Curious about restaurant experiences

I recently spent an extraordinary amount of time on a casual/family dining report because they did very little right and you have to explain everything they messed up including the answer about why I wouldn't return based on this experience. By that point, it should have been obvious but I don't want an editor returning it either so I slogged through.

I've had plenty of occasions where things went generally well but it seems like when it rains, it POURS.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/13/2025 07:12PM by Deedeezthoughts.

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I am sorry things were sour for you. I get some of those as well. Mostly, I have good experiences, thank goodness.

Shopping Arkansas, Louisiana, & Mississippi.
I know what you mean. The slower the service is, the more time I have to make observations and pictures. Like our friend ArLaMiss, I get very few exceptionally good or poor shops...most fall in the middle.
We sent both entrees back. I'd never sent something back before but you have to give them an opportunity to make it right and I said a little prayer they wouldn't spit in my food.
Some restaurant shops do not allow you to complain or send the food back. I once spent 5 hours writing a negative report on a meal that wasn't edible. It was a bar plus dinner shop.

Not my circus - Not my monkeys @(*.*)@

~Polish Proverb~
@cubbiecat wrote:

Some restaurant shops do not allow you to complain or send the food back. I once spent 5 hours writing a negative report on a meal that wasn't edible. It was a bar plus dinner shop.
That's awful! I don't recall seeing one where they wanted you to suffer through bad food. Usually, it says you need to allow time and space for service so they expect you to point out issues and allow them the opportunity to respond. I was worried about one where they were so clear on that point and the bill was wrong. It was only too high by a couple dollars but the orders weren't entered correctly and they had struggled hard through not knowing what to do when we ordered an advertised special that they were clueless about. We ended up with a very fancy meal for a very low price but still more than the special and they "comped" us some things to get close. But, they accepted that one and I sure the heck hope this one isn't a problem because I would be sad if we paid full price for that experience.
@Bob Stone wrote:

To me, bad experiences are easier to write about than good experiences.
Then I could recommend a couple places for you... LOL
I never return the food as it goes against the "don't make yourself memorable" shopper ethos. Unless the client guidelines say to document response to returned food. No bueno!
I feel your pain. I had a dinner shop a few years ago where we found a bug in the food and had to return it.

The restaurant ended up comping the meal, so I literarily had to spend hours writing an extra lengthy report about the problem, and how it was resolved...only to receive the small shop fee in return.
If possible in that situation, I would have accepted the comped meal and rescheduled the shop to take advantage of the reimbursed meal.
@SteveSoCal wrote:

I feel your pain. I had a dinner shop a few years ago where we found a bug in the food and had to return it.

The restaurant ended up comping the meal, so I literarily had to spend hours writing an extra lengthy report about the problem, and how it was resolved...only to receive the small shop fee in return.
I think I've only had two dining shops that were truly bad, where it required further clarification and detail.

One was a shop for a grand opening. It was a mess, where some items weren't delivered. However, the manager resolved the issue. On future shops, everything went smoothly.

The other time, I think was the only time where the service was truly inept. I'm not very critical and understand mistakes happen, but this was real incompetence.

The bright side is, I see the shops more as opportunities to try new places.
Not once, but twice, in the past year, when I've gone to the bathroom, even though I'd just started eating my entree, they cleared the table in my absence. I literally spend two minutes in the bathroom because I generally don't need to *use* it, just make the observation. They then comped my meal and brought me new food, both times.
Then there was the restaurant that had dust so thick on the window ledges I was able to take a photo.........
@Rho wrote:

Then there was the restaurant that had dust so thick on the window ledges I was able to take a photo.........
Oh my!

I did a breakfast one where I lifted a table tent to look at the different offers and there was mummified food concealed within. I had to wonder how often they wash the whole table top because lifting that and moving the condiment caddy would be required to do so.
I absolutely encourage my guests to politely and discreetly notify the server if their meal if it isn't made as ordered -- especially if we're going slightly out of pocket. Examples would be a steak not cooked as ordered or a dish brought with the wrong side. I don't think it makes me memorable and there is no need for my guest to lose out on their promised free meal, plus in most cases the client is looking to see how the server and manager handle a reasonable complaint. Sometimes things are so bad that my guest doesn't think the meal is salvageable and they just want to get out of there as soon as possible.
@Rho wrote:

Then there was the restaurant that had dust so thick on the window ledges I was able to take a photo.........


This is a big thing with me as I was a restaurant manager and district manager. Funny story, I was in a restaurant this week where I have mentioned the "dusty ledges" on previous reports. Sure enough, an employee was cleaning the window ledges!
@Miss Tree Shopper wrote:

I never return the food as it goes against the "don't make yourself memorable" shopper ethos. Unless the client guidelines say to document response to returned food. No bueno!

I did a "Ruby's Diner" about 20 years ago for a MSC that is no longer in business. They did not want anything back or any complaints.

