What Happens When Customer Complaints Are Scams

2-17-2010 @4:57PM Tami said... It is expensive to eat out and one of the reasons is these scammers. I am a server a popular steakhouse and I've seen it all. So much, in fact, that I can pick most of them out before they even order! My favorite was the couple who each ordered our largest steak and both added a full rack of ribs, proceded to eat exactly half of everything before complaining then took the rest home to eat later! I had already told the manager that they were going to find something to complain about in order to get their meals for free since they had already complained about their soft drinks, salads and the FREE bread.

2-19-2010 @7:48AM cbkqmom said... My father in law was terrible about trying to make my children lie about their age for free meals. My HUSBAND got angry with me for saying that I am not going to have my kids do that and that if you cannot afford to pay the price for the meal, don't go out to a restaurant.

2-19-2010 @8:02AM Dixie Bull said... Its not expensive to east out because of scammers, its expensive to eat out because the businesses operate under the directive of making a 400% profit.

Companies like Outback, Red Lobster, and a few others have cut their portion sizes by almost double, now charge for side salads and bread and have not lowered their prices to account for these new smaller portions but have instead doubled their prices in most cases... then they want to complain when people resort to scamming??

Hello am I taking crazy pills here? The only crooks here are companies like Outback that think its perfectly okay to charge $3.00 more for 60% less food.

2-19-2010 @8:41AM Christian said... I work in a chain restaurant and yes, our portion sizes have gone down, but honestly I don't see a problem with it. I have never in my life seen so much food go to waste because there was too much to finish. For all those people like Dixie Bull who complain there isn't enough on your plate, I say, get your gut off the table and go back to Mcdonalds where you can get as much crap as you want for your ten bucks youre so upset about spending at my job. After working in the food industry for almost ten years I can safely say it is quite evident why we are the most overweight country on th the planet...there is NEVER enough. I see people go through four or five loaves of our complimentary bread before ever getting their appetizer or salad, I see gluttonous people devouring entire appetizers all by themselves then drink about a gallon of diet coke. Our deserts are built for sharing but NO ONE shares. EVERYONE gets their own..it's pathetic and it's sad. And, honestly, the only people that tip well tend to be people who actually care about what they eat and care more about quality of the entire dining experience than QUANTITY of food they can get. There is NEVER enough cheese, people put butter on EVERYTHING and there's NEVER enough sauce. This is why I can't eat out too often anymore. It's embarrassing the way we treat ourselves and even more humiliating seeing people trying to scam us for free food or complain there isn't enough. We need to stop eating ourselves to death, theres more to life than an all you can eat buffet and if you can't afford to go out, then DON'T!! Stay home and cook a meal with your family or your friends, it's healthier AND cheaper. Save the restaurant experience for people who truly appreciate it, can handle it and are out to have a good time, not out for a free meal.

2-19-2010 @4:18PM Jack S said... I had a guy come into my place dragging his kids with him,and asked if he could get a to go order, he was going to stop back and pay the check. So I figured it was worth a shot for a couple of kids meals and a burger (this was a Fuddruckers in OKC). Obviously, and regretably, the guy never re showed. A couple of years later, I was at another one of our properties at the front desk, and lo and behold, he shows back up, kids in tow, asking for the same deal. I said sure, as soon as you pay me for the last time I did it for you at Fuddruckers. He was out the door in a flash.

2-19-2010 @8:58AM killer said... Scamming the restaurant is not the answer. Taking your business elsewhere is. McDonald's drive up burned me for the last time 10 years ago. The order wasn't right & the fries were cold. The manager insisted that I get back in the drive up line after I went inside. I just dumped the coke in the bag and dropped the whole meal on the floor on the way out. Another quality response from Ronald the manager. If you pay for the food you have the right to make your feelings about junk food & junk service known, publicly.

2-19-2010 @9:02AM joe brock said... your aunt sounds like a real role model

2-19-2010 @9:01AM justagrl23 said... Dixie Bull, you are the crazy one. You clearly have no knowledge of the profit made by restaurants; they aren't making 400% on ANYTHING. The profit margin on food is actually EXTREMELY low when you account for the cost of running the restaurant. It's not like they buy the meat and it cooks itself, and runs out to your table. There are many other things involved, they have to power the grill, pay cooks, people to clean, wait staff, electricity and so on. You clearly haven't thought of this logicially and people scamming free food is just the tip of the iceberg with customers, many will steal silverware, plates, ramekins, etc. It costs money to run a restaurant. Of course, restauarants are out to make a profit, but sale price of food minus cost of food is an ignorant equation to try to prove your point, and the bottom line is, if you can't pay for it, then don't go out to eat.

2-19-2010 @9:05AM Samantha said... This is in response to Christian:

You should be grateful that people are coming to your restaurant in the first place. Otherwise you wouldn't have a job in which to earn crappy tips from fat people. Your entire post is just ridiculous. I was under the impression that this was about people scamming food, not customers dietary habits. Who are you to judge what someone orders or eats? It is a shame that so much food is wasted, but they are paying for it. Frankly, I think that the people who don't eat as healthy or tip you as well, are people who can see through your bull as a crappy waitress. Thats the real reason you don't get as big a tip as you think you deserve. I myself would probably leave a judgmental waitress who was too involved in my order like you a nickel to make a statement. Ever heard of customer service??

