Student Government President Ashley Mushnick submitted a memorandum Wednesday to Director of Housing and Dining Programs Julie Weber and Bon Appetit Manager Yvonne Matteson addressing student concerns about the quality of service in the Tavern.
Mushnick commended Housing and Dining Services for facilitating the first Dining Services Committee Meeting but was wary of what students might take away from negative experiences.
"... It only takes a few poor experiences with an on-campus service before students begin to develop a lasting negative perception," she said.
Mushnick cited several occurrences that members of the SG had collected documentation of over previous weeks. Providing anecdotal evidence, Mushnick discussed the lack of organization, long wait times and options such as chicken tenders and pasta repeatedly not being available.
Students who go to the Tavern had mixed opinions on service quality at the Tavern.
"I thought service was a little slow," said Lisa Anthony, a freshman in the School of International Service. "They were really busy, and I ended up waiting in line for a long time. I think service could be a little faster, since this is the only place you can go to get food quickly."
Ross Kuskovsky, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, said he loves the Tavern.
"I think they generally have great service," he said.
Mushnick's memo brought up the impoliteness toward students by Tavern employees, giving a story about a recent instance where a Tavern employee yelled at a student.
"He and everyone else in the line had to learn the difference between 'steak' and 'beef' even though the menu itself advertises a 'Cheese Beef Steak'" as an example, Mushnick said.
Kuskovsky said his experience with Tavern employees has been positive.
"I don't have any complaints at all about the people working at the Tavern," he said. "I think they're pretty friendly."
Mushnick also questioned why the Tuesday and Thursday night specials, such as Chinese Food Night, have not been as frequent as originally proposed.
Weber said Housing and Dining Programs would follow up on the issues Mushnick raised in her memo as well as concerns brought up at the Dining Services Committee meeting earlier last week.
"It is always the university's primary interest to respond to concerns raised by students," she said.
Mushnick said she knows Housing and Dining Programs tries to provide students with the best facilities and service possible.
"However, the aforementioned occurrences have resulted in a worrisome pattern that greatly deters students' positive perception of Dining Services in general," she said.
The next meeting of the Dining Services Committee, open to the public, will be Nov. 15 at noon.
The memorandum is posted online on the SG Web site, www.ausg.org.
