What? No popcorn?
By dorannmwin
@dorannmwin (36392)
United States
July 8, 2012 12:10am CST
So, I was feeling pretty depressed yesterday and my sister and mom decided to take me to Movie Tavern to see a movie and try to get me in a better mood. It sounded like a great plan. We went to see Ted (which is a funny movie if you don't get offended with dirty language).
The waitress came and took our order soon after we sat down. I ordered a Coke and popcorn, my mom ordered an appetizer combo and water and my sister ordered a sandwich and water. It took her thirty minutes to bring us our drinks and we still hadn't seen our food. Well, then my mom ran out of water and hit the button to get more water and the waitress never refilled her water glass and simply told us that our food would be out in a few minutes.
Okay, so an hour after we ordered our food, she comes and tells me that the popcorn machine is broken, would I like something else instead. Of course I was angry by this point and asked her for a menu so I could pick something else to eat. She never brought it out.
As the movie ended she came to pick up the money from our ticket and my mother asked to speak to the manager. The reason was because it took so long to get our food, she never got a refill on her drink and by the time that the food was delivered to the other two people in our party was cold. The manager ended up taking care of the entire bill for us and assured us that if she is working the next time that we are there she will personally make sure that we have a better experience.
With that said, have you ever been to a movie theater or restaurant and order one of the things that the place is known for to only be told that they don't have that one thing? Have you ever had an experience at a restaurant that was so bad that it resulted in your not having to pay the bill?
1 person likes this
8 responses
@ShyBear88 (59342)
• Sterling, Virginia
9 Jul 12
I have the Friday's out by Stake n Shake. Me and husband go in late because he was working late and I hadn't eat yet and we where down that way. I wanted BBQ Ribs and they are kind of none for those and there drinks of course but I couldn't drink then either. They did everything as quick as possible our soda taste like soap,and our food was cold. So we just asked for the check paid for what we got and tipped the them nothing. My husband used to work as a waiter so he knows when too much is too much what is a good way to said a message to a waiter then you fed up big time. I've never had talk to a manger but I'm sure my husband has with me knowing it.
This past week my daughter great grandmother talked to the person at the cash register and told her that our dinner sucked because it did. Every bodies food was cold but mine. We waited the whole mean for hot cornbread and didn't get any till we where leaving. The person behind the counter told my grandmother in law that she could go get the manger and she said no but they need to step up there work.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
10 Jul 12
You know, sometimes I think that people might think that we are crazy when we are chatting because of the fact that we do live in the same city and many probably don't realize it, but I know exactly where you are talking about and I will tell you that the last time that we were there (the evening after my husband's last chemo treatment) our service was absolutely horrible. Though I do like TGI Fridays food, I will go to the other location from now on.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
11 Jul 12
The thing that I like the most about Movie Tavern is the fact that they are set up like a mix between a tradition movie theater and also a restaurant. What is the best about that is the fact that you don't have to feel like you are sitting on top of someone that you don't know.
@ShyBear88 (59342)
• Sterling, Virginia
11 Jul 12
Yeah we probably do confuse people. All I have to say to that is "Is a small world after all." The only other TGI Friday's that I know of in town is the one by the Mall and Logan's. They do a better job I haven't had any issues with them yet. I've had and issues with Logan's not to long ago. I would love to go to the Movie Tavern one day, but every time we have the money for it we just end up going to the Dollar movie or the movie theater by the mall so after wards we can just eat dinner or eat dinner before we go.
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
8 Jul 12
We have gone though that in restaurants and never gone back. Can't say that I've been to a theater where they bring you food in the theater. That's a neat service. Much better than standing in line - when it works correctly.
@kkaria309 (297)
• United States
8 Jul 12
Yes theaters in India have begun to give that service since the past few years too and it is very neat because you don't have to waste precious time during the interval [which has become shorter and shorter]. I have never had them mess up in my experience, but I guess it could happen. They come to take your order and they have your seat number to deliver to, so there will be very few mistakes.
