Caliza: beautiful setting, bad experience

[A_South_Waltoner]

Some people like the consistency of a chain restaurant; and sometimes people eat at a chain because others in their group insist upon it. Either way, I think the point is that you can get excellent or horrible service at either end of the dining spectrum. Poor service hurts much more, however, when the price point is very high, and the expectations are accordingly high. I mean, why does it matter if the product is "the highest quality" if you don't actually get to EAT anything??!

If I want consistency, there are many other great options...in our tiny town you have Donut Hole, the Red Bar, Jambone's, 98 BBQ....the list could go on. Chains are good for price only - and you get what you pay for.

But you are right - the point is service and it sounds like the ball was dropped here. Let's keep in mind it was the busiest weekend of the year to date - no excuses but that needs to figure in to the equation.....meaning the exception, not the norm. I would hope the original poster will contact the restaurant directly AGAIN and speak to the person ABOVE the manager there or write a letter as well to voice their frustration, not just post it here anonymously on a message board. Compensation for a bad experience? I personally think that is a terrible business move by any restaurant that does it - opens the door for people to take advantage and you wouldn't believe how many people do once they find out an establishment gives out freebies for a "bad experience". Can only imagine how many would try to exploit it in this down economy as well.

 

[SHELLY]

If you are a Red Lobster-kinda guy, you will be most unhappy with Caliza, especially the cuisine which is the highest quality product that you can get which doesn't exist in a place like Red Lobster. How can anyone eat at Red Lobster, anyhow ... ick ... ESPECIALLY if you live near the beach.

..cuisine wasn't the issue (since there was none)--this was ALL about management's response to a dissatisfied (and rightly so) customer.

I could have compared Caliza's response (apologize and take the upset patron's cash) to many equally upscale restaurants anywhere in the world, but the outcome at those other places would have been equal to that experienced at Red Lobster (apology w/comps)--I chose to highlight the Caliza/Red Lobster juxtaposition for emphasis.

<PS: I used to get my "seafood" fix at Red Lobster when I spent time in central Texas. So I guess it's akin to eating at these "Tex-Mex & BBQ" places in this area, which overwhelmingly pale in comparison to the really, really good stuff available in Texas.>

 

[rapunzel]

If I want consistency, there are many other great options...in our tiny town you have Donut Hole, the Red Bar, Jambone's, 98 BBQ....the list could go on. Chains are good for price only - and you get what you pay for.

But you are right - the point is service and it sounds like the ball was dropped here. Let's keep in mind it was the busiest weekend of the year to date - no excuses but that needs to figure in to the equation.....meaning the exception, not the norm. I would hope the original poster will contact the restaurant directly AGAIN and speak to the person ABOVE the manager there or write a letter as well to voice their frustration, not just post it here anonymously on a message board. Compensation for a bad experience? I personally think that is a terrible business move by any restaurant that does it - opens the door for people to take advantage and you wouldn't believe how many people do once they find out an establishment gives out freebies for a "bad experience". Can only imagine how many would try to exploit it in this down economy as well.

I used to run a surgical clinic. Occasionally, there would be a post-op complication, and the doctor involved would have to sprint for the OR. Sometimes there would be patients waiting. We kept a stack of CC's Coffee and Louisiana Restaurant Association gift certificates behind the counter so that if a patient showed for an appointment before we could call and let them know of the need to move their appointment, we could send them out with a pager and a comp coffee or lunch -- depending on how long we expected the doctor to take in the OR -- because we recognized that the patient's time was just as valuable as ours.

It's hard for people to take advantage if they don't have to wait an obscene amount of time for service to begin with....

 

[SHELLY]

Compensation for a bad experience? I personally think that is a terrible business move by any restaurant that does it - opens the door for people to take advantage and you wouldn't believe how many people do once they find out an establishment gives out freebies for a "bad experience". Can only imagine how many would try to exploit it in this down economy as well.

Compensation for a bad experience is only "terrible business" if the place has to do a lot of compensating--and then they won't be in business very long anyway.

It's not like this customer ate an entire meal; had 3 bottles of wine; and licked the desert plate clean--the customer hadn't gotten his entree after waiting 2 hours! The customer wasted an entire evening waiting around for his meal--how can that be anything but poor management?

Maybe giving them a "we're sorry," having them pay for what they ate; and showing them the door was appropriate for TGI Fridays--but it's certainly not appropriate for an "upscale" venue.

 

[Bob]

Read my mind EXACTLY...as I read the story a voice in my head said, "Caliza took their cash for the wine and let them leave??"

