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Asking names- my local McD's has started doing that. I don't mind if I have to wait for a table at a decent place and they need a name to call when the table is ready, but Mickey D's? I have a new policy for my name now, when they don't really need to know, and any old name will do. My first name is Haywood. My last name is Jablowmey.
Had I had the opportunity to give it any thought I would've just introduced everyone. "I'm Mr. Brown, this is Ms. White, this is Mr. Pink" and so on, hoping that the table would immediately devolve into, "Why do I have to be Mr. Pink?"
It such an odd policy. But yeah, your name works. Maybe porn star names if I should ever have to go there again.
FWIW, I don't understand why these chains can't be more like Houlihan's, which is our fallback for late night dining. The food is good and the service more professional for the same prices. I've been told our Houlihan's is one of their new "concept" locations, but it's a great concept, not at all like the TGIF/Bennigans place it used to be.
I hardly find it problematic that the server asked for your name. Perhaps she was doing it as part of her way of warming up to her customers? Only she knows.
Her repeat visits to your table really seemed to have annoyed you...but I'm certain that if she only came once, you'd find fault with her on that end, as well.
I don't think there's a happy medium for you, given that you did not initially want to go to the restaurant.
I've dined at AppleBee's and TGIF more times than I care to remember. Sometimes the service is excellent. Sometimes it's subpar. Most times it's good.
We tend to avoid chains; some (certainly not all) independent restaurants are really excellent.
I fell out of like with Applebees about 15 years ago, and Chilies before that. Haven't been to either since the '90s. Olive Garden is, for a chain, not bad at all.
I don't think I've ever had a server sit down at the table, or ask for our names though. That would be weird.
Man you're grumpy. Makes me thank goodness I'm not a server any longer. The girl was trying to be friendly and probably was inexperienced. Many restaurants hire young people or people with little experience, Applebee's or not. They hope they'd learn on the job. To downgrade a girls tip based on your catty complaints is amazing.
I had to go to an Applebee's yesterday with a group, no choice in the matter. The server introduced herself and then asked for each of our names. What the hell? I don't want to be your friend. And as the service played out, names were never used again.
I figure somebody here must have worked for this crappy chain at some point and can explain the reasoning behind this intrusive type of service and why they'd ask for our first names.
It wasn't just the name. It's that she came back 5 or 6 times to ask how things were, the first three times while we were still waiting for our food to arrive. And she ignored one of the group, served cold coffee and forgot to bring silverware.
Taken in total, I found the service exceedingly intrusive in addition to just being poor. We left a $10 tip on an $82 bill and I felt that was even too much. And I'm normally a 20% pre-tax tipper for average service.
Additionally, when I have to go to an Applebee's/TGIF/Chilis type of chain I'll pick something that's pretty basic and hard to screw up. Yesterday that was a club sandwich. Yet it was awful because they put overly sweet honey mustard on the thing - my fault as I didn't fully read the description (but who puts honey mustard on a club?)
Anyway, it was just an awful experience. What do people see in this place?
I tried and didn't like the food; so I don't go back .Never asked first name but that and other is much to do about nothing: IMO.
Had I had the opportunity to give it any thought I would've just introduced everyone. "I'm Mr. Brown, this is Ms. White, this is Mr. Pink" and so on, hoping that the table would immediately devolve into, "Why do I have to be Mr. Pink?"
It such an odd policy. But yeah, your name works. Maybe porn star names if I should ever have to go there again.
FWIW, I don't understand why these chains can't be more like Houlihan's, which is our fallback for late night dining. The food is good and the service more professional for the same prices. I've been told our Houlihan's is one of their new "concept" locations, but it's a great concept, not at all like the TGIF/Bennigans place it used to be.
Would have totally taken this route! Most likely would have zipped right over the server's head.
In the future, you might try to use your art of persuasion to avoid a lackluster choice by your group. I've never been to an Applebee's as there isn't one located within a 25 mile radius, but I've seen the TV commercials and it looks on par with Denny's, Coco's, TGIFs, Olive Garden, Chili's and the like.
We used to have a Houlihan's in Torrance many years ago, that was actually not a bad chain restaurant. They were excellent about service, and frequently let our whole group order our first drink on the house if we had to wait for more than a few minutes. Servers were attentive and attractive.
Man you're grumpy. Makes me thank goodness I'm not a server any longer. The girl was trying to be friendly and probably was inexperienced. Many restaurants hire young people or people with little experience, Applebee's or not. They hope they'd learn on the job. To downgrade a girls tip based on your catty complaints is amazing.
Interesting. So she visits the table six times and fails to bring silverware each time until after the food arrives when she stopped over to see if we needed anything else. Well, yeah. We can't eat this until we have forks and stuff, you know? Ignores one guest completely on first visit. Delivers cold coffee. And you think she deserves a full tip? Entitled much?
You know nothing about me. I used to own a cafe in a major metro and won an editor's "best of" award in our category. I actually invested in training my people to be professionals and they got excellent tips. I personally tip well when given as little as competent service and tip even more generously when served at a level above that.
Also, I've eaten out at least a thousand times. Never once have I been asked for my name at the table. It wasn't "being friendly". It was something the restaurant wants their servers to do for some strange inexplicable reason.
I'm just kerflummoxed that we had a poster in here claiming that anyone dissatisfied with Applebee's must just be a complainer. Are you kidding? They suck. I say this as someone who is happy eating at TGI Fridays's, or Macaroni Grill.
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