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“I Waited For Them To Come By”: Man Gets Abandoned By Staff In A Restaurant, Dines And Dashes
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“I Waited For Them To Come By”: Man Gets Abandoned By Staff In A Restaurant, Dines And Dashes

Interview With Expert “I Waited For Them To Come By”: Man Gets Abandoned By Staff In A Restaurant, Dines And Dashes“Straight Up Left”: Man Fed Up By 40-Minute Wait In Restaurant, Leaves Without PayingRestaurant Staff Ignores Customer, He Takes It As A Sign He Doesn’t Have To PayRestaurant’s Horrible Service Pushes Patron To Dine And Dash: “Never In My Life Thought I Would”Server Ghosts Customer Who Eats What Little Food He Was Brought And Dashes Without PayingFormer Customer Service Employee Can’t Take The Bad Service Anymore, Leaves Without PayingMan Got So Annoyed With The Service He Dined And Dashed After Being Ignored Guy Has To Wait 40 Minutes To Get Served, Decides To Dine And Dash
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We’ve all experienced some form of poor restaurant customer service. It could have been dealing with a neglectful server or waiting half an hour for a plate of curly fries without any staff explaining why. 

A man ticked both boxes during a recent dining experience. After waiting 40 minutes for half of his order to arrive, no one communicated with him about the delay. It left such a bad taste in his mouth (pun intended) that he left without paying. 

As a customer service veteran, the author was left dumbfounded by what he went through. He now shares his very first dine-and-dash episode on the “True Off My Chest” subreddit. 

Bored Panda also had the pleasure of speaking with Jess Panganiban, owner of Sage Day Coffee in Pampanga, Philippines. She was kind enough to share her insights about restaurant management and the possible reasons for poor service. 

RELATED:

    Some restaurants have poor customer service practices

    Image credits: Jay Clark (not the actual photo)

    A man had a terrible dining experience where he had to wait for his incomplete order for 40 minutes without explanation from the staff

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    Image credits: Portuguese Gravity (not the actual photo)

    He was so irritated that he left the restaurant without paying

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    Image source: Ghostspider1989

    Three factors lead to poor service, and they are all the responsibility of management

    Image credits: Getty Images (not the actual photo)

    According to Jess, three main factors lead to subpar customer experience: the lack of prioritization of excellent service, policy implementation, and adequate training. As you can see, these are the responsibilities of management. 

    Ultimately, the entire restaurant staff suffers from such preventable problems. 

    “Some establishments charge damages from payroll, and I wouldn’t say that’s fair if they weren’t properly trained,” Jess explained. “The other way also isn’t fair when management shoulders the cost when the employee mishandled the situation.” 

    Receiving good or bad service is also a matter of timing

    Unfortunately, poor restaurant service exists; sometimes, it’s a matter of timing. As former New York City-based server turned bestselling author Steve Dublanica tells NBC News, customers will likely experience it during the busiest days of the week. 

    As he explained, Friday and Saturday nights are the worst times to dine out; you will need a lot of patience. 

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    “Managers really want to turn and burn — get you in and out so the restaurant can make money,” Dublanica stated, adding that “off nights” like Wednesday and Thursday are the best times where you will likely receive the best service. 

    You also don’t want to be too early or late for dinner. According to Dublanica, servers tend to be “at their worst” at the start and end of their shifts. It also doesn’t help to enter a restaurant before closing time. 

    “You will never see food cooked faster than the food that’s cooked for the last customer of the night,” he said. 

    Regarding servers supposedly ignoring customers, writer and former restaurant professional Darron Cardosa says it likely isn’t the case. In an article for Food & Wine, Cardosa, who has 30 years of server experience, says the waitstaff is reading the room. 

    “It’s that the server is trying to give them the space they seem to want,” he explained, adding that servers intend to “be efficient without being seen.” 

    The author’s experience could be one of the rare moments. As Cardosa assures, restaurants don’t deliberately ignore their customers. 

    “It’s more of an oversight that any restaurant will want corrected because no restaurant wants to give anything other than exceptional service,” he said. 

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    A diplomatic approach is still the way to go

    So, how should one handle poor restaurant service? Celebrity chef Robert Irvine advises against making snide remarks to “teach a lesson.” Respectfully expressing dissatisfaction is still the best way to go. 

    If the situation remains unresolved, the only way to escalate it is to involve the manager. Irvine explains in an article for his website that managers have enough authority to offer a complimentary meal or a free drink. 

    “Make the manager aware of what has transpired, and give them the opportunity to determine what should be done to make it up to you,” he wrote. 

    Jess shared a similar sentiment, adding that most establishments will cater to your requests if escalated through the proper avenues. 

    “Online reviews do make a difference for establishments that care, so I would resort to those instead,” Jess said.

    The author could have tried talking to the manager, but according to him, none of the staff seemed to pay attention. Worse, his appetizer didn’t arrive despite the 40-minute wait.

