TGI Freaking Sucks...
 

Okay, so to play catch up with those of you who don't know - my dad was diagnosed with a GBM Grade IV brain tumor on Feb 9th. It is the most serious of the brain tumors, with an average life expectancy of 14 months after diagnosis. This week he started treatments (chemo 7x week & radiation 5x week), so he was feeling pretty good this weekend, but we know what to expect as treatment goes on. My parents had their 39th anniversary on Friday (the 2nd) so we drove down to meet them for dinner (we've been spending the weekends there since this started). We all don't normally like TGIF - they usually have either bad food, or bad service, and usually both. Back in October, they ruined my mother's birthday so much (lousy food and NO service practically) that the corporate manager sent her a certified letter of apology with $60 in gift certificates. The letter said (along with the apology) "use at the TGIF of your choice" -- when my mom spoke with him (he called to make sure she got them okay) she mentioned that their town doesn't even have a TGIF, and he said that the store about 30 min from them was excellent & to go there.

So - we did - on Friday. It was the two of them, and the three of us (including Eli) so we figured we could spend about $15 a person since that would equal the $60. (Keep in mind that the chemo pills alone cost $5000 - my parents own their own business - which means NO work as of Feb - and the bills are already piling up so $60 is a big deal for them).

The meal was great - the service was great - the bill was $57 and change. Then the other shoe dropped - the manager said they would NOT take the gift certs!! My mom showed him the letter and he said that the GC's say "at participating locations" -- but even the corporate manager said to go to this store!!! My poor mother was in tears - she told the second store manager that she just possibly celebrated her last anniversary with her husband, and was there nothing that could be done and she just shook her head.

Now I tried to pay, but my mom would hear none of that - she paid for the meal & left in tears. This was a Friday night at a very popular location - the store was packed and people were waiting outside (this was around 8:30 by this time). There was more than $60 in alcohol alone sitting on the table close to us.

So I got the number for the GM of the store. He called mom the next day and did NOT even try to apologize. He just said he would explain to her again why they couldn't take them (which from the night before we were told that some of the banks had closed that the GC's were written from, therefore they may not be able to cash them) -- mom said she didn't want to even hear it again.

I know this may sound so petty - I mean to a lot of people, $60 is the tip for a good meal out. But it was more the principle of the thing than anything for us - it would have been a perfect night & we would have all left saying "wow, we will come back here" because everything was so good. But not now - I am completely floored at the way TGIF responded to us on this. Mom has a call back into the corporate guy - she just wants to trade the GC's for $60 and be done with it. She says that she will never even look at a TGIF again (neither will we!!).

So I just wanted to rant and say that TGI FREAKING SUCKS - and see if you guys have any horror stories about restaurants like this.

That's AWFUL.

I don't have any horrible stories about TGI Fridays, but I've gotten sick after eating at our local restaurant the past 3 times I've been. I refuse to go any more.

That's HORRIBLE. It made me think of this tip I read in a magazine recently. An older gentleman was giving advice on what to do when you're treated poorly by a store. His story was about tires or something. The company had ripped off his wife, so he went out and found coupons for the store's competitors. He took the coupons, made copies of them and attached some money to each coupon ($5 or $10).

He went back to the store and went to the manager to let him know that if the store didn't fix the problem, he'd start handing out the coupons to anyone walking up to the door. The store would have lost a great deal of money so the manager relented.

In your case, if it were me, I'd let the store manager know that you're going to the media with your story. It really is that serious.

That's absolutely ridiculous! I cannot believe they would turn down the certificates at the end of the meal like that! Sure, it says "participating locations", but how would you know if they were participating or not? Call ahead? I mean, the Corporate Manager recommended the place! Perhaps you'd like to call that Corporate Manager and tell him what happened.

I'm sorry that happened to you on what was to be a celebration dinner. :(

.....Kelly :)

That's CRAP. Here's what I would do:

1) Call the corporate manager and give him one last change to make it right. He gets 24 hours. If he doesn't...
2) Call the customer service department and tell them you're going to the press.
3) Call the local store and tell them you're going to the press.
4) Email it in to consumerist.com
5) Call the BBB and complain
6) Call the local paper and complain
7) Write a letter to the local editor
8) Let everyone know - friends, sorority sisters, your pastor - send an email to your entire address book and copy the corporate manager.

The tgifsucks.com domain name is available, FYI.

Thats Terrible!
 

^^^^^
Great Advice!

yeah, chain restuarants treat their own people like crap, once you eat they do not care if you come back because someone else will. Likewise, one "store" closes, they open another.

This is truly awful. Please keep up updated

Agreed. I certatinly know how you feel. My mom had breast cancer and if this had happened to me I would have taken it to the press. Put the screws to TGIF and call your local paper.

Not all chain restaurants. Bob Evans allows their employees to comp ANYTHING, even up to the entire bill to satisfy the customer, and I can't believe TGIFridays wouldn't do the same. They're stupid, that's a great way to loose customers (and they may have just lost hundreds of GC people).

Oh, the manager should have the power to give them their meal for free. I worked at an O'Charleys and they can comp basically whatever they want (now how they answer to the restaurant manager/owner is something I don't know)

Either TGIF sucks from the top down or that particular franchise LOSES.

A restaurant I worked at did the same. And then they fired the manager for comping too much.

Also, what if they had brought them two soups that they did not order, just a simple mistake? The manager would go to the system terminal and take the soups "off" the ticket (usually putting it on a common "mess up ticket" to be deleted/acounted for at the end of the night/shift). Now, if the manager in question wanted to, he could have done that with their meal. He didn't want to. Why didn't he want to? Well, he's either a prick or works for pricks, of whom he is afraid.

Yes TGIF's service and food has declined I think in the past 10 years. I mean they closed their store in Metairie, LA (suburb of New Orleans) pre-Katrina because it was struggling. And according to their website they have no locations in Louisiana anymore. The one in Memphis off of Beale Street is completing disgusting. I went there this past Spring before I went to chaperone the AOII Spring Formal at the Redbirds Stadium. Let's just put it this way, we cancelled our main course because the appetizers were less than desirable and left early.

My sister who lives in FL also had a problem with service at one lately and my parents actually had problems with the one in Gulfport, MS two weekends ago...and to think I use to LOVE their potato skins as a meal!

I'm sorry they were so rude and inconsiderate to you.

I quit going when they stopped having trivia there.

i'm sorry to hear you all went through that. it sounds like a bad manager. the chain has gone downhill over the past years, but my experience has been mixed. some are really good and others are a MESS.

In addition to the BBB, i'd take this up with TGI Friday's corporate office and also post something on PlanetFeedback.com.

The Office of the Attorney General for your state should have a consumer protection division. File a complaint with them as well!

if a business is not part of BBB can the BBB really do anything? Other than not recomend them (which they already wouldn't probably, right? if they weren't members)

I am sorry and frankly disgusted to hear that they treated you that way. You DEFINITELY need to contact whomever you spoke with in the corporate office again. Find out the name of the GM at the location. You were given $60 worth of gift certificates because they obviously dropped the ball in the past. They need to do the right thing now.

You're right. The BBB is a non-profit, not a governmental agency.

I still like the idea of boycotting those types of places

they aren't BBB, they aren't a team like a restaurant should be (i worked at all three, indepedent/local, a franchise, and corporate owned), you never know who will be there, like the locals will have one or two, sometimes up to 5 bartenders, if they are really busy, but not more than that, and they stay there forever. At chain: new "special mixologist" [most chain mixers aren't state certified as bartenders] all the time, I mean, all the time.

Just not worth it, in my opinion, to go in those places.

Actually the BBB sucks! They sound so profound but try to call them!

Giddup two step!

TGIF: Never been there and from what I hear I will never go there!

I have a habit of bad mouthing crappy places to any of My customers or Friends! It can Hurt!!!!

My least favorites and will tell everyone:

QT
Delta Air
Arby's
Wendys

I am sorry that this happened, but, I would have been in their face and let everyone in the resturant know about it and let it rest on their sholders!!!!!!!!!:mad:

Making ones parents feel this way is wrong!

I think they tried to kill Lifesaver . . gave him nuts he couldn't have or something.

That's horrendous that this happened to you. My family owns a non-chain Italian restaurant and we would NEVER treat customers like that.

I'll probably get flamed for this, but if you know ANYONE that lives in my area and has eaten at this particular Friday's, they'll tell you the exact same thing. The staff is pretty much all minorities. Most of the time when we go there, we are one of the few white people in the restaurant. We've had horrible service everytime we've gone. One time my friend got a whole margarita spilled on her by the waitress and she only said sorry and didn't offer to comp anything or do anything about it. Anyways back to the minority part.... we went there one night and got quoted about 45 minutes for a table. Ok fine. We had 5 people on a Friday night so no big deal. A group of about 5 or so African American females came in, got quoted the same time, and got seated not long after, while we still waiting beyond our quoted time. We finally get seated and are really nice to our waitress, because it's not her fault that the hostesses screwed us over. She brings over our silverware and instead of placing the silverware down she pretty much throws it down, including a knife which almost fell into my friend's lap. We were appalled at this point. Our food came out late and wrong, and she totally forgot to put in my whole order. Mind you this whole time we are still being nice because we were afraid she would spit in our food or something at this point. We sat through the horrible service, while the African Americans sitting at the tables on either side of us received awesome service from the same waitress. Any time I've gone to this restaurant, it's always the same. (we still went there because at this time we had no food on campus due to remodeling and it was the closest thing) I've heard similiar things from other friends about the way they were treated.

