Just because some things come out fast...

[AssultTank]

Warning: LONG and has a lot of set up...

Okay, I work for Greater Atlanta BBQ, a franchisee that runs all the Sonny's BBQs in the Atlanta area.
I am kinda the jack of all trades at the location I work at. I cook, I run the dish pit, I run drive-thru (yes, we are a full service restaurant with a drive-thru.), I do catering, and I can even double as a server (I currently don't have a permit to serve alcohol so I can't do that right now.).

On this particular day, I am the line cook. This means I slice meat, I run the grill, and I build plates.
From the pit window, I can see sections one and two and I can see the take out counter.

A ticket prints for a well done burger, a full rack of baby back ribs, a grilled chicken sandwich, and a chicken tender lunch.
I ask the server if she informed the customer that it would be about 20 minutes on their order and she said yes.
So I throw the burger and chicken on the grill and offline the ticket until they get close to done.

Fast forward 20 minutes. The entire ticket I mentioned above is almost done.
I set up the plates, get all the sides ready, and then I put the meat on the plates when the server comes up and says, "You know that burger ticket for one six? I need it to go, they said they're in a hurry and need to leave."
I grumble a bit and put the entire order into to go boxes.
I place the food in the window and the server takes it out to the table.

A few minutes later after I manage to clear my ticket line, I notice someone standing at the take out counter. She mouths something right as a ticket prints. Now I'm no good at lip reading and I assume that the bartender is putting in the order for that customer as take out is part of the bartender's job.
No, the ticket is for a table, not take out.
But it is an easy one and I get to work.
While I'm making the ticket the lady who had been standing at the counter comes into the server station and the following exchange occurs.(Note, I continue making orders while this is going on and the servers are having trouble getting to the food I put in the window.)

SC "Excuse me, I was asking you to get a manager."
Me "I apologize, I have difficulty reading lips as my vision is poor even with my glasses."
SC "Well then go get one now."
Me "As soon as I finish making this order I will, but for now I will have to ask you to stand over at the take out counter as this is an employee only zone."
SC "No, I said now."
*Right as she says this, the GM walks up behind me to see what is going on.*
SC "This stupid boy refused to go get you when I told him to."
GM "I'm sorry, but cooks are trained to finish making the ticket they are working on before they go off to do other things."
SC "This is unacceptable. I had to wait 20 minutes to get my food after I ordered and now I am late for work."
Me *thinking, then why are you still here?*
GM "Well ma'am, what did you order"
SC *she rattles off the order I described above*
GM "Did the server inform you that those were items that took awhile to cook?"
SC "Well yes, but I didn't think it would take that long. I want my food free because I had to wait so long for it."
GM "You were informed that these items would take time to cook, this is not McDonalds, our burgers are freshly cooked to order. Knowing this you decided to order the burger anyway. I will not give you any free food for this."
SC "Well, I'm never coming back and I'm telling everyone how long the food took to come out and that the service was horrible."
GM "Okay, go tell everyone that we cook our food fresh to order and that we wouldn't give you free food because of that."
*SC storms off yelling that she was going to email corporate and get everyone working in this ******* restaurant fired.*

The GM and I both laugh and he helps with the ticket for the party of 20 that printed as the SC was storming off. (They also got a couple burgers but at the end of their meal asked for the manager so they could tell him how great everything was.) The GM gave them a coupon for 10% off their next meal.

[Mr Hero]

First of all, good of your GM to stand up to the SC and not back down. Second of all, SC's sense of time once again confuses me. You see, SC's are always in a hurry and even if something takes longer than what they have time for, they will continue to waste what precious little time they have to bitch about how precious little time they have.

[FArchivist]

If she doesn't come back, that sucks for her because Sonny's is completely awesome. To me it's the only decent BBQ chain in Atlanta.

[MadMike]

"You were informed that these items would take time to cook, this is not McDonalds, our burgers are freshly cooked to order. Knowing this you decided to order the burger anyway. I will not give you any free food for this."

