Lines are my #1 pet peeve so I simply will not wait for a table at a restaurant. There is almost nothing in life worth standing in a line for.

Waiting 1.5h for food , WOW, and with kids? You are a patient man. Afetr 30' I would have asked the server for an exact estimate of when my food would appear. If it was more than 5', talk to the manager or whoever is in charge.

 

I waited tables for 18 years and here's the "rule" for good service:

* Your waiter should approach you within 2 minutes, even if he just acknowledges you and says "I'll be right with you"
* Your drinks should be served within within 7 minutes
* You should be given the chance to order at the same time your drinks are served
* Your meal should arrive within 20 minutes of ordering, unless your waiter tells you that it will take longer and gives you the opportunity to order something quicker
* Your table should be cleared within 2 minutes of the last person who finishes their meal and you should be asked then whether you would like coffee, dessert or just to sit for a while
* At no time should your drink become empty without the waiter giving you the opportunity to order another
* At no time should you have to look around for your waiter for more than 2 minutes, without at least making eye contact and being acknowledged

There are lots of other rules for good customer service, but those are some of the biggies. Do I think we get this kind of service anywhere? None of the city restaurants I eat have service this good, although the local TA truck stop does!

As for restaurants that have lineups, they should err on the side of safety when they tell you how long the wait. E.g. if they say 30 minutes, it should be 20, not 45. Then it's up to you how long you are willing to wait and there should always be a bar/lounge available unless you have underage kids with you.

At what point do I complain and how do I do it? Service is so bad now that I usually don't worry about the 2 minute rules, but if I wait more than 20 minutes for my meal, I politely inquire. If the service is bad enough to make me mad, I ask to speak to the manager immediately.

Also I modify my tip up or down from 15%. If the hostess is honest about the wait time and warns me that a waiter or the kitchen is overwhelmed at the moment and gives me the opportunity to choose to stay, then I will still tip the waiter generously because it wasn't his fault. If the waiter is standing around with his thumb up his *** then I tip very poorly and usually mention it to the manager on the way out.

I used to frequent restaurants like the ones you guys have mentioned ... now I stay away from them. Their meals are overpriced and their staff are hired for looks instead of ability. Now that I'm back in truck-stop country, I find the food, service and price often better at these restaurants.

 

I had an experience where the service was too good. I was staying at a hotel in Washington DC and went down for dinner. I was seated quickly and my order was taken. When my food arrived I buttered a roll with about half a patty of butter and the patty was immediately taken away and replaced. I took a drink from my water and it was refilled as soon as it hit the table. I finished the roll and the plate it sat on was replaced. As I cut into an excellent prime rib, I was aware of several sets of eyes watching my every move. I signaled the waiter and said, " I would like to be alone with my meal. Would you arrange that for me and check back in about ten minutes"? That was my only time to have service that was too good and I often remember it when the service is bad.
Dono

 

I have a 20 minute limit on waiting for a table, and that's only if I know it's a good place to eat. The wife and I's anniversary is on New Year's Eve, and we've just about given up on trying to get a decent meal then. Our favorite place used to take reservations, then went to the "call ahead waiting list" deal. Well, I call about an hour ahead at around 5:30pm and they tell me "sorry, we are no longer taking call aheads, come stand in line". I was so ticked, we ended up going somewhere else, and I sent the owner a letter. He replied with an apology but didn't offer anything else... we never went back. I never realized so many people go out for dinner on New Years Eve.

My other big gripe is the "free refill" soft drink. You pay almost $2 for a coke nowadays and it's like pulling teeth to get a refill.

 

i dont got to most restruanrts that i used to, (besides chilis mmm) due to the lack of service.

One time, at logans steak house, the new one on 71st street in tulsa.
Awesome place, you could eat peanuts and throw the shells on the ground.
they had tvs above the toilet.

Anyways i ordered a steak, medium well done i bilieve. WHen it got to me, it was so tuff and hard, you could blugen some one to death with it. I complained. they broght me a new one. which was about the same. I smiled and left, but hey there payed for me and my parents meals totalling about 100$$ and they payed half on our friends meals.

