Bitch about bad service

[washing machine]

just when i thought brunch couldn't be made worse

Brunch servers will finally be free to nurse their hangovers like the rest of us when the singularity comes. We'll get by without their rushed coffee service and their fuck-you shade in this brave new world. Use as much lemon curd as you want on that popover, kids, and trust the efficiency of that T-800 unit when it tells you it will be back.

[washing machine]

Oh my God it was a comedy of errors at this new brunch spot today. Order thru the counter, but a team of food runners and bussers were there to take care of you once you sat down.

Everywhere you looked, you saw tables trying to flag someone down for something. Me and my wife didn't have many issues, luckily, only having to wait for one of our plates after the other plate was already delivered. Not the biggest deal in the world.

The table next to us, though? Oh man. We overheard them ask their server twice for the extra jam and gravy that they ordered with their food at the counter. Never came. They asked a different server afterwards. Still nothing. Finally they asked a busser, and then another busser. Eventually, since they asked like five people for these items that they thought they paid for, a parade of the same thing kept coming to their table. Multiple jams and multiple gravies, from all the different people they asked. THEN a manager came by, apologized, explained that the extra stuff wasn't rang in at the counter and then proceeded to give them a new receipt for the extra items! Holy shit.

[96583UP]

was at a dinner the other night and they just fucking bailed on the concept of refilling water glasses. so annoying to sit without water

[wease]

was at a dinner the other night and they just fucking bailed on the concept of refilling water glasses. so annoying to sit without water

That means no tip from me.

[HeyGuys]

Oh my God it was a comedy of errors at this new brunch spot today. Order thru the counter, but a team of food runners and bussers were there to take care of you once you sat down.

Everywhere you looked, you saw tables trying to flag someone down for something. Me and my wife didn't have many issues, luckily, only having to wait for one of our plates after the other plate was already delivered. Not the biggest deal in the world.

The table next to us, though? Oh man. We overheard them ask their server twice for the extra jam and gravy that they ordered with their food at the counter. Never came. They asked a different server afterwards. Still nothing. Finally they asked a busser, and then another busser. Eventually, since they asked like five people for these items that they thought they paid for, a parade of the same thing kept coming to their table. Multiple jams and multiple gravies, from all the different people they asked. THEN a manager came by, apologized, explained that the extra stuff wasn't rang in at the counter and then proceeded to give them a new receipt for the extra items! Holy shit.

Sounds like a dine and dash situation.

[washing machine]

This is about bad service, but it’s also about the most genuine owner I’ve ever come across, so in the end all was well..

My wife and I went to try this new wine spot that opened in a bungalow down the street. It has all the ingredients to be a cozy neighborhood spot to grab a few glasses and some snacks, but there was one major issue — no menus or plans for a menu. The style of service is set up to be a “conversation” about wine. You’re just supposed to trust the server and let them guide you based on what you’re in the mood for.

Great idea, in theory, but as we found out when we received the bill, the prices gave us a little bit of a sticker shock. Not once did the server give us options at different price points, and to be honest, if he had thought to ask us if we planned to stay for a while (which we did plan on doing), he could have sold us a bottle at the same price as our bill ended up being and we would have felt like we had a better value and in turn given him a much better tip. Instead, we felt like we’d been had.

After the bill, we took our glasses out to the patio (where the patio lights were off...) and kind of brooded about it together. “Such a shame”...”we really want to like this place”... etc etc. Then, the owner noticed that we were outside in the dark, so he came and turned the lights on, apologized, and asked about our experience. We were very honest with him, and he actually listened. Not the kind of token listening that owners and managers do when they just want to keep you happy, either. He had honestly not thought about our concerns before we brought them to his attention.

We learned that he is very, very new at this whole service thing, but that he really wants to make the spot a place where wine drinking is a guided trip without the burden of choice. It was a long conversation about big picture service industry stuff, hospitality, quality, atmosphere, all that goodness.

Afterwards, he grabbed a full bottle for us to take home and told us that this wasn’t going to make up for the sticker shock after not being told prices, but it was meant to be a token of gratitude for our time talking with him. It felt like an even exchange - our ideas and opinions for a bottle of the wine.

Hope they work out the logistics of a no menu policy, because this place really has potential. All the server really needs to do is feel the table out, give them jumping off points for different budgets, manage expectations just a little bit more. The owner’s heart is clearly in the right place, so I really want to support this business.

[tragabigzanda]

the "no menu" policy is not a great idea for a place that deigns to be a casual neighborhood spot -- much better suited to a marquee location like an Alice Waters or Thomas Keller restaurant -- but I dig what they're trying to do. You should maybe buy him the Danny Meyer book as a thank you, seems like he needs a little guidance, and better to start him off on the right foot before he learns bad habits.

[run2death]

I'm a little perplexed by that story.

How could an owner honestly say he had not thought about your concerns before?

Most people expect menus and prices, particularly at wine spots which can be pricey AF.

What am I missing here?

[lennytheweedwhacker]

I'm a little perplexed by that story.

How could an owner honestly say he had not thought about your concerns before?

Most people expect menus and prices, particularly at wine spots which can be pricey AF.

What am I missing here?

Reid made the whole thing up

[washing machine]

Yeah r2d, it’s defintely perplexing. Only thing I can think to say is that he is clearly very green when I comes to this. However, the place was full and we seemed to be the only ones who had an issue, so I guess we missed something?

Even though this is a thread for bad service, my story is less about the actual service than it is about the nice feeling of being listened to. Too often, it feels like management is brushing you aside when you talk to them about bad service. This felt different, and therefore great. I wish more conversations like this would happen when service goes wrong.

[washing machine]

You should maybe buy him the Danny Meyer book as a thank you, seems like he needs a little guidance, and better to start him off on the right foot before he learns bad habits.

I love that book. I’m not going to buy that for him, though. I feel like that’s going too far. Now if he wanted to poach my wife to manage, who is a steps-of-service pro and a Danny Meyer disciple, I’m sure Setting the Table would come up more organically.

[96583UP]

that's wild

pity on the server that gets a certain type of drinker in a wine bar and there is no menu

some folks might send 3-5 glasses back before the night is over

much safer as the business owner to at least give people an option to pick what they want so the onus is less on the server to have to 'get it right'

[lennytheweedwhacker]

Asked the waitress 5 times for lemon wedges. I let her know as such.

And my dang taco had dang tomatoes and I said no tomatoes on my taco.

[bodysnatcher]

Never tried lemon on my tacos before, interesting

[BurtReynolds]

Asked the waitress 5 times for lemon wedges. I let her know as such.

And my dang taco had dang tomatoes and I said no tomatoes on my taco.

Did she bring you 5 lemon wedges?

[lennytheweedwhacker]

Never tried lemon on my tacos before, interesting

I did not say hat.

[lennytheweedwhacker]

Asked the waitress 5 times for lemon wedges. I let her know as such.

And my dang taco had dang tomatoes and I said no tomatoes on my taco.

Did she bring you 5 lemon wedges?

Another woman brought like 12.

[Chris_H_2]

Maybe she found out about how big of a cheapskate you were with your new television and knew that no or a small tip was in store for her anyway.

[lennytheweedwhacker]

Maybe she found out about how big of a cheapskate you were with your new television and knew that no or a small tip was in store for her anyway.

She’s never met me! The worst part is someone else got the ticket before it could be split so I couldn’t even leave a 10 cent tip.

[B]

Never tried lemon on my tacos before, interesting

I did not say hat.

That would have made it weird.

'Hey Waitress, ...Hat!"