Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
NARRATOR: Tonight on "Mystery Diners"...
Vic Parrino, owner of Colombo's Italian Steakhouse
in Eagle Rock, California,
is concerned about infighting amongst his staff.
VIC: My customers are complaining
that they can hear the employees arguing with each other
and it's so bad that they're not sure they want to come back,
and that could be detrimental to the business.
NARRATOR: Is his server Marco causing all the tension?
Or is there a bigger problem going on?
It's amazing what people will do for a parking spot
and money in your pocket.
Why is she taking a ticket off the line?
She just threw it in the trash can!
NARRATOR: The mystery diners are going undercover
in order to find out what's really going on.
You're not gonna serve me
because I asked you questions about the menu?
You got to be kidding me!
Owning a restaurant isn't easy.
You can have great food, atmosphere, and customers,
but reckless employees...
You're being a jerk, man.
...can ruin everything.
That's where the Mystery Diners come in.
Charles Stiles has helped thousands of restaurants
find their problems and remove them.
He sends in his team of undercover operatives...
I'm Chris. I'm the new supply guy.
...to show restaurant owners
what really happens when they're not around.
MAN: You were stealing from me.
I want to go over there right now! I want to go over there right now!
This is my business!
That food is my life!
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
My name is Vic Parrino.
I own Colombo's Italian Steakhouse and jazz club
here in Eagle Rock, California.
Colombo's is a family-oriented restaurant
not only from the employees' standpoint,
but also from our customers.
You know, I hate to think of them as customers.
They're more like family.
I describe the theme here in Colombo's
as "old-school Italian."
You might have seen something like this
in some of the gangster movies.
Everything that's Italian on the menu are my uncle's recipes.
We have Sam's original recipe lasagna, salmon alla Siciliana,
chicken parmesan, spaghetti and meatballs, Sam's meatball steak.
When you come to Colombo's, you got to bring an appetite.
Over the course of the years, I've gone to great lengths
to make this a comfortable environment
for my employees and our guests.
Unfortunately, now, I have a big problem --
the family environment I've created is falling apart.
I notice a lot of fighting amongst my staff.
And worse than that, the customer-comment cards
are filling out and they're totally negative.
My customers are complaining
that they can hear the employees arguing with each other
and it's so bad that they're not sure they want to come back.
And my regular customers are the lifeblood of this restaurant,
and so I have to fix this problem, and I need some help.
CHARLES: Hi, Vic.
Charles Stiles, Mystery Diners.
Vic Parrino. Nice to meet you, Charles.
Hi, Shelby.
So, Vic, tell me a little bit about your problem.
Why'd you call my company?
This restaurant had a feel of a family.
Mm-hmm.
Now all of a sudden, there's a lot of tension,
a lot of problems going on between employees --
I can't put my finger on it.
So, are you hearing any kind of rumors or chatter
within the restaurant about anybody specific
that you should be paying attention to?
Well, two of the names that keep popping up
are Marco and Dayna.
Marco's been with me, you know, several years now.
He started out to be a really good server,
but it appears a lot of the tension revolves around him.
And all of a sudden now, he's making mistakes,
he's messing up orders for our customers.
And Dayna is the standard
that I hold all my other employees to.
She's been my employee of the month four months running.
I would hate to think she would be a problem,
but I'm concerned there may some jealousy
on the part of Marco.
Well, let's keep an eye on both Marco and Dayna,
because you really can't narrow it down.
This is something that's causing me a lot of worry.
NARRATOR: For this sting,
"Mystery Diners" will be focusing on Marco and Dayna,
two servers who may be responsible for conflicts
affecting customers and service.
So, what we do is we come in,
and we hide cameras throughout your entire restaurant.
We'll set up a control room somewhere nearby
where we can actually put up monitors and sit back
and really watch what's going on inside your restaurant.
And we also use undercover mystery diners
to come in and pose as customers.
One of the things that I can do is, I can go in as a guest
and see how the service is from a customer's perspective.
Charles, I really hope
that you're gonna be able to help me.
