A Restaurant Reviewers’s Worst Case Scenario

One of the most interesting things for a Restaurant Reviewer is having a pleasurable experience and then all of a sudden some unexpected thing occurs. After traveling around the United States and Canada for some 5-years I noticed that the service in some of the more respected restaurant chains was quite uneven.

Meaning not only was quality control at one extreme or the other or customer service hot or cold, but that consistency was quite varying from store to store or outlet to outlet. Sometimes the service was fantastic, sometimes ho-hum and on rare occasion horrific. Let me tell you some theories I developed after taking Restaurant News, Franchising Times and C-Store News for years, while also traveling and seeing it all for my self.

The theories of retail dining and the realities of what goes on are light-years from Ray Kroc’s motto’s for his early stores. First, one of the biggest issues is employee under-training, local store management and secret shopper programs as a catch all. Another issue is with employees who do not care or are simply oblivious to what they are doing.

One of my recent experiences to be discussed along the subject of; a Restaurant Reviewers Worst Case Scenario happened at a Chain Mexican Food Chain. The semi-Fast Food place was an hour from closing on a slow week-night. Getting a jump on the store clean-up I assume was the reason.

An employee came over to the trash area, just a ways from where we were sitting and started pumping ammonia cleaner into the trash can area and had the open trash can sitting between us and her, which was quite smelly. Next she sprayed down the trash can with the toxic fumes and left them there to soak in? Or for dwell time to help in cleaning.

Then proceeded to spray the area or soak the inside of the box where the trash can goes. This was getting quite hard to breath. Next seeing that the trash can had the cleaner dried on, she put more on to loosen it up and then wipe it with a rag, then hang the rag on the seat back nearest us?

Should I go on? This is just one problem we have, people just do not get it. I certainly hope this article is of interest and that is has propelled thought. The goal is simple; to help you in your quest to be the best in 2007. I thank you for reading my many articles on diverse subjects, which interest you.