beans

Just for the record, I'm female and 5 feet tall. And I'm going to bow out of this discussion now. It doesn't seem very productive. Oh, I'm not personally offended, but I do believe your generalised statements to be inaccurate, in my own experience or have personally witnessed. And I can step out of the box and assert those same generalised statements may indeed be found offensive. Where I work, there are no indulgences for "the fairer sex." You do your job in the same manner as anyone else is expected to do same. For asserting something so bold as to state and summarily dismiss women as being unable to perform in a kitchen position effectively is doing a tremendous disservice to oneself, one's co-workers and the kitchen and restaurant. edit: clarity

Whoa one gosh darned minute! Sorry I've jumped into this, perhaps a bit late, but I've got to step up to these gross generalisations as I find them on the whole as that -- gross. Isn't the world a much easier place within which to function when one creates nice, neat, tidy little package(s) and when one can summarily tie all preconceived notions and sweeping generalisations into small pigeonholes? Thank heavens I do not work with that sort of caveman mentality. Yes, I currently do pull heart of the house shifts as well as my bartending shifts. They are nothing that I'd consider easy and I first start out slinging the largest A sized lexan over my shoulder, almost overflowing with ice (an easy 75+ pounds) to only half way fill my ice well. Then, I set up large 48" rounds and often carry them up flights of stairs as well as the stacks of chairs and umbrellas. Did I mention the hauling around multiple cases of beer to restock??? Me to worry about a few pots or pans? PLEASE. If I couldn't handle it on the first day, by golly I worked all the harder to have that requisite physical endurance and stamina. And mind you that is only the beginning of a 12 hour day running non-stop (in season, I do not have days off and nearly work straight doubles). Is that physically demanding enough? Welcome to my world. And I'll tell you, what I do FOH is much more strenuous than anything I've done wearing a chef's coat. [Our line is air conditioned to quite comfortable temperatures -- one hell of a lot better than the glaring direct sun, heat and humidity taxing upon my every movement. Plus, those same line cooks are steps away from the freezer walk in. Me? I can grab an icecube and throw it down my shirt if that is what I deemed to be adequate relief -- I'd take the walk in while slinging steaks, burgers and what not in air conditioning any day or night]. As to the rest of your post about crying, I've cut my teeth in the food and beverage industry with women that were tougher than I could imagine, were they dominated both FOH and BOH staff and never flinched to make anyone cry. (most often men because none of the women dared to do so) But yet you continue.... If anyone, a man or woman, cannot handle the physical demands of working within a food and beverage establishment, then they best shape up and do so quickly. Yes in my experience, I have seen women not cut out for the job, but I've seen my share of fellas too. Ease up on such offensive platitudes, open up the myopic, limited point of view and predisposition. It really is not attractive. Yes sexism exists, but so does respect. Earn respect and the stereotypes fail -- or possibly placates/further inferiorates those that are threated by same?

Aw, sweetie, it is hard for me to post that someone's judgment was crazy, right, wrong or out of line. Those would not be accurate or appropriate as they may very well be viewed as a personal attack, intentional or not! I guess I wanted to bring forth other factors to be considered in the solving guest complaints or food poisoning claims from a restaurant perspective, so it isn't as simple as "your crazy, they're wrong or you're out of line." However it did bring to light for me that there are those that view a gift certificate as insufficient and/or near insulting. Where I work, should a gift certificate were issued, in my experience it has been with warm welcome with a smile from ear to ear from the guest. So all is/was fixed. However, we too have lawyers and often a gift certificate is the best we can do, too. (everyone loves to try to sue us for the craziest things -- but none asserting food poisoning, and nothing wherein we ended up going to a full trial or making a cash settlement. :knock on wood: We are owned by a local, fairly well known millionaire and are a large operation, which tends to equal attractive "deep pockets.") Is the certificate transferrable without penalty? (most are) Auction it off on eBay!

