Travel Tip: How To Complain Effectively

[JBloggs]

Travel Tip: How To Complain Effectively

 

[Morticia]

The whole chain no longer does birthday celebrations? Because of a few pills? Remember the 'Free the Gnomes' campaign? We need a 'Free the Birthday Singers' campaign/

 

[Arks]

If someone is wanting staid "fine dining" to such an exalted level that they can't tolerate hearing a quick happy birthday from the staff, what the heck are they doing at Olive Garden in the first place?

 

[JBloggs]

I just googled it and found this already
http://buggygirl.onsugar.com/more-HAPPY-BIRTHDAY-Songs-Olive-Garden-10872580

 

[Proud Texan]

Call me a fuddy duddy, but I'm glad Olive Garden has taken a stand. There's nothing more obnoxious that having to listen to a bunch of pimply-faced, tone-deaf teenagers belt out some over-the-top rendition of "Happy Birthday" while you're trying to eat and carry on a conversation. If they have smoking and non-smoking, they should also have singing and no singing.
BTW, there is no tooth fairy, or Santa Claus.

 

[Arks]

Travel Tip: How To Complain Effectively

The article mentions, "for an airline complaint, copy the U.S. Department of transportation." That reminds me of advice I got once from a friend who's an insurance agent. He said any time you have a problem with an insurance company, let them know that you're sending a CC to the state insurance commissioner. He says it has a huge impact on them, unless they're wanting to drop coverage in your state anyway.

 

[JBloggs]

Call me a fuddy duddy, but I'm glad Olive Garden has taken a stand. There's nothing more obnoxious that having to listen to a bunch of pimply-faced, tone-deaf teenagers belt out some over-the-top rendition of "Happy Birthday" while you're trying to eat and carry on a conversation. If they have smoking and non-smoking, they should also have singing and no singing.
BTW, there is no tooth fairy, or Santa Claus..

Call me a fuddy duddy, but I'm glad Olive Garden has taken a stand. There's nothing more obnoxious that having to listen to a bunch of pimply-faced, tone-deaf teenagers belt out some over-the-top rendition of "Happy Birthday" while you're trying to eat and carry on a conversation. If they have smoking and non-smoking, they should also have singing and no singing.
BTW, there is no tooth fairy, or Santa Claus.

Well done then you got your way. Fuddy Duddy has already been assigned to Mortie, you will need a different handle.
Do you shoot the ice cream truck as it comes round in the summer months too?

 

[Don Draper]

Why would you want a bunch of strangers to sing you happy birthday? There's nothing stopping the people you came with, who are sitting at your table WITH you, from singing to you...that'd be my preferency anyway. I'm not a fan of the staff anyplace clapping/singing, etc.
Edited to add: JB, did you and the fam at least get to have your spag bol?????

 

[Morticia]

Why would you want a bunch of strangers to sing you happy birthday? There's nothing stopping the people you came with, who are sitting at your table WITH you, from singing to you...that'd be my preferency anyway. I'm not a fan of the staff anyplace clapping/singing, etc.
Edited to add: JB, did you and the fam at least get to have your spag bol?????.

I know it's over done now, but I took my daughter out for her 10th b'day and she was SO disappointed when the singers all stopped at the other table. I didn't know I could request this, so I excused myself to 'use the bathroom' and found our server and asked what I needed to do. She took care of it and the next little birthday cake and singers came to our table.
Tickled pink.
So, it does matter for some people, especially kids, to have the attnetion, even if it is strangers.
BTW, they sing weird in these places because the 'Happy Birthday Song' as we all know and love it is trademarked (or whatever) and the restaurants would have to pay royalties to sing it as such. I don't like the idea that it's now a sales pitch. But wherever I've gone and someone's had a b'day, the tables close by sing and clap.

 

[Proud Texan]

Why would you want a bunch of strangers to sing you happy birthday? There's nothing stopping the people you came with, who are sitting at your table WITH you, from singing to you...that'd be my preferency anyway. I'm not a fan of the staff anyplace clapping/singing, etc.
Edited to add: JB, did you and the fam at least get to have your spag bol?????.

I know it's over done now, but I took my daughter out for her 10th b'day and she was SO disappointed when the singers all stopped at the other table. I didn't know I could request this, so I excused myself to 'use the bathroom' and found our server and asked what I needed to do. She took care of it and the next little birthday cake and singers came to our table.
Tickled pink.
So, it does matter for some people, especially kids, to have the attnetion, even if it is strangers.
BTW, they sing weird in these places because the 'Happy Birthday Song' as we all know and love it is trademarked (or whatever) and the restaurants would have to pay royalties to sing it as such. I don't like the idea that it's now a sales pitch. But wherever I've gone and someone's had a b'day, the tables close by sing and clap.
.

