Sending a meal back
Discussion
I'm not shy about complaining.
If there's something not right then they'll be told about it, quietly and nicely first.
Should it be necessary it gets escalated.
Rarely an issue though, in general most restaurants are more than happy to resolve any issues.
I certainly wouldn't expect everything to be "comped" if there was an issue with just one meal.
There have been times when I've simply made a poor choice resulting in me leaving the meal largely untouched, more often than not they'll offer to replace with something else or it get's removed from the bill. Just a sign of good customer service I guess.
If there's something not right then they'll be told about it, quietly and nicely first.
Should it be necessary it gets escalated.
Rarely an issue though, in general most restaurants are more than happy to resolve any issues.
I certainly wouldn't expect everything to be "comped" if there was an issue with just one meal.
There have been times when I've simply made a poor choice resulting in me leaving the meal largely untouched, more often than not they'll offer to replace with something else or it get's removed from the bill. Just a sign of good customer service I guess.
Sent a steak back in the Spring. Asked the waiter if I order rare will it genuinely be rare. He said they're pretty good here. Came out well done. Showed the waiter and he immediately took it back, got another plate with new chips too! I don't want to pay the premium for a steak in a restaurant if it's going to be worse than one at home.
Have to be very careful in Asia as loss-of-face comes into play. I generally start with "this is not your fault", as starting any other way ends up not being heard in many instances due to sensitivity.
Fried eggs go back to the kitchen as I like the whites brown. I make a point of asking the serving staff to convey my appreciation to the chef, and next time they are normally spot on.
The best I had over the years was a lady and her date ordered some wine. The lady wanted to be the tester. She sent back the first two bottles saying the wine was off. The boss went to the table and open the third one for them and apologized. Well, she said the third bottle wasn't good either. The boss decided to try the wine with them as he could not understand. Absolutely fine (her date thought it was great as well). She thought the wine was off but in reality she was clueless about wine. They got charged for 3 bottles as it happened that all of them were fantastic. The gentleman sitting in front of her was not impressed at all... Not sure why the waitress did not bother to bring the first two bottles to the kitchen (the boss worked in the kitchen) so we could try before opening a new one though?
sgrimshaw said:
I certainly wouldn't expect everything to be "comped" if there was an issue with just one meal.
Neither would I, but obviously you don't turn it down if offered. My ex hated cheese, it would make her throw up. One time she ordered a fish pie. I realised it's common to put cheese in the mash topping but there was no mention of cheese in the description so asked the waitress if there was any cheese in the mash, waitress said no but we can grate some in if you like. Said no total opposite, dont let cheese anywhere near it.
Pie came out she took a tiny forkful just to be sure made a face and said there's cheese in it. Told the waitress, she called for the manager. Explained the situation he offered to replace the pie with anything on the menu and comped the whole meal + wine.
More than fair. Just a replacement dish would have resolved the issue. Does illustrate that restaurant staff should actually eat their own meals, presumably the waitress had never tried the fish pie.
Yes I will. I'm notorious for pointing out a cappuccino is Luke warm.
They have one job, they aren't doing it for charity they are being paid. The business owner isn't running the place as a fun cost free hobby.
My wife and sister in law are notorious for complaining after to me bit they'll tip and eat whatever sent.
That's madness.
They have one job, they aren't doing it for charity they are being paid. The business owner isn't running the place as a fun cost free hobby.
My wife and sister in law are notorious for complaining after to me bit they'll tip and eat whatever sent.
That's madness.
Hugo Stiglitz v2 said:
Yes I will. I'm notorious for pointing out a cappuccino is Luke warm.
They have one job, they aren't doing it for charity they are being paid. The business owner isn't running the place as a fun cost free hobby.
My wife and sister in law are notorious for complaining after to me bit they'll tip and eat whatever sent.
That's madness.
Best way to trick a diner who sent back their cappucino into thinking their new cappucino is extra hot isThey have one job, they aren't doing it for charity they are being paid. The business owner isn't running the place as a fun cost free hobby.
My wife and sister in law are notorious for complaining after to me bit they'll tip and eat whatever sent.
That's madness.
1. Fill the cup to the brim with boiling water
2. Steam milk as normal
3.Tip water out of cup
4. Make esspresso as normal in superheated cup
5. Add milk and sprinkles as normal
6. Pour more boiling water over handle so its scalding.
7. Put on saucer using a napkin so you dont scald your fingers
8. Serve to customer quickly so cup is still roasting.
9. Watch in satisfaction as customer cant even touch their coffee for a few minutes.
sherman said:
Hugo Stiglitz v2 said:
Yes I will. I'm notorious for pointing out a cappuccino is Luke warm.
