Restaurant Service

medtran49

medtran49

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[Mod.edit: This post and several following posts have been moved from another thread to form a new topic (TR)]

We went for brunch this morning and decided to go to a place we hadn't eaten in at since before the lockdown. We had run some errands and were in the opposite part of town from home, but decided to drive over there since we always enjoyed their food. There was a problem and it totally ticked me off. Craig thinks I over reacted a bit. And just to explain about a comment made in the review I left, Craig is a bit of a luddite and uses his phone to make calls and check email sometimes, hardly ever texts of his own volition, basically just answers texts from others when he has to. Here's the review I left.
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If I could give a zero I would. Went for brunch today. Sat down, no greeting at all, then waiting for several minutes since the apparently only server was busy putting a to go order together. She finally comes over and asks if we would like a drink. I say yes, but we'd like menus as well. I am then informed that they don't have any printed menus, that you have to scan a qr code to see the menu. I tell her I don't have my phone as I forgot it and my husband's phone doesn't have an app for that. Her response was that was the only way we could see their menu. So, ended up walking out and yes I was ticked off since we went out of our way to go there. We've eaten here many times before pandemic, as well as getting take out. This was our first and LAST time going back to eat in the restaurant since things are going back to more normal. I'm glad that they have so much business, 1 other couple in the restaurant when we visited shortly after 11 a.m. on Sunday, that they can afford to have a customer walk out because there are no printed menus. And, yes, management that is sarcasm in case you didn't get it.
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Oh, the server never offered any other option, just kept repeating you had to use the scanner.
 
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medtran49 said:
We went for brunch this morning and decided to go to a place we hadn't eaten in at since before the lockdown. We had run some errands and were in the opposite part of town from home, but decided to drive over there since we always enjoyed their food. There was a problem and it totally ticked me off. Craig thinks I over reacted a bit. And just to explain about a comment made in the review I left, Craig is a bit of a luddite and uses his phone to make calls and check email sometimes, hardly ever texts of his own volition, basically just answers texts from others when he has to. Here's the review I left.
____________________
If I could give a zero I would. Went for brunch today. Sat down, no greeting at all, then waiting for several minutes since the apparently only server was busy putting a to go order together. She finally comes over and asks if we would like a drink. I say yes, but we'd like menus as well. I am then informed that they don't have any printed menus, that you have to scan a qr code to see the menu. I tell her I don't have my phone as I forgot it and my husband's phone doesn't have an app for that. Her response was that was the only way we could see their menu. So, ended up walking out and yes I was ticked off since we went out of our way to go there. We've eaten here many times before pandemic, as well as getting take out. This was our first and LAST time going back to eat in the restaurant since things are going back to more normal. I'm glad that they have so much business, 1 other couple in the restaurant when we visited shortly after 11 a.m. on Sunday, that they can afford to have a customer walk out because there are no printed menus. And, yes, management that is sarcasm in case you didn't get it.
________________

Oh, the server never offered any other option, just kept repeating you had to use the scanner.
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Had a similar happening at a restaurant in the Tampa airport a few weeks ago. Waited quite a bit to get seated and same thing.. scan the QR code- no menus ( not comparing to Medtran's level of restaurant just talking about the change in operations) and then you had to pay with a credit card using the QR app which I don't like because my phone was on the airport wifi which is not secure. Another almost comical issue at this restaurant, you did not get a full set of silverware - you only got what they deemed was necessary to eat your meal.. I got none because I ordered a Cuban sandwich and fries. I asked for a knife and fork.. and was asked why I needed it for a sandwich??? Ah.... how about to cut the sandwich in half and maybe use a fork to eat part without the bun.. the other thing I noticed and this is in northern Ohio, Tampa area and Sacramento area - the scarcity of cocktail/ beverage napkins given with your beverage. Nothing worse than condensation from the beverage puddling on the table/bar. In some instances when I asked for them, I was told "we don't have those anymore or it's a supply chain issue - we can't get them". 😳😳
 
