rude?
What’s considered rude service when dining out? This incident happened quite a while ago (last summer I think) but recent tweets from one of the Black Hoof’s owners brought this experience back into mind.
I went out for a late dinner with some friends at Asian Legend (the Chinatown location on Dundas at Beverley) one night. We got there around 10:30 pm, a half an hour before they closed at 11 pm. We were seated and I believe they told us the kitchen would be closing soon, so we should order quickly. I don’t remember the waitress telling us that we would need to leave by 11 or anything though. So we ordered, our food came, and we got to it. At some point, we received our cheque without asking for it. Not so subtle hint that they wanted us out. We weren’t even finished eating yet. We finish our food but one of my friends is still finishing her meal, she’s a little slower at eating than the rest of us. This isn’t a bad thing, we all just happen to be faster than her. Well, the few waiting staff still there did not look happy. They clearly wanted us to leave so that they themselves could go home. They gave us some more not so subtle hints such as cleaning all the tables around us and giving us “the look.” This is when things got a little tense. Some of us thought we should pack up the remaining food, pay, and leave as soon as possible since it was past closing. Others thought we should stay until our friend finished her meal. So a little tension between us friends and also with the staff.
Personally, I thought we should stay. We were paying customers and came to enjoy a meal, not scarf down some food quickly and leave. The waiting staff at no point indicated that we would be required to leave by a certain time. I’ve always believed that a restaurant’s closing time was when the restaurant would stop taking customers, NOT when customers would be required to leave. If they told us upfront, before seating us, that they expected us to leave by 11 pm, that would have been different. We would have planned on finishing quickly or we could have chosen not to eat there. But between the staff handing us our bill unasked, cleaning around us, and giving us death stares, I must admit I was pretty angry with the way we were being treated. I thought we were well within our privileges to stay and finish our meal and it was rather rude they way they served us.
I know in the grand scheme of things, this isn’t really that big of a deal (there are more important things in life for us to concern ourselves with) but what do you think? Were they rude? Should we have ate and left quickly? Should we have stayed until we had all finished?
yay for a new blog update!
poor service is never justified, no matter what time it may be – and especially if you allow customers to sit down so late. if they were so anxious to leave, they should have told you before sitting down that the kitchen was closed.
personally, i don’t mind if they start cleaning up or give me the cheque (how often do we get the cheque at king’s noodles, pho, and etc. without being asked?). it’s the rudeness, the “evil eye,” and when they start to turn the lights off that i think goes too far.
8:39, January 17, 2011 at 8:39
I totally agree with you, as in, I would stay until everyone is finished eating, even though having them clean tables around me will naturally make me eat faster because it’s just unpleasant, I will still not purposely pack stuff to go.
I will also not leave any tips.
17:15, February 11, 2011 at 17:15
i completely agree with you
i would be the same…i would purposely stay just irritate them just for being so rude and of course reduce their tip
then again it’s kinda expected at most asian places lol in & out no chilling after your meal hence the bill arriving w/o it being asked
my worst experience was at Desserts Plus..completely different scenario but nevertheless very rude ppl or should i say rude host..food is amazing but i would never return because of the terrible service
21:34, March 22, 2011 at 21:34