To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing to let you know how very unhappy we are with the service we received during our recent visit. We went to Red Lobster to celebrate my son turning 3. He loves shrimp, and it seemed a happy coincidence that Red Lobster was running the "Endless Shrimp" promotion so close to his birthday.
When seated, we asked if we could order a single adult order of the Endless Shrimp to split between my two-year-old son and three-year-old daughter. We didn't think they would eat a lot of shrimp, but in the off chance my son might want more shrimp, we wanted to be able to get him more.
Our server looked annoyed that we would dare ask such a question and immediately denied our request. However, we asked again, so she offered to ask the manager but we could tell that she really didn't care to. She returned almost immediately and said again “No”. We were made to feel like jerks for asking. We probably should have walked out, but we promised Owen shrimp, so we stayed.
I later talked to the manager and he stated that there was no way for him to make an exception for us, but making exceptions is an everyday part of keeping customers happy in restaurants. It’s what restaurants do. It’s what your restaurant should have done.
It’s not as if my two toddlers were going to eat so much shrimp that you would have lost. We would have walked away happy, not disgruntled. We shouldn’t have been made to feel as if our request was so horrible and strange.
Looking back on this issue, it is apparent that we should have done what we intended originally and gone to the Olive Garden instead. We've never had a problem getting them let us split meals between our kids, even the Never-ending Pasta Bowls.
Given the way we were made to feel, and the condescending attitude of the manager, we will not be returning to the Red Lobster again. I’m not seeking special behavior or anything free. I just wanted to let you know.
