A Question........

This is mainly geared towards Managers/Owners but I have a situation that has left me wondering what the proper course of action may be and any/all input is welcome. I have a guest who has been in my restaurant MANY times and has done nothing but complain about EVERYTHING every time. This person want's their food "separated" so no items are "touching" on the plate, wants the "best" cut of meat and then whines every time about how it is "too lean" or "too fatty or "too small" or just doesn't taste right due to the lack of salt, too much sauce whatever......you get the picture....What's worse is when the whole family comes in and all of them want the food "separated" and each has their own little way of butchering my menu to the point where I want to just hand them a pad and pencil and have them design their own little freak show. My question is.......when do you, as a manager or restaurant owner, say enough is enough and not serve a paying customer? Should that ever happen?? Understand that I have NEVER provided bad service or kicked anyone out of my place but there must be some point where dining crosses the line into absurdity. They are pissing off my servers, my cooks, other guests, and lastly...me! It would be easy if they were just one time guests who were demanding but they are true %@#holes and I wonder why they keep coming back when everything we do is wrong every time. It has gotten to the point where servers see them coming and go hide, and, frankly, so do I (in the kitchen of course) Suggestions? Anyone??

They may keep coming back to yur place becasue they've been kicked out of every other place in town.

You could charge them re-plating fees or prep the server to tell them you are out of most everything on the menu.

It sounds like the whole family has OCD issues.

Unfortunately, you may just have to grin and bear it.

My considered opinion is that if folks want to live like Howard Hughes, they should hire a personal chef and eat at home. To suggest that the various foods on a dinner plate should be segregated (separated,... whatever) is neurotic beyond the pale. It seems to me that if a client decides after one or two meals that service or the qualtiy of the meal isn't up to par then they should find another restaurant.

It's one thing if multiple, consistently bad reviews from various parties lead one to the same conclusion. It's another thing altogether if one bizarrely demanding review from only one party requires something beyond the venue.

Unfortunately, you may just have to grin and bear it.

Quite frankly, Dave can do whatever he wants.

and i think that's the whole point.





i say you charge them some retarded price for (more or less) constructing their own menu,
and your justification:
'what i served you is not what is on my menu... this is the price that that dish commands - for my time and suffering'



they'll probably get all pissed off and argue, and you'll end up having to eat the cost...

but if you piss them off as much as they piss you off...

they may never be back.



...and yes, sounds like they've been kicked out everywhere else.






trying to come up with fun ways to dispose of these guys is pretty fun in itself.

Dave, tell me who they are (off line, of course).

I may have kicked them out before ...

Well, Do you really need the business that bad to put up with all of that?

As the owner looking at the bottom line, you probably are thinking "Yes...I 'll do what ever it takes to make my patrons happy as long as they are spending money"

However; Word of mouth is your best friend and could be your worst enemy when it comes to this situation. (High Maintenance People Have a Lot Of Friends, but You're Gonna have to have to deal)

As a Chef you are probably saying "@#$%@^!!!!!!"

It's a very fine line... However, You do reserve the right to serve the kind of food you want in your establishment and you must maintain a level of service that is consistant to all of your patrons....

But it seems to me that a few of your customers have "Hi-Jacked" your restaurant.

People like this will hold you hostage, because they know they can get away with it. And they will go to great lengths to bastardize your well thought out menu.

I think you know the answer to this question already....

Dave,

Politely tell the guy you can offer him a ham sandwich to go.

It may be an OCD issue or, since the whole family seems to practice the same annoying habit, it may be a learned tactic designed to give them attention and make them feel special. We've all been out with folks that consistently send back every plate because it doesn't meet their standards. A bunch of work colleague refused to dine with one of our own because they were always such a pain in the a** to the servers and restaurant managers. Said colleague modified their behavior. How you handle it may depend on how badly you want their business. I bet however, once the habit is indulged it will only get more profound.

I've eaten in your restaurant a couple times and it was fantastic! If you told me I couldn't come back unless I got my hair cut I might have to look for a barber. Don't be afraid to tell them "If you don't like it you can dine elsewhere." You've earned that right as an owner. Hell, they might even make a sitcom episode out of you! Remember the soup Nazi?

Well, I know what Jeff Ruby would do in this situation...Why you might even get a standing ovation from your staff AND your other guests should you refuse service to this particular family and their outrageous demands...

I do not know Indiana law on the issue, but in Kentucky the owner of retail premises has the right to refuse service to anyone as long as it is not on grounds that discriminate against a protected class of persons: racial minority, disabled, etc.

So, if your grounds are that these people are disruptive to your business, you may simply deny them access to your premises. Please check Indiana law to make sure it is the same as Kentucky on this issue.

Give them a complimentary copy of the NY Times and see if they have the sense to put it all into perspective. Best of luck with this situation. I do retail food service and I feel your pain. Peace of mind and Love to you and your staff.I read here daily and always enjoy your comments. I rarely post. I shall make it a point to find time to come and visit your place.BD

Dave,
I had this very same situation in my restaurant in Missouri. I was catering to stars primarily and they have very odd requests. I would suggest that you politely take the person who pays the bill to the side and explain that it disrupts your service to accomidate their request. You appreciate their business but during the peak hours you will not be able to accomidate going forward. If they want to come in at a non peak time you can accomidate, business permitting.

It is your right to refuse to serve them, but you have done it for a period of time so that may be a bit harsh. After the talk if it still is a problem, tell them it is not working out and you will no longer be able to accomidate their request.

Well, I know what Jeff Ruby would do in this situation...Why you might even get a standing ovation from your staff AND your other guests should you refuse service to this particular family and their outrageous demands...

I would get a round of applause from my staff and am actually banking on them coming back (just testing the waters first to see what others thought the protocol might be) and to Ethan, man we need to have a beer as you are spot-on!! I have already bought several meals for them and there will come a point (assuming I don't kick the bastardos out) where I charge them an %#@hole surcharge. Indeed, I am thinking of putting that as a caveat on the fall menu just for kicks!..........And.......for the record...O.J. would be kicked out of my place as well.

[Robin Garr]

Suggestions? Anyone??

I think you've answered all your own questions, Dave. You can 86 'em and risk bad word of mouth, or you can grin and bear it.

I'm thinking, though, that if they're this nuts, the chances are that their friends know all about it and aren't going to start a mass movement to crucify you if you throw them out.

Rather than simply banning them, you might also consider having a frank talk with them and explaining why you can no longer accommodate all their requests - or, maybe, can't accommodate their requests without a significant surcharge. Then let them ban themselves if they don't like it.