Is your Olive Garden like this?(Clarified in Post #30)

[ZachnElli]

No, never been to an Olive Garden like that. I love Olive Garden, their entrees are just so-so, but love the soup and breadsticks! I'll have soup with a side of soup please!

 

[robinb]

Here in Wisconsin we call that "Minnesota Nice" .

 

[pearlieq]

Ours just makes you wait a minimum of 10 minutes for a table, even if the restaurant is totally empty and 10 waiters are standing around gossiping. We finally stopped going because the whole thing ticked me off!

 

[bananiem]

Sorry you didn't like their manners. I wonder if the Soup Nazi serve Zuppa Toscana.

If you call the hostess interrupting our conversation every time we go, and the seating guy telling my dh the same sad line every time we go good manners...Well, you can keep those kind of manners.
I don't care for the Zuppa Toscana anyway, thanks.
ETA: Actually I would prefer the Soup Nazi to fake friendliness.

 

[GJM]

Ours isn't like that at all. They just built a new one by us - it is so much nicer than the other ones. Since they have opened there is always a wait, doesn't matter what time you go. The other night the wait was 1 1/2 hours.

 

[Mandabella]

ETA: Actually I would prefer the Soup Nazi to fake friendliness.

Agreed.

Oh and I don't dine at Olive Garden. I've never liked it. If I must do a chain Italian place, I prefer the Macaroni Grill. Otherwise, I like local places or home.

 

[N.Bailey]

I don't really understand why this upsets you. It sounds like they were just trying to be nice and make you feel welcome.

These were my thoughts too. I just don't get the complaint.

If you hate dear so much, perhaps hubby could say jokingly, hey, I'm the only one allowed to call my wife dear around here!

Oh well, personally I'll save my battles for more important things. I'm certainly not giving up that salad because of few words! Their alfredo sauce is awesome too!

Their red sauce sucks though!

 

[Patch'sD]

I guess you'd rather have them say over there so you can seat your selves. First time I heard of someone complain about nice service. Did you leave a tip.

 

[disykat]

I agree that the chit chat from staff is irritating if you are in the middle of a conversation. I can't imagine what people have against "miss" or "ma'am" - does it make you feel old? I consider "guys" a casual grouping not necessarily gender specific. I do not like being called endearments by strangers - that I find offensive.

It's funny how different things bother different people, isn't it?

 

[bananiem]

I guess you'd rather have them say over there so you can seat your selves. First time I heard of someone complain about nice service. Did you leave a tip.

Here's my point: It was RUDE of the hostess to interrupt our conversation for her CANNED, SCRIPTED crap. It is NOT "nice service" when the wait person tells us he'll be "delighted to seat us" EVERY STINKIN' TIME WE'RE THERE! It's a script and it needs to be changed once in awhile! Same with the "nice suit and tie" crap. He obviously says it to EVERY MAN that comes in.
Their food isn't that good. I'd rather go to a restaurant that let's the staff
talk for themselves and don't interrupt my dh and my conversation.

 

[luvflorida]

The worst was when our waiter QUIT during our dinner. We ordered soup and waited and waited and waited, I noticed the waiter walk briskly past us and never saw him come back...

Because we've experienced long, long lapses at times while waiting for food, the check, whatever, at restaurants, we've always THOUGHT that maybe the waiter/waitress must have taken a nap, quit, or died on us. I've never actually known one to leave!

 

[Rozzie]

funny thing, down here, we are offended if we are not called "mam". I don't really see the harm in fake friendly's. These kids are doing what they are trained to do, and they don't usually realize how it comes across. I am sure they don't want anyone to get angry about complimenting them on their suit.

BTW, I showed DH this thread...he's a GM at the OG.

 

[Shugardrawers]

Dh has a problem with overly friendly wait staff. He says he wants to just sit down, order, eat and go. He doesn't care what their name is or want to discuss his day with a stranger. I always like good, polite service but draw the line at fake friendliness. I'm your customer, not your long lost friend. And PLEASE don't call me "young lady". I'm pushing 43 with a vengence. I'm not young and it sounds patronizing to me. While I can see why the OP might have been irritated with the canned spiel they were only doing what they've been told to do. Can't fault them for following policy.

