Result at TGI Friday's

[Tamborista]

Quick question for "Freemeal"

I may have missed how much The OP, tipped the wait staff in this thread, I assume they took care of their server despite they had a free meal, that would have been the "right" thing to do. After all, it was not their fault you had a creapee crawlee in your tossed salad.

 

[Chirimoya]

Didn't you know? Life has no risks anymore.

And folks want to win the Litigation Lottery.

I've been in various businesses both here and in the states for over 25 years-including a restaurant/bar not unlike Fridays. And I can't count how many times I've been sued over silly stuff. I never lost a suit, never settled, and paid royal legal fees. Part of doing business, I suppose.

Ex-wife ias an anesthesiologist. Unbelievable what folks will sue over. She never lost either, but all her legal issues were subrogated to her malpractice company...that she paid US$140,000 a year for insurance.

But folks on the "other" side don't care. They can take the tiniest incident and make it sound like someone intentionally put that iceberg in front of the Titanic.

In this case the OP intentionally and with forethought made a MUCH larger deal out of the incident for the expressed intent of taking from the business owner something he didn't deserve. And he did so with the threat of involving other folks in the controversy, other customers who had nothing to do with the situation, for the purpose of embarassing the owner. That is a form of extortion, period.

A flaw in today's culture is the entitlement attitude. The OP didn't want actual remediation of the actual error-a replacement salad with a comped salad. He wanted the ENTIRE bill comped and exagerated the problem in order to take something that wasn't his. AND he thinks he was so clever he felt a need to brag on a message board!

Such actions drive up the cost of business...and the end price...and further weaken a fragile culture. Folks here constantly complain about how Dominicans are always "out to get them", then they do something like this.

To be cliche: if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

Actually I agree with a lot about what you say about the culture of excess litigation, but that really only applies to the US. In the DR people are too accepting of poor service, faulty goods and ripoffs and don't bother seeking redress, so I commend both Fridays and the OP for bucking the trend!

And it's really easy to say what "good PR" is when it's not your investment. There is nothing easier than spending someone else's money.

Ah - you know what they say about assuming! I know the value of customer relations even when it's my own money. Just something I'm dealing with now - a client made a mistake and sent me the wrong document for translation, and I translated it before they noticed the mistake. The document I should have translated would have come to 8000 pesos less.

Even though I did the work and am now suffering the consequences in the shape of a very painful shoulder, I will not be billing them for the full amount - I'm reducing half the difference. I did the work, and the error was not my fault, but I know they feel bad and will appreciate the gesture and it will ensure goodwill and repeat business in the future.

Well worth 4000 pesos - and if I can absorb a loss of 4000 pesos I'm sure Fridays can cope with the 10k (retail price) they waived in the OP's case.

 

[waytogo]

Quick question for "Freemeal"

I may have missed how much The OP, tipped the wait staff in this thread, I assume they took care of their server despite they had a free meal, that would have been the "right" thing to do. After all, it was not their fault you had a creapee crawlee in your tossed salad.

Excellent question...That does raise the question, did the op leave a tip and if yes I hope it was more that 10 pesos. I'm sure he will come back and say that is none of our business, but he did start this thread saying he got what he could get. In his way of thinking, no charge, no tip. Pheeeeew.

 

[rh8371]

no offence but both accidents were your fault. you trip, you slip - how is that a fault of a hotel? you could have slipped or fell in your own house just as well, who would you sue? :tired:

This is how business' are held accountable at least in the states, same as if I slip and fall on a sidewalk in NYC because a business owner didn't shovel the snow in front of their store, the business is held liable. same as any hotel or restaurant in the states. if the OP got food poisoning, is the establishment not to be held responsible? They are, as I know first hand by running a a bunch of corporate restaurant chains along the east coasst of the states. It is ridiculous what some folks can sue for in the states but it's what keeps business' in check .... avoid a possible lawsuit by making sure you or your business is not exposed. In my case the sloped ceramic tiled pool deck would be considered a "design flaw" that would have to be rectified or at the very least signage that warns people of the possible dangers of slipping on the wet tile while entering or exiting the pool.

