Friday, March 02, 2007

Restaurant Woes

We were eating at Olive Garden tonight. We had given our server our debit card, and it was taking him awhile to get back to us. We were getting impatient, and had a cranky toddler on our hands.

Finally, he came back and said he had lost our debit card! He said he had searched our pockets and looked everywhere, but couldn't find it. He asked us to look around the table, but it wasn't there. He went back and forth to the kitchen about three times, but never turned up with it.
My husband talked to a manager, and he took our phone number, in case it turned up. My husband told the guy he didn't know if our dinner had been rung up yet or not, and the manager actually paused several seconds and finally said, "It's OK, it's on us." I would have thought that would be a given!

We were getting our things together and the server came out at apologized again. We said it's OK (what else can you say), and the guy kind of stood staring at the table, like he expected a tip! Ummm... we were going to pay for it using the debit card THAT YOU LOST! We had no cash on us, and probably wouldn't have left it anyway. The service had been very slow all night.
I called the restaurant once we got home and talked to the manager again. He said the card had not turned up. I immediately called my bank and cancelled it. No other charges had been made on it, so I don't think anyone took it. I'm sure it's in the server's notepad somewhere, and he just overlooked it. He wasn't malicious... just a bit clueless. I hope he has better luck with his other tables!

4 comments:

headlesschickie said...

No tip ought to help him learn to keep better track of a debit card. Hello? Table waiting 101!

I'm sure it was especially annoying to you two alumni! I can't believe you guys even eat there! Didn't you get your fill? Or did you take a long hiatus? Wait, do they still give you a discount?!

Ladybug said...

That's just crazy. Can't believe the manager was reticent about comping your meal - DUH!

Flawed And Disorderly said...

Oh no! Unbelievable! What a pain!

Bobby D. said...

Here's a tip for the server. Don't lose people's cards you idiot! He may have left it at some other patron's table and they just kept it.