First Bagger Daves, the writing on the wall for Buffalo Wild Wings, Horrible Service

**Detroitdave** · January-26-16, 01:29 PM

Today me and two of my coworkers tried to grab a quick lunch at Bdubs.
We arrived around 12:10pm , the place wasn't busy at all , about 20 tables.
We just wanted to grab a bite quick and get back to the office by 1:00pm, so we went to thee bar.
We ordered and we waited 45 mins and no food ! This is unacceptable !
Me and my friends really had a taste for Bdubs today , but this experience ruined it for us.
It was totally unprofessional, and unacceptable.
To have the largest Buffalo Wild Wings in the country , in the middle of a major downtown, at lunch hour and having to wait that long !
After 45 mins we told our bartender ," forget it we have to be back in the office", she said "the kitchen is slammed from phone orders"
I don't care how many calls they get, This is lunch time in a major city downtown, how can you not have more stuff at your busiest time?
And you take those calls over people sitting in your restaurant ?
Honestly we should even had waited that long.
She said we could talk to her manager , do you really need to tell him this is unacceptable ? Never mind.
I told other coworker about our experience once I got back to the office and many have had the same experience. I wont be back anytime soon.
If anyone knows the staff there , give them a heads up.

Unless thing change real quick that place is going to close.

**drjeff** · January-26-16, 05:25 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitdave

Today me and two of my coworkers tried to grab a quick lunch at Bdubs.
We arrived around 12:10pm , the place wasn't busy at all , about 20 tables.
We just wanted to grab a bite quick and get back to the office by 1:00pm, so we went to thee bar.
We ordered and we waited 45 mins and no food ! This is unacceptable !
Me and my friends really had a taste for Bdubs today , but this experience ruined it for us.
It was totally unprofessional, and unacceptable.
To have the largest Buffalo Wild Wings in the country , in the middle of a major downtown, at lunch hour and having to wait that long !
After 45 mins we told our bartender ," forget it we have to be back in the office", she said "the kitchen is slammed from phone orders"
I don't care how many calls they get, This is lunch time in a major city downtown, how can you not have more stuff at your busiest time?
And you take those calls over people sitting in your restaurant ?
Honestly we should even had waited that long.
She said we could talk to her manager , do you really need to tell him this is unacceptable ? Never mind.
I told other coworker about our experience once I got back to the office and many have had the same experience. I wont be back anytime soon.
If anyone knows the staff there , give them a heads up.

Unless thing change real quick that place is going to close.

How long can it possibly take to fry up wings?

**Zacha341** · January-26-16, 05:46 PM

Post a review on yelp.com! Note the time you were there - that they were not obviously not busy - and that they showed a distinct preference to phone orders over guests present. That was hardly justifiable even for a carry out pizza joint. No less a sit-down restaurant!

Mention that you let your coworkers know. The owner may read and at least know people are talking. Ridiculously bad service as you describe it. Might as well make wings at home and brown bag them the next day for work lunch!

**Johnnny5** · January-26-16, 05:54 PM

Slow service at lunch time sucks, but complaining to the bartender is just about pointless. She knows [[and wants) the the kitchen to be better staffed and faster, but likely can't do a damn thing about it. My guess is that her tips are suffering far more than your appetite.

**belleislerunner** · January-26-16, 05:57 PM

Email your message to their person in charge of investor relations. If you want to see change - like they say in the subway in NYC - "If you see something, say something". Whining to strangers gets you no where.

http://www.diversifiedrestauranthold...s/default.aspx

**Scottathew** · January-26-16, 06:15 PM

Our lunch rule is "never go to B-Dubs after 12:00". In fact, we try to open the place up right at 11am.

B-Dubs has had pretty bad service from the start.

**Zacha341** · January-26-16, 06:45 PM

Excellent points! And while some reviews on yelp.com are spurious and silly, I've noted that sometimes owners respond to them. At least you're beyond talking to the bartender who for sure cannot help the situation.

Originally Posted by Johnnny5

Slow service at lunch time sucks, but complaining to the bartender is just about pointless. She knows [[and wants) the the kitchen to be better staffed and faster, but likely can't do a damn thing about it. My guess is that her tips are suffering far more than your appetite.

**mikeg19** · January-27-16, 06:44 AM

I'd say waiting 45 minutes for lunch, at Bdubs, at lunchtime is hardly reason to believe the writing is on the wall for closure. Yes, maybe when you went is wasn't terribly busy. But if someone called in an order 5 minutes before you got there, you think the cook in back should drop that order and cater to those walking in? That's not how it works.

Yea, I feel your pain, hell we all have had our bad service experiences. You held out way longer than I would have. But unless there is a total breakdown in service there, I don't see that place going anywhere anytime soon.

**AarunFast** · January-27-16, 07:27 AM

They've had horrible service there from the start. Totally unorganized. Sometimes they take phone orders, sometimes they don't. I don't understand how a major chain restaurant can have such poor, slow customer service. If you tweet at the main account, they'll ask you to take a survey. I did and they sent me a gift card.

