Sometimes NOT being an SC works in your favor!

[Catwoman2965]

This happned to me today; met a friend and her fiance for lunch at the local diner, and we get our food, and are eating, I notice on the bottom of the bun of my burger, a small, wiry piece of metal, about 1/2 long. I picked it off, and wasn't going to do anything, but the waiter happened to come by right as I picked it off, and saw me do it, and started to apologize, offered to make me a new one...etc. He seemed genuinely horrified I had found anything on my food!

He said it was from whatever they clean the grill with; and as i was almost 3/4 done with it, i said, no, i don't need another one, and just let it go. I really was done with it, and just finished my fries. I didn't scream, whine or make a fuss, I honestly would rather, if I had to find anything in my food, find something like that, rather than hair, or a piece of fingernail, or anything else from a person!

So he brings the check, and says to me, I took it off for you, and again, apolgized profusely. I never asked him to do anything; I know stuff happens...so that just goes to show, you get more flies with honey than vinegar (even though I wasn' trying to get any!)

[Antisocial_Worker]

I had the same thing happen to me at a buffet. I found a piece of wire in some spinach and brought it to their attention in case there might be more in there. I didn't find the wire until I bit down on it. I wanted to pay. I know crap like this happens all the time. I was eating there with my cousin, who is a cook and who identified the wire as the kind they use in the boxes that kind of spinach comes in.

But... they wouldn't let me pay for the meal, which bothered me.

[BookstoreEscapee]

My parents went out with my aunt and uncle once to a steakhouse, and my mom and aunt both ordered prime rib. They were both satisfied with their meals, and when they were almost finished the waitress came over to check on them. When she asked how everything was, they said they were fine, and my mom jokingly said "I have just one question...why doesn't our meat look like the picture in the menu?" The manager overheard and came to see what was going on, and offered her another piece of meat. She declined, since they were nearly finished and both had had more than enough to eat, and insisted she was only kidding. Everyone laughed. Then he offered coffee and dessert, and they didn't want any. When the bill came, the manager had taken off both of their meals.

[jayel]

I stole my mom's leftovers from Chili's one night- quesadillas. On the bottom of one of the triangles, I noticed a patch of green fuzz. Ick, mold. I called just to let someone know about this, in case there were more like that in the kitchen. Whoever answered put me on the phone with a manager right away, and he listened to me explain again. He apologized and asked if there was anything else he could do for me. I could tell he was waiting for the part where I screamed for free stuff, but I didn't. After all, it was my mom's food and she was done with it. He sounded suprised and thanked me when I told him no, I just wanted to let them know about it so it wouldn't happen to someone else. After working in a restaurant for so long, I love having a chance to be cool like that.

Once at the Wal-Mart deli I saw a used Band-Aid in the display case (Where is the vomit smilie?) I don't know how no one else saw it; there was a customer infront of me and two behind me. It ws on the bottom shelf where there was no food, so I ordered. And I told the lady about it (discreetly) afterward. She looked like she was experiencing shock-delayed horror.

Stuff like this happens a lot. SO many times while working the steam table I would find a brillo pad wire, or a piece of cardboard or wax paper the food had been packaged in. I also have lost a Band-Aid or two in a not so great place (Ice cream freezer, on the plastic between flavors). I became very good at discreetly removing these things so that no one would notice. But I always went by the rule that if I wouldn't eat it, I didn't serve it to anyone else. Including stuff that fell on the floor.

[earl colby pottinger]

Pays to be polite

Red Lobster:

Ordered a lobster meal with two lobsters. One was bad (mushy). I quietly called over the waitress who in turn called the manager. Bad lobster replaced. Again bad.

Replaced with two lobster both good, both with full sides.

Also got desert and drinks (soda).

Went to pay the bill - TOO SMALL - I was only charged for a regular lobster meal - no extra lobster - no drink - no desert.

No fuss, no bill! Why don't SC learn better.

