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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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 Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 5:15 pm Post subject: Re: Restaurant Refused Service - Help Explain |
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| korea.teacher wrote: |
I got refused service at a small restaurant this afternoon (had problems at a second restaurant, too) and need some help understanding what happened and how to fix it.
I was on my way to visit a local temple and stopped at a small restaurant to grab a gimbap to take with me (btw I'm dressed nice and look like a typical tourist enjoying the weekend).
Like a "hundred times before," I explained to the cook behind the counter that I was vegetarian, to please leave out the meat and egg and requested a vegetarian gimbap.
Never had a problem before.
The cook started making it but stopped when another lady behind the counter with an angry face said something, and then the lady looking uncomfortable motioned for me to get out of the restaurant.
I went across the street to another small restaurant to try again.
In this case, I walked in but when I got in line the lady preparing food turns around and stares at me like she's disgusted, and stares and stares and stares, and when I look around, everyone is staring. So uncomfortable, I just left.
I decided to return home and stopped by a food court at a Lotte Mart. I ordered there (bibimbap). Same kind of situation, but this time the employees were helpful and smiling and added, "Enjoy the meal."
I've never experienced the kind of rudeness I experienced at the first two places.
I'm wondering if the behavior might be related to these restaurants being the kind of small eateries you see on side streets, that they might not have experience with foreigners and don't know how to interact with them.
I'm trying to figure out what to do differently next time so I don't get refused service. |
I lived in the countryside a few years ago and know the attitudes well. Comes down to one simple word -xenophobia. You're not Korean, you're not doing things 100% the Korean 1950's way, and if you or another poster were with a Korean woman, then you're going to get the hate. The type of hate where you just feel it oozing off of people when you walk into a room. Give them the bloody finger and move on. |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 6:03 pm Post subject: |
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| cabeza wrote: |
| Steelrails wrote: |
It's no less authentic than a Taco Pizza, BBQ Chicken pizza, Canadian Bacon, Cheeseburger pizza, feta cheese, chorizo, cheddar cheese, etc. that regularly gets marketed back home.
Unless you ate purely authentic Italian pizzas back home, lose the sense of indignation and cultural superiority. |
Believe it or not, when I go to Mr. Pizza or Pizza Hut I'm fairly sure that I'm not getting the true esperienza Italiana but thanks for letting me know!
But when somewhere is advertising itself and pricing itself as Authentic, than yes, I would ask that they not put bits of corn on the pizza.
I don't think Dominoes tries to pretend to be the true paragon of Mediterranean cuisine.
Lose the massive cultural and personal inferiority complex. |
I worked for a major pizza franchise back home that advertised Ah!thentic Italian Pizza while simultaneously offering a BBQ Chicken, Taco, and Hawaiian pizzas. I never once got a complaint or the sense of indignation. Do you go around pizza stores back home outraged that they put pineapple on pizza?
Unless you do that, then you aren't being fair to Korean pizza places here. Why is it okay for pizza places back home to put on pineapple or feta cheese or Canadian bacon, but its wrong for Korean places to put corn on? How many pizza joints back home make some claim to authenticity but still make Hawaiian pizzas? (hint, pretty much every single one)
You're just looking for a reason to put down these stupid Orientals. |
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chrisinkorea2011
Joined: 16 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 6:28 pm Post subject: Re: Restaurant Refused Service - Help Explain |
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| Weigookin74 wrote: |
| korea.teacher wrote: |
I got refused service at a small restaurant this afternoon (had problems at a second restaurant, too) and need some help understanding what happened and how to fix it.
I was on my way to visit a local temple and stopped at a small restaurant to grab a gimbap to take with me (btw I'm dressed nice and look like a typical tourist enjoying the weekend).
Like a "hundred times before," I explained to the cook behind the counter that I was vegetarian, to please leave out the meat and egg and requested a vegetarian gimbap.
Never had a problem before.
The cook started making it but stopped when another lady behind the counter with an angry face said something, and then the lady looking uncomfortable motioned for me to get out of the restaurant.
I went across the street to another small restaurant to try again.
In this case, I walked in but when I got in line the lady preparing food turns around and stares at me like she's disgusted, and stares and stares and stares, and when I look around, everyone is staring. So uncomfortable, I just left.
I decided to return home and stopped by a food court at a Lotte Mart. I ordered there (bibimbap). Same kind of situation, but this time the employees were helpful and smiling and added, "Enjoy the meal."
