Applebee's Fiasco
Moms View Message Board: General Discussion: Archive July 2006:
Applebee's Fiasco
We ended up waiting 70 minutes, for our food to come tonight, because the waiter forgot to submit our order. They ended up paying for our food. Sheesh!
Even though we got our food for free, I still complained to the corporate office anyway. Here's the story:
We entered the Applebee's restaurant, approx 7:15pm. We were greeted and taken right to a table, with menus, etc. We waited a bit, our waiter did acknowledge that we were there and we waited a few more minutes, before he took our drink order. By that time, we knew what food we wanted and ordered that, as well. As he walked away, my 16yo daughter asked her dad to check the time. It was 7:25pm.
So, we wait for our food. People leave, people come. Still we wait. Then someone who came after us GETS their food. Another table that came after us GETS their salads. Then another table gets their appetizers. Then the "salad" table GETS their food! We are still waiting.
At one point, I ask the waiter if they are actually cooking our food and he mutters something about being busy, and that our food is being cooked. The restaurant did have people in it, but we have seen it busier.
A half hour passes. 45 minutes pass. Another table of people, who must have gotten there shortly before we did, are also waiting for their food and the grandma in the family is also getting very concerned. Then an hour passes. My daughter had I have to use the bathroom, since we've been there so long. Still no food.
At 1 hour and 10 minutes, the manager comes out with our food and says that the waiter had forgotten to submit our order to the kitchen. WHAT? Our jaws drop to the floor. He says he will take some of the cost off the bill. We however told him, he was paying for the whole meal. That was totally unacceptable.
We have been at other restaurants, where the wait was too long, and they took the whole cost of the meal off the bill. So, that is what he ended up doing.
So, we got the food for free, but we were so agitated by the time we got our food, that it was hard to enjoy it. It will make us think twice, about selecting Applebee's, as a place to eat, for the next few months. My 14yo daughter, was very distressed, because she was so hungry. We didn't order appetizers, in the beginning and didn't later on, because we kept thinking the food must be coming, any minute. If anything could have been done differently, I think that that manager, or the waiter, could have ACKNOWLEDGED sooner, that there was a problem and asked us if we maybe wanted to order an appetizer. If it had happened, in the 30-45 minute range of our wait, we wouldn't have minded paying for an appetizer. It just would have been nice to have something to nibble on, in the midst of a 70-minute wait for the main entrees.
We ordered:
Bourbon Street steak
Smothered chicken
Honey BBQ chicken sandwich
and Chicken fingers and fries.
I really don't think any of these, by themselves, takes all that long to prepare. We should have probably just stayed home and cooked supper ourselves.
I think it will be a while, before we go back to Applebees. There was an incident a while back, when we got our food in a reasonable time, but then we needed drink refills and Ken was just standing by the bar, flipping his computer card around, instead of getting us our drinks, or the time that the waitress told Gary they did not have any alcohol-free beer, when they actually did. Once upon a time, we used to always get good service at Applebee's, but the folks they have there now, are so clueless.
A letter to corporate is definitely in order. That will help call attention to their lack of training and lax customer service at that location.
Good luck!
Wow you were more patient then me. I would of asked to speak to a manager at the 20 minute mark. Believe me, I am not patient when It comes to food and money. Ive spoked to many managers at restaurants when I thought service was unacceptable. But, I am also the person if I see more then 3 cars at a drive thru, I will leave. My kids hate that, but I DO NOT wait for food that I am paying for. There is always someplace out there that will give me better service.
You wrote a very good letter.
OMGosh! I love Applebees but that is just ridiculous. You should complain.
Well, the manager ended up giving us the food for free and I wrote a letter to corporate Applebee's as well. I LOVE Applebee's, too. Shoot, we only ordered sodas. We should have ordered drinks. It would have cost them more!
See, I view it from another perspective. Serivice work is VERY hard, and often times very thankless. People treat you like they don't have to be courteous to you. They demand instead of ask politely. They think, somehow, because they are paying for a meal that they have a right to abuse you.
That server may have been new. Also, some people are just not cut out for that type of fast paced, demanding work, and they find out soon enough. Who among us has not made a mistake? At least it's just food. It 's not something life or death.
We have had that happen to us more than a few times. When my older DS turned seventeen, what he wanted more than anything, was to go to a "Hooters". DH had a union meeting (he's the president of his local, so he had to be there), and other DS was working, so I took Shawn. Granted, it was a Friday night, and it was "jammin'". However, the same thing happened. People coming in after us getting their food, people coming in after us, eating and leaving. I asked the waitress a couple of times what the problem was. She said the kitchen was backed up. Finally after about the same amount of time as you, 70 minutes or so, I asked to speak to the manager. I told him that, if our food didn't come out in the next ten minutes, we would have to leave, because I had a 35 mile drive to pick up my other DS at work. He told me the same thing...kitchen backed up. Probably not the truth, since others were getting their food before us. I don't really know what the problem was. However, it gave DS and I quality time together, which you can't put a price on. HE was enjoying the "scenery", and we laughed a lot. He said that I was a real "cool" mom for going to Hooters with him.
