Ok....how long is too long?

Welcome to Louisville, Phantom! Tonight, we were packed---well, beyond packed (no complaints here!) but, perhaps not as staffed as we should have been. At six thirty I was full. No room for more, and none getting up soon. Since everyone came in at once, it was a mad house mess for a period of forty-five minutes. When I say mad house, I mean constant tickets, constant tables, constant wine orders, constant fires, everything. I looked up at the door at one point and literally had fifteen or twenty standing there and leading out into the hall.

Goodness A six top was one of the last tables seated. They arrived probably sometime around six or a little after. By the time the server (who had basically been quadruple sat) got them their water and bar order, they had decided they wanted an appetizer. They ordered an antipasto, ticket time 6:23. I'm not 100% certain what time the antipasto came out, because in a period of ten minutes, eight or so tickets had orders for antipasto. Their food was ordered, ticket time 6:27, and as soon as they were about finished with the antipasto, the server took them their salads....at which point, they told her they were in a hurry and needed their food and wanted to go ahead and pay their check.

At 7:04, they got up, put their coats on and said they were leaving because it had taken too long. The server asked me what she should do (because I was in the kitchen helping them get food out) I told her to void their food, but that they needed to pay for their drinks and appetizer. it had only been a half hour and they hadn't mentioned they were in a hurry until they got their salads. Was it unreasonable of me to make them pay for their drinks and appetizers?

At this point, the man involved became irate, started yelling at the server telling her it was ridiculous it had taken so long, and proceeded to crumple up his credit card reciept and throw it in her face....literally.

How long is too long to wait for dinner at an establishment like ours? With an appetizer and two-course meal, what is unreasonable? Their ticket time for food, at 6:27 means that their salads hit the table approximately ten minutes later...which would be 6:37. They ate their salads, which takes a reasonable diner fifteen minutes, tops, and and 7:04 is when they decided they had waited too long and needed to leave.

In the meantime, three of the six entrees were plated and ready to go to the table. After he paid, (and threw the receipt), he walked into the hallway, where he continued in his tantrum.

Although half of me wants to say, forget it...after the way he acted, I don't know that I want him to come back, but I know I need to rectify this situation. When I finally got the opportunity to talk to him, he was so angry, and frustrated, I kindly asked him for his business card or a phone number so I could call him and talk to him at a better time. He gave me a business card, and I plan on writing him a letter.

Sorry for the rant, but I don't have this happen often, and when it does, it makes me a mess!

Ashley

[Robin Garr]

Sorry for the rant, but I don't have this happen often, and when it does, it makes me a mess!

Ashley, I think you handled that train wreck about as well as it could possibly be handled, as you guys invariably do. You just can't make some people happy with a happy-making machine. I wouldn't beat up on myself over this if I were you, and I'd say that following up with him is way above and beyond the call of duty. Good for you for wanting to do that, though.

I know exactly how you feel. People don't understand that they are in control of there own pace in restaurants. Had they let you know up front that they were in a hurry, that could have helped the situation. If it only took 4 minutes for the appetizer. From server ring to it being up, the only thing I could see as a problem was if the server waited before they rang the app in or if it sat in the window too long before it was taken out. But neither was probably the case. After that I go by the notion, you can't make all of the people happy all of the time.
If after salads it took over 30 minutes for the order, then I might get antsy, but not irate, of course I am in the biz. People should understand that any type of sit down dining is not fast-food. Especially at Melillo's, people should expect that to get fresh made, good quality food, you would have to wait more than ten minutes. Oh well, that's my two cents worth.

He threw a wad of paper in the server's face?!!? The guy sounds like a jerk (I'm modifying my language for this forum) and a bully.

Who cares if his wait was too long? There are acceptable ways to deal with minor inconveniences if you don't have an out of control sense of entitlement.

The customer is not always right, especially when they treat workers like second class citizens.

What a shame for this guy that White Castle is closed.

At this point, the man involved became irate, started yelling at the server telling her it was ridiculous it had taken so long, and proceeded to crumple up his credit card reciept and throw it in her face....literally.

How long is too long to wait for dinner at an establishment like ours? With an appetizer and two-course meal, what is unreasonable? Their ticket time for food, at 6:27 means that their salads hit the table approximately ten minutes later...which would be 6:37. They ate their salads, which takes a reasonable diner fifteen minutes, tops, and and 7:04 is when they decided they had waited too long and needed to leave.

After he paid, (and threw the receipt), he walked into the hallway, where he continued in his tantrum.

Although half of me wants to say, forget it...after the way he acted, I don't know that I want him to come back, but I know I need to rectify this situation. When I finally got the opportunity to talk to him, he was so angry, and frustrated, I kindly asked him for his business card or a phone number so I could call him and talk to him at a better time. He gave me a business card, and I plan on writing him a letter.

Ashley

I don't think you were at all wrong to charge him.

I would write a letter and tell him to stay away and the reasons are yelling and especially throwing something at the waitress. If he showed up anyway, I would refuse to serve him. Yelling is bad, but actually throwing something is unforgivable.

You shouldn't feel bad. The customer is not always right.

I'm not a lawyer, but I would think that at the point the receipt was thrown in the server's face the issue turned from a disagreement into assault. I'm sure you just wanted it to be over with and didn't want to involve the police, but some people need to be taught a lesson.

I no lawyer either, but while I agree that throwing the receipt is unforgiveable and perfectly legitimate grounds for barring him from the restaurant (I probably would have done so just for the yelling) I think it's going a bit far to call it assault.

I am also not a lawyer, but a restaurant has the right to refuse service. How quickly we forget OJ at Jeff Ruby's.

As soon as he threw the reciept, he lost any claim to inconvenience, what an A-hole.

That could definitely be assault, depending on the exact circumstances. If the receipt made contact with her, it would technically be considered battery too.

Just as clarification, as a non-lawyer, I wasn't intending to offer a legal interpretation but a common sense opinion. We all know that all too often the legal system throws common sense out the window. I wouldn't be surprised to find that legally it would be considered assault. But it would be a little silly to treat it like assault.

Well, I am a lawyer, and yes, the correct legal term for the guy who threw the receipt is "assclown".

Well, I am a lawyer, and yes, the correct legal term for the guy who threw the receipt is "assclown".

ROTFLMAO!!!

Well, I am a lawyer, and yes, the correct legal term for the guy who threw the receipt is "assclown".

That's Latin, isn't it?