I've never experienced the kind of rudeness I experienced at the first two places.
I'm wondering if the behavior might be related to these restaurants being the kind of small eateries you see on side streets, that they might not have experience with foreigners and don't know how to interact with them.
I'm trying to figure out what to do differently next time so I don't get refused service. |
I lived in the countryside a few years ago and know the attitudes well. Comes down to one simple word -xenophobia. You're not Korean, you're not doing things 100% the Korean 1950's way, and if you or another poster were with a Korean woman, then you're going to get the hate. The type of hate where you just feel it oozing off of people when you walk into a room. Give them the bloody finger and move on. |
haha that would logical except for one small thing, it doesnt always happen that way. Case in point, im mixed korean. I dont look full korean, my eyes are light brown, im built more than most koreans, even my korean accent sometimes is a bit worked up but ive NEVER had this problem. Especially considering that from 1950s (or even earlier) to present day, some koreans still consider mixed babies as trash or insult to their race. Infact the always ask where i am from and smile and ask questions about my heritage. Dont generalize a certain group just because there are a few bad apples. lol |
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chrisinkorea2011
Joined: 16 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 6:30 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| [You're just looking for a reason to put down these stupid Orientals. |
What do you mean "these stupid orientals"? |
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cabeza
Joined: 29 Sep 2012
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| Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 6:47 pm Post subject: |
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| Steelrails wrote: |
I worked for a major pizza franchise back home |
Did ya? I'm very proud of you.
| Quote: |
| Do you go around pizza stores back home outraged that they put pineapple on pizza? |
No I don't becuase you obviously didn't read my original post.
| Quote: |
| Unless you do that, then you aren't being fair to Korean pizza places here. Why is it okay for pizza places back home to put on pineapple or feta cheese or Canadian bacon, but its wrong for Korean places to put corn on? How many pizza joints back home make some claim to authenticity but still make Hawaiian pizzas? (hint, pretty much every single one) |
I'll say it again. I'm not talking about chain pizza places. I'm sure they do claim authenticity and probably have a pizza on their menus called "The Italiano". Just like McDonalds claims that "I'm loving it", but I know in my true heart that I'm not. In my country you can get pizzas with egg and beetroot on them. But not at proper sit down restaurants, with leather bound menus written in Italian. Which is what I'm talking about.
Not chain pizza places. OK? I'm not talking about pizza chains. Pizza chains? I'm not talking about them. Me no talk pizza chain.
I was in a proper sit down Italian place which used the Italian names for the pizzas. A Margherita doesnt need corn and I didn't want corn. So I asked the nice man to take it off.
Nothing to do with him being Asian. I just don't want fucking corn on my pizza especially when it's in a supposedly authentic Italian restaurant. If I'm at Mr.Pizza or Pizza Think then I'll expect to get some sweet potato or some other thing I wouldnt usually associate with pizza. And that would be fine and I would enjoy it.
If I went to an Italian restaurant back home and they put cut up, pre-cooked sausages into the carbonara as I once experienced in Japan, then I would also ask them to not do that.
And by the way, where exactly do I sound indignant? You are imposing your neuroses onto my posts and imagining things that aren't there.
| Quote: |
| You're just looking for a reason to put down these stupid Orientals. |
Think what you like, but I'm really, really not. You have got some kind of unresolved inferiority issues because you try to turn everything around to this same kind of bs.
P.S I'm not talking about chain pizza restaurants. |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 7:20 pm Post subject: |
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Good grief, back home outside of a handful of places, pretty much every restaurant you go into, no matter how "authentic" it is, is going to have kind of localized/fusion/experimental dish on it.
The only places that don't, generally are highly specialized joints.
Substitutions and deletions are fine. But back home that would just be some normal thing, not some rant about domestic interpretations of foreign cuisine based on the frustrations of dealing with a people and culture.
Take the corn off because you don't like the taste, not because of some pretenses towards "authenticity". |
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cabeza
Joined: 29 Sep 2012
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| Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 8:13 pm Post subject: |
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^^
And? What's your point? Basically you were just acting like an overly sensitive little bitch because that's who you are.
