A few weeks ago we went to a locally-owned Italian restaurant (I won’t say the name because that would be irresponsible and I could be wrong). This is a place we’ve patronized for years and years. Anyway we had a wonderful dinner, paid the bill, and left. About 45 minutes later, at 9.45 on a Saturday night, we got a call from the head waitress at the restaurant asking us if we had a “nice meal,” and if we had any "problems with the food or service.” We assumed that the phone number was taken off the reservation book. We said we had no problems then hung up. But something didn’t sit right with me.
So I called back and pushed the woman to tell me what the real reason behind the phone call was. She repeatedly stated that she was simply completing a “courtesy call” and that was the establishment’s M.O. I’ve been eating at this restaurant for almost 15 years. I’ve been there hundreds of times and have been there a few times since this “courtesy call” night. On no other occasion, before or since, have I ever received a courtesy call after I ate there. Additionally, I worked there in my teens, and it was never M.O. for anyone on the wait staff to call phone numbers off the reservation book to see how the meal went. I gently pushed the woman to tell me what was really going on, and I explained that if something was wrong with the food (food poisoning, etc) or something wrong with the establishment itself that I had the right to know. But the waitress stuck to her story, and the second phone call ended.
I’m sorry that’s weird though, right? No restaurant calls its patrons at 9.45 at night to ask how their meal was, do they? If anything that practice would work to actually alarm the clients. No businessman would have his employees call clients late at night like that. I have never had a bad experience at this restaurant but there was defiantly something fishy going down that night. Had to be, right? Am I wrong? Or is that really weird?
Speaking of really weird, I’m celebrating 3 months and 9 friends on Facebook @ the Cat’s Pajamas
Brian Huba
4/17/11
Maybe someone stole your tip off the table before the waitress was able to pick it up. So they might of thought you din't tip intentionally because of bad service and the call was to confirm that before they fired the busboy for theft.
ReplyDeleteDitto to what anonymous said. A few years ago I took a client to dinner and we were bsing in the parking lot. The waiter came out and asked if there was a problem. When I assured him all was fine, he asked why I stiffed him. I told him I left 25%. Turns out the busboy did steal the tip.
ReplyDelete