Honestly ill go back just because there service was awesome. And the reason the steak was so tuff, they were REALLY REALLY busy.

I used to go out to TGi fridays, becuase the had calamre. And good food.
welll i went with my friend and his band. We get there, the waiter takes our drink orders, then one of my dumb friends said as the guy was walking away " That guy is so gay" well my friend chris (not the one that made the comment) got his steak. to one bite, and said "this taste like turpintine" his steak smelt like turpintine. he got a free steak, but the friend got his but kiked when we got home.

Peace,
Goose

 

Cigarxtc's right, and not just about the fast food (though I agree with that, too). It's one reason Tulsa's one of our favorite choices for a couple of days away with the family. DFW is about the same distance for us, but Tulsa's a little friendlier, IMO.

Last year during the fair, a group of us (7, I think) went to the Outback. It was packed, and we had to wait awhile to get in, maybe 30 minutes or so. Our orders were taken promptly, drinks and appetizers appeared soon, and we were really just beginning to wonder about our meal (maybe 20 minutes) when our server came by and apologized, said the kitchen had messed up our order and it would be just a few minutes more... no problem. Almost immediately the manager showed up to apologize and offer free desserts - we were impressed enough with that, and our meal came about 5 minutes later. The manager came back by and gave us 3 gift certicates totalling $90, and told us our whole meal was on the house... Needless to say, we make it to that Outback 'most everytime we make it to Tulsa. Service is always excellent there.

Another note on fast food - You just can't beat Sonic for service and consistency, IMO. I travel by myself alot, and I hit lots of Sonics, and I've yet to run across a bad one.

 

For me, it depends on why I'm there. I've waited 1.5 hours without dinner and was fine , but other times I'm irate in 30 minutes.

However, if you were upset due to the wait, I'd leave when you got to that point, but on leaving, I'd speak with the manager about it. Tell him you were going down the street to the competition (make sure it's not same owner i.e. Chili's, applebee's ruby tuesdays, friday are all part of same company). Then I always follow that up with an email and or phone call to the main office customer service.

I usually get a call back, they apologize and give free meals. However, I don't expect free stuff but just some satisfaction. If I never receive any comment from their customer service, I never give business to them again. I no longer go to Taco Bell or Popeye's. They both seem content with crappy customer service (and I own stock in Taco Bell).

Some think this is overboard. However, for every customer that complains, there are nine more who are dissatisfied and never complain (researched) and companies like to know becuase satisfied customers=profits.

my 2 cents

 

Well thanks Forum for all the encouragement and support...seems I was way more patient than I shoulda been! LOL!

I won't be going back to that restaraunt for a loooong time (if ever) and I am establishing a new 30 minute rule for my future eating out. If I don't get my food on the table the way I like it in 30 minutes or less, I'm out the door - after speaking to the manager!

Now I should tell you that Chili's did give us a couple free meals that night and the manager did apologize profusely, but in the end my daughter-in-law had to have soup for dinner (she was so hungry that she didn't want to wait for another meal - her steak was almost alive it was so rare!) and my grandbaby had French Fries and whatever we could give him off our plates!

Not good...and I won't be frequenting that establishment for a very long time!

 

Things are getting really bad restaurant-wise here in Boise....if you hit a restaurant anywhere close to dinner time, you're looking at a minimum hour-and-fifteen minute wait, maybe more. We've started only going out when we can go at like 3 or 4 and have an early supper, rather than wait than long. Chili's, Outback, TGIFridays, Tony Romas, Macaroni Grill, Olive Garden...doesn't matter where. And once you get in and sat, you NEVER see a waitperson. When you see them they're great, but it seems like the owners are trying to max out their profits by hiring too few people, and it REALLY impacts the experience. I've had meals comp'ed at most all those places at one time or another, 'cause you never know where bad service will strike!

