Second Chance

If you go to a favorite restaurant, and it’s a bad, bad meal – slow service, burnt food, and cold food that’s supposed to be hot – do you give them a second chance, or do you give them the boot?

Asking for a friend.

11 thoughts on “Second Chance”

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  1. Hmmm… a restaurant? I don’t know about that BUT I did have a bad experience with a small town (the town I live in) grocery store – it only happened one time, mind you. That was 6 years ago… I still have NOT stepped foot in that store since then. It was a checkout teller and her baaaad attitude.

    I guess it will all depends on the circumstance.

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    1. I think you’re right, it depends on circumstances, and perhaps, how optimistic or cynical you are. I’ve also had places where I said, “That’s it, I’ll never return to THAT place,” and never did. Thanks, Kenneth

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  3. I have friends in the restaurant biz and it’s a known fact–Murphy’s law–that, if anything goes wrong, it will be an avalanche of problems; therefore, I do give restaurants a 2nd chance. I would return on another week-day to see if the same problem is still there. If it’s a favorite restaurant, the kitchen and serving problems would have been resolved. And, if not, let the owner or manager know why you’re unhappy. I have done a few eatery reviews and it’s usually in print after 3 anonymous visits.

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    1. Yes, I’m inclined to give someplace three chances because of Murphy’s Law, but I’ve noticed that once a slide has been noted, it tends to be a fatal one. There have been some that I’ve returned to after a year that turn it around, but those are the exception. Still, for the reasons you point out, I like to give them three chances.

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  5. A few years ago my husband and I went to dinner at a locally owned restaurant that had just reopened. There were hardly any customers but we sat there for nearly 2 hours and didn’t even have our entrees yet. Everything took half an hour – drinks, salads, etc. we actually had to ask for our dinners to go because we had other plans. The waitress was totally blasé and gave us a coupon for 10% off next time, but we left it on the table with no intentions of ever returning.
    I would have been more inclined to give them a second chance had they been really busy/short-staffed or had the waitress seemed to give a crap.
    A couple years later, friends of ours had their wedding rehearsal dinner at this same restaurant and it was the same story – 2 clueless waitresses for 30-40 people and it took 45 minutes to get drinks. The food was buffet style, which is fine – except they ran out of food!
    Small, occasional issues don’t keep me away, especially if the staff seems to give a crap, but repeated issues and a lackadaisical attitude will stop me from returning.

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    1. I’ve had the first experience but never the second, and did the same as you. You pinned it for me: the attitude will carry more weight in my decision. Effort goes a long way. Thanks for reading and commenting.

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