Restaurant reparations - Page 2

X5rolls · #11 05-06-2009, 07:11 AM

#3 I might also try to talk to the manager who was on duty that night and see if they understand how horrible it was for you and your guests.

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ravenheart · #12 05-06-2009, 08:59 AM

Unless its a restaurant you really liked in the past I would say just screw it and don't come back. In any restaurant I've had a serious problem they've always comped the bill right away - or we've never been back to them.

Restaurants live on recommendations and returning customers so if they are not doing everything they can to make up for mistakes they deserve to go under.

I dont want to sound like an ass all together though - it has to be something major before I make a fuss - forinstance badly cooked meals or indeed having to wait longer than is reasonable for a reservation.

Juanted · #13 05-06-2009, 09:43 AM

On a side note. I've been agreeing with Gresch waaay too much lately. :-)

Quote:

Originally Posted by gresch

This is a big topic in NY as well. The "coupon" is seen as a bribe to take down the bad review and it doesn't give other prospective diners true insight into the restaurant if you take it down. It's up to you what to do, but what my circle of friends have done in the past is accept the restaurants "bribe" and if the problems have been resolved, they write a new reivew, but the original stays. The original can be updated to point to the new one or have the new one reference the old one. Whether it was a holiday or a Tuesday during the summer they should provide the same high level of service, not sacrifice service for cramming in as many reservations as they can and praying that they will handle it successfully.

One thing that is kind of half-sincere on their part is only bribing you with 2 dinners if they blew the meals for a party of 6. That perceived insincerity would probably steer me away from accepting the coupon and I wouldn't go back.

Michelle · #14 05-06-2009, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaefer

On a side note. I've been agreeing with Gresch waaay too much lately. :-)

Major04 · #15 05-06-2009, 10:06 AM

#3 is the one I would pick.

B-Line · #16 05-06-2009, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blondboinsd

B-Nobody is perfect. V-day is i'm sure a huge night for them and most likely their not equipped to handle it. I would be kind, forgive, take the coupon, remove the review and move on with your life.

Also what do you expect them to do for the out of town people? Fly them in for free? That is a bit petty don't you think? I mean I understand the frustration but c'mon

No, of course I don't expect them to fly them in for free.
- But considering there were six of us there for dinner and they only gave us a coupon for two.. They didn't even ask, "Were the other people in your party also from Los Angeles? Cause we would like to give them coupons too.."

But they didn't even ask. It was my brother and his girlfriend that were with us and he lives less than a mile away from me.

Also, by not offering coupons to the rest of the party that was also greatly disappointed and had their V-Day ruined, aren't they encouraging MORE people to write bad reviews?

Also, just so you understand some of the details, we had plans for after dinner. They didn't seat us until 11pm. That's right, 11pm on Valentines day.

B-Line · #17 05-06-2009, 01:39 PM

for those that are interested... Here is the scathing review I wrote.. Can you tell I was mad?

Worst Valentines Dinner - EVER !!!!

3 couples, 9:45 reservation. Reservations were made about 5 days ahead. It was not a last minute deal. The restaurant asked us to arrive early as they thought they could get us in earlier. We show up at 9:15, as asked.

The restaurant finally seated us at 10:50pm. That's an hour and five minutes after our reservation and almost two hours after they asked us to arrive. **Romantic, huh?**

Then they sat us at the crappiest table in the joint. A table situated right between the front door and the side door. So when the front door wasn't open and making everyone freezing, the side door was being used by the wait staff and making everyone freezing. - Not to mention the smell of smoke that kept wafting in every time someone went outside and lit one.

So now lets talk about the service. The manager tried to make things right by giving us a round of champagne while we waited at the bar. -- NOW HOLD ON JUST A GOD DAMNED SECOND... I bring my wife, my friends with their dates to your establishment an VALENTINES DAY, you sit us two hours late, at 11pm on VALENTINES DAY and the best you can do is offer us a free glass of cheap champagne????

- Here is what I would have done. I would have sent the table free appetizers and free desert. ANd I would have still apologized emphatically. I would have made sure that everything else for that evening was romantic, perfect, taken care of.. Did we get any of that... NO, just a free glass of CRAP CHAMPAGNE that would usually need to have orange juice added just so it didn't taste like, "free, cheap, champagne."

Now lets talk about the food. French Onion Soup, nice, nice, not thrilling, but nice. I tasted the farfalla which was pretty good. The entree that my wife and I both ordered, the $50 special Wagyu beef was MEDIOCRE at best. It was sold as beef that melts in your mouth.. Ahhh, no, not really. I've had real Wagyu beef and that does melt in your mouth. This was just a fatty, non special, piece of meat that should have had a $25 price tag at best. Wagyu, MY ASS. More like fancy marketing.

I guess the good thing about this restaurant is, there seems to be a lot of cheap hookers who hang out at the bar. And that always makes for a good laugh and dinner conversation.

So, if you're looking for a place that:
Has cheap hookers at the bar.
Treats their customers poorly.
Doesn't seat people on Valentines Day till 11pm with reservation.
Charges $50 for Wagyu beef that tastes like horse taint.
Has bad seating in drafty areas that reek of smoke.
-- Then Chaya is your place.....

Otherwise I would seriously consider going to a better establishment like Campagnile, Mozza, Melograno, etc.

Bad form CHAYA, BAD FORM !!!!!!

motordavid · #18 05-06-2009, 02:14 PM

BLine:
My vote is for #3 also, but with a twist: unless the "comp" is in your name
specifically, I would make the rezy under another name, but use the comp.
That way they aren't artificially pandering to you when you return
and, you will get a more realistic experience. If it's much better this time,
write an addenumn, but leave the orig. review up, imo.

Most resturant critics hit a joint 2-3 times for their official write up, thus
precluding the one bad night situ. But, VDay/Mother's Day, etc. is not
necessarily a good time for any joint, imo.
GL,mD

PS: after eating lunch, dinner and often b'fast, on the road for 25+ years,
I enjoyed some amazing joints, but I learned to really lower my expectations on resturants, in general.

B-Line · #19 05-06-2009, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by motordavid

BLine:
My vote is for #3 also, but with a twist: unless the "comp" is in your name
specifically, I would make the rezy under another name, but use the comp.
That way they aren't artificially pandering to you when you return
and, you will get a more realistic experience. If it's much better this time,
write an addenumn, but leave the orig. review up, imo.

Most resturant critics hit a joint 2-3 times for their official write up, thus
precluding the one bad night situ. But, VDay/Mother's Day, etc. is not
necessarily a good time for any joint, imo.
GL,mD

PS: after eating lunch, dinner and often b'fast, on the road for 25+ years,
I enjoyed some amazing joints, but I learned to really lower my expectations on resturants, in general.

All good points.. Thanks MD..

But it wouldn't bother you that they only invited 2 out of six of us back for a free dinner?
Should I call them and say, "Thanks for the comp, but if you want me to come back I expect that you'll send a comp to my brother and his GF as well?"

motordavid · #20 05-06-2009, 04:19 PM

BLine...maybe at bit offputting that the entire group was not invited. If you
really wanted to push them, you could call the joint and ask if the entire
party can be re-invited.

I wouldn't care myself; resturants, esp. these days, are gonna come&go,
like joints in strip malls. But, persue as you choose.
GL,md

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