It was recently discussed in another venue that there seems to be an
increase in the number of patron demanding comp for major and minor
infractions during dining out. I did not experience this to the levels
being assumed during my tour working in restaurants, nor have I
witnessed it as a customer.

What are the experiences of dining-out participants in RFC? Do you
notice more people demanding to be comped for real and imaginary
problems, no matter how insignificant? (I'm not talking about the
extremes, either; a cockroach in the middle of the plate or the mouse
that runs up a pants leg.)

Do you have associates (or even friends) that look at getting meals for
free as an entitlement?

Just curious.

The Ranger

The Ranger wrote:

> Do you have associates (or even friends) that look at getting meals for
> free as an entitlement?


I had 2 different friends who used to do that in Miami. It got so bad,
and I got so embarrassed that I couldn't go anywhere with them. I'd
take them to restaurants where I thought the food and service were fine,
but they'd bitch so much that I'd feel like hiding under the table.


I couldn't believe the way the management responded! Especially at
chains. One manager ran over with free desserts because she made such a
fuss when her coke had lemon in it when she asked for lime. I tried to
enjoy my dessert but choked on it.


Another time the promotion at Pizza Uno clearly said that they'd give
you a free small pizza with the purchase of a medium or large. It was
clear on the menu; the waiter explained it nicely, and I told her she
was being ridiculous, but she put her nose in the air and whined until
she got the free one with the purchase of a small. Then, after driving
the poor waiter crazy, she tipped him well-- enough to make up the
difference in the price from a small to a large.


After the point when I realized I'd never enjoy a restaurant meal with
Lady Bitch, I tried just running errands with her as a way to spend time
together. She cried and complained about the prices in the supermarket
and started whining about the way the bagger bagged her groceries. No
amount of reasoning with her did any good.


If anyone would like to point out that I was a fool to spend as much
time with her as I did, you may go right ahead.


--Lia

The Ranger wrote:
> It was recently discussed in another venue that there seems to be an
> increase in the number of patron demanding comp for major and minor
> infractions during dining out. I did not experience this to the levels
> being assumed during my tour working in restaurants, nor have I
> witnessed it as a customer.
>
I've experienced as a server people who expect, ney, make that *demand*
something not deserved. First things first, glasses are stored upside down
in the dishwasher. The glassware is stored a certain there is no way a
screw could be in your glass but these people demanded a free meal. This
woman dropped a screw in there. It was blantently obvious. Then there was
the time I was having lunch with my friend and there was a curly black hair
in with the food. Um... I am a blonde. No way could that be my hair. Any
and every time I worked ina restaurant we wore hair nets. Time to take it
back to the kitchen... outta here, thank you!

Jill

"The Ranger" > wrote

> Do you have associates (or even friends) that look at getting meals for
> free as an entitlement?
>
> Just curious.

I have never seen such a thing and I hope I never do. My idea
of a good time in a restaurant does not involve anyone complaining
about anything, never mind looking for something to complain about
so they get a free meal. What a drag!

That would be my last dinner with that person.

nancy

Michael "Dog3" Lonergan > wrote in message
6.121...
[snip]
> I've had one experience that was horrific. Our waiter just
> left the building to take the car back to his girlfriend. We
> were served drinks and after about 1/2 hour another server
> came by and said, "This station should not have been
> seated." Ten minutes went by and someone took our order.
> The food was prepared well and was very good. We had
> to beg for water refills etc. Our server finally came back
> after an hour of being absent and asked if everything was
> okay. I asked for the check. I finally had to go to the
> manager to get the check and told him about my complaints.
> He basically blew it off. I was so ticked off by that time
> I called the headquarters (it was a chain restaurant) and
> calmly outlined the miserable experience we had. I
> asked for nothing but got a comp ticket in the mail from
> them for 2 free cocktails, appetizer, entree' and dessert.
> I never used it and never went back. I gave the ticket
> to someone I know that works with homeless people.
> Hopefully they got a free meal.