They have one job, they aren't doing it for charity they are being paid. The business owner isn't running the place as a fun cost free hobby.
My wife and sister in law are notorious for complaining after to me bit they'll tip and eat whatever sent.
That's madness.
Best way to trick a diner who sent back their cappucino into thinking their new cappucino is extra hot isThey have one job, they aren't doing it for charity they are being paid. The business owner isn't running the place as a fun cost free hobby.
My wife and sister in law are notorious for complaining after to me bit they'll tip and eat whatever sent.
That's madness.
1. Fill the cup to the brim with boiling water
2. Steam milk as normal
3.Tip water out of cup
4. Make esspresso as normal in superheated cup
5. Add milk and sprinkles as normal
6. Pour more boiling water over handle so its scalding.
7. Put on saucer using a napkin so you dont scald your fingers
8. Serve to customer quickly so cup is still roasting.
9. Watch in satisfaction as customer cant even touch their coffee for a few minutes.
Motorway services- i wouldn't even dare order one from one of the chains there. The staff look like they are shackled by their attitude.
sherman said:
Hugo Stiglitz v2 said:
Yes I will. I'm notorious for pointing out a cappuccino is Luke warm.
They have one job, they aren't doing it for charity they are being paid. The business owner isn't running the place as a fun cost free hobby.
My wife and sister in law are notorious for complaining after to me bit they'll tip and eat whatever sent.
That's madness.
Best way to trick a diner who sent back their cappucino into thinking their new cappucino is extra hot isThey have one job, they aren't doing it for charity they are being paid. The business owner isn't running the place as a fun cost free hobby.
My wife and sister in law are notorious for complaining after to me bit they'll tip and eat whatever sent.
That's madness.
1. Fill the cup to the brim with boiling water
2. Steam milk as normal
3.Tip water out of cup
4. Make esspresso as normal in superheated cup
5. Add milk and sprinkles as normal
6. Pour more boiling water over handle so its scalding.
7. Put on saucer using a napkin so you dont scald your fingers
8. Serve to customer quickly so cup is still roasting.
9. Watch in satisfaction as customer cant even touch their coffee for a few minutes.
My Sister runs a busy cafe and I've sent drinks back before as they're not up to scratch. Shame really they've got a lovely £10k Coffee machine and not one member of staff can operate it correctly, including my Sister.
Hardly every serviced, beans from Booker etc.
In Restaurants I'll happily mention something that isn't good, especially anywhere that charges a premium.
Hardly every serviced, beans from Booker etc.
In Restaurants I'll happily mention something that isn't good, especially anywhere that charges a premium.
I've no issue with someone sending food back. (For whatever reason.)
It doesn't happen often, but ultimately we want them to be happy, so will re-make the dish, or suggest something else.
Where I do get the hump is when they've eaten every scrap, not said anything, then want it comped.
It doesn't happen often, but ultimately we want them to be happy, so will re-make the dish, or suggest something else.
Where I do get the hump is when they've eaten every scrap, not said anything, then want it comped.
I really try not to, recently i went out with my wife and she ordered a fillet. 1st mistake. I very very rarely order a steak unless its a proper steak place as 9/10 its a million miles from what you've asked. I just want medium, i can accept med well, med rare but not well done or blue rare, i am also happy with almost blue if it has been rested properly. So not like a lump of flesh on the plate.
Typically in USA every single steak i have had apart from one place in miami is cooked how you wanted it. i dont know why we struggle so much here.
Anyway, she ordered a fillet. It looked like it was cooked ok but was chewy as f
k, just a bad bit of meat and unfortunate.
Sends it back, next one to come out is like raw, like a piece of jelly, wobbling about.
It went on so long that in the end she wasn't hungry any more.
Restaurant was good about it but i do feel bad for them. Ultimately its ones of their staff wasting expensive cuts of meat. I mean how many steaks can they afford to be sent back?
Typically in USA every single steak i have had apart from one place in miami is cooked how you wanted it. i dont know why we struggle so much here.
Anyway, she ordered a fillet. It looked like it was cooked ok but was chewy as f
k, just a bad bit of meat and unfortunate. Sends it back, next one to come out is like raw, like a piece of jelly, wobbling about.
It went on so long that in the end she wasn't hungry any more.
Restaurant was good about it but i do feel bad for them. Ultimately its ones of their staff wasting expensive cuts of meat. I mean how many steaks can they afford to be sent back?
Hugo Stiglitz v2 said:
Yes I will. I'm notorious for pointing out a cappuccino is Luke warm.
They have one job, they aren't doing it for charity they are being paid. The business owner isn't running the place as a fun cost free hobby.
My wife and sister in law are notorious for complaining after to me bit they'll tip and eat whatever sent.