These stores need to all be shut down.

AXO Alum,

Which TGIFriday's location was this?


.....Kelly :)

Its not cute when the tables turn, is it?

Never said it was either way. People are spending money at your establishment. No matter who they are they deserve to be treated with respect if you plan to get a tip from them.

I am so sorry to hear what a terrible experience your family had. I agree with what many of the others have already said about re-contacting the General Manager as well as boycotting the restaurant. I, for one, will not be going to any TGIFriday anytime soon!

It's not cute period. I would never treat any customer like that.

AXO Alum, I hope you do make a big stink about this. This isn't acceptable at all.

AXO Alum, this is just horrible. I think you should raise holy hell - maybe call a local tv station. Sometimes they will run a story like this.

Oh yeah, I remember that now too. Was that TGI as well?

Explain.

My sister went to a TGI in Coral Springs, FL years ago. She paid for her meal by credit card and left the tip in cash. When I do that, I usually write the word "cash" in the tip line. She was still in high school so she was naive and left the line blank. The server went ahead and put $20 in the tip line (if I remember correctly...it was an incredibly large amount though). Her bill had only come to $10. That's a hell of a tip. When my parents got the credit card statement (my sister used their credit card), my parents were livid. They called the restaurant manager. The server was fired and my sister was given $50 in gift certificates. At least they took care of the problem but it still says a lot about the type of people the company hires.

I've never been impressed with the service when I've dined there unless I was seated at a table where I knew the server. This happened frequently when I was back in college. My server friends would "forget" to include some of our drinks or appetizers on the bill. ;)

I haven't been to a TGI in years. There isn't one by my house and the food isn't good enough that I'm willing to make the drive.

For General Info
1-800-FRIDAYS, Option 1

Guest Relations
T.G.I. Friday's
4201 Marsh Lane
Carrollton, TX 75007

http://www.tgifridays.com/contact/contactform.cfm


For those of you who would like to contact TGIF on behalf of AXO Alum moms disgraceful treatment.

I completely agree. While nobody should be treated as poorly as you all were, the elderly & infirm are due special consideration, IMHO.

Let me add a few other outlets:
9) I would gladly put this on four other message boards I use; I'm sure others here use other message boards and would post this there, too. If you go this route, have people tell you which boards they've posted on, so you can tell the Corporate Manager where to look.
10) Write to your governmental officials - this is basically "bait and switch", since you were advised to go to that particular TGI Fridays.
11) Write to the Social Services Department of the hospital where your father is being treated.
12) Write to the local Ronald McDonald House(s). These people are going through the same thing, only they're from out of town - they need to know that they will be ripped off by TGI Fridays.
13) Ditto Gilda's Club and any other support groups.
14) Try to keep track of ALL of the places you've contacted, so it gets back to the Corporate Manager.

and most of all:
15) Remember that you have many, many friends who are going to stand firmly behind you! USE that power!
(((((((((((((((AXO Alum))))))))))))))

Just say the word, and I'll pass this along.

After readin this thread, I can safely say that any desire I had to eat at TGI Fridays is no GONE! I am so sorry to hear about this. Believe me, consider the word passed on to my friends and family!

The meal was great and the service was great. Sounds to me like your complaint should be with the GM. Does the GC list where the GCs are valid?

Wow - I cannot believe how many people have responded to this with some great advice (and thanks for posting that info, Alpha Sig Scott!!) - I really just thought I would rant, but I am THRILLED to see that so many people agree that we were treated unfairly.

Thank you - seriously - everyone for helping me spread the word about TGIF. I wish I could say which restaurant we were at, but due to cyber stalkers, I am afraid to post even that info b/c I don't know who will start trying to figure out my location (although the majority of GCers know, there are a few that I don't want to ever know my location!).

And YES, honey - spread the word to all your MB's about this for me :)

Did that - he called my mom and didn't even try to apologize. The GC's say "valid at participating locations" but the CERTIFIED LETTER from corporate says "TO BE USED AT THE TGIF LOCATION OF YOUR CHOICE" and when mom questioned a location (since there is not one in her town) the corporate manager RECOMMENDED the location we went to. Obviously had we thought there would ever be a problem, we would have asked first.

I am so sorry for this horrendous experience. Though I don't go to TGIFridays very often I will think twice before darkening their door. Any news from the corporate manager? I would be calling him everyday until he gave me an explanation.

I thought about posting this in the Who Are You Boycotting?/What Keeps You from Patronizing Businesses? threads, but I thought it'd be more fitting here. Your story still has some effect on Friday's, AXO Alum!

I met a girlfriend for drinks last night, and she said, "Let's go to Fridays." To which I replied, "How 'bout someplace else? Friday's isn't ever getting any of my money again."

We went to O'Charley's instead and had a great time. :D