It was a beautiful 65 degree sunny winter day. My date and I decided to go to an upscale restaurant for my birthday. We knew that they had a breathtaking view of intercoastal waterway located in West Central Florida.
Upon arrival at 2:15 PM in the afternoon we wanted to sit outside on the deck. We were surprised that the restaurant was not busy at all; there was only one other couple sitting at a table. The waitress came up and brought us to our table. However, before we were seated, my date asked if we could sit at the corner table because it was in the sun and it had a better view. We didn’t think this would be a problem since the deck was empty other than for the other couple. To our surprise the waitress said no. We asked why and she replied the table was reserved for five or more people; she then sat us at the table next to the table that we wanted.
The waitress came back to take our order and I asked her again if we could sit at the other table which was in the sun. She said that this was the rule and that she would have to get permission from the manager. She said it might take a while because the manager was busy with other guests. I said fine, we will wait. She asked if we would like to order something and I told her we would wait until we saw what the manager said before we ordered anything.
As we waited my date and I agreed that if we couldn’t sit at the table we wanted, we would just go someplace else. We thought why pay this kind of money if we can’t be comfortable. A few minutes went by and the waitress came back with two women who were introduced to us as the assistant manager and the product coordinator. Once again we asked why we couldn’t sit at the corner table next to us. The assistant manager replied that it was a six top table and that they are reserved for five or more people. I responded by asking her, “Where are they?”
The assistant manager replied, “Where are who?”
“The five or more people,” I replied.
“I DON’T KNOW.”
“Well are they coming or not; if the table is reserved then where are they?”
I could tell that she was getting angry with me. She said back to me in a harsh tone, “This is the rule and the table is for five or more people.”
I looked at my date in shock and said let’s not eat here and she agreed. On my way out I said loud enough for people to hear, “I wonder what the health department would feel about the poor treatment we received here today?”
The assistant manager yelled back, “We just had a health inspection and passed with flying colors.”
I yelled back, “Great, but I hope you go out of business and I’m sure you will being the way you treat people!”
As we were going to the car she yelled out across the parking lot, “GET THE FUCK OFF THIS PROPERTY!”
I yelled back, “VERY PROFESSIONAL. DO YOU TALK TO YOUR CHILDREN LIKE THAT?”
She yelled back, “A MATTER OF FACT, YES I DO, AND I SAID GET OFF THIS FUCKING PROPERTY!”
Meanwhile I noticed about eight of the Red Hat Society women witnessing all of this. My date was appalled; we could not believe this just happened. We were both in shock and were just amazed that we were treated liked this at such a high scale restaurant. To end the story, we went to a fun beach type restaurant where we were treated like royalty.
{ 65 comments… read them below or add one }
good for you!
I’d have thrown you out too. People like you have no clue that you aren’t the center of the universe.
You people are the idiot rednecks that every restaurant owner and employee hates. Go to Red Lobster where you belong. Be sure to tip at least 6% on your split fried shrimp, too. A-holes.
You were snotty and feeling terribly entitled. The restaurant didn't owe you an explanation and you certainly had no business being so obnxious.
And any idiot knows that the health department won't give a damn about your hurt feelings.
Please don't send idiots like these to Red Lobster…. I wait tables there! I'm in Michigan on the Canadian border, I'd pay good money to be able to say "GET OFF THIS FUCKING PROPERTY!" Followed by Cheddar Bay Biscuits flying at their heads….
You people have got to be kidding me, I've been in the hospitality industry for nearly 30 years. These people wanted to sit at an empty table in an empty restaurant and were told NO and to get the fuck out and you think THEY are the ones with the problem? Amazing!!!
so sorry that your party of 2 didn't get the table made for 6.
idiot.
entitlement freaks like this should stay home.
