This has been a tough review to write. I had to step back from the situation to make sure that I wasn't writing out of emotion. But then I realized that food is often linked to emotions (see my first post). So here's the story...
My dining experience at Ruby Tuesday in Columbia, MD actually started several weeks ago. Ryan and I received a gift card to the restaurant for Christmas, so we met at the restaurant for our Friday Night Bite. We stood at the front door for seven minutes with no acknowledgment from a single person. If there is anything I can't stand in the restaurant business, it's poor hosting. I started out as a hostess, and I learned very quickly that being the first and last impression of my restaurant was an important place of honor. (Unfortunately, restaurants do not invest in this position.) So Ryan and I left.
I'm one of those people who writes to corporate offices for both positive and negative feedback. I think companies need to know how they're doing and how to improve. The reason I do this is that people's jobs depend on it. If a company is doing poorly and they don't know why, they can't fix the problems. If they can't improve, people lose jobs. I have been unemployed... it stinks. I feel it's my duty to look out for my fellow man, so I write. And boy, did I write to Ruby Tuesday! I never act like the angry customer; I act like the disappointed mother, which I think comes across a lot more clearly. Beyond that, I come to them as a customer service professional who has done pretty much everything in the restaurant business and mystery shopping. I broke it down to them how disappointed they should be that they lost my business.
A week later, I received a phone call from the GM of the restaurant. She apologized and we had a serious talk about how to improve her business. She basically threw her workers under the bus (I didn't like this, but unfortunately, it's a habit of poor management) and said, "Come and see me. I work every Friday night for sure, so drinks are on me." She didn't send me coupons via e-mail or a gift card--just her word. I went for it, though, because I feel that if a manager makes a promise, he or she should deliver because the business' reputation depends on it. (Note: I'm not all about getting free stuff, but if they offer it, I will gladly take it.)
This past Friday (about two weeks after that conversation), Ryan and I went back to Ruby Tuesday. We were greeted in under a minute by the young gentleman who would be our server. It was right at shift change, so he basically got triple-sat. He handled it beautifully and courteously. I ordered a raspberry tea, but I don't think there was any tea in it. I'm not blaming the server--it could be the restaurant's recipe. It tasted like water with jam in it. I asked the server to please send the GM by the table. He said, "Oh sure. No problem." We ordered an appetizer: chicken quesadillas. They were okay... nothing to write about other than the fact that the green peppers were overpowering. Ryan ordered a burger, and I had a buffalo chicken sandwich. The fries were dry--kind of like stale fast food. My meal was fine. Not great, but fine. Ryan said his was dry, lacking flavor, and generally disappointing. I realize chain restaurants usually don't "wow" people, but you come to expect a certain standard from them. This didn't even meet that.
We didn't see the GM until it was time to pay. (I think our server had forgotten to flag her down.) She stopped by, and I introduced myself. She remembered me instantly and asked me if I had been greeted promptly. I commended our server for his attentiveness. She said, "Some are good. We're trying. Like this (pointing to a group of servers chatting in a corner) has to stop. Please excuse me." She walked over to them and told them quietly that they needed to disband. She came back and said, "It was good seeing you. Please come again," and she left. Ryan looked at me and laughed. All I could think was, "So much for her word." It only would have saved us $5... her word would have cost the restaurant $5. That's it. Had she kept her word, this review might have ended nicely. Even though the food wasn't amazing, she could have turned the whole thing around because I would have said that Ruby Tuesday was worth a try based on the service and improvements they are making.
Guess what? Goodbye Ruby Tuesday! Unlike the Rolling Stones, I will not miss you.
No Hooray for Ruby Tuesday.
Wishing you a warm heart and a full tummy.
