Complaint Review: Lone Star Steak House Restaurants

I came across this report randomly today...

I was the bartender on this occasion, and I remember the incident clearly, because I recount the story whenever discussing bartending tales from the past. I was working service well that night, and the other bartender on duty asked me to keep an eye on a couple sitting at the bar. She had taken their order and the female involved had tried to order a drink, when she was ID'd, she told the other bartender that she didn't have her license with her and ordered a soda. It was a sprite actually, not a coke. Her boyfriend ordered a Lager. After the girl was refused an alcoholic beverage, her boyfriend ordered a shot of vodka. The other bartender on duty was worried that the boyfriend would try and sneak the shot to her. So I moved down the bar to take a look, and sure enough as I stood there, the boyfriend did the shot of vodka, held it in his mouth, looked around, took the soda from his girlfriend, and I kid you not, spit the vodka down the straw. I watched the whole thing...it was amazing...I could see the bubbles in the soda as he blew the vodka down the straw. Then he quietly pushed the soda back in front of her. She looked around and took a sip of it, and that was when I took the drink from her. I explained that in PA we had the right to refuse service to anyone for whatever reason because we held a liquor license and asked them both to leave. I explained the situation, told him if I was a customer at the bar, I would have thought that was the slickest thing I had ever seen, but as a bartender, I was liable for underage people drinking and that I was not willing to pay a huge fine just because I was impressed with the stunt. They protested, we tested the drink, tasted the vodka in it, and told them, that they had to leave immediately. I was unaware that they went to a table then, it was my impression that they left. I am sorry she was embarrassed for the incident, but I was doing my job, and they weren't the people that would have to pay the fine, nor get me another job when I would have been fired if the LCB was in the building at that point. There were countless witnesses at the bar who saw the incident as well. There were two other bartenders on, plus guests on either side of them who backed up the story, including overhearing them in conversation about it. It was not my intent to embarrass them, only to enforce the law.

I am a customer who has worked waiting tables for less than minimum wage in a state that is a right to work state. I also have worked in customer service for minimum wage and over minimum wage. My whole working carer has been in customer service. I can not stand to be treated poorly as a customer. I know how customers are suppose to be treated. I for one am very happy that emplyers hire mystery shoppers. But the mystery shopper should also take in consideration the type of day that the employee is having. The bartender that kicked out the customers for assuming that someone put beer in her coke should have requested the customers ID before taking her coke for one. If that bartender would have asked for ID then it would have somewhat been ok for them to stay. But on the other hand the bartender is also maiking sure that someone isn't getting beer for free because some employers will fire a bartender for letting someone get something for free. It was not discrimination it was job protection. As far as the other customer that was kicked out he would have protested if he did not put beer in the coke. The bartender would also not replace the first cvoke with another fresh coke. Every bar that I have been in at least on the west coast charge for the soda pops because they cost money for them as well. The only drink that the bars and lounges don't charge for on the west coast is water. Also there are people out there do like to drink beer in thier coke. Personally I think that it taste very nasty. There are a ton of wholes in the story. I do enjoy getting people fired if that person should not be in that line of work myself. If I have gone into the same establishemnt quite a few times and that same person treats me the same way each time then I will file a complaint. If it is the first time that person has given bad service and I have never been served by that person in the past I will try to find out if that person is just having a bad day or if that person is like that all the time by asking other customers that I have known that go in there after I get home. IO would do that even if I was a mystery shopper. I have investigated how those reports are suppose to be written and you are suppose to take that into concideration. I was a going to be a mystery shopper before I became disabled. The bartender was out of line by kicking the 3 people out after refreshing the coke and for not asking questions first. I understand that the bartender was just trying to save his/her butt by doing that but that bartender should not have handled it that way if indead it did happen that way.

Thank you

Tim, I do not feel a sense of empowerment for my position as a mystery shopper. I started doing this because I have three children at home and it is a way for me to make some extra money on top of what my husband makes. I decided on this approach and not selling tupperware or some such thing because I have a great esteem of proper customer service. Do I make light of my responsibilities of getting someone fired? I don't think so... the first time I had to do it I sat and fretted over it. What if it was just a bad day? What if...lots of thing? What it comes down to is that I am being paid by the company to ensure their diners are having the best experience possible. Do I know what it is like to work for minimum wage? Sure I do, I also worked at Taco Bell, as well as McDonalds, Burgerking and numerous other low paying jobs (not as a mystery shopper at the time). Would I ever treat a person like these people did, even if I was having a bad day? No, I would not. If I was not emotionally fit to go in to work, then I wouldn't. Could I afford this? No, not really. I have worked through some pretty big catastrophies in my life. The only difference is that my smile is fake, not real. I still say 'please' and 'thank you' and apologize if there are any problems. How hard would I work for minimum wage? I would give it my all. I believe in a thing called integrity. Doing my best or not doing it at all. I think this is a necessary quality in working customer service. How much do I make in my vaunted position as a mystery shopper? I make reimbursement for the meal, and sometimes up to ten dollars more. That is it. I don't do it for the money. That just provides a little mad money. I do it because I believe in excellence in service, no matter what position you hold. I know that not every restaurant has the same policies, but that one is pretty much an industry standard. I would know, since I was fired from waiting tables because I didn't inform the manager that a customer was displeased with the fact that we didn't carry the exact kind of crackers he wanted. Even though I had brought him a wide selection of other crackers and aplogized profusely. How much did I make at that restaurant? $2.15 an hour... how much were my tips?... less than minimum wage. I suck rocks at waiting tables, but in case you couldn't tell I bang at fast food. What the world needs is a sense of integrity. A sense of pride in doing your best, even if just for having done it. There is also a thing called "tipping out" which means giving a certain amount of your tips to the hostess and the busers. A poor server hurts these people as well, in lack of tips for the day, and lack of further business. Bad service can destroy a special occasion; rehearsal dinner, celebration dinner, family gathering, consolation dinner, or a long awaited reunion. Years after you have forgotten what you talked about or what you ate you will remember that your waiter was rude. That is why I do what I do, and I love it.