We finally got our food. He said the wings were "awesome". I even bought him a "Hooters" T-shirt as a momento, and all the servers signed it for him. He couldn't have been happier, so that made me happy. No one offered to write off any of our meal, and I didn't ask for it. We had a nice ride home, and Shawn thanked me profusely.
Another time, we were at a diner and the same thing happened. We waited and waited. Finally, the food came and the eggs were cold. Turns out, they had a new cook, and he got so overwhelmed that he walked out! Couldn't take the stress.
Stuff happens. We are all human.
I once had a boss who ALWAYS had an issue with his food. He would always send his meal back, etc.. It was like a "power" thing for him. He was a generous tipper, but he was a pain in the ***. I recently saw a program on TV about behind the scenes in a restaurant. There were servers on there who said to NEVER send food back because they WILL do something to it.
I just think that we need to watch and be an example to our kids, because they are watching us. How we function in social settings and treat others, is how they learn to do the same. With the world on the brink of world war and other uncertainties, it's just not a big deal.
Dawn, I know you were angry and your meal was written off, but did you still tip the server? Not judging you. Just wondering.
We have walked out of places when the wait was unusually long. We walked out of Bravo several years ago, our drinks were brought to us 10-15 minutes after the order was taken - and by order, I mean drinks, appetizer and meal - at that time the server told us our appetizer *would be right out*. 20 minutes later, no appetizer. By then we had been seated for 40-45 minutes already. We had to actually look for the server, told him to cancel the order, that we had some place to be at a certain time, and left. Didn't even have to pay for the drinks, which were just iced tea.
I understand that sometimes things *just* happen, people make mistakes. But at the time the manager/server was aware that your order didn't go in when it should have, they SHOULD have shown you the courtesy of telling you, apologizing, and offering to pay for at least part of the meal. Waiting until the meal was ready to serve and THEN telling you they messed up is unacceptable.
OH - and I just want to add this. True, new employees are slower and may make mistakes more often than experienced servers; true, crowds and busy times makes it take longer. And true, I know for a fact that wait staff, etc. often get treated disrespectfully. But respect is a 2-way street. When you are spending your money in an establishment, and are expected to/planning to leave a generous tip, there is a certain amount of obligation on THEIR part to treat you well too.
At the very least, *I* think their server should have physically checked on their order when they questioned him about it, and if that was when the error was discovered, then Dawn and her family should have been told then. It wouldn't have made their meal appear any quicker, but at least they would have understood what the delay was. And in that case, IMO the manager should have offered an appetizer free of charge. If that had been the scenario, then they would have had something to eat till the meal came, and may have been more willing to pay for their meal.
And speaking for myself, I'd be less inclined to leave a decent tip if someone was trying to cover up their mistake without admitting to it and explaining what happened. Because as I said, mess ups DO happen, so it's simple, apologize for the mistake, offer something immediately to tide them over, serve the meal when it's ready, and you have my respect for being honest AND you still get a tip.
While I agree with Hol that the service industry is a thankless job, that amount of wait is unacceptable. Waiter/waitresses have the option of asking their co-workers for help, and there is NO excuse for not checking on your tables. I've done the job, I know it's hard sometimes, and people can be miserable jerks, but there isn't any excuse for a wait like that, and multiple mistakes in one evening.
I'm sorry. We only left a few cents on the table! He FORGOT TO SEND OUR ORDER TO THE KITCHEN! He didn't do anything, when I asked about our food. We never got any kind of appetizer. Our hunger level was HIGH, when we walked in the place. I wasn't in the mood for quality time with my family, becuase I was hungry, and over the course of 70 minutes, I got hungrier. The offer of an appetizer, would have been greatly appreciated. I think at the point, where we asked about the food, would have been about the right time to have ordered an appetizer, but I kept thinking the food would surely come any minute. The waiter isn't all that new. I have seen him there on other visits. I'm sure the kitchen was busy, but they can't MAKE our food, if our food never gets on the queue!
OMGosh! We went to Applebee's yesterday and had horrible service as well.
The meal took 40 minutes to deliver. This was early afternoon, and there were tons of empty tables, not busy at ALL.