Caliza...get your stuff together. Maybe you had an "excuse" for the awful service--but you had absolutely no excuse for taking this customer's money after they waited for 2 hours and got nothing but too-warm wine some cold apps and 4 pieces of bread. Shame, shame, shame.

A long time ago, I waited 45 minutes for my entree at Red Lobster, couldn't wait much longer--called manager and explained situation. Manager offered an apology; compted our drinks and appetizers; and gave us a $50 gift certificate--maybe Caliza needs to go to Red Lobster U to find out how it's done.

I actually was planning on taking some visitors there for dinner next month for their 50th anniversary--thanks for the heads up.


.

red lobster? the sage of the panhandle at frozen seafood heaven...red lobster?

 

[BeachbumAggie]

I have a close cousin who's been a restaurant manager for years. Bad service nights do occur, people don't show in the kitchen, servers go home sick, etc... but it's the manager's job to ensure the customer doesn't feel these problems.

We had a bad dining experience one night on our last trip to 30A (at a place we love and have eaten at many times). We waited just shy of an hour with no entrees (and no one checking on us for about 45 minutes) so we found the manager and told them we were leaving-no changing our minds at that point as we were done. I sent them a private message and 12 hours later had a response with the offer to send us a gift certificate or comp our meal if we could return that trip. I did feel better that the restaurant staff made a real effort to make up for that night and was so prompt in contacting me.

Upon our return the next week the manager found us and apologized in person and was very nice to us, our server took extra special care of us and we knew they truly wanted to make things right.

 

[SHELLY]

red lobster? the sage of the panhandle at frozen seafood heaven...red lobster?

It's been over 10 years now (cook most of my own seafood now)--but I did have a McDonalds burger and fries when I was in the UK :shock: (Strictly on business though--I own some MCD and was curious as to how the folks across the pond liked the place--place was packed, the burger sucked, but the fries were good.) Full disclosure: I do stop for a coke and fries at MCD when I pass one--probably a good thing we don't have one down here.

 

[A_South_Waltoner]

I used to run a surgical clinic. Occasionally, there would be a post-op complication, and the doctor involved would have to sprint for the OR. Sometimes there would be patients waiting. We kept a stack of CC's Coffee and Louisiana Restaurant Association gift certificates behind the counter so that if a patient showed for an appointment before we could call and let them know of the need to move their appointment, we could send them out with a pager and a comp coffee or lunch -- depending on how long we expected the doctor to take in the OR -- because we recognized that the patient's time was just as valuable as ours.

It's hard for people to take advantage if they don't have to wait an obscene amount of time for service to begin with....

You wouldn't BELIEVE how many people take advantage ... but again... I probably wouldn't believe how much stuff happens in a surgical clinic as well. Again - I'm not saying that I think a ball wasn't dropped here - I'm just saying that we have one side of the story (call me a cynic but I've been in the business long enough to know you NEED both sides when it pertains to dining), and that I think it would be fair to know what happens after the original poster contacts the person ABOVE the manager who didn't give them resolution so we know how Caliza ultimately will handle it. Can't judge on one diner's experience when I hear ... although don't know first hand ... all restaurants in South Walton were kickin' it big time this holiday weekend. You will always have a few bad experiences, unfortunately, when it's packed.

 

[beachmouse]

There was a run of time in the late90s/early 00s when whoever was managing the Red Lobster in Ft. Walton Beach figured that they actually had to prepare fish well in order to compete with the indies. And it wasn't just us thinking of that. Colleen Coffield, who can be surprisingly critical for a small town food reviewer, was forced to admit they were good.

Then they figured out that, no, they really didn't have to try hard to get business and slid straight into mediocrity, but it was a sign that even a Darden restaurant is occasionally capable of better things.

 

[A_South_Waltoner]

..cuisine wasn't the issue (since there was none)--this was ALL about management's response to a dissatisfied (and rightly so) customer.

I could have compared Caliza's response (apologize and take the upset patron's cash) to many equally upscale restaurants anywhere in the world, but the outcome at those other places would have been equal to that experienced at Red Lobster (apology w/comps)--I chose to highlight the Caliza/Red Lobster juxtaposition for emphasis.

<PS: I used to get my "seafood" fix at Red Lobster when I spent time in central Texas. So I guess it's akin to eating at these "Tex-Mex & BBQ" places in this area, which overwhelmingly pale in comparison to the really, really good stuff available in Texas.>

HA - really?? You've been to all these "equally upscale restaurants" around the world and know how they would react to this one diner's experience (which has so many variables mind you that are fluid because it is a singular and subjective "experience" on a personal level). ....you are more prophetic than I realized, Shelly! Kudos to you!!