I ordered a tuna melt. I was presented with a burger. Well, what was a supposed to do? As if I forgot what I ordered and would just eat somebody else's meal? I said, "This is not my meal." Report not accepted. Ridiculous. "Complaining" supposedly made memorable. I think that eating a burger (I have not eaten beef since 1984) when I ordered tuna would have been memorable. I'm still here & they are out of business. A win for me.
I can only remember this happening once - it was a FG location during COVID. I chalked it up to a skeleton staff of newbies that seemed very confused.
So, I usually experience good results and I go out of my way to hand out the positive feedback.
Sending meals back happens every night, I don't think that is memorable at all. Especially when it's a disaster and you know other people are having the same experiences. You just need them to not remember your face even though they might remember the events in the report. That's the real question, were the events memorable or was the diner themselves memorable? If the restaurant is busy at all, you're going to be a blip in a blur, you'd have to do something extreme to stand out.
So when dining alone, instead of observing the condition of the bathroom before your meal arrived, or after you finished eating, you chose to perform your bathroom observation shortly after your food arrived..twice?

@mysterioso412 wrote:

Not once, but twice, in the past year, when I've gone to the bathroom, even though I'd just started eating my entree, they cleared the table in my absence. I literally spend two minutes in the bathroom because I generally don't need to *use* it, just make the observation. They then comped my meal and brought me new food, both times.

Fun, Money Savings, Money Making -DustyzDealz Dot Com
@DT wrote:

So when dining alone, instead of observing the condition of the bathroom before your meal arrived, or after you finished eating, you chose to perform your bathroom observation shortly after your food arrived..twice?

@mysterioso412 wrote:

Not once, but twice, in the past year, when I've gone to the bathroom, even though I'd just started eating my entree, they cleared the table in my absence. I literally spend two minutes in the bathroom because I generally don't need to *use* it, just make the observation. They then comped my meal and brought me new food, both times.
It works very well to use the restroom after paying your bill. Check that you don't have anything stuck in your teeth if nothing else.
If I have to take pictures of all entrees, I usually have my husband (or daughter or whoever dines with me) to go to the restroom as food is about to arrive to our table. That way, its not odd that we do not begin eating right away and I have a clear shot for all of the pictures. I hate when the server lingers after delivering the food. I always check the restroom on my way out as well.

@Deedeezthoughts wrote:

@DT wrote:

So when dining alone, instead of observing the condition of the bathroom before your meal arrived, or after you finished eating, you chose to perform your bathroom observation shortly after your food arrived..twice?

@mysterioso412 wrote:

Not once, but twice, in the past year, when I've gone to the bathroom, even though I'd just started eating my entree, they cleared the table in my absence. I literally spend two minutes in the bathroom because I generally don't need to *use* it, just make the observation. They then comped my meal and brought me new food, both times.
It works very well to use the restroom after paying your bill. Check that you don't have anything stuck in your teeth if nothing else.
@SteveSoCal wrote:

I feel your pain. I had a dinner shop a few years ago where we found a bug in the food and had to return it.

The restaurant ended up comping the meal, so I literarily had to spend hours writing an extra lengthy report about the problem, and how it was resolved...only to receive the small shop fee in return.

This would be my worst nightmare in a shop of this type. It never happened to me but I have never accepted a restaurant shop with the thought it would be anywhere near worth it just for the fee. Even if I asked for the shop to be rescheduled without being considered a flake and was able to go back to the same place for that same meal and redo capturing all the timings and quotes again to eat the same meal or similar a few nights later, still not worth it. Did they not even compensate you for the tip you left at the free meal? If you left a tip?
Right? Or some people may even go to the bathroom before their meal arrives so they could, oh I don’t know, wash their hands before eating.

@Deedeezthoughts wrote:

@DT wrote:

So when dining alone, instead of observing the condition of the bathroom before your meal arrived, or after you finished eating, you chose to perform your bathroom observation shortly after your food arrived..twice?

@mysterioso412 wrote:

Not once, but twice, in the past year, when I've gone to the bathroom, even though I'd just started eating my entree, they cleared the table in my absence. I literally spend two minutes in the bathroom because I generally don't need to *use* it, just make the observation. They then comped my meal and brought me new food, both times.
It works very well to use the restroom after paying your bill. Check that you don't have anything stuck in your teeth if nothing else.

Fun, Money Savings, Money Making -DustyzDealz Dot Com
When I say they did very little right, I am not exaggerating for effect. They literally forgot we were waiting for a table and then told me we had already been seated when I asked about the delay. Miraculously, that didn't sound completely absurd to the person saying it. The two people at the host stand started arguing about it in front of my guest and I. If I weren't there for an evaluation, we would have walked out at that point. So much for not being memorable, right? THEY created a scene, there wasn't much I could do about it.

It did not get better after that.
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