My gum graft didn’t take, so I’m getting another one for free in 90–120 days…
I was once at a really posh hotel restaurant, having lunch to determine if it was a place we’d like to have client meetings. Thank God we did a test run and never took a client there. I was starving, so when my food arrived I was ready to devour it when all of a sudden bugs started flying out of my burger. Then my co-worker made this gagging, squeaking sound and it turned out that bugs were flying in and out of her salad greens. Turns out that the plants nearby were completely infested with flies and when the waitstaff had set down the tray, they got into our food.
The thing was, even though our waitress could clearly see the bugs dive-bombing our food, she refused to call over a manager or someone who could authorize our leaving without paying. So we had to go find someone ourselves. It was absolutely vile.
So, what did you get for free, then? Gratis puke-a-thon in front of the lobby? 
Aren’t you sorry the picture links are dead?
Was your brother able to get over the shock of the grub infested Fruit 'n Nut bar to enjoy the other chocs?
Are they? I didn’t click them. I don’t want to see it.
Heh. While I’m impervious to their charms, I’m sure Mr. brown probably eyed them as we checked in. However, by 3 a.m. the next morning after no sleep, I don’t think he would have cared if they were a flotilla of Victoria’s Secret models. You can’t imagine how much that high-pitched Hello Kitty kind of voice can grate on your nerves when you’re tired out from sightseeing and trying to sleep.
In late December, I picked up my cat from the PetsHotel (owned by PetSmart) to find out that they had read the instructions wrong and had given my cat a month’s worth of medication in only three days.
I was worried sick but they said that there would be no charge for her 10 day stay (the bill would have been about $150) and she turned out okay, so that worked out. It was still a sucky day, though.
mental note Never use PetSmart vet clinic.
We went to a chain steakhouse that we had visited a few times before. We had always had good food and service but they could not seem to get my son’s burger order straight (he likes plain cheeseburgers with bacon - meat, cheese, bun and nothing else). The last visit we made, my son ordered his usual bacon cheeseburger plain, and I ordered a small sirloin.
As usual, the bacon cheeseburger came with everything but he was used to that and ate it. I took one bite of my sirloin and my mouth felt like it was on fire. It was completely covered with some sort of pepper and I couldn’t eat it. When the waiter checked on our table, I told him about my steak and he said, “I could just take it back into the kitchen and have them spray it off.” I had no idea how the steak was prepared; to me he had offered a solution to my problem and I said, “That would be great!” He then looked at me and said, “I was so totally kidding.” And then he left the table.
I thought, well, it’s probably just me being too picky, and ate the rest of my dinner, leaving the steak pretty much intact. I was annoyed that the waiter hadn’t been helpful, so when it came time to pay the bill I figured out at 15% tip (instead of the 25% he would have gotten, keeping the many tipping threads I have read in mind) and took the steak home for my husband to eat the next day. I know I should have been more assertive at the time but I kept thinking that the restaurant was busy and it was late, and everyone else was eating, so I just let it go.
When I woke up the next morning, I was still stewing on the subject and decided to call the restaurant. The manager I got explained that they spray a pepper sauce on the sirloin (which was not mentioned on the menu). I told her about our waiter, and about the multiple times we had had the same problem with my son’s burgers, and she offered both of us free ‘repeats’ of the burger and steak at our next visit. She told me just to make sure that the waiter understood very clearly that the burger should have nothing but the meat, cheese, and bun and that the kitchen knew not to spray the sauce on the steak. I haven’t taken them up on it though; I just don’t know if I trust them. And it ticks me off to spend upwards of $80 on a meal I can’t eat.
My husband (soon to be ex, but not 'cause of this) was co-running a computer hobbyist convention. One of the annoying logistics of the con was how to feed a bunch of computer geeks who don’t want to leave the site, and don’t want to spend a lot of money. The hotel WAS going to allow us to use the convention room kitchen, but then changed ownership and closed that area.
So we lit upon the idea of buying frozen pizzas and selling them basically at cost while cooking them in our hotel room.
Well. I plugged both pizza ovens in, and somewhere around the 5th pizza. . .BOOM, the circuit trips.
Now. . .I’m fairly certain of what’s happened, but can’t explain it to the front desk. So I try to explain, hey, I think the power’s out. . .just in my room. . .someone should flip the breaker. . .
Unfortunately, the desk clerk was from Albania, and I don’t know how to say “circuit breaker” in Albanian.
So, um. We got upgraded to a huge room. I did everything I COULD to try to explain how to fix it, but that’s all they had open (cause of the con) so. . .
I felt really, really bad.
Well, my great uncle got a free Ushanka, once. At Chosin reservoir. What’s THAT count for? :eek: :s
This didn’t happen to me, but to my parents.
They got married in Buffalo, and decided to get a hotel room for the night rather than stay at my grandparents’ house (which is what they always do when they visit Buffalo). You know, it being their wedding night and all. So they get the keys to the room, but don’t bring up any luggage or clothes immediately, because all their stuff is still at my stepfather’s parents’ house.
They get married, they go out partying after, and at about 2:00 in the morning they go to their hotel room with their overnight bags. And there is ANOTHER COUPLE IN THEIR ROOM. My parents scream. The couple screams. My parents go charging down to the lobby, mom in a her wedding dress and my stepfather in his tux. There are no rooms left. They apologize profusely for the misunderstanding, and blame it on the fact that there was no luggage in the room. Mom threatens to consummate her marriage in the hotel lobby if they don’t give her a room. They scrounge up a honeymoon suite with a huge king-sized bed and jacuzzi, and give them a fruit plate and free brunch to boot. Apparently, threatening to have public sex in the lobby works.