Bobbi-jo, there is no need for her to clarify. When the average person is upset they forget things. Obviously this was a totally humiliating experience and deeply upsetting. This would cause her to forget the exact course of events and the exact words spoken. Usually such events only retain the most upsetting parts in our long term memory. As a non-drinker as well, although for different reasons, I would be gravely offended by even the suggestion that was was drinking on the sly. Especially after it was suggested to me that I sit at the bar in the first place. I would have shown my ID when they challenged me though. Then I would have requested the highest manager available and spoken to them firmly about what had happened, not loudly, but quite firmly. I would not have eatten there that night, and I would not have paid for anything.

Am I the only one who sees more holes than are addressed. First of all, BEER in your coke. That just sounds nasty and I would not drink it if it was free and I was underage. Second of all, the bartender still would not give you a fresh coke and then tell you to leave--that is just completely absurd. Lastly, if I was that man who was just sitting at the bar minding my business, and a bartender came up and told me they were kicking me out, I would have thrown a fit. And if that man had done nothing wrong, wouldn't he have questioned it anyway. Just a little confused--looking for some clarifications????

I don't know if you're male or female because from your report it sounds like you're possibly a gay couple? I don't want to be wrong on that assumption but if it's true then that could be the reason you were discriminated against in such a harsh way. If you're not a gay couple, regardless the discrimination was still wrong. I would like to see more people file lawsuits against this kind of discrimination. I don't know if people actually do file lawsuits on these basis but if a lawyer takes your case you should attempt it. They had no reason falsely accusing you of things and then purposely ruining your dinner and experience etc. It sounds to me a little more than just 'bad customer service.' Bad customer service is bad enough but when people are PURPOSELY sabotaging your dinner and restaurant experience and it almost ends up feeling like a discrimination conspiracy then you really have more reason to be annoyed or angry. Kudos to the mystery shopper-- at least there are some people out there who have power over these rude and obnoxious restaurant workers who get away with their bad attitudes, poor customer service and discrimination towards customers. Far too often restaurants get away with these attitudes especially non-franchise ones because it's the customers 'privilege' to be able to go to a restaurant and they can be kicked out or treated badly if the restaurant staff doesn't want to treat them well. Anyway keep fighting for your consumer rights and don't let these evil establishments get away with treating people bad.

I'm sorry but I have to interject something. I have worked in a resteraunt as a waitress in the lovely state of Texas. They had the right to work law there. In food service they can pay you what ever they would like because of tips. I worked very heard as a waitress because of the tips. If you work as a bartender or a waitress it doesn't matter what your employer pays you it only matters what the customer pays you. The customer is only going to pay you a decent tip if the customer is happy. To tell you how well I tried to treat my customers I would bring home $150.00 in tips every night in a 4 hour shift. If a person is so unwilling to please the customer to get those tips then they should not be employed at that position. I am also tiered of poor customer service. Also it has always been my policy (unfortunatly it's not everyones policy) Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In other words treat people the way that you want to be treated. If people treat other people as poorly as they sometimes do then they do not want to be treated very well themselves. Another thing to also concider if people are treated poorly in an establishment then that person is going to tell everyone they can about the poor service. If the word gets out that the company does not have addiquit service then people do not visit that establishment. Great customer service is very important to companies. I am now a customer service specialist for an insurance company. Because of my phiolsophy of Customer Service and how people should be treated now I have a much better paying job. I think that everyone should keep this in mind.

Thanks for reading

It is definitely a good thing that restaurants use secret shoppers, it's the only way the higher ups can really know what it's like to be a customer in their establishment. However, Emily, you seem to take great joy in the power you have over restaurant ewmployees, and I think it's troubling how you make light of the fact that sometimes people get fired because of your reports. I know it sounds like a crass excuse, but really, how hard would you work for minimum wage? I'll tell ya what, I've worked for minimum wage and I worked very hard for it. The company I worked for did not deserve my hard labor for what they paid me, and as far as I'm concerned the great majority of restaurants do not pay their employees well enough to justify the level of professionalism that they demand. Like I said, secret shoppers are a necessary evil. It just seems a little distasteful to be so high and mighty about your power over minimum wage workers. And, by the way, not every restaurant has the same policies in regards to how regular employees respond to customer complaints.

