Thanksgiving ruined by Cracker Barrel

Posted Fri January 14, 2011 12:00 pm, by Nicholas C. written to Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc.

Write a Letter to this Company

On Thanksgiving of 2010 my Grandmother, Mother, Brother and Myself went to Cracker Barrell on Cortez Road in Bradenton, FL for dinner. My mother and I had both had to work that day and since we were missing on a homecooked Thanksgiving Dinner we thought we would all go out to Cracker Barrell. We arrived about 7pm and it wasn't crowded at all. I guess all the Thanksgiving diners had come earlier in the day. The waitress came to take our orders and wasn't very friendly at all. I commented on the fact that we understood as we had to work the holiday too. She seemed very rushed despite the fact that there weren't many people in the dining room and she made mention of the fact that we were her last table of the night and when we were done she could go home. We ordered 3 of the Thanksgiving Specials and my brother got a chicken salad with fries on the side. We wanted to substitute the sweet potatoes for another side on the thanksgiving dinners and this really seemed to annoy her for some reason. After a long wait she brought our food, dropped it off and ran. Didn't ask if we needed anything else and we did. She had forgotten the fries and we were all in need of drink refills. I spent the next 15 minutes or so trying to flag her down as she was rushing to do her side work. I told her about the missing fries and asked for drink refills which really seemed to annoy her as he huffed off. When she dropped the missing items off (as we were all but finished with our food) I mentioned that we would be ordering one thanksgiving dinner to go when she had a chance to take that order. She said fine and started to walk off and we had to yell to stop her and remind her that our 3 dinners included pie and we wanted to order it. She came back with the pie and also with the packaged up to go dinner. She had never asked what sides or pie we wanted with the to go dinner and I commented to my mother that I was afraid to tell her we needed it changed as it would really piss her off. I was going to stiff her on the tip but my mother begged me not to. I was very angry and have never been treated so poorly at a Cracker Barrell and I've eaten at them for years from Florida to Massachusetts! I understand that people don't like working holidays. I am a customer service manager for Home Shopping Network and I manage a crew of people who all had to work the holiday but we still expected them to treat the customers with courtesy and respect.

My family can't get Thanksgiving back but I would like to have the chance to enjoy a nice dinner out at Cracker Barrell with my family with the customer service that we deserve.

