it so happened one evening that the rest of the household had other dinner plans so i was left to my own devices, with only myself to please in terms of what my meal would be. after some thought, i decided that fried whole clams and sweet potato fries was what i wanted, with a lemonade chaser.
now, where i live there are plenty of places to get either of these things just a short drive away. i picked Fishermans’ Catch in Wells, Maine. I’ve been there plenty of times with my family but never alone. tonight my plan was to pick up the fried clams and sweet potato fries to go, grab a fresh squeezed lemonade, and head down to the Wells Harbor Park with my book and my dinner, and think about how good life is, you know, between bites.
my bubble was soon burst however. i entered the restaurant, was happy to see that there was no line (a rare occurence) and ordered my food. i was told politely by the blonde woman at the counter that i couldn’t have what i wanted. i took a minute to confirm that they had the two items, which they did. and do they sell a clam basket dinner? yes they did. all i wanted to do was substitute sweet potato fries for the regular fries, and i was told once again that i could not have what i wanted.
she helpfully suggested that i purchase a side order of both, which would have cost me approximately $17 (tax, lemonade, and any potential tip not included). now, it’s not that i’m not worth it, but i really just wanted a dinner for one person (me!), the price of which would not make me choke on it.
am i missing something here? they had the clams. they had the sweet potato fries. why was i not allowed to substitute the fries that i did want for the fries that i did not want? What i thought, but did not say, is that Duffy’s in Kennebunk, just a short trip down route one, gets it. they give me their menu items the way i ask for them. if i want to substitute sweet potato fries for regular fries at Duffy’s, they couldn’t be happier to do it.
so, Fisherman’s Catch lost my business. which is not good business.
here’s a quote to inspire those businesses that are falling short in this area:
If we don’t take care of our customers, someone else will.
UNKNOWN
Have any of you ever left a restaurant that refused to serve you what you were asking for?
Karen Creamer Author, Coach, Speaker 