If something's going on inside your restaurant,
we're gonna find it.
NARRATOR: To carry out the sting,
cameras have been hidden at key locations
throughout Colombo's Italian Steakhouse.
Cameras one and two have been set up in the main dining room
to give an overall perspective of the restaurant
and its customers.
Cameras three and four have been set up in the bar.
Cameras five and six have been set up in the kitchen.
Camera seven has been set up in the waiter station.
And camera eight has been set up in the parking lot
to track any action that happens outside.
Mystery Diner Shelby will pose as a customer
and Grant will be going undercover
as a waiter in training.
Oh, my God. Charles, this is amazing.
This is my restaurant?
CHARLES: Well, I'm glad you're impressed.
Any place an employee can be, we've got it covered.
VIC: Fantastic.
Okay, your lunch shift's getting ready to start.
Are Marco and Dayna here yet?
No, but they should be arriving any minute.
So, who's this gentleman right here in the white shirt?
VIC: That's Paul.
He's one of my assistant managers.
He really understands the front of the house very well.
And so, I brought him on board
to help us bring our game up.
Okay.
Okay, here comes Dayna pulling up now.
Nice parking spot.
Are all your employees allowed to park
No.
That is the coveted employee of the month parking space.
It used to be my space,
and I gave it up to award employee of the month.
Wow. That's great. That's a premium.
I had to park all the way around the block.
Vic, what's the criteria
for somebody becoming employee of the month?
Well, great customer service, being punctual,
getting good comment cards from the customers,
showing good customer relations.
That's an important status.
You know, she's already won four in a row
and it looks like she's well on her way
to winning the fifth one.
Well, that's a proud moment for her if she does it.
That's Marco.
Wait! Did he just spit on Dayna's car?
Charles, this is so upsetting.
He almost busted his hand. He's so frustrated.
Why is she taking a ticket off the line?
She just threw it in the trash can!
NARRATOR: Vic Parrino, owner of Colombo's Italian Steakhouse
in Eagle Rock, California,
is concerned that infighting amongst his staff
is affecting customers and service.
And I'm afraid that it's really going to be
the demise of this operation.
Charles has set up a control room next to Colombo's
where Vic can watch what happens in his restaurant
with our hidden cameras.
Absolutely amazing.
Mystery Diner Grant will go undercover
as a waiter in training and Shelby will pose as a customer.
And after starting the sting,
server Marco spits on server Dayna's car.
You know, see that? That's what I'm talking about.
Well, yeah.
If Marco's spitting on the employees' cars,
no wonder the tension's surrounding him.
And it isn't just felt by you.
I guarantee you, your customers are feeling it as well.
It's clear that Marco does not like Dayna.
Sounds like Marco wants to earn that parking space.
The parking space is coveted, but more importantly,
I wanted them to watch what the others were doing
and strive to be better.
Well, obviously, it's motivated her.
She's got it four months in a row.
Absolutely.
So what I'd like to do now is send in
one of our undercover Mystery Diners, Grant.
He'll be starting as a waiter in training.
Okay, let's do it.
Hey, Grant, go ahead and come on in and get started.
GRANT: Vic is concerned about mounting tension
between his employees at his restaurant.
So for this sting, I'm posing as a waiter in training.
One of the fun parts about being a Mystery Diner
are all the cool gadgets that Charles hooks us up with
and today, he did not disappoint.
Hidden inside this pen is a tiny camera.
With this, I'll be able to show Vic
everything that's going on inside his restaurant
from an employee's perspective.
Hey, Paul? Hey, what's up?
I'm Grant. Vic told me to come in today.
Okay. Thank you very much.
Hi. What's up, Dayna? Nice to meet you.
I understand why she's employee of the month.
At this point, I mean, looks like she's very professional.
She's making Grant feel welcome.
Is that your picture on the wall over there?
Oh, wow.
So, you're employee of the month?
Wow, what do you get for that?
A parking spot?
What?
So, who's gonna be employee of the month this month?
How do you know?