 

[woofsback]

right is right and wrong is wrong

facts are we pay for a good meal
if it isn't good why pay for it
if we pay for something and it isn't what we payed for.. just walk away?

sure he's proud he scooped the deal free...
so are the scammers who got us to pay twice for what we got was worth

it's a balancing act and some will say he's right on grounds of service and others will say he's wrong on grounds of character

 

[woofsback]

in regards to the slip and fall

my mother fell in a grocery store after stepping on a grape...broke her arm.
i asked her why she didn';t sue..
her answer...i shoulda been watching where i was walking
some characters are stronger than others

 

[cobraboy]

Ah - you know what they say about assuming! I know the value of customer relations even when it's my own money. Just something I'm dealing with now - a client made a mistake and sent me the wrong document for translation, and I translated it before they noticed the mistake. The document I should have translated would have come to 8000 pesos less.

Even though I did the work and am now suffering the consequences in the shape of a very painful shoulder, I will not be billing them for the full amount - I'm reducing half the difference. I did the work, and the error was not my fault, but I know they feel bad and will appreciate the gesture and it will ensure goodwill and repeat business in the future.

Well worth 4000 pesos - and if I can absorb a loss of 4000 pesos I'm sure Fridays can cope with the 10k (retail price) they waived in the OP's case.

I "assume" you have some sort of written contract agreement that covers this? Good PR does not necessarily mean you get reamed by a customer when THEY screw up. If THEY had a strong character they'd pay you anyway.

I'm curious? How does doing document translation cause shoulder pain? I don't see the connection.

 

[ExtremeR]

I "assume" you have some sort of written contract agreement that covers this? Good PR does not necessarily mean you get reamed by a customer when THEY screw up. If THEY had a strong character they'd pay you anyway.

I'm curious? How does doing document translation cause shoulder pain? I don't see the connection.

CB I usually agree with most you say in this board (aside from US politics) and therefore consider you a very intelligent person. The value of a good customer service action can be huge specially in a business like TGI Friday where people does not go to eat food but to be seen by others in their social sphere. If for some reason it is slipped between the SD elite that there's roaches roaming around TGI Friday's the damage to the brand and even the Plaza Acropolis could be huge.

The fact that a roach is roaming around TGI Friday's is a sign that their hygiene is not being taken care of as it should, the first thing you imagine is their kitchen full of them over their meats and so. If customers are going over there and paying a premium price to consume their products and service they should expect the best in terms of quality hygiene and service, something short of is just unnaceptable and the manager should be held accountable for that. That way they will take extra care that this does not happen again with other customers.

About blaming the OP for taking the opportunity, we all take opportunities every day in our life, when we hire our maid to sub standard wages so she can clean our house twice a day we are taking an opportunity, when we buy something at 50% off in the Internet we are taking an opportunity, when we hire a lawyer so they can find loopholes in the tax laws to abide paying taxes we owe to the government we are taking an opportunity, so I don't see why compensating a good client at an upscale restaurant after they failed to deliver their promised service should be regarded as being dishonest.

Is not good to be so self-righteous and judging people, it could bite us back in our ass when we look at our own past actions.

PS: About the shoulder pain by translating, have you ever had chronic stress typing a long document with a deadline set? I work monitoring a network in front of a computer 12 hours a day and while I'm not doing any physical force at all, some days I leave the NOC with an acute shoulder and neck pain just due to stress. It is not so stressful when you pay others to do the job for you doesn't it??

 

[wuarhat]

CB I usually agree with most you say in this board (aside from US politics) and therefore consider you a very intelligent person. The value of a good customer service action can be huge specially in a business like TGI Friday where people does not go to eat food but to be seen by others in their social sphere. If for some reason it is slipped between the SD elite that there's roaches roaming around TGI Friday's the damage to the brand and even the Plaza Acropolis could be huge.

The fact that a roach is roaming around TGI Friday's is a sign that their hygiene is not being taken care of as it should, the first thing you imagine is their kitchen full of them over their meats and so. If customers are going over there and paying a premium price to consume their products and service they should expect the best in terms of quality hygiene and service, something short of is just unnaceptable and the manager should be held accountable for that. That way they will take extra care that this does not happen again with other customers.

About blaming the OP for taking the opportunity, we all take opportunities every day in our life, when we hire our maid to sub standard wages so she can clean our house twice a day we are taking an opportunity, when we buy something at 50% off in the Internet we are taking an opportunity, when we hire a lawyer so they can find loopholes in the tax laws to abide paying taxes we owe to the government we are taking an opportunity, so I don't see why compensating a good client at an upscale restaurant after they failed to deliver their promised service should be regarded as being dishonest.

In the USA it's called the judeo-christian work/guilt ethic. The consumer and the laborer are trained to feel guilt for taking advantage of the same opportunities that capital thrives on.

