The worst service you have received

[Cupcake Fiend]

The location: A chain hotel in Atlanta, Georgia
The timing: Dragon Con 2000 - a large annual sci-fi fantasy convention.

Mind if I ask?  H or M?  I've heard that the one used to have a history of similar behavior from front desk staff.  You weren't the first or the last who got treated that way.  I've also heard that things have changed considerably in the past few years.  Hubby and I haven't had a problem yet, and our friends who stay at the other hotel haven't had issues either?  Hopefully that's a sign things have improved.  My only complaints the last few years have had to do with remodeling. 

Neither, it was actually the Super 8    Even booking months in advance, it was the only place we could get a room for a reasonable price.  We were only planning on using our hotel room to sleep, so we weren't interested in spending a lot of money on it.  Instead, we used our money to buy garb, artwork, and books

[Cupcake Fiend]

Hoo, boy.

The location: A chain hotel in Atlanta, Georgia
The timing: Dragon Con 2000 - a large annual sci-fi fantasy convention.

Ooh, ooh, Dragon*Con!  I'm already working on my costume (for September) for this year!  We actually had great service there - two years ago, DH and I and two friends booked a room for 4 people for the weekend at the main hotel.  We got there to check in, and found out they thought we had *three* people instead, and were planning on putting us in an itty bitty room with a rollaway.  No dice, and they clearly had in the computer that we had paid for four.  So the clerk tells us the only room they can fit two rollaways was the executive suite, would that be okay?  For the same price we already paid, we ended up with a HUGE room (two rooms, actually, since DH and I slept in the "conference room" area), a minibar, conference table, two sofas, etc.  I know it doesn't help to see someone else say "but they were nice to ME!", but hopefully you just had the one rude (and probably very overwhelmed - some of those staff act like they've never seen Klingons, Stormtroopers, pirates, and Nazgul all in the same place before!) staff member and she's not there anymore :-|

Oh, we weren't staying at the convention hotel, it was a nearby low-end hotel.  We had WONDERFUL experiences everywhere else, including the staff at the hotel with the exception of the evil desk girl.  Our friend A has gone back to the convention every year since, and now stays at one of the main places.  We're hoping to go back in a couple of years when Thing 1 and Thing 2 are a little older.

One of the best meals and best service I have ever experienced was while we were at Dragon Con, we went to Pittypat's Porch restaurant to eat one day and our waiter was just the most awesome waiter I've ever met!  The food was to die for too.

[Cyndi]

Had HORRID service in a TGIF Friday's eatery two weeks ago. Won't get too detailed because I'm short on time but the gist is:

They don't take reservations, so if you get there at the wrong time you end up waiting for an hour like me and my parents did.

It's LOUD!(I can't go back because it's too loud for me) and the waiter thought I was drunk because I was stimming like crazy to avoid a meltdown.

It took forever for a waiter to get back to us after we were seated and ready to order.

The food arrived at different times. My mom was done eating by the time my dad's food came, and my dad was done by the time my food came.

We arrived there at five, but didn't leave until almost 8 because of the cruddy service.


I refuse to go back there.

[Gyro Widget]

My worst experience was at Arby's.

I ordered chicken strips, and after eating one and thinking it had an odd texture I pulled the second one apart.  It was entirely pink.  I had just eaten RAW CHICKEN. 

Trying not to throw up then and there, I went to the front to ask for my money back.  The manager came and offered me more chicken strips.  I said "you honestly think I want more of your food after this?!".  He refused to give me my money back so I loudly mentioned food poisoning lawsuits in front of the rest of the customers then stormed out. 

That was a few years ago, and was the first and last time I've ever eaten at Arby's.  Its a wonder that any branch of that franchise can stay open, as from the outside they always appear empty. 

[guihong]

It was last night, in fact  

I took the kids to the place that starts with D and ends in 'enny's' because kids eat free on Tuesday nights.  There was one-one! server taking care of the entire restaurant because someone didn't come in or something.  That wasn't the restaurant's fault, but there seemed to be no one to help her-no manager, nobody.  It took 20 minutes for a server to take our drink order, and 15 minutes after they came to take our food order.  Not easy to sit there with three little ones!

I understand they were short, but the way they were running things last night seemed very nonchalant.  As we were leaving, I asked to speak with the manager, but he "couldn't be found".  I'm still thinking of sending a letter, or calling them back.  I've never had problems there before,but last night was very poor.