Once we got it my DH's smothered mashed potatoes weren't smothered. Waitress took them back and dumped cheese on top. Brought it back, DH takes a bite and the potatoes are COLD. Waitress brings new potatoes. DS's spoon for his applesauce was FILTHY. Got a new one.
The only discount we got was -$1.00 for the smothered part of the mashed potatoes. We won't be going back for awhile either.
One time we went to TGIFriday's and had HORRIBLE service. I called and talked to the manager and he sent us 2 $20 gift certificates. When we went back several months later to use the certificates, the service was fine.
While I agree that sometimes being a waitress/waiter is a thankless job, there is no excuse for poor service. That is their job, they signed up for it. Sometimes being a mother/wife is a thankless job too....
I have to admit that I am not that impressed with Applebee's. We just had a new one open near us, and the first week, people were lined up out the door. That's because, we live in a rural area, so anything new attracts a crowd for a while. DD and I went the other day. We only had salads, but they were nothing special for the price.
I have eaten in other Applebee's, too, and I was umimpressed. I think Chili's is even worse.
We have a Chili's, too. We have always gotten good service, there. Of course, it's not that big of a restaurant and it's popular, so we usually try to go around mid-afternoon, to avoid the crowds. Every waitress we have had, keeps our drinks refilled!
Dawn, there are several Applebees in my area, and all of them seem to have waves of poor services, lousy food, etc. I don't know if it's the actual chain where the problems originate, or the local employees or what.
Ditto Bravo - food has always been great there, but the service is terrible and the wait is ridiculously long. ONCE we went there and had quick service.
Houstons is ALWAYS very crowded - I don't feel the food is that great, but I must be missing something because there's always a wait to get in there.
One place I have consistently had a great experience is Zea's. I love the food, the service is good, have been a number of times with no bad experiences so far.
I think this is a sore subject for me these days though, since the restaurants are nowhere near back to normal yet since last year's hurricane.
Has anyone else noticed that with *most* of the chain restaurants, the quality of the food and service seems to come and go??
Generally the food at Applebee's is yummy. I usually like eating there. For a few years, they had GREAT waitstaff and it seems like in the last year, it hasn't always been so great. Eventually, these people will move on to something else, and it will probably get better.
A different waitstaff person, who we had problems with, on another day, seemed to be doing a good job last night. His customers were getting food and he seemed to be keeping their drinks refilled. One time he brought our food, and we needed new drinks and he was just standing around, because he must have forgotten. We did eventually get more soda, but not quite when we really needed it.
I love Applebee's and have never had a problem, but we did recently have a problem at the Hard Rock Cafe in Washington DC. We got seated immediately, put our order in right away, and waited while everyone who came in after us, and had ordered burgers as well were getting their food and leaving. We spoke to the hostess *twice*, and after the second time, the Director of Operations came to the table and said it was his fault....we finally got our food, but not once did our waiter ever indicate that he cared any more for us after he took our order than after the complaint (once we placed our order, we never saw him again until after D.O.O. - appropriate LOL - brought us our food).
Even though something may have gone wrong beyond his control, that waiter had an obligation to us to keep an eye on our table, fill our drinks, and see that we're not getting our food and finding out why. Personally, I think the director was covering for a really sucky waiter and took the heat - but that's just MHO.
Dawn, that was just horrible service you had. You definitely had a right to be upset. I know how horrible it is to go to a restaurant when you are so hungry, and then the food takes forever. What a bad experience.
We went to Outback Steakhouse several years ago. We had bad service and the steaks were very pink when the brought them out to us. We haven't been back there since then, and that was probably 5 or 6 years ago.
I don't think I will be able to stay away from Applebee's forever. I like their food and the 70-minute wait, was not the norm, for the most part. We just will probably not ever go there on a Saturday night, again, though.
I was a waitress when I was 17, and it isn't for me. I got too flustered. It was just a summer job, thank goodness. So I can understand in a way if the waiter might not have been cut out for the job.
But if you frequently get poor service at that Applebee's location, it might be an indication that their training is insufficient and that it isn't a requirement that they keep busy at all times. A staff that is seen wandering around or goofing off isn't a good sign that other things are getting done in the back of the house. Perhaps the letter to corporate will help draw attention to this problem.
When I waitressed, I was told, if you have time to lean, you have time to clean and there really was cleaning to do, all the time, if you weren't busy taking care of customers. So, it annoys me, if I see people "leaning!" Actually, I think I heard that at McDonald's, too! I don't think I ever forgot to put in an order, though!
When I worked nights, at the IHOP, and then went home to sleep, I would dream about the place. It was like I never left! I would be taking care of people and getting so busy. I would have to tell myself, that I'm home now and I don't have to take care of those people anymore and then I would really get in a deep sleep. Maybe I really needed more time to decompress, when I was done working! LOL! I only worked nights on the weekends. The rest of the week, they closed at 9pm.
