Restaurant refuses to sing happy bday to 6 yr old

[Blarg]

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quids: You are in the wrong here this time. I do not think this should have been a big deal for the kid and I think that staff happy birthday singing in restaurants is idiotic. However, once the hostess tells them they will sing happy birthday, the owner should either have them make an exception and sing happy birthday or otherwise compensate them by comping some stuff or giving them a gift cert or something. Just saying, SORRY, LOL, WE DON'T DO THAT ANYMORE isn't acceptable. I'm confident every bar or restaurant owner I know (a lot) would all agree with me. The restaurant screwed up, it is their responsibility to try and make it right.


All: FYI, the restaurant in question: http://www.eltorero.com/

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I haven't read the whole thread, but agree on the comping part, as long as it's a minor comp. Definitely don't think a restaurant should have to change its policies every time an employee goes stupid, though.

Also, this would play out different if there were other patrons in the restaurant and if there weren't. If nobody was around, a quick policy change would be fine. If others were, a disruptive spectacle is something a lot of other diners might not want to share, which is fair enough.

Btw serious consideration should be given to the comp having some impact on the hostess, for making it necessary. Even more so, for letting it escalate all the way to the owner. Owners should not have to pay people to handle this stuff for them, and then have to handle it themselves because the people they paid f*cked up.

[Blarg]

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Apologize for the hostess making a mistake?

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It is probably the hostess's mistake, but it is ultimately the owner's restaurant. She has the responsibility of making sure competent employees are hired. She gets credit (and money) when they succeed and it is completely reasonable and appropriate for her to apologize to customers on behalf of the restaurant when they screw up, even if it isn't her fault.

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I see no reason politeness wouldn't be in order, and I doubt the owner/manager was initially rude or even subsequently rude.

I also see no reason this should ever have escalated to the owner/manager. On the one hand, the hostess should have handled it. On the other, the father should have left his arguments with his hostess. The father strikes me as a bit of a bully here.

[Blarg]

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quids: You are in the wrong here this time. I do not think this should have been a big deal for the kid and I think that staff happy birthday singing in restaurants is idiotic. However, once the hostess tells them they will sing happy birthday, the owner should either have them make an exception and sing happy birthday or otherwise compensate them by comping some stuff or giving them a gift cert or something. Just saying, SORRY, LOL, WE DON'T DO THAT ANYMORE isn't acceptable. I'm confident every bar or restaurant owner I know (a lot) would all agree with me. The restaurant screwed up, it is their responsibility to try and make it right.


All: FYI, the restaurant in question: http://www.eltorero.com/

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I never said they shouldnt be compensated in some way, id agree to that. Give them an extra free dessert, or comp the kids meal, something like that, but if they are trying to change the image of the restaurant I dont know any owner who would be bossed around like that when it comes to something that really interferes with the ambiance (especially while in transition)


Im really more pissed that people think that business owners should cater to the every whim of some nickel and dime suburban douche bag.

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Ditto.

Or even some preposterously rich douchebag.

[bobbyi]

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I doubt the owner/manager was initially rude or even subsequently rude.

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Well, I'm responding to the situation as described by the OP who said that she was rude. It's trivially obvious that if we suppose (maybe more likely) alternate scenarios where the management handled it well then in those situations the management handled it well and I don't think anyone is debating that.

[suzzer99]

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quids: You are in the wrong here this time. I do not think this should have been a big deal for the kid and I think that staff happy birthday singing in restaurants is idiotic. However, once the hostess tells them they will sing happy birthday, the owner should either have them make an exception and sing happy birthday or otherwise compensate them by comping some stuff or giving them a gift cert or something. Just saying, SORRY, LOL, WE DON'T DO THAT ANYMORE isn't acceptable. I'm confident every bar or restaurant owner I know (a lot) would all agree with me. The restaurant screwed up, it is their responsibility to try and make it right.


All: FYI, the restaurant in question: http://www.eltorero.com/

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Sent an email asking if they'd like to come on here and tell their side.

[mason55]

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No he didn't. He confirmed it after everyone was already there. That's not ahead of time. Ahead of time is, pick up the phone. It doesn't get much easier than that. You'd think your own kid was probably worth at least that much trouble.

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Blarg did you read the thread? The guy who started it said they would have gone to a different restaurant if they had correctly been told that they don't sing happy birthday there any more.

[Blarg]

Interesting. They mention kids and family, but also emphasize their margaritas, drink specials all night long, and full bar.

Looks like they are indeed in some kind of transition phase.

[emon87]

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dessert = money, singing happy birthday = nothing of any monetary value.

[/ QUOTE ] The waiters' time is nothing of any monetary value? I suppose you don't tip then.

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I'm gonna go ahead and echo guids' sentiment:

You're a [censored] idiot.

[emon87]

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This is not a spoiled brat.

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Not eating your dessert and having a ruined evening because strangers wouldn't sing you happy birthday is DEFINITELY a spoiled brat.

[Blarg]

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No he didn't. He confirmed it after everyone was already there. That's not ahead of time. Ahead of time is, pick up the phone. It doesn't get much easier than that. You'd think your own kid was probably worth at least that much trouble.

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Blarg did you read the thread? The guy who started it said they would have gone to a different restaurant if they had correctly been told that they don't sing happy birthday there any more.

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I read this part:

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When we arrived, the dad went up to the hostess and said when we ordered dessert, could they sing happy bday.

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and this part:

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He told the owner that he requested before they sat to have it sung

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So they were already there before they asked whether the restaurant even did that, unless there's more back story than supplied.

That doesn't excuse the hostess's mistake, but it doesn't do anything to make the father look particularly on the ball either.

Now, if the father had called ahead to ask, and been told that they would get a song, he would be blameless for not going to a different restaurant. But he shouldn't even have stepped in the door of this one without even asking if they do that kind of thing.

That's a waste of the whole family's time if they get there just to leave because they don't sing, and a bummer for the kid if they get there and stay because they are incorrectly told that there will be singing.

Dad really can't get off the hook here.