At one point, I got up and found booster seats and a high chair myself, and gave another table their menus.  I would have started serving  myself, if I hadn't had the kids.

gui

[Bijou]

I stopped at a fast food place for a breakfast sandwich on my way to work.  I got the wrong order.  I didn't know it until I got to work.  I still had some time so I called and told them of the mixup and that I would be coming back to get a corrected order.  They said OK.  I went back and the person who waited on me was the same as the one who did my original order and she was not a happy girl, at all.  And she wasn't very kind to my bag of food.  I pulled out of the drive through and took a look in the bag to find a thoroughly smashed sandwich.  I immediately went back through the drive through and then she was really ticked, especially when I told her not to smash my sandwich this time.  I did get an unsmashed sandwich but sometimes I wonder what else was in it besides the egg and stuff!  (cringe)

[euphorya]

Worst service ever at a seafood restaurant (my ex and I).  The waiter crouches down so he is eye-level and in-my-face when taking my order, which is odd and uncomfortable, but not exactly rude.  He takes the order but doesn't write anything down.  I not only said what I wanted, but pointed to it in the menu.  He is obviously in a hurry, so sure enough, when our food comes my dish is completely wrong.  The waiter looks at me and says, "Well, do you just want to eat it anyway?" Um, no, I don't! The waiter's face gets all RED and he takes away my plate and acts like I've asked him to give me one of his kidneys.  So, while my new dish is being prepared (I'm sure with special sauce and all), ex's LOBSTER  is getting all cold and rubbery since he didn't want to eat w/o me.

Second worst service ever at a practically empty chain restaurant (we always call it "HOULA-hoops").  Waiter there is too busy flirting with a table of skanky High school girls to do ANything for uS.  Literally two and a half hours for dinner there and my poor BF had to eat chicken with a butter knife.  When I asked to waiter to please bring a proper knife, we were tired of sitting on our butts so we ended up leaving.  I feel bad though, because I did get quite rude with that guy.

ME: Are you new or something?  Is this your first day here?
WAITER: No
ME: Then you may want to consider changing careers because you really suck at this one.
WAITER: (speechless)

I'm sure I got special sauce that day too.

[Mrs. Eclipse]

Last summer my whole family was driving down to Florida to visit family and drop me off (this was when I joined the Disney College Program- not that it has anything else to do with the story, I just like saying it)

Around lunch, we stopped at a Burger King.  I hadn't been to a Burger King since Pokémon: The First Movie came out and there were some really great toys (which were later recalled... I kept mine.)  So we spent a few minutes looking over the menu.  Finally, my dad steps up to order and I go to a table.  It's pretty empty and I'm pretty close to the counter, so I can hear most of what's going on.  He also told me about it as soon as it was over.

Basically, he ordered the meals like, "I'd like a number 6 [burger]... a number 7 [other burger]... a [something] sandwich... and... oh yes, the chicken nuggets."  And she tells him they come in, I think 4 6 and 10, or something like that.  I forget.  So he asked me and I told him what I wanted.  She prepares our ourder and puts out four main courses, but only two sodas and fries.

Dad says, "We'll need four sodas and fries."
And she goes, "Huh?"
So Dad says, "We ordered four meals."
She says, "No, you only ordered two meals."
They went back and forth like this, Dad trying to figure out where the miscommunication happened and her insisting that everything was fine.  Eventually he figured out that since he didn't order the last two as numbers, she thought he was only ordering the single things, not the meals.
Oh well, no big deal.  He just says, "Well, then, could you please change it so the nuggets and sandwich are also meals?"
And she says, "But you ordered it like this."
Dad says, "Is it possible to change it so they're all meals."
Oh, it's possible.  And she proceeds to do so.  All the time saying, "You have to tell me what you're ordering, I'm not a mind reader, I don't know what you want if you don't tell me, you have to do it right the first time," on and on and on.  Then, she sneers and says, "If you want a nugget meal you can only get 6 nuggets."  No problem, but she was so nasty about it.

What gets me is, even though my Dad acknowledged to her that there was a mistake, and he never once implied that it was her fault, she was so defensive about it that she just would.  not.  shut.  up.

Also, the nuggets there were shaped like crowns, but I thought they were chicken feet until I was finished.  They weren't shaped like crowns back when (and where) Pokemon came out... I wonder how old that is?

[hollasa]

I don't know about *worst* service, but it's definitely on my bottom 10 list. The following is taken in part from my letter of complaint.

I went to stay in Halifax for business, and picked out the Prince George hotel from the list of conference hotels. My flight was delayed, and I flew in about 11pm - which was a problem, as the airporter doesn't run at that hour. Picture a large group of people, all waiting for the very few taxis which would appear - but finally, about about 12:30am, I got to the hotel. Fortunately, I'd called to confirm my reservation earlier that day, which was good as the man in front of me at the hotel hadn't called to confirm, and he was complaining while being ignored by the staff.

