When is losing a client good for business?

03/24/2010

Corry Robertson, PCC profile picture

By: Corry Robertson, PCC

 

Tell me what you think about this. Last night my husband and I decided to take the kids out for an early supper  to a local restaurant where we eat quite often. We ordered our usual which was two meals that we would share between the 4 of us. We order this way because our kids are still too little to eat entire portions.  The menu that we ordered from was the weeknight special…two meals for just over $20.

Our waiter told us that we were not allowed to share meals with the kids and that is why they have a kids menu.  We explained that we had been dining there since they  opened and always ordered this way.

This was clearly out of the waiter’s hands so the manager got involved. After hearing us out, he confirmed that we could not share meals and that if we wanted a smaller portion, we could order from the kids menu.  I said that if that was the case, we  would feed the kids but we would not be back. The manager said that was fine by him. We fed the kids and in protest, did not order anything for ourselves.

That evening our bill came to $41 compared the $80-$100 that we usually spend there. We estimate that we ate there about a dozen times last year. We will not go back .

Did the manager make the right decision to ‘fire’ us as clients? Do people like us who go to restaurants before 6pm, with children, on weeknights and spend between $80 and $100.00 cost restaurants more than we are worth? Was it  a good business decision  for a manager to send away a family when the dining room was empty?

I would love to hear your opinion.

2 Comments

  1. Eric

    Wow!

    I can understand that restauranters are in business to make money, but COME ON!

    I am quite dissapointed in that manager’s common sense. There are no rules that cannot be bent or accommodated when it comes to family dining restaurants…

    It’s obvious to me this guy cannot be the owner of the place….A true business owner would not act that way towards his customers.

    This guy probably doesn’t really care, all this is to him is a job, a paycheck…etc…no real attachement to the well being of the restaurant.

    Corry, you owe it to everyone else that dines or might dine at this restaurant to divulge it’s name. I for one will do my part in supporting your action. They will never see my family of 4 spend money there…And I will make sure to pass it along to all my large circle of friends in my hockey and soccer environment of our area…..

    It’s not like you have 2 teenagers for Pete’s sake!!!
    And anyway, are they that close to their pennies that they need to charge you 2 extra kiddy meals !!!!??

    in that case, Mr.Idiot, you just cost your restaurant alot more than 2 kiddy meals.

    And PS : CAGE AUX SPORTS, sundays, kids eat for FREE!
    1 kid per adult. and there is no limit.
    we go there with our entire hockey team, and we are received with open arms and smiles…And great service.

    So, let me know where this place is, that is so hell bent on losing business.

    Cheers!
    Eric

    Reply
  2. Lora Smith

    Hi Corry,
    Can’t believe your story…Is the restaurant so bloated with business?! Children’s behaviour being as it is, you might have had to order from the kids menu at some point in the future but they have lost you before they could convert you to “that type” of customer! Furthermore, we find that restaurant portion sizes are so out of whack that two adults can often share and be completely satisfied never mind an adult and a child. Not sure I want to support this bueinss either. Are you going to share the restaurant name?

    Reply

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