[mattm04]

At the 99 Resturant a few months back we went out to eat and expected that it would be busy. It was the night of a Red Sox vs. Yankees game. We go in and are handed the "buzzer" to tell us when the table is ready. The host says about 10-15 minutes. Well about 20 mins later we go back up and ask again, she checks and says about 5 minutes eventually we are seated, now 40 minutes later and see the manager walk by. I mention how we were told 15-20 and it turned into 40 min for the purposes of letting him know that they may need to look at how they calculate the wait time. He says he will look into it. A few minutes later he comes back and apologizes again and gives us free apps or desserts, we decide on a couple apps to share. When the bill comes he has also given us the first round of non-alcoholic drinks free. While he did not have to do any of this it was accomplished without regressing and screaming like a two year old.

[symposes]

The good thing about being SC, is that everyone who isnt an SC gets lavishly rewarded. While the SCs get bare minimums.

My only story, I went to Backyard Burger, and ordered the big double patty burger, got home, and it was a small single patty burger. I went back explained what happened, and they started making me a new one. New one arrives, and the girl said, If you dont want the old one, I can throw it away. But otherwise you can keep it.

Woot Score.

[Refkeila]

Red Robins, a few years ago.

I ordered a peach milkshake (They bring you out a nice tall glass of milkshake and a shiny, tall, metal cylinder, also full of milkshake for those who have never been/heard of this place.)

Finished what was in the glass, poured the refill in and.... A napkin! I didn't drink the shake, I just let the waiter know when he came by (I was a child when this happened and was probably the calmest person at the table). The shake is replaced, and the meal continues. The manager comes out and checks on things.

Bill comes. My milkshake AND meal were taken off, and the manager gave me a gift certicate.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Replaced with two lobster both good, both with full sides.

that's good...some places will replace the bad part of the meal, not thinking about the fact that the rest of it will be cold by the time the new meat or whatever is finished...my mom usually asks them to take the whole plate and at least keep the sides warm...most times they just bring out a new plate

i went out once not too long ago with my family and my potato had a bad spot in it...nothing i couldn't scoop out and ignore. i told the waitress not to bother bringing a new one but she did anyway.

[MrSunshineState]

Rather than re-post, here is a link to a story I posted about not being sucky:

http://www.customerssuck.com/board/s...033#post161033

[Pagan]

(Where is the vomit smilie?)

Right here!

[powerboy]

Once, when I was was out on a date. We were at HomeTown Buffet. I had some chilli, and when I was just about to chew. When I felt a bone. I letted one of the staff know. She went and got the manager. We ended up a coupon for our next meal free. Sadly, we did not use them.

[jigshoes86]

Yes indeed tis always better to be polite and patient then be whiney and sucky.

Brief story- went to this resturant I always go with a friend- it's almost literally around the corner from me- and we get what we always get- a small pizza to split. It's like, after tax and tip with a soda for both of us- like 15-16 bucks. It's good pizza and because it's actually fresh made it's a good 15-20 minute wait worth every minute. Well, come the time it should have been out, the waitress comes by to tell us that the cook had dropped it and they had to make a new one.

Really in no rush, and I've dropped my share of pizzas (3 or 4 I think in 3 years) so I just tell them it's no problem, no biggie, go back into the converstation with my friend. Never does it cross my mind to whine, yell, demand to see a supervisor, ask for anything. Mistakes happen. No big deal.

Pizza comes, it's awesome as always. The waitress comes by and says her manager wants to give us a dessert to split.

Awesome. We choose the triple chocolate cake...I've long forgotten what the other options were. It comes out, and it's sooooooo worth the wait.

So 100% being polite and nice works better I'd think than being an SC.

[jayel]

Right here!

Thanks, but seriously, where is it? I wanted to use it but couldn't find it on the list!

[Seshat]

But... they wouldn't let me pay for the meal, which bothered me.

Don't let it. It was their error, and they freely chose to give you recompense above and beyond simply making it right.

Think of it as non-sucky training for sucky customers - if they see the non-complainers getting better rewards than the whinging tantrum-throwers, maybe (maybe!) they'll learn.

It's also a reward for non-sucking. Besides, you saved them some costs - lower stress on all the staff means less turnover. That's worth a free meal, right?