Captain's Quarters.... How to complain, and how not to

I am afraid I am one of those people that I can hear 100 good reviews of a place and look forward to going and then hear about one experience like this and say no I think I will wait.

CQ is a great place and we've never had a bad experience there. Our service has always been top notch and the food we've ordered has always been very good. Don't let one bad review sway you. This is a perfect time of year to enjoy their patio, which is the best in town.

Oh the joys of staff some days. I know CQ has an abundance of great wait staff, and if I recall they may have over 50 during the summer. Purely from a numbers standpoint, a few may be less than stellar, or awful. As several people mentioned, the server in question sucked, (I agree AnnMarie had a horrid experience-) but may have a personal grievance against management. Every day we try so hard for each guest to have great food & a great experience,,, but we are only as good as our worst waiter or cook. Not having an abundance of restaurant experience before working 80 + hours a week in ours, I had no idea the challenges faced daily to consistently turn out food & service. That being said, I am sure that Alan would like an opportunity to discuss, and know that is not what he expects of his kitchen or staff.

I agree with Steve. We have never had a bad night at CQ's. If you don't go you miss the best ambience around. It is worth going just to have a drink in the outisde bar if you don't want to try the food. I don't think it is very fair weighing 100 good reviews against 1 bad one.

I am afraid I am one of those people that I can hear 100 good reviews of a place and look forward to going and then hear about one experience like this and say no I think I will wait.

CQ is a great place and we've never had a bad experience there. Our service has always been top notch and the food we've ordered has always been very good. Don't let one bad review sway you. This is a perfect time of year to enjoy their patio, which is the best in town.

I agree with Steve. We have never had a bad night at CQ's. If you don't go you miss the best ambience around. It is worth going just to have a drink in the outisde bar if you don't want to try the food. I don't think it is very fair weighing 100 good reviews against 1 bad one.

I am afraid I am one of those people that I can hear 100 good reviews of a place and look forward to going and then hear about one experience like this and say no I think I will wait.

CQ is a great place and we've never had a bad experience there. Our service has always been top notch and the food we've ordered has always been very good. Don't let one bad review sway you. This is a perfect time of year to enjoy their patio, which is the best in town.

I'm going to dog-pile on here as well. I've had many meals at CC and frequently take out of town guests. When my family comes into town from California at least one trip to CC is always on the planner. Service has always been attentive. AnneMarie's experience sucked but I honestly think it was one of those freakishly bad times that sometimes happens in ALL restaurants for whatever reasons. I always seem to return to CC because of their consistency, price point, bar and ambiance.

99% is an A in any grading system I've ever encountered. I have always had excellent service, good food, and the best view in town when at CQs. This seriously sounds like a freakish experience that is not anywhere close to the norm.

I'm confused. How much of the sandwich did you eat?

It also seems that the server needs to be coached on handling customer concerns and why it's a bad idea to air out restaurant 'dirt' to guests.

EDIT: I also have had nothing but good experiences at CQ all my life.

enough to get sick from it.

No. Be specific. You were about the server's behavior.

EDIT: BTW, Zantac is used to treat acid reflux, not food poisoning.

I am afraid I am one of those people that I can hear 100 good reviews of a place and look forward to going and then hear about one experience like this and say no I think I will wait.

CQ is a great place and we've never had a bad experience there. Our service has always been top notch and the food we've ordered has always been very good. Don't let one bad review sway you. This is a perfect time of year to enjoy their patio, which is the best in town.

After reading your post and the others that followed I realize I was a bit hasty in my decision to delay my visit based on one bad review ....I expect you will find me and my hubby down by the riverside within the next couple of weeks.
Thanks for the insights.

Not trying to speak for anyone else , but if it were me and the sandwich ,chicken salad usually with a mayo base, if is bad you can smell it or taste it on the first bite. I would not have eaten any of it or if I did then I would have spit it into a napkin,discreetly of course . I also would have insisted on speaking with the management if nothing more than to prevent someone else a similar fate.

stephen i know what zantac, (prolosec, pepto) is. if you read my posts you would have read that i got indigestion too, from the sandwich.
what is this 20 questions? sheesh...

You never answered the only question I posed. This tells me you aren't being honest with the forum.

Zantac is not pepto, btw. They treat completely different gastronomical ailments.

Not trying to speak for anyone else , but if it were me and the sandwich ,chicken salad usually with a mayo base, if is bad you can smell it or taste it on the first bite. I would not have eaten any of it or if I did then I would have spit it into a napkin,discreetly of course . I also would have insisted on speaking with the management if nothing more than to prevent someone else a similar fate.

I love you (but I secretly hate you for taking one of my arguments, dang!)

stephen i know what zantac, (prolosec, pepto) is. if you read my posts you would have read that i got indigestion too, from the sandwich.
what is this 20 questions? sheesh...

You never answered the only question I posed. This tells me you aren't being honest with the forum.

Zantac is not pepto, btw. They treat completely different gastronomical ailments.

....he said "gastronomical ailments"....Nice!!

I have been food poisoned twice on chicken. once from a restaurant (chicken fettucini) and once from grilled chicken at my parents house. The grilled chicken was purchased the day before and had been in the fridge immediately. Neither time did either dish smell or taste funny. But let me tell you, I was i the ER the next day from dehydration.
Sounds like you had a bad experience and it's unreal that anyone would say those things after you ordered. It reminds me of when I worked retail and our 2 for $20 t's were so bad quality that they would shrink/fall apart in the wash. But I would have never discouragedsomeone from buying them, or have said "yeah, that happens to them all the time." But anyway, I'll still go to CQ. I've had several lovely evenings there and even enjoyed a chicken salad there (that was served in 1/2 a pineapple).

[Robin Garr]

[....he said "gastronomical ailments"....Nice!!

Huh. Huh-huh. He said "gastronomical ailments," Beavis. Huh-huh.

C'mon, Megan.

Bad produce has that flavor, that flatness before turning into putridity, that we all know as foodies.

Like was said, you get it on the first bite. Your brow furrows and you seek the nearest napkin.

No harm. 'I'll take the bolognese.'

You certainly don't beat them up on a public forum...