My wife and I were out this weekend for a little date. A friend had enthusiastically recommended a restaurant, Chevy’s, and Suzanne had eaten there before so she was eager to take me. One problem: any time someone “enthusiastically recommends” something, I’m automatically skeptical. Something in me simply balks at near-unbridled enthusiasm. So I went in with both eyes (critically) open.

I’d never been to Chevy’s before but I like Mexican food well enough so I was game. I didn’t realize it was a chain until we pulled into the parking lot–strike one. When it comes to Mexican food, I like the small, owner-operated places, the ones in which Mexicanos both work and dine. A chain can work but, from my perspective, it’s got to work harder. Fresh tortilla chips and salsa help, and Chevy’s has them. (NOTE: I’d post a link to a page at the Chevy’s web site at this point that explains their commitment to freshness but the site uses frames–blech.) Walking through the restaurant, we passed by an oven-conveyor contraption that evidently is used to make the chips. Unfortunately, we never saw chips actually being made. The chips our server brought were hot and seemed fresh but I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get to see the chip machine in action. Remember: the machine is a focal point of the restaurant and therefore intended to be part of the experience.

Our entrees were OK if not otherwise remarkable. There were some interesting flavor combinations. I had chicken flautas garnished with mango and tomatoes and served with a kind of fruity-spicy sauce; Suzanne had a combo fajita platter with shrimp, asparagus, and portabello mushrooms. In spite of the diverse ingredients, though, much of what I tasted seemed bland and flavorless.

Which brings me to the service.

Our server was obliging and friendly and he did his job well if not remarkably. Besides the hosts at the entrance, none of the other employees (and they were legion) greeted us or acknowledged us as we were escorted to our table. A business in the service industry ought to do a better job at training its employees to serve. Sure, good employees are difficult to find and working in the restaurant business isn’t easy. But I have been to restaurants where employees have worked for years, employees who know the customers and care about them.

So the best I can say about my experience at Chevy’s was that it was unremarkable. I could live my life and never visit Chevy’s again and go on believing that I hadn’t missed anything truly special. Should I expect something special when I go out to eat? We spent over $40 for our dinner–not an extravagant amount but plenty more than burgers at McDonald’s. The chips and salsa were good but for $40, customers deserve more than Chevy’s delivered us this weekend.
Today’s recipe, then: serving adequate (if not outstanding) food with mediocre service does not equal return visits.

Then again, maybe it was me; Suzanne enjoyed her meal just fine.

Technorati Tags: restaurants, customer service, Chevy’s

This entry was posted on Monday, May 22nd, 2006 at 10:35 pm and is filed under Jury's still out, Customer service. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.