[hulahips]

My constructive criticism of restaurants would be I'd like to see more healthy choices on the menu, less sodium in dishes and definitely no salt on baked potatoes unless requested.

[Bonanza]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

Both positive and negative comments can be of value to restaurant owners and managers. Positive comments are nice to hear and the positives can be accentuated while the negatives can be eliminated.

Just like this song: Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive - eliminate the negative.

Restaurants that are doing poorly may not be aware of what they're doing wrong. How will they know what needs improvement if no one is willing to make negative comments? Maybe the food is good but the service is poor or maybe it's the other way around.

Restaurant owners and managers are likely aware of this website by now and they need your honest and complete feedback, the good and the bad. If you hold back because you think it's not nice to be negative, you're cheating them - you may be keeping them from getting the vital information they need to run a better restaurant.

Originally Posted by graciegirl

[/COLOR]

And sadly, we could be causing them to lose business unfairly. For instance the OP could be very difficult to please at the Outback because he is a vegetarian and he looks for low fat plant based food.

We really need to be careful of our praise, and our criticisms. Not everyone looks for the same thing and some folks are comparing the country club dining here to that back home, but NOT the prices.... and we aren't a huge city like New York, Chicago or Los Angeles..with the diverse food available there. I think we should all try to be a little bit more realistic about what we can expect in a retirement community where most people are careful with money.

[QUOTE=Villages PL;1033364]I'm not sure what you think was nailed. Can you put it in your own words please?

Assuming a moderate amount of intelligence, I believe anyone can tell a legitimate criticism from one that's not. If a vegan or vegetarian complains about a steakhouse, will anyone think that's a legitimate complaint?

As far as being careful about complaints, there will usually be both good and bad reviews. Should complainers pull their punches because they're afraid they might hurt business? Would that be an honest assessment?
What happened to the virtue of honesty?[/QUOTE]

Most restaurant managers, etc., either are not aware of this forum or don't have the time to go through 150+ posts to read what someone might say for or against their restaurant. They also don't have the time to teach themselves how to navigate this forum. Most owners or managers are not aware of this site. I know because I have asked many of them them.

Gracie -- frankly, I would not put much stock in a restaurant the OP recommends or disses. I base my opinion on his many other threads and posts.

Yes, Gracie -- you nailed it. If the OP doesn't understand what you nailed, he needs to read your post again and again until he does.

The OP mentioned a "legitimate complaint" . . . Why in the world would a vegan complain about a steakhouse??? Come on, now!
I would like to know if someone posts their opinion regarding that a restaurant not good, is that NOT a "legitimate complaint?" If it's posted, it is legitimate, even if others don't agree!

That last paragraph is . . . . . . uh . . . . ?????

[FlamingoFlo]

If you have a really valid complaint about awful service or food you should speak to the manager in person. They can't fix what they don't know is broken.
We went to a popular restaurant 3 times. Loved the location, service and decor. Did not care for the food. On the flip side, I hear rave reviews about this restaurant. However we have been to restaurants we love and then come on here and hear all kinds of complaints. I think we all have different expectations and tastes. I think we tend to get "egged on" by other complainers.
i felt bad one time when the server asked me how my meal was and I told them. The manager came over and comped us in spite of me asking them not to. Another time my husband complained about a really awful dinner and they were very nice and gave him a meal to take home...with more of the awful dinner.
Life is too short to worry abouth a bad meal or service. WE are lucky to have food on our tables.

[dbussone]

Originally Posted by FlamingoFlo

If you have a really valid complaint about awful service or food you should speak to the manager in person. They can't fix what they don't know is broken.
We went to a popular restaurant 3 times. Loved the location, service and decor. Did not care for the food. On the flip side, I hear rave reviews about this restaurant. However we have been to restaurants we love and then come on here and hear all kinds of complaints. I think we all have different expectations and tastes. I think we tend to get "egged on" by other complainers.
i felt bad one time when the server asked me how my meal was and I told them. The manager came over and comped us in spite of me asking them not to. Another time my husband complained about a really awful dinner and they were very nice and gave him a meal to take home...with more of the awful dinner.
Life is too short to worry abouth a bad meal or service. WE are lucky to have food on our tables.

I love the last line of your post. Two very true statements, and a wonderful attitude.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by dbussone

I love the last line of your post. Two very true statements, and a wonderful attitude.

I was thinking the same thing. We are so lucky to have enough food and mostly nice food too.

I like that Flamingo Flo. Yes I do.

[JCMSr]

I personally prefer to deal with things at the time they occur. In many cases my overall assessment of a restaurant includes how they respond to complaints. If they act like they could care less if I return to their establishment, then I don't. If they appreciate the input and at least try to take care of it I will always give them at least a second chance. Everyone can have a bad day. I do not take it out on the waiter/waitress if the food is bad since they did not cook it. If the service is substandard then so is the tip. If the service is lousy then I will politely let someone in management know my feelings without making it confrontational. Waiting until you are home and have had time to stew about an issue always makes it more of a problem than it needs to be in my opinion.

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by FlamingoFlo

Life is too short to worry about a bad meal or service. WE are lucky to have food on our tables.

Well said, FlamingoFlo.

