Category: the Rant Board
for those of you who do not live in America ihop is the international house of pancakes. it's a restaurant where you can eat mediocre comfort food at reasonable prices.
on Saturday morning, my husband, a friend, and I went for lunch. we should have been voting in the washington state democratic caucuses but that's another story for a different day.
anyway, I got the four piece fried chicken dinner. it comes with instant mashed potatoes, frozen corn, and garlic bread. the chicken is the point. about twice a year I eat greasy breaded fried chicken. so, I decided to eat the puny drumstick and the wing. the breast and thigh were going home for dinner that night and lunch on easter. I talked about this to the server, and she got me a box.after we finished, I decided to use the women's. jim and betty were waiting for me. I had been gone less than a minute when it occurred to me that I had forgotten my chicken box. I ran back and asked them to get it for me. the snotty little bi*** at the receptionist desk went to look for it. she said "oh I spoke to the waitress. we didn't think you wanted it so it's in the trash."
people have said to me I should have made a scene and demanded new chicken. may be so, but what has happened to customer service. where was the "oops, I screwed up and I'm so so sorry."
it's going to be a long time before I eat there again. sorry. with world conflicts, interpersonal disagreements, and health problems, this is a very trivial issue. if I'd known I was going to forget the darned chicken I'd have at least eaten a decent piece.
thanks for reading this and enjoy your day.
wow, what the? this is why I don't like to take food home. I mean, I eat in
that place and just leave the rest. poor food thrown away. :( but yeah, I
hate that too.
As one who works with the public on a daily basis, I both agree and disagree with this. I agree in that this waitress was a representative of the establishment where you were dining. I don't know how she actually spoke the words she did, but a bit of an appology regarding a very easy to make mistake would have been nice. A bit of conpensation too would have been a good way to make it right. I agree with the “make it right” principle as long as it is reasonable. Messing up an order, making someone wait an unreasonable amount of time, that sort of thing. I disagree because she was one person. There are a lot of disagreeable and unreasonable customers out there, people who think, just because they're bringing you their business gives them an excuse to get whatever they want. What I mean by this is this woman might have been a real peach, or she might simply have been having a bad night. Either way, it's no real excuse, but it shouldn't condemn the entire chain, either.
I'm sorry, but that table was probably, as you were having this conversation,
being used by the people seated after you. Did you really expect them to keep
your food? You left it there. Of course she assumed you didn't want it. She
probably assumed you didn't like it and weren't interested in taking it home. it
was a take home box, not your purse. if it was your purse they would have set
it up by the register. They're not going to do that with a box of food in hopes
you might come back. if you wanted it that badly, you should have taken it
rather than forgetting it. This is entirely your fault, and has nothing to do with
the server, and you definitely shouldn't condemn an entire chain of over a
thousand restaurants because you did something dumb.
Actually, customer service is way down. I don't like to go after every little thing, but some of the things I've had happen to me, that could have made me very ill, make me agree with the topic creator.
When I ask for no tomatoes, it's not because they are gross, only. It's cause tomatoes and me disagree with each other, and I can get really sick from them.
I've heard of folks that asked for something to be taken off a burger, for medical reasons, only to ride to the E R, in an ambulance, having had to use the Epi pin, and needed treatment for allergies.
And the stupid waitress/waiter, just says: "Oops? Sorry."
God Bless,
Sarah
Going to agree with Cody here, and I will like to add If it was that big of a deal, you should have asked for more chicken to take home since she threw yours away. This is not a good reason to hate Ihop.
Sarah, your waitress or waiter does not prepare your food. they aren't
eveninvolved with the preparation of your food. So the person you should blame
for giving you tomatoes is the chef, not the waitress. the reason she just says
oops, is because there's noting else she can possibly say. She says oops, takes
the plate away, and goes and tells the person whose responsibility it actually is,
and they take the tomatoes off.
But people like you, and honestly most people, will punish the waitress by not
tipping as much, or by just being rude customers, for something they had
absolutely no control over.