A reserved table is a reserved table. Get over it, move on. Considering it was the ONLY table in the ENTIRE empty restaraunt you wanted to sit at, maybe it's a fairly popular table, which usually requires reservations to get. Even if the party wouldn't be there for an hour, how does the staff know they will be able to get you finished up and away from that table when the party arrives? If you arrived at a restaraunt and saw people sitting at the table you made reservations for you might get a little pissed at the place for giving away your table. They were right in this situation, you were wrong.
PS The health department has NOTHING to do with the way you are treated. I laughed out loud when I read that.
However, she shouldn't have cursed at you no matter how big of a self-entitled jack ass you were being. Kill em with kindness!
Unbelievable. You are so incredibly rude! And you have absolutely no concept of how conceitedly you behaved. Do you live your entire life like this? Demanding that everyone lick your shoes? While you treat them like dirt and speak to them as if they're slugs?
No wonder your date was embarrassed; at a guess, you were the cause of the embarrassment. If it had been me, I'd have gone "to the restroom" and disappeared leaving you with the bill.
YOU are the reason that people hate Americans. This was a perfect example of the stuck up self centred behaviour that gives your countrymen a bad name.
re-read: the table was not actually reserved for a particular party, but reserved for parties of 5 or more. there was no reason at all other than … well…none that they could be seated at that table.
if you dont like your job…find a new one.
Ok, it's understandable to be upset because you are denied your table of choice without a reasonable explanation. However, restaurants have their own rules, and they can't just toss them aside at the whims of their diners. There is no way this person's behavior is justified. It's this stuck-up, conceited behavior that makes the serving industry so difficult. When someone is upset and resorts to the childish behavior of provoking their server, I say they deserved their 'bad' treatment. Also, if you're going to make an idiot of yourself by making a scene, at least get the facts straight (health department has nothing to do with service).
What the hell does the health department have to do with what happened there?
Pull your head out of your ass.
What is wrong with you people? The only reason not to let them have the table they wanted was if there was a reservation for that table. The place was empty. The staff was beyond rude and not fit to work at Red Lobster or any other restaurant. They (the staff) need to pull their heads out of their asses.
No, they probably had a corporate policy, for their four star restaurant, that does not allow them to give large tables to two entitled customers. Restaurant staff have to enforce corporate policies across the board. Even if they are riddiculous. Restaurants only have a handful of large tables. If two large parties or more came in the next hour (not unlikely), the restaurant would have trouble seating them. And it would look very bad to have two people occupying a huge-ass table while 8 people had to wait for it to be vacated.
And, I've tended to notice that entitled cunts who think that a table 'belongs' to them think that the restauarnt around them is far more empty than it actually is. I don't suppose the table RIGHT NEXT to the coveted table was that much less spectacular. The bitch just obsessed over it because she's one of those people who acts like she owns every restaurant she sets foot in.
That doesn't entitle that lady to yell obscenities across a parking lot in full view of customers. She should have been fired immediately (if indeed that is a four star restraunt).
Assuming this person actually did yell an obscenity I would have to hear the actual events that took place between the table request being denied and the yelling in the parking lot before I could judge. I am certain it would be an entertaining story and most likely not one the OP would be willing to tell. At a guess I would say by that point the police were probably already on their way to the restaurant as the OP and date beat a hasty retreat.
Wait a second. You got into a verbal fist fight with people you don't know, while you were on a date?
I don't care how wrong they were. You screwed up big time.
A polite date is, ah…I don't like the service here, is it ok is we go somewhere else?
I'll bet you a hundred bucks your date will say yes every time.
No 'date' should involve yelling in the parking lot at any time.
But thanks for the story. Your kind of class can stick to the open buffet's. Oh, no, please, have another chicken leg.
No i think it was reserved for a party, as well but yeah that could've been the reason as well. I would've been happy with the table I got. Sounds like they didn't understand what reserved meant?
Forget the Health Dept. Call or email the Better Business Bureau. They handle situations like that. If a table is available you should be allowed to sit there. I was a server/bartender for 9+ years and never had the balls to be like that. I wish I did sometimes though. =)
Personally, both parties involved failed to display the class and politeness of educated well mannered people.
