How to Fail with Social Media. Kitchen Nightmares.

11 years ago

MAN, I have GOT to watch that episode! I DON'T like Ramsay's cursing, etc.... I DON'T agree with some of his style. If he has done, and believes, HALF of what he has claimed, he deserves some respect. If he charges them less than say $10,000, and does what he does on the show for free, as is claimed, then it is INCREDIBLY CHEAP! His reputation seems to destroy any bad things shown on the show.

I saw one show, and did some research. I forget why I researched BUT... The company FAILED! It closed its doors! It was simply too late. C'est la vie. ******BUT****** one of ramseys recipes was a HIT!!!!! They bottled it, sold it online, and had it in stores, and hoped to come back soon! So even the FAILURE may become a success.

Yeah, I KNOW! The bad restaurants, etc... probably get PAID, on top of this. But I was trying to show a point. I LOVE how he goes into restaurants and tries to make them be a nice place that provides good food, and makes money only as a result, rather than a "business" that simply gives people something that seems edible that might taste good.

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KingOfContentMarketing

11 years ago

I'm fascinated with it. They truly are stubborn haha.

Lots of good links here also:
http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...ial-media.html

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Floyd Fisher

11 years ago

After watching the episode, I would say the social media meltdown they went through is symptomatic of deeper problems within the business.

For starters, I wouldn't trust neither one of them any farther than I could throw them. Here's some of the reasons why:

1. Lied about creating their own pastries for sale (they admitted on facebook they buy them from a third party)

2. Lied about making food from scratch

3. Stole tips from wait staff

4. Prior convictions of identity theft

I also suspect they lied about getting hacked, and those replies were their own.

Then there is the whole stick your head in the sand and live in denial attitude they have which spills over into poor food, poor customer service, abuse of workers.....the list goes on and on.

How this got past the shows screeners is mind boggling...I pretty much detected within 5 minutes something was seriously wrong, and this KM episode was going to end badly. Most of the participants at least have a clue they are doing something wrong, even if they butt heads over the particulars...these people had no clue they even had a problem.

As far as GR charging a fee for his help, I would sincerely hope that if he's not, he starts doing so to keep out the riffraff that polluted this episode from ever coming on the show again.

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Kay King 11 years ago

I've watched many episodes of this show - though usually record it so I can FF when I want to.

Didn't see this particular one - but if Ramsey quit, it must have been pretty bad. The women sound like idiots.
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seasoned

11 years ago

Originally Posted by Floyd Fisher

How this got past the shows screeners is mind boggling...I pretty much detected within 5 minutes something was seriously wrong, and this KM episode was going to end badly. Most of the participants at least have a clue they are doing something wrong, even if they butt heads over the particulars...these people had no clue they even had a problem.

Floyd,

It looks like this DIDN'T get past the screeners! If all is as it appears, then HERE is what happened! They made these statements, and GR did little verification, and said these looked like good candidates.

A THIRD party then went down a few days BEFORE ramsey got there, taped preparations, some early stuff, and did interviews. THAT is what you saw in the first 5 minutes. ****THEN**** GR came on the scene, seemingly unaware of what was said earlier.

Given that, I think what he did was understandable and correct.

Steve

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Floyd Fisher

11 years ago

Originally Posted by seasoned

Floyd,

It looks like this DIDN'T get past the screeners! If all is as it appears, then HERE is what happened! They made these statements, and GR did little verification, and said these looked like good candidates.

A THIRD party then went down a few days BEFORE ramsey got there, taped preparations, some early stuff, and did interviews. THAT is what you saw in the first 5 minutes. ****THEN**** GR came on the scene, seemingly unaware of what was said earlier.

Given that, I think what he did was understandable and correct.

Steve

Steve:

These kinds of reality shows are supposed to screen participants, to make sure what I saw in that episode never happens.

After the applicants fill out the form, then they peruse through them and see who might be a fit for the show....then a mystery person is supposed to go down to the restaurants and check things out to make sure nobody lied (you would be surprised how many people lie to get on reality shows).

That process broke down....and that is why you saw what you saw.

If I was GR, I would be rather upset with the screening team, and would be making changes to ensure that doesn't happen again. These episodes cost money to produce, and should have been done with a more deserving restaurant owner.

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Josh Monroe

11 years ago

Originally Posted by Floyd Fisher

Steve:

These kinds of reality shows are supposed to screen participants, to make sure what I saw in that episode never happens.

After the applicants fill out the form, then they peruse through them and see who might be a fit for the show....then a mystery person is supposed to go down to the restaurants and check things out to make sure nobody lied (you would be surprised how many people lie to get on reality shows).

That process broke down....and that is why you saw what you saw.