Wel damn! Now I want a Rootie Tootie Fresh and Fruity! lol
2 eggs, 2 bacon, 2 sausage, and 2 fruit topped pancakes, strawberry, blueberry, peach, or cinnamon apple!
Lol, Ok, maybe I love IHOP just a bit too much. I only get breakfast though.
Ihop: I Hate Old People.
Good god. If you now hate an entire chain of restaurants over something as small as this, I wonder how many other people/organisations you hate for tiny inconsequencial slights or mistakes?
I expect the "I hate IHOP" comment is temporary, and just venting. Geez, allow her that! She made a mistake, too, she didn't intentionally leave the box on the table.
The OP's specific incident aside, it doesn't matter that it's not the server's fault if a mistake is made in the food prep. Their job is to provide good customer service, and that's done by giving a damn about the customer's experience, and if need be, apologizing to the customer, not brushing it off and take the attitude of "that's not *my* job." The server is part of a team. They represent the restaurant, and the particulars of how it operates, and who is at fault or not is irrelevant.
I'd still leave a tip, if a mistake was made with my food, but I'd be less inclined to do that if a server is snarky or disinterested, I have to say.
Anyone who expects 100% stellar customer service all the time obviously hasn't worked customer service. You deal with all kinds of people and it gets tiring having to smile and appease people who cuss you out, act incredibly rude, and blame you for matters beyond/not in your control over and over day in and day out. So yeah, when I get a not excellent customer service experience, I stop and take a minute to think that you know what? They're human too! So cut them a break and stop expecting this amazing beyond perfection from people seriously making minimum wage. So yes this post irritated me because there's a difference between venting about something rationally upsetting and being completely unrealistic/irrational and blaming it on others in complete ignorance.
Have a nice day!
for 17 of my 32 years of employment, I worked in customer service. when my fellow employees I went on our job each day, we were told to check our attitude at the door. as my daughter has said "courtesy is free but the dividends are incalculable." all someone would have had to say to me was "I'm sorry." is that concept so hard to understand?
forgetting the chicken was my fault. Of course the people in my party could have reminded me too.
For the record, I do not hate all ihop restaurants. some of you are so literal. i was annoyed. at some time in your lives, i imagine you have been too. otherwise the purpose of this portion of the boards would be extant. for heaven sake, take a deep cleansing breath.
for the record i had previously left my 20% tip. my daughter in law has worked in the food service industry for at least ten years. in my experience, with darned few exceptions, most women would not say that being a server is their dream job. From what kari has described to me, most do it because they have kids at home, are young and inexperienced, are single parents or for whatever reason need that second job.
unlike many blind people i know, i always give a good tip. that means 20%. the vision of hungry children is always in the back of my mind. please understand that before the chicken leaving fiasco, it had been received.
i hope this makes things clearer to you. enjoy your day.
Of course, perfection isn't to be expected at all times! I was saying that ideally, this is the mindset a server should have. Part of the job is responding politely, and being accommodating to the customers, even if it's feigned.
My sister has held several such jobs, while she was in college, and my husband manages two cafes and is constantly training people to do this work. I have an awareness of it, though I haven't done it, myself. If it's anything close to phone customer service, that's no great picnic, either, but the same expectations apply.
...I wasn't responsible, for instance, when pay phones across the country swallowed money and then failed to put through a call, but I had to placate the angry so-and-so spitting wasps over a lost quarter, anyway, and take their abuse.
Are your emotions really so pultry that they can be alleviated by a seven
letter phrase? I can't believe a 32 year old women is so offended that she would
take the time to make two posts on a board over the fact that a fellow human
being who is just trying to get a fucking paycheck didn't say a two word phrase
to them. Give me a fuckin' break. Oh, and look, I didn't say I'm sorry either.
But she's only one woman, and she was employed for 32 years. I'm assuming the doctor didn't smack her on the ass and give her a job. LOL
I just couldn't resist pointing out those minor obvious facts.
In her defense Anthony, I think you misread that. she said for 17 of her 32
years. So she started working at fifteen.
Um, I quote, "I can't believe a 32 year old women is so offended that she would
take the time to ..." This from post 15.
I stand corrected, sorry about that Anthony.