The Table is made for 5+ people…..unless you had 5+ waiting with you then your arguement is invalid. The employee of the resturant over shadowed your rudeness by using inappropriate language. In the end though, by throwing down a threat that made no sense, you failed to prove your point or get "revenge". All your petty threat did was make you look childish.
I loved this one. The two diners acted very obnoxiously and were absolutely clueless about it. Sure, if the restaurant were empty you could argue that they don't need to hold the larger tables for big groups, but why do it? A party of 5 or 6 could have walked in a minute later. And the implied threat to make a false complaint about the sanitation of the restaurant (since the treatment the diners received had nothing at all to do with the health department), was way over the line. The write seemed to have left with a "Well, I sure told them!" attitude. What a jerk.
They were wrong for not moving you, but you were MORE wrong for your behavior. How dare you threaten them with a health department visit, when this had NOTHING to do with ahealth issue. Mentioning calling the BBB might have been appropriate, but not the health department. Did you ever think that you might have ruined the meals of the other diners there with your childish rant?!?!? You sir, are a douche-bag!
A bad job handling this by all parties concerned.
I agree that the couple should have been given the table they wanted in this case, but I also think that the birthday girl was an idiot when she said made the Health Department comment. What does the Health Department have to do with service? Nothing, that's what.
If a table is reserved don't question it. Places often have a limited number of large tables to accommodate larger groups. Other times, it is a tradition for a group to sit at a certain table. People who have reservations, even if running late, always have precedence over walk-ins. Especially walk-ins who feel entitled.
Think about it this way, how would you feel if a large group of friends had a specific table at a favorite spot that you ALWAYS sat at. One day you are running a little late and arrive to find that a couple is sitting at the large table. Even worse, there is a limited number of large tables, so your large group has to be split between two smaller tables so that the walk-in couple can enjoy all that space. It's not fair, huh?
first come, first serve. they should have got the table
Reserved table! Look it up ask around! It means the people who reserved it get it first!
I do not care how ill treated you felt you were- your behavior was embaressing, crude and childish. If I were your date there would never have been another one. ADULTS do not yell over small issues- and this was a small issue. You talk to the management, if you're not satisfied you leave and go somewhere else or suck it up. What you did what instigate a situation that did not have to get so out of hand. Grow up.
Most definitely! Absolutely Well Put!!! NO doubt! I agree 1000% !!!!
butthurt whiner.
The way you handled this probably has some kind of resonating echo in the dating future you had with the person you were with. Was she suddenly busy every time you called?
I love being in hospitality and you morons are the STUPID customers that we bag out after the night is over. Stupid muppets with no fu#%%&@ idear about the industry.
….Health department…..ha ha ha
Well well. What do we have here? You are a walk-in patron to a restaurant that is empty bar one other table. You request the table which is set for 5 or more because it is the only table in the sun and has a better view. That's ok, what I don't get is firstly the server explains why it is not possible for you to sit there, yet you persist in questioning that. You can't say that just because that one and only table in the sun would be comfortable and not any of the others. What I also don't get is that the server and so called manager's didn't go out of there way to accommodate you at the table in the sun. You are not going to tell me that at 2.15pm with a near empty restaurant that the only table for 5 or more was that one!! I don't think so. It was just a matter of some or all of the staff just not wanting to go that bit further to make you feel accommodated. On the other hand had they explained that the table was for a regular group that were running late or whatever I'm sure that you would have accepted it.
The next thing that I don't get is why the so called manager was so over the top with her reaction. As a manager you should know better how to deal with this situation. Maybe that is why the place was so empty, poor management. Maybe next time you will book before and maybe next time the manager will gladly take your money!!!
You, my dear, are a douchebag and an asshat!