A 25-30% liquor cost would cost me my job!!! Yipes! Back to the question -- why? Individual liquor laws that may pertain to state, city, county, burrough, etc. may or may not prohibit the use of a gift certificate to include liquor purchases. I think oHIo's recently changed so that a gift certificate can include alcoholic beverages, I'll have to see if I read that bit of news correctly and re-dig up the info. edit: egregious typos abound today [distracted]

if they'd said that - or anything like it - i would have felt better. but what i got was an envelope with a gc of arbitrary amount. no note - no follow up call or email. no guise of concern. So, is that really it reesek? Even if the insincere/the guise, or feigning of a concern for your welfare would have really been more acceptable? See, on the restaurant's management's behalf, they view it as a resolution of the matter has been reached without the benefit of understanding your great unhappiness of the outcome. Also consider this may be their corporate policy. The restaurant need not be a small link in a large chain of corporate establishments. Indies, too, seek out corporate guidelines and lawyerly assistance. Perhaps that is the best they can offer without exposing themselves to additional liability in this very litigous culture and society within which we live (the States). Since receiving this gift certificate, have you expressed your displeasure to this restaurant? In all fairness to this establishment, I'd seek out a mutually agreeble date and time wherein you can meet with the general manager explaining your reasons for your displeasure of how this matter was handled and that you had expected more. Under that pretense, perhaps some other arrangments could be amicably worked out to the satisfaction of all involved parties. I hope you achieve those satisfactory results and consider a successful and productive meeting with the one in charge of that restaurant. edit: sloppy proofreading

Excellent read. Welcome to eG Marrow Margin. I look forward to your future posts as well as a chance to get to Atlanta and visit Blais.

I do not agree. Because I want to photograph beautifully plated food from a memorable meal from the likes of Trotter's from beginning to end I should launch a career as a professional photographer? Really?

If you said that after pouring tea on me or worse, I'd react angrily. I'm sure you disliked management at Disney. Actually, I loved working for Disney. And I wouldn't be so foolish as to pour tea on any of my guests, when I worked at Disney or currently. But beans, don't tell me accidents that required an "I'm terribly sorry!" never happened there. You mean no-one ever poured or dropped anything on a patron? Or they did and said "I understand your concerns"?! I am sure at the parks with the food and beverage operations, a dry cleaning voucher most likely be handed out in a similar fashion: "Oh, dear! Allow me to offer to have your clothing cleaned...." Not sure, as I worked in the retail end of Disney and only took a few pilgrimages to Mouse Mecca in Orlando. About the time I left TDS was about the time when they were sending store managers to complete a week long management program with some hands on behind the scenes work that was called "Around the World" training. A full tour of the back stage areas of the park (anywhere a guest was not permitted), teamwork activities such as scavenger hunts with a list of scenarios of interacting with park guests were to be completed (evidenced by a handy poloraid camera snapshot) and even suiting up as one of the wandering characters. Never got into the food end of things there, but the lovely Miss Cheryl Charming I know helped open Paradise Island as a bartender. I'll ask her.

beans that's totally unfair - i'm just asking to be treated with respect. it's really not too much to ask - clearly you disagree with me on what that means, but please don't make me out to be some kind of priss - i'm not. I was in no way attributing that to you reesek, but using an extreme to illustrate a point. My apologies that you presumed it to be a personal comment directed to your discomfort with obtaining a satisfactory response from that restaurant you patronised.

In response: From the restaurant manager's stand point, yes. Yes. Why not? Perhaps it may happily make you 'get over it' and in the end only supplement a lovely meal. I'm with tommy. $100 is nothing I'd waive my nose at from any restaurant. See working in a restaurant, I understand that these things happen, as outlined above by Fat Guy. I don't need an invitation engraved in gold and presented on a silver tray with a white gloved, tuxedo'd person to make the apology any more valid. I never asserted it was unethical. Again, I repeat myself, the glass of wine was the apology. You would be seriously surprised at how many folks come in and use all of their creativity to obtain a freebie that would otherwise not be offered. Really. I'll dig up our Manager's log and see within the last six months this has occurred.... I already did my email test to our restaurant and no one yet has read it. I complain to obtain satisfaction to a situation. I really don't care if I'm respected or taken seriously, just so that something is done to rectify whatever triggered the unsatisfactory results.

Welcome to eG vorare! I think in college we may have had a very similar bar that we left in the house when we moved out.

In fact, I've been asked if I would share a duplicate with the restaurant. It has always been very positive, in my experience as well.

