Pondering service...

[PebblesMK]

I have read many threads stating that service at some of the TS has turned them away from ever eating at ::insert restaurant name:: again. Sometimes I wonder if it wasn't so much the service but more the undying demands of those eating there and their overall mood coming in.

I only ponder it because having been a server in the past, sometimes it didn't matter how much I went out of my way to help somebody, they just weren't happy. Then again, we all have our off days. I'm just bound and determined to go and enjoy my food. Even if the entire table of food falls on my lap, I'm going to grab my fork while uttering "NOM NOM NOM"....hahaha....

 

[disnut8]

What constitutes "bad service" to one person might not mean a hill of beans to the next. For example, we've dined with an aunt who thought she wasn't getting good service if *she* wanted more iced tea even though her glass was still half full. She thought the server should just know. She also wanted her food order to be taken within five minutes of sitting down, not having her drinks served first or anything else. We really did not like going out to eat with her as she was picky about everything.

Some people get really upset when their dishes are brought to the table and the server has to ask who ordered what. That doesn't bother me at all. My husband and I have even simply switched plates if it gets messed up. It's not a big deal.

I could never be a server as I forget things too quickly. Therefore, I have a very high tolerance for "bad service". Until we are served by nothing but perfect robots, I give humans a lot of breaks.

 

[MickeyNicki]

When I say I am never going back to a place like 1900 PF or H&V it is strictly based on the food...although at both places the service stunk too

 

[Dreamfinder2]

I think there's no question that WDW guests can get pretty cranky. I've seen more of what my wife calls "Disney Meltdowns" than I care to remember. I remember one awful scene in front of the Hollywood Brown Derby when a guy with his family had a pure fit, using language that would make a longshoreman blush, because he was told there was a two-hour wait. I know personally that when I've been on my feet in the Florida sun the better part of the day, I can get a little testy. And, too, there's sort of an "entitlement" mentality that some folks have. So, yeah, unreasonable guest expectations do play into the mix. But I pretty much refuse to let circumstances dictate the quality of my experience while on vacation anywhere.

Having said all that ... yes, it is indeed possible to get poor service at WDW, and it may have nothing to do with the heart, grace, or attitude of the one being served. Sometimes, y'know, you just get poor service. It certainly can happen. Gratuities should reflect your discontent (that's for another thread).

The reality of bad service may be on a sliding scale based on the person being served. The aforementioned aunt sounds like she was born that way, and looked for reasons to complain. I've met folks like that.

 

[KatMark]

When I say I am never going back to a place like 1900 PF or H&V it is strictly based on the food...although at both places the service stunk too

I agree. There are three places we won't go back to at Disney--H&V, WCC and Boatwright's. At all three the food was not good at all (got sick at one of the places) and the service was just downright horrible. I have no problem with a server if they are very busy, etc., and are running from table to table. But I have a problem with a server who is bent out of shape as if she/he doesn't even want to be there, never even attempt to crack a smile or come back for refills on drinks or to groan when you ask a question or ask that the food be sent back because it is not cooked as requested, I have a major problem with that server.

 

[PebblesMK]

Having said all that ... yes, it is indeed possible to get poor service at WDW, and it may have nothing to do with the heart, grace, or attitude of the one being served. Sometimes, y'know, you just get poor service. It certainly can happen. Gratuities should reflect your discontent (that's for another thread).

It is so rare that I leave less than 30% for a tip...however, in the few occasions that I have, I tend to leave a little note saying why. (Like the server who opted to make out with his girlfriend in front of my table when she came in...and then later told me that I should have known what I was ordering when I told him I didn't realize it was saturated in a sauce instead of the sauce coming on the side.) Oh well....I guess I choose to enjoy my experiences and even when a tray of margaritas was spilled all over my new outfit (white of course)....why sweat the small stuff. Dealing with people all day can be a bugger....especially like a certain someone's picky aunt. So unless I'm left alllllllll alone and don't recieve my meal (like at the upscale restaurant I went to where we were served our drinks, sushi, my boyfriends meal, some more drinks and a dessert before I mentioned that I would just cancel my entree as I was full....he looked at me and ran in the kitchen and came back 10 minutes later with is and said "silly kitchen people, they forgot to give it to me"......which by the way I paid full price for and he wouldn't cancel it).....I'll be okay. Just wondering if it's really that bad at WDW or if it's just somebodys perception, as often there are no details to it besides maybe "the server didn't smile much and seemed hurried".

Okay, I'm long winded and have pointless stories for everything. Good thing I only write to amuse myself and have no expectations of people reading this stuff.

 

[vicki_c]

I have only complained about service at one WDW restaurant ever - and by that I mean complained here on the DISboards. And it was the Turf Club, which is supposedly a hidden gem type place. I can't even remember the laundry list of complaints we had - no silverware or napkins despite asking 3 times (we ended up getting them ourselves from the waitress stand place), no drink refills, the eternal amount of time it took to get our drinks in the first place, I think one of us got the wrong entree or something similar - maybe it was a forgotten appetizer. It was just one thing after another after another.

And believe me, we are happy Disney visitors with generally low expectations for either food or service while we're at WDW! I can't remember ever complaining about food or service, have never sent anything back, and are 20% or better tippers! I think I'm a good customer.

That said, I will give Turf Club another chance. From the little I remember about our food (I was too mad at that point to pay much attention), it was probably fine and I'll just assume we won't get the same server -- although I do have her name written down somewhere just in case!

 

[ShannonMB]

So far we haven't had any really noticeably bad service at Disney yet (knock on wood). I know it can happen, but so far, so good!

 

[Robert P]

I have read many threads stating that service at some of the TS has turned them away from ever eating at ::insert restaurant name:: again. Sometimes I wonder if it wasn't so much the service but more the undying demands of those eating there and their overall mood coming in.
QUOTE]

In some cases this certainly may be true. For me, the service at ESPN, Big River Grill, and Beaches & Cream was terrible, and I have expressed that on the DIS boards before. Food might be passable, but service just plain terrible.
With good food, the impact of bad service can be 'downplayed', which happened to us once at Shula's a few years ago. But if the food isn't that great, the bad service just seals the deal.

Except for an occassional sauce on the side, I can't think of any demands or unreasonable expectations when we dine out. At ESPN, when my plate of nachos hit the table and bounced as the server was doing a 'drive by', there is no way that blame falls on the diner. The nacho plate maybe, but the blame, never.