Applebee’s - Saved by the Waiter
Posted on February 25, 2008 - Filed Under Food, Reviews, Tangents, Vent
I haven’t had a hamburger, I mean a real beef burger, in over a year and a half. Sometimes I miss them. My Sunshine Burgers are wonderful and I love them, but every once in a while I still crave a beef burger. Anyway, TGH and I were at the gym today and after our little workout (we were there for over an hour - I couldn’t believe it), I was really craving some beef. So I decided I would allow myself a burger at dinner.
Now I know some of you will say that our choice of eating establishments was a mistake right off the bat. Applebee’s certainly has made some enemies in our neck of the woods for some reason. I actually may understand that reason a little better now.
When we walked in, we were greeted by a manager who held the door open for us. After we were seated, it took an inordinate amount of time to receive our appetizers. We watched as the party across from us, who was seated AFTER us, received their appetizers before we received ours. Then, we ordered and it was more than an hour since we were seated that we received our meals. Our waiter, Stephen, who was very mindful of us, apologized when he finally brought our food and told us that the manager would be coming over to speak with us as our wait was totally “uncalled for.” Well, my burger was not the hot and juicy meal I had been anticipating after a year and a half. It was cold actually - it was easy to compare because my fries were quite hot still. In addition to being cold, the burger was actually quite overdone. I still managed to eat a few bites of it but only because I had become really incredibly hungry during the wait. Then I just pushed it aside and ate my fries.
Twenty minutes later, the manager did come over. The same one who had greeted us and had been all friendly at the door when we entered. He apologized and told us he was having a bad day and that the delay had been due to them not finding TGH’s meal. They had been chasing it down. I suspect someone forgot to make it. Also, it didn’t explain why our appetizer had taken so long. I suspect there was new help or not enough help in the kitchen on this particular night. In his favor, the manager did mention that it was not the waiter’s fault. We already knew that, of course. But when he was done apologizing, I did take the opportunity to tell him it was our first bad experience there and that my burger had been cold and overdone and that I only ate what I did because I had been starving by the time it came. Remember, it was obviously pushed off to the side on my plate. He apologized again and I was kind of left in shock as he walked away.
I thought to myself, “Okay, I let him know that it was my first bad experience there and he just apologized and walked away after having seen that I wasn’t able to finish a complete meal at his establishment. Hmmm. He’s a manager and has at his disposal a whole lot of food and options he could use to make me a return customer. But obviously he doesn’t care enough to do that.” Now, if I had been someone who was extremely upset and said that “every time I come here I get bad service,” then I suppose there would be nothing he could do to make me a repeat or satisfied customer. But here was a chance that he could do something to win me back and he was going to apologize and do nothing. I was really surprised.
I have to contrast this with another recent experience I had at a Papa Gino’s. I had ordered a super veggie pizza and noticed that the broccoli appeared to be missing. I wasn’t sure if there were two different varieties of vegetarian pizzas and thought I may have ordered wrong so I checked with one of the workers. No, he said, there was only one type of vegetarian pizza and there SHOULD have been broccoli on it as shown in the overhead menu. So he took my name and told me that the next time I came in I was entitled to have a free vegetarian pizza! So, needless to say, I have no problem going back to this Papa Gino’s as they obviously care about their customers and getting things right. I might add that this transgression at Papa Gino’s was much slighter than the one at Applebee’s, yet they were willing to give me a free pizza to make up for one missing topping in order to keep me happy.
Now, back to Applebee’s. There is more to the story.
Stephen came back to the table a bit after the manager left and asked if the manager had taken care of everything. TGH and I let him know that we knew he wasn’t at fault and that even the manager made that clear, but that the manager didn’t really make everything okay as I had received a cold, overdone burger and all he had done was apologize. Stephen apologized again and said he would take care of it. He came back in a few minutes to tell us the burger had been taken off the bill. So then we ordered dessert (so much for working out at the gym), which came quickly this time and was tasty yet uneventful. When Stephen went to get us our check, he brought it to us and the balance was zero. Stephen told us that the manager had, after all, wiped our balance clean.
Of course, Stephen got a great tip. I’m not sure we will rush back to an Applebee’s after this experience. I don’t think that a waiter should have to let a manager know what the right thing to do is. And I certainly don’t think a customer should have to.
I might add that in both the Applebee’s and the Papa Gino’s circumstances, I was neither upset nor angry but simply let them know I thought something wasn’t right in a civil and easy-going manner.
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14 Responses to “Applebee’s - Saved by the Waiter”
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Oh wow. That is not good customer service - well, not good from the manager. The manager definitely should have wiped your balance from the very start!!
Not a nice experience for you … especially after making a hard decision to eat your first burger in 18 months!!
Yes, very weird behavior from the manager and especially sad for me after 18 months.
I have no love for Applebee’s. And if you were going to have a burger, go somewhere where they make great burgers!
I have a favourite place here where they mix the meat with herbs, and create a pocket to slip some sharp cheddar into. It is served on french bread, with fresh tomato and lettuce.
It is the only burger I will eat that I do not make. I make a wicked burger myself.
Oh, that place sounds like it makes good burgers and yours sound good, I mean, wicked, too! LOL
Yikes! I have heard things like that about Applebees too. We don’t have them here but somehow the word is out. I think you and TGH handled yourselves impeccably and your decision to stay away is a sound one.
