Unacceptable Service at Olive Garden!

which you can't eat because you're not returning?


Five minutes seems pretty short to me.

and then fifteen minutes?

sounds like they were busy. it happens. i've seen worse. *shrug*

I have no idea why the parking lot at our local OG is always packed. I
went there one time maybe 5 years ago and it was lousy from start to
finish. I think the service was good but the atmosphere and the food
was awful.

I would say forget the complimentary dinners and go to a mom and pop
italian place who actually know what italian cooking is! I know after
my stay at OG, I have not returned after all this time. I can make
pasta anytime at home, no reason for it to be $10-15 a plate for
noodles with some shrimp or cheese thrown in.

While you were sitting there looking at the other servers, couldn't
you have asked one of them to get your server for you? It would have
saved you so much time and anger.

As much as many folks think this, waitpeople are not mind readers. If
you need something, there is nothing wrong with asking for it. Asking
for drinks, asking why food is taking so long (if it's not painfully
blatant the place is really busy), asking for a new fork, and so
forth. Waitstaff who are not assigned to you or the section you are in
may assume you just had your order taken or are waiting on a check or
something else. Is it lousy service? Yes. But I don't think it had to
be - I think you could have spoken up. As long a you don't cop an
attitude, I'm sure the waiter or waitress would do whatever they could
to cater to your needs.

Also...if you plan on never returning to Olive Garden, why are you
asking for free food from them? Who is to say the service will be to
your liking if you go in and get your free food?

Olive Garden is not upscale - it's about two notches above
hole-in-the-wall pizza places and fast-food establishments. My humble
advice is this...if you want to be catered to a lot and get
exceptional mach speed service, don't go to a chain restaurant. It
will cost more to go to an actual fancy restaurant, but the waitstaff
will likely kiss your butt and offer fine service in a timely manner.

Why is is that people cannot state what they want instead of sitting
there getting angrier and more annoyed?
It would have been well within your rights to stop one of the servers
who passed by your table and asked if they could please have your
server come to your table.

I do not condone being ignored by any means...but sometimes you have
to speak up to make things happen.

I am surprised you didnt ask for a bottle of wine along with your free
meal of appetizers, entrees and desserts.

I agree that waiting almost 15 minutes to get your drinks is
unacceptable, but the waitress was there in the time limit you set.
Sometimes it takes opening your mouth and speaking up for yourself to
get what you want.

Would it have hurt if you stopped another server and asked for
drinks?

I wait tables part-time and I can tell you that every server knows
their section and if you aren't part of that section, there is a good
chance they didn't even notice that you were without drinks. When I am
at work, I am focused on my section. I don't really "check-out" the
other tables. In the event that someone did notice, they probably
assumed you were being taken care of, i.e. someone was getting your
drinks. The best thing to do is stop someone walking by and ask them
to get whoever is assigned to your table. Regarding the manager, maybe
that person was already assisting another customer, either in person
or on the phone. I've had people ask for a manager and they have to
wait a few minutes because the manager is helping another customer.
Finally, when you say you will never return to a restaurant but then
ask for free food, it makes it seem like you really aren't interested
in being a customer, you just want a handout.

Never going back? Then why are you asking for all the free service?

Given your location (Tuscaloosa, AL), I would imagine that many of the
employees are likely University of Alabama students. Considering that
the day you visited Olive Garden was 2 days from the start of Spring
Break, it's quite possible that they were short on staff, as many
students leave for Spring Break a day or two in advance.

Olive garden is the mcdonalds of italian food. If it werent for their
breadsticks,they would be out of business.


Good Day

This service is horrible.
A place I worked for as a waiter, we had the 10-5-30 rule. Eye contact
within 10 feet of a customer, verbal contact within 5 feet of a
customer, and all of this must be accomplished, finalized by arriving
at the table in 30 seconds or less.

My first reaction was: You imposed a 5-minute time limit; then you
would get up and leave. Which is what I'd do, too.

But when the server came within your own stated time limit, and asked
for your drink orders, that still was not good enough for you. You
wanted the whole, "Hi, my name is SuzyQ and I'll be your server
today."

It may be true that other servers "saw" you with no food or drink on
your table. For all they know, you've already been greeted by "your"
server and have stated that you need more time. Or that you're
waiting for another member of your party to arrive. Or that one
member of your party is in the restroom. Or that your server was
indeed getting your drinks. Or that you'd prefer to order your drinks
when you order your meal. Or that nobody's thirsty right now.

As someone else pointed out, servers tend to focus on their own tables
and tune out everything else. I think of times I tune things
out--I'll check the Weather Channel for the temp, but I couldn't TELL
you what it said. The info I needed registered in my brain(I need a
coat, boots, umbrella, shorts), but the actual number did not. I'll
look at a clock, but I won't be able to tell you the time. My brain
registered, "Hurry up!" or "Enough time to throw in a load of
clothes".

I'd guess that the other servers noticed "Not my table"; maybe one of
them even thought, "Wow, those people haven't been served yet", which
is why the server did come to your table before your 5-minute time
limit was up.

I agree with you that 13 minutes is long enough to wait to be greeted;
I also agree that the manager should have been almost immediately
available upon your request. But you didn't hold up your end of the
"bargain" you made, either. You refused to be served even though the
server did show up.

Well, then there is no need to give you two expensive free meals. I
was surprised you didn't ask for some wine to go with the rest of your
complete, complimentary, meals.

They didn't owe you anything except an apology, but you left before
you could get it.

so why didn't you ask one of the many passing servers for help?
as a server, there could be a number of reasons you don't have drinks
yet. perhaps you don't know what you want to order, therefore you
have no drinks yet? a lot of the time if i notice a table sitting
there looking at their menus, i assume they are fine. if they have
their menus closed with and they have that wide eyed "WHERE IS MY
SERVER!!!" face, i usually let the other server know she is
desperately needed at that table.
on that note, there have been times that i watch the table get sat.
they sit for a minute at the latest, and all of a sudden they're
huffing away, looking around, acting like they've been there forever.
and if i happen to hear something like "what are we not getting
service today?!?" they wait. because even though i'm just a server,
i'm not a slave.
email the corporate office, get your certificates. next time though,
use your head. it sounds to me like you got more than one opportunity
to raise your voice and get some service.

So what would be the point of the free meal (which, by the way you
know they're not going to give you) if you're "never returning there
again"?


I say after just ONE bad experience, let it go. It's not like it's
going to happen every single time.

I know it can be upsetting, but I've waited much longer to be greeted.
Just because there were servers walking around does not mean they are
yours....maybe yours needed to use the facilities and that was why she
was absent.
Servers only have sections of their own and the rest of the restaurant
is a blur. It isn't their job to notice other server's tables which is
why the people walking by didn't stop and ask you for your drink
order.