CHARLES: You know, I got to tell you, I mean,
I have never seen an employee of the month
actually win three, four, five times in a row.
I'm curious to sit here and watch what she does
to earn a fifth month.
So, what's going on over here with Marco?
You know, Vic, I know one of the concerns you had was,
you know, is Marco making mistakes and, you know, he did.
He messed up that order with that pizza.
Let's see if he handles this in a professional manner.
I mean, I know she's employee of the month,
but why is she so concerned
about what's happening with Marco?
VIC: Because she's been here a long time
and she cares a lot about the restaurant.
So, Vic, who's this young lady over here?
That's Jillian.
She's been a server with us for quite a few years.
Okay.
Well, Dayna seems to get along with the rest of the staff.
It appears so.
That was interesting.
I mean, is there anything wrong with the way she's dressed?
No, she's dressed according to our dress code, Charles.
I didn't hear one customer complain about Jillian's shirt.
What is she talking about?
Well, I think
we should definitely be keeping an eye on Dayna,
because I think there's something going on
behind that perfect exterior.
Marco's over here getting his order
placed into the system.
Hopefully he gets it right this time.
Dayna just said she needed to use the computer,
but she didn't even punch in an order.
Why is she going into the kitchen?
Look at that! She's taking a ticket.
Why is she taking a ticket off the line?
Did you just see that?!
She just threw it in the trash can!
It's amazing what people will do for a parking spot
and money in your pocket.
I just can't believe this.
You're not gonna serve me
because I asked you questions about the menu?
You got to be kidding me!
NARRATOR: With the help of hidden cameras
and undercover Mystery Diners,
Vic Parrino, owner of Colombo's Italian Steakhouse,
has learned that four-time employee of the month, Dayna,
may be the troublemaker
he's been looking for in his restaurant.
I didn't hear one customer complain about Jillian's shirt.
What is she talking about?
And even worse, she's sabotaging server Marco
by throwing away his ticket orders
as soon as they're printed.
Did you just see that?! That explains why Dayna
was hovering over Marco like that.
She was waiting for him to get his ticket in
so she could sabotage him!
If this is how Dayna's been winning employee of the month,
it's just absolutely gut-wrenching and disgusting.
Thanks to Dayna, those customers are gonna think
that Marco's providing bad service.
Of course they don't know about it!
She threw away the ticket!
She's just outright manipulative and vindictive.
That was a calculated move.
Those two customers complained to your manager
about Marco just like Dayna wanted,
and I'll bet she screwed up his pizza order earlier today.
I'm sorry, Vic.
I know you love Dayna, but she is your problem.
Now I understand
why Marco has so much animosity towards her.
I mean, he almost busted his hand
punching the refrigerator door he's so frustrated.
She stuck a knife in his back and now she's twisting it.
I just can't believe this.
It's amazing what people will do for a parking spot
and money in your pocket.
This is so upsetting.
It just angers me to no point,
other than I want to go fire her.
You know, Vic, sometimes after we've found our target,
I like to teach them a lesson before we're through with them.
Now would be a good time
to give Dayna a taste of her own medicine.
I'm gonna send in my undercover Mystery Diner Shelby,
have her sit in her section, and start pushing her buttons.
Absolutely.
Hey, Shelby, go ahead and come on in
and ask to be seated in Dayna's section.
SHELBY: Dayna has already proven
how manipulating she can be behind people's backs,
so for this sting, I'm gonna go undercover as a customer
and get her to show her true colors to the entire restaurant.
Hi.
Yes. Can we sit in Dayna's section?
I've heard wonderful things about her.
Good.
CHARLES: Hey, Shelby, I want you to test
Dayna's level of knowledge on her menu.
Actually, I have a few questions.
The spaghetti with meatballs,
it says it's with "Sam's recipe."
What exactly is Sam's recipe?
Is "Sam's lasagna" just like traditional lasagna then, too?
Are you sure?
How many different kinds of cheese does it have
in the lasagna?
Wait, you think, or you know?
What are the specials?
