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Old 11-20-2010, 06:34 PM
 
2,059 posts, read 5,729,942 times
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I've ordered food and had it turn out to be completely different to what I expected. And I've ordered food that I just didn't like.

Good waitstaff will recognize that you aren't enjoying your food and offer to remedy the situation. I've never brought it to the attention of a server, but if they came over and asked if there was a problem I spoke up. I don't do it with the expectation of a refund or a replacement, although that's a nice bonus if it happens!

But I do believe you should speak up if there is a problem with your food, especially if it is essentially inedible. There is a huge difference between not eating something because you chose badly and not eating because it's not what you ordered.
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Old 11-20-2010, 07:08 PM
bjh
 
59,746 posts, read 30,192,228 times
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What is subpar can be determined objectively. For instance, spoiled ingredients are subpar.

When people go to a sit-down restaurant there is an implied contract that they will pay for the food. Believe it or not this has been tried in court when once upon a time someone tried to argue that they had just come in and sat down at a restaurant table and hadn't agreed to pay for anything the staff brought them.
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Old 11-20-2010, 07:13 PM
 
Location: Tricity, PL
61,172 posts, read 85,998,837 times
Reputation: 130885
Quote:
Originally Posted by wilson1010 View Post
I'm sure that this would not be the first time you have made a mistake. Same for the restaurant. So every time you do something a little off at your work, do you want some customer in your face?
wilson1010: I didn't say that I will raise hell every time there is some little mistake done. No, I wouldn't. I am talking about something more substantial, something that even with best effort and lots of excuses is frankly inedible.
There are people that are happy with mediocre service, or just for sake of peace will never question anything, and there are people that will try to get adequate service and goods for the price they agreed to pay.
I am sure that the owner of the restaurant would like to know if his chef is superb or lousy.
Why should I be ashamed to complain or send the dish back? I think that they should be ashamed for trying to deliver a crappy food/service.
This rule apply to any goods/service the customer is expected to pay for.


BTW, I have no problem to compliment great service, extra effort or quality goods.

Just to let you know: when I make a mistake, I have no problem with people that pointed on, and I will try my best to correct it. It's just my view on work ethic.
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Old 11-20-2010, 07:41 PM
 
10,135 posts, read 27,360,867 times
Reputation: 8398
Quote:
Originally Posted by elnina View Post
wilson1010: I didn't say that I will raise hell every time there is some little mistake done. No, I wouldn't. I am talking about something more substantial, something that even with best effort and lots of excuses is frankly inedible.
There are people that are happy with mediocre service, or just for sake of peace will never question anything, and there are people that will try to get adequate service and goods for the price they agreed to pay.
I am sure that the owner of the restaurant would like to know if his chef is superb or lousy.
Why should I be ashamed to complain or send the dish back? I think that they should be ashamed for trying to deliver a crappy food/service.
This rule apply to any goods/service the customer is expected to pay for.


BTW, I have no problem to compliment great service, extra effort or quality goods.

Just to let you know: when I make a mistake, I have no problem with people that pointed on, and I will try my best to correct it. It's just my view on work ethic.
Oh, I'm quite sure that any comments you personally might make to service persons would be dignified and subtle. And "shame" would never enter into this.

I was simply expressing my distaste for unpleasantness during meals. Not everyone will have your communications skills. In fact, a complaint in a public place about something personal to the complainer (their opinion as to the food or service quality) is quite a challenging task. Rarely is it done well. Most people do not have a well developed ability to express negativity without creating a little mini-scene. The best thing to do is forget about it and move on.

If the service or food problem is serious, take the place off your list. If minor, give them another chance. Either way, how does it help you or them to complain. They didn't intend to serve you bad food or provide bad service. And, if they were not giving their best, do you think your gentle comments will modify their behavior? I don't think so. Venting your dissatisfaction to strangers in a public place has its costs. Too high a price to pay for my money.

I also do not do business at lunch or dinner, ever, it being my belief that neither the business nor the meal will be well served by combining the two.

Last edited by Wilson513; 11-20-2010 at 07:50 PM..
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Old 11-20-2010, 07:58 PM
 
1,424 posts, read 5,321,001 times
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Quote:
In fact, a complaint in a public place about something personal to the complainer (their opinion as to the food or service quality) is quite a challenging task. Rarely is it done well. Most people do not have a well developed ability to express negativity without creating a little mini-scene.
That's just silly. It happens every day. It's not like you're telling the server that they have bad breath. It's just conversation about food, e.g., "excuse me, this steak is quite tough and gristley..." That shouldn't offend the server.

Now if the patron is all worked into a frenzy over the meal and expresses hostility, that's different. But I just don't see that when I am out (thankfully).
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Old 11-20-2010, 08:24 PM
 
10,135 posts, read 27,360,867 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by didee View Post
That's just silly. It happens every day. It's not like you're telling the server that they have bad breath. It's just conversation about food, e.g., "excuse me, this steak is quite tough and gristley..." That shouldn't offend the server.