 

[golfgal]

Here's my point: It was RUDE of the hostess to interrupt our conversation for her CANNED, SCRIPTED crap. It is NOT "nice service" when the wait person tells us he'll be "delighted to seat us" EVERY STINKIN' TIME WE'RE THERE! It's a script and it needs to be changed once in awhile! Same with the "nice suit and tie" crap. He obviously says it to EVERY MAN that comes in.
Their food isn't that good. I'd rather go to a restaurant that let's the staff
talk for themselves and don't interrupt my dh and my conversation.

I bet they feel like dorks when a guy isn't wearing a suit and tie .

I bet they feel like dorks anyway. I HATE when places of business over due all this stuff!!! One dentist office in town answers the phone "hello, you have reached Dr. X's office, we are happy to serve you, how can we make your day better?" I always want to say, "by not answering the phone so stupidly".

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I agree that the chit chat from staff is irritating if you are in the middle of a conversation. I can't imagine what people have against "miss" or "ma'am" - does it make you feel old? I consider "guys" a casual grouping not necessarily gender specific. I do not like being called endearments by strangers - that I find offensive.

It's funny how different things bother different people, isn't it?

Well, when I'm double the servers age, Miss seems a little silly. I'm ok with Ma'am in that case. But I wouldn't say anything to the waiter about being called Miss and actually get a chuckle out of it. And maybe someone doesn't mind endearments from strangers. That never really bothered me as long as it's not done in a patronizing way.

Guys is something that on the west coast we always said to a group, kind of like other people would say, "ya'll".

 

[ilovepcot]

Okay, I'll admit some of the endearments service people use aren't ones I'd choose, BUT...I look at them and realize that some of them "probably" haven't attended Miss Porter's Finishing School and been taught how to "properly" address their patrons. Or, it "could be" they were absent due to illness the day that was addressed. Or, it "could be" some of these people in the service industry aren't high school graduates. And it "could be" they're having a struggle working more than one job and trying to raise a family, don't get enough sleep, have tired backs and sore feet. It "could be" they're doing the best they can with what they've got. Others may not agree, but I think we should cut them some slack!

 

[frozone]

This is why I try to avoid places like the Olive Garden, especially if there is a locally owned alternative. I have a great italian place in my neighborhood, and the wait-staff there is always genuinely friendly.

 

[LadyBears]

I agree that the chit chat from staff is irritating if you are in the middle of a conversation. I can't imagine what people have against "miss" or "ma'am" - does it make you feel old? I consider "guys" a casual grouping not necessarily gender specific. I do not like being called endearments by strangers - that I find offensive.

It's funny how different things bother different people, isn't it?

"Miss" - fine, "guys" when in a group setting - fine, "dear" - fine, "Lady" - fine. But "ma'am" is just rude & disrespectful! Ma'am is just as bad as witch with a b or any other curse word. It is a rude term!! Why would I want to be seated or served by someone who is going to disrespect me? That IS offensive!

 

[bananiem]

These kids are doing what they are trained to do, and they don't usually realize how it comes across. I am sure they don't want anyone to get angry about complimenting them on their suit.

BTW, I showed DH this thread...he's a GM at the OG.

They aren't kids though. The man commenting on my dh's suit is at least 55 and says it every time. The woman at the door is at least 60. Both of them should be able to say something without a script, IMO.
Tell your dh I love their pasta e fagioli and breadsticks. I just don't want to hear the script to get it.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Ladybears,

I do not get how ma'am is rude. I can see someone not liking it, especially a young female, but to say it's the same as calling someone a witch with a B I just do not understand. In some parts of the country it's the polite thing to call a woman. And if I'm twice the age of the server, why is Miss appropriate? I've been married for longer than what he's been alive! But as long as they don't call me "late for dinner" I don't really care what they call me as long as the service is ok and they bring me my soup and salad refill in a timely manner (which didn't happen last time).

ETA...I just looked up ma'am in the dictionary and the definition is: "Used as a form of polite address for a woman"