I bet the worst part was that you had been craving that burger and then it was icky. What a let down!
That really was the worst part. And the funny part was I was thinking to myself, “Wow, this manager doesn’t realize that I’m going to go home and blog about his management of the situation. Just goes to show you should always be on your best behavior.”
First of all, LOL at your meez!!!!
Secondly that story sounds so familiar! That manager should have immediately taken the burger off the bill; that is terrible!
Good thing that you had a caring waiter!
We had a similar thing happen (and like you I hadn’t had beef for a long time and was going to treat myself.
The burger(like yours was cold and mine was also overcooked..ugh)
The manager didn’t take it off our bil after we complained and we didn’t have a caring waiter.
Needless to say, we haven’t been back!
EXACTLY; word of mouth is more damaging or helpful(depending on the situation) than ANYTHING!
I’m sorry you had such a similar experience. Seriously, sometimes I just don’t know what they are thinking.
Holy crap! As someone that has worked in the food service industry all my life, I can honestly say if this is standard behavior for this manager, he isnt going to have a job for very long! Thats just awful! I have never been to an Applebee’s, so I have no idea what they are normally like. But I can say this doesnt make me want to run out and find one LOL Next time something like this happens, I think I would innocently “allow” them to hear you tell TGH that you will be blogging about your bad experience LOL
Right on, Calamity! Too funny. I was actually joking to TGH about it when we were at the restaurant. Unfortunately the manager was out of earshot at t he time. But I was pretending I was some big wig foodist and I joked to TGH, “Doesn’t he know who I AM? Doesn’t he realize I’ll be blogging about this?” Heehee.
As per your burger at Applebee’s…I’m totally bummed, we just found out there is one in the plans near my work place. And advertisements have been showing up on the TV. I had thought this place looked really good.
And being naughty and commenting on Witchypoo’s comment…where is this loverly place you speak of. That sounds delicious!
Well, they may not ALL be bad - they’ve been getting a bad reputation around here though. Go to it when it first opens - you should get good service then! And yeah, I want to know where Witchypoo goes too!
I’m glad you said something. Sorry you were so disappointed.
Thanks, Paige. It was nice that they didn’t charge us for the meal after all but you know, that isn’t what we went in there for. I was actually kind of hoping they would have cooked me a new burger. LOL. Oh well, now I still have the craving. I don’t get cravings all the time like this - but when I do, they are really bad.
That was bad customer service on the manager’s part. He had the authority to do something, and he chose to do nothing. Regardless if he were having a bad day that goes out of the window when it comes to accommodating customers that have been wronged. It’s great that you are working out. You know what this means since you had that sinful dessert you’ll have to go back into the gym.
I don’t think there is an Applebee’s in Maryland but I used to frequent them when I went to college in Lynchburg, VA.
Yeah, I definitely need to work off that dessert now. LOL. Fortunately for me, it was just one of those little shot glass sized desserts. But I am enjoying the gym so far. I just have to take it easy and work my way up. I’m only doing 10 mins on the stair stepper and treadmill, 5 mins on the elliptical and only reps of ten on the weights. But it is a start.
Geeeez! That manager has no business being a manager. He should have automatically offered your meal free and kissed your ass for lousy service and a cold meal.
I wouldn’t have paid for it, even if he didn’t offer it. No way, jose!
Im sure there are better burgers out there for ya, if and when you ever get a hankering for some beef in the future!
I think you are right - TGH and I will probably get some grass fed organic beef and try it at home. That should take care of the craving and then I won’t want it again for another year and a half.
Hi Teeni! Several years ago, I worked as a waiter in Applebee’s for 9 days. My manager was similar to the one you’re talking about. They are preoccupied with their own paychecks. They have to report all comped meals to home office and it reflects indirectly on their paychecks!
I understand this to some extent honestly. And I was fine with just having the burger comped (or better yet, a new burger) but the insulting part is that he would come over and apologize, thereby acknowledging there was a problem, and then do nothing to rectify it. If he was responsible for hiring the people who messed up in the kitchen, then I guess he deserved to have his paycheck affected for that night. If not, then I have more sympathy for him. I’ve never worked in a restaurant so I don’t know about all that. LOL. I wonder why you only lasted 9 days? Was it that bad?
Hey Teeni, wanna come over? I’ll make you the BEST burger you’ve ever tasted in your life!!!
:-)
Oh, Hannah - I would so love to come over and have a burger with you!
I will write a post about my Applebee’s job; I’m sure you’ll get a big laugh! I am a terrible restaurant waiter - wait and see:)
I am looking forward to this post! Can’t wait to see why it was such a short job! I’m kind of afraid too though!
I’m just sorry you didn’t get the burger of your dreams. *wink* Seriously, after over a year of waiting, you needed it to be JUST RIGHT! Ugh, I’m frustrated for you! You come over and I’ll whip you up a mouthwatering burg-alicious! I’ll make it right Teeni!
Aw, thanks so much Lumpy! It really was quite a disappointment. Your comments have really cheered me up though. I really do wish at times that I could get all my blog buddies together in one room and have a great meal with them. It’s a happy little dream.
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