That's madness.
I thought cappuccino is supposed to be warm and not hot?They have one job, they aren't doing it for charity they are being paid. The business owner isn't running the place as a fun cost free hobby.
My wife and sister in law are notorious for complaining after to me bit they'll tip and eat whatever sent.
That's madness.
If you want it hot why not ask for it got up front?
Only once, took my mum and MIL out for a Mothers day lunch at a local farm shop. After a 40 minute wait, when they brought my meal out the plate it was on was absolutely covered in thick dust. Called waitress over and said I suspected that the plate under my food was probably just as dusty so was probably ruined. She apologised profusely and said they would of course replace it. She came back out within 2 minutes with a fresh meal, I asked if she had simply scraped my meal off onto a clean plate and she said yes! Didn't pay and of course I felt like I ruined parents meals by causing a fuss!
TownIdiot said:
I thought cappuccino is supposed to be warm and not hot?
If you want it hot why not ask for it got up front?
Always do. If you want it hot why not ask for it got up front?
Sadly guarantee a busy place will just slam out drinks without any care like a conveyor belt
There should be dynamic pricing in this case... busy/no care? Half pricing or halve the hourly pay to reflect the care and effort taken.
But that'll never happen.
I've sent a lot of meals back (or more often, just not eaten them). Not just because something isn't to my taste, that's on me, however if you're paying a professional to cook it should at least be done competently. Over or under cooked by a decent margin, shrivelled from sitting for ages, cold or whatever. That I'm going to either send back or not eat and if the latter I won't pay for it.
If you tolerate it, how will they ever know they're doing a bad job?
I think the last time it was a calzone. The underside was black as a crisp. Perfect on the inside, ruined on the outside. I don't take the piss and most places are more than reasonable if you're polite about it. If the place makes a total Horlicks of the food and service I find they often waive the whole thing even if I only ask for the bad dishes to be taken off the bill.
If you tolerate it, how will they ever know they're doing a bad job?
I think the last time it was a calzone. The underside was black as a crisp. Perfect on the inside, ruined on the outside. I don't take the piss and most places are more than reasonable if you're polite about it. If the place makes a total Horlicks of the food and service I find they often waive the whole thing even if I only ask for the bad dishes to be taken off the bill.
With the high cost of food in many places these days, why would you accept sub-standard?
The secret is to inform waiting staff as soon as possible, politely but firmly.
Bear in mind that you should only complain if it is a true problem, not just because it’s not to your taste!
I’ve only had one poor response to a complaint, but that was from a venue which would not consider that they could ever get anything wrong!
After all, we are just assisting with their quality control procedures, mistakes can happen to anyone and it can be advantageous to have feedback.
Happy eating!
The secret is to inform waiting staff as soon as possible, politely but firmly.
Bear in mind that you should only complain if it is a true problem, not just because it’s not to your taste!
I’ve only had one poor response to a complaint, but that was from a venue which would not consider that they could ever get anything wrong!
After all, we are just assisting with their quality control procedures, mistakes can happen to anyone and it can be advantageous to have feedback.
Happy eating!
I've been a waiter, bartender in the US in my youth.
And being Irish, maybe I'm OK with the 'discomfort' of sending food back.
I'd say I send 1 in 20 dishes back.
My rule of thumb is where a dish is something I'd be embarrassed to serve at home, then I'm going to assume the chef is happy to have it back.
A couple of days ago I sent fries back at Five Guys. Normally they are crispy and moreish.
I have also sent a chicken dish back, and also the replacement one. It was better, but not good. Oh and mussels twice. In Belgo.
In a good restaurant I said 2 different bottles of wine were corked. They were, but my host was a tad uncomfortable that the second was duff. But 10% of cork bottles are off. So having a second duff one is unusual, but not weird.
As Mr Balfour says above, I always try to be polite, BUT life's too short to stay silent IMHO.
And being Irish, maybe I'm OK with the 'discomfort' of sending food back.
I'd say I send 1 in 20 dishes back.
My rule of thumb is where a dish is something I'd be embarrassed to serve at home, then I'm going to assume the chef is happy to have it back.
A couple of days ago I sent fries back at Five Guys. Normally they are crispy and moreish.
I have also sent a chicken dish back, and also the replacement one. It was better, but not good. Oh and mussels twice. In Belgo.
In a good restaurant I said 2 different bottles of wine were corked. They were, but my host was a tad uncomfortable that the second was duff. But 10% of cork bottles are off. So having a second duff one is unusual, but not weird.
As Mr Balfour says above, I always try to be polite, BUT life's too short to stay silent IMHO.
Gassing Station | Food, Drink & Restaurants | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff