So here we are: RAV's Rant Machine. This is the first article I am submitting to the "It's Friday!" website.
It all started one afternoon back in first semester. In-between classes, I decided I could go for a late lunch at the Gorsebrook. I seated myself very near to the bar, and picked up a menu. After about ten or fifteen minutes, I started to wonder why no one had come by my table. It was about 2:30 in the
afternoon, so there were only a couple of tables occupied in the bar. There was a waitress milling around, so I waited a little longer. Now, I could understand if it was really busy and she had come over to let me know there might be a bit of a wait for my dinner, etc, but the pub was nearly empty! After a half hour of not even being offered a glass of water, I stalked out
of the bar, in search of the manager. The people at the SMUSA info desk directed me toward a locked office, so I left a very angry note for the Gorsebrook manager,
Suzanne Fitzgerald, taped to her door, including my email address, in hopes of a response from her.
Her response was very positive. She informed me that her staff had been informed of the incident, and there was a voucher for a free meal waiting for me at the bar, courtesy of front line manager Joe Makary, as well as a free beverage, courtesy of herself. Encouraged, I felt like my complaint had actually done something, and there might be some sort of improvement in the
service at the pub. Someone actually seemed to be taking responsibility for the incident!
So, the next time I found myself hungry between classes, I popped into the bar and asked for my free meal. The bartender handed me the voucher for the free meal, and again I seated myself at a very visible table near the bar. Now, it was around the same time of day as the last time, so the same waitress was on duty. I ENCOUNTERED THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN!
I sent Suzanne Fitzgerald another email about the bad service at the Gorsebrook, and this time I was even MORE pissed. The irony is amazing, isn't it? Here I am at the pub trying to claim a free meal offered to me to make up for bad service, and I receive bad service yet again. They obviously have no pride at that pub...
3:00pm: I pick up the envelope the manager left for me at the bar. As I sit down in the same area up near the bar, I see two other tables peopled.
3:05pm: Waitress asks, "Do you want some dinner, sweetheart?" And I (of course) reply, "Yes." She promises to be "right back."
3:10pm: Waitress brings a meal to the lower section of the bar.
3:15pm: Waitress polishes the mirrors on all the pillars.
3:25pm: Two more tables are peopled, and waitress takes an order from both, taking the time to sit down at each table for a short conversation.
3:30pm: Waitress seats someone in the lower section of the bar, presumably taking their order. She continues to work the lower area, then proceeds to pass me by again. I have a futile conversation with the bartender, who refuses to take responsibility, I leave the bar, upset again.
To Miss Fitzgerald, I wrote the following: "I don't think that a free meal is enough; it's not placating that I need...IT'S BETTER SERVICE! (or service, period) I did not even receive the meal (well, no chance to order it. Please take this as no affront to you, as you have been trying your best to smooth over this situation. It is not your fault if your wait staff are horribly inefficient...but it is your responsibility correct the problem, not just offer free dinners at every turn."
And I plainly told her to I woudn't be returning to the Gorsebrook, and to fire the wench and hire better staff.
"I'm sorry to hear that you will no longer be a customer of the Gorsebrook Lounge."
I haven't darkened the door of the Gorsebrook since.
That was last semester. One afternoon this semester, I found myself hungry at Dalhousie one afternoon. Weary of university pubs, I decided to try out the Grawood, anyway. What did I have to lose? I'd been in Halifax since 1993, but strangely enough, I'd never had the occasion to go into the Grawood.
I was immensely pleased with the service I encountered at the Grawood. For an afternoon, the place was rather busy. However, it was staffed with only one waitress, who was taking both beverage and food orders (note: the Gorsebrook always has a separate server for drinks). Once I'd taken off my jacket and settled in, the waitress came by to offer me a beverage. She
returned with it quickly, and asked whether I'd like to order my dinner yet. I decided to try out the Husky Burger's competitor.
The waitress walked off to fill my order. Why didn't she take any money from me? Trusted to pay at the end of the meal?! This is something I'd never seen at my own university's pub.
Very soon, the waitress returned with my meal. Hmm, I thought. This is a hell of alot thicker than the "value burger" they use for the Husky Burger.
When I finished the meal, the waitress waited until I appeared ready to leave, and again, showed up at just the right moment. Instead of just dropping the cheque on the table, she actually asked me whether I was ready for it!
I know that when you work in foodservice you practically live off your tips, but there's nothing more irritating than a bad food server who demands a tip. Don't ya just wanna smack 'em?
Not this waitress. When I voluntarily gave this waitress a much-deserved tip, she actually thanked me for it, in obvious appreciation. Now, that's service!!!
One city. Two university pubs...how different could they be?
This year, I found out just how different they actually are. I've been a SMU student since 1993, but did not have a chance to compare the two pubs until this year. After the experiences I had, I am loathe to say that the Grawood is the far superior pub. Why I am I not publishing this article in the
Journal or the Gazette ? Well, I thought about it. The Journal probably wouldn't publish it, and the Gazette is the newspaper of a rival university, so I feared they might very well use it in some sort of smear campaign against SMU, in general.
Her response? (quoted)