Many of the rants on my ConsumHer section are stories about less-than-stellar experiences I have had with businesses. It could be bad customer service, poor quality products or a combination of both. But here’s a reminder to everyone out there that has a voice. Don’t just be a complainer. Be a ‘praiser’ too.

With GFB and I working full time and trying to juggle the activities of two daughters, we end up eating out a lot. I am reminded of a situation that occurred about 6 years ago when our youngest daughter was a little over a year old.

Since GFB is a self-proclaimed “meatatarian”, Fridays during Lent are a challenge. (For those non-Catholics out there, we don’t eat meat on Fridays during the Lenten season). I tried to cook meatless or fish dishes but they weren’t always the best. So at least one Friday during Lent we would head to Red Lobster to enjoy some snow crab or fried shrimp. The problem is, Red Lobster is PACKED during Lent. I bet  half of the Catholics in OKC head there for dinner on any given Friday to eat. (Ok, I probably exaggerated that – but it SEEMS like half…)

This particular Friday night was no exception; the restaurant was packed and there was a long wait time. We decided to stick it out and wait with the girls, who were almost 5 and 1 1/2 at the time. Like any respectable mom would, I brought some Goldfish crackers for the young one to munch on while we waited for a table.

After almost an hour, we were finally seated. At this point I was a bit crabby, so you can image how the girls felt. (Let’s be honest, Goldfish crackers only get you so far.)  We quickly ordered drinks and our meal hoping to get the process moving so we could be served dinner. About two minutes later, our waiter reappeared at the table with applesauce, crackers, and a plate of veggies with ranch for our daughters. I was speechless. The waiter knew we had waited quite some time and that we had young children. So to help us out (and ultimately himself too), he tried his best to satisfy them until the macaroni and cheese arrived a few minutes later.

It was like God had sent an Angel from Heaven to the Red Lobster on Memorial just for me. (Now for those moms out there with small children, you get it. The rest of you will have to trust me on this.) I was finally able to relax a bit and enjoy what could have been a very unpleasant evening.

Upon finishing our meal, I politely asked our waiter “Sir, would you mind asking the Manager to come by our table?”. I am certain his first reaction was “Damn, what did I DO?” But he kindly obliged and went to find the restaurant manager. When she arrived, I explained our lengthy wait and how our waiter had gone out of his way to make sure the girls were taken care of so we could enjoy the meal. He was standing near the table listening, and I made a point to tell the manager “Ma’am, you need to hire more employees like him. HE is worth every dime.” The smile on his face was priceless.

She thanked us for coming and left our table to attend to other patrons. Our waiter dropped off the check and thanked us himself for the kind comments to his boss. And of course, we gave him a fat tip.

In addition to speaking to the manager,  I got on the Red Lobster website and filled out their comment section at how well we were treated. I was told that he would get recognized for his service. I certainly hope so, because he was worth it.

Have you had a GOOD experience with a company or employee going out of their way to help you? I’d love to hear about it.

~SB