Could I please have some sympathy for my very, very sad lunch experience?

[OompaLumpaLabrador]

DH and I hardly ever get any ( child free) time together. So, we decided today to take a could of hours out to have lunch together at the local smart gastropub-wotnot. We even put on our nice coats to wander into town. It was deserted so we sat down and ordered lovely sounding tapas. We sat politely and waited. And waited. And sipped our drinks. And suffered minor smoke inhalation from the rustic open fire. And waited. The staff (so many of them!) wandered about nattering. After forty minutes we politely mentioned we were on a bit of a tight schedule. Turns out our order mysteriously never made it to the kitchen (we could see the kitchen from our table, it was hardly a trek). They were moderately apologetic but still brought over a bill for our drinks. We were very English and left with a polite but chilly smile. My poor husband is American. I don’t think he has the social-cognitive architecture to process this lunchtime letdown. He can’t stop muttering about it. He will probably call his mum for a special conversation about this.

I was so looking forward to a nice lunch together. In the end, we both had an apple and a bit of cheese. I’m really quite sad now. And considering joining Tripadvisor.

Please send sympathy and and similar stories of lamearsed service.

Aw poor OP! It's a pain in the arse isn't it.
On the poor service points above, when I'm in a moderate rush I ask for the bill when they serve the main course. I've lost hours of my life waiting for them to bring bills and never understood why they do it, surely they want the table back?!

Had coffee with a friend a few days ago, she is a good ‘mum friend’ so we both had babies with us, babies sleeping soundly, ordered coffee, desperate for it, seems like nothing but nearly 25 mins we waited … and guess what ?? Babies woke as soon as the coffee arrived 😂 I’d be raging if I was you x

@OompaLumpaLabrador I can relate. Me and DH took day off today to have a special lunch and visit a local attraction. Sat down to eat at 1, food arrived at 2.30. Had to wolf it and then go to school pick up. We were tremendously British too and all smiles. Oh well! These things happen.

They may have very good service in the US, OP, but watching Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA, is an absolute eye-opener about hygiene and food safety standards there. Some of the kitchens are so disgusting that I wonder if they have any regulation at all of restaurants such as we have here with Environmental Health. It does look as though it is a complete lottery there as to whether a restaurant is safe to eat in.

We had a similar experience in Paris. Waited over an hour for our food. What was really disheartening was seeing others arrive after us being served promptly. And the food did look good!
We called the waiter over to ask how much longer it would be. He seemed surprised to be asked, disappeared into the kitchen and never came back. We'd finished a bottle of wine by this time so walked out without paying. Dh even stopped and shook hands with every waiter on the way out. None of them commented, shows they weren't paying any attention to us.

I can't believe you waited 40 minutes before you asked!

I'm ashamed to say that a couple of months ago I stormed out of a restaurant and left DP to pick up the pieces.

We both ordered a relatively simple meal and a drink.. After 20 minutes we didn't even have drinks so DP chased for.tjem at least. HIS drink appeared and I assumed mine would follow shortly. It didn't.

At 30 minutes we asked what was happening with food and they assured us it would just be a couple of minutes as would my drink. nothing.. at 45 minutes when we were getting ready to chase again they finally brought out the food still no drink for me. DPs food was cold and my order was completely wrong. They insisted it was what I ordered and that I'd never asked for a drink at which point I lost my temper, refused to eat what they'd given me and left.

DP stayed and said they were very apologetic they didn't charge for alanything we had had / not had .. I stormed off home for a fry up

I had a sad lunch experience yesterday too.
I'd worked so many hours of the last 2 weeks, finally had time for lunch with my husband so we walk into town and end up in my favourite pub. His was lovely, mine was the first thing I have eaten there I didn't enjoy. I felt ridiculously disappointed.

The other really bad experience we had was my friends daughters birthday party. She had arranged for lunch at a well known chain restaurant who had asked us to be preordained because of the numbers.

