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 Spicy Food Should Come with a Warning, Chili's!
Posted Sat June 27, 2009 11:41 pm, by Venice G. written to Chili's
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On the evening of June 26 at approximately 9:00, my family dined at your Harriman Commons location in New York. We had been at the local high school graduation ceremony and were all very hungry when we arrived at the restaurant.
We knew from the parking lot that it was a very busy night. However, as usual, we were seated immediately, and our waitress quickly took our drink orders. When we placed our food orders, I was disappointed to find out that they were out of garlic mashed potatoes, which is a part of my favorite dish, Monterey Chicken. According to the waitress, it was the first time that had happened, and she was very apologetic. She then asked me if I wanted the full or half order, and I replied that I wanted the full order because I was very hungry.
After all the orders were placed, we were having a nice time talking and didn't even realize how long it was taking for the food to arrive until the waitress came back to tell us that it would be right out. We continued talking, again not realizing how much time had gone by, when the waitress returned a second time to tell us the food was on its way.
When the food arrived, everything looked great, until I took a bite of my chicken and realized that it was completely different from what I usually receive when I order Monterey Chicken. This time it was very spicy! It was then I noticed that the other ingredients of Monterey Chicken were either different or missing. When the waitress came to check on us, I told her that I thought it was the wrong order because it was so spicy and did not taste the same as Monterey Chicken usually tastes. Her explanation was that the kitchen probably ran out of plain chicken, and the cook must have used spicy marinaded chicken in its place. Ouch! My mouth was burning. But I didn't send it back for several reasons. It was very late and we were all tired, and I didn't want to wait for something new. Also, I was actually eating the chicken with alternating gulps of water because I was so hungry. So the only suggestion I had for the waitress was to let people know if there's a substitution of spicy food so they can make a choice before it's too late. She agreed and promised to pass that on to the cook.
This specific Chili's location is my favorite restaurant. Other than the Monterey Chicken, there isn't much on the menu I enjoy, but the service, cleanliness, outstanding employees and overall hometown feel keep me coming back. I had no intention of writing to you about this experience until today when out of the blue I realized that aside from being served the wrong chicken, I was served a half portion and not the full one I ordered. My husband paid the bill, and I am not sure how much we were charged for my order, so I am not complaining about the price. My main reason for writing is really the first issue. Spicy food should never be substituted for dishes that are not spicy without asking the customer first. We left as the restaurant was closing, and I am not sure if the waitress said anything to the kitchen, but I just thought this might be something to pass along.
It would take more than this minor inconvenience to stop me from visiting this location again. I have been there many times since it opened, and this is the first time I was not completely satisfied. I can't stress enough how outstanding this location is. The service is always superior, and the employees are so friendly. We have a lot of restaurants to choose from in our area, but my family knows I will always say Chili's when asked where I want to go. We usually only dine out on special occasions, so I want to make sure things go right, which is why we end up at Chili's Harriman Commons location.
Thanks for being an asset to our community!
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by Venice Posted Fri July 3, 2009 @ 5:24 PM
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I received a letter from Chili's today acknowledging my experience.
In part it says:
Please accept our sincere apologies for your experience. We work hard
to maintain the highest standards of guest service that our reputation
is built on, and it is very disappointing to hear we did not meet your
expectations. We have forwarded your comments to the Area Director
for review and training purposes.
Enclosed in the letter were certificates totaling $25. Of course
that's nice, but I am also pleased that there will be a review and
training. I am also pleased that they responded so quickly with
assurance that my concerns were taken seriously.
Nice job, Chili's!
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by Knight Posted Wed July 1, 2009 @ 7:46 PM
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Excellent letter!!! I had lunch today at Chili's and had a great time
as usual.
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Thanks!
by Venice Wed July 1, 2009 @ 12:08 AM
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How can they substitute something that is particularly spicy for a
nonspicy dish without first asking? Nevermind that--ALL substitutions
should be run past the customer first. I am a total spice wuss--I
love it, but some spicy foods actually cause sores on the inside of my
mouth, so it's not just about my taste buds.
The cooks not only dropped the ball here, but so did the waitress. I
am guessing that on a busy night, she opted to not pass along key
information to you.
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the overwhelming desire to make some crank comment about Doris and her
waffles aside. . . .
I hope they take care this more from the standpoint that it seems like
the shorted you on what you ordered. Chilli's is not one of the
cheaper chains and not getting all the food you paid for is not good.
As for the spicy issue, it's Chilli's. I pretty much expect anything
I order from there to be a little stronger than say Applebees or TGI
Fridays. I can't imagine that they would just substitute spicy
chicken because they were out, so I wonder if they grabbed the wrong
one by accident. That would make more sense than swapping it out.
But why the waitress didn't immediately offer you something else, a
refund, or finding out for certain that they were in fact, out of the
"plain chicken" when you told her of the issue baffles me.
I'll be interested to hear how they respond to this. I don't eat
there often, but it would go a long way to know they take care of
their customers!
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I have been waiting for the right time to reference that hilarious
letter to chilis
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wow...I'm glad you were calm. I might have been a little more upset
than you were however. I am VERY sensitive to spicy foods. I cannot
even eat a wendy's spicy chicken sandwhich. Nor can I go to say
chilis or applebees and order chili.
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by Just Jeffrey Posted Mon June 29, 2009 @ 11:11 AM
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Venice, by the way, this is a great letter! Not only did you take
action while you were there, but you followed up with a letter that's
devoid of hyperbole, threats, or anything of the sort.
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by Venice Posted Sun June 28, 2009 @ 11:40 PM
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I can't even stand the smell of spicy food. While it does clear the
sinuses, it also makes me nauseous (at least I'm able to breathe as
I"m throwing up!). My level of spiciness goes as far as Wendy's
chili. And even then I need to wash it down with a Frosty!
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