    The author could have tried this approach, but he said none of the staff seemed to pay attention. Worse, his appetizer didn’t arrive despite the 40-minute wait. 

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    Unfortunately for the restaurant, they had to pay the price through missed profits, which was entirely on them. 

    The author provided more information about what happened

    Commenters shared similar dine-and-dash experiences

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    Most readers agreed that poor service does not warrant a payment

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    Ic_polls

    Poll Question

    Have you ever experienced such poor restaurant service that you considered or attempted a dine-and-dash?

    Yes

    No

    Almost, but didn't

    Never had poor service

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    Miguel Ordoñez

    Miguel Ordoñez

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    Struggling writer by day. Frustrated jazz drummer by night. Space Cowboy 24/7.

    Read less »
    Miguel Ordoñez

    Miguel Ordoñez

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Struggling writer by day. Frustrated jazz drummer by night. Space Cowboy 24/7.

    Ieva Pečiulytė

    Ieva Pečiulytė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    I'm a Visual Editor for Bored Panda. I’m also an analog collage artist. My love for images and experience in layering goes well with both creating collages by hand and working with digital images as an Editor. When I’m not using my kitchen area as an art studio I also do various experiments making my own cosmetics or brewing kombucha. When I’m not at home you would most definitely find me attending a concert or walking my dog.

    Read less »

    Ieva Pečiulytė

    Ieva Pečiulytė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    I'm a Visual Editor for Bored Panda. I’m also an analog collage artist. My love for images and experience in layering goes well with both creating collages by hand and working with digital images as an Editor. When I’m not using my kitchen area as an art studio I also do various experiments making my own cosmetics or brewing kombucha. When I’m not at home you would most definitely find me attending a concert or walking my dog.

    What do you think ?
    Add photo comments
    POST
    Libstak
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We did this many years ago in a group 12 for my sister birthday, yes 12. We waited over 1/2 an hr for a waitress, then nearly an hr for food. Sister ordered a chicken salad. Fancy with daisy petals etc mixed in and 2 small about 1/2 the size of nugget bits of chicken we had to forage thru the salad to find. Everybody just gave her chips and pieces of meat etc from their plates because again, no waitress in sight and HUNGRY. Table wasnt cleared after anoth 1hr. We had enough, got up and single file casually strolled right past the bar staff and the waitress out the door. Stood there chatting a good 10 minutes in full sight of everyone deciding where to go next. No interest, so off we went.

    Libstak
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Dont know why the down vote, we waited 10 minutes very deliberately right outside where they could see us but they just continued to show zero interest, we didnt plan to dine and dash, more like give them a moment of panic but we werent going to stand for their behaviour either.

    Petra Peitsch
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's not eating and left without paying It's giving an honest IRL review. Saying this as a chef. But poor service-staff combined with shítty restaurant manager brings you this. And the most f.uck-you-man-but-really thing about this is, that they always blame us, the kitchen. Especially, if is their own fault.

    Robert T
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If there had been a front desk, I would have gone to the front desk. If not, I would have left cash to cover the cost of the steak and cocktail only on the table. If I had a pen, I'd have also written a note to say "your service sucks".

    Binky Melnik
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If you’re planning to pay with a debit or credit card and haven’t the cash, you can’t simply leave cash if you don’t have it, as you require someone to take your card.

    Load More Replies...
    Load More Comments
    Libstak
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We did this many years ago in a group 12 for my sister birthday, yes 12. We waited over 1/2 an hr for a waitress, then nearly an hr for food. Sister ordered a chicken salad. Fancy with daisy petals etc mixed in and 2 small about 1/2 the size of nugget bits of chicken we had to forage thru the salad to find. Everybody just gave her chips and pieces of meat etc from their plates because again, no waitress in sight and HUNGRY. Table wasnt cleared after anoth 1hr. We had enough, got up and single file casually strolled right past the bar staff and the waitress out the door. Stood there chatting a good 10 minutes in full sight of everyone deciding where to go next. No interest, so off we went.

    Libstak
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Dont know why the down vote, we waited 10 minutes very deliberately right outside where they could see us but they just continued to show zero interest, we didnt plan to dine and dash, more like give them a moment of panic but we werent going to stand for their behaviour either.

    Petra Peitsch
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's not eating and left without paying It's giving an honest IRL review. Saying this as a chef. But poor service-staff combined with shítty restaurant manager brings you this. And the most f.uck-you-man-but-really thing about this is, that they always blame us, the kitchen. Especially, if is their own fault.

    Robert T
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If there had been a front desk, I would have gone to the front desk. If not, I would have left cash to cover the cost of the steak and cocktail only on the table. If I had a pen, I'd have also written a note to say "your service sucks".

    Binky Melnik
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If you’re planning to pay with a debit or credit card and haven’t the cash, you can’t simply leave cash if you don’t have it, as you require someone to take your card.

    Load More Replies...
    Load More Comments
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