Would you complain to a manager?
By ersmommy1
@ersmommy1 (12588)
United States
December 31, 2008 1:09pm CST
We went out for breakfast this morning with our uncle. He has to work this evening. And he won't really be celebrating New Years eve. Anyway, we ordered our food. And then we waited. And waited some more. 30 minutes later we got our food. Now if the restaurant had been busy, I could see this. But it was practically empty.
5 people like this
27 responses
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
1 Jan 09
They might of had a problem in the kitchen or had a new cook or cook sub so it took longer. Well, taking that long gave everyone time to relax and get to talk a bit before the food came. I have been in a few places like that. Well, I hope next time if they are a next time that it is a better one. Would I complain..well not sure depending on how of a hurry I was in really.
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
1 Jan 09
I would have. I can understand fifteen minutes, but half an hour is too long especially when there is hardly any customers. Even if the staff were short handed, getting hash browns, pancakes, bacon and eggs and toast would not take that much time. And they would have had a pot of coffee and the orange or apple juice already in the fridge.
1 person likes this
@binacheri14 (299)
• United States
1 Jan 09
It would depend on what I ordered. If I or anyone else ordered a well done steak I would have to understand as food is made to order and they aren't going to make the food that takes 5 minutes before they make a steak that may take 15 to 20. While I am an impatient person I would also understand. It would also depend on how the food tasted and looked when we did get it. If I could tell that it sat for a period of time and was just forgotten yes I would complain in a tactful way.
@busyB4 (874)
• United States
1 Jan 09
I have when I received poor service. After all , this affects his job as well and the whole business in general when the customers are not happy. Sometimes it may not help, and that is also management so it depends on how good of a manager he is too!
I have also called the survey line on the bottom of my receipt- I give very good feedback if I feel someone has done well with their job too!
I guess because I worked and trained in so many fields of customer service, it probably hits home with me more than some folks
@binacheri14 (299)
• United States
1 Jan 09
I have been a waitress off and on for the last 10 years and I have realized when I did not so good job and when I have done excelent. I think any customer service job is hard and I commend all of us who are in the profession. But must always realize were in it for a reason so always exceed customer expectations.
@highflyingxangel (9225)
• United States
31 Dec 08
I'm not sure if I would want to or not. I mean, sometimes it takes quite awhile to make food especially if the party they are making the food for is rather large. They usually like trying to deliver your food all at once so I can see them having to wait a bit to deliver it all at once. If it took longer than 30 minutes I would have had a problem and probably wouldn't have tipped.
@capirani (2840)
• United States
1 Jan 09
Two comments here:
1. How long can making a breakfast possibly take regardless of how many people are there? They are not going to hold one order up to get cold while they finish the rest. They should be bringing it out as it is done. That is how it is done at restaurants I have always gone to.
2. If you do not tip, you are punishing the waitress or waiter. They have no part in the preparation of the food and it is not their fault if the food does not come in a good time frame. That responsibility goes to the cooks, not the servers. So not tipping is not the right response. Speaking with the manager would be better. But prior to it even taking that long, stopping the server to ask what is taking so long might be helpful. Then they can go back and check on the order and find out. Just sitting there wondering isn't such a good idea.
@sudalunts (5523)
• United States
31 Dec 08
I don't think that I would have hung around that long. If a waitress never came by to say your food will be coming out shortly, or even acknowledge me sitting there waiting, I would get my group together and get up and leave. When they see the customers leaving, then they would step into action. Probably offer you a free meal to stay. I have done that before, I would just get up and leave.
Hope the food was worth the wait.
1 person likes this
@vampirestonez (1181)
• Pakistan
1 Jan 09
Well if the restaurant was empty and you had to wait for the food, well I could have considered complaining about it to the cashier rather than the manager, if the response wasn't sufficient then I would have probably complained to the manager
@stephcjh (38473)
• United States
25 Jan 09
That is ridiculous, but I do have a question also. Was the food really good when you got it? Was it what you had expected? they may have just been getting all of the food preparations ready for the morning also.
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
1 Jan 09
If the food was good and not stale from sitting so long, I probably wouldn't complain. But I have asked the managers to turn down the blarring music and they won't. I have walked out of places when I asked if they'd turn it down as I couldn't hardly hear the waitress - the music is just blarring so high and my hearing is perfect. But when i have to sit there and yell at my husband while he yells back and we have to hear the other tables yelling cause the dang music is so loud, no, they are not getting my money - so we walk out and I tell the manager why. Hasn't done any good as no resturant will bother as so what if one person doesn't come back, but then again, manay don't bother saying anything so why should the resturant care - they people are there.
@DaddyOfTheRose (2934)
• United States
3 Jan 09
That would have irked me... I tend to be patient however and probably wouldn't have made a fuss. The waiter can't control how slow the kitchen is, but they should be out to see you periodically if only to apologize.
@sixclix (677)
• Philippines
1 Jan 09
If the food is extraordinarily good, I might forgive whoever kept me waiting for it. If it's really good, it should be worth the wait. If not, I'll complain not only for the long wait, but for the lousy food.
Anyway, hope the food was worth the wait and happy new year.
@internalsoul (159)
• India
1 Jan 09
then surely go and complain to the manager without any hesitation
@mendoza_charissa (41)
• Philippines
1 Jan 09
yes, i definitely would. i believe that's part of their job. well yes, it's the holidays, but since they decided not to close for new years eve, it's business as usual. there's no need to be impolite of course, but they have to know that their service is substandard. plus, in some restaurants, complaining to a manager can give you freebies ^_^ happy new year!
@deebomb (15304)
• United States
1 Jan 09
First of all I think that I would have ask your waitress what was taking so long. Thirty minutes does seem like a long time to wait for breakfast. If I didn't get a satisfactory answer then i would complain.
@cheenlly (3476)
• Philippines
1 Jan 09
oh that was very annoying. Well if it is happen to me, i would follow up the food and then if still there no respond and no action its either i walk out and leave, find another good service restaurant and the same time complain to the manager. This way they will be more attentive and thought a lesson. They will be losing customer if they continue that bad service so the moment someone complain they will be now attentive. Sometimes we need to make them realize so they will wake up.
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
1 Jan 09
Hello ersmommy. I don't think that I will complain to the manager, but I will really urge the waiter or waitress to hurry up getting ready for our breakfast since I decide to have breakfast in their restaurant, as I usually do.
@walijo2008 (4644)
• United States
1 Jan 09
Yeah, you should of complained to the manager, you might of gotten your meal free. I know one time we were in a diner, and we waited about 30 mins for our food, and usually that place is fast, finally one of the waitresses came over and asked if we ever got our food, we told her no, she went and checked on it, and she came back and told us that for some reason the person who took our order had it as being a to-go order and it was just sitting there all this time, so we got that meal free. Another time, we ate at this place and it took an hour to get our food, by the time we got it, it was time for them to close, and they weren't even busy. Me being the nice person that I am, didn't say anything, I was just hungry and ready to eat, if I did, I'm sure we would of gotten a free meal then too.
@modstar (9605)
• Philippines
1 Jan 09
Sometimes it really takes time for food to be prepared. It depends on the kind of food you ordered. If it's something that needs more process to finally have it done and cooked then more or less it will really take you 30 minutes. So i guess the restaurant being empty has got nothing to do with it if it's the case but otherwise, i guess you should complain because it could be the problem on his team.