Now if the patron is all worked into a frenzy over the meal and expresses hostility, that's different. But I just don't see that when I am out (thankfully).
I eat out a lot. A whole lot. And I am just sharing my experience and observations. You can call that "silly" if you want to, but then maybe you don't notice the awkward attempts people make to stand up for themselves and at the same time not be offensive. You can call my observations of the poor showing most people make on this conflict "silly" but I'm pretty good at having negative conversations with people myself and I don't even want to do it.

I've seen waiters or waitresses having a bad day react sometimes unpleasantly. You know as much as I like restaurant people they are not social workers or psychologists. And even a skillful person jumping into their day with what may be a tip killing complaint can trigger some surprising reactions.

Like I said, I eat out a lot. Hundreds of times each year. Not at fast food places either, and I've seen it all.

So you may call it "silly" that I don't want to start a complaint discussion with a person I don't know, in a mood of which I am unaware, about something that reasonable people may disagree, and which might amount to $20, but I'll just keep avoiding these conflicts and you can just take them up whenever you are moved to do so.
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Old 11-20-2010, 08:32 PM
 
3,004 posts, read 3,873,149 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wilson1010 View Post
I eat out a lot. A whole lot. And I am just sharing my experience and observations. You can call that "silly" if you want to, but then maybe you don't notice the awkward attempts people make to stand up for themselves and at the same time not be offensive. You can call my observations of the poor showing most people make on this conflict "silly" but I'm pretty good at having negative conversations with people myself and I don't even want to do it.

I've seen waiters or waitresses having a bad day react sometimes unpleasantly. You know as much as I like restaurant people they are not social workers or psychologists. And even a skillful person jumping into their day with what may be a tip killing complaint can trigger some surprising reactions.

Like I said, I eat out a lot. Hundreds of times each year. Not at fast food places either, and I've seen it all.

So you may call it "silly" that I don't want to start a complaint discussion with a person I don't know, in a mood of which I am unaware, about something that reasonable people may disagree, and which might amount to $20, but I'll just keep avoiding these conflicts and you can just take them up whenever you are moved to do so.
It sounds like it's important to you to avoid "conflict" at all costs. I respond with two points: one, politely informing the wait staff that you are unhappy with your food and why is hardly "conflict"; and two, if you don't give the management useful feedback, they can never improve their service. If everyone chose your method of avoidance, then restaurants would lose business and not know why or how to improve. If a restaurant owner were given the option of having a patron complain about the food vs. go out of business, I'm sure he would choose the former!

When I send food back, I'm extremely polite, even apologetic. I, too, have eaten out A LOT over the past 35 years that I have been an adult, and I have NEVER EVER had a waiter, waitress, or manager respond in an unpleasant manner. From the way you described things, it's almost as if you are implying that some waitress is going to pull out a gun and blow your head off if you complain about the food, and that it's just not worth it to you.
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Old 11-20-2010, 08:43 PM
 
18,837 posts, read 37,215,927 times
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My Grandmother was from Scotland, and her motto, was "Pay for what you get, and get what you Pay for"...she had no problem with sending back food that was not cooked correctly. Or if she had specified no butter on a potato, and it came drenched with butter...she would send it back, no problems. She was notorious for ordering food to her "specifications", like salad dressing on the side, steak cooked medium rare, and if the food was not to her satisfaction, she would send it back. She was a very no-nonsense person, and would tell the server..."I ordered this with the drsseing on the side, please correct this". It was not confrontational, just informational. Of course, she had a darling Scottish accent as well...We often went to the same places, and she was well known by wait staff...men loved her. She loved going out to eat, and would always be dressed very sharply, with gloves, and a hat...
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Old 11-20-2010, 08:43 PM
 
10,135 posts, read 27,360,867 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chattypatty View Post
It sounds like it's important to you to avoid "conflict" at all costs.

Yea, $20, maybe, probably $10. At all costs.



Do you think that a busy waitress wants to take your dinner back to the kitchen and spend her time getting it perfect for you and probably losing a seating at her station because you are going to be there for another 20 minutes? I guaranty that your complaint is the bad part of her shift. Will she throw the soup in your face or spit in your meal when she has it in the kitchen, probably not. But I assure you, it is not a positive interaction from her standpoint. You may be a picky nut who is complaining about a perfectly good dinner. She doesn't know if you are or you aren't. She has absolutely no idea if you are right or wrong about the meal unless a fly is doing the backstroke in your soup.

So go ahead complain and send it back. You sound like you want to get your money's worth at any cost.
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Old 11-20-2010, 09:01 PM
 
Location: Middle America
37,409 posts, read 53,284,073 times
Reputation: 53066
It's not the restaurant's problem if I don't like their recipe for entree x.

It is their problem if I inquired if it comes with cheese and if so, would they please leave it off, and they do not. It is their problem if it's burned, or cold.

An actual mistake is worth requesting an alternate meal, etc. over. Simply finding that what you ordered, while prepared properly, turns out just not to meet your individual taste is not something that exempts you from paying for it. You just know what not to order next time, or where not to go. Tastes are subjective. You not liking something doesn't mean anything was wrong with it, and certainly doesn't mean anybody owes you any recompense if nothing IS wrong with it. We don't all like the same stuff, and a restaurant chef is not your personal chef.
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