Lack Of Trying At Many Kelowna Restaurants

[lesliepaul]

TIME TO VENT!

I know I am not alone on this but 2016 was to us the worst year ever in service and quality at many Kelowna restaurants. I am talking about restaurants that have been here for a length of time and were always fairly dependable. I do not include dining at the wineries because that is a level I will not waste my money at ever again........"little food/big bill".

I can tell you that serving staff are either not being trained to know their own menu's or are just too dumb to understand or care. A dependable, lower key golf course we have frequented for many years is now off the list........3 times last year one of us finished their meal BEFORE the other arrived. Apologies were given and an entry removed from bill........that is fine, every establishment can have a bad day but a night out was ruined several times. A Kelowna "steakhouse" near Superstore who you would think cannot mess up, did in a big way. Steaks with Blue Cheese ordered RARE both came medium to well done with NO Blue Cheese. We never seen the order page the waitress took our order on but that is where I would start on why the order was screwed up. Do you think management looked into this.........I doubt it.......keep pumping the customers through is priority.

Might as well add the "coffee" giant near Save On Foods off of Glenmore.........management must be suffering and are trying really hard to get the profit margin up..........4 trips there in the past 3 weeks resulted in what can only be described as "watered down" Latte's and hot chocolate. Blenz has been my choice since they opened 10 years ago and rest assured, my wife has had her last from the "BIG" chain. I will add that all 4 trips there recently were take-out orders. This reminds me so much of that scene in the movie Lethal Weapon 2 where Joe Pesci's character blurts out "they YOU at the drive through"......although here it is "in store". We know several chefs (cooks) at some restaurants and we sympathize with them all because waitresses and serving staff have become "dime a dozen" and it can reflect on their hard work with very poor reviews.

We will no doubt find other places to spend our money (although it will have to be before their 8:30-9:00 closing time.......another Kelowna trademark). Like so many local stores in Kelowna have displayed time and time again..........maximum profit for minimal effort........owners prefer counting money over ensuring even a slight amount of customer satisfaction.

[ifwisheswerehorses]

Why is it always the owners? How about the employees... I've had and still have the displeasure of working with some who can't put the phone down, have no idea how to follow instruction, no sense of timing and it seems to be getting worse with every new hire. Sometimes I'm not even sure how they filled out an application unless they took it home and had someone else do it.

[Bsuds]

They get what they pay for. Poor wages poor employees.

[zerograv]

Servers get paid less then minimum wage, cooks get minimum wage. Non of these places will pay overtime and will give excuses as to why not......

No wonder their staff don't care.

[GordonH]

They get what they pay for. Poor wages poor employees.

Servers get paid less then minimum wage, cooks get minimum wage. Non of these places will pay overtime and will give excuses as to why not......

No wonder their staff don't care.

I totally agree with you both.

So to insure the patron gets the very best of service, he or she can guarantee that at they own dinner table. Then the only one you can b____ & complain about or to, is yourself.

If the person serving you at nice table service restaurant gets same hourly pay as those at any fast food joint whats the incentive.

[kgcayenne]

I bet you can talk to most service industry personnel in this valley and find out they are not treated well.

A great number of employers also ensure their servers are well-aware of their expendability.

GordonH is right, there is absolutely no incentive.

Restaurant servers have to 'tip-out' their earnings at the end of the night, so even when you tip them, they don't get to keep it. The age of "well it's tax-free because they don't report it" is over. O-V-E-R. With electronic means of payment, the tips are tallied, distributed to other staff, and what's left over for the server is taxed, so they're most certainly paying that 20% out of their tips as well.

No incentive.

[zerograv]

I bet you can talk to most service industry personnel in this valley and find out they are not treated well.

A great number of employers also ensure their servers are well-aware of their expendability.

GordonH is right, there is absolutely no incentive.

Restaurant servers have to 'tip-out' their earnings at the end of the night, so even when you tip them, they don't get to keep it. The age of "well it's tax-free because they don't report it" is over. O-V-E-R. With electronic means of payment, the tips are tallied, distributed to other staff, and what's left over for the server is taxed, so they're most certainly paying that 20% out of their tips as well.

No incentive.

Most places will still have the server tip out in cash as the server has to do the labour of counting it rather then the company.

[Bsuds]

Non of these places will pay overtime and will give excuses as to why not......

Not all places are like that. My son is 2nd cook at 2 different places and if he works OT he gets paid for it.

[kgcayenne]

Do the servers, though?

[Bsuds]

Do the servers, though?

That I don't know but if they don't it would contravene the labor laws.

[kgcayenne]

That is no surprise around here, I know that for certain.

[Even Steven]

Went to Bouchon's yesterday, and was just blown away by quality of food and level of customer service. Everything was outstanding.

One of the only places where I tipped over 20%, usually I stick to 15.

[cliffdiving]

Restaurant servers have to 'tip-out' their earnings at the end of the night, so even when you tip them, they don't get to keep it.No incentive.

here we go again...I tip quality of food AND service so therefore tipping out is justified otherwise just go to Hooters if you feel ONLY the servers need be tip'd

[w84u2]

I have given up on all restaurants. They are over priced and the food quality is not as good as my homemade. I don't understand how they stay in business and pay all those staff and the rent.

[w84u2]

The only time I buy pre-made food is when I am "on the road" and really need to eat. Usually a fast food burger from a drive thru, is all I need to take the edge off of my pain, until I can get home again.

Within 10 minutes, I have reinforcing results as to why I no longer eat road/restaurant food anymore.