Idiot! The manager meant that the table was reserved for parties of 5 or more people. Not that a reservation had been made for the table. Who are that you feel entitled to take up a presumably much bigger table then you need?? And what if a bigger party came in, like those Red Hats? Then they would have to wait for your pompous ass! Just be happy that the were trying to do what they thought would appease your sorry ass by sitting you as close as possible to where you wanted to be sat. The nerve of you to cause a scene when you couldn't get the table you wanted, what are you 5 years old??? Next time go on a picnic at the beach if you want the sun shining on your self-important ass!
I wish people would "watch their language" even though it IS "free speech" in this country! (Thank goodness, it still is!.)
Any half decent restaurant would have given you the table, you were better off out of there.
And BTW, what on earth is an Asshat?
an asshat is someone with their head so far up their ass, they are wearing said ass like a hat. asshat.
not that complicated.
No way, no how is this restaurant a 4 Star. I can not believe how many of the comments here that are mainly sanctimoniously full of vitriolic bullshit. A true restaurant would have no qualms about seating patrons at that table. It's in the middle of the afternoon. I have a hard time believing that so called manager would go off like that unless it was a biker bar. And yes, truly, the Health Dept. has nothing to do with customer service. Plus, a deck normally has plastic chairs and tables, or easy to move chairs and tables. It ain't rocket science to move tables together. Every restaurant does it. A no brainer.
Why on earth would you call the health department for service you thought was rude? Empty threats are classy, for sure.
Not to mention, a reserved table means reserved. It doesn't matter if they weren't RIGHT THERE OMG when you arrived or when you were waiting.
You should've waited until that lady came out to go home, and run her over.
You seriously threatened to call the health department because you didn't get your way? You're an entitled asshole and should be ashamed of yourself you piece of shit. Please go play in a running wood chipper and do the rest of humanity a favor.
Okay, I know this is an older post, but I'm bored and would like to put in my $.02 anyway. Actually, more like $.10; this is a pretty long response.
The OP never said that the entire restaurant was empty, just that there was only one other couple seated on the deck. He and his date had arrived at a popular restaurant in a popular location at 2:15 pm. Obviously, being between lunch and dinner, business would be a little slower at the time.
Let's look at it this way. The couple arrives at 2:15 pm. By the time they've been seated, given their menus, and placed their drink orders; it's probably closer to 2:30. Note that the waitress was kind enough to move the couple to a table next to their desired seats. Was the sun any less bright or the view any less desirable from that many inches away?
Moving on. The average couple takes several minutes to place an order in a restaurant, and from the sounds of it, these two hadn't even glanced at the menu. Let's not forget that this date is in honor of birthday boy's special day, which means that there is bound to be a lot more chit chat than menu perusal. So now it's close to 3 pm by the time they even give an order to the waitress. This is probably an appetizer order, though, meaning that the waitress will have to return to the table later for their dinner orders. The couple probably won't be ready to place that order until at least 3:30. They'll spend more time flirting and drinking than actually eating said appetizer, though, and won't place a dinner order until closer to 4 pm.
(By this time, depending on how early the restaurant opened, that waitress is probably nearing the end of her shift. The evening/dinner shift is getting ready to take over and your waitress would probably like to go home.)
So they've finally placed their dinner orders around 4 pm. Let's say their meals take about 20 minutes to prepare, depending on what was ordered and with how many modifications and/or special requests. And you just know that this couple orders mods and extras.
Now it's 4:30 pm and the dinner crowd is coming in the door. Birthday boy and his girl haven't even started eating yet and they've been taking up a 6-top for over 2 hours! Being a couple of entitled pricks, they will continue to camp out at that table for another 2 hours, minimum, chatting and drinking and celebrating his birthday. When they do finally leave, birthday boy will be sure to leave their waitress what he thinks is a great tip: 10%. Oh, you know he's not going to leave 15-20%; he's already pissed that he didn't get the table he wanted right away!
(During this time, parties of 5-6 who would also like to enjoy the balmy weather and the view from the deck will be forced to wait longer than normal for a table. Some of them will probably leave and eat elsewhere.)