I feel like you do about being a waitress, Lisa. I know I'd get too flustered! I've worked a lot with the public, but never in the food industry. I know better than to try, lol.
Goodness, that was quite a long wait, Dawn. I guess I understand that mistakes happen. I've done my share in my lifetime. But for me, what makes the difference is how the error is handled. I wonder if your waiter made a sincere apology to all of you. And I agree, as soon as they discovered the problem, it would have been nice if someone came to explain and offer an appetizer while you waited.
The appetizer option would have been really nice. I know the mozzarella sticks don't cost that much and my kids really enjoy them.
I was a waitress for about 4 years in high school and right after I got married. The servie you got was unacceptable and they should have given you your food for free. As for leaving the guy a tip. Well under normal circumstances I leave extremely generous tips. I have had some horrible service in the past and when you have to wait that long and it is confirmed that it is because the waiter screwed up you should not leave them a tip. If you find out it was the kitchen (and I know they lie about that sometimes) you should at least leave a decent tip (15%). I also know how it feels to be in the kitchen yelling at the cooks because they are taking too long and not be able to do anything about it and then not to be left a tip even though you put a lot of effort into the table. Well that is JMHO.
It's possible that that waiter realized his error, but was too embarrassed to come tell you, therefore, he didn't offer anything, like an appetizer. Maybe he is one of those people who may come to realize that that kind of work isn't for him. And that's OK!! We're not all the same, with the same talents and abilities.
Most of these places, in the summer, depend on student help. High school or college kids working for tuition money, or whatever. (I know, I have two of them, but neither one works in a restaurant). Summer is also an extremely busy time, with people on vacation, eating out more, etc.. When people are on vacation, it is sad to say, but they sometimes leave their manners at home. Maybe your waiter had been chewed out previously by a customer. Some people can just be so mean! I don't know...but we all have bad days, too.
I don't know if you should have gotten your WHOLE bill written off, as you did GET your food, albeit late. You got what you ordered. I could see free desserts, or something like that.
I just think that we all need to cut each other some slack. As my Grandma used to say, "A hundred years from now, it won't matter". 
That's true, Hol. We really didn't want dessert, though. We'd already been at the restaurant long enough, by that time and really wanted to go home.
We were at the Horse and Plow, in Kohler, though, and ended up waiting 45 minutes for our food. About the time we started asking questions, the waitress came to our table and said our bill would be taken care of. We never asked or anything. They just volunteered, that they would pay for the bill. The Horse and Plow is part of the American Club family of restaurants in Kohler (where sinks and toilets are made). Really the service is usually exemplary at the American Club restaurants. So, anyway, we had this incident in mind, when Gary told the guy, that the last time we had had to wait a long time for food, they had taken care of the whole bill.
I have also been the waitress, who is finally realizing that one of the IHOP cooks CAN'T READ, so it doesn't matter that I wrote WW for wholewheat and gotten someone's club sandwich on white bread! So, I started dropping off my check and TELLING him the special instructions! I had to endure glaring looks from him, but it was MY tip on the line! (he'd basically memorized the ticket thingie, so he knew what to make, but I was so annoyed that the wholewheat club sandwich was made on white bread, but it wasn't MY fault!)
Maybe it's a Midwest thing. Part of the Midwest "nice". We experienced it in Nebraska. Here in New England, you would never have a whole bill written off for you. You'd be lucky to get ONE meal written off.
We only got one meal written off once. DH and I and our older kids, years ago, went out one Friday night for fish & chips. Dh is eating his fish, and all of a sudden, he lifts the crust on his fish, calls the waiter over, and says, "Is this the fly you used to catch this fish?" Yes...there was a DEAD FLY under the crust on his fish! Next thing we know, the manager comes hurrying over, grabs his plate, and says, "There will be no charge for YOUR meal, sir." THEN, he asks DH if he WANTS MORE FISH! LOL!! Oldest DS, about eight at the time, later asked us what would prevent people from bringing in a jar of dead flies to PUT in their food?
The night of DS Shawn's graduation, this past June, we went to a nice restaurant. His former biology teacher had left teaching to be co-owner of the restaurant. Shawn hadn't seen him since 9th grade, as we pulled Shawn out in 10th grade and home schooled him. Mr. Campbell was so happy to hear that Shawn had done so well, and graduated, he told the waitress that our appetizers were on the house. That's about all you're going to get in New England!
uh...Hol, no offense but native New Englandah here and I've complained about service before and gotten free meals, here in New England.
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