We arrived. We waited. We waited a bit longer. we waited some more and after a whole hour after any number of chases asking where our pre ordered food was and being assured it would not be long (,15 under 10s at one table getting grumpy!) they turned up to ask to take our order! We all left and went to Macdonalds and I've never been back

Up North we had nothing but wonderful service, provided by genuinely friendly people.

The lady who bustled out onto the terrace to see if she could get us anything, then hunted what we'd ordered down, in the bowels of the kitchen!

The wonderful waitress who was both amused and very sympathetic about my hay fever, and went and got a box of tissues for me!

The restaurants that fitted us in on a busy Friday night, no problem at all, and the most streamlined, polished service, and excellent food.

I love going up North. I'm sure there are unfriendly, unpleasant people there, as there are everywhere, but I don't think I've ever experienced anything but kindness, friendliness, and very good service!

I was expecting a thread about soup - but yes poor service makes for a sad lunch too

This happened to us in Brooklyn! Generally, customer service in the US is excellent but my worst experiences have been there too - my theory is that they hear a British accent and assume they won't get a good tip.

@StormOfSekhmet

I'm not trying to be offensive, I really had a bad time there.

Maybe if you’d branched out from Pizza Hut and KFC…

This is brilliantly awful but I agree with a previous poster; we need to know, word for word, what he says to his mum

Leave them a really shitty revue on tripadvisor!

Fecking hate shit service , last year we went for breakfast. only 3 of us booked got drinks was told will be called when it’s out time to go and get buffet breakfast . We waited and waited eventually asked when we could go up ( I would’ve asked earlier but dh is incredibly British and says oh busy let’s wait a bit longer ) . Anyway waitress said chef hasn’t got you down to go up but I don’t mind you going up . We’d already paid on the app so we bloody well were going up to get breakfast was starving by then . I refuse to go back due to crap service .

They absolutely have hygiene inspectors in the US. The restaurants on GRKN are picked deliberately for good TV.

The main difference between here and there is that the wait staff are tip driven, so they're not going to let a table sit longer than they need to get another cover down.

My worst restaurant in the UK for service is the Oxo Tower. Staggeringly rude staff, mediocre service and stupid prices that wouldn't be so unreasonable if the service and food were ok.

I’m so sorry! DH and I had a similar experience the other day when we both needed to work from home and DD was in nursery. Burnt pizzas. I couldn’t even have a drink as I’m pregnant - I’d been looking forward to that lunch for aaages. It’s so disappointing isn’t it? Gone are the days where we could nip out for a grown up lunch on a whim so it’ll be ages til we can do it again 😭😭😭

marking place for OP's report on convo with his mother...

tbh, I've had quite a few moments of people being ... pathetic ... and me just putting up with it recently. Finance failed to book me on a course and not realising until 2 days after the course dates, travellers who gave me nowhere to sit on train, terrible customer service, etc. I just don't have the energy to yell at them even though they fully deserve it.

We ordered a very posh burger and chips meal from a local restaurant which is well renowned for such things. Delivery in an hour and fifteen mins. After 90 mins they rang to say that they were about to cook it but the delivery car had broken down so it would be another hour before it arrived. It was already 8.15 so I cooked pizza out of the deep freeze.

@StormOfSekhmet

I'm not trying to be offensive, I really had a bad time there.

Yes the North, known Specifically for its awful customer service.

Perhaps you should stay down south.

Annoying

@OompaLumpaLabrador Fri 12-Nov-21 15:23:19

" ‘Can you imagine, I mean, can you actually imagine, that happening in the States?’"

No but other things do!! Presumably your DH has never ordered hot tea in a USA restaurant or watched you order tea? The cup of hot water arrives, followed hours later by the ceremonial box full of old wrapped tea bags proudly presented. I always politely smile, choose my beverage of choice and then ask for it and the cup of now cold water to be taken to the kitchen and for new boiling water to be poured on the tea bag.

I am always grateful and tip appropriately.

I have to say OP that I really enjoy your writing style, especially
//
He will probably call his mum for a special conversation about this.
//

Sorry about your lunch OP.

at your DH having a special conversation with his mum.