When the customer is wrong

Online article from Mainstreet.com about some of the bad things that customers do.  It's been 25 years since I last worked in a restaurant but I still remember a lot of what I learned about what not to do when dining out.
 
Brad

Brad== i agree with that article.

Great, Great article. Should be required reading for anyone who eats out.

 Very nice.
  I really liked the "constructing your own dinner/ major substitutions" page.
 It takes FOREVER, the cook is mad, other diners food gets held up, and in the end the person is usually unhappy with the outcome. go figure.  
That, along with the table that calls (or snaps!) you over saying "We are ready to order now!" and then proceeds to say "Oh, I don't know, do you have anything with artichokes and scallops?" or  " Hey you guys,  what are you thinking of getting?" while they  hurriedly open their menus.   It really messes with the basic flow of service for (and from) everyone when a table is needlessly needy. 
      Usually though, I really enjoy my tables... It's so awesome to bring something yummy to folks.... 

Sometimes regardless of the issues  there are regional differences regarding this stance for example
 
Here in the I95 North East corridor the customer is always wrong regardless of circumstances no matter how arrogant, rude or condescending the restaurant employee, manager or owner may be for what ever reason
 
Yet on the other hand the customer is always right regardless of circumstances and no matter how unrealistic the customers demands are  (and you had better remember that or you will be fired or out of business in less than  a week) such as it is in the Pacific Northwest

I agree, The customer is always right, they just may be in the wrong restaurant. Anyway, I always trained my wait staff in the importance of communication. If there are a lot of orders coming into the kitchen at the same time, tell the customer it may take a bit longer. Tell the customer everything pertaining to their meal being serve quick and efficiently. I have had cooks walk off the front line, or get fired off the line. A cook may almost cut off a finger, fall or slip and get hurt on the front line. I have been involved in many dining room services, I have never lost a customer when I explained the situation and resolved their concerns. I made many long lasting friendships and return customers just by communicating with them.
 
WJ, the PNW is a big area , are you thinking of portion or the whole area ???????????????
 

 

PNWCHEF


WJ, the PNW is a big area , are you thinking of portion or the whole area ???????????????

PNWCHEF
 
I'm actually referring to my experiences living in Seattle from 1992 to early 1996. 
I'm sure Portland Oregon is probably similar. I was told that it had something to do with "Nordstroms Style Customer Service"
 
 The shoe has been on the other foot too- I'm in the field of property casualty claims and dealing with people in the Seattle region  nearly gave me an ulcer and it was one of several primary reasons why I left the area.
 
I can surely say I never had a problem at any restaurant I went to during this time period. I'm fairly easy to please unless I'm being treated unfairly, although I've had  a  small handful of experiences with poor (not rude or unfair service) elsewhere, over the last decade or so I can only think of one horrific experience I had and that was at J's Oyster in Portland Maine.