Tired of bad customer service? Do something about it. I am a professional mystery shopper, and these restaurants are part of my experience.

Sign up on-line and mystery shop where you want and when you want. Get paid for your meal and your time. And best of all take down the people who don't belong in the customer service business.

As a non-mystery shopper you need to call corporate HQ and lodge a complaint. When having a problem with an employee make sure to get their name or memorize their description. If they don't wear a name tag you can still get their name by calling the location after you leave and describing the employee and then asking to speak with them once you know the name... and then hang up!

As a mystery shopper I have taken people down for bad customer service. I know people have lost their jobs because of my reports... and you know what... I love it! I let little things slide, but garbage like that I get someone fired.

I also learned how to be an educated consumer by practicing this profession. Applebee's had overcharged me on a bill. Little did I know that is standard procedure when the charge is pending. I called an complained to a manager. She asked if I remembered what I had eatten. I could tell her every item and rate the quality. She was speechless in amazement. Because of the confusion she recredited the entire charge. Applebee's has a customer in me.

To restaurant workers who read this. YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO APOLOGIZE and tell your manager of the upset your customer has experienced. Most restaurants will give a free item when an upset such as this occurs. Or possibly cover the whole bill if it is horribly traumatizing such as this incident appears to be. And yes sometimes your bosses pay us mystery shoppers to make problems and see how you handle it. THIS IS YOUR COMPANY'S POLICY!!! So beware we are out there!

I'm not out to file a lawsuit or take the company down. I'm not looking for compensation for my humiliation that night. I think that the incident in the rip-off reports for all to see is payback enough. When I constructed the report I was still mad and still felt those feelings of humiliation--hence the holes in my initial report.

I am of age to drink, and the reason I have discrimination in my title of the original report is because that's what I feel it was from the moment it happened.

I also felt as though if the bartender had requested to see my ID at all before making an accusation, then it would not have been an issue. Because she did not request to see my ID the entire time that I was sitting at the bar, I *assumed* (we all know what that means) all was fine. But I was mistaken.

I still believe, and almost no advice could ever change my mind on this issue, that I was in the right by not offering to show my ID to the bartender because as far as she was concerned, she wanted us out of there.

I am personally fed up with recieving mediocre customer service. We paid good money for our poor meal and the poor service that we recieved. Waitresses, bartenders, and managers of restaurants are not the only people in this world that work hard for their money. The manager of the restaurant did not even offer an apology for my disatisfaction with the bartender's attitude. There was no reason that we should have left the restaurant as disgusted as we did.

But as far as legal action goes, I'm not even considering that. I'm just another dissatisfied consumer in the world, and there are other restaurants that value my business because I understand that we all just want to make our money and go home. I used to wait tables and I know how it feels.

I really do appreciate everybody's comments on the situation, and I do look at the input with an open mind. What I was looking for when I filed the report was a second and third and fourth opinion on where I went wrong and where I went right.

Thanks a lot for the input. Keep it coming.

Fortunately, I'm pretty sure our legal system does not allow "bringing up painful memories" as grounds for rewarding damages. If it did, I'd sue Taco Bell every time I drove past it for bringing up the painful memories of having worked there for three years. All kidding aside, You should probably tell your co-worker to stop giving out legal advice, as it is illegal for non-attorneys or other legal counsellors to give such advice. However, what transpired at the restaurant, although probably legal on their part, was terrible. Most likely it was either a very bad way of enforcing a good policy, or the bartender just didn't want you guys there. Either way, you are right to be angry, just don't get unnecissarily litigous.

This is a comment on the report filed. I think that there is information that may be missing in your story. Let me just state that any establishment that serves alcohol has the right to refuse serving alcohol to their guests. You stated that the bartender took your "coke" and replaced it with another but then asked you and your fiance to leave.

Lets just say that all you were drinking was a soft drink (because you do not drink) then when she replaced it with another why would she then ask you to leave?? Working in a bar atmosphere there are many underage teens that will order cokes only to add alcohol to their drinks.

You also stated that she never once asked for your ID, nor did you state if you are over 21 years old either. So assuming that you are over 21 years old and it is obvious that you did not need to be asked for ID then you have the right to be upset. Yet im assuming that you are in fact under age so the bartender was just protecting her job and the establishment by not allowing you to drink or trying to consume alcohol.

I am not a legal expert but I don't see a lawsuit. I am sorry you lost a friend due to drunk driving but I would also hope that you are glad that the bartender was in fact doing her job and not allowing underage teens to consume alcohol.

Furthermore you stated that you were dining out later in the night and you might want to see if the state you reside in allows underage teens in a bar after a certain time. Assuming again if you are not yet 21 whereas you never stated your age.