On a side note, I won't go to ANY TGIFriday's anymore, after I had THREE, count them THREE separate incidents at THREE separate TGI's where the server 'mis-entered' the tip I had left them on the reciept and like tripled the ammount! I'm not a stingy tipper, but it was rediculous to get my card statement and see that I had paid $200 for dinner for two at TGI's when my signed receipt clearly said otherwise (and I'm an architect with lettering-style handwriting, not like doctor-scratch or anything). Had to go all the way up the corporate chain each time to get it resolved, and only then at the threat of getting a lawyer. Bad service can come from idiot managers, too!

 

I think too many people overtip these days or feel obligated to leave a tip no matter what. I don't know how many times I've read or heard people comment about how the service was bad so they only left a 10% tip! When you try to tell them that the tip should reflect the level of service they'll give you the line about how servers only make a few dollars an hour so it would be cruel not to leave anything.

I put myself through college working as a cook at Applebee's and hung out with a lot of the servers. I know what level of service and wait times on food to reasonably expect depending on how busy the place is and I'll cut them some slack accordingly.

Maybe it makes us cheapskate sticks-in-the mud, but long waits, overpriced food, and poor service are the reasons my wife and I rarely eat out anymore. We both enjoy cooking and if we want a special meal we make it ourselves. It's usually better than anything we'd get at a restaurant anyway. Maybe my tastes are just too simple, but even the upscale froo froo places rarely impress me.

 

It's sad that it came to this, but this is what I do. After one too many bad service experiences I have started running my stopwatch from the minute I sit down. If it takes more than a reasonable amount of time b/w order and reception, check-ups, getting bill, etc.. I ask for a manager. Have gotten well taken care of from that. If its busy I give the server leeway or if they're new. Otherwise I'm ruthless. If it's real bad, I take the napkin I documented all the times on home. Then I type a letter to the GM and corporate offices of the restaurant.

 

fredr--your right about home cooking--and the price is a lot less!!!!!! and the steaks dont get burnt--or alive on your plate!!!!!!

 

The only time that I would wait that long would be at Hooter's. No where else. If our food is not to us or a good reason why within 20 minutes. Voices will be heard. Mostly my wifes. She says what needs to be said so that all can hear it. I will talk to the powers to be.

Haven't had much trouble lately. We know which places to go to and which ones not to. A not, is Cracker Barrel. I grew more gray hairs waiting for my food there than anywhere else. A yes, Guy's Steak House, Hwy 12 Lolo. Everything is good there.

Tom

 

I'm a pretty patient person, so I give the server a chance. If I start to think that I'm being ignored, I'll sometimes start making a fool of myself. I'll start out slow - I'll make a house of cards with the sugar packets. If that doesn't get me noticed, I'll start singing along to the music that's playing. One night I was with some friends and in a really good mood, and we started dancing next to the table. THAT got us noticed real quick.

Another time, I went to a Long John Silvers/A&W to eat dinner. Got seated right before a family of 4. Server went to the family first. I think "No problem. She wasn't paying attention and didn't see me come in first. Nobody else is sitting with a menu in hand, so I'm next." Waited a bit. Elderly couple comes in and gets service right away. I wait a minute or 2 more as a last chance. Made a point of throwing the menu back on their pile right in front of the waitress on my way out. The place was closed ~2 months later... I wonder why?

As far as tipping goes, I tip what I think is appropriate. I've tipped as much as 33% ($5 on a $15 bill) because the service was so good. I've also left 2 pennies on the table.

 

Here's a little trick I learned from my mother who worked as a head waitress for a major restaraunt for many years...

If you have a problem with the waitresses service (it doesn't affect the manager or other people in the restaraunt) then leave a single penny on the table as a tip. If that waitress knows anything about her job, she'll know this is an insult and it will hit home.

I did this to one waitress in particular and she must have been new - she asked one of the other girls working that night and they all got real quiet...then the manager came over and asked us if anything was wrong! After explaining why the penny tip, we ate for free that night and the new waitress is now in another line of work!