Don't You Just Hate It...

Don't you just hate it when you go out and have dinner at an expensive restaurant and get bad service and crappy food? Well I'm sure some also hate it when I start bitching around about these things...But I don't care, I just want to vent.

Our family went out to have dinner tonight, it's quite rare that we could get everybody in one table even if we all live under one roof. Anyway my youngest sister came from a school retreat so we took the opportunity to go out and eat at Summer Palace at The Edsa Shangri-la. To cut the long story short, they served the bean curd dish before even serving the cold cuts, they served roast duck instead of the roast pig platter cold cuts combination, the waitress serving soup had her thumb on the inner rim of the soup bowl. It took them 20 minutes to serve the soda water that my brother had to order 2 times, then it took them over 30 minutes to get the bill amidst countless requests from 3 different people. But what you would find amusing is the restaurant was not even full. So what gives? My friend told why I should complain, but I told him it's useless, I complained about the same outlet about 2 years ago and nothing seemed to change. So why bother?

Well anyway it's getting later...so here are your photos today....now Don't You Just Love Them???

Comments

[hsiao hu]

hey kc,
i guess u r not reading this, since u never replied on my last posts, but i wanna tell you something:

shangri-la is expensive, we all know that, nevertheless, there is this tourism problem of low salary, people get paid the minimum wages for hard work, and mostly the boss is someone who knows someone, or relative of someone, in other words, an idiot who should not work there... so this goes a lot on the mood of the waiter (low staff), which results in bad service

further, due to that, people keep changing their jobs, u will hardly encounter the same waiter/waitress a year later, so they'll always have new staff, and in the philippines no secret, if one doesnt work well or quit, or gets fired, there r enough others who want the job...

so not to defend anyone, but i think you should just pull down your expectations and not expect much service for expensive food, coz that money goes to the hotel, not to the staff.

BUT you can expect that they do serve the correct food - which would mean that the staff can read, coz they have to type it into the computer, which prints in the kitchen

conclusion: expensive doesn't always mean good!

cheers, hsiaohu

[Closet Conundrums]

Hey HsiaoHu,

I don't know...I mean compared to Shang Palace at the Makati Shangri-la or Lili at the Hyatt Hotel and Casino. What happened last night was really bad. we often eat out and it was really one of the worst dinner service we have experienced.

It used to be that the Summer Palace was better than Shang Palace. Although we live closer to Shang Palace, we have to go all the way to Edsa Shangri-la just to have good Chinese food. But lately we have noticed that the food at Shang Palace has improved a lot and service was really not an issue.

Lili at the Hyatt Hotel and Casino has always been good. I usually host my Chinese dinners there, and although it's very very far we still make the trip. The food is always good and service, fast and efficient.

I guess you are wondering, if these two hotels were way better, why bother go there? Well like I said we were coming from my sister's school so Edsa Shangri-la was closer, and we were never expecting it to be this bad.

Wages shouldn't also be an issue because compared to other restaurants they are compensated better and they also get tips and portions of the service charge.

But anyway you're right, expensive doesn't always good, especially with Edsa Shangri-la.

[Peter]

KC--

You are entitled to be not happy with the service and there are ways to make yourself happy and get your message across.

I've been on both sides of the table, and I too want good service. I'll take good service over good food any day.

That said, this is how I usually handle poor service: 1--I ask the server how long they've been waiting tables. If the answer is less than a month or two, I then, quietly find the manager myself. 2--I respectfully tell the manager that the server needs more training and why. I don't berate the server or the manager or raise my voice. I treat them the way I'd like to be treated. 3--If I don't find that my request is accepted in the spirit I've given it, I find another place. This doesn't mean you're an ass, it just means that you tried and they didn't give you the service you expected. You wish them well and move on. Life is too short to be fighting with someone who won't listen. Check out waiterrant.com for other suggestions.

As for what to call "him," what about beaux or B for short.

Thanks again for being here, you are appreciated

Peace,

Peter

[Closet Conundrums]

Hey Peter,

Thanks for the suggestion. We actually wanted to look for the manager, but just decided to leave and let it not destroy our night. I mean what else would they do? Comp-ing meals is not a standard practice here, and rarely would happen. It could get someone fired, yes, but I'd rather get them to undergo more training. (See I'm not such an ass). I guess the only thing we could do is go elsewhere.

Anyway Beaux sound good... so we will just call him B this time. :-)

[joseph]

a blog is necessary made of texts and eventually pictures! I very appreciate your blog because I'm
obliged to perfect my englishlanguage to understand in first and to read some words in commentaries ! I think the pictures are a good relaxing party !

[hsiao hu]

Hey KC,

i used to work in a 5 star hotels restaurant myself. and let me tell you this. complaining to a manager doesn't result in anything, coz they used to say: so, if he wont come, there'll be another customer...
now in terms of 5 star hotels this will always be a fact, BUT if you want to change it, do as u did, put it on your blog, put it on a restaurant critics website- coz this is what they fear most, word of mouth!

if you want things changed, write critics on a public website, one where many people can leave comments about restaurants, the worse the critics, the harder they have to work on the problem

i really know what i talk about, trust me on that,
hsiaohu

[Jacques]

Hello !
Your photos are always great ! Specially the Asian ones.
Thanks a lot.
Be happy
Jacques from Ibiza (Spain)

[Mace]

Hi KC!

Congratulations on the 2M visitors! I'd like to comment on this post. First of all, for those of you out there that don't know KC-- I met him in person last April and we have developed a great friendship. I can honestly say that KC is NEVER an ASS (but I am!). He is always pleasant, polite, and professional.

He takes his frustrations out with this blog.

If it were me that was there... Lord knows, heads would have rolled. My mother has owned restaurants all her life and I used to have my own business and I expect NOTHING but perfect service. I always go to the Outback in Makati because their service is awesome. If it was ever less than my expectations, I would first explain my problem to the server: "I am upset because I asked you three times for water. There WON'T be a 4th." It would be accompanied with a stern look (I look really mean) and quite possibly raised voice. I told you, I am an ass. It is my prerogative and, if the server even thinks this behavior is okay, the should think again, because as on person commented, there are others standing in line to take his/her place.

Also, I don't buy the "it's low wages, so bad service should be expected crap" because they know what they are getting themselves into when the apply for the job.

So KC-- You did the right thing and I commend you for your professionalism... I would have been very firm with the server (as you well know) and they would have regretted serving me that way!

Mace