Birthday: Monday, 27-May-1957
Sure, an I’m sorry would have been good, but maybe the server was just explaining were the box was not being snotty at all.
I suspect you got mad because you really wanted your food.
I do agree that one incident wouldn’t make me not eat at a place, but okay.
Customer service is difficult, and that box was tainted, so couldn’t sit around until you maybe came back to get it.
Once you leave, it is trash.
Now, when? I’m ready for that Rootie Tootie Fresh and Fruity anytime.
Wouldn't you be mad if you lost good chicken like that? After you paid for it? I sure would be at least, not happy. And, an "I'm sorry," is not too much to ask for.
God Bless,
Sarah
She didn't lose the chicken, she left the chicken. If the chicken is so precious
that you throw this much of a fit over not having it, you shouldn't have left it at
the table.
No, I wouldn't. It would have been, is, and was, my fault, not the staff's.
How fcan I blame them for not reading my mind and knowing I'm going to come back to get it?
They have to clean the table, and get ready for the next customer.
It was food, not a purse, or something.
It is like if you leave food on your plate, and leave the building. Does the staff need to assume you just stepped outside to smoke or something if you didn't say?
Bitching over IHOP of all places? Their food is mediocre, not anything to brag about. And honestly, if you really wanted to take your chicken home OP, you should've spoken up like an adult and said so to the waitress. She isn't a mind reader, after all.
lol This bored is annoyingly funny. :)
as I look at the messages above, I realize that i was making a big deal about nothing. i was wrong to have written this to have felt it and to have expressed myself. i thought that was what a rant board was for, but who the heck am i?
the thing i find most amusing is htat i wrote down my thoughts and got my mad on off my chest. you all are still criticizing me and calling me stupid a week after the fact.
my final thought on the subject goes back to message number ten. the individual said that "i hate old people." to say this you must not like yourself much. if you are blessed you will live to be my age. hopefully those who come behind you will treat you with courtesy and kindness.
oh and for the record, i did oh
i sent before i meant. for the record, all the stuff i said to you people was not said at the restaurant. when i told the woman to look for my stuff and she said it was gone i just said thank you told my friend and husband outside the restaurant and walkedhome whining and moaning to myself.
And now you're going to whine about how you're not being allowed to freely
whine. You're very whiny for a grown woman.
Actually it was post 9, sweetie. And I was merely making a joke about the name of the establishment, not saying that I actually hate old people. Though I must say, you remind me of that stupid old broad who sued McDonalds for spilling coffee on herself.
Ah, but in that case, she got paid.
I didn't agree with the settlement, but the judge thought the coffee was to hot.
Probably spilt his or hers once too. Lol
Nothing wrong with a rant, but when you do, you'll receive opinions on it.
If the board had all agreed, you'd have posted differently I suspect.
Smile.
I had gone back and looked at post 10, and saw no mention at all of a hate for old people. LOL I didn't look at other posts, but I was a bit confused on how she arrived at that conclusion from dan's post.
Turricane, sorry to hear you don't have a sense of humor. I got the joke of IHOP being I Hate Old People. Hopefully you'll learn to lighten up, and laugh a little.
Also, now you're wining at the fact we don't bother to read the date you posted this topic, and are still sharing our opinions. I hope you find happiness someday in your "old" age.
I never visited this restaurant when I was in the States, it actually sounded mouth-watterly delicious, but perhaps not reading Cels' post.Is it more of a fast food restaurant?
Anyway I can see both sides of this argument. If it were me, I'd be extremely annoyed as well that mty chicken was gone but then I wouldn't be leaving it on the table if I were finished there either.
If I was a regular customer, I could ask them to hold it for me.
Its not a fast food restaurant, but its a big chain, so most of the food is
frozen. Its not the best place in the world, but its not bad for a breakfast place. i
certainly wouldn't eat dinner there. They put the word pancakes in the name for
a reason.
RDFreak... IHOP is akin to Pancakes on the Rocks located, oddly enough, near the base
of Sydney Harbour Bridge in The Rocks, Sydney or Denny's restaurants in the U.S.A.