 

[Chirimoya]

I "assume" you have some sort of written contract agreement that covers this? Good PR does not necessarily mean you get reamed by a customer when THEY screw up. If THEY had a strong character they'd pay you anyway.

Yes, maybe, but it was the result of a silly mistake by an admin assistant who was probably getting a real bollocking as a result, so I thought I'd ease the blow and buy myself some brownie points in the process.

I'm curious? How does doing document translation cause shoulder pain? I don't see the connection.

As ExtremeR already pointed out - the consequence of sitting at a desk, translating and typing a 45-page document in 4 days + the stress involved in meeting the deadline.

 

[calverde]

you are in a developing country in the tropics. bugs everywhere. get over it.

 

[rsg]

you are in a developing country in the tropics. bugs everywhere. get over it.

Yea, but your not paying developing country prices at TGI FRIDAYS...

 

[Freemo]

Quick question for "Freemeal"

I may have missed how much The OP, tipped the wait staff in this thread, I assume they took care of their server despite they had a free meal, that would have been the "right" thing to do. After all, it was not their fault you had a creapee crawlee in your tossed salad.

Hi Freemeal here, yes my wife gave him a handsome tip. As I said he was well worth it. But I'm not about to cry over getting one over on TGI's.

 

[waytogo]

But I'm not about to cry over getting one over on TGI's.

That's funny, they take in over 1 million pesos on a weekend and you think you got one over on them. Don't take this personally, but anyone who states that he got something over on anybody or anything, especially food at a restaurant to me is a person admitting he is a thief. What else would "getting one over on" mean. It's not like you outsmarted someone in a standup business deal. This was a very petty action that I find hard to believe someone would brag over.
imho (h stands for honest).

 

[waytogo]

Originally Posted by calverde
you are in a developing country in the tropics. bugs everywhere. get over it.

Yea, but your not paying developing country prices at TGI FRIDAYS...

Pretty smart bugs knowing the prices on the menu.......
I wonder what door they're forming a line at...

 

[oldschool]

That's funny, they take in over 1 million pesos on a weekend and you think you got one over on them. Don't take this personally, but anyone who states that he got something over on anybody or anything, especially food at a restaurant to me is a person admitting he is a thief. What else would "getting one over on" mean. It's not like you outsmarted someone in a standup business deal. This was a very petty action that I find hard to believe someone would brag over.
imho (h stands for honest).

Whats that Leo Durocher quote again "nice guys finish last"

 

[cobraboy]

Highly ironic: we have a new group of riders in the DR. We had our usual "meet and greet" dinner at the Gran Jimenoa Monday night. Entres were served. A couple of minutes later Alida nudges me and lifts a strip of chicken in garlic sauce: a round bug is sauce, legs kicking. We motion for the waiter to come over, say nothing but quietly point to the bug. He gets a look of disgust, takes the plate away, and several minutes later a new dish arrives.

No big deal. No theatrics, no extorting the manager. Just fixing the problem.

I ran a restaurant for a numbers of years in FL. And no matter HOW hard you try, no matter HOW clean you try to be, bugs are a fact of life. Especially in the tropics. Every thing that comes into the kitchen or food storage areas might have them. Fact of life. A roach is not necessarily indicative of kitchen cleanliness in a restaurant as it isn't a reflection of houskeeping in YOUR house.

Opinions vary. Some seek gain at another person's expenxse. Others seek redress in other ways. Mirrors reflect differently.

 

[waytogo]

Whats that Leo Durocher quote again "nice guys finish last"

Finishing last to be a nice guy, I can live with that. That steak I eat whenever I want....It still tastes the same.

 

[oldschool]

Finishing last to be a nice guy, I can live with that. That steak I eat whenever I want....It still tastes the same.

What if there were no steaks left because you were such a nice guy that you let everybody else at the restuarant or supermarket buy their steaks before you and then all of a sudden there were none left for you to eat......well I guess you could then enjoy a nice dinner of air and potatos then, or buy a cow just to be on the safe side.

 

[waytogo]

What if there were no steaks left because you were such a nice guy that you let everybody else at the restuarant or supermarket buy their steaks before you and then all of a sudden there were none left for you to eat......well I guess you could then enjoy a nice dinner of air and potatos then, or buy a cow just to be on the safe side.

That is the longest sentence I have ever read.
Well, I would eat shi* before I became a thief. I always think that everyone had to work as hard for their money as I.
Air and potatoes ???????