The thread was about being refused service after asking for a vegetarian kimbap. People chimed in saying that they have noticed in Korea amending food is not so common. I said I ordered a pizza sans corn and the waiter acted surprised and put out by the request. Then you swooped in accusing me of faux indignation and cultural superiority. |
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 8:27 pm Post subject: Re: Restaurant Refused Service - Help Explain |
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| chrisinkorea2011 wrote: |
| Weigookin74 wrote: |
| korea.teacher wrote: |
I got refused service at a small restaurant this afternoon (had problems at a second restaurant, too) and need some help understanding what happened and how to fix it.
I was on my way to visit a local temple and stopped at a small restaurant to grab a gimbap to take with me (btw I'm dressed nice and look like a typical tourist enjoying the weekend).
Like a "hundred times before," I explained to the cook behind the counter that I was vegetarian, to please leave out the meat and egg and requested a vegetarian gimbap.
Never had a problem before.
The cook started making it but stopped when another lady behind the counter with an angry face said something, and then the lady looking uncomfortable motioned for me to get out of the restaurant.
I went across the street to another small restaurant to try again.
In this case, I walked in but when I got in line the lady preparing food turns around and stares at me like she's disgusted, and stares and stares and stares, and when I look around, everyone is staring. So uncomfortable, I just left.
I decided to return home and stopped by a food court at a Lotte Mart. I ordered there (bibimbap). Same kind of situation, but this time the employees were helpful and smiling and added, "Enjoy the meal."
I've never experienced the kind of rudeness I experienced at the first two places.
I'm wondering if the behavior might be related to these restaurants being the kind of small eateries you see on side streets, that they might not have experience with foreigners and don't know how to interact with them.
I'm trying to figure out what to do differently next time so I don't get refused service. |
I lived in the countryside a few years ago and know the attitudes well. Comes down to one simple word -xenophobia. You're not Korean, you're not doing things 100% the Korean 1950's way, and if you or another poster were with a Korean woman, then you're going to get the hate. The type of hate where you just feel it oozing off of people when you walk into a room. Give them the bloody finger and move on. |
haha that would logical except for one small thing, it doesnt always happen that way. Case in point, im mixed korean. I dont look full korean, my eyes are light brown, im built more than most koreans, even my korean accent sometimes is a bit worked up but ive NEVER had this problem. Especially considering that from 1950s (or even earlier) to present day, some koreans still consider mixed babies as trash or insult to their race. Infact the always ask where i am from and smile and ask questions about my heritage. Dont generalize a certain group just because there are a few bad apples. lol |
Did I say it was everyone in Korea? I lived in a rural area and knew the joys of feeling hate coming off people. I was immoral for dating Korean women and felt the hidden joy of C-blocking. Point is rural areas still have some hold outs; though I'm sure things are better there today than even 4 or 5 years ago. |
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Threequalseven
Joined: 08 May 2012
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| Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 9:43 pm Post subject: |
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The OP's problem is simple. He tried to special order something. Period. This problem became perfectly clear to me when an American friend came to visit. She'd special order everything - sub this for that, no tomato, extra this and that. I've always thought this bevavior came with a certain sense of entitlement. Needless to say, we had some problems. It's like the person who said they tried ordering a burger without mayo. Really? Is it that big of a problem? Just eat the burger. Having worked in a restaurant, I swear people would just make shit difficult to the point where it's possible not to mess it up.
Anyway, so there's that. Also, living in "rural" Korea, I get the impression that us white folk seem cheesy and childish to older Koreans... and when I visit other parts of the country, I can see why. Despite dressing nice, you probably came off cheeky and entitled. I don't know to to overcome this. I always just order what I want, don't ask questions, eat what they give me and say thank you. If you want to make things more difficult than that, you're only asking for trouble. |
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 9:50 pm Post subject: |
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| Threequalseven wrote: |
The OP's problem is simple. He tried to special order something. Period. This problem became perfectly clear to me when an American friend came to visit. She'd special order everything - sub this for that, no tomato, extra this and that. I've always thought this bevavior came with a certain sense of entitlement. Needless to say, we had some problems. It's like the person who said they tried ordering a burger without mayo. Really? Is it that big of a problem? Just eat the burger. Having worked in a restaurant, I swear people would just make shit difficult to the point where it's possible not to mess it up.