Yeah, I'm a Letter writer, too. I've had some miserable dining
experiences, and I've never once put it to a manager that I wouldn't pay
because the experience was so rotten. The one time I asked to see a
manager, the server was on her way out the door and was costing the
restaurant return business. The shift manager was grateful for my
alerting her to the situation and comped us the entire meal and the next
one when she saw that we came back.

On one "board," it's considered coupe if you get comped -- and the
posters try and out-do each other in outrageousness. I've -- luckily --
never been witness to that but am told it's on the increase.

Is this other diners' experiences or is it a vocal minority that is
creating an environment rife with theft?

The Ranger

Michael "Dog3" Lonergan wrote:
Gawd... they still drag to-go containers over
> when invited for dinner. They will take ALL of the leftovers if you don't
> watch what they are doing. We see them about 3 times a year now.


Why?
--Lia

On Sat, 19 Aug 2006 09:22:00 -0700, "The Ranger"
> wrote:

>It was recently discussed in another venue that there seems to be an
>increase in the number of patron demanding comp for major and minor
>infractions during dining out. I did not experience this to the levels
>being assumed during my tour working in restaurants, nor have I
>witnessed it as a customer.
>
>What are the experiences of dining-out participants in RFC? Do you
>notice more people demanding to be comped for real and imaginary
>problems, no matter how insignificant? (I'm not talking about the
>extremes, either; a cockroach in the middle of the plate or the mouse
>that runs up a pants leg.)
>
>Do you have associates (or even friends) that look at getting meals for
>free as an entitlement?
>
>Just curious.
>
>The Ranger
>

These are probably the same people who will go into a store and "buy"
an outfit for an event. Wear it and take it back on Monday. And see
nothing wrong with it.
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974

The Ranger wrote:

> It was recently discussed in another venue that there seems to be an
> increase in the number of patron demanding comp for major and minor
> infractions during dining out. I did not experience this to the levels
> being assumed during my tour working in restaurants, nor have I
> witnessed it as a customer.
>
> What are the experiences of dining-out participants in RFC? Do you
> notice more people demanding to be comped for real and imaginary
> problems, no matter how insignificant? (I'm not talking about the
> extremes, either; a cockroach in the middle of the plate or the mouse
> that runs up a pants leg.)
>
> Do you have associates (or even friends) that look at getting meals for
> free as an entitlement?

I had a meal comped last fall after I asked the waiter about a foreign
object in my salad. It was a small piece of rubber, like a rubber foot for
a utensil of some sort. I just handed to him and asked him if he could get
the kitchen staff to identify the object they had put into my salad. He
came back and told me there would be no charge for my meal. I had taken a
party of 9 there for dinner.

The Ranger wrote on 8/19/2006:

<snip>

> What are the experiences of dining-out participants in RFC? Do you
> notice more people demanding to be comped for real and imaginary
> problems, no matter how insignificant?

I read about this often but have not observed it. In Northern CA, I am
occasionally comped something but as a customer loyalty incentive
rather than as atonement for some service or meal quality failure.

On Sat, 19 Aug 2006 09:22:00 -0700, "The Ranger"
> rummaged among random neurons and opined:

>It was recently discussed in another venue that there seems to be an
>increase in the number of patron demanding comp for major and minor
>infractions during dining out. I did not experience this to the levels
>being assumed during my tour working in restaurants, nor have I
>witnessed it as a customer.

<snippidy>

I've only had a meal comped once and that was done unasked. We were at
an upscale restaurant in Indianapolis, with reservations, and were
seated after a very large party was seated upstairs. Very, very large
party. Our drinks were brought promptly and the waitstaff was
attentive, but it took over an hour (and I think it was closer to an
hour and a half) before we got our main courses. The manager, about 45
mins. into our wait, sent over a bottle of wine as an apology token.
When the meal finally arrived, it was very good, but I had about lost
interest in eating at that point. During coffee and dessert, the
manager came around and told us the meal was on him. <shrug> We went
back because of the courtesy shown.

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA

"Most vigitaryans I iver see looked enough like their food to be
classed as cannybals."