Also, they have a huge picture of the Hudson's Warehouse [[pre-Ford Field), with a caption calling it the biggest retail building in the world at the time. Clearly they meant the Hudson's Building. If they can't even get a giant sign right, how are they going to get your wing order right?

Just get your wings at Sweetwater.

**Danny** · January-27-16, 07:31 AM

Well there goes that $250,000 dollar two floor Gilberttown Detroit Buffalo Wild Wings. I ate there and the service is better than Punch Bowl down the street.

Folks, whether it's Small Plates, Jolly Pumpkin, Hopcat or Buffalo Wild Wings, please support those businesses. Dine in restaurants are not fast food like McClownland or King Burger. Give them a chance. They will thank you for your services.

**Zacha341** · January-27-16, 08:49 AM

Maybe the slow joints with problems need a visit from Chef Gordon Ramsey ala Kitchen Nightmares!

**Honky Tonk** · January-27-16, 09:25 AM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

Maybe the slow joints with problems need a visit from Chef Gordon Ramsey ala Kitchen Nightmares!

Maybe they need customers.....

**Scottathew** · January-27-16, 09:58 AM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

Maybe they need customers.....

But more customers just make them slower :-P

They need competent management.

**Honky Tonk** · January-27-16, 10:09 AM

Originally Posted by 48307

But more customers just make them slower :-P

They need competent management.

As I find with most places these days, they just need employees that give a damn, and don't feel you owe them tips because they showed up today.

**HowardC** · January-27-16, 11:02 AM

I have had similar experiences in almost every BDubs I have gone to. I ordered for lunch once and was told that my food would be ready in twenty minutes. I got there fifteen minutes later and waiting almost a half hour after that. I did do a negative review on Yelp, but I have never gotten a response. I have done negative reviews of other companies, though, and gotten free gift cards as apologies.

**Scottathew** · January-27-16, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

As I find with most places these days, they just need employees that give a damn, and don't feel you owe them tips because they showed up today.

LOL, yea, we do tip accordingly. I start off at 20% and it can go up and down from there. BWW once caused my table of 4 to tip a total of $2 because of bad service.

We have had a few really good waiters at BWW, but it's not the norm.

A month ago I went to a Chili's in Rochester Hills and got such great service that I wrote the company about the server. They actually responded with a letter sent to my house and gave my coupons for my next visit as a thank you.

**EastsideAl** · January-27-16, 11:39 AM

I was only in that place once, and the service was so amateur [[and the food nothing special) that I've never been back. However, being "slammed by phone orders" sure doesn't sound like a place that's going out of business anytime soon. Although if they stepped up their service a bit it would seem they could do even better. There's certainly some money to be made in those downtown lunch hours.

Oh, I definitely endorse the wing alternative of Sweetwater's, which also has the advantage of spending your wing and beer money in a locally-run establishment.

**detroitsgwenivere** · January-27-16, 01:02 PM

In the downtown building I work in, and the surrounding buildings as well, people are seen carrying massive bags of food from bdubs everyday. Some of the different companies order it for luncheons, catered events, etc. What they should do is create a separate catering/carry out team [[in another location if needs be), and dedicate their dining room kitchen to actual diners, who can also order carry out.

I don't really like their food, like eating soggy barbeque bread on a stick.

**downtownguy** · January-27-16, 01:28 PM

Another vote for Sweetwater. Been there for decades, and will likely be there long after BWW is gone.

**warsaw7** · January-27-16, 02:50 PM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

As I find with most places these days, they just need employees that give a damn, and don't feel you owe them tips because they showed up today.

Perfect quote. My tolerance for BWW ended about a year ago when I made a phone order and after my 15 minute walk and standing around for 30 minutes the food was finally ready. Not a busy day at all, in fact it was the dead of winter on a week day. Never once did they ask if I needed anything, I actually felt like a void. I then went on to Twitter to mention the poor service and to my dismay, I did not hear from them. Needless to say I will never go back there again.

**Detroitdave** · January-27-16, 05:05 PM

So I went over to Yelp and commented over there and surprise surprise , many people had the same experience. They REALLY need to get their act together over there.
I was pretty happy that they were opening one downtown. But that wait staff is beyond bad.
Its really sad, what a waste of a good spot.

**313WX** · January-27-16, 06:12 PM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

As I find with most places these days, they just need employees that give a damn, and don't feel you owe them tips because they showed up today.

Employees are only as good as those who manage them...

**Smirnoff** · January-27-16, 06:27 PM

Last time I went the only thing missing was a magnifying glass to make the wings appear larger, much larger, eating small bones is not appetizing to some......

**5speedz34** · January-27-16, 06:41 PM

I thought they don't even take phone orders anymore? At least that was the case when I ordered carry out a few weeks ago.

Orders are now through their website or their app.

**Zacha341** · January-27-16, 08:07 PM

Uh, like pidgin wings!

Originally Posted by Smirnoff

Last time I went the only thing missing was a magnifying glass to make the wings appear larger, much larger, eating small bones is not appetizing to some......