When I checked in, I was told that as the hotel was very full, I'd be getting a room with a murphy bed adjacent to a board room, and that I'd be moved in the next day or so. No problem, if it's got a bed, I'm just fine! However, when I got to the room, I couldn't find the bed. There was a table, and a shower, but no bed... I'm searching all over the place, thinking it must be there, but couldn't find it. When I finally admitted defeat and called the front desk, they found they'd sent me to the wrong room, apologized, and sent someone up to take me to the right room. Not a big problem, actually a bit funny.

It then took 2 tries to get a wireless internet ID number, as the first one I was given didn't work. The bed wasn't comfortable, but it was a bed, so no problem. I tried to stop by my room quickly the next day to drop off some materials, and found my card key didn't work. Went down to the front desk, found that they'd found me a new room - great, but I need to get into the old one now, and I've hung up my clothes. He scanned my card in and pushed some buttons, and I said that I'd see if I could move then or later, depending on time. I went back up two floors - and my card didn't work AGAIN. This time I was upset. Went back down, he apologized, and put my card through the machine again. This time it worked. He offered to have someone move me after I'd packed, but I decided it would be safer to supervise that myself - who knows where my things could have ended up? After another conference session, I went back, packed, and called down, and someone helpful came up and took me to my new room. I think they said something about a nicer room - it did have an actual bed, and a somewhat better desk, but I didn't see much of a change.

I did have a call the next day saying that they had me as checking out that day, was this not the case, and I had to correct that - apparently someone had entered something to that effect when I'd checked in, contrary to my reservation and my welcome card. My breakfast one morning had egg & bacon - but no cutlery - someone eventually came with the cutlery.

When I went back out the the airport, they got a taxi for me, and it turned out that he didn't take Visa - he said something about having told the person at the door, but they hadn't told me. Eventually he accepted a mixture of cash and a cheque.

"In summary - while polite, your staff perhaps would benefit from not making stupid mistakes. Having a bed in a room that you send someone to at 1am, giving out the right wireless ID code, not locking someone out of their room - twice - and providing cutlery are not highly technical customer service issues."

Added - I had a nice reply from them apologizing - "Overall, I can completely understand why we left you with such a poor impression and can only extend my deepest regret. I very much hope that you will accept a gift certificate for a return stay and allow us to demonstrate to you the service which guests of The Prince George expect." And if I ever end up in Halifax again, I'll have to consider it - but it's unlikely, given that I live on the opposite end of Canada!

[kathrynne]

We've given up on that pizza chain with the red roof and specialty pizzas. We loved the taste of the pies, but they never got our order right when we called for delivery, and that's giving three different stores in two states many opportunities to do so. I never demanded that they comp our order, but we wound up with so many free pies coming our way that we wound up getting every other order free, or thereabouts.

The last time was the final straw. Forty-five minutes after ordering a Meat-Lover's special and a Hawaiian pizza, both as pan pizzas, I called to check on the order (they'd promised it in 30 minutes). Whoops! We forgot. We'll get right on that.

Forty-five minutes later, the doorbell rings and it's the wrong pies. They've put mushrooms and olives on DH's meatzza, and pepperoni on my Hawaiian. Nobody in this house eats olives, DH hates mushrooms, and we've discussed pepperoni and the grease it leaves behind on this forum before. Both pies are ultra-thin crust, too, and if I wanted unsalted crackers for crust I would have ordered that. I call the store again. At this point we're famished and raiding the snack shelves.

When nobody had shown up 45 minutes after that call, we gave up. I placed one final call to the store manager, who offered us more comps. What's the point in offering me free pizzas, though, if you never get them right? I prefer to prepare dinner in the early evening, not three hours after we normally eat, after being frustrated by other people's incompetence.

That was four years ago. We've happily used a local chain ever since, and they have yet to mess up the order.

[Twik]

I had a mysterious experience at a restaurant once - I can only think they mistook me for someone else. Someone they didn't like.

I was travelling after I finished work for the day, so I decided to eat near fairly my office first, rather than sit in traffic out of the city for an hour or so. I chose a chain restaurant that I had always had good luck with in the past (think steakhouse, themed on the smallest continent), but I had never visited the one near my office. I got there about 5:15. Since it was early, the place wasn't near full - in fact, everyone was in one side of the restaurant. The atmosphere was cheerful and bright on that side, but rather dark on the unoccupied side.

So, guess where I got sat? Yep, in the darkened, unoccupied side. Behind a pillar. I wondered if they were concerned about a single woman guest, but I'd never hit any other restaurants in the chain that had a problem with it. I chose to sit where they put me, although I thought it strange.

After about 15 minutes, I went to get the waitress (I had a fairly long drive - I wanted to skip the worst of the traffic, but not sit there all night!) She seemed friendly enough, and took my order. It arrived in reasonable time, but I noticed that the waitress never came by to see if it was all right, or if I wanted anything else.