Finley Peter Dunne (1900)

To reply, replace "spaminator" with "cox"

Nancy Young > wrote in message
...
> "The Ranger" > wrote

> > Do you have associates (or even friends) that look at
> > getting meals for free as an entitlement?
> >
> > Just curious.
> >
> I have never seen such a thing and I hope I never do. My
> idea of a good time in a restaurant does not involve anyone
> complaining about anything, never mind looking for
> something to complain about so they get a free meal.

I, too, am amazed at some of the stories I hear about but, again
thankfully, have not witnessed firsthand. The stories are occuring with
greater frequency, though, so it makes me wonder if it's a matter of
time and odds. I know I'd be unable to simply sit by and allow it to
occur if within my party if a lout tried to embezzle a meal. That'd be
simply too much...

> What a drag!
>
> That would be my last dinner with that person.

Without a doubt!

I hope it's as simple as a very vocal minority being viewed
electronically and not, as the cliche goes, the tip of the iceberg.

The Ranger

Michael "Dog3" Lonergan > wrote in message
6.121...
[snip]
> Been there and done that. There is a couple we used to hang
> out with about once a month. They got so bad, Steven refuses
> to go out in public with them. We still have them over to the
> house and they have us over. They know better than to bitch
> about *anything* when they are in my house. I'll just tell
> them to either eat it and STFU, or, I'll put on my condescending
> tone telling them I'm so sorry they don't care for my dinner.
> Then I'll yank out a McDonald's coupon from the paper and
> tell them they can *fill up* on the way home. After a few
> times of this behavior on my part, they have learned to shut
> up. Gawd... they still drag to-go containers over when invited
> for dinner. They will take ALL of the leftovers if you don't
> watch what they are doing. We see them about 3 times a year
> now.

The two probably don't see any connection with their abhorrent behaviors
and your limiting your exposure to them either... Too bad. Socially
inept pariahs like that really need a cold hose turned on them.

The Ranger

Jimmy Tango > wrote in message
...
[snip]
> There seems to be a general disintegration of common
> courtesy and manners these days. Everyone thinks
> he/she is a big-shot. It's nothing but greed and the
> "me me ME!" attitude that is so prevalent these days.

I am hoping it's even more simple than the "Me" cycle spinning out of
control... I attribute it to storytelling where each new addition
becomes more outrageous to the point where reality is blurred.

The Ranger

Julia Altshuler > wrote in message
. ..
> Michael "Dog3" Lonergan wrote:
> > Gawd... they still drag to-go containers over when invited
> > for dinner. They will take ALL of the leftovers if you don't
> > watch what they are doing. We see them about 3 times a
> > year now.
> >
>
> Why?
>
You keep hoping...

The Ranger

The Cook > wrote in message
...

[snip]
> These are probably the same people who will go into a
> store and "buy" an outfit for an event. Wear it and take
> it back on Monday. And see nothing wrong with it.

That's just so against everything I believe that I can't imagine there
are people out there doing it... I know they are out there but I just
hope to _never_ run into them...

The Ranger

Dave Smith > wrote in message
...
> The Ranger wrote:
[snip]
> > Do you have associates (or even friends) that look at
> > getting meals for free as an entitlement?
> >
> I had a meal comped last fall after I asked the waiter about
> a foreign object in my salad. It was a small piece of rubber,
> like a rubber foot for a utensil of some sort. I just handed
> to him and asked him if he could get the kitchen staff to
> identify the object they had put into my salad. He came
> back and told me there would be no charge for my meal.
> I had taken a party of 9 there for dinner.
>
But Dave... Did you put the nub in there to get comped and did you
insist on EVERYONE in your party being comped?

The Ranger

KevinS > wrote in message
oups.com...
> The Ranger wrote on 8/19/2006:
>
> <snip>
>
> > What are the experiences of dining-out participants in RFC? Do you
> > notice more people demanding to be comped for real and imaginary
> > problems, no matter how insignificant?
>
> I read about this often but have not observed it. In Northern CA, I am
> occasionally comped something but as a customer loyalty incentive
> rather than as atonement for some service or meal quality failure.
>
That's apples and oranges, Kevin. Customer loyalty comps are legal and
in recognition for your return business. Demanding a meal be comped
because the con isn't willing to pay for it is illegal and theft. It's
not a reward unless -- as another poster pointed out -- the manager is
spineless and runs from confrontation (as frequently happens in chain
restaurants.) Anyone remember eating in Sizzler during the late '70s and
'80s? Managers walked around with free meal passes in their back pockets
so they didn't have to think beyond "Here ya go."

