So, "You shoulda said something!" is the punchline of a joke my dad told years ago...to be honest, I don't even remember the joke! But the punchline has become a catchphrase in our family. The gist of it is that if the individual had simply "said something," or spoken up, a whole lot of trouble could have been avoided. I'm bringing this up because today, I did say something! Unfortunately, I still had to deal with a good amount of trouble :/
Now, when I go to restaurants I hate having to tell the waiter that something about my order is incorrect...I usually just accept whatever it is that is wrong, like if I got fries instead of a baked potato, I'd just keep the fries and move on; the restaurant staff has enough to do without me complaining about something that isn't that big of a deal. Josh and I love to watch shows with Chef Gordon Ramsay, especially ones where he sends in professional secret diners to evaluate different aspects of how a restaurant is operated. The secret diners never have a problem sending back their food to get exactly what they ordered, and they emphasize that it is the restaurant's responsibility to make sure the customer is 100% satisfied every time they visit. So maybe that has made me more bold when it comes to getting what I want when I go out to eat. But regardless, I felt the need to speak up today.
Anyway, here's the story about my visit to The Sushi Place:
I decided that I'd go in for a "quick" lunch before I went grocery shopping. I had Cam with me as my date :} By the time we got to the parking lot he was asleep, so I put him in the stroller and thought, "Well, this will just be a quiet enjoyable lunch...in and out." I walked in and was greeted and seated promptly and a girl came up to get my drink order. A couple of minutes later a guy came to get my drink order; I told him the girl had already gone to get it. Hmm, already some confusion among the staff. After I got my water, it was a good while before the waiter came to get my food order (probably between 7 and 8 minutes). I ordered one sushi roll which came with miso soup. He brought my soup pretty quickly and came to pick up the bowl when he saw I was finished. Then I waited more than 10 minutes before the waiter came over and apologized about the wait and told me my
(one) sushi roll should be out soon...whew, quite a wait. Maybe another 3 minutes passed and he brought out the sushi. I ate a few pieces and discovered that the filling was not what I had ordered AND it had eel on top (the roll was fried, so it wasn't easy to spot at first). I flagged down the girl who brought my water (who, by the way, was the one who filled up my glass every time...NOT my waiter) and asked her if my sushi roll was supposed to come with eel. I didn't want to say anything if I had overlooked it while scanning the menu. I wasn't going to say anything about the filling, but I really did not want the eel. She said the menu did not say it came with eel and said she would have the chef make a new one promptly. I went ahead and told her about the filling since she was going to have them make a new one anyway. By the time Cam had awoken. I gave him a bottle and some crackers to bide the time...another 5 minutes and she brought out my second roll. This time the filling was correct, but once again, eel. Really?! I reluctantly told the girl about it when she came back over a minute later, and she said she'd get a manager if I wanted; I said ok, but that I was short on time. After she walked away, Mr. Cameron shoved his hand in my bowl of soy sauce, bathing the table, himself, and my white shirt. Awesome. The waiter came over and apologized again and said they were making another one! I said I didn't have time, to which he replied it was almost ready and he could put it in a to-go box for me. I said fine, and about that time the manager came over. She explained that the menu apparently had not been updated since the addition of the eel on the particualr roll of sushi I had ordered. The chef was obviously aware of this, however neither the wait staff, nor the menu presented the change. The waiter came over with the to-go box (which didn't include wasabi or ginger, if I may complain just a tad bit more...), and the manager told me everything was free of charge. As it should be. And thus concludes my "'quick" bite to eat that wasted over an hour of my day.
After having said all that, one thing I
cannot complain about is the attitudes of both the girl and the guy who waited on me, and the manager. They were nothing but accommodating. This is my third visit to The Sushi Place and, while not as good as our favorite place in Georgia, I will probably still go back, because the food and staff have been pretty good. Long story short, update your menu and keep your staff informed!!!
Today, no one can tell me I shoulda said something! But maybe I shoulda not :/