2-19-2010 @9:18AM Greg Atchison said... Dixie Bull,

"Hello am I taking crazy pills here?"

Apparently. I am a regular Outback patron, both in my local area and while traveling. I have seen none of the extra charges or portion reductions you speak of. Mostly urban legend, I suspect. And no, I am not part of the restaurant industry - I would not want the hassles that go with providing the service. It is tough work when serving legitimate customers, much less the kinds that are the subject of this article.

2-19-2010 @8:00PM Mike B said... Dixie Bull - There's a differance between 400% profit and 400 % mark up. If the food too much for you, go home and cook for your damn self. Dont make excuses for these low life scammers to rip the company off. It's pretty obvious you've never worked in retail, or run a business before. You people always give me such a kick when you trhink the world runs off 10% mark up. Did you complain when you paid $40 for that shirt? The textiles industry sit eh worst mark up in the world. How do you think that same shirt is on the clearance rack for $3 6 months later. Clothes have about 2000% mark up, Not profit, learn before you speak.

2-19-2010 @9:17AM Sara said... The bottom line is If you cannot afford it , then you just don't go out to eat! I don't think that peoples theivery has anything to do with the failing economy....people are just dishonest and will try to get away with anything if they see an opportunity. I have been to the Outback a million times and have definitely fallen trap to the loafs of free bread and the amazing Bloomin Onion and I do pay $2.50 for a drink....but thats expected. It makes no sense that people are complaining about portion sizes....they may have decreased them and started charging for things like salad and bread, but they have to buy more the more people demand and that also costs money. Not to mention the fact that it's a steakhuse, as are most restaurants, and I dont know where you're going to get a quality cooked steak for under $10? The worst part of the whole situation is that there are so many businesses that are hurting for money they arent willing to give up one customer....even if they are knowingly stealing from them. Isn't it better to lose one customer a day opposed to $20 a day. Management needs to start taking a stand against the dishonest people who enter their restaurants or just simply stop complaining about it!

2-19-2010 @9:55AM Stephanie said... Samantha,

You have clearly never worked in a restaurant. Everything Christian said was dead-on. And their dietary habits are relevant. There are people that eat out very rarely, order everything they see and then when they overeat and feel disgusting and more importantly, see how big their bill is, they find ways to "reduce" that bill. It's annoying, it's disgusting and I'm fairly sure you are one of those people.

2-19-2010 @1:12PM sandra said... This is a response to Samantha:
NoNo, you leave a dime! I grew up hearing that all my life. My parents owned resturaunts 90% of the time I was under 18, weve had em all. A dime is the notorious # for bad service.

2-19-2010 @9:59AM judy sheets said... these people need to stay and eat at home. they think they are hurting the corporation they dont think about the jobs that are lost because of this behavior and im sure the waitress doensnt get a tip for all the work she did. i worked in loss prevention and being that food and retail stores are about 50 or more percent of jobs for people trying to keep food on their table. they dont pay well to begin with. These chains and retailers budget an expected loss of 500K or more due to this type of theft. and to get that they cut jobs, benifits and raises. The more loss and theft the higher their liability insurance is too. Its a very selfish thing to do if you dont want to pay for food then stay home or go to the soup kitchen or sunday mass there is always another way to get food with out "Stealing"

2-19-2010 @10:09AM king said... LOL good for the scammers. I have ate a lot ( I mean alot) of fast food in my years along with sit down style restaurants ( like the outback) and the service more times than not isn't great, Fast food is my many problem and because I normally do drive thru or take out , my orders are hardly ever right, but when I do complain all I get is a sorry ( and nothing else). So if there are people out there who have figured out how to benefit , then consider it my pay back...

2-19-2010 @10:13AM Wilde Childe said... This is really for Dixie Bull...your name says it all but you forgot you nlast name..CRAP. Your just plain nuts!! I believe that my age and travel experience gives me a lot of knowledge on the subject. I would suggest from your rant that you are a scammer that got caught and paid the price for it. You really need to educate yourself what goes into a meal, to include the sides, the labor, the overhead that goes into the price of your meal when you eat out. If you don't like it, learn to prepare food and eat at home. If anything portions are way too big and that is the reason that in a lot of cases you will see those that are way overweight. No my dear, you are full of it and you know what it I am talking about. Now grow up and learn to think and reason. You mayjust become a success in life.

2-19-2010 @10:20AM Robin said... Christian...I have been waitressing for 19 years...and I too have seen it all. Well said...I couldn't have stated anything better, myself. :)

2-19-2010 @10:44AM Melissa said... I work in retail and have seen scams galore. It is sad when it happens. The worst part about it is that when a person does have an honest complaint it makes it so that they seem to be scammers. Twice I have recieved a free meal and both times were deserved and not because of scamming. Once was when my husband and I went to a Perkins we waited forever for our meal and then when it came it was horrible. I ordered blueberry pancakes and there were onions in it. Not only did it make them taste gross but it also is a health risk. There are people who are allergic to them and when you order something like pancakes you are not expecting onions to be in them. Another time was at a cracker barrell where we waited over an hour for our food. The waitress never came to refill our drinks and my dish was supposed to come with gravy but they had run out of gravy. Rather than coming and telling me to see if I wanted a different item they just made the dish without it. The food was cold by the time we got it.