That table could have been turned over at least 3 times. Each time, serving 5-6 guests, that waitress would have earned about 3 times as much per table than she will earn from a table of 2 campers. They've just decreased her earning potential by about 2/3rds.
That, my friends, is why that table was reserved for parties of 5 or more. It is also why, even though the restaurant may have been "dead" at 2:15 pm, the manager still refused to seat a couple at a table reserved for 5 or more.
As far as the comments allegedly made by the manager, I'm sure there's more to the story than what we've read here.
There are two parties to this argument who're both equally at fault. I'd have only cited the restaurant but the OP's behavior upon exiting was tantamount to extortion.
First, if the couple were at our place, I'd have seated them anywhere that was open, with the condition that "if, when you're finished eating, a party large enough wants this table, we're going to need it; but we'd be glad to seat you in our bar for dessert, coffee and after-dinner drinks."
It was early in the day and it seems (from what information was offered up) that there was no dire need for the table. My advice for the OP is that they should've just made a bee-line for the door, particularly if the pricing at that restaurant made them in any way uneasy (they said that they were "paying a lot of money" to eat there).
Now, upon leaving, if you're really steamed at the place, send them a letter or email. If the communication goes un-answered, you know they just didn't want your business in the first place. Heck, maybe if you'd contacted someone other than a "product manager" (WTF?!) and an "assistant manager" you'd have gotten a freebie or at least a portion of your next meal there comped.
The knee-jerk reaction of people who're unnecessarily vindictive is "call the health department!" What you don't know is that local health departments receive volumes of frivolous accusations associated with customer dissatisfaction. They handle all complaints with a grain of salt, and only actually act on the ones that're accompanied by doctors' reports and documentation of an emergency room visit. (Unless of course you've got a photo of rats running wild inside the restaurant, taken with a camera phone).
Threatening to call the health department or any other regulatory body, if all that's wrong is you're unhappy with your treatment, is extortion. I'll not reiterate the letter of the law here because it varies state-by-state, but I can tell you when you try to impel another's action (or inaction) by threatening to subject them to legal investigation is sufficient to prove (and charge you with) extortion. In our state, there's jail exposure (1 year) attached to that charge, which is nonetheless a misdemeanor.
Frankly, outbursts like that from upset customers lead me to believe that they're intoxicated or otherwise unstable. The first thing I'd have done is called the police and told them that a customer may be driving a car while intoxicated, while leaving my place of business, and that I don't want to be the one charged with having served them. It happens often. The public at large is quite litigious, and frankly if we don't protect ourselves in this way we get huge claims on our liability insurance.
Yes, it happened, that a fellow we refused service to hit a tree with his car and then claimed he was drinking at our place; the last place he visited (rather than the local watering-hole that'd shut him off). He won a $25,000 award — not because we served him while he was intoxicated, but because we failed, as a licensed-to-serve-alcohol restaurant, to take his keys away from him… even though we hadn't served him. You see, we now need to be "nannies" for the grown-ups who can't drink like grown-ups.
The personnel from the restaurant who lobbed f-bombs at the OP was just as guilty of escalating the situation. And in front of other customers! Two wrongs, however, don't make a right.
The other commenters have made it clear what one would assume from the OP, had they stayed to eat, so I won't get into it.
Some of the comments are fine, but if it happened to them maybe they would know how it feels to be a paying customer and be treated like shit. That women had know right to use that kind of foul language after the couple already were getting into their car and leaving. Same on the manager she needs psychologic help!
learn proper english, you dipshit
You americans are so bloody stupid you give yourselves a bad name when you behave like that its retarted.
john doe is so retarded that he doesn't even know how to spell the word "retarded".
or "it's".
Or how to use commas properly.
There's nothing wrong with asking to sit at a table that can seat 6 if you have a party of 2…as long as the restaurant is not busy. Which it obviously wasn't. The manager was being an asshole and behaved unprofessionally.