The Ranger

Nancy Young wrote:

>
> I have never seen such a thing and I hope I never do. My idea
> of a good time in a restaurant does not involve anyone complaining
> about anything, never mind looking for something to complain about
> so they get a free meal. What a drag!
>
> That would be my last dinner with that person.

My nephew was working as a waiter in an nice local restaurant. The son of the
owner of a local winery came in one night with a party of 10. His treat. No
one complained to my nephew about their meals, and everyone ate their
dinners. After gettting the meal the big shot big spender went to talk to the
manager to complain about the meal, and it was about the meal not the
service. The whole meal for 10 was comped. The cheap son of a bitch left a
$5 tip on what would have been at least a $600 tab.

The whole family is notoriously cheap, a bunch of skin flints. And to think
that I used to buy their wines.I haven't bought anything from them since.

Dave Smith > wrote in message
...
[snip]
> My nephew was working as a waiter in an nice local restaurant.
> The son of the owner of a local winery came in one night with
> a party of 10. His treat. No one complained to my nephew
> about their meals, and everyone ate their dinners. After gettting
> the meal the big shot big spender went to talk to the manager
> to complain about the meal, and it was about the meal not
> the service. The whole meal for 10 was comped. The cheap
> son of a bitch left a $5 tip on what would have been at least
> a $600 tab.
>
> The whole family is notoriously cheap, a bunch of skin flints.
> And to think that I used to buy their wines.I haven't bought
> anything from them since.

And the name of such a splendid winery is?

The Ranger

Michael "Dog3" Lonergan > wrote in message
6.121...
> "The Ranger" >
:
> > The two probably don't see any connection with
> > their abhorrent behaviors and your limiting your
> > exposure to them either... Too bad. Socially inept
> > pariahs like that really need a cold hose turned
> > on them.
> >
> We would cut them off completely but the woman is
> Steven's cousin and her daughter is Steven's Godchild.
> *sigh* we just grin and bear it when they come over.

Oh... There's a double-edged sword... <sigh> You can really trash them
when they are over and pull such boorish behaviors as you've noted but
you're limited to just how far without killing that gahdchild
relationship...

BTDT.

I've got five gahdchildren... I am on speaking terms with four because I
chose to call the parents of the first <insert anatomically impossible
act> idiots for some of their more interesting views on pet
responsibilities. He's an adult now but he's got some heavy therapy
sessions (after surviving his parents' luv) to work through before we
get together again.

The Ranger

Michael "Dog3" Lonergan wrote:
> Julia Altshuler >
> :
>
> > Michael "Dog3" Lonergan wrote:
> > Gawd... they still drag to-go containers over
> >> when invited for dinner. They will take ALL of the leftovers if you
> >> don't watch what they are doing. We see them about 3 times a year
> >> now.
> >
> >
> > Why?
> > --Lia
>
> Why what?
>
> Michael
>

I think: Why, if their behavior is so insufferable, do you continue to
see them?

SD

SD > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Michael "Dog3" Lonergan wrote:
> > Julia Altshuler >
:
> > > > ==>boorish behavior<==
> > > >
> > > Why?
> > >
> > Why what?
> >
> I think: Why, if their behavior is so insufferable, do you
> continue to see them?
>
Family.

The Ranger wrote:

> And the name of such a splendid winery is?