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
8 Jul 12
Is the interval the intermission? Movies in the US don't have that.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
9 Jul 12
I actually am in the US and the place that we went to is a chain of movie theaters called Movie Tavern. Most of the time, I would have to say that it is great and in the past I would recommend this theater in our city over every other one around here. However, I really was disappointed with the service this weekend.
I do understand that it was really hot outside and that a big movie opened this past week, but still, you would think that they would have an adequate number of servers for the crowd that they had by the time that the prime movie hours of the day started.
@eshaan (6188)
• India
9 Jul 12
hi...i had the trailer of this incident in another discussion of yours....
but the full story is much more painful...and leading to spoiling of mood...
it lessens the fun of the movie when such things happen...recently i went with my family and my sis and had similar incident(though not so serious)..but my son wanted water and even after ordering they didnt sent it and so he was saying again and again in the movie...that he needs it...he also went to the door so that he can drink it outside but the door was closed and the attendant at the door was not present there...so he had to wait for the interval....
it lessens the fun of the movie when such things happen...recently i went with my family and my sis and had similar incident(though not so serious)..but my son wanted water and even after ordering they didnt sent it and so he was saying again and again in the movie...that he needs it...he also went to the door so that he can drink it outside but the door was closed and the attendant at the door was not present there...so he had to wait for the interval....@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
10 Jul 12
I think that the fact that the problems with the food really did dampen the fact that my mom and sister were taking me out so that I would be in a better mood than I'd been in. You see, I've been depressed lately and they were really trying to make me feel better by doing something nice with me.
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
8 Jul 12
thats awful and quite weird. wonder what was wrong with her? even i would be mad and im easy to please with such things, but that was just off the wall. myself, ive never had that but my late hubby was very irate if he didnt get his milk with his meal. once in a while we would get a waitress that would either totally forget the milk because he'd also order coffee or else he would be nearly done before she brought it. a couple times he wouldnt want to leave a tip and would bring it up while paying. and we got the meal free!
he was never after that tho, he actually believed they should learn to do their job better. It was funny when one that forgot would stop by and say "everything ok?" and id try to mouth the word "milk" without him seeing me
cause id feel sorry for them. sometimes hed say "is all I ordered on the table?" and if she didnt get it then , it was no tip for her!! and the thing is, ordinarily he was the nicest easiest going man you ever met. @dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
9 Jul 12
There was no tip left for the server and of course the manager said that she would take care of the bill and also requested that we see if she is there the next time that we go so that she can personally make sure that our experience is better.
With that said, I just wanted to say to the waitress that I know that there is more than one popcorn machine at a movie theater when there are more than ten screens.
@much2say (57760)
• Los Angeles, California
8 Jul 12
I've never been to a movie theater where food is served (hmmmm, now I'm curious - I'll have to see if there is one out here). Yah, that service sounded awful - so glad the manager took care of it for you all. It ruins the whole movie/service experience . . . you'd get better service after waiting in a long line at the concession stand! And seriously, how can the popcorn machine be broken at a movie theater . . . you'd think they'd have more than one machine or at least a back up!
I can't recall a time where I didn't pay the bill at all . . . but I have left no tip or had a discount on the bill. We went to a fancy restaurant up north for lunch and I ordered something (by now I forgot exactly what that was). I remember getting it and some of the ingredients were not in it (as stated in the menu). I told the waitress - and there was an argument that those ingredients are not supposed to be in it and it was the chef who kept insisting I was wrong. Then when they bothered to read the menu - oh yah, I was right. But by then, they couldn't make it for some reason, so I got a substitute meal. They gave me 50% off my meal, and I didn't leave a tip. We were young back then, so I didn't have the nerve to ask for the manager . . . if that happened now, I would for sure make a case out of it!
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
9 Jul 12
I can think of several times that we've been given a discount because of bad service and the last time that we had that was when we went out for Father's Day dinner and I ordered my steak to be medium and it was served to me well-done. By the time that they had my refire done, my entire family was done eating so they gave me half off my plate.
This is the first time that I've had an experience where the manager took care of the entire bill. But then, they did at least get paid for our tickets to see the movie because you do pay for that up front.
If you are interested in seeing if there is such a theater around there, the chain that is located here is Movie Tavern.
@ravisivan (14082)
• India
8 Jul 12
dorannmwin
i have not gone for a movie in usa/canada. in india we order online and the eatables are given us to before intermission and i have not had any bad experience in this regard. You went for the movie with the children or without the children. how was the move?
good day.
good day.@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
9 Jul 12
This time it was just my mom, my little sister and myself. We had left the kids and my husband at my mom's house so that they could dog sit and play in the swimming pool that my mom has at her house.
You see, they don't really trust the dog and also they were trying to do something with me to get me in a better mood because I've kind of been depressed lately.
Though the service was pretty stinky, the movie was pretty funny if you are able to handle crude humor.
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
8 Jul 12
There is a theater kind of like that here. I have not gone due to the cost. But yes we've had a bad experience when I was young.... 18-20ish. We were seated in a booth between two sizeable parties. My friend and I were lucky to of gotten our food as other than the order and the bill that was the only time she came to our table. And the way they work you get refills on a few things that are included in your meal well they ran dry. I think they either gave her more than she could handle or she figured we wouldn't give her as nice of a tip as these other parties would. So she got a shiney penny for a tip and we spoke to the manager and we both got a refund on our meal and a voucher to come back in again.
And what kind of theater runs out of popcorn?!?!?!
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
9 Jul 12
Apparently a movie theater that has other kinds of food besides just popcorn. What really stinks now, however is that I really am still craving some popcorn.
As far as bad service typically goes, I really don't like to complain about the bad service that we get from time to time, but I am not afraid to do it because I really think that you deserve to get good service when you take the time out of your day to visit a restaurant and expect to get service.
@kkaria309 (297)
• United States
8 Jul 12
Lots of things happen that way. I am glad you did not pay the bill. Sometimes the services in some places are just too horrible and, for me, that means never going to that place again, and telling everyone not to go either. See, I am not someone to bad-mouth something just to spite, but if some limits are crossed, I will not compromise.
Once I went to a Pizza place that had an unlimited plan. I knew that the way they make the pizza for unlimited customers is different from the ones they make for the special order customers. In their unlimited menu, they have many different cold salads that you can help yourself from as many times as you want, soup of the day, three kinds of pizza, garlic bread, and brownie with ice-cream for desert. Now except for the desert, everything is 'all-you-can-eat'.
But the 'all-you-can-eat' pizza is sometimes not fresh and burned in the reheating, the garlic bread has very little cheese, almost none. The soup is the instant kind. I insisted that the waiter bring me fresh pizza only and sent it back as many times as necessary, but I am not going to feel guilty about it, and I wasn't going to eat THAT either.
Obviously, I have not gone there again, and I tell my friends not to either. Same thing with another pizza place where I found a bug in my pasta. Real, alive bug. And the manager kept insisting it had fallen from the ceiling and was not in the pasta itself. What was it doing on the ceiling of the food place anyway?
He insisted he will order me a new plate of pasta, but I was done. I have not gone there either and reported that incident to the company via the customer care. Guess what? I got no response
I like to go to places where they know how to take good care of the customers and maintain them.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
9 Jul 12
You know, most of the time when I get bad service, but it is something that is isolated, I will return to that place. However, when it is a place that I've only visited for the first time, I will not be going to that place again.
A couple months ago my brother and his family invited me and mine to go out to dinner with them. The service was slow and this was the first time that I'd been to that place. Needless to say, we haven't been back there because the first impression was not that good.
