I'm picky about food service.
I bled, sweat, and suffered in the food service industry back when I was young and handsome so I do have knowledge on certain industry standards. Because of my experience, my training, and my expectations I tend to have a zero tolerance approach to all things service oriented. I also have tried to maintain a zero second chances policy with food service no-nos, unfortunately if I did that I think I would never eat out again!
The first place in Malaysia to raise my fury was 'Johnny's Steamboat Restaurant' a family steamboat restaurant with many locations (at that time) around the city. My issue was first quality followed shortly after but customer service and finally managerial. The long and short of it was that my fried rice had insects in it, not an insect, INSECTS - plural. I kinda did one of those things where my mouth hung open and the food fell out; it was gross. This kind of thing can and does happen everywhere, so I don't fault the geography here the service on the other hand was very typical of the area. When highlighted to the fact that my food had many bugs in it the waitress motioned for me to stop? (she held her hand out with her flat palm facing me) took the plate away and talked to someone at the cashier desk. She then brought the dish back and said 'yes there are insects, it's ok they are just from the rice' my reply was if I recall 'why are you bringing back food with bugs in it!!!!' So the girl walks away (leaving the dish I might add) and talks to some other server, who then talks to the person who I think is the manager, who then sends a different server to talk to me. 'I am the manager here,' proudly states the server whose name tag says 'server' on it, 'I am sorry about your food I will not charge you for it.' My only question to this guy was 'If you are the manager why is that guy in the different uniform managing and you are serving tables?' No answer just an awkward smile. I've told this story to most likely 300-400 people over the last 6 years since it happened (I've used it as a teaching aid) and I am happy to say I have chased quite a few people away from making the Johnny's mistake. How could this have been resolved better? Easy.
1. Training
The first rule of dirty/bad/rotten food - GET IT AWAY FROM THE CUSTOMER. I will never be able to explain why this person brought back the food.
2. Communication
Instead of giving me the 'hand' the server could have said something. Anything. And explaining something the customer finds bad as OK is never a good thing.
3. Respect
I am baffled by the real manager not coming to see me. It actually irked me a lot as when I was in that type of position I considered it my duty to solve these problems and have the customers leaving happy or at least happier. By not coming to see me I considered this 'manager' to have no respect for his job, his staff (who was masquerading as the manager) and of course myself.
Have I had good dining experiences here? Of course. I've even had them in some really dodgy places but aren't the bad ones more fun to talk about?
Johnny's Restaurant - You're dead to me! Who's next?
I bled, sweat, and suffered in the food service industry back when I was young and handsome so I do have knowledge on certain industry standards. Because of my experience, my training, and my expectations I tend to have a zero tolerance approach to all things service oriented. I also have tried to maintain a zero second chances policy with food service no-nos, unfortunately if I did that I think I would never eat out again!
The first place in Malaysia to raise my fury was 'Johnny's Steamboat Restaurant' a family steamboat restaurant with many locations (at that time) around the city. My issue was first quality followed shortly after but customer service and finally managerial. The long and short of it was that my fried rice had insects in it, not an insect, INSECTS - plural. I kinda did one of those things where my mouth hung open and the food fell out; it was gross. This kind of thing can and does happen everywhere, so I don't fault the geography here the service on the other hand was very typical of the area. When highlighted to the fact that my food had many bugs in it the waitress motioned for me to stop? (she held her hand out with her flat palm facing me) took the plate away and talked to someone at the cashier desk. She then brought the dish back and said 'yes there are insects, it's ok they are just from the rice' my reply was if I recall 'why are you bringing back food with bugs in it!!!!' So the girl walks away (leaving the dish I might add) and talks to some other server, who then talks to the person who I think is the manager, who then sends a different server to talk to me. 'I am the manager here,' proudly states the server whose name tag says 'server' on it, 'I am sorry about your food I will not charge you for it.' My only question to this guy was 'If you are the manager why is that guy in the different uniform managing and you are serving tables?' No answer just an awkward smile. I've told this story to most likely 300-400 people over the last 6 years since it happened (I've used it as a teaching aid) and I am happy to say I have chased quite a few people away from making the Johnny's mistake. How could this have been resolved better? Easy.
1. Training
The first rule of dirty/bad/rotten food - GET IT AWAY FROM THE CUSTOMER. I will never be able to explain why this person brought back the food.
2. Communication
Instead of giving me the 'hand' the server could have said something. Anything. And explaining something the customer finds bad as OK is never a good thing.
3. Respect
I am baffled by the real manager not coming to see me. It actually irked me a lot as when I was in that type of position I considered it my duty to solve these problems and have the customers leaving happy or at least happier. By not coming to see me I considered this 'manager' to have no respect for his job, his staff (who was masquerading as the manager) and of course myself.
Have I had good dining experiences here? Of course. I've even had them in some really dodgy places but aren't the bad ones more fun to talk about?
Johnny's Restaurant - You're dead to me! Who's next?
the chicken rice shop!
ReplyDeleteIt is called 'Old Town Chicken Rice' and they are dead to me.
ReplyDelete