Chateau des Charmes in Niagara on the Lake

Michael "Dog3" Lonergan wrote:
> "The Ranger" >
> :
>
> > It was recently discussed in another venue that there seems to be an
> > increase in the number of patron demanding comp for major and minor
> > infractions during dining out. I did not experience this to the levels
> > being assumed during my tour working in restaurants, nor have I
> > witnessed it as a customer.
> >
> > What are the experiences of dining-out participants in RFC? Do you
> > notice more people demanding to be comped for real and imaginary
> > problems, no matter how insignificant? (I'm not talking about the
> > extremes, either; a cockroach in the middle of the plate or the mouse
> > that runs up a pants leg.)
> >
> > Do you have associates (or even friends) that look at getting meals for
> > free as an entitlement?
> >
> > Just curious.
> >
> > The Ranger
>
> I've had one experience that was horrific. Our waiter just left the
> building to take the car back to his girlfriend. We were served drinks and
> after about 1/2 hour another server came by and said, "This station should
> not have been seated." Ten minutes went by and someone took our order.
> The food was prepared well and was very good. We had to beg for water
> refills etc. Our server finally came back after an hour of being absent
> and asked if everything was okay. I asked for the check. I finally had to
> go to the manager to get the check and told him about my complaints. He
> basically blew it off.
> Michael
> --

I once got a meat pie with what appeared to be a very well-worn piece
of glass in it probably about the size of a pea. . It looked like
something been picked up on a beach, it was so smooth. I mentioned it
to the waiter who replaced the meat pie, and when I went to leave my
entire meal was compted.

I was a bit embarrassed. I didn't expect to pay for the meat pie but
the two beer and the dessert were covered too.

John Kane Kingston ON Canada

The Ranger wrote:

> > I think: Why, if their behavior is so insufferable, do you
> > continue to see them?
> >
> Family.

Damn. Good thing we get to choose our friends.
I have managed to avoid the famous niece for a long time. I
haven't had to endure her visiting and eating my out of house and
home for about 5 years now. I have managed to see her only
briefly at several parties. If I could just find a way not to
have to deal with two nephews without upsetting their parents.

Michael "Dog3" Lonergan wrote:

> Why what?


Why do you even see them 3 times/year? Do they have some saving grace
that makes them worth it? Are they family?
--Lia

John Kane > wrote in message
ups.com...
[snip restaurant's fault]
> I was a bit embarrassed. I didn't expect to pay for the meat
> pie but the two beer and the dessert were covered too.

Did you return for other meals?

The Ranger

Dave Smith > wrote in message
...
> The Ranger wrote:
> > And the name of such a splendid winery is?
> >
> Chateau des Charmes in Niagara on the Lake
>
Thank you.

Thinking about this more, I realize that I'm more likely to run into the
opposite situation, the one where the management insists on comping
something where no request was made.


It happened the other day at a local Mexican restaurant. We'd been
there once before and liked it. On that occasion, I ordered something I
knew I'd like. When we went back, I got adventurous and ordered the
crawfish etouffe. I've had enough experience with New Orleans-sounding
dishes in New England to know that whatever I got, it wasn't going to be
a real New Orleans style crawfish etouffe with a slow cooked brown sauce
and fresh crawfish.


The meal came (service excellent), and sure enough, it was previously
frozen crawfish sprinkled with chili powder over white rice. Not bad,
really. It is what passes for hot food in these parts. I ate some of
it, realized I wasn't that hungry, ate half of Jim's meal, and didn't
complain. When the waitress asked if I'd like to take it home or if
there was something wrong, I insisted that I wasn't hungry. When the
bill came, she'd comped my meal. There was nothing wrong with the food!
We both said that she didn't have to do that, but she wouldn't charge us.


We ended up tipping well. We will go back. We'd have gone back anyway.


--Lia

Michael "Dog3" Lonergan wrote:

When the check was presented the man tried
> to cause a scene wanting a comp so the owner stepped in. He told the man he
> was going to comp the entire meal on 2 conditions. 1) he had to tip the
> waitress 25% on the entire bill because of lost revenue for the tables she
> had to give up. 2) The patron agreed to never set foot in the place and
> that he was banned for life regardless of whether he agreed to the terms or
> not.



Nice. I wish more places would do that. It isn't just restaurants.
I've been in situations where someone raised a big scene to break all
manner of sensible rules. In one case, the chain store was closing one
of its outlets (a fabric and craft store). Everything was greatly
reduced as they were getting down to the fixtures. There were big signs
everywhere insisting that all sales were final, that there were no
returns, to check carefully before making purchases because everything
was as-is, etc.


