Just for the record though....I have determined that I will no longer pay good money for lousy service or poor quality food. If I can't eat it, I won't pay for it. In my opinion we as a society have for far too long been brainwashed to believe that a tip is necessary no matter what kind of service we get and also that when we are served a plate full of slop we are to think that this is just simply how food is cooked at the restaurant we are visiting. Well NO MORE!
When I ordered my lunch I specifically asked to have the fish cooked well and not rare and was assured that was not a problem. In this case I sent it back to have the fish cooked. For the most part I will not send food back to the kitchen any more. I just won't eat it. At the fast food place I asked to have them make fresh food for me after I checked the bag they gave me and saw that the food was barely warm and dripping with grease and the cheese and pickles were missing from the burger I ordered. They complied but their attitudes were AWFUL! In the case of the supermarket clerk I believe she had either not been taught properly or there was a language issue...neither is an excuse for handling produce the way she did.
I do not expect the quality of food I make at home but I do expect my food will not be cooked in rancid oil, my coffee will be hot (there isn't a HOPE of ever getting a good cup of tea in a restaurant because they are afraid of bringing the water to a boil!), a fresh cold salad and not something that has been sitting under the heat lamp while the waitress is on coffee break...well, you get the picture.
It was hard to believe that all the food I encountered in one day was abused in some way. Well I for one will do my best from now on to help STOP THE ABUSE!
We work hard for our money and I do not like to spend my hard earned money getting second rate products and service and I'm going to start speaking up about it. I'm only one person but I think these businesses have to get the message that it is not OK to expect the public to frequent their businesses when they don't bother to give their best service and provide superior products.
My husband and I have both worked at professions where it is imperative that you do your very best....in other words, "It's never good enough!"....it has to be perfect, it has to be the very best! Maybe that is why I find it so difficult to pay for a meal that was obviously prepared by someone who just simply does not care or take pride in what they do.
4 comments:
Oh Elayne!! You have hit the nail on the head! Both Ian and I have been VERY frustrated with 90% of food establishments!! In fact we SO often make a decision to simply stay home and cook some "slop" there because it's better than the "slop" you get out in public......where you pay good money for it!
And then I feel guilty about complaining because we have SO much food in our country and yet I complain so often. But I think it's fair to agree with you that we have a right to expect better BECAUSE we pay good money to eat out!
How do we keep the OWNERS responsible and not necessarily "dump" on the employees? The buck should ALWAYS stop with the owner! Mmmmmmmm
It is frustrating out there. We do have so much variety and great produce and I think that is what bothers me even more than spending the money....why ruin perfectly good food so that I cannot even eat it? It seems like a crime!
I think a waiter/waitress needs to be trained to look at the food; check to make sure coffee is fresh and hot; tea water has been boiled, etc. before she brings it to the table. In Germany you have to get a diploma before you can even work as a waitress. It may come to that here as well.
I think the only way to keep owners/managers responsible is by calling the next day to speak with them. Often they are absent and there is only an acting manager. Having said that, and having done that more than once or twice, I have to say that in my experience for the most part the owner/manager is simply defensive and makes excuses and I never get anywhere with them. BLECH!! We are cooking at home more than ever because it is no longer much of a treat to go out around here.
Time to buy a hobby farm, grow all your own food and never eat out or grocery shop again! Oh, and get all wind and solar power and go off the grid too. Hmmm, better not tell Mark that I just said all that, he'd be selling the house and looking for a place in the boonies and I would have to turn my black thumb into a green one and learn how to care for and then kill little feathered and furry things. Blech! On second thought, I have no answers for you but was glad to read that by the next day things looked a little brighter :)
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