Question about Protocol

I have a question to pose to the forum. I'll keep the places anonymous so that I get a 'purer' response. A friend and I visited a very busy (and rather small) local restaurant on a recent Saturday evening. We arrived around 6:35pm. We were greeted and our name taken for a seat. The host quoted us "at least an hour wait". We got our coaster pager, and prepared to wait. We inquired about seating in the bar, but it was packed. The three (outside) tables in the front of the restaurant were taken. The afternoon sun was beating on the front of the restaurant, and there was no space for waiting inside. We decided to walk across the way to another restaurant for a quick drink. We walked, had a rather quick drink, and headed back to our chosen dining spot. We arrived back at around 7:20pm. We waited around until about 7:35 when I went in to inquire about our wait. This where the trouble began...

The host rather rudely exclaimed, "Oh we called you 30 minutes ago...there's nothing we can do". I informed her that we had been quoted 'at least an hour'. She continued that it had been too long and there was nothing she could do. She exclaimed "you left...you don't get seated". I firmly told her that this was 'ridiculous' and that I wouldn't be back. She stared me down and said I shouldn't be rude to her that I was the one who left. She was glaring at me. Fortunately, the person who originally quoted us was standing there and interrupted stating she could get us "next available". I was thrown by the other person's rudeness and disdain, but agreed to take it because we really had no other place to go (and the restaurant is a best of Louisville winner). So we ate.

My question is this. We did leave to have a drink and a cool place to sit down. BUT, we were back within the quoted time-frame. What is the policy on these situations? Was I right to be angry? In the past, I've never been treated this way.

I'm interested to hear what others think.

Thanks,

Tony s.

You appeared within the quoted time frame. Enough said. Unfortunatley, we all know how verbal communication can vary. But, do not feel badly. It would be informative to know of the establishment involved.

I don't think for a second that you should tell us on the forum who did this. Enough detail has been given for us all to relate to "that occurrence" we've all encountered. That is an unusual attitude given by the hostess. Hostesses can be funny (odd) from time to time and place to place depending on their moods. Good thing for most establishments that managers and owners keep a close eye by the entrance to ensure a positive impression, but that's not always possible. And I'm coming from multiple podiums, here. Man, you should have told somebody. I guarantee that is not acceptable. So unfair for that much power to be abused by an irritatable host.

whether wrong or right for leaving to get a seat and a drink, the saying "customer is always right" should have prevailed here. A simple sorry for the confusion, and it will be just a moment for your table. Maybe even the offer of a glass of wine from the bar, while waiting for the next available table. As for the hostess her job could be in question

Being a restaurant owner, I would want a customer who was treated with such disrespect to make every attempt to let me know about their experience. I hope you took the time to share this with the owner or manager of this restaurant.

As someone who has never worked in the industry, what's the best approach to take with an owner or manager? For example, Is it better to talk to them on the spot or to maybe call later after a cooling off period? Just deal with it in a forum such as this without contacting the owner/manager? Does it just depend on the issue? I've been in situations where I've called afterwards and been told that I should have said something during the service. After hearing kitchen horror stories, I don't know that I would want to be know as the whiny guest. Do "pay-backs" really happen in the kitchen? I'm not asking for any admissions, but I'm sure you insiders have heard stories.

I have never witnessed anyone in the kitchen doing anything sketchy to a customers food in my entire almost 10 years in the business.

(they usually hate the front of house staff so much they couldn't care less what's happening out there )

I don't see a problem with you leaving and returning back within the quoted time frame. Especially given that there was no even remotely comfortable place to wait.

I didn't see it in your post, but did the coaster/pager ever go off? Regardless, of that, I would think that the original host, that gave you the response of "next available", did the only right thing.

You can't really fault the rest of the restaurant staff for turning tables over faster than may have been expected, or people that were ahead of you departing, causing the hour timeframe to be adjusted. Perphaps the coaster doesnt have enough range or there is interference across the way, its hard to say. I honestly dont know how those things work, having been out of the industry since those things were made available, because back in the day I definately would have broken into one to figure it out.

The hostess is responsible for the first impression of the restaurant staff once you enter. if the waitstaff and the food made up for it, I'd say chalk it up to a bad night for the hostess.

Here's a question...what's the protocol for when you've been sitting patiently at your table for 20 minutes, and nobody has come to give you so much as a glass or water, or to take a drink order? We had an experience like this on our anniversary at one of our favorite places in the 'ville. Finally the owner or manager came over and took our drink order, but we were seriously 5 minutes from walking out.

for michelle r.

That is one of my biggest pet peeves. at about 10 minutes I start looking for any employee and ask them to send over the server. at 15, the hostess, at 20 if nobody still had been to my table, id have been out the door, but as this was a special occasion for you, I can understand your waiting.

I think a good rule would be to say something as soon as possible. The owner or manager of this place needs to know the information as quickly as possible. What if that poor host/hostess treated 3 other guests they way you were treated afterwards? You could saved them from that experience.

"next available" was probably the right thing to do. That said, if you are going to leave a restaurant after being given a lengthy wait time, you might want to let the hostess know. Sometimes tables do turn over faster than expected and your number might come up sooner than you were told (in which case, bully for you). If the hostess knows you have departed and can expect you back in approximately a hour (or whatever the quoted time) she can juggle tables around your imminent arrival to be sure you get your table on time as estimated.

There was no excuse for the rude behavior, regardless of your beef.

In the early days or Havana Rumba they use to let you leave a phone # and they would call you when your table was ready. We did this one night after they said one hour. so we took our party to one of the guys houses right down the street. I called a half hour later and they said still waiting........then 15 min later a call ... hurry up your table is ready. We arrive to find it occupied by of all people my ex brother in law. He knew it was mine table too.. The host said he had no choice but to give it up as the tables turned so quickly. I totally understood. they made it right immediately and all was well. We sat the kids at a separate table and it was perfect. We enjoyed a great meal. Of Course HR is a well run classy joint. Having been on both sides of this let me say even with reservations it is so difficult to figure out when a table will leave. You always have your campers that stay forever nursing their coffee and then you have your speed eater who is in and out in a heart beat. Very difficult indeed. However, rudeness is not acceptable.

Using context clues (small place, three tables out front, packed on a Saturday, no place to wait inside) I have a pretty good guess on the establishment in question. It's not my place to name names, as I'm not the OP. Furthermore, a guess could possibly drag a name through the mud of the wrong establishment.

[I just deleted a longer post because I don't want to make assumptions about the establishment in question]. So I will ask this instead. Does this establishment have a call-ahead seating system? I ask not to prove my guess correct, but to point out that such systems always seem to invite confusion into the "how many minutes will I be waiting" game.