It's still obnoxious. It's like second hand smoke to me.

 

[JBloggs]

When I took Dad to Arzu in Roanoke (I mention by name as it was fantastic) the waiter from Brasil got out his guitar and sang happy birthday.
Priceless was not the singing, it was my Dad's face...he is a tough ol' retired structural steel ironworker and to have some guy serenade him...priceless. I still laugh over it. But the whole restaurant joined in and it was really fun. Every customer who left the restaurant before us walked over and slapped Dad on the shoulder and said "Happy Birthday Dad!"
Last night was a family time, the girls were very disappointed. They suggested Olive Garden since one had a bday there a couple years ago and got embarrassed and red in the face for her birthday!
The rest of you are all just party poopers.

 

[Arks]

Why would you want a bunch of strangers to sing you happy birthday? There's nothing stopping the people you came with, who are sitting at your table WITH you, from singing to you...that'd be my preferency anyway. I'm not a fan of the staff anyplace clapping/singing, etc.
Edited to add: JB, did you and the fam at least get to have your spag bol?????.

I know it's over done now, but I took my daughter out for her 10th b'day and she was SO disappointed when the singers all stopped at the other table. I didn't know I could request this, so I excused myself to 'use the bathroom' and found our server and asked what I needed to do. She took care of it and the next little birthday cake and singers came to our table.
Tickled pink.
So, it does matter for some people, especially kids, to have the attnetion, even if it is strangers.
BTW, they sing weird in these places because the 'Happy Birthday Song' as we all know and love it is trademarked (or whatever) and the restaurants would have to pay royalties to sing it as such. I don't like the idea that it's now a sales pitch. But wherever I've gone and someone's had a b'day, the tables close by sing and clap.
.

BTW, they sing weird in these places because the 'Happy Birthday Song' as we all know and love it is trademarked (or whatever) and the restaurants would have to pay royalties to sing it as such.

My mouth fell open when I read this, since I know the song is from the 1800's and surely in the public domain by now. So I checked at Snopes. It's true. It's still copyrighted! The tune is from 1893 and the original lyrics were "good morning to you".
The "happy birthday to you" words were first copyrighted by a Chicago publisher in 1935 and it would have become public domain in 1991 but some changes to copyright law extended it and it's now not due to expire until 2030!
Of course, the copyright is rarely enforced in everyday life, but a big chain like Olive Garden has to be more careful than a single mom and pop restaurant. But that just means they can't sing the familiar birthday song, so their total ban on ANY song by staff is due to their own policy and not copyright fears.
We laughed in 1992 when our Swedish exchange student had his 17th birthday and he told us about the special birthday song they sing in Sweden. He then proceeded to sing the familiar tune we all know, with lyrics in Swedish. He was amazed to learn that we used the same tune here!

 

[Don Draper]

When I took Dad to Arzu in Roanoke (I mention by name as it was fantastic) the waiter from Brasil got out his guitar and sang happy birthday.
Priceless was not the singing, it was my Dad's face...he is a tough ol' retired structural steel ironworker and to have some guy serenade him...priceless. I still laugh over it. But the whole restaurant joined in and it was really fun. Every customer who left the restaurant before us walked over and slapped Dad on the shoulder and said "Happy Birthday Dad!"
Last night was a family time, the girls were very disappointed. They suggested Olive Garden since one had a bday there a couple years ago and got embarrassed and red in the face for her birthday!
The rest of you are all just party poopers.

.

The rest of you are all just party poopers.

Nah, to each their own. We have so little privacy in our day to day lives that I would NEVER share a birthday, anniversary, any special occasion with strangers. I'm confused as to why your girls didn't just sing, were they not allowed to or is it just the staff who can't???

 

[Proud Texan]

Call me a fuddy duddy, but I'm glad Olive Garden has taken a stand. There's nothing more obnoxious that having to listen to a bunch of pimply-faced, tone-deaf teenagers belt out some over-the-top rendition of "Happy Birthday" while you're trying to eat and carry on a conversation. If they have smoking and non-smoking, they should also have singing and no singing.
BTW, there is no tooth fairy, or Santa Claus..

Call me a fuddy duddy, but I'm glad Olive Garden has taken a stand. There's nothing more obnoxious that having to listen to a bunch of pimply-faced, tone-deaf teenagers belt out some over-the-top rendition of "Happy Birthday" while you're trying to eat and carry on a conversation. If they have smoking and non-smoking, they should also have singing and no singing.
BTW, there is no tooth fairy, or Santa Claus.

