MickeyMomV
Well-Known Member
Always!! You cant take a restaurant off the "list" just because a server had a bad day. Unless the server insulted me on a personal level I may even give them another shot.
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When the meal is great but the server isn't...do you ever go back?
- Thread starter EvilQueen-T
- Start date
French Quarter
Well-Known Member
I think it depends on if it's a problem with a particular server or if the whole restaurant gives off a bad vibe. At Disney, I would be willing to give things a second try but maybe not right away as there are so many other places to check out. We have only really had bad service in WDW a couple of times and it was truly bad that I can remember - at Sci-Fi, WCC, (We didn't make a complaint at either unfortunately.) and California Grill (luckily not a problem with our server in that case and the manager took $50 off our bill)
Weather_Lady
Well-Known Member
We don't visit often enough to take second chances on a bad experience. We like to try new places every time, so actually, a place has to be absolutely outstanding and awesome to merit one of the 2 or 3 "repeat visit" slots on our Disney dining itinerary.
That being said, we've never had bad service at any Disney establishment. Slow service, yes, but at busy times of day when you'd expect restaurant staff to be a bit swamped.
That being said, we've never had bad service at any Disney establishment. Slow service, yes, but at busy times of day when you'd expect restaurant staff to be a bit swamped.
If the food was great I would go back, but I would tip absolutely nothing at all. The biggest problems with restaurants today is that the majority of people will tip something regardless of how bad the service is... That is just enabling a bad waiter/waitress to continue providing bad service. For many places the only thing a manager really has to go by in terms of whether a waiter/waitress is working out is whether the restaurant has to pay the employee to make up for a lack of tips. What many people don't realize is that while a waiter can be getting less than minimum wage, that waiter has to report their total tips each pay period and if those tips plus the wages paid by the restaurant don't equate to at least minimum wage, the restaurant has to pay the waiter more until it reaches the minimum wage. This system means that a bad waiter will show up like a sore thumb when the restaurant has to pony up more money and that tell the management that they have a problem.
So please people, when someone provides bad service don't enable it to continue by tipping... help the next customer by refusing to tip bad service - its the only way to really let management know the service is bad.
So please people, when someone provides bad service don't enable it to continue by tipping... help the next customer by refusing to tip bad service - its the only way to really let management know the service is bad.
sxeensweet
Love a little Disney every day!! ;)
Valid points.
disney4life2008
Well-Known Member
I have been known to leave a penny as a tip
Swissmiss
Premium Member
We had really bad service a couple of years ago at the Yachtsman. I decided to write to Disney's customer service and they then called me in order to get more details. I was told that they appreciated getting my feedback and that often they use this sort of information in their training programs, so for what it is worth, perhaps you want to let them know that the service was less than satisfactory.
HouCuseChickie
Well-Known Member
Bad service can happen anywhere at any time. If my food is decent, I'll consider returning. I would at least pursue a proper complaint and I'd make a point to note that you attempted to complain during your meal, but the manager was gone. It's bad enough to have a pathetic excuse for a server, but to have no management on the floor says to me that this problem extends beyond David's incompetence and rudeness. I'd also point out the wine service theory. Yes, this happens everywhere, but as a non-wine drinker, I'm very sensitive to wait staff who have the gall to treat us negatively for not ordering wine. We normally order cocktails throughout our meal, but we've had some servers act so offended that we've turned down the wine pairings that that we've had to reduce the gratuity.
French Quarter
Well-Known Member
It is also possible that David never bothered to go and look for the manager and hoped that you would let it go if he told you the manager wasn't there right then.
HouCuseChickie
Well-Known Member
Entirely possible. I guess asking one of the hosts or another server to get the manager might have been the better angle for this.
HatboxGhost
Well-Known Member
Since 2009, my wife and I have been pretty lucky with our servers. I would say 90% positive.
