If you're not happy with your food, do you ever send it back?

[tfoster]

It seems that when I read things on the boards about people not liking their food, I don't hear much - if anything - about sending it back or asking for something different. I'm not used to just accepting subpar meals. If I have a problem with my food, I say something and expect it to be fixed. Is that acceptable at Disney? Hopefully, on our upcoming trip it won't happen, but if it does, is it silly for me to think I can send the food back?

 

[ParkPrincess]

Absolutely! If you're not happy/satisfied with your entree, by all means, send it back. Don't feel silly at all.

Now, I have never sent anything back b/c there was nothing wrong with the food. I just didn't like it. Not my taste. If there were something wrong with it, I would definitely send it back.

 

[jenrose66]

I can't bring myself to send it back, I worry they'll do something not so nice to my food.

 

[KristenHoneymooner]

I can't bring myself to send it back, I worry they'll do something not so nice to my food.

ditto. I have acquaintances who've worked at restaurants, and they say to NEVER send food back -- unpleasant things will happen to whatever they serve you next

 

[mom2my3kids]

You know I have worked at IHOP for 9 years and I have NEVER seen anyone do anything to food. And we have had people send stuff back numerous times over and over. While alot in the moving "Waiting" is right on track, the part where they do stuff to the steak is so wrong. I have people order eggs OE and then get so mad when the whites are runny. They can't accept they are wrong when they order, I mean if you want your whites done and the yellow runny its called OM not OE people.. But seriously they don't do anything to your food, they may gripe among themselves but that is about it..

 

[my3disneygirls]

It seems that when I read things on the boards about people not liking their food, I don't hear much - if anything - about sending it back or asking for something different. I'm not used to just accepting subpar meals. If I have a problem with my food, I say something and expect it to be fixed. Is that acceptable at Disney? Hopefully, on our upcoming trip it won't happen, but if it does, is it silly for me to think I can send the food back?

I would not try to think about it before your trip. Sometimes negativity can become a self for filling prophecy. You don't want to go into a restaurant thinking 'what will I do if the food is not to my liking'.

 

[branv]

It depends. If it is just a matter of the dish turning out to be something I don't care for then it's my fault, not the restaurants (assuming, of course, the description adequately described what I was getting). I would just chalk that up to a learning moment. However, if the restaurant is clearly at fault - a steak ordered medium coming out well done, asking for something to be removed (onions, a sauce, etc) and it isn't - then I would very politely explain to the wait person my problem. As long as you're nice to them i.e. I even apologize that I have to make them do extra work...I may not really feel sorry, but you win more flies with honey than vinegar and it seems to put them in a very understanding, apologetic mood in return...i.e. no spitting in the food . Though sometimes, you can't win no matter how nice or justified you are. I once sent back a plate at a mexican restaurant b/c I found a big chunk of plastic bag under my beans!! The manager came over and practically accused us of planting it. (He's lucky I was so young at the time, b/c now I would have gone off like a rocket!) More recently, at a small place in town, we took one bite of a cheesecake and spit it out. Called the waiter over and explained that the cheesecake was inedible! He was very dubious, and reluctantly took it in back where we watched him point to us and explain to the owner. The owner looked at us, rolled his eyes, and started griping, tossing his arms in the air, what not. Then he took a bite of the cheesecake....boy did the look on his face make it worth while. He came out to apologize and explain that in making the strawberry sauce, his wife had mixed up the sugar with the salt. But he still acted irritated with us.

 

[acourtwdw]

if the wait staff asks me what I think about the food, I am honest. There have been times at WDW where it was my fault in ordering and they still asked if I would like something different. They brought me new food and there wasn't a problem.

 

[DisneyNotes]

It seems that when I read things on the boards about people not liking their food, I don't hear much - if anything - about sending it back or asking for something different. I'm not used to just accepting subpar meals. If I have a problem with my food, I say something and expect it to be fixed. Is that acceptable at Disney? Hopefully, on our upcoming trip it won't happen, but if it does, is it silly for me to think I can send the food back?

If anything is delivered incorrectly, I send it right back. If I just ordered and don't like it, I keep it and live and learn (or trade with my husband, who'll eat anything!).

 

[I'mNoPrince]

We send it back but try to do it in a nice way.