Well done then you got your way. Fuddy Duddy has already been assigned to Mortie, you will need a different handle.
Do you shoot the ice cream truck as it comes round in the summer months too?
.

Call me a fuddy duddy, but I'm glad Olive Garden has taken a stand. There's nothing more obnoxious that having to listen to a bunch of pimply-faced, tone-deaf teenagers belt out some over-the-top rendition of "Happy Birthday" while you're trying to eat and carry on a conversation. If they have smoking and non-smoking, they should also have singing and no singing.
BTW, there is no tooth fairy, or Santa Claus.

Well done then you got your way. Fuddy Duddy has already been assigned to Mortie, you will need a different handle.
Do you shoot the ice cream truck as it comes round in the summer months too?

I think that would be more in the form of a heist! I LOVE ICE CREAM

Does drowning kittens in tow sack count?

 

[Morticia]

When I took Dad to Arzu in Roanoke (I mention by name as it was fantastic) the waiter from Brasil got out his guitar and sang happy birthday.
Priceless was not the singing, it was my Dad's face...he is a tough ol' retired structural steel ironworker and to have some guy serenade him...priceless. I still laugh over it. But the whole restaurant joined in and it was really fun. Every customer who left the restaurant before us walked over and slapped Dad on the shoulder and said "Happy Birthday Dad!"
Last night was a family time, the girls were very disappointed. They suggested Olive Garden since one had a bday there a couple years ago and got embarrassed and red in the face for her birthday!
The rest of you are all just party poopers.

.

But the whole restaurant joined in and it was really fun. Every customer who left the restaurant before us walked over and slapped Dad on the shoulder and said "Happy Birthday Dad!"

That right there is why they should find a less intrusive way to do the happy birthday singing so the fuddy duddies in the crowd don't get their knickers in a twist.
How special your dad must have felt that everyone took note.

 

[Proud Texan]

When I took Dad to Arzu in Roanoke (I mention by name as it was fantastic) the waiter from Brasil got out his guitar and sang happy birthday.
Priceless was not the singing, it was my Dad's face...he is a tough ol' retired structural steel ironworker and to have some guy serenade him...priceless. I still laugh over it. But the whole restaurant joined in and it was really fun. Every customer who left the restaurant before us walked over and slapped Dad on the shoulder and said "Happy Birthday Dad!"
Last night was a family time, the girls were very disappointed. They suggested Olive Garden since one had a bday there a couple years ago and got embarrassed and red in the face for her birthday!
The rest of you are all just party poopers.

.

But the whole restaurant joined in and it was really fun. Every customer who left the restaurant before us walked over and slapped Dad on the shoulder and said "Happy Birthday Dad!"

That right there is why they should find a less intrusive way to do the happy birthday singing so the fuddy duddies in the crowd don't get their knickers in a twist.
How special your dad must have felt that everyone took note.
.

That right there is why they should find a less intrusive way to do the happy birthday singing so the fuddy duddies in the crowd don't get their knickers in a twist.

Who wears knickers?

 

[One Day]

I kinda agree with Tex on this....
I don't mind all that much if it happens to be one birthday, while I am there...more than just the one and I'm all flustered.
Personaly......I hate the attention when it is about me.....I don't go out when it's my bday....

 

[JBloggs]

Here is when I say WHATEVER.
I can't believe you all, shame on you! A couple kids want to have a special birthday out at Olive Garden for their Dad. Jeez. GRUMPS R US. Kids actually love birthdays and celebrating, in case any of you didn't know this. Going out to dinner and having a candle in a dessert used to mean a special occasion. See this is the crap you get when you share anything personal on the forum. Yep, crap.

 

[Joey Camb]

this ties in with something DH and I were discussing yesterday you will find B&B people (owners not guests) will do anything not to speak to a person ie self check out at the supermarket machine at the bank etc. I think it is because I am so overloaded with people that we will do anything for a break LOL

 

[Don Draper]

Here is when I say WHATEVER.
I can't believe you all, shame on you! A couple kids want to have a special birthday out at Olive Garden for their Dad. Jeez. GRUMPS R US. Kids actually love birthdays and celebrating, in case any of you didn't know this. Going out to dinner and having a candle in a dessert used to mean a special occasion. See this is the crap you get when you share anything personal on the forum. Yep, crap..

Aw Joey, you already KNEW we were grumps!!! Shame on YOU if you thought we'd be softened by kiddies, puppies, ponies, birthdays, etc

I'm sorry your kids were disappointed, I didn't realize until re-reading the thread that this was the whole point. I cannot be held responsible for anything typed while I am waiting for check-ins on a LONG, HOT Friday afternoon. Sorry for being a PITA!