With that being said, one of the negative places was at the Sci Fi Dine In where the server was VERY one dimensional. If I want just a blah server, I will go to a chain restaurant in my city, however when I am at WDW, and I am being served by a "Cast Member", I want them to have a little bit of energy and some fun. Since Sci Fi is one, if not THE favorite restaurant that I go to, I knew that I had been there a few times before and had great service and I knew that after that I would keep coming back and continue to have that same great service. Maybe the server was having an off day. We ALL have those so I can forgive her and not let it affect my love for the place.
Another favorite is 50's Prime Time which we had been to around 6 times or so in the past few years and only one time we had a server that was just average. To me, that is a place that I really want to interact and have fun with the cast members. I want to be able to converse with my "Cousin" or "Brother". That one day, the server wasn't really playing his part which was a bit of a letdown. I went back and the next time was a blast and will continue to go. The food really has to suck and service below average in order for me to consider not going back.
With that being said, one of the negative places was at the Sci Fi Dine In where the server was VERY one dimensional. If I want just a blah server, I will go to a chain restaurant in my city, however when I am at WDW, and I am being served by a "Cast Member", I want them to have a little bit of energy and some fun. Since Sci Fi is one, if not THE favorite restaurant that I go to, I knew that I had been there a few times before and had great service and I knew that after that I would keep coming back and continue to have that same great service. Maybe the server was having an off day. We ALL have those so I can forgive her and not let it affect my love for the place.
Another favorite is 50's Prime Time which we had been to around 6 times or so in the past few years and only one time we had a server that was just average. To me, that is a place that I really want to interact and have fun with the cast members. I want to be able to converse with my "Cousin" or "Brother". That one day, the server wasn't really playing his part which was a bit of a letdown. I went back and the next time was a blast and will continue to go. The food really has to suck and service below average in order for me to consider not going back.
Club Cooloholic
Well-Known Member
Except the bad service came before she even could order a drink
Club Cooloholic
Well-Known Member
I have always said that great service can make up for ok to bad food, but great food can not make up enough for bad service. Nothing ruins a night like bad service. I will go back if I feel the manager tried, but if they appear to not care forget it.
Nothing makes up for bad food... Zero.... I will give a place another chance for bad service but never for food.
zurgandfriend
Well-Known Member
Our first visit to Artist Point our sever had major attitude and the kids at the next table ran around all through dinner. A few years later we tried it again and the food was meh so we haven't gone back.
disney4life2008
Well-Known Member
Ohana is hit or miss. I have dined there solo at least 5 times. My service as a solo varies. One time they placed me at this huge table for only myself. I felt like a centerpiece. And the lady that sings (i love her) but she stood by me a good 5 minutes drawing attention that i was solo. The servers are ok there is a younger guy i have gotten twice that is terrible. Matter of fact, i saw him once i only saw the second servers. My recent time there. I got a server that kepts bringing the food like i requested. I always tell them while I am solo. I can eat for 4. Do not bring me 4 wings and 3 potstickers. I want the big plates. I have an adr there next weekend.
sxeensweet
Love a little Disney every day!! ;)
See me and DH have been to Artist Point several times and as recently as last fall, and never had bad service or meh food. So it goes to show you that you can't judge a restaurant on poor service etc on any given day unless both happen numerous times.
DisneyPrincess5
Well-Known Member
We have found Ohana to be hit or miss too. I feel DH and I sometimes have felt ignored as a table of two and are brought little food. We are going again next trip so we will see.
BuddyThomas
Well-Known Member
Where did you possibly get the idea that management pays waiters to make up for them not making minimum wage? Please provide a specific example. As a person who worked in the restaurant industry for over 10 years, I never saw that happen once.
BuddyThomas
Well-Known Member
Again, make sure you never, ever return to that restaurant. Seriously. For your own sake. A waiter never forgets a tip like that or the person who left it. We have a very cheap friend who always brags about stiffing waiters. Come to think of it, why am I this person's friend? Hmmm. Need to rethink that. But anyway, we always hear these stories about him leaving pennies and dimes as tips and we just wonder how many gallons of spit he has eaten in his lifetime.