You don't know? Are you new?
Um... Is that funny?
Why is that funny?
I'm really surprised at what we're seeing here.
Not only is she sabotaging the rest of your staff,
but she doesn't even know the menu.
Knowing the menu, knowing the specials
is rule number one.
Okay, Shelby, turn up the heat.
You don't seem like you really know what you're talking about,
you don't know what's on the menu,
you don't know what the specials are.
[ Chuckling ] You're kidding.
This is, like, the worst service I've ever had.
SHELBY: You're not gonna serve me
because I asked you questions about the menu?
Oh, my God.
You got to be kidding me!
Her picture is on the wall in my restaurant
as the employee of the month and it ends now!
Go get her and bring her back in here.
Dayna, I need to talk to you right now.
Come on outside. Right now.
No, I'm not.
Who was condescending?
She was being a [bleep]
We've been watching everything that's been going on.
Is this even legal?
Of course it's legal. It's his restaurant.
He can do whatever he wants!
NARRATOR: After conducting an undercover sting operation
at Colombo's Italian Steakhouse in Eagle Rock, California,
the Mystery Diners have revealed that server Dayna
is creating tension by bad-mouthing her co-workers...
CHARLES: I didn't hear one customer
complain about Jillian's shirt.
What is she talking about?
...sabotaging server Marco...
VIC: If this is how Dayna's
been winning employee of the month,
it's just absolutely disgusting.
...and insulting customers.
You got to be kidding me!
You know what, Vic, that's right.
Go get her and bring her back in here.
Dayna, I need to talk to you right now.
Come on outside. Right now.
No, I'm not.
Hi, Dayna. Come on in here.
My name's Charles Stiles.
I'm with a company called Mystery Diners.
Your owner, Vic, called my company,
because he's been concerned about a lot of tension
that's been inside of this restaurant.
I know. It's been terrible.
You're absolutely right. It is terrible.
We've been sitting here for hours
watching everything that's going on in the restaurant.
You recognize this gentleman right here, Grant?
He works for me.
He's an undercover Mystery Diner.
You recognize this young lady up here, Shelby?
She works for me, too.
Do you remember that conversation with her?
She was being really rude to me.
No, she wasn't.
She was just asking you questions about the menu,
questions about the specials, and you couldn't answer them.
She said it in a very condescending tone.
Who was condescending?
She was being a [bleep]
How many months have you been employee of the month?
Counting next month, five.
You really don't think you've done anything wrong?
I've been winning.
No, what you've been doing is criminal.
You get $250 a month in cash for employee of the month.
For the last four months,
you've stolen $1,000 from this man --
I worked hard for that.
No, you didn't. You stole it from me!
Your streak ends now.
You're not gonna work here another day.
You're really firing me?
You're done, and if you don't get your [bleep] box car
out of my parking space,
I'm gonna have it towed out of here!
Dayna, we're done.
Yes, we are. We're done.
You have spent your last shift in this restaurant.
Look, Vic, it's, like, the truth is,
is, like, most of the time, I'm a pretty good employee.
I don't know.
Maybe it just, like, went to my head,
like, the notoriety and --
I just didn't want it to go away.
Like, I didn't know that it would happen this way,
but this is all I have.
I don't have any family and nothing.
Please don't do this to me.
I really hate to say this...
...but I'm gonna give you one more chance.
But to give you that chance,
you've got to pay every cent of that $1,000 back.
Thank you so much.
Thank you. Thank you.
Thankfully, like, Vic has a big heart and didn't fire me
and, like, it all just came from me being way too competitive
and what did it get me?
You know, instead of creating a competitive environment,
create a program that's in place
that creates harmony within your business.
I really never thought of it that way.
It's my pleasure.
NARRATOR: Since being given a second chance,
Dayna has apologized to her co-workers
and has almost paid back all the money she owes.
Vic has discontinued
the employee of the month competition
and rewards his staff for working together as a team.
And now that work tension has disappeared,
the family atmosphere has returned
to Colombo's Italian Steakhouse.