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Texas Roadhouse Complaint - 'Paid for another table's meal????
Complaint
BROOKLYN, OHIO -- I visited the Texas Roadhouse in Brooklyn, Ohio with my mother to celebrate her birthday (go figure, it's one of her favorite restaurants). The server seemed a bit overwhelmed the entire evening and when it came time to pay the bill she came and collected the checks and credit cards from our party. She returned to the table to distribute the charge slips and cards and was holding mine back. I noticed that she had a slip with my name on it for $48; I questioned why because my bill was only $20. She said that she mistakenly swiped my card for another table's check and she was going to rectify it. She returned saying that she deleted the charge before it went through. I checked my bank account online from my phone and realized that the charge had indeed went through and requested to speak to a manager. The manager came to the table and said that the charge had been voided but their system did not produce void slips and that the charge should come off my account within 24 hours. The next day I went to the Texas Roadhouse website and entered an email complaint because I felt it was ridiculous that something like this occurred and the server nor the manager seemed to care that $50 of my money was being held for a meal that somebody I didn't even know consumed! 24 hours later the charge had not come off my account so I called and was on hold for 10 minutes (which is a long time to hold a phone) before a manager came to the phone. He stated that he had all my information and inquired if I'd emailed. He said that he didn't know why the manager told me the charge would come off within 24 hours because it takes between 48 to 72 hours to come off the account and asked wasn't it a pending charge. I said no the funds had been deducted from my account to which he replied 'yea that sucks'. He also did not seem to understand that this could have been potentially devastating if I did not have those funds available. I was never offered an apology (unless you count 'yea that sucks') or any offer to ensure that I would return as a customer. FINALLY yesterday 3 DAYS later the charge came off my account.
I don't know what world the employees and managers of Texas Roadhouse live in but in my world it's never OK to hold any amount of someone's money and not offer anything in return. Because of this experience I will not return as a customer - I wasn't given a reason to return!!!
I don't know what world the employees and managers of Texas Roadhouse live in but in my world it's never OK to hold any amount of someone's money and not offer anything in return. Because of this experience I will not return as a customer - I wasn't given a reason to return!!!
Comments:
Posted by Justice-4-All2 on 2010-06-04:
Unfortunately, S*** happens in life. Especially in today's day and age of technology and everything going paperless. I try and pay cash at all costs. On occasion, I do pay with a card. People make mistakes. I've made a few in my life and also at work. "To err is human"! I can see past the slight oversight of the waitress charging you for another table's meal. And there is absolutely nothing that can be done about those funds while they are being held in "la-la" land for 24-72 hrs.
With that being said, I think at the very least the manager could've comped you some free meal vouchers of some sort, just as a way of apologizing for the inconvenience of the whole matter. S*** happens, but something could've been offered to ease the hassle.
With that being said, I think at the very least the manager could've comped you some free meal vouchers of some sort, just as a way of apologizing for the inconvenience of the whole matter. S*** happens, but something could've been offered to ease the hassle.
Posted by MDSasquatch on 2010-06-04:
I used to be a fan of Texas Roadhouse myself, that is, until I discovered Longhorn Steakhouse. I agree this really sucks and my best guess is that they had you pay your bill as well as the $48 hold???
The manager should have comped your meal.
Good Review
The manager should have comped your meal.
Good Review
Posted by yoke on 2010-06-04:
The management should have done something for you. I also would have demanded something in writing from the manager that they did indeed overcharge you and that a refund should be coming. That way when it did not go through as promised you had proof that it was an error if you had to go any further.
Posted by Justice-4-All2 on 2010-06-04:
good point yoke! +10
Posted by skelly39 on 2010-06-04:
Unless it was a refund, the charge was a pending charge, which can take up to 3 days to come off your account.
The manager's response was ridiculous. "Yeah, that sucks" is what one 15 year old says to another. I agree they should have at least offered you something for your inconvenience of not having those funds available for 3 days.
The manager's response was ridiculous. "Yeah, that sucks" is what one 15 year old says to another. I agree they should have at least offered you something for your inconvenience of not having those funds available for 3 days.
Posted by Venice09 on 2010-06-04:
If there was enough money in my account to cover the extra amount, I would have asked for a cash refund. That would have settled everything right on the spot. I'm not sure how far I'd get with that request, but there's no harm in asking.
Posted by justcuz on 2010-06-04:
I hope you sent this to the TR corporate office, too. Absolutely ridiculous that a) this happened in the first place and b) why the waitress didn't immediately take care of it the minute it happened rather than bring out your card and slip and hold it back from you.
I've worked in restaurants before and when a mistake like this happens, a void has to be done by a manager. The manager in this case obviously doesn't know how a void works, what he did was a credit back to your card, which does take 2-3 business days to go through.
I've worked in restaurants before and when a mistake like this happens, a void has to be done by a manager. The manager in this case obviously doesn't know how a void works, what he did was a credit back to your card, which does take 2-3 business days to go through.
Posted by Venice09 on 2010-06-04:
Jc, just wondering. Could they have given a cash refund instead of a void or credit?
Posted by justcuz on 2010-06-04:
Venice, I think it would depend on what their policy was for mistakes, and it certainly wouldn't have hurt to ask. At the last restaurant I worked, if a customer was overcharged, the manager had to do a void and then re-run the card, give the customer copies of both and keep copies of both for the till records, we weren't allowed to give cash because it was easier to have the machine record it all.
Posted by RestaurantGuy on 2010-06-04:
What happened here is the server charged the wrong ticket. When she swiped the card and got authorization from the bank the bank held those funds. When the manager voided the payment it just voids in the machine in the restaurant. At the end of the night they do a batch upload and that tells the bank that the restaurant wants the money. Because the manager voided the charge the bank never got the ok from the restaurant to release the funds to the restaurant. It takes 2-4 business days for the bank to release the funds back to the guest. Now a quicker way would be to have the bank call the restaurant, they can fill out a form and the bank will elease the funds immediatly.... all bank except for BOA they will not release the funds for 3-5 business days. Only bank to do this
Posted by Venice09 on 2010-06-04:
Thanks for the info, jc. That would be a good reason not to give a cash refund. It seems like this was just poorly handled and at the customer's expense.
Good info from you, too, RG. Thanks.
Good info from you, too, RG. Thanks.
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