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Re: Thanksgiving ruined by Cracker Barrel by Chippp! Posted Tue March 22, 2011 @ 11:06 AM while you are a bum for having thanksgiving at a cracker barrel, i agree on the waitresses shoddy service. i applaud you for keeping your cool, because i for one would have become quite hostile and most likely shoved those pies down her throat and kicked in her ovaries, but thats just me. i hope you realize that going to an establishment as bummish as cracker barrel is not in your best interest.... have a normal thanksgiving dinner you freak.. Reply Chips got a point! by Brett68 Tue March 22, 2011 @ 11:16 AM Re: Thanksgiving ruined by Cracker Barrel by Mnemosyne Posted Wed January 19, 2011 @ 2:23 PM You're brave, I don't want anyone handling my food angry, Reply Re: Thanksgiving ruined by Cracker Barrel by RedheadwGlasses Posted Tue January 18, 2011 @ 1:18 PM Sounds like a cranky waitress who didn't want to work that day and she decided to take it out on everybody else. Feel sorry for her. But i don't like a two-month late complaint at all. Reply I'm with the OP by Tom S. Posted Mon January 17, 2011 @ 9:48 AM Yes, it truly stinks to have to work on a holiday. I speak from years of experience. That, however, does not excuse poor (or hostile) service to your customers. The OP was very kind in listening to her mother and leaving a tip and refraining from complaining to the manager that day. I have worked in places where such attitude displayed toward patrons resulted in termination. Reply cracker barrell by nanamo Thu March 17, 2011 @ 1:26 PM Re: Thanksgiving ruined by Cracker Barrel by batmoody Posted Sun January 16, 2011 @ 11:05 AM This is exactly why these places should just be closed. I have absolutely no sympathy for anyone who goes to a restaraunt on Thanksgiving Day. No matter what you are going to have employees that are resentful and would rather be with their own families. What about their homecooked meal. Nope, they just get to serve others all day. FUN! I understand the waitress was rushed and distracted and I just can't really put all the blame on her for being made to work. She is simply the EFFECT, you on the other hand are the CAUSE. Reply Totally disagree by Lisa H. Sun January 16, 2011 @ 7:00 PM I disagree also by Jake G. Sun January 16, 2011 @ 7:47 PM But ruined? by batmoody Mon January 17, 2011 @ 11:26 AM Why not ruined? by Jake G. Mon January 17, 2011 @ 5:03 PM It's not that she wasn't in the wrong by MA Cunningham Tue January 18, 2011 @ 10:39 AM unless you're dead by PepperElf Tue January 18, 2011 @ 11:01 AM OUCH! by MA Cunningham Tue January 18, 2011 @ 11:12 AM i wouldn't hold my breath by PepperElf Tue January 18, 2011 @ 1:19 PM I'd like to be able to see things from that perspective! by MA Cunningham Tue January 18, 2011 @ 2:03 PM Obviously its all in the way you look at it by Jake G. Tue January 18, 2011 @ 11:30 AM One person's "ruined" by MA Cunningham Tue January 18, 2011 @ 12:48 PM Aha. I figured it out by Jake G. Tue January 18, 2011 @ 12:59 PM As I said by MA Cunningham Tue January 18, 2011 @ 1:41 PM So regardless by LadyMac Tue January 18, 2011 @ 2:41 PM No one trivialized it by MA Cunningham Tue January 18, 2011 @ 3:12 PM YOUR perspective by LadyMac Tue January 18, 2011 @ 3:49 PM I bet she'd like too by BigShot Mon January 17, 2011 @ 4:44 PM That's rather general, isnt it? by Jake G. Mon January 17, 2011 @ 4:51 PM I totally agree by Lisa H. Mon January 17, 2011 @ 6:03 PM It's one thing by BigShot Mon January 17, 2011 @ 7:49 PM for this business by Michelle O. Mon January 17, 2011 @ 8:29 PM My level of empathy for the server by Jake G. Mon January 17, 2011 @ 8:58 PM Okay by BigShot Mon January 17, 2011 @ 10:19 PM It's Okay by Jake G. Mon January 17, 2011 @ 11:47 PM No need to be hostile by BigShot Tue January 18, 2011 @ 6:39 PM I have also by Lisa H. Tue January 18, 2011 @ 9:25 AM But....... by BigShot Mon January 17, 2011 @ 4:38 PM But..... by Jake G. Mon January 17, 2011 @ 4:53 PM Not saying by BigShot Mon January 17, 2011 @ 7:33 PM Totally Disagree by kelly s. Tue January 25, 2011 @ 2:35 PM Re: Thanksgiving ruined by Cracker Barrel by olie Posted Fri January 14, 2011 @ 10:59 PM Why couldn't your brother toss a turkey in the oven, mix up a box of StoveTop, and mash a few potatoes? Reply Who cares? by Eclipse Sat January 15, 2011 @ 1:40 AM OP wrote that the family missed out on a home-cooked meal. by olie Sun January 16, 2011 @ 1:56 AM um... by starla671 Wed February 23, 2011 @ 2:33 AM Re: Ruined Thanksgiving by E C. Fri January 14, 2011 @ 11:48 AM I agree by Lisa H. Fri January 14, 2011 @ 12:23 PM EC by PlanetFeedback's Mr. Helpful Fri January 14, 2011 @ 6:45 PM uhhh... by kathleen m Fri January 14, 2011 @ 9:57 PM Exactly by E C. Sat January 15, 2011 @ 3:20 AM So by PlanetFeedback's Mr. Helpful Sat January 15, 2011 @ 3:58 AM the time.... by franese Sat January 15, 2011 @ 10:53 AM At Cracker Barrel by Mr. Mark Sun January 16, 2011 @ 12:41 PM But it's so much easier by LadyMac Sun January 16, 2011 @ 10:01 PM Neither does writing a letter 2 months later by jeishere Mon January 17, 2011 @ 9:44 AM But it does notify the restaurant that there was a problem by LadyMac Mon January 17, 2011 @ 10:36 AM well... by PepperElf Tue January 18, 2011 @ 10:58 AM ... by Mr. Mark Mon January 17, 2011 @ 11:44 AM It doesnt by MA Cunningham Tue January 18, 2011 @ 1:05 PM I don't understand by E C. Mon January 17, 2011 @ 9:22 AM And people here do that frequently by RedheadwGlasses Mon January 17, 2011 @ 12:34 PM Actually, I've done that a lot by E C. Mon January 17, 2011 @ 12:37 PM EC by PlanetFeedback's Mr. Helpful Mon January 17, 2011 @ 1:36 PM In answer to Lady Mac by franese Mon January 17, 2011 @ 1:53 PM WOW by MA Cunningham Posted Tue January 18, 2011 @ 1:39 PM IMHO, it's completely disingenuous to call this site "Planet Feedback" when there is a constant, passive aggressive undercurrent that prohibits anyone with a dissenting opinion from expressing it. Even when commenters agree with the OP, but only in part, they are still met with same response that it's "mean" and "cruel" to tell an OP they are wrong or to have the gall to suggest that there is something they could have done to get a different response. & FWIW, nowhere do I see any indications that any of the commenters believe that the OP's complaints are the sole source of the World's woes. So I just want to understand, do these people really want help and suggestions to remedy their situation or just to vent? Perhaps that should be better clarified. Reply The only person by LadyMac Posted Tue January 18, 2011 @ 2:52 PM To have used the words "mean" and "cruel" in this letter is you. And I see plenty of dissent on this and other letters. Reply