medtran49 said:
We went for brunch this morning and decided to go to a place we hadn't eaten in at since before the lockdown. We had run some errands and were in the opposite part of town from home, but decided to drive over there since we always enjoyed their food. There was a problem and it totally ticked me off. Craig thinks I over reacted a bit. And just to explain about a comment made in the review I left, Craig is a bit of a luddite and uses his phone to make calls and check email sometimes, hardly ever texts of his own volition, basically just answers texts from others when he has to. Here's the review I left.
____________________
If I could give a zero I would. Went for brunch today. Sat down, no greeting at all, then waiting for several minutes since the apparently only server was busy putting a to go order together. She finally comes over and asks if we would like a drink. I say yes, but we'd like menus as well. I am then informed that they don't have any printed menus, that you have to scan a qr code to see the menu. I tell her I don't have my phone as I forgot it and my husband's phone doesn't have an app for that. Her response was that was the only way we could see their menu. So, ended up walking out and yes I was ticked off since we went out of our way to go there. We've eaten here many times before pandemic, as well as getting take out. This was our first and LAST time going back to eat in the restaurant since things are going back to more normal. I'm glad that they have so much business, 1 other couple in the restaurant when we visited shortly after 11 a.m. on Sunday, that they can afford to have a customer walk out because there are no printed menus. And, yes, management that is sarcasm in case you didn't get it.
________________

Oh, the server never offered any other option, just kept repeating you had to use the scanner.
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That would have made me mad as well, and I would have walked out as well, but you didn't have any choice that way anyway, since you couldn't see the menu.

I want to add that unless Craig's phone is very old, it probably would have worked. You haven't needed a dedicated QR scanner to read QR codes in a while now - just open your camera and hover over the QR code and it should pop up and ask you if you want to open whatever it is the QR code is tied to.

Anyway, I've been extremely generous with slow service and all that since things have started opening, because everyone is so understaffed - it takes forever to get seated, an eternity to get waited on, and infinity plus 1 to get your food.

Not only that, but what's on offer is generally limited and poorly prepared/presented - like no plates, just brought out on parchment paper with throwaway plasticware, that sort of thing. One thing that was nice about being in Florida recently was that the restaurants were pretty normal in their service and offerings, at least in our experience.

It's not quite gotten there around here yet. Even fast food is suffering. When I was at Taco Bell yesterday, no one else was in the dining room, and it still took an age to get waited on up front, and the condiments area was poorly stocked. We went into DQ not long ago, and they didn't have most of what was on their menu. We said sorry and left. 🤷🏻‍♂️
 
His phone is old, like 7 or 8 years at least. He has never done well with having to learn new software, etc. And is even worse since the stroke. He's still using an XP Pro computer that I've been repairing to keep it limping along and he still has OE issues, and he's been using it for 15 years at least, probably closer to 20 as I don't remember exactly when we got it. I'm dreading when he is forced to switch over to the new computer or even the Win 7 laptop.

Funny, I nearly had a meltdown again when we went into the place we decided to go next. First thing the hostess did was hand us a sheet with a QR code on it. But, they did have paper menus.

This was only the second time we had eaten at this place. It's in a swanky open area mall. They serve sodas in the can, though will provide a glass with ice if asked. We had fried chihuahua cheese as an appy and tacos. Had to ask for silverware even for the fried cheese, which I suppose you could just pick up with your fingers, but I'd rather not. The tacos of course you eat with your hands, but they pack them full and they are juicy, so things tend to pop out as you eat. I don't want to pick up pieces like that with my fingers personally. I just don't get the minimalist approach (or appreciate it at the prices being charged) with lack of silverware or serving sodas in cans. $2.75 for a can of soda and I have to ask for ice? Their food is good and the service is great, but the perceived nickel and dimeing it is an annoyance.

Apparently the first place we went to is being stingy with silverware as well. They got a mediocre review from someone else and 1 of his issues was that he had to ask for silverware and was asked why since he had gotten a burger. He replied not that it was any of their business, but he was only going to eat part of the bun and finish just eating the burger and fixings, which I do a lot as well as I simply can't eat a big burger with the bun anymore. I'm thinking maybe their idea of customer service has greatly changed during the pandemic.
 
