Chili's Really is Chilly

My husband actually used to work at Chili's and none of this surprises
me one bit. The management sucked something terrible. They spent
most of their time in the office doing "paperwork" (talking on the
phone with friends and family). Sadly, the Chili's I'm talking about
is in Indiana!

Waiting to be seated is never fun, especially when there are children
involved, but it is harder to seat large families during busy times
than it is to seat smaller parties. Asking them to turn down the A/C
for you, though, is a bit much. While you were directly under the
vent, others were not and it probably didn't seem as cold to them.
You should have asked to move, and if they weren't willing to
accomodate you, you should have left and found a different place to
eat.

After paying full price for the food you didn't eat, did you at least
take it home with you and try reheating it? You know, make the best
out of a bad situation?

Did you try contacting the corporate office first, before coming here?
That's always the best bet. Managers get scared when corporate comes
a'callin'.

I've also noticed many restaurants are freezing. They always say the
kitchen is hot too. But recently I read online that restaurants make
it cold because it stimulates appetite where heat makes a person feel
full. I now bring a sweatjacket everywhere and find myself in it more
often than not.

You could have asked for them to please have the manager come over, or
asked to see him/her on the way out. Most times when you are
displeased because of issues such as the ones you had they will comp
you for the meal or part thereof.

But to pay the bill for food you did not eat is your own fault. Next
time complain to the manager not just the general staff.

A party of five including a baby in a highchair I assume might take
longer to seat that say a couple or three people. You complained about
the wait and wanted to be seated so they gave you what they had.

Rather than asking them to turn it down, you should have asked to be
moved from under the vent. It can take 45 minutes, about as long as
you would have been in the restaurant, for the temperature to feel any
different, due to the size of the building that the AC is cooling. So
turning it down isn't going to do anything for YOU, anyway.
Also, as someone mentioned below, sometimes the themostat is
pre-programmed, and can't be adjusted from inside the building. It's
like that at the restaurant where I work. If you come in right after a
rush (when there are a lot of people in the building, warming it up
with their body heat), the AC is most likely to have kicked into high
gear during that time, and after all the people leave, it still hasn't
adjusted itself.

I try to bring a sweater when I go out to eat, because I know
restaurants tend to be on the cold side. Don't forget, the waitstaff
is running in and out of the hot kitchen, bringing you your food. Do
you really want a sweaty, smelly waiter? I'm sure "My waiter was
dripping sweat and smelled like b.o." will be a letter up here some
day.

sometimes these things can not be controlled easily by the restaurant.
The hvac units are computer controlled off site by an outside company.
I know it stinks, but what stinks more is the manager saying what he
said.

They couldn't move your table? Did you ask? Did they offer?

I don't think you should have paid a penny.

When you finally sat down, you knew it would be cold under the vent
You should have asked to be put down on the list again, for the next
table.

My wife chills easily too, and when we are being seated, her head is
always looking up for vents because of it.

I am always hot, so it makes for fun nights out!

Good Day

you should have asked to speak with that manager. Assuming your
family is not Eskimo or something, the manager should understand that
where you were seated was abnormally cold. I would have asked
(demanded) for some compensation on the spot if it was like an icebox
where you were seated.