After church today, I took my bride out for lunch (now there is a real shocker I am sure) and that led me to one of those epiphanies moments. I have those a lot it seems! One thing that has become very real to those around me in the last few years is just how serious I am about customer service. I teach it, I live it, I demand it and when I do not get it I am not bashful about confronting it.
Been a physically demanding weekend and my voice has taken the punishment so was really tired today (am I whining or what?) so was really hungry when church was out. So we decided to go to a local steak house for a steak, which always ends up as a pork chop for me. The Boy was hungry and as my friends in Alabama would say, "hawngree" but you get the picture! So in we go, nearly empty which is never a good sign, smelled all steaky, wood burning, yumm, it's gonna be good! Sat down, waitress really nice and Dan, our waiter comes to the table. Excellent young man and even writes his name B A C K W A R D S with the crayon; D A N spelled backward; Wow ... I M P R E S S E D.
Now while am all excited thinking about that steak that will be a pork chop, my bride, who has already looked at the menu says, "a pork chop (not plural) is $14.99." to which I said, come on, we are going! I am not making this up! Dan comes back for our order so in the mean time my bride convinces me we would both get a steak salad ... got to be cheaper, right? Dan was an excellent server, really liked him, he complimented these two old people on how we looked, it's gonna be good, right?
Got the big old salad but with a not big old steak and my bride had not shared with me the price for I assumed I would walk out less frustrated than that fifteen buck pork chop had made me. I assume she chose not to tell but then I did not ask, right? Ate away, enjoyed the conversation, time to go, check please .... $32.23! Yes, you know where this is going don't you! Not really!
See, I am not a cheap person for I never minded paying when the good or service reflect value, we economists call it UTILITY. So I was faced with a dichotomy; Dan the server Good, Food was good, Wait for the Food, too long, Price for food, RIDICULOUS! Sooooooo, I paid the check with a six buck tip for Dan, wasn't his fault and he did a good job, out we went and told my bride we will never go back to that place and later told her I was going to write a letter to the manager. Why, she asked, for the manager will not get it to the right people! Yes, I thought, she was right sooooo, HELLO BLOG, I am venting.
There is a much deeper issue as I view it though therefore why I chose to drill this hole. Food prices are a commodity issue driven by the forces of economics but influenced by the gamblers / traders looking into the future and making bets. I get it! But when I can go into grocery store, purchased the components of that same meal and prepare it for less than a third of restaurant price, somebody is kidding somebody. There have been eight restaurants close in the Belden Village area in the last few months... the one I was in today will be in the loser column soon (sorry Dan) but you can always know the winners from the losers can't you?
People want to jump up and down with the "Occupy whatever" but my heart, tonight is fixed on attacking businesses that undeniably rip off the very people that keep them in business. When this place closes, and it will, I will then send that letter with this blog to the president of that business with the PS, I told you so! Since there is now only one BELDEN VILLAGE steak house remaining you can figure it out as to who and where! So figure!!!
The General Manager of Chick-Fil-A, Doug Pugh, spoke to my class last Wednesday morning on this very topic. There will be more closures as their should be. Another one closed two weeks ago, the best one, and I told my wife then the remaining places would increase their prices immediately for that is what competition does; less competition, increase price. Here is my final judgement ... ready?
We are DONE WITH EATING OUT until the forces of the Free Market correct this rip off ... and it will. So you can join me at Occupy Restaurants.com if you want to join me! I wish I was smiling but am not!
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