fawned all over the other guests seated nearby, most of which had arrived well after I did. After waiting 30 minutes and not even getting a simple "hello," it was abundandly clear that there was some kind of an attitude problem going on so I stormed out of the place, but not before giving a piece of my mind to the startled greeters at the front door. I've just now shot off a note to their corporate office with all of the details.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/whoopin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm confused. You seem to be upset enough about this to post, however when asked questions below, you don't want to answer in public? It doesn't make sense. You seem to have some theory as to why this occurred, however you don't want to talk about it. So, why post in the 1st place? Help us understand.

 

[PhotonWrangler]

Sorry Nascar, I guess I'm just venting. I think that either she had mistaken me for someone else (I've been told that I have a couple of lookalikes in town) or it was a weird s*xual thing. Either way it shouldn't matter for a paying customer who just wants to have a quiet meal without having to carry someone's else's baggage with it.

 

[gadget_lover]

I find that the least offensive answer is often the correct one.

My guess is that your table was near the boundries of two stations (waitress territories) and both waitresses thought you belonged to the other. This has happened to me several times. If I don't get greated by a server within 5 minutes I snag a passing employee and ask for my server. Works every time.

New workers are often given a smaller station than normal. They are also more likely to avaoid eye contact with people who are not assigned to their station. They have not yet honed the skill where they walk past briskly with a smile and murmered hello that keeps you from asking for something.

Unless you were openly offensive, there is no reason to think that you were being personally punished or insulted.

I've worked in a variety of restraunts, and never seen an instance where any employee messed with the food. I take that back. I've seen a dropped hamburger patty go back on the grill. He was fired.

Let us know how it turns out, OK?


Daniel

 

[PhotonWrangler]

Thanks for your input, Daniel. I'm still mulling this over and trying to find a logical reason and your input helps.

No, I wasn't offensive to her. I never even got a chance to say hello to her!

I have experienced the "boundary" issue many times so I was careful to take note of who was handling what, and she was handling tables on either side of me as well as across from me, so I don't think it was a boundary thing but I'll think it over some more.

The only other clue that I have is that all of the patrons that she was waiting on were on the heavy side (and so was the waitress herself). I was the only slender individual involved here. Could she just hate skinny people?
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

 

[Lightraven]

I eat at restaurants almost daily. Once in a while, I get ignored. The reason is usually:
1. I'm pretty quiet and low-key and they forget I'm there.
2. The waiter goes on break or off-shift and I don't get a replacement.
3. I'm by myself and they assume that I'm waiting for someone else to join me before I order.

I once had a waitress fawning over me while a couple near me got ignored. I have to admit, it was a nice change of pace!

I eat at one Boston Market weekly and they forget about me so regularly it's like a running joke. They give me free lunches or desserts every time it happens. Last time, I just gave the free lunch back, but I place myself more conspicuously now.

 

[idleprocess]

'Reminds me of a time when I was out to lunch with some coworkers. We were seated in a timely fashion and our order was taken promptly ... then we watched the waitress try to hook up with some guy over playing pool and come back to our table every 5-10 minutes and say that our food wasn't ready yet.

Funny, she never left to check with the kitchen and we saw no other sign of communication with the kitchen.

This went on for almost 50 minutes (hour lunch break) then out food arrives somewhat cold and we're given some BS line about how the kitchen was really shorthanded. We're all in training at a new job, so we cannot afford to be late from lunch.

No tip for her, and we've never been back. We debated going back before our meal arrived - we were cutting things that close.

 

[gadget_lover]

Yeah, PW, don't let it eat you. (no pun intended)

Chances are the waitress just blew it. As for station boundries, they are not always contiguous. The wait-people hate it when they have tables spread over a large area since that means more work. Managers sometimes spread out the stations so that the restraunt looks busy during slow times, or to favor one waitress over another, among other reasons.

Because my mom and step-dad were in the business, I tend to notice seating charts and things like that.