No, he's in Jersey.

If you said that after pouring tea on me or worse, I'd react angrily. I'm sure you disliked management at Disney. Actually, I loved working for Disney. And I wouldn't be so foolish as to pour tea on any of my guests, when I worked at Disney or currently.

WordPerfect/MS Word; press print; use pen to sign; fold letter and mail isn't much more effort than an email and a very powerful way to deal with the problem. It is a hard copy that haunts or praises and carries more weight to recieve correspondence via snail mail from a guest. Those are the kind of letters that find their way into personnel files as well.

I'll echo that. Bad weather here too -- in fact frozen rain storm turning into snow tonight and tomorrow.

Again, for the second time, I never stated it wasn't a part of a manager's job for a tableside lashing by an unhappy guest. Okay, if I gotta say it a third time I'll be forced to get out the wet noodle and/or write it in the gigantic font and in red. The glass of wine was the apology. Did you drink it? Then you accepted it. I find it to be a lovely gesture to offer femented grape juice to ensue a peaceful, happy smoothing of ruffled feathers. So seeking external validation is being deemed better in place of a delicious little treat and freebie? As a guest, I'd certainly welcome the glass of wineand I wouldn't wait 45 minutes to get a glass of water. I'd leave and spend my hard earned funds elsewhere. Within my employing restaurant, the velvet glove apology doesn't happen because the guest 99.9999999999% of the time wants a comp, a gift certificate or full refund. If a sympathetic apology was the only thing offered that's when the decibels tend increase on the upset party's side with the usual question of "Aren't you going to take something off of this bill??????? No! I want a full refund!!!!!" edit: clarity

Oooh! So true. (Having just typed that, I'm not sure if any of our managers have checked our restaurant's email. I'll do a little test after I type this post.... ) Even more true about who is actually reading it -- that could be anyone from our owner, a manager or our bookkeeper.

I never stated it wasn't.

Exotic Mushroom -- Being called tableside for an unhappy customer complaint is hell for any member of management. And often management can or may empower their staff to comp something as a matter of avoiding those sorts of situations. This is also done so that in the horrible event of a tableside apology goes awry, with an irrational guest grandstanding, so as not to impede upon the enjoyment of the surrounding guests. Just think of someone hot, red in the face and screaming, sprinkle in the ones that like doing aggressive finger pointing and swearing -- you get the picture? I would believe the letter of complaint may have generated an inquiry to that server for handing out a free glass of wine very possibly without management's approval. Alcohol can never be given away for free within the State of oHIo -- but there are routes around that not relevant to this discussion, so if that were the case that server might have been fired. (Free dessert for "minor fixes" is what most of our servers are permitted to do, before having to involve a manager for comp'ing a portion of their check being the next step). However, if that server was empowered by management to rectify a situation with a free glass of wine as a way to smooth things out, then they were in fact doing their job in management's eyes. In this instance, then no, management most likely will not respond to your letter of complaint. ****** Something else in this thread I seem to remember being a very important policy for Disney (I was a castmember for several years). Should something occur within the store/park/property (hotel/restaurant) to upset a guest -- in no shape or form were the words "I'm sorry" ever to escape your mouth. It was researched by some legal eagles via judicial opinion, case law or whatever pillar of rationale and/or reasoning that such a statment is an affirmation and indicative of maintaining some responsiblity. Best phrasing, which we did practice with roll playing during our constant corporate training -- "I understand your concerns and allow me to offer x, y or z in an effort to regain your satisfaction in this matter." edit: sloppy proof reading

Welcome to eG Athenaeus! Yes I agree. It is unfortunate.

Oh, that too is filled with the same woes as I'm into the two week mark (since opening the doors) with my family's lunch/takeout "fast food" palace. We'll see with time. Perhaps they meant a commercial, franchised chain ?

Chris- It is 25 ounces so I'm guessing it is in a 750ml wine bottle.

You know, I thought so too. Perhaps a written or recorded recipe/procedure wasn't until the Egyptians?

Thank you Batgrrrl! Slumped over/sloshed "frosty" was fun to paint. Now those are the sorts of snow people found in my yard! Luckily there aren't any children residing on my little street! Susan in FL: I love antiques too. Nice cabinet!