However, the OP shouldn't have inflamed the situation with the comment about the health department as they walked out the door. Simply taking your business elsewhere would have sufficed.
It was reserved for larger parties!
The restaurant was out of line but I'm dying at your threat to call the health department. All bluster.
I love all of the service industry people getting upset about this post. What a bunch of fucking losers. I bet all of you get so mad at your job that some days you feel like you could….do something. So scary losers. Keep flipping my burgers.
The "servers" who reply to these posts are the biggest bunch of whiners in the world. Here's a clue "servers", you are in the hospitality business, that means waiting on people, and providing them service. The people you complain about provide you with a paycheck.
It doesn't take much education to be a "server", what it takes is common sense, and pride in doing your job as well as possible. Stop complaining, and get me another glass of iced tea, and this time don't fill it so damned full, and oh yeah and give me extra lemon. Don't forget to smile either.
Wow. Not only did your sarcastic remark of “where are they?” fail, but the health department threat made you look like an even bigger dumbass. I’m sorry but you’re really, really dumb. Everyone in the restaurant probably had a good laugh at your expense; I know I did.
You asked, and therefore got your answer. Simply asking again does not change the answer. I don’t know why people proceed to question what has already been outlined for them.
Lastly, you agitated the staff and at that point (assuming you kept nagging, asking the same question, etc. for quite some time) anyone would have blown a fuse. Good thing you left willingly, since you would have probably been kicked out if you proceeded on being rude.
P.S. Everyone insulting servers or anyone in the food industry needs to double check themselves. We earn more than most of the guests who visit; this is fact everywhere. Your crappy tip will even out with the next tip we get, usually around to twenty or thirty percent on average. The people who bring you your lemon-water are probably in college, and will not work this job for long anyway. It pays to be nice, because, in my case, I will always go the extra mile to make your night extraordinary. In some cases I will lower your bill or bring free desert, and I’m just a server 😉
All we ask for is kindness, which seems like a human thing to do in the first place 🙂
AllDayJ stop trying to disguise yourself we know your Jack and we won't just flip your burger we'll spit in it too
um…seriously, the woman's children probably don't act like the entitled brats you two made yourself out to be. And they probably aren't dumb enough to think that the health department would care that they kicked out a pair of twats who wore out the staffs' patience with their obnoxious behavior, either. Seriously, why would the health department give a rip? Did the place acquire more germs when you stopped gracing it, or something?
I wish every manager knew how to treat entitled bitches like you.
She was ONE table, ONE spot from where she wanted to be? A few feet away from a desired chair and she flipped out?! Seriously – calm down and order your diet Pepsi already.
*they, i agree with most of that besides the diet Pepsi(not everyone drinks soda)
I work in fine dining and it is policy to not give a large table to a small party. it just doesnt make sense to, even if it's slow. and we will not seat a table that has been reserved 3 hours prior to the reservation time because people like to CAMP and it would be rude to ask them to move or leave. restaurants are a business and many people seem to forget that and think that we are their personal servants and butlers. we are SERVERS not SERVANTS. the remark about calling the health dept so other patrons could hear it was awful. and im sorry but i dont believe for one minute that the manager screamed profanities across the parking lot. if the patron called the GM she would have been immediately terminated and those kind of people are not worth expending that much energy over.
Wow. The motherfucker just asked a question, and all you fucking assholes jump all over him. What about the cunt hostess who screamed "fuck you" across the parking lot?? Real professional for a 4 STAR RESTRAUNT. If I was that guy I would have called every single government agency I could think of until I got that loud, rude, bitch fired.
He didn't just ask a question. He asked multiple times, pressed the issue when he didn't get his way, even though they put him as close as possible to try to accommodate him, then made a threat as he left. It was an overreaction to bring in profanity, but he technically attempted to use extortion first. Which is illegal; profanity is not.
Yeah he brought on the anger it was his fault not to understand what no means!
Serves him right; got to KFC next time, u stupid ignorant!! I would not allow ppl like him in my venue!!