[sunnyatlast]

At times I have told managers about bad food or bad service, but usually not.

When they are standing right there, able to see with their own eyes that customers are unhappy with agonizingly slow service/bad food and they don't inquire, it says they do not care.

I'm not going to aggravate myself explaining and defending my position to a manager who does not care. It ruins the entire outing.

I have written a few short letters to tell them, and sometimes they call to learn more about the problem.

It's their job to SEE and inquire about what's going on. I find that when a courteous, interested manager stops in at the table to ask how everything is, we tend to give praise for things simply because he/she took the initiative to ask, and act like they care.

[newguyintv]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

Both positive and negative comments can be of value to restaurant owners and managers. Positive comments are nice to hear and the positives can be accentuated while the negatives can be eliminated.

Just like this song: Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive - eliminate the negative.

Restaurants that are doing poorly may not be aware of what they're doing wrong. How will they know what needs improvement if no one is willing to make negative comments? Maybe the food is good but the service is poor or maybe it's the other way around.

Restaurant owners and managers are likely aware of this website by now and they need your honest and complete feedback, the good and the bad. If you hold back because you think it's not nice to be negative, you're cheating them - you may be keeping them from getting the vital information they need to run a better restaurant.

You are whistling Dixie my friend. My experience, especially during the Winter Months is that is that they could care less about complaints because they have a virtually non ending clientele of less that discriminating people to take your place. Golfers are generally treated like second class citizens at our so called "Country Clubs" because they in large part interfere with their obsession with the thought of turning away non golf customers.

TV is one of the few places I'm aware of where Restaurants can provide mediocre food and average (at best) service and get away with it without affecting the bottom line. Many would not survive if they did not have the steady stream of Villagers to line their pockets.

[janronk]

sadly my husband and I would ate out 3 meals a day 7 days a week retired here hoping to continue. every restaurant we have gone into uses latex gloves for cooking. we are as is 17% of the medical field allergic (have to carry a pen). we are from new jersey and although we are used to seeing some restaurant owners wear gloves they are not latex. latex is for surgery and very explosive. so now we have to eat at home. anybody know of any good restaurants that do not use latex gloves?

[sunnyatlast]

Originally Posted by newguyintv

You are whistling Dixie my friend. My experience, especially during the Winter Months is that is that they could care less about complaints because they have a virtually non ending clientele of less that discriminating people to take your place. Golfers are generally treated like second class citizens at our so called "Country Clubs" because they in large part interfere with their obsession with the thought of turning away non golf customers.

TV is one of the few places I'm aware of where Restaurants can provide mediocre food and average (at best) service and get away with it without affecting the bottom line. Many would not survive if they did not have the steady stream of Villagers to line their pockets.

If true "country club" status is the goal, then paying minimum $5000/year dues, periodic assessments to balance the year's books and future capital project funding, 20% service charge on every tab, initiation fees of $30,000+, guest greens fees of $100+, and minimum spending at the clubhouse of $200/month….. is what the "member" needs to seek somewhere else besides in TV.

Public playing golf on TV "country club" courses, and EVERYONE paying greens fees, should give a clue at the outset that it is not a private, member-owned country club…...where about a dozen excellent golfers will have to take on a 2nd 30-hour/week job at night, sitting at endless board meetings figuring out where to cut costs in every other department except golf, without raising dues on golfers…..and listening to member complaints every time they come to enjoy themselves.

Been there, done that…..it's aggravating. And the certain "better golfers" quickly become very territorial and possessive about tee times, dining areas, etc., and they tend to treat non-golfing members as 4th class citizens, not 2nd class!!

[dbussone]

Originally Posted by janronk

sadly my husband and I would ate out 3 meals a day 7 days a week retired here hoping to continue. every restaurant we have gone into uses latex gloves for cooking. we are as is 17% of the medical field allergic (have to carry a pen). we are from new jersey and although we are used to seeing some restaurant owners wear gloves they are not latex. latex is for surgery and very explosive. so now we have to eat at home. anybody know of any good restaurants that do not use latex gloves?

Have you talked with a manager at any restaurant to explain your situation and see if they might switch to nutile gloves or other non-latex product? I certainly understand your situation & wouldn't go to one without calling ahead.

[rubicon]

Too often managers view complaints as complaining for the sake of complaiing and won't take customers seriously and/or believe the customer is fishing for a freebie. I can tell you Athens owner is not one of those and implements customers suggestions.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by rubicon

Too often managers view complaints as complaining for the sake of complaiing and won't take customers seriously and/or believe the customer is fishing for a freebie. I can tell you Athens owner is not one of those and implements customers suggestions.

I can tell you are a decent cook, Rubicon. I haven't ever been to Athens Restaurant. What is YOUR favorite menu item there?

[sunnyatlast]

Originally Posted by rubicon

Too often managers view complaints as complaining for the sake of complaiing and won't take customers seriously and/or believe the customer is fishing for a freebie. I can tell you Athens owner is not one of those and implements customers suggestions.

I, too, have seen the Athens owner "deal with it" and "nip it in the bud" right then and there, validating--and not minimizing--the customer's honest complaint.

An owner being present and watching is key.