Anyway, so there's that. Also, living in "rural" Korea, I get the impression that us white folk seem cheesy and childish to older Koreans... and when I visit other parts of the country, I can see why. Despite dressing nice, you probably came off cheeky and entitled. I don't know to to overcome this. I always just order what I want, don't ask questions, eat what they give me and say thank you. If you want to make things more difficult than that, you're only asking for trouble. |
There's nothing worng with asking for no mayo on a burger. What's the big deal? Is it really that complicated? The customer's always right. But that common sense has been lost on many folks here. It's not a sense of entitlement since I'm giving my money that I worked for to this person. The least they could do is provide some customer service in return instead of acting like a F*&^ d^& bag. I'm not American but if a resaurant worker behaved this way towards me in Canada, they'd get in serious trouble by their manager if I complained about it. That's what customer service is and keeps people coming back as repeat customers.
In Korea, especially in rural areas, I swear that sometimes I'm in the old Soviet Union where people are there to frown and provide minimal service without a smile because they're forced to be there. Evidently, they don't know the basic first lessons of capitalism. No wonder these businesses stay small and never grow because their service sucks! |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 10:20 pm Post subject: |
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| cabeza wrote: |
^^
And? What's your point? Basically you were just acting like an overly sensitive little bitch because that's who you are.
The thread was about being refused service after asking for a vegetarian kimbap. People chimed in saying that they have noticed in Korea amending food is not so common. I said I ordered a pizza sans corn and the waiter acted surprised and put out by the request. Then you swooped in accusing me of faux indignation and cultural superiority. |
There should be a Scumbag Steve pic for you. "Accuses person of oversensitivity. Flips lid over corn on pizza"
Just relax and request them to hold the corn, the same way you'd ask people to hold the mushrooms in your omelet back home.
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| Quote: |
| There's nothing worng with asking for no mayo on a burger. What's the big deal? Is it really that complicated? The customer's always right. But that common sense has been lost on many folks here. It's not a sense of entitlement since I'm giving my money that I worked for to this person. The least they could do is provide some customer service in return instead of acting like a F*&^ d^& bag. I'm not American but if a resaurant worker behaved this way towards me in Canada, they'd get in serious trouble by their manager if I complained about it. That's what customer service is and keeps people coming back as repeat customers. |
"Makes 15 substitutions at Burger King. Complains when employees take too long to make their order."
I worked in food service. It IS our job to do those things. At the same time, efficiency does drop and the mistake rate does increase with all of these things, ESPECIALLY at an assembly line food service operation.
The problem isn't the substitutions. The problem is the people who A) Ask for something that isn't there, expecting it to be (especially something ridiculously bizarre- "Organic Chamomile Tea. Lady we got Lipton's.") B) Actually doing what they ask but its still not the way they want it. (No, I wanted Light extra mayo, not extra mayo)
The problem is this belief that walking into McD's somehow makes you the head of an estate and entitled to the lordly service. People forget that a restaurant isn't there to give you what you want, it is there to provide you with the best it has to offer.
Incidentally, these people who always complain about service and adopt the "customerzilla" mindset wouldn't be able to handle being a food service employee. They're too self-absorbed to be able to give good service.
Customerzilla: A person who believes that their patronizing a restaurant is the reason for that restaurants and its employee's reason for existing. Everything should stop and revolve around them. Things like common sense or the laws of physics should be no barrier to their whims. |
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cabeza
Joined: 29 Sep 2012
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| Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 10:28 pm Post subject: |
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| Steelrails wrote: |
| cabeza wrote: |
^^
And? What's your point? Basically you were just acting like an overly sensitive little bitch because that's who you are.
The thread was about being refused service after asking for a vegetarian kimbap. People chimed in saying that they have noticed in Korea amending food is not so common. I said I ordered a pizza sans corn and the waiter acted surprised and put out by the request. Then you swooped in accusing me of faux indignation and cultural superiority. |
There should be a Scumbag Steve pic for you. "Accuses person of oversensitivity. Flips lid over corn on pizza"
Just relax and request them to hold the corn, the same way you'd ask people to hold the mushrooms in your omelet back home. |
I missed the part where I flipped my lid. Could you show me that?
Yes I did requst that they hold the corn, but thanks for the advice. I merely commented on their surprise at that request. There was no lid flipping. Do you actually read the threads?
What I did flip my lid about was you butting in with your worthless aspergers spectrum opinion and throwing out terms like "cultural superiority".
