Frigid Applebee's and the (sucky) response they gave us.

[Hyndis]

To play devils advocate, I can kinda understand why the manager said what he did.

I work in an operating room. Anyone thats had surgery before can tell you its FRIGID in there. Partially for bacterial control purposes, but the other part is that the operating room staff (AKA ME!) get sooooo damn hot in the damn sterile gowns and gloves we have to wear, that its ridiculous. Other workers have gotten to the point that they pass out from being so hot while operating. Sounds odd, but until youve been there and experienced it, it may not be understandable. Especially when you walk into a room and see the wall monitor says its 65 degrees fareinheit and Im still hollering for someone to turn it down before I sweat to death. I can kinda understand wait staff with heavy trays running back and forth feeling the same way.

That being said, Id be interested in knowing that the actual temp was.

And yes I agree that it is VERY uncomfortable to eat will youre freezing in a restaurant.

Yup. If you're working and wearing some form of protective clothing, you can be extremely warm despite the cold.

Working in the refrigerated units I'd be at just the right temperature. The refrigerator was about 30 degrees.

The freezer was a tad bit cold however at -30F, but that was mostly an issue with the gloves...or lack thereof.

[Boozy]

I work in an operating room. Anyone thats had surgery before can tell you its FRIGID in there.

Can I assume that most of your "customers" are under some sort of anesthesia and can't feel the temperature anyway?

Operations aren't supposed to be comfortable, anyway. The first priority should be making sure the staff can do their jobs properly and treat the patient.

I also wouldn't adjust the temperature for one customer complaint, but I completely believe the OP when he says it was freezing in there. I've sat in too many over air-conditioned restaurants to doubt it.

When I waitressed in a cafe, I was always sweltering for my entire shift. Running around and constantly going in and out of a hot kitchen would do that. But that was just part of my job. I didn't like the fact that my feet hurt at the end of the day either, but I didn't make customers come to the kitchen themselves to order so I didn't have to get up. There are certain things we do as employees that make us uncomfortable in order to make the customers more comfortable. Setting the temperature at a reasonable level for those sitting in the dining room is one of those things.

With that said, I'll never forget the two women who came in on a very hot July afternoon and asked us to turn on our fireplace. They had been swimming in the river and felt a bit chilly. When they got angry that I wouldn't do it, they complained to the manager. Who pretty much laughed in their faces.

[Amina516]

I can understand the REASONING for it, but how he said it was tactless and rude.

That I COMPLETELY agree with. I shouldve said so.

Can I assume that most of your "customers" are under some sort of anesthesia and can't feel the temperature anyway?

Operations aren't supposed to be comfortable, anyway. The first priority should be making sure the staff can do their jobs properly and treat the patient.

Slightly true. Usually only if theyre freaking out are they given something to calm them down ie. valium. But b/c theyre usually in the thin hospital gowns you'd be AMAZED (like 90%) at the number of people that complain about the cold. Then they usually get knocked out with some good drugs and forget anyways. We do keep them warm after theyre asleep though with warm blankets and heating pads.

[artifical sweetner]

i hate how public places overdo the AC in summer - im always cold as it is and hate having to lug a sweater around all summer long

[Sparky]

i hate how public places overdo the AC in summer - im always cold as it is and hate having to lug a sweater around all summer long

I agree. A lot of places are cold and it feels great when you first walk inside out of the heat, but when you've been sitting a bit, you freeze.

Restaurant temperatures are funny though. The temperature can vary a lot depending on how full the place is. I've also heard that when they're busy, restaurants will keep the place cold so the customers won't hang around tying up tables after they're finished. Don't know how true this is.

In any case, even if the manager had turned the thermostat up it would probably have been a while before you'd noticed. But he was still a jerk about it.

[Boozy]

I've also heard that when they're busy, restaurants will keep the place cold so the customers won't hang around tying up tables after they're finished. Don't know how true this is.

If this were true, I'd think they would make it too hot instead of too cold and save money on air conditioning bills.

Some places put the air on early, expecting the place to fill up quickly. A dining room full of warm bodies gets very hot, very quickly. It uses less energy to put the air on full blast before that happens than to wait until the temperature goes up.

But this is the first I've heard the "staff gets too hot" excuse.