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Are you asking for trouble if you send your food back in a restaurant?
Results so far:
| Yes | 45% | 125 votes | Total: 275 votes | |
| No | 55% | 150 votes |
Yes
by David Brown
Created on: April 02, 2010
Returning food at most any restaurants is one of the biggest pains in the rear end, that most of the time it just is not worth it. It appears that most restaurants will not be all that kind when you are not happy with the food. At the same time, poor service can also lead you to losing your appetite because your heart rate is racing a mile a minute because you are upset and pretty T’d off because you were not treated well in a restaurant.
I think that some restaurant’s attempt to get away with poor service and mediocre quality food. Most of them only are concerned about the bottom line profits rather than giving you what you asked for as well as what you should expect when you go to a restaurant. I would like to point out a couple of incidents that I have been made aware of as well as one that I was involved in and then you, the reader, can make your own decision if you are likely to be looking for trouble if you send your food back in a restaurant.
First, there is a local establishment which I will call “WH.” They have been in business since 1955 and they have nearly 2500 corporate stores as well as franchise stores. They have a pretty good track record obviously, since they have been in business for nearly 5 decades. What is interesting is that most of the WH restaurant’s you go into, you will find that if your food is not cooked correctly, you will get an argument and/or ugly looks from the cook. The cook is usually not happy to be at the WH anyway, so he/she is going to make your life miserable if you attempt to send the food back. I know this as fact; I used to be a third shift grill operator for the WH.
Another great episode in the return of the food at a restaurant was at a local Chili’s. This was not the greatest experience and this is probably why they started to close stores in the area. Anyway, here it goes. My wife and I most Saturday nights for at least a year would go to Chili’s near our house. It was a quaint atmosphere and we used to get great service and the food was pretty good.
Well, this one particular Saturday evening did not go off well at all. I ordered a Chipotle Hamburger and I forgot what it was that my wife ordered. I think it was some kind of chicken dish. Anyway, I ordered the burger medium well. When it came out, all I could hear was, “MOOO!” I wondered where it came from and then I noticed that my burger after being placed in front of me was talking to me. It was so rare; I would not have fed it to my worst enemy. Maybe my worst enemy, but no one else, of course. I called the waiter over and I showed him my burger. I told him that I wanted it medium well, not rare. He apologized and then took it back. Now, at this point my wife is half through her meal.
The waiter came back and placed the now half dead cow in front me. I checked the burger and guess what? It was the same burger! I could not believe it. The waiter now knew that I was beginning to get a bit disgusted. He then took the plate back and said that I he would get me a “new” burger. I said, “You mean that was the same one?” My wife could not believe it either. Then, about ten minutes later, the waiter came back and now things got really ugly. Not only did I get the same burger a third time, this time I asked for the manager before the poor cow even had a chance to die a third death.
The manager came over and I told him what was happening and that my wife and I were regular’s on Saturday night. He said, “Sorry sir, I will get a new burger for you. I said, “No, that is not necessary because I am afraid I would get the same one.” I also told him that I would have to go somewhere else and take it home. He did not offer me anything for my trouble, only that he would take it off the bill. That was fair, but what I did not like was the fact that the manager was actually ugly with me and the waiter was laughing.
Today, that Chili’s is no longer in business. It is kind of ashamed because usually Chili’s is pretty good.
On the good side, there are some good restaurant’s that do have great service and great food and they care about their customers. Unfortunately, they are few and far between.
Learn more about this author, David Brown.
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No
by RNay
Created on: April 02, 2010
From many years of experience working as a food server, it is completely understood that the "customer is always right". When the customer orders an item, he or she is anticipating a specific product to be delivered to their table. Upon receiving the meal, the customer is the one that ultimately decides if the meal meets the expectations for which he ordered. If the meal does not meet expectations, it is up to the customer to voice his concerns regarding his dislike of the meal. The owner of the establishment would prefer that the customer leave happy than to eat a distasteful meal and never return to the restaurant again (or to tell his or her friends about his unpleasant experience at that particular establishment).
There are many reasons a meal would seem unsuitable for what the customer is paying for. The food may have come to the table and appear to have been sitting in the cooks window for a long time. The food may be dry, too cold or simply of poor quality. The customer may have given a special request such as "no mayo" and gotten extra mayo instead. When a customer is paying his or her hard earned money, it is expected that the item being paid for is of the quality expected. When this does not happen, the customer has two choices to make.
First, the customer can simply eat the meal without sending it back or complaining. The problem with this scenerio is that the customer will have an unspoken resentment that he is being ripped off and not getting his moneys worth. The customer will leave unhappy, never to return again. He may even go as far to tell a friend that the restaurant is unsuitable and a waste of money and time. Word of mouth can be a stronger agent for advertisement than an actual ad in the paper or yellow pages. For this reason, it is important to tell the server that the meal is unsatisfactory so that the cooks have the opportunity to prepare a more enjoyable meal for the customer.
Second. the customer can voice his concern to the server or even the manager. When a customer speaks the truth to an establishment (with respect and dignity), the staff on hand are given the opportunity to make a different impression on the customer. The last thing an owner wants is for a customer to leave unsatisfied and unhappy. Depending on the nature of the mistake made, there are a few things that could happen. The cooks may offer to re-cook the meal, or offer a replacement meal of a different kind. The manager may opt to deduct a portion of the meal off the bill for the inconvenience. Sometimes, the server or manager will offer a free dessert at the end of the meal so that the customer leaves the restaurant with a sweet memory.
There is, however, a proper etiquette to sending a meal back to be prepared to the customers satisfaction. The server is the first person that the customer would voice his complaint to. This must be done with an appropriate demeanor as the server is NOT the one that cooked the meal, but simply the one that brought what the cook prepared. The customer should simply state to the server that the meal was not what he expected and ask for a different meal or to have the same meal prepared over again. When the customer explains to the server that the meal did not meet expectations, it is also appropriate to voice to the server that the customer understands the server did not cook the meal. Many times, a server will feel responsible and bad that a customer is unhappy, especially if he or she is living on money made off tips from customer.
For all purposes, it is important that customers send back a meal if it is prepared inappropriately. Especially, for small businesses, the word of mouth scenerio could make or break a business. The customer should feel that his hard earned money is honored and that his business is appreciated. The last thing anyone wants is to go out to dinner after a long week of work, only to go home disappointed. The customer and the owner of a business BOTH benefit from the honesty of the customer.
To all customers in a restaurant establishment, please be honest about your experience. Be respectful to the server and the manager. If your request for a more suitable meal is not honored, ask for the number or address for the owner (or manager higher up). A letter can be written to the owner explaining the distasteful experience. The owner will almost ALWAYS respond with an apology and possibly a gift card for your return to the restaurant. Guaranteed, if this happens, your business will be honored and appreciated the next time you return.
Learn more about this author, RNay.
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