If I was GR, I would be rather upset with the screening team, and would be making changes to ensure that doesn't happen again. These episodes cost money to produce, and should have been done with a more deserving restaurant owner.

Why didn't the screening team do a good job?

"Kitchen Nightmares" - They pick out the worst restaurants they can find so they can "help" turn them around.

Episodes like this are gold, huge ratings boost and last week it was all over the internet.

I'd say the screening team did an excellent job.

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Floyd Fisher

11 years ago

Originally Posted by Josh Monroe

Why didn't the screening team do a good job?

"Kitchen Nightmares" - They pick out the worst restaurants they can find so they can "help" turn them around.

Episodes like this are gold, huge ratings boost and last week it was all over the internet.

I'd say the screening team did an excellent job.

It's about attempting to turn ailing restaurants around, not punking out clueless people.

If I wanted to watch someone get punked out, I'll watch Hell's Kitchen.

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Josh Monroe

11 years ago

Originally Posted by Floyd Fisher

It's about attempting to turn ailing restaurants around, not punking out clueless people.

If I wanted to watch someone get punked out, I'll watch Hell's Kitchen.

Which is what I said in my comment..

The worse the restaurant, the better TV it makes - which at the end of the day is all TV shows are about, ratings.

Last weeks episode will be a huge ratings winner, it was all over the internet and I got people talking about the show (like I previously stated).

In other words, a TV producers dream.

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thunderbird

11 years ago

Originally Posted by Floyd Fisher

It's about attempting to turn ailing restaurants around, not punking out clueless people.

If I wanted to watch someone get punked out, I'll watch Hell's Kitchen.

It might serve as a great wake-up call for other restaurant owners.

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Daniel Evans

11 years ago

Originally Posted by Floyd Fisher

If I was GR, I would be rather upset with the screening team, and would be making changes to ensure that doesn't happen again. These episodes cost money to produce, and should have been done with a more deserving restaurant owner.

The incident is an asset if anything.

Daniel

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thunderbird 11 years ago

Originally Posted by Daniel Evans

The incident is an asset if anything.

Daniel

The show is called "Kitchen Nightmares," not "Kitchen Dreams."
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seasoned

11 years ago

Originally Posted by Floyd Fisher

Steve:

These kinds of reality shows are supposed to screen participants, to make sure what I saw in that episode never happens.

After the applicants fill out the form, then they peruse through them and see who might be a fit for the show....then a mystery person is supposed to go down to the restaurants and check things out to make sure nobody lied (you would be surprised how many people lie to get on reality shows).

That process broke down....and that is why you saw what you saw.

If I was GR, I would be rather upset with the screening team, and would be making changes to ensure that doesn't happen again. These episodes cost money to produce, and should have been done with a more deserving restaurant owner.

HEY, they DID go down to screen! I think they did a good job! They just didn't tell GR! If you don't show ANY failures, what must people think?

Steve

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Floyd Fisher

11 years ago

Originally Posted by seasoned

HEY, they DID go down to screen! I think they did a good job! They just didn't tell GR! If you don't show ANY failures, what must people think?

Steve

Lots of restaurants fail on Kitchen Nightmares....here's the very first episode, a colossal failure if there ever was one:

Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares UK - Season 1 Episode...

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Floyd Fisher 11 years ago

Interview with Amy and Sammy of ABC.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVYOtvaea1Q
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seasoned

11 years ago

Originally Posted by Floyd Fisher

Lots of restaurants fail on Kitchen Nightmares....here's the very first episode, a colossal failure if there ever was one:

Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares UK - Season 1 Episode 1 (2004) - YouTube

WOW, now THAT i LOVE! TIM should be banned from food FOREVER! He shouldn't even be allowed to wash diskes, or deliver a pizza! BUT, after all this, he is willing to make sure te COMPETITION fails!!!!!

Steve

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Floyd Fisher

11 years ago

Originally Posted by seasoned

WOW, now THAT i LOVE! TIM should be banned from food FOREVER! He shouldn't even be allowed to wash diskes, or deliver a pizza! BUT, after all this, he is willing to make sure te COMPETITION fails!!!!!

Steve

LOL...sounds like you need to get out more.

Kitchen Nightmares isn't as cut and dried as you may think....there are some doozies in there if you look past the surface.

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seasoned

11 years ago

Originally Posted by Floyd Fisher

LOL...sounds like you need to get out more.

Kitchen Nightmares isn't as cut and dried as you may think....there are some doozies in there if you look past the surface.

Yeah, I KNOW! If I were as picky as I was, I would be dead. I wouldn't have anything to eat.

Steve

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KimW

11 years ago

Here ya go Kay:

Kitchen Nightmares - Amy's Baking Company (Full...