There's a local burger place that I sometimes walk to for lunch where I could see something like this happening. They're half-pounders, and they grill them fresh. It takes awhile to make them, but they're worth the wait.

They have a sign at the counter that says, "Burgers take time to cook. If you can't wait or think it should be ready the minute you order, get something else!" It's signed, "The Burger Nazi."

[Shalom]

The GM and I both laugh and he helps with the ticket for the party of 20 that printed as the SC was storming off. (They also got a couple burgers but at the end of their meal asked for the manager so they could tell him how great everything was.) The GM gave them a coupon for 10% off their next meal.

You need to clone this guy and send him around to the rest of us. It's nice to see someone giving out coupons to non-complainers and sending the SCs packing, rather than vice versa...

[MoonCat]

I'm thinking the customer should be required to sign a form stating that they acknowledge they were told how long their order would take. But then, I suppose they'd bitch about that, too. "Yes, I signed it but I didn't think it meant what it said!"

[csquared]

Oooh, I think we found a spot for an Atlanta get together.

BBQ. Yum...

It is ridiculous to wait 20 minutes for a burger. The brisket is better!


This is my favorite part:

GM "Did the server inform you that those were items that took awhile to cook?"
SC "Well yes, but I didn't think

And right there we have the problem! Yeah, shame on me for taking the statement out of context.

[Mr Hero]

They have a sign at the counter that says, "Burgers take time to cook. If you can't wait or think it should be ready the minute you order, get something else!" It's signed, "The Burger Nazi."

Problem is, SC's won't see this sign. Or if they do, they only see, "Burgers...ready the minute you order."

[MadMike]

Or if they do, they only see, "Burgers...ready the minute you order."

If they do, the owner has no problem telling them where to stick it. One of the benefits of being self-owned instead of a corporation.

[AssultTank]

You need to clone this guy and send him around to the rest of us. It's nice to see someone giving out coupons to non-complainers and sending the SCs packing, rather than vice versa...

Yeah, he doesn't take anything from anyone.
He is strict about policy and keeping the restaurant in great shape too. But he also motivates people to do their jobs, and isn't afraid to get dirty helping out.
I enjoy working for him so much that I actually put in for a transfer when he got transferred so I could keep working for him.
And he has his assistants trained to have just as much of a spine as he does.
Customers don't get away with anything in our restaurant.

Jealous yet?

And right there we have the problem! Yeah, shame on me for taking the statement out of context.

I thought that too, I almost blurted that out when she said it, but I wisely held my tongue.

But remember, not every customer gets coupons when they compliment us. I think he was just in one of those moods after that SC.

[kpzra]

Aww man, I miss that place. We'd always stop at one when hubby and I drove up from Columbus, no good places here though.

[Kereminde]

This is why I follow orders which are going to take a long time to cook with: "All right, you want that steak well done? Well, that's going to take about 8-10 minutes to cook. Will that be all right?"

Usually, as a server/waiter I try to let the people at my table know their food takes a bit to cook. "Have to make sure it's cooked thoroughly and to the right request. I'd hate to send you out a steak medium . . ."

[Bright_Star]

She would have been better off going to Mickey D's...lol.

[EricKei]

It is ridiculous to wait 20 minutes for a burger. The brisket is better!

I do love brisket, but there are a few places around here where I will wait 20 mins for a burger, as their burgers are totally worth it ^_^ Easy way to ID these places: There is only one location, anywhere.

[Racket_Man]

SC "Well yes, but I didn't think it would take that long. I want my food free because I had to wait so long for it."

three things
first = another perfect example of CST = customer standard time

Second = SC did not think which is ALL TOO COMMON for SC's. you really really have wonder if Idicoracy is coming true a little TOO fast

third = unsuccessful GIMME grab for free stuff (which is most likely what they wanted inthe first place) esp since they were told (and comprehended and understood and retained) the time factor involved.