Not so great Ruby Tuesday experience (little long, sorry!)

[lynxstch]

and I can't reach them to complain..we have been to our local Ruby Tuesday many times...and many times it was much more crowded than this time, and we have never had anything like this happen in there...

we stopped in there Friday the 13'th for a 'quick lunch' since we had one of their b1g1 free entree coupons.
Noone at the door to greet guests, first of all.
Finally a waitress comes and finds us a seat and takes drink orders (ice tea and water). Leaves menu's ..comes back about 10 min. later and takes orders..leaves..

we go to get salad bar. Come back to table, no silverware, no napkins, drinks are there, but no straws. Find a passing waitress and ask her. She brings us silverware and straws

Temp in there was so cold that myself and another lady at a nearby table were complaining that we had goosebumps.
We both asked if they could turn the AC down..they told me they couldn't, that it was set automatically....

so we finish our salads..get seconds..finish those..still no entrees..we got there at 12:30..by now it was just about 1:25

...waitress finally comes by and I ask her to go find out why the kitchen is so slow..she comes back and says it's my fault(????)..I asked for butter and sour cream on the side for my baked potato..and they put it on top..so they had to make another one..about 10 min later she finally comes with meals..well my 'remade' baked potato isn't even fully cooked, but the ribs are so cooked that they are as dry and tasteless as can be. Husband ordered green beans with his meal..they looked disgusting..

she came back about 10 min. later and I asked if she could send the manager over..she said he 'wasn't available'..she asked if I wanted her to have my entree remade..well by this time it was almost 2:00 and we had things to do..so I declined..

so she gave me the # for Ruby Tuesday corporate office. By the time we paid and left a tip, it cost us almost $30 for lunch, and I wasn't happy

! I came home and got online and used their feedback email with my complaints..got the canned response that each and every feedback is personally answered..as soon as possible..

I waited till yesterday (Monday) and emailed again..also tried their 'guest relations' phone #..got a voice mail..left a message...noone called back..this morning I left another email..and 2 more voice mails..still no return calls..so what is the point in telling people that you 'can always reach us at guest relations'..when noone ever answers?..

It will be a long time before I go into our local Ruby Tuesday..I figured that if the manager isn't available..he sure must know whats going on in his restaurant..and I figured that maybe corporate would also like to know?..but I guess I am wrong on this one???

What would you do or would you have done??..thanks in advance



By my third voice mail..I wasn't quite as nice and understanding as I had been on the first 2...within 20 min..my cell phone rang and it was the regional director calling..he is in control of 10 restaurants..he said there was no excuse for all those things happening, especially the waitress telling me the manager wasn't available. He is calling the manager first thing tomorrow..and he said as soon as he gets back to his office he's sending me out a gift card hoping to get me to come back and try it again..I wasn't looking for a gift card, I just wanted corporate to know how a local restaurant was being run.
We are a very small town/city..and don't have a lot of choices..we have Applebee's, Ruby Tuesday, the usual fast food joints, and a Texas Grillhouse..nothing else without driving 1 1/2 hours in a different direction..lol
thanks for the replies..glad to know I am not the only one who had a bad experience in one!

 

[simba20]

I'd keep calling the local restaurant.

It's hard for corporate to know what is going on at a local level.

A few months back we ate a RT and I ordered suchinni as my side (I <3 zuchinni). The entree came out and the zuchinni was so limp and greasy that I couldn't eat it. I chalked it up to one of those "won't order that again."

Well, a few minutes later the manager was circulating through the restraunt. He came to our table and asked how our meals were, and we answered "Fine" "Good." Now I never complain, but it occured to me that the limp zuchinni may be a cook issue (as in the cook didn;t know how to cook it) so I stopped the manager before he walked away and told him about the zuchinni. The manager asked if I wanted another side and I said "No" (really wanted that zuchinni) and by then I was nearly finished with my meal anyway. A few mins later the manger returned with a B1G1 coupon and he took the cost of the zuchinni off our ticket.

Calling corporate about it, wouldn;t have done anything. I prefer to stay on the local level. Also I wouldn't chalk one experience up to not going tot he restraunt ever again.

 

[phorsenuf]

and I can't reach them to complain..we have been to our local Ruby Tuesday many times...and many times it was much more crowded than this time, and we have never had anything like this happen in there...

we stopped in there Friday the 13'th for a 'quick lunch' since we had one of their b1g1 free entree coupons.
Noone at the door to greet guests, first of all.
Finally a waitress comes and finds us a seat and takes drink orders (ice tea and water). Leaves menu's ..comes back about 10 min. later and takes orders..leaves..

we go to get salad bar. Come back to table, no silverware, no napkins, drinks are there, but no straws. Find a passing waitress and ask her. She brings us silverware and straws

Temp in there was so cold that myself and another lady at a nearby table were complaining that we had goosebumps.
We both asked if they could turn the AC down..they told me they couldn't, that it was set automatically....

so we finish our salads..get seconds..finish those..still no entrees..we got there at 12:30..by now it was just about 1:25

...waitress finally comes by and I ask her to go find out why the kitchen is so slow..she comes back and says it's my fault(????)..I asked for butter and sour cream on the side for my baked potato..and they put it on top..so they had to make another one..about 10 min later she finally comes with meals..well my 'remade' baked potato isn't even fully cooked, but the ribs are so cooked that they are as dry and tasteless as can be. Husband ordered green beans with his meal..they looked disgusting..

she came back about 10 min. later and I asked if she could send the manager over..she said he 'wasn't available'..she asked if I wanted her to have my entree remade..well by this time it was almost 2:00 and we had things to do..so I declined..

so she gave me the # for Ruby Tuesday corporate office. By the time we paid and left a tip, it cost us almost $30 for lunch, and I wasn't happy

! I came home and got online and used their feedback email with my complaints..got the canned response that each and every feedback is personally answered..as soon as possible..

I waited till yesterday (Monday) and emailed again..also tried their 'guest relations' phone #..got a voice mail..left a message...noone called back..this morning I left another email..and 2 more voice mails..still no return calls..so what is the point in telling people that you 'can always reach us at guest relations'..when noone ever answers?..

It will be a long time before I go into our local Ruby Tuesday..I figured that if the manager isn't available..he sure must know whats going on in his restaurant..and I figured that maybe corporate would also like to know?..but I guess I am wrong on this one???

What would you do or would you have done??..thanks in advance

Chalk it up as them having a bad day and be done with it. Since you've never had issues before then it seems like a fluke.

 

[bumbershoot]

Sounds pretty bad! Both of the local locations to me have recently closed, and that's after service and food got worse and worse... So keep contacting them before they all close!