If it helps any, you are not alone. My wife and I went to Lake Tahoe, Nevada to gamble and relax for a week. During that week we won over $2500 (including the 6 inch tall holograph pictured in my avatar) but never had a single meal where something did not go wrong. Slow food, cold food, slow waiters, incorrect checks, wrong orders, broken coffee machine.... you name it, we had it. Too bad you were not gambling that day. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


Daniel

 

[COMSEUR]

pw, maybe a case of "mistaken identity"? If the waitress had one good hard look at you 1st,maybe she thought you were someone else she used to know?

I'd go to HQ with that, anyway. Hopefully it will get sorted out!

 

[whiskypapa3]

You need some of Dr. Whisky's magic tip cards...


Obverse TIP

Reverse Don't Eat Yellow Snow!

 

[greenlight]

It's tought being a waiter...

 

[PhotonWrangler]

Thanks for all of the good advice, guys.

Lightraven -
I think that we're alike in some ways. I tend to be quiet and low-key also, and I've had many instances where I've been "forgotten" about. I've gotten many apologies and a few freebies out of it but it's still annoying when it happens. I think I'm a little more sensitive to this than you are. It would be easier on me if I could laugh about this kind of stuff more readily.

Comseur -
It could be mistaken identity. She may have been burned by someone with similar looks (god help that person!) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif I think we'll find out soon when it hits the fan from their corporate office.

WhiskeyPapa, I like those tip cards. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Idleprocess -
That's happened to me also and it s*cks. Those are the kinds of waiters/waitressess that should not be working in those jobs. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon8.gif


Daniel-
Thanks for the level-headed advice. And I'm making a mental note to stay away from Lake Tahoe! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif

Greenlight -
Yes, I know that's a really demanding job. I could never do it myself and it takes a special kind of person to pull it off with aplomb. That's why I normally leave a generous tip.

 

[PhotonWrangler]

Update -

Went back there today and had a nice conversation with the manager. When I described the situation and the waitress, he said "Ah, yes, I know exactly who that is." I asked if this has happened before with this particular waitress and his reply was "yes, but not to this extent."

He said that she's coming on duty later today. He's promised to offer her a little mid-course correction.

At least I feel a little better knowing that it wasn't just me that she'd singled out for abuse. Now I'm just waiting to hear from their corporate office on Monday. Hopefully this will be a closed case by then.

 

[cobb]

I just hope she nor her coworkers saw what car you drive or know you. The boss may use you as a reason to fire or make her life difficult and she would seek you for revenge.

 

[PhotonWrangler]

While that thought has crossed my mind, I'm not too worried. She doesn't know me nor does she know what I drive.

I also suspect that her co-workers would be glad to see her gone. The way she behaved while I was observing her, I suspect that a lot of her work has to be picked up by others while she's goofing off.

 

[PhotonWrangler]

[ QUOTE ]
powernoodle said:
Was it because you look like a squirrel?


[/ QUOTE ]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif Ha! I missed this remark until this evening. Yeah Powernoodle, I think the tail was a giveaway...

 

[PhotonWrangler]

[ QUOTE ]
Topper said:
OK I thought it was just me and a couple pals once in Columbus Ga. I have not been back in a Denny's after that.
Topper

[/ QUOTE ]

This happened to you also? Gads. What were the circumstances, Topper?

 

[Icebreak]

Man, I'm glad you laughed at powernoodle's post. I was feeling guilty for bursting out in laughter last night.

I composed a post last night but just couldn't get it right. Basically I was going to say my immediate thought caused me to think I understood why you didn't want to speculate. I thought that it must have been a wierd chemistry/lifestyle encounter. Kind of a touchy subject. This waitress may have viewed you as being an obvious hetero guy. I think that rattles some (not all) females that have alternative lifestyles. She has probably experienced some form of taunting and has developed an attitude. But you're right. Her attitude shouldn't become your problem.

Your letter to the corporation should be effective in helping to resolve the problem. I think it's good that you went back to see the manager. Your determination that she probably won't last long in a service oriented job is probably correct IMHO.

------------------

- Jeff