I’m rather bummed, but I strongly believe that chains are good or bad on a store-by-store basis. While pricey, every once in a blue moon I used to treat myself to a Fatburger from the JC which was near where I used to work. Elevator gossip was that a very large brokerage firm in the building (rhymed with Seaman Borthers) had a manager who’d always trot the newbies over to Fatburger for lunch the first week with the understanding that it was a good burger made by people who work hard, but that if they didn’t cut the mustard at the firm, they could just as easily end up working there.
In my opinion they were far better than the vast majority of the chains in my area; they were even better than Fuddruckers and Friendlies burgers that I’ve had. The only chain-made burger that I’ve had that was better was from Red Robin…
I had almost the exact thing happen at the grocery store a couple of weeks ago. I’ve been shopping at this same grocery store for several years- I would go in there several times a week. This time it’s a Saturday late morning, I’m going to do my big grocery shopping, planning on spending about $150. I walk up to the front door, and there are no shopping carts in the usual place. I look around- there are no shopping carts to be seen. I walk in the door, no shopping carts. There are two managers standing just inside the doorway, so I say, “Excuse me? I need to do my grocery shopping, and I can’t find a cart.” One of them turns to me and says, “Well, I guess there are more people in the store right now than shopping carts.” He then turns around and goes back to talking with his buddy. I say nothing, turn around, and get back in my car and leave.
This is what customer service has come to? I knew it was devolving, but man- it’s all “we’ll take your money if you’re happy, and if you’re not, well, then, screw you”. Unbelievable. Sounds like your Fatburger manager would fit right in at my neighborhood Fry’s.
Those managers will be “retrained”, according to corporate, and I got an apology and two gift cards. I will never set foot back in that store.
Wide fries. Imagine splitting a potato in half then slicing each half into fry-width pieces. They’re about the size of 3 McDonalds fries next to each other.
Why? Because they put salt and pepper on the meat! This is what makes them superior to In-N-Out. That, and their fries are much better than In-N-Out’s greasy, limp, tasteless, sorry excuse for fries.
I normally ate at the one on Venice Blvd, or else one of the ones Behind the Orange Curtain. Never had too much pepper. But then, I’m a little notorious for the amount of black pepper I use on my food.
Last week Hubby and I went to lunch at a local up-scale restuarant. He decided he had to have the one salad that normally has almonds on it. (He recently developed a life-threatening allergy to almonds.) He explained the need to HOLD THE ALMONDS to the server.
Sure enough, the salad came with almonds. He told the server, repeating that he could die if he ate one.
She took it back and brought another, sans almonds, except, all she did was try to scrape them off! Again, seeing one sliver, I spoke up, using small distinct words, to try again.
Back once more, she said she “watched the cook make a new salad.”
Hubby ate two bites and started to itch and wheeze. We asked for the remainder of our food to be boxed up, so we could go get him treatment.
All the server said was, “Sorry for the mix-up, come back and see us soon.” :rolleyes:
I sent a note to the manager. She sent back an apology and a $10 gift card.
Now, I’m fully aware that it was his own fault for ordering it, but it would have been nice to see a little concern.
It’s been over two months since my original Fatburger visit and subsequent call to their 800 number. Since that time, I have not heard from them nor received anything in the mail. That wouldn’t be such an issue, except for the fact they made a big deal about taking my information, including my address. Why create expectations in the consumer, and then fail to follow through?
I often visit the Cleveland area where I first tried a Fatburger. I certainly won’t be back.
