I have been in that managers place many times having to deal with an unhappy customer as I have been in the restaurant business for my entire adult life. If my kitchen put out grey and shriveled up lobster tails and it was brought to my attention. I would have solved the problem by giving Geraldine an unforgetable Mothers day. I not only would have seen to it that she recieved a satisfactory dinner, I would have comped the entire table with my apologies.
Some of you out there are more than likely thinking " comp the entire table ? " are you nuts. Let me tell you why I have learned to handle a legitimate complaint in that manner ( key word, legitimate ) The reason would be to turn negative comments like Geraldines into positive comments. I would want all the people in Geraldines party to tell all their friends. "You will never believe what happened last night at Beartracks rest. There were eight of us and one person was very unhappy with her dinner. She called over the manager and he agreed with her and not only replaced her dinner but, he picked up the check for the whole table. He's nuts, but what a class act." Now I have created eight ambassadors singing my praises, instead of eight people knocking my restaurant.
Geraldine took away any oppurtunity that manager might have had to satisfy her and make a bad situation better. I am not saying that he would have comped the whole table but, given the oppurtunity and being an experienced manager, he would have certainly done something to make all concerned happy.
As far as the next days phone call is concerned, the only way to determine if the manager was rude or if Geraldine was angry, or both, would be to hear the whole conversation between them. Let it suffice for me to say that it is impossible and at the very least, unfair, to ask a manager to solve a problem with a completely finished dinner, and the next day no less.
In closing, I feel very sorry that Geraldines Mothers day did not turn out the way she would have liked. I'm sure that we all feel bad for her.
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