Complaining the food is cack? Do you?
Discussion
Lets face it, as a nation we're pre-programmed to say "yes it's lovely" no matter how dire the slop we've just been served up in a restaurant and will shortly be paying £15 a plate for.
I'm guilty of it, done it dozens of times before, even when served a tesco value garlic bread loaf fresh from the microwave so it was completely soggy...
Anyway, I finally grew a pair and complained in an Italian chain, that sounds a bit like flask.
Normally these places are great for a quite plate of pasta, and the pizzas are normally pretty good too, never had an issue with Pizza Express or ZiZis.
However, the spag' bol' my son was served could have come straight from a heinz tin, proper gross. My Salad was swimming in a pretty cheapo dressing, and was extremely basic, the chicken was tasteless and presented horribly (sliced by a blind man it would appear)
The GF's food was lovely though...
Anyway, we were on a tight schedule, both me and the GF had to get back to work (the boy was helping out in the office) so I shoved as much of it down my gullet as possible and the boy did the same.
When asked "is everything OK" I described the issues with the two dishes but did compliment on the third.
The Waitress was completely shocked, like she had never heard a complaint before, I was polite but also frank and to the point.
What I wanted was the chef to be told, I was still happy to pay, we'd still eaten it after all, what I ended up with was some free drinks.
Just wondering what you lot do? I know there are some proper foodies in here and there is no way in hell you'd have had more than a mouthful of either of the two bad dishes before promptly pouring them down the chefs undercrackers!
Anyway, just to prove my point I came home and made an absolutely cracking Cannelloni for the family from scratch, pasta and all and it was f'ing delicious!
om nom nom
I'm guilty of it, done it dozens of times before, even when served a tesco value garlic bread loaf fresh from the microwave so it was completely soggy...
Anyway, I finally grew a pair and complained in an Italian chain, that sounds a bit like flask.
Normally these places are great for a quite plate of pasta, and the pizzas are normally pretty good too, never had an issue with Pizza Express or ZiZis.
However, the spag' bol' my son was served could have come straight from a heinz tin, proper gross. My Salad was swimming in a pretty cheapo dressing, and was extremely basic, the chicken was tasteless and presented horribly (sliced by a blind man it would appear)
The GF's food was lovely though...
Anyway, we were on a tight schedule, both me and the GF had to get back to work (the boy was helping out in the office) so I shoved as much of it down my gullet as possible and the boy did the same.
When asked "is everything OK" I described the issues with the two dishes but did compliment on the third.
The Waitress was completely shocked, like she had never heard a complaint before, I was polite but also frank and to the point.
What I wanted was the chef to be told, I was still happy to pay, we'd still eaten it after all, what I ended up with was some free drinks.
Just wondering what you lot do? I know there are some proper foodies in here and there is no way in hell you'd have had more than a mouthful of either of the two bad dishes before promptly pouring them down the chefs undercrackers!
Anyway, just to prove my point I came home and made an absolutely cracking Cannelloni for the family from scratch, pasta and all and it was f'ing delicious!
om nom nom
I complained at Jamie's Italian in covent garden a few weeks back, ordered the wild game ragu, was more like a wild game meatball concoction the meat was too chewey for a ragu and overall not very nice!
They offered me another dish but we had theatre tickets so no time to waste, unfortunately they did not remove it from the bill.
They offered me another dish but we had theatre tickets so no time to waste, unfortunately they did not remove it from the bill.
nocarjames said:
I complained at Jamie's Italian in covent garden a few weeks back, ordered the wild game ragu, was more like a wild game meatball concoction the meat was too chewey for a ragu and overall not very nice!
They offered me another dish but we had theatre tickets so no time to waste, unfortunately they did not remove it from the bill.
And there's the rub, I dont want a freebie and I'm sure you didnt either, you wanted a nice meal. However if you've got somewhere to be you cant wait around whilst they have a second attempt at it or give you something different.They offered me another dish but we had theatre tickets so no time to waste, unfortunately they did not remove it from the bill.
Historically I've just grinned, said it was nice and never been back to the restaurant, I've got loads on my s
t list! 
As I was really looking forward to having a nice bit of grub with the family on a work day, which just never happens I guess I just "snapped" and complained in a very polite and humble manner, that was hard enough to do!
Zaxxon said:
Yup I complain, but usually only if it's properly bad, and only after the meal as I'm too chicken to risk any chef's additives.
Last time was McDonalds actually. My Big Mac looked as if it was thrown together from one end of the kitchen too the other.
I thought that's what Mc D's were supposed to look like? Last time was McDonalds actually. My Big Mac looked as if it was thrown together from one end of the kitchen too the other.
Dont worry, I'm not a Maccy D snob, I posted here once about eating there, got a complete roasting! I had breaky there this morning actually, my bagel looked like it had been sat on!
unless it's really dreadful i don't complain as the waiting staff get it in the neck for something that's not of their doing. also, if you take the food back and they bring it back out i can't help but imagine all sorts of special sauce treatments it may have had.
what i won't do is ever eat somewhere again if the food is proper crap though, which in the long run is the best way of voting. i also make sure to let others know.
what i won't do is ever eat somewhere again if the food is proper crap though, which in the long run is the best way of voting. i also make sure to let others know.
davido140 said:
I thought that's what Mc D's were supposed to look like?
Dont worry, I'm not a Maccy D snob, I posted here once about eating there, got a complete roasting! I had breaky there this morning actually, my bagel looked like it had been sat on!
Mac D's serves a purpose. Like a kebab, it feeds that dark part of the soul Dont worry, I'm not a Maccy D snob, I posted here once about eating there, got a complete roasting! I had breaky there this morning actually, my bagel looked like it had been sat on!
Here's another one for the snobs, my wife couldn't get a Sainsbury's home delivery slot, then tried Tesco's no slot, then....shock horror ASDA.
Hey ho, in for a penny in for a pound etc.
It was delivered today.....and it all seems pretty good so far. Time will tell though, looks good, might taste like s
t. I doubt it though. Is home shopping from ASDA ok for the normal shop? According to the PH CEO's?
I promise to still shop at Waitrose for the special meals.
As a "new" restaurateur my attitude has hardened a lot over the past year. And, I genuinely say "hand on heart" we value complaints and I now offer "constructive criticism" (and that is what I feel as a customer) when appropriate.
An example, we changed how we did our pizzas and we had a lot of positive feedback but also a few negative. On the basis 99% of people don't complain we worked out that in reality it was more bad than good. We changed them back ASAP! Since then only positive.
We had one "not so sure" comment about a specific dish. All 5 in the kitchen ate what came back. Customer was wrong, dish was fine. Customer still got another dish FOC.
We had a few "queries" on a dish that used varying cuts of meat. Dish was standardised to use a specific cut only. No more issues, happy customers
At the end of the day kitchens put out what one particular chef or owner thinks is right. They may be wrong! We have adapted a lot of what we do to meet our regular customers tastes and we constantly question what we do. I spent a good hour today with my head chef literally arguing about the amount of roast garlic in a flageolet puree!
IMHO if a restaurant doesn't listen to it's customers (both right and wrong) it shouldn't be in business.
/ Hence why we did 70+ for lunch and are fully booked for dinner tonight
// Still #1 on Tripadvisor
An example, we changed how we did our pizzas and we had a lot of positive feedback but also a few negative. On the basis 99% of people don't complain we worked out that in reality it was more bad than good. We changed them back ASAP! Since then only positive.
We had one "not so sure" comment about a specific dish. All 5 in the kitchen ate what came back. Customer was wrong, dish was fine. Customer still got another dish FOC.
We had a few "queries" on a dish that used varying cuts of meat. Dish was standardised to use a specific cut only. No more issues, happy customers
At the end of the day kitchens put out what one particular chef or owner thinks is right. They may be wrong! We have adapted a lot of what we do to meet our regular customers tastes and we constantly question what we do. I spent a good hour today with my head chef literally arguing about the amount of roast garlic in a flageolet puree!
IMHO if a restaurant doesn't listen to it's customers (both right and wrong) it shouldn't be in business.
/ Hence why we did 70+ for lunch and are fully booked for dinner tonight
// Still #1 on Tripadvisor
davido140 said:
Well give us a link to your website then, or PM me if that would be advertising!
If I'm ever in your neck of the woods I'll make a point of popping in for some nosh!
I think this is Tony's restaurant?If I'm ever in your neck of the woods I'll make a point of popping in for some nosh!
Shaw Tarse said:
I think this is Tony's restaurant?
Moules, duck and creme brûlée please!!!Perfect excuse for a road trip when I get the new car in 2012,
Always free glass of wine for fellow PH'ers. 
Been a bit of a mission getting it going in the right direction but feel as if we are nearly there. Certainly not an easy option but then nothing worthwhile is.
New "refined, ie. no shorts" dining room opening this week!
Been a bit of a mission getting it going in the right direction but feel as if we are nearly there. Certainly not an easy option but then nothing worthwhile is.
New "refined, ie. no shorts" dining room opening this week!
Edited by 21TonyK on Friday 30th December 21:48
21TonyK said:
Always free glass of wine for fellow PH'ers.
Been a bit of a mission getting it going in the right direction but feel as if we are nearly there. Certainly not an easy option but then nothing worthwhile is.
Knew "refined, ie. no shorts" dining room opening this week!
maybe get someone to speelcheck your menus for you. just a thought.Been a bit of a mission getting it going in the right direction but feel as if we are nearly there. Certainly not an easy option but then nothing worthwhile is.
Knew "refined, ie. no shorts" dining room opening this week!
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