Chefs de France, thumbs down!!!

[bsbrady]

I never really like to give a bad review but I have to here. This was the worst dining experience I have ever had at WDW. It wasn't so much the food, which was at best OK, it was the worst service I ever had.

Our server was the worst. He took our drink orders and then disappeared for about 15 minutes, and then came back and took our orders. We received no bread & butter, no water, he never came and checked on us. I finished my drink before the food arrived and I had to ask 3 times for a refill. And to top it off, the tables around us had a different server and were getting all of these things. When he asked if we wanted desert, even though I did, we didnt want to give them any more of our business. I will never go there again!!

The crux of this issue is, I have the DDE(Tables in Wonderland) and I believe that this waiter knew he was going to get an 18% tip so he didnt need to work for it. When Disney announced that they were going to add the gratuity into the DDE, I really didnt care, because I would have left a tip anyway, but this is the perfect example of why this policy should be changed.

A gratuity is something that is left by the patron to the server for acknowledgment of good service. It is not required, it should be at my discretion. Now I feel it is just a surcharge. If I were not using the DDE, I would have left a $1 tip, which signifies poor service. I felt trapped and that waiter got something he did not earn.

 

[Navywife508]

Sorry about the sever. Dh and I are eating there for our anniversary dinner next week and hope we don't get him. We have never been there before so we were hoping for a good dinner.

 

[Plumeria]

A gratuity is something that is left by the patron to the server for acknowledgment of good service. It is not required, it should be at my discretion. Now I feel it is just a surcharge. If I were not using the DDE, I would have left a $1 tip, which signifies poor service. I felt trapped and that waiter got something he did not earn.

I totally agree! Sorry about your bad experience.

 

[jennipooh]

I am sorry you had this experience and I totally agree with you about the automatic gratuity being more of a surcharge than a discretionary tip. With any system there is always the possibility that it will be abused or taken advantage of. This time by the cm. Maybe something else was going on...he was new or his tables were spread too far apart for him to do a good job... who knows. But the important thing is that the appearance was that he took advantage of the situation by slacking off and the bottom line is he didn't take good care of the customer and that should not be rewarded. I wonder if you would have asked for a manager if things would have improved or if you could have atleast gotten a discount (if not the ability to leave a lessor tip). You made a valid point (and I don't even have TIW) I think you should write to guest services.

 

[bsbrady]

I hope you have a better experience.

 

[agnes!]

Good waiters/servers are worth their weight in gold, they don't get their due. A good waiter/waitress can *make* a dining experience memorable.

We really like Chefs de France - especially for lunch when the TIW/DDE discount is good, We used to love it but now not so much since the last menu-change we're aware of. We've gotten a bad waiter or two there as well. In our experience it's usually not the women who have an attitude, but the guys...yikes, we've had a few who act like they're too good to be working at WDW. And in that case? Anymore, especially with the DDE/TIW automatic gratuity I'll get a manager.

And I don't tell waitstaff before the meal (unless they directly ask) if I have a TIW membership card (usually waiters/waitresses will only ask if I'm on the DDP).

agnes!

 

[OrlandoMike]

Question....

Did you let the server know you had the Tables in Wonderland card before the end of your meal? And if so, why?

 

[mbanks21]

Did you talk to a manager about the horrible service?

 

[RMulieri]

Sorry you had a bad experience. We have had nothing but good ones there.Any restaurant can have an "off "time though.Sorry.

 

[mmmears]

Sorry about your bad experience. We had lunch there earlier this month, and had the most charming, attentive waiter imaginable. He was fantastic, as was our meal.

We used to have the DDE and loved it. Now that there is the automatic 18% gratuity, I'm not interested. It's not that I don't give good tips, but I tip on a sliding scale depending on the service I receive. Like you, I don't think I'd get the best service if my waiter knew he was getting 18% no matter what he did.

 

[MickeyNicki]

Bad service can happen anywhere, anytime...it should have been addressed with the manager. How was the food?

If service is bad but food is good that is no reason to cross a place off your list

 

[Tbelle1976]

I've heard many good things about Chefs de France, maybe you should give it another try if the food was good. You mentioned nothing about the food at all.
I definately would return to a restaurant if my only bad experience was the server, that can be addressed when you complain to the manager, which you apparently did not do. First of all, anything like that needs to be brought to the managers attention to 1) guide the server as to what needs to be done in the future if they may be a new employee, or very little serving experience, and 2) possibly enforce some sort of discipline if necessary.
Also, to even suggest that someone does poor at their job simply because they are already going to get paid, is just plain ignorant! If that were the case, then you could simply say that about anyone getting paid by the hour or salary, correct?

 

[eliza61]

Question....

Did you let the server know you had the Tables in Wonderland card before the end of your meal? And if so, why?

Mike, I know many times I have been asked if we are on the Dining plan and I will answer "No we have the DDE card". It's sort of an automatic response and since a lot of the servers ask about the ddp they generally know up front that we are using our TIA (or whatever it's called now).

Some times I'll ask before hand, if I can use my card there just to make sure a restuarant is still accepting it.

I'm not much of a fan of automatic gratituties myself?

 

[Todd&Copper]

OP, we had poor service at Chefs back in January, and the food was bland and uninspired to boot. I won't be going back - there is a much better brasierre about 10 miles from my home where the food is superb and the service is outstanding.

 

[NHTikiBeckie]

Bad service can happen anywhere, anytime...it should have been addressed with the manager. How was the food?

If service is bad but food is good that is no reason to cross a place off your list

I completely agree. I never judge a place based on one bad server experience....EVERY place has a bad server now and then. It definitely should have been addressed at the time.

 

[DeeCeeSW]

We had the same experience as the OP and were not on ANY dining plan. We walked out of the restaurant after waiting 15 minutes for our drinks to get there and another 20 mins. went by without receiving bread (that I had to flag our server down to ask for) or having our order taken. BTW, this was after the 45 minute wait outside (with an ADR). Never again. We walked next door to the Tangierine Cafe and had a lovely CS dinner.

 

[bsbrady]

Unfortunately, I didnt speak to the manager, illuminations was about to start and we wanted to leave and get a good spot. I know I should have addressed it there but I did not.

I also told them upfront about the TIW, I have always done this and never had a problem. Next time I know not to say anything.

I would like to write Disney and explain what happened and express my displeasure with the gratuity policy. Does anyone know where I should send this?

 

[ElizabethB]

Sorry that you had a bad experience. Les Chefs used to be a must do for us. We did not enjoy our last visit at all. It's crossed off our list.

 

[bsbrady]

That was our first time there and probably our last. Not only because of the bad waiter, but the food is below average. There are so many better places on property, like Jiko, Brown Derby, California Grill, etc. I think the food is even better at Boma & Crystal palace and they are buffets.

 

[MissionMouse]

We have not received bad service at Chefs in all of our visits, but clearly service is a reflection of the server and the floor manager and Chefs is not immune. I will say we have bad service at an array of Disney TS restaurants making many of them in recent years a hit or miss experience.