I finished eating. I sat for another 15 minutes, without a glimpse of my waitress. Finally, I went to the hostess's desk, and requested someone bring the bill. They did, and left. 10 minutes later, I went and took my card to the hostess's desk, offering to pay (wondering if they don't ask for your money in less than 30 minutes, if you can legitimately claim they don't WANT to be paid). The hostess sort of huffed, but took my card.

15 minutes later, I tracked them down and got the bill so I could sign and get out of there.

As I was signing, I couldn't help saying something to the hostess about having to always go looking for my waitress.

"Well, no wonder," she said, with what I can only call a sneer. "You were sitting in a closed section!"

I really, REALLY should have asked why they sat me there. But all I could do was blink at her in silence for a moment, and leave. I really couldn't trust myself to say anything at that point.

I still don't know what their problem was.

[dietcokeofevil]

My worst experience was at a Sandwich shop.  While the "artist" was making our sandwich the owners young daughter was back behind the counter making a sandwich for herself.  I noticed that she had her hand in her mouth, then put it into a container of olives.  I told the helper and asked her to get a fresh container, which she did.  The owner saw what the helper was doing and asked why she was getting a new one when the one at the counter was still full.  She told him what I had said.  The owner denied it and basically threw a hissy fit  about my request.  It's never a good practice to call your customer a liar.

[DottyG]

Worst service ever at a seafood restaurant (my ex and I).  The waiter crouches down so he is eye-level and in-my-face when taking my order, which is odd and uncomfortable, but not exactly rude.  He takes the order but doesn't write anything down.  I not only said what I wanted, but pointed to it in the menu.  He is obviously in a hurry, so sure enough, when our food comes my dish is completely wrong.  The waiter looks at me and says, "Well, do you just want to eat it anyway?" Um, no, I don't! The waiter's face gets all RED and he takes away my plate and acts like I've asked him to give me one of his kidneys.  So, while my new dish is being prepared (I'm sure with special sauce and all), ex's LOBSTER  is getting all cold and rubbery since he didn't want to eat w/o me.

Second worst service ever at a practically empty chain restaurant (we always call it "HOULA-hoops").  Waiter there is too busy flirting with a table of skanky High school girls to do ANything for uS.  Literally two and a half hours for dinner there and my poor BF had to eat chicken with a butter knife.  When I asked to waiter to please bring a proper knife, we were tired of sitting on our butts so we ended up leaving.  I feel bad though, because I did get quite rude with that guy.

ME: Are you new or something?  Is this your first day here?
WAITER: No
ME: Then you may want to consider changing careers because you really suck at this one.
WAITER: (speechless)

I'm sure I got special sauce that day too.

Hee hee!  Clever coloring there!  I was slightly distracted initially until I kept reading and got it!

[VorFemme]

This was in college - some years (okay, decades) ago now.  

I worked at the pizza place - but DH, a friend of ours, and I were hungry on my day off and decided that we were driving right by - it would be faster to eat there than to go anywhere else.  I had given notice that I would be quitting in two weeks some three or four days earlier - but I still had two paychecks coming and another six or seven days to work on the schedule, since I was "part-time".

So, we went in - there were MAYBE three or four tables with people at them (out of 21 tables in the whole place), one waitress, and two cooks. She was "talking" (really flirting) with the cooks and ignored us for a while.

Came over after a good ten minutes to get our order for ONE pizza, a pitcher of soda, and three glasses. She brought us the pitcher.

Some time later, she brought the glasses over. One of the cooks worked the cash register for a departing table.  I have no idea what she was doing as it was after lunch and before dinner - maybe 3 p.m.? Not a time a lot of people go out for pizza............

After some thirty minutes, she brought us our pizza. Cold. Congealed even.  DeHubby chewed her out for the lack of service - I sat in the corner and kept my head down. He enumerated the delay in getting our order, the delay in serving the pitcher, the delay in bringing glasses, and the COLD pizza. He added something (I forget what) about her trying to hurry us by giving us the check with the cold pizza.

She went behind the counter and called the manager (she was "dating" him).  I got called to the phone and chewed out over the phone by the manager/her BF for "yelling at her".  I tried repeatedly to explain that *I* had not said anything other than "ham and pineapple pizza" when we had ordered. But he was not listening..........

I came in to work the next day, only to be told that I was FIRED for my "attitude".............

That wasn't the ONLY time that things went bad at that job - but it was the only one where I was eating there as member of a paying customer.  

I learned a lot waiting tables in college - including that waiting tables in college gives you a lot of incentive to stay out of the food service industry later in life. Been there, done that, would have burned the uniform if I didn't want that last paycheck more than the satisfaction of burning the uniform..........but it was a close decision.

[Lunadiana75]

I rarely get bad service, but I try to cut people slack and be understanding.  I can however fill pages of experience with nasty customers *shudder*, at least those I haven't blocked out.