[kaydee]

Thought it worth mentioning the rude treatment that was dished out to my golf group yesterday at Cane Garden.
Us 4 girls finished our round of golf and thought we'd go have a drink. Knowing that Cane was close to their dinner rush we thought we'd sit outside since many times in the past it has been questioned if we'd be staying long and taking up a table inside that may be needed for those ordering a meal. We entered the outside patio area and noticed an available table although it had no chairs, next to 4 gentleman enjoying their pitcher of beer. Two of the girls from my group asked a couple from a nearby table if we could use their 2 unused chairs, no problem. As the 2 chairs were slid to the empty table an employee came like lightning towards us, grabbed the chairs and said " these chairs are needed for our customers" we indicated that we'd like to sit and have a drink and the response was " there's places to sit in front of the pro shop".
I fully understand that this is "season" and this is the time of the year that the restuarants are trying to make a bundle but, that employee was very rude and abrupt.

I did go inside and speak with management. BTW, I did notice that there was no wait at this time...people were being seated as they arrived. The manager listened to my complaint and explained to me that groups of people popping in to have a drink and taking chairs from surrounding tables is a problem as they are needed for diners and that she would speak to the employee who she thought should not have spoken to us that way.
Guess my money just isn't as good as the seasonal diners.

[The Great Fumar]

Originally Posted by kaydee

thought it worth mentioning the rude treatment that was dished out to my golf group yesterday at cane garden.
Us 4 girls finished our round of golf and thought we'd go have a drink. Knowing that cane was close to their dinner rush we thought we'd sit outside since many times in the past it has been questioned if we'd be staying long and taking up a table inside that may be needed for those ordering a meal. We entered the outside patio area and noticed an available table although it had no chairs, next to 4 gentleman enjoying their pitcher of beer. Two of the girls from my group asked a couple from a nearby table if we could use their 2 unused chairs, no problem. As the 2 chairs were slid to the empty table an employee came like lightning towards us, grabbed the chairs and said " these chairs are needed for our customers" we indicated that we'd like to sit and have a drink and the response was " there's places to sit in front of the pro shop".
I fully understand that this is "season" and this is the time of the year that the restuarants are trying to make a bundle but, that employee was very rude and abrupt.

I did go inside and speak with management. Btw, i did notice that there was no wait at this time...people were being seated as they arrived. The manager listened to my complaint and explained to me that groups of people popping in to have a drink and taking chairs from surrounding tables is a problem as they are needed for diners and that she would speak to the employee who she thought should not have spoken to us that way.
Guess my money just isn't as good as the seasonal diners.

if your going to play this game, you've got to know the rules...

[l2ridehd]

Maybe they need to rethink there business model. Profit margins on drinks is usually 60% while meals is only about 30%. Give me the drunks who sit for hours and have a dozen drinks any day. Not trying to say anything about you and your friends kaydee, just talking business model.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by l2ridehd

Maybe they need to rethink there business model. Profit margins on drinks is usually 60% while meals is only about 30%. Give me the drunks who sit for hours and have a dozen drinks any day. Not trying to say anything about you and your friends kaydee, just talking business model.

I think that Kaydee may not realize that people do have their meals outside as well.

We mistakenly sit down outside at a table at Cane Garden to listen to the entertainment while waiting for our inside table. We were (politely) asked to move as they were using that table to seat diners. There are groups of chairs on the patio where you can sit and order a drink however.

[Talk Host]

The restaurant has to suck it up. You never turn any customer away under any circumstances. Drink customers are as valuable as dinner customers, and as was pointed out, provide a higher profit margin.

How dare any business establishment set rules for which customer is more valuable than another. So what if taking chairs from other tables is a problem, that's not the customers problem.

What next, are they going to post a sign saying, "all customers must spend at least $40 or they can't sit down. Hogwash, I say. It would have been different if they had brought their own drinks and put them on the table.

Now, their little shell game of who sits where has earned them a post here on Talk of The Villages so that it can be seen 30,000 times today.

I can just hear it......"dearie.......you can't sit there, that table is for our real customers who eat, not just drink."

POST SCRIPT. I was just telling my wife about this and she said a lady friend of hers went to the same restaurant last week and as her group was just finishing their lunch, they were admonished by the server to "hurry up" and finish (they still had some food and drinks left, they were not loafing) because the table was needed for the next group.

[GMONEY]

Sounds like the MGMT needs training. I dont care what game it is, you never treat customers like that. Wait till it isnt the season for being really busy, then walk back in there when seats are plentiful and sit down. Then when the server comes over so nice, get up and say I remember when you didnt want my money, so let me go somewhere else.

[MnGirl]

If I had a owned Cane Garden (or any other country club) I would set aside an area for cocktails, and hire two people to cater to this area. It would be marked by setting up cocktail tables, that take up less room. Then, when there is a 45 min. wait or you just want drinks, you'd have a place to go.

[Talk Host]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

There are groups of chairs on the patio where you can sit and order a drink however.

I think she said that she was on the patio when she was so rudely turned away. They need to put up large signs instructing hapless people where the preferred customer seating is and where second class seating is.

[rshoffer]

That's why I like drinks on my lanai and dinner from my grill.... I make the rules, I set the prices and I chose the menu.

[MelZ]

I guess the motto at Cane Garden is "the customer isn't always right". In my 40 year sales career I rarely had a customer make a mistake.

Well at least that's the way I kept them as customers

[Boomer]

Originally Posted by MnGirl

If I had a owned Cane Garden (or any other country club) I would set aside an area for cocktails, and hire two people to cater to this area. It would be marked by setting up cocktail tables, that take up less room. Then, when there is a 45 min. wait or you just want drinks, you'd have a place to go.

Hey MnGirl,

I thought the exact same thing when I saw this thread. Add a little live music, soft though so people can talk, or maybe just a piano, somebody who can do requests, maybe push a little bar food, and you've got a gold mine. Designated drivers would be necessary sometimes I know though, but maybe that could become a cottage industry, in and of itself.

Go with the flow, huh.

(Whoops! Just stopped back in to edit. I forgot about the bouncer. Might need to hire a bouncer.)

Boomer

[aln]

Go back in July, same time, same place and see how you're treated.

It's MARCH ! ~~ Patience is the key right now. On the roads, in the restaurants, at golf, even Publix.

[Taj44]

My golf group has run into the same problem at Mallory, at 5:00 or so. Chairs are a premium. Can't they just come up with extra chairs for "the season"? As others have said, if they'd mark out an area for drinkers as opposed to diners, it would help a lot.

Originally Posted by rshoffer

That's why I like drinks on my lanai and dinner from my grill.... I make the rules, I set the prices and I chose the menu.

I know where I'm headin' for drinks AND dinner...

[kaydee]

Gracie...I do realize that people like to have their meals outside....I don't dispute that...what I do dispute is being treated rudely. The whole situation could have been handled politely.