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Kay King 11 years ago

Thanks for the link, Kim- wow, those people are unbelievable.
They deserve each other, though.
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bizgrower

11 years ago

Yes, they are a match made somewhere.

I think the Ramsay crew had an idea this one would be very interesting before they filmed. The negative social media stuff, I think, started before hand and the communication from the restaurant must have been very intriguing - like "God told me to ask you to help save our business from all these haters."...

From August 2010:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nexQhKIx39Q

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Dennis Gaskill

11 years ago

The people brought it on themselves, hard to feel sorry for them. It still dismays me to see the pack mentality of the people ganging up on them.

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TimothyTorrents

11 years ago

I am surprised that they are still in business. They seem like such a dysfunctional couple.

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salegurus

11 years ago

Having previously been in the Food Services business for 15 years i enjoy the show. I watched that particular show, the owners and especially the wife (Amy) were incredibly stubborn, rude and combative from the get go. I don't know why they bothered submitting a request to Gordon for his help.

But witnessing the Social Media frenzy after the show ended was amazing, i checked their Yelp reviews about an hour after the show ended and they had about 190 reviews and a 3 star rating, by the next day there were close to 900 reviews (Most now removed by Yelp) and the rating had dropped to 1 star. (I would like to see one of the Online Reputation Managers fix that one)

Even then good old Amy was still attacking her detractors, there is nothing wrong with defending yourself but if you've just made a complete fool of yourself and your business on a TV program watched by millions it's probably advisable to lay low for a while....

And if people are going to these lengths then you know you are in for hard times....
Hitler goes to Amy's Baking Company - YouTube

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Kay King

11 years ago

It always surprises me that people will make claims that have already been totally proven to be false - and then stand by those claims.

We see it frequently in govt and now Amy does the same. On the show - in his own voice and words, her husband admitted to taking tips from waiters. He excused it with various rationalizations - that HE didn't get tips when he helped out, that the waiters made "enough" money and that some waiters "didn't deserve" the tips.

But now his wife makes the statement:

We do not, nor have we ever stolen or taken any of our servers, waitresses, or waiters tips

My hope is that Amy's Bakery has a grand re-opening - and no one shows up.

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seasoned

11 years ago

Originally Posted by Kay King

It always surprises me that people will make claims that have already been totally proven to be false - and then stand by those claims.

We see it frequently in govt and now Amy does the same. On the show - in his own voice and words, her husband admitted to taking tips from waiters. He excused it with various rationalizations - that HE didn't get tips when he helped out, that the waiters made "enough" money and that some waiters "didn't deserve" the tips.

But now his wife makes the statement:

My hope is that Amy's Bakery has a grand re-opening - and no one shows up.

You forgot! HIS job is to complicate everyone's life! They have *****NO***** POS or even a computer! HE makes sure of that. They tell HIM the information, and are sometimes FORBIDDEN to do so. HE then takes HIS beliefs, desires, understanding, etc... and puts it into HIS pos which his wife then feigns to trouble over. THAT is why he says he works so hard, and they do nothing. It IS hard work to make sure you are in the middle of EVERYTHING to mess it up! Of course, I wan't such people to go BANKRUPT, NOT to use it as a rationalization to be paid MORE!

Steve

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Kurt

11 years ago

I think it's pretty clear Amy has some mental health issues. I doubt she will have much success until she gets those issues taken care of.

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salegurus

11 years ago

Originally Posted by Kurt

I think it's pretty clear Amy has some mental health issues. I doubt she will have much success until she gets those issues taken care of.

Agreed, does this look like a reply from a sane person...

Obviously our Facebook, YELP, Twitter and Website have been hacked. We are working with the local authorities as well as the FBI computer crimes unit to ensure this does not happen again. We did not post those horrible things. Thank You Amy &Samy

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Floyd Fisher

11 years ago

More lies....seems that clean as a pin kitchen hides some secrets.

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TimothyTorrents

11 years ago

Found these two articles regarding the issue.

Amy’s Baking Company Cancels Press Conference Under Lawsuit Threat From Gordon Ramsay’s Production Company

Owners Of Amy’s Baking Company Say Yelpers Are Endangering Their Lives

It is quite funny how Amy can talk so much without really saying anything. The restaurant is actually quite famous now and if they take Gordon's advice and work on their customer service I am sure they will be able to make a killing from the viral attention.

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Kay King 11 years ago

Funny to spin a story around these folks but I'll bet Amy was a golddigger looking for a "daddy". After all, hubby paid $1 million to open the cafe.

Can't find anything on his background - but as for her...a bit of an incarceration problem in past years.

http://www.findforms.com/pdf_files/azd/20255/86-1.pdf
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tim413

11 years ago

I think Sammy and Amy are clueless. I would think they would have more people skills since both ran their own businesses before getting married. Things do not look good for them!