Back in your hole Steelrails. |
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wishfullthinkng
Joined: 05 Mar 2010
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| Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 10:58 pm Post subject: |
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| Threequalseven wrote: |
The OP's problem is simple. He tried to special order something. Period. This problem became perfectly clear to me when an American friend came to visit. She'd special order everything - sub this for that, no tomato, extra this and that. I've always thought this bevavior came with a certain sense of entitlement. Needless to say, we had some problems. It's like the person who said they tried ordering a burger without mayo. Really? Is it that big of a problem? Just eat the burger. Having worked in a restaurant, I swear people would just make shit difficult to the point where it's possible not to mess it up.
Anyway, so there's that. Also, living in "rural" Korea, I get the impression that us white folk seem cheesy and childish to older Koreans... and when I visit other parts of the country, I can see why. Despite dressing nice, you probably came off cheeky and entitled. I don't know to to overcome this. I always just order what I want, don't ask questions, eat what they give me and say thank you. If you want to make things more difficult than that, you're only asking for trouble. |
absolutely this. no mayo on a burger is understandable as it's only a condiment that not all burgers have nor are expected to have. but to ask for kimbap with no meat is a bit strange seeing how all kimbap has meat.
i also used to work in the food industry growing up and the nonsense people would ask for was sometimes staggering. not only was it sometimes pause-and-stare due to the ridiculous requests, but if you were too busy to remove each bean from the bowl of chili and refused the customer you would have thought you had slapped the pope in the face. sorry bean-hater, my job is to serve you the food on the menu and try to accommodate you within reason. your disdain towards beans falls out of those boundaries of reason and i have no obligation to help you now.
if you want to remove a fundamental part of a food it'd make more sense to go tailor-make said food yourself, for yourself or get something that is already vegetarian friendly. while i don't totally agree with threeequalseven that you should eat anything given to you no questions ask, i do think that choosing eating establishments that relate to your diet is a prudent idea and that getting upset when they don't do what you want is just pedantic. what the restaraunt owners did wasn't very cool, but going to somewhere where you know they use meat as a fundamental part of the food and then proceeding to ask them to remove it wasn't the brightest idea either. |
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RangerMcGreggor
Joined: 12 Jan 2011
Location: Somewhere in Korea
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| Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 11:26 pm Post subject: |
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| Threequalseven wrote: |
I've always thought this bevavior came with a certain sense of entitlement.
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You do realize that people might have a legitimate reason to custom orders, right? It's possible that the ingredients they want out have to be removed for health reasons. Obviously, there are always people being ridiculous (normally the "light on.." or "heavy on..") but generally most people who make a clear "I can't have this..." generally can't eat it. |
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Threequalseven
Joined: 08 May 2012
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| Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 12:16 am Post subject: |
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| RangerMcGreggor wrote: |
| Threequalseven wrote: |
I've always thought this bevavior came with a certain sense of entitlement.
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You do realize that people might have a legitimate reason to custom orders, right? It's possible that the ingredients they want out have to be removed for health reasons. Obviously, there are always people being ridiculous (normally the "light on.." or "heavy on..") but generally most people who make a clear "I can't have this..." generally can't eat it. |
Sure, if someome is lactose intolerant, for example, that's understandable. But rarely is that actually the case. As for weigookin's comment, the idea that customer servicepeople aught to be servile to you because you waive your money in their face is degrading. In a decent society, the customer and the worker would treat each other as equals. Too often have I experienced the, "I'm offering you money, so do what I say bitch" attitude from people with ridiculous requests.
As for custom ordering, I think it's way overdone. If there are already 40 things on the menu, do you really need even more variety than that? I just don't see the need. It's excessive. It's like people feel special when they go out, like their tastes are too eclectic to order something straight from the menu. Restaurants design their foods a certain way to taste good, why do people always want to make their little changes? I seriously think people who place these kinds of orders regularly are just looking for problems. Above all, though, I think it's childish. It's like, "eww, I don't like tomatos." Just eat them! What are you, 8? It's food. You'll probably like it if you didn't feel the need to be so picky and just tried it. I don't think there's any common food that's so detestable that I just must have it removed from my dish. And yes, it is a sense of entitlement to go around day to day looking for ways to make everything your way. I think you have to be a little detached from reality. I doubt the people who do custom order things even appreciate it when their cheeseburger, no pickles, light on sauce with gin and tonic (with Bombay not rail gin) and two lemons arrive. It only ever leads to frustration when one of those things is incorrect. That's why I say it's just looking for problems. |
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