OK Dotsie here's one.
My husband and I went out for a bite to eat before going to a play. There is this place in town that I visited a few times during lunch hour. I liked their salads etc. so I suggested we go there for dinner before the show. As we walked in I noticed that it was full of young adults, but didn't think too much about it. We ordered and waited and waited and waited, in the meantime it seemed that others around us were eating and drinking and having a great time. Time was flying and so I went up to the counter to find out what was taking so long...two salads come on now. Oh! Did you order something, the doll baby asked. Needless to say we just made curtain with empty stomaches. I truely believe that if we were in our twenties we would have went to the show with a happy full stomach. Anyone else have these kinds of experiences?

It was probably the "drinking hour" more than eating hour. I'm sure they hoped the tips would be better by serving the drinkers. And yes, I've had this happen before too.

How rude! I'd complain to the manager and NEVER go back there again!

No excuse for treating anyone that way. Don't they make their money on happy customers?

You should call the owner of the restaurant. He probably has no idea that the people he is 'paying' to serve his guests are actually running them off.

It costs a lot of money for businesses to advertise, keep the lights on, and the doors open in order to get potential customers into the business so the employee who was rude to you cost the owner a lot of money.

I used that information once when I was insulted by a salesperson. I called the store owner and mentioned that I knew how expensive advertising was and I understood how it costs a lot to get potential customers in the door. I told him that he should know that one of his employees was running off the people he had invested so much in getting inside the store.

I knew I was only one person, but when an owner pays to get me in his store then someone he is paying runs me off, it's like he has been robbed.

He thanked me profusely and offered a coupon to return to the store. I didn't accept the coupon and I didn't go back either, but I was glad I called.

smile

Had a similar experience in an Applebee's recently except the waitress we had was fab...she was a doll!

But the music was headbanging music and nearly everyone in the place was boomer-age... so what does that tell ya? The young waiters and waitresses were playing it for themselves. It was so loud that me and a friend were hollering at each other to be heard. We had papers laid out and was making a business luncheon out of it.

It was extremely stressful and asked very politely if they would mind lowering it just a tad. I didn't asked them to change it, just lower the volumne a bit.

Well honey... you would have thought I asked them for their IPOD's. Good grief... the looks and stares I got from the waiters as they would come by me could have killed a person. This was obvious and they continued with it until guess what? Think I let it go? AIN'T NO WAY... These kids are rookies and shouldn't mess with boomers.

I STOOD UP...AND PROUDLY ANNOUNCED TO THE CROWD

Excuse me! I hope I'm not distrubing your lunches but just in case your meal is not good, or if it gets mixed up, you can probably blame ME. You see, I'm the one who asked them to turn the volumne down on the ah...music. Or what was interpreted by some as music. I just wanted a quiet lunch. I ask for your forgiveness. Oh, but in case you DO get the wrong order, or it's messed up, remember...YOU'RE the one leaving the tip.

I sat back down to applause. My sweet young waitress came over and hugged me. I also got free dessert, and SHE got an extra tip.

JJ

Good for you!!

JJ, you are my hero. Sometimes I can be such a wimp. I have asked restuarant staff to turn down music but I don't do it every time and maybe I should. I usually do speak with my tip when I encounter poor service but maybe that is too passive. Why is it that most of us are so afraid to confront wrong when we see it and call people on their bad behavior?