Most of the time it's not the servers fault or even the chefs sometimes it's just how they interpert and we do as 2 different things so it's easy to say make it a bit darker or could you stop this from mooing a bit more and get a laugh out of it.

 

[SharkyGoddess]

ditto. I have acquaintances who've worked at restaurants, and they say to NEVER send food back -- unpleasant things will happen to whatever they serve you next

Oh me too! I have heard horror stories!

 

[shellybaxter]

I've only sent a plate back once at WDW. It was a steak at LeCellier. We had a not great waitress. When I order I said I'd like my steak cooked medium well. She repeated it back and it sounded like she said medium rare. I again said "medium well". She said what sounded like "medium rare" again. For a third time I tried to annunciate the words "medium well" and she got a little attitude and said whatever she had been saying again. She finished taking the rest of the orders at the table and left.

When she brought out the plates my steak was cooking medium rare - it even had a medium rare marker. I waited about five minutes for her to return to our table and explained that I had ordered my steak medium well. She apoligized and took the steak back to the kitchen. Twenty minutes later I was still waiting for my steak and the rest of the table was finishing their entrees. She came over and began clearing the plates. She asked if we'd like to see a dessert menu. I told her I might like to see a dessert menu but I'd like to eat my steak first. She said something like "oh" an then went back to the kitchen and brought my steak. It was cooked more to my liking but certainly wasn't hot and the berinaisse sauce I'd ordered was stone cold.

My "sending back the food" expirience didn't go very well so I think twice before doing it again.

 

[Uncleromulus]

If it's cooked wrong, undercooked, etc or something like that, I'll send it back.
If I just happen "not to like it"--that's my own fault.

 

[SauceBoss]

I can't bring myself to send it back, I worry they'll do something not so nice to my food.

Nothing to worry about - these things do not happen in large-company restaurants. There are too many sanitation rules and laws for food handling to allow for this to happen. Not only is it extremely unprofessional and immature, but it's also illegal.

 

[MickeyNicki]

If I try a something new and I do not like it (personal taste) then I will order something else and expect to pay for both entrees. If I order something and it is over or undercooked, tastes like it is bad (rancid, sour, etc), overly salted, temp not correct then I will send it back.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) If it tastes bad or not cooked as I ordered, I send it back.
2) Some people have an easier time taking a bad Big Mac back than a cooked meal.
3) But, I am paying for the meal, and want it as ordered.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

I feel it's the height of rudeness to send your meal back unless there is something terribly wrong with it. I only ever once sent anything back. It was a steak...and there was something WRONG with that steak. Like...hmmm...was this left out on the counter all night gathering bacteria type wrong...not, oh this is a tad overcooked wrong.

DH will send back burgers at fast food places if they mistakenly put on condiments, but that's only because he is 100% condiment phobic and won't even touch something with ketchup on it.

 

[MickeyNicki]

I feel it's the height of rudeness to send your meal back unless there is something terribly wrong with it. I only ever once sent anything back. It was a steak...and there was something WRONG with that steak. Like...hmmm...was this left out on the counter all night gathering bacteria type wrong...not, oh this is a tad overcooked wrong.

If I am paying $30 for a steak dinner and I asked for it to be cooked medium then I expect them to cook it medium ...it is my right as a customer to have food cooked the way I want it (steak) and if that food comes to me well done you bet your bippy I am going to send it back, to me that is something seriously wrong with the meal.

 

[sotoalf]

I find it hard to believe that restaurants still find time to reward a complaining customer by adding extra "garnish" to their food. Think about how BUSY your average Disney kitchen is. If they don't have time to go to the bathroom, how can you expect a chef to take care of business on a ill-prepared steak?

 

[ncsastudent]

I agree! It is not rude at all to send something back if there is something WRONG with it. If you just don't like the food cuz it's something new you haven't tried, or something... no don't send it back. But if you ordered a medium steak and it came rare, or well done... then yes, you as a paying customer have a right, and should exercise that right, to return the product that you are paying for.

To take your money for a steak they promised will be medium, but then delivered as well done, is false advertisment on their part. However, it is up to you to fix this, and can be done so easily.

Anyone who spits in someone's food is low life trashy scum. Period. They are not worthy