One lady came in insisting that she had to return something. I was
there minding my own business when she raised such a ruckus that the
manager gave her what she wanted. I would have called the police to
escort her out. Instead of making me feel better about the store, it
left such a bad taste in my mouth that I walked out without buying
anything. I still don't like that chain of stores for that and other
reasons. It makes me feel weird when they enforce their rules for me.


They often advertise sales without being clear about what's on sale such
that when I get there thinking I'll get a good price, I find that the
item I want isn't reduced. (On the quilting and sewing lists, we call
Joann Fabrics TSWLTH for "the store we love to hate.) It makes me
uncomfortable to think that I could get the sale price if I made enough
noise. (I would never do such a thing, but I don't shop there either.)


I know restaurant owners comp meals because they're afraid they'll get a
bad reputation from patrons who will tell all their friends that they
had a bad time. They're afraid they'll lose overall business, but I
wish they'd throw the jerks out on their ear. I'll leave it to the
folks better at business than I am to tell me if that's a good idea or
not. I know it would make me feel better about a place.


--Lia

SD wrote:

> I think: Why, if their behavior is so insufferable, do you continue to
> see them?


Yes, that's it. Question answered in other posts.
--Lia

"The Ranger" > wrote in message
...
> It was recently discussed in another venue that there seems to be an
> increase in the number of patron demanding comp for major and minor
> infractions during dining out. I did not experience this to the levels
> being assumed during my tour working in restaurants, nor have I
> witnessed it as a customer.
>
> What are the experiences of dining-out participants in RFC? Do you
> notice more people demanding to be comped for real and imaginary
> problems, no matter how insignificant? (I'm not talking about the
> extremes, either; a cockroach in the middle of the plate or the mouse
> that runs up a pants leg.)
>
> Do you have associates (or even friends) that look at getting meals for
> free as an entitlement?

In the past 5 years, I've only asked one meal to be comped; I'd ordered a
steak rare, it came well-done. I sent it back. By the time they got it
back to me, my companions had not only finished their dinner but also
finished their after-dinner drinks, so they basically had to sit there while
I ate. (If I hadn't been so hungry, I would have said screw it and left.)
I asked the waitress to not charge us for my meal (Mom and Daddy were buying
mine.) She argued with me, I requested the manager, the manager came over
and immediately took my meal off the ticket. He also took my parents'
drinks off the ticket, although that wasn't requested. The waitress only
got tipped on my parents' meals - not because we blamed her for the steak
being cooked wrong in the first place...we didn't even blame her for it
taking so freaking long to get the new steak back to me...we blamed her for
arguing with me about comping my meal.

My mom has an associate, however, who apparently feels that any tiny thing
that goes wrong - not getting lemon in her water, not getting extra dressing
for her salad at first request - is reason enough to demand her meal be
comped. Needless to say, Mom tries to avoid going out with this woman
whenever possible.

Lisa Ann

I've told this story, it happened a long time ago. Precisely the first week
of October, 1980, as a matter of fact. I was in Boston and had dinner
at this place on a pier. They were building the Marriott ? there at the
time.

It's an opposite situation of the one posed.

Bowl of salad comes, I'm not looking at it and my ex quite nonchalontly
puts his napkin on the table. His hand on it. Hmmm. He calls over the
waiter
and I'm thinking ... I don't think he's ordering wine or anything. That's
the
general gist of the story.

A cockroach had crawled out of the salad. He knew if I saw that, I was not
going to be happy. Waiter alerts the manager. He comes over with this,
well
we never had this problem until the construction. You can't expect us to
give
you a free meal.

Did I ask for a friggin free meal? Did I even ask for the friggin manager?
Finally he gave us a free bottle of wine. I said I would still eat there
but put
only my steak on the place, no garnish, nothing else, just my steak.

Maybe I should have rewarded the guy with the attitude some of
these stories have shown. Me, louder speaking voice: You mean
you won't give me a free meal when a giant ROACH crawled out of
my salad????