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KimW

11 years ago

I do find the UK version to be more to my liking.
I actually didn't like GR after having been exposed to only Hell's Kitchen,but then I saw the UK versions of his shows and saw a more humane side of him.

He has his copiers too. Restaurant Impossible is a very blantant rip off of Kitchen Nightmares.

Edit:
Seems last night's grand reopening was pretty dull.

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seasoned

11 years ago

Originally Posted by KimW

I do find the UK version to be more to my liking.
I actually didn't like GR after having been exposed to only Hell's Kitchen,but then I saw the UK versions of his shows and saw a more humane side of him.

He has his copiers too. Restaurant Impossible is a very blantant rip off of Kitchen Nightmares.

Edit:
Seems last night's grand reopening was pretty dull.

Well, I like the guy on restaurant impossible better! He doesn't cuss so much, and seems more humble. How is it a ripoff? It is a simple concept.

Steve

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KimW

11 years ago

Originally Posted by seasoned

Well, I like the guy on restaurant impossible better! He doesn't cuss so much, and seems more humble. How is it a ripoff? It is a simple concept.

Steve

He seems more humble?
We aren't watching the same show then Steve.

When I said ripoff ,in this sense I meant a copy.... .

Growing up when I did, ripoff meant you had copied or stolen someones idea....

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seasoned

11 years ago

Originally Posted by KimW

He seems more humble?
We aren't watching the same show then Steve.

When I said ripoff ,in this sense I meant a copy.... .

Growing up when I did, ripoff meant you had copied or stolen someones idea....

What I meant is that he didn't copy the essence of it. If you mean copying the format, etc... you would have to accuse many others of doing the same thing. iron chef, sweet genius, chopped, etc... for example.

Steve

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KimW

11 years ago

Originally Posted by seasoned

What I meant is that he didn't copy the essence of it. If you mean copying the format, etc... you would have to accuse many others of doing the same thing. iron chef, sweet genius, chopped, etc... for example.

Steve

I completely disagree.
He did copy the essence,which is find a failing restaurant and turn it around.

I really do not see how you compare the format of either KN or RI to any of the other shows you mentioned.

But the 3 shows you mentioned really do have the same format. Chefs competing to be the top dog.

By the way Kurt. I agree.He does look like a cartoon turtle I watched growing up.

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Kurt

11 years ago

Originally Posted by KimW

I completely disagree.
He did copy the essence,which is find a failing restaurant and turn it around.

I really do not see how you compare the format of either KN or RI to any of the other shows you mentioned.

But the 3 shows you mentioned really do have the same format. Chefs competing to be the top dog.

By the way Kurt. I agree.He does look like a cartoon turtle I watched growing up.

I have that same cartoon character in my head whenever I see Irvine...

What was that turtle's name?

There's a number of similar shows about "rescuing" businesses that I like to watch from a marketing perspective. Bar Rescue is another, and that guy also likes to really contort his neck too. Plus I get a kick out of him having the world's worst hair plugs.

But, I don't like the bombastic Judge Judy-ish put downs and rudeness many of them show, including both Ramsey and Irvine. Can't anyone fix a business and show some respect for the people they are trying to help? Does every TV show have to be confrontational?

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seasoned

11 years ago

Originally Posted by KimW

I completely disagree.
He did copy the essence,which is find a failing restaurant and turn it around.

I really do not see how you compare the format of either KN or RI to any of the other shows you mentioned.

But the 3 shows you mentioned really do have the same format. Chefs competing to be the top dog.

By the way Kurt. I agree.He does look like a cartoon turtle I watched growing up.

I wasn't comparing KN or RI to " iron chef, sweet genius, chopped" But KN is to RI as " iron chef, sweet genius, chopped" are to one another,

Iron chef, sweet genius, chopped ALL suggest odd ingredients! ALL have the chefs compete against one another. MOST mandate that generally one person must be let go after each challenge. ALL often throw a surprise at the chefs every now and then. MOST give you a fancy title at the end. In short, they find a format, and copy the heck out of it.

Take the japanese reference out of IC, call them sweet genius instead of iron chef, and have them cook deserts, and ironchef becomes sweet genius. OH, and sweet genius doesn't have a preidentified expert of sorts.

As for the muscles? OK, I tended to overlook that.

Steve

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Kurt

11 years ago

Is it me or does Robert Irvine look like a turtle when he sticks his neck out?

And humble? Every time I see Irvine he seems to be thinking, "Can you see my muscles? How about now? What if I put my arms like this? Look at my muscles! Don't they look big!!?!?!".

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Kay King 11 years ago

I get the impression he's quite the gentle giant though he looks a bit like a turtle now that you mention it.

He's clearly into body building - and he married a lady wrestler.
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