TastyReuben said:
That would have made me mad as well, and I would have walked out as well, but you didn't have any choice that way anyway, since you couldn't see the menu.

I want to add that unless Craig's phone is very old, it probably would have worked. You haven't needed a dedicated QR scanner to read QR codes in a while now - just open your camera and hover over the QR code and it should pop up and ask you if you want to open whatever it is the QR code is tied to.

Anyway, I've been extremely generous with slow service and all that since things have started opening, because everyone is so understaffed - it takes forever to get seated, an eternity to get waited on, and infinity plus 1 to get your food.

Not only that, but what's on offer is generally limited and poorly prepared/presented - like no plates, just brought out on parchment paper with throwaway plasticware, that sort of thing. One thing that was nice about being in Florida recently was that the restaurants were pretty normal in their service and offerings, at least in our experience.

It's not quite gotten there around here yet. Even fast food is suffering. When I was at Taco Bell yesterday, no one else was in the dining room, and it still took an age to get waited on up front, and the condiments area was poorly stocked. We went into DQ not long ago, and they didn't have most of what was on their menu. We said sorry and left. 🤷🏻‍♂️
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1. Plus 1 on the QR codes. It is part of the phone's software, now.

2. Also plus 1 on the shortage of restaurant workers. CNN did a story on that yesterday. It is especially bad in the kitchens. Servers are having to help out on the line, and wash dishes in many places. Customers get angry, leave bad tips, and servers quit.

3. Florida is "back to normal," and leading the nation in new Covid cases, mostly Delta variant. Texas restaurants are "back to normal," and I'm sure we're up there on Covid cases, too.

CD
 
The restaurant industry has been gutted...there was a mass exodus of trained people, who went on to retrain in other fields..now, most owners have to deal with untrained staff if they have any staff at all..we're going through it now..I have two young men working for me that have never worked in a kitchen before...we have line ups out the door and I still have to watch everything they do because they have never done many of the tasks. Front of the house is the same..my wife has one young lady who has no knowledge of food, or customer service..we keep advertising and a few times recieved no applicants...some are telling us when they can work, or they don't want to work weekends, etc....things have changed due to the pandemic...many of the good people are gone..I'm so glad that we decided to dump the full service dining room...

I can assure you that most of the time the owners don't know this bad service is happening..they are probably in the kitchen overwhelmed..It's like the perfect storm..everybody is coming out of isolation and there is an economic boom but the industry doesn't have the trained employees to handle the influx...you can't watch everybody all of the time, nor can you teach somebody to care....it's like hearding cats...
 
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Rocklobster said:
The restaurant industry has been gutted...there was a mass exodus of trained people, who went on to retrain in other fields..now, most owners have to deal with untrained staff if they have any staff at all..we're going through it now..I have two young men working for me that have never worked in a kitchen before...we have line ups out the door and I still have to watch everything they do because they have never done many of the tasks. Front of the house is the same..my wife has one young lady who has no knowledge of food, or customer service..we keep advertising and a few times recieved no applicants...some are telling us when they can work, or they don't want to work weekends, etc....things have changed due to the pandemic...many of the good people are gone..I'm so glad that we decided to dump the full service dining room...

I can assure you that most of the time the owners don't know this bad service is happening..they are probably in the kitchen overwhelmed..It's like the perfect storm..everybody is coming out of isolation and there is an economic boom but the industry doesn't have the trained employees to handle the influx...you can't watch everybody all of the time, nor can you teach somebody to care....it's like hearding cats...
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Servers/waitstaff in the US make 90-percent of their income from gratuities/tips. They are now doing the work of two, and sometimes three people due to staff shortages. Kitchens are understaffed, too. Customers get slow service, get angry, and blame the server -- and leave little, and sometimes no tips. So, servers are quitting left and right.

CD
 
Yes..we can only pay so much, also..the food service industry is based on certain profit margins..if we want to offer higher salaries, then we have to raise our prices which will drop our sales...catch 22.. the franchises have lowered the bar in many ways.....this is a phenomena that has never been experienced before in our time..people think things should just pick up where we left off, but it is a different world now...
 