(laugh) Give the other customers an earful. I just loved being treated
like some kind of criminal. Just great.

nancy

In article .com>,
says...
>
> The Ranger wrote on 8/19/2006:
>
> <snip>
>
> > What are the experiences of dining-out participants in RFC? Do you
> > notice more people demanding to be comped for real and imaginary
> > problems, no matter how insignificant?
>
> I read about this often but have not observed it. In Northern CA, I am
> occasionally comped something but as a customer loyalty incentive
> rather than as atonement for some service or meal quality failure.
>
>

Interstingly I recently found out something about Keyron that I never,
ever knew. He's a haggler.

We were in this little asian notions store and he's looking at this
fabric and asks the girl that he works there how much it is. She says
$25, he says "I'll give you $15". And they sold it to him. Unbelievable.

He's also a social butterfly so is forever comp'd things just because he
drives more business into the places he likes.

In article >,
says...
> On Sat, 19 Aug 2006 09:22:00 -0700, "The Ranger"
> > rummaged among random neurons and opined:
>
> >It was recently discussed in another venue that there seems to be an
> >increase in the number of patron demanding comp for major and minor
> >infractions during dining out. I did not experience this to the levels
> >being assumed during my tour working in restaurants, nor have I
> >witnessed it as a customer.
>
> <snippidy>
>
> I've only had a meal comped once and that was done unasked. We were at
> an upscale restaurant in Indianapolis, with reservations, and were
> seated after a very large party was seated upstairs. Very, very large
> party. Our drinks were brought promptly and the waitstaff was
> attentive, but it took over an hour (and I think it was closer to an
> hour and a half) before we got our main courses. The manager, about 45
> mins. into our wait, sent over a bottle of wine as an apology token.
> When the meal finally arrived, it was very good, but I had about lost
> interest in eating at that point. During coffee and dessert, the
> manager came around and told us the meal was on him. <shrug> We went
> back because of the courtesy shown.
>
> Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
> AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA
>
> "Most vigitaryans I iver see looked enough like their food to be
> classed as cannybals."
>
> Finley Peter Dunne (1900)
>
> To reply, replace "spaminator" with "cox"
>

And that is how it SHOULD work. The manager obviously knew that the wait
was excessive and so decided in the interests of repeat busines, he'd
comp the meal.

On Sat, 19 Aug 2006 12:28:34 -0700, "The Ranger"
> wrote:

>The Cook > wrote in message
.. .
>
>[snip]
>> These are probably the same people who will go into a
>> store and "buy" an outfit for an event. Wear it and take
>> it back on Monday. And see nothing wrong with it.
>
>That's just so against everything I believe that I can't imagine there
>are people out there doing it... I know they are out there but I just
>hope to _never_ run into them...

I knew people who had new draperies every season. Never removed the
price tags. Just returned them when the return window was about to
close.

Carol

Michael "Dog3" Lonergan wrote:

> Gawd... they still drag to-go containers over
> when invited for dinner. They will take ALL of the leftovers if you don't
> watch what they are doing. We see them about 3 times a year now.
>

What boors! Are these relatives? If they aren't, then....
http://i8.tinypic.com/2504gty.gif

On 2006-08-19, sf > wrote:

> What boors! Are these relatives? If they aren't, then....
> http://i8.tinypic.com/2504gty.gif

LOL!...... (another keeper)

nb

Dave Smith wrote:

> I have managed to avoid the famous niece for a long time. I
> haven't had to endure her visiting and eating my out of house and
> home for about 5 years now. I have managed to see her only
> briefly at several parties.

Congratulations! It's been that long? Seems like "only yesterday".

> If I could just find a way not to
> have to deal with two nephews without upsetting their parents.

I'm rooting for you. You've done it before, you can do it again.

On Sat, 19 Aug 2006 16:26:02 -0400, Dave Smith
> wrote:

>Damn. Good thing we get to choose our friends.
>I have managed to avoid the famous niece for a long time. I
>haven't had to endure her visiting and eating my out of house and
>home for about 5 years now. I have managed to see her only
>briefly at several parties.

Wow. Well, congratulations on not having your "infamous" neice over
for that long. I had no idea it had been such a long time. Seems
like just yesterday you were horrifying us with stories about her.

Carol