Wonderful Food! Bad Service.. Troubling!

Chef Adam Barski · #1 07-27-2009, 03:03 AM

Went out to eat. Beautiful food! And I'm a strict critic to say the least. And this food was like 9.4 / 10.

Very annoying how the front of house had to ruin my personal rating for the place, to the point where I am going to speak with someone there about it.

Think about it. Terrible food is something difficult to improve on, it's not something that would change over night. It's not like if you went to so-and-so and had a terrible meal it would be gone the next day and something wonderful would take it's place.

But serving is Easy to change, it should even be a question though!!

Why is it so difficult to receive waters when asked for them, why did I have to ask for my friends wine again, that she all ready ordered?
Why did our server have to leave halfway through our meal, only for us to discover that she left and didn't mention to us the fact that her shift was over? And better yet, why couldn't she carry our table over to another server?
We were left without a server in the end and we couldn't order desserts because we were waiting for no one to appear to our table, so we didn't.
I had to stand up and go to a random person and ask for my bill in the end.

These are all standard serving procedures that are just mind-boggling that they weren't being practiced!

So half of my rating just plummeted for the place. 4.4 / 10

Anyways, just wanted to get that out

.
If anyone is in the Lower Mainland Vancouver BC area, PM me and I'll let you know the place. The food is really delicious there, you should try it!

[EDIT] Just a thought: I almost think this category of restaurant reviews should be separated into sub-categories of maybe - country, province or state etc. Being from Vancouver BC I'd like to hear about peoples reviews in this area (if there are any

) so I can check out the places I can read about.. I don't know, just a thought. If any moderators are even seeing this ... [EDIT]

ED BUCHANAN · #2 07-27-2009, 07:42 AM

''We were left without a server in the end and we couldn't order desserts because we were waiting for no one to appear to our table, so we didn't.''

Since I did not have a server and he or she left, I would have left without leaving a tip. I feel a gratuity is for outstanding service rendered not un rendered, And if you do leave a tip, you are only condoning the matter and it will continue.

Chef Adam Barski · #3 07-27-2009, 01:45 PM

Agreed.

Then technically I should have walked into the kitchen and placed $x in each of the cooks hands.

ED BUCHANAN · #4 07-27-2009, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chef Adam Barski

Agreed.

Then technically I should have walked into the kitchen and placed $x in each of the cooks hands.

WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SUCH A BAD IDEA, OR SEND IN A BEER.

JustPJ · #5 07-28-2009, 04:06 AM

did you ask to speak to the manager?

I have found most restraunt managers are eager to know about issues that can help them improve the frontend.

It may not be to late...give them a call and ask to speak to the manager or owner....maybe they will appreciate your imput and give you a free meal.
Hey you never know!

ChefBillyB · #6 07-28-2009, 11:47 AM

Good food is a must if you want to stay in business. Bad service is the fault of the floor manager, The server and the manager didn't do their job. When I managed restaurants I always walked the room, I knew when there was a problem before it became a problem.........If your going to talk to the manager then tell Him/Her that they both blew it that night.......................Adam, you live in a Great city...........Bill

bundens · #7 07-31-2009, 08:25 AM

eh...maybe the server was new, may have been shorthanded, before complaining I would give the place one more shot (especially since the food was so good) and if the service is terrible again than I would complain...but sometimes bad nights and unexpected problems arise.

ChefBillyB · #8 07-31-2009, 09:41 AM

Its up to the management to see the bad serve in his/her dinning room, its not up to the customer to experience it. All you have to do is look into your customers eyes to see they are not happy about something. If it happends and its not seen, then there's no one looking. Its up to the manager to walk the floor looking for these kind of things. If you hear a complaint at the register about service, its to late............I have always managed my food services with one idea, I only have one time to impress my customer. If they come into my restaurant, shame on me if they are not pleased.....Bill

French Fries · #9 07-31-2009, 05:34 PM

If I need salt, or ketchup, or my bill, and after waiting a reasonable time my waiter is nowhere to be found, I have no problem asking just about anyone in view: the hostess, the bus boy, another waiter, or raising my hand at the barman, etc...

Usually they'll simply report what I told them to my waiter (if he's still around obviously) and I can move on with my meal.

lentil · #10 09-01-2009, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by French Fries

If I need salt, or ketchup, or my bill, and after waiting a reasonable time my waiter is nowhere to be found, I have no problem asking just about anyone in view: the hostess, the bus boy, another waiter, or raising my hand at the barman, etc...

Usually they'll simply report what I told them to my waiter (if he's still around obviously) and I can move on with my meal.

I think that 's the point, isn't it? Why should a diner have to flag down some random person to get what he's paying for in the first place.

And to the line cook who expects the op to go back to that same restaurant and give them a second chance before saying anything- well, that's just crazy. Why throw good money after bad? If the place has such great food, then there is something terribly wrong if they dropped the ball so badly with the service. No food is good enough to make up for lousy service, in my opinion.

I don't have any qualms about lodging a complaint. Why on earth would anyone accept bad service when they're paying for it? It's better to speak up and give the place a chance to make changes if they want.

rgladso · #11 10-08-2009, 10:32 PM

Yes at every restaurant I have been to the manager comes around at least once asking how the food is and how the service is, I know that some people might feel bad because they don't want to hurt the chefs or waitors feelings but some things I think need to be said. If it's not a big thing then its fine or if its just a small little detail they could add to the food or the surroundings thats always a good thing to tell the manager because they might actually take it into consideration and work with it.

rgladso · #12 10-29-2009, 07:09 PM

Yes at every restaurant I have been to the manager comes around at least once asking how the food is and how the service is, I know that some people might feel bad because they don't want to hurt the chefs or waitors feelings but some things I think need to be said. If it's not a big thing then its fine or if its just a small little detail they could add tothe food or the surroundings thats always a good thing to tell the manager because they might actually take it into consideration and work with it.