Last Sunday, my friends and I went down to a local mexican restaurant. I had just eaten, and decided to come with just to hang out with everybody. As with most restaurants of this kind, you're given free chips and salsa while you ponder your order. So they brought them out, and I had some. I decided against getting anything to eat, and just asked for a water. My friends got stuff, including a bowl of cheese dip that comes with a "bottomless" basket of chips. So throughout the night I had some of my friends chips, and the servers kept bringing salsa. By the end of the night I had eaten a decent amount and was actually feeling pretty full.

 

The next day was a Monday, which is my traditional "nice meal with 24" day. This is when I make something that cost a little extra to have along with my favorite show. My friends got back from playing racquetball, and decided to go out to the same place. Again, I had just ate, this time much more than the previous night. But figuring that there'd be a chance to hang out (and a few chips) it wouldn't hurt to go with.

 

I got there a little bit after they did, as I wanted to wait until 24 was over. We're pretty regular there, so most of the late night servers know our orders. They asked if I would like some of the hot salsa I usually have, and I said sure. And just as last night, the continued to bring salsa to go with the chips my friends were getting.

 

But when it came time to leave, the server brought out a check from the manager. Apparently tonight I owed $3 for the chips and salsa I had eaten. Frustrated, I asked to talk with the manager. I felt sorry when the "backup" manger had to come out, as the head manager (the one who had told the server to give me a bill) had taken off already.

 

This is where 5 years in food services came in handy. Because the following facts are important when dealing with restaurant customer service.

1. If the customer comes in enough that you know their order by heart, be willing to cut them some slack. I'm not saying they should get away with murder, but my friends and I come in at least 2 times a week and we usually spend about $10 each. You know we usually get food when we come, and since there were other people at the table who were ordering food, who are they to tell the customer who can and cannot share their food.
2. Never, ever, blame a different manager. If some other manager does something that a customer doesn't like, but you have to talk with them...you have to deal with that. The customer isn't mad at the manager, they're mad at the restaurant as a whole. And as the manager on duty, you are the representative for the restaurant.
3. Don't ever bring previous nights into a discussion about the bill for the night in question. "Considering the chips you ate last night..." should never have been uttered. Because last night was just that. Nobody said anything to me last night, nor did they mention the night before when I first arrived. That goes into our next point.
4. If your store has a policy, notify the customer prior to dropping a bill in their lap. At any point in the night, they could've told me that I needed to order something to go with the chips I was eating. However, this to me is pointless, considering that my friends had orders that came with chips. And since the matter of who eats what isn't up to the restaurant (buffet's not included) there's really nothing they can say if the chips I'm eating came from somebody's order. They can't cut that person off, and that person can't be forced to not share with somebody else in the party.
5. Don't hand said bill to the customer wrapped in a "We appreciate your feedback" folder. Especially when that folder has a question regarding "Manager Contact." You want my opinion on your store after how you handled this situation? And then remind me that you're a place that prides itself on Manager contact when that never happend in the hour we were there? That's what reved me up in the first place.

It seems like a lot of trouble to go through for $3. But I was genuinely offended that they wouldn't bother to inform of at some point during the night, especially considering they were aware of the night before. What makes it worse, there were six other people in the party with me...and they told me afterwards that they were turned off to wanting to eat there again after what had happened. So the mess they caused over $3 worth of chips may have cost them about $60-120 bucks a week from a group of happy regular customers. It may not seem like a lot, but after working in foods...I know that it hurts the mood of the place sometimes when regulars disappear.

 

Will I go back? Dunno yet. But hopefully I can pass some advice on to anybody who's in the food industry now, or is younger and looking to break into the job market with a job in food services.