Immature Perhaps But Its Working

[jasonD2]

Some of you may condemn me for this but whenever I eat out at restaurants and I get any type of sub standard service or BS from wait staff I contact the general manager of the restaurants and inform them that I got violently ill from a mishap as a results of poor service. I always get a response and the managers assure me they will remedy the problem to make sure it never happens again. A few places that I visited after doing this actually had gluten free menus the next time and the staff seemed much more knowledgeable and courteous. I encourage everyone to do what I do -- maybe not lie about getting ill, but definitely addressing areas that need improvement when dining out. Gotta get the word out there and eventually i think most restaurantts will be able to cater to folks with gluten sensitivities.

[GFreeMO]

Some of you may condemn me for this but whenever I eat out at restaurants and I get any type of sub standard service or BS from wait staff I contact the general manager of the restaurants and inform them that I got violently ill from a mishap as a results of poor service. I always get a response and the managers assure me they will remedy the problem to make sure it never happens again. A few places that I visited after doing this actually had gluten free menus the next time and the staff seemed much more knowledgeable and courteous. I encourage everyone to do what I do -- maybe not lie about getting ill, but definitely addressing areas that need improvement when dining out. Gotta get the word out there and eventually i think most restaurantts will be able to cater to folks with gluten sensitivities.

I think that most restaurants with gluten free menus do the best that they can. Because restaurants have huge menus with a lot of gluteny foods on them, CC is very high. I think this is a chance we take as celiacs every time we eat away from home.

[Cheryl-C]

If I get glutened in a restaurant, or a waitstaff says/does something that tells me they aren't 100% informed, I make a point of calling the restaurant and speaking to the manager. They need to know if their staff are following their training or not. However, I wouldn't claim violent illness simply for sub-par service.

[jasonD2]

Nuthin stirs things up like a potential lawsuit. if thats what it takes to get these restaurants proactive then so be it

[Lisa]

I feel a little different, Jason. When I eat out, I accept 100% responsibility. I choose the restaurant, I choose what I order and what I choose to put in my mouth. If I get sick... well, I chose poorly.

I feel it's a bit unreasonable to hold a restaurant (that caters to 90% of people without food issues) responsible for my health.

It's always been my preference to be kind and by all means, polite. This help to pave the road for more restaurants to offer accommodations for people with food allergies.

The more people complain, the more reluctant restaurants may be to offer service to those of us with special requirements. And I am endlessly grateful to those restaurants that do.

.....just sayin'

[Juliebove]

I can excuse one mistake at a restaurant. But two? I just usually don't go back.

[Lisa]

I can excuse one mistake at a restaurant. But two? I just usually don't go back.

I agree Julie. It's doesn't work for you, don't go back.

[Cheryl-C]

I would agree, Julie and Lisa. Yes, it would be nice if we could eat out and never run into any trouble, but at the end of the day, you are at the mercy of the kitchen/waitstaff, who are humans. Humans lead to human errors. Just like a non-celiac might get food poisoning, or indigestion, or anything else - the risk is always there.

Also, I have to say that I disagree with your notion that kicking up an unnecessary fuss is proactive. It isn't. Being less than truthful with a restaurant is unethical. If a server wasn't fully informed or made a mistake, let the manager know, kindly. If you didn't get violently ill, don't say you did. I don't believe any restaurant is purposely going out of their way to gluten anyone; educate, but don't harrass.

[jasonD2]

perhaps but this is what has worked for me

[GlutenFreeManna]

I take the opposite approach. I make it a point to call and praise the ones that do a good job. If they do a poor job I just don't go back. While calling to complain MAY get you something like an appology or a gift card or better service next time, it could also have the opposite impact in some places. Some places might decide that catering to us is too much of a hassle or too big of a liability and drop their gltuen free menu. Some place smay refuse to serve you the next time (I saw a thread about that happening to someone on this board). And I can guarentee you that the waitstaff has an idea of who you are when you go back in. In some establishments when you complain you may get gluten free food with a smile but you also may end up getting your food spat in while it's still in the kitchen. Not trying to be gross, but that and worse happens sometimes.

[Cheryl-C]

I take the opposite approach. I make it a point to call and praise the ones that do a good job. If they do a poor job I just don't go back. While calling to complain MAY get you something like an appology or a gift card or better service next time, it could also have the opposite impact in some places. Some places might decide that catering to us is too much of a hassle or too big of a liability and drop their gltuen free menu. Some place smay refuse to serve you the next time (I saw a thread about that happening to someone on this board). And I can guarentee you that the waitstaff has an idea of who you are when you go back in. In some establishments when you complain you may get gluten free food with a smile but you also may end up getting your food spat in while it's still in the kitchen. Not trying to be gross, but that and worse happens sometimes.

All very, very excellent points. Praising a restaurant for a good job will only ensure continued good service. I follow this practice as well.

Harrassing restaurants, lying about illnesses just to get a point across is counter-productive and, as I've said, unethical. How can a manager monitor their restaurant's progress, and identify *actual* problems, if the complaints are fabricated? That serves no good. It also tars us all with the same brush, and makes the industry less willing to take on the task of being celiac-friendly. Obviously you're going to do what you're going to do, and that's your choice, but I think it's shameful.

[psawyer]

This has been discussed from time to time here.

The general belief (with some who disagree--Jason, I'll count you in that group) is:

If the goal is to improve the experience for all who need to dine gluten-free, then polite constructive criticism when a problem happens will be useful.

Threats of lawsuits, tantrums, and other emotional outbursts will only make the business ask themselves, "Why do we want to even try to deal with these jerks (gluten-free people)??" They will withdraw their gluten-free menu, telling us that nothing in the restaurant is gluten-free. There have been some reported cases of deliberately adding gluten to a recipe to avoid the hassle of arguing with celiacs about whether it is contaminated or not.

I would rather support those businesses that are trying to accommodate us, by being supportive and helpful to them, even when human beings make mistakes as a result of being human.

We as a whole need to make providing gluten-free food in restaurants a positive and pleasant experience for the restaurateurs, or they won't do it at all. Everybody loses in that scenario.

[cassP]

me & my family went to The Melting Pot tonight- and they were very accommadating!! gluten-free menu, gluten-free substitutes and our waitress was more than knowledgable @ cc

i think its a good idea to support these companies that are on board with gluten free options..

[Eric-C]

It's got so much easier to eat out gluten-free.

We frequent the same restaurants, we get to know the waitresses/waiters, and we make sure if we get a good gluten-free meal, we comment to them, the manager, and in the tip.

We've reserved ourselves to tipping around 25 percent...most times I don't have to say anything, and they double check our food first.

The extra few bucks is worth not getting sick over. We've had excellent luck so far with that approach.