Rocklobster said:
Yes..we can only pay so much, also..the food service industry is based on certain profit margins..if we want to offer higher salaries, then we have to raise our prices which will drop our sales...catch 22.. the franchises have lowered the bar in many ways.....this is a phenomena that has never been experienced before in our time..people think things should just pick up where we left off, but it is a different world now...
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it's not really about salaries/wages here, as the base wage for Servers/waitstaff in the US is $2.75/hour. They live or die from tips. Angry customers don't leave good tips... if any. Is that how it is in Canada?

CD
 
caseydog said:
it's not really about salaries/wages here, as the base wage for Servers/waitstaff in the US is $2.75/hour. They live or die from tips. Angry customers don't leave good tips... if any. Is that how it is in Canada?

CD
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For the most part it is that way, but we have minimum wage standards. 14.25 an hour. Server who serve alcohol is a bit less, I think.
 
It's a little crazy right now in Prince Edward County, a resort community where thousands of people come from 2 major cities and take over the County for the most part, especially on weekends. One of the most popular restaurants has now closed Saturday night simply because of cancellations. People from the city make multiple resos then don't bother calling and you end up with a room half full on your busiest night and you lose money, so he closed. The staff problem is the same here but it's accentuated by the fact that there is absolutely no rental properties for people who want to work. We're one of the lucky ones where it's mostly family working and few close friends that have worked here off and on since the beginning. Some owners are buying properties to house staff or building bunkie's on the properties of a few wineries and breweries. Getting really bad reviews for some of the hardest hit is going to be fairly normal for the time being. I suspect when govt free money dries up people will have to work, which is a problem in Canada where everyone is getting 2000.00 a month to stay home.

EDIT: He didn't close the restaurant, he just closed Saturdays.
 
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garlichead said:
It's a little crazy right now in Prince Edward County, a resort community where thousands of people come from 2 major cities and take over the County for the most part, especially on weekends. One of the most popular restaurants has now closed Saturday night simply because of cancellations. People from the city make multiple resos then don't bother calling and you end up with a room half full on your busiest night and you lose money, so he closed. The staff problem is the same here but it's accentuated by the fact that there is absolutely no rental properties for people who want to work. We're one of the lucky ones where it's mostly family working and few close friends that have worked here off and on since the beginning. Some owners are buying properties to house staff or building bunkie's on the properties of a few wineries and breweries. Getting really bad reviews for some of the hardest hit is going to be fairly normal for the time being. I suspect when govt free money dries up people will have to work, which is a problem in Canada where everyone is getting 2000.00 a month to stay home.
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2K a month is not big money. If people can't make that working, then wages/tips are too low. If it is 2K a month to stay home, vs less money to work, why work? I suppose when the government money dries up, employers will be able to pay workers badly again. That's what seems to be the strategy in the Us. Wait until workers are desperate, then they'll be lining up to work for $7.50 an hour again.

CD
 
caseydog said:
2K a month is not big money. If people can't make that working, then wages/tips are too low. If it is 2K a month to stay home, vs less money to work, why work? I suppose when the government money dries up, employers will be able to pay workers badly again. That's what seems to be the strategy in the Us. Wait until workers are desperate, then they'll be lining up to work for $7.50 an hour again.

CD
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Bingo.

There isn't a worker shortage, people want to get paid more. ESPECIALLY in the F&B world (and many other industries), where it went from "all these low skilled workers want $15 an hour, lololol" to Essential Employees and back again with NO change in the minimum wage and workers rights being stripped even further back. A lot of the workers that stuck it out are frickin' burnt out on humans. A lot of industry folks are tired of putting up with all the "Karen's" and the like, too. It's tough out there.

This could have been a paradigm shift and a way to find a whole new "normal" and for employers to put their money where their mouth is but it's all just going back to the same status quo.

They will starve them out one way or another, they'll get the workers back but if folks think service and attitudes are bad now, just wait.
 
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