I dine out … a lot… mostly because as a single guy it’s usually cheaper to go for a $20 dinner, where I’ll take half of it home and have it for lunch the next day, then going out and buying food that will eventually go bad in my fridge.

Anyway, four times during the ten days I’ve been out to eat and been plagued by bad service. Here are two examples:

1. I’m chapter president of the local Association of Fundraising Professionals and attended a luncheon celebrating philanthropy recently at the Waterfront Banquet Center in Plains (That’s sort of Wilkes-Barre for those of you not from around these parts).  This room was filled with 250+ fundraisers (people) with significant (if not final) decision making ability about where more than 200 organizations in this region will hold their fundraising events. Well, they won’t be doing so at this location. The room was not set right, there were cleanliness issues with the plates and silverware, the staff was rude and abrasive, and lunch showed up 20 minutes late. The sales rep from the site even said, “We can pull off a $60,000 wedding but not a $6,000 luncheon.” I already know of at least two events that have been cancelled there as a result and the management’s offer of $1,000 — while nice, didn’t cover the cost of the $500 worth of ice cream that was not served, the $240 vegetarian meals that came out as chicken, and the $400 worth of coffee service that ran out after 40 cups were filled and never restocked.

2. I went out with SEO Jeff to the local franchise for Chili’s last night – the table was covered in grease and honey… like someone had wiped down a spiill and then subsequently used that cloth to wipe down this table. Our server wiped it down again.. .still gross. Then, after we had eaten, we went to pay the bill. The server had to finish chatting with his friends for 5 minutes before we got it.

The total bill for both of us was $22. I paid $14 in cash, Jeff put $12 on his Visa. Well, Jeff’s card was charged $22 and the waiter presumed that $12 was his tip. I mean really, that’s a pretty good tip at 63% … for nachos and chicken fingers?! Bad Service = $1.00 tip.

As e-commerce merchants or marketers, remember… We’re in the heart of our busy season and if we can’t follow through, it’s better to let the customers know that orders will be delayed or services will be slow.

Several folks at Solid Cactus are in the same boat. With the recession in full-swing, when you go out to dinner, to a retail store, or anywhere that customer service is involved… if you get bad service, there are probably hundreds of other shopping sites and the comparison shopping engines have made it very easy to go somewhere else.

Remember, shoppers are a click away from giving you their business… or moving to your competitor’s site! Now Chili’s I will give another chance because it might have been an off night, and dinner cost was $20. But The Waterfront Banquet Center in Wilkes-Barre, PA? That’s another story.

A week or two ago, I invited a group of friends to attend what I hope will be the first of a series of dining outings at mid-scale dining venues throughout the region.  So last night, we had a wonderful dinner at Rustic Kitchen at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.  We all work very hard and I figured that the occasional splurging for a high-quality, relaxed meal in a classy atmosphere was something we deserved.

Rustic Kitchen is a beautifully decorated balance between rustic and modern.  There is also a very modern area where local chef Kate Gibriele hosts, “In the Kitchen” – a Food Network style cooking show.  The “show” is available for guests to attend as a group of up to 30-ish people at a cost of $55 per person.   That’s definitely something on our list of things to try out.

The dinner was delicious and the service was excellent, howsoever slow (good food must take time?).  Our server and the manager each were very apologetic for the delay, which I didn’t really mind.  The week was so fast-paced, the slow down was nice.

** More information at the Dawe Dinner Club is here. http://www.johndawe.com/dinner-club

In the Picture:
Robyn Craig, John Dawe, Shannon Mullery, Michelle Pushefski, Brian Emershaw
also not pictured (due to the fact he’s taking the photo) Tyler Guerrero

One attendee’s accounting of the experience:

I was surprised that a facility trying to make a “comeback” was presented so poorly!  The roadway is poorly marked and poorly maintained, the grounds are overgrown with weeds, the interior is the same.

It took extensive time to find a staff member in the building who could assist us.  We were greeted by our rep’s 5-year old running around taking us room to room telling us, “Hold on my mommy is somewhere…”

The presentation in the dining room was slapdash –everything was placed in the middle of the table, not preset — the food was overcooked.  My chicken was so dried out, I could barely cut it with the knife.

They forgot to serve the dessert!

Before:

After:

Perhaps the headline could read, “Pene enorme en el campo.”

Click here … <—NSFW!

A sum of $11,000, distributed from the Foundation’s health fund, will be used for various health and wellness-related programs and facilities improvement expenditures including:

• The Lands at Hillside Farms, $2,500, Healthy Sprouts Match Support
• Behavioral Health Services of Wyoming Valley, $2,000, Happiest Baby on the Block program
• Catherine McAuley House, $1,500, medical needs of homeless women and children
• Maternal and Family Health Services Inc., $2,000, Smile Happy project
• Drums/Butler Playground Project, $2,000
• Family Service Association, $1,000, RU OK? program.

Grants totaling $12,750 made available from the foundation’s donor advised and general funds were given to:

• Foundation for Aging Services, $1,500, Reality Tour Drug Prevention Program
• F.M. Kirby Center, $1,500, Children’s Educational Program
• Catherine McAuley House, $1,500, plaster repair
• Head Start, $2,500, Learning Communication Skills Through the Arts
• Ruth’s Place, $2,000
• Girl Scouts, $1,000, Violence Prevention is a Family Affair
• Hanover Cemetery, $750, restoration for historical preservation.

The Luzerne Foundation is the community foundation serving all of Luzerne County. The foundation accepts gifts of all types and makes grants to nonprofit organizations based on measured community need. Since its formation in 1994, the foundation has grown to include more than 190 distinct funds and has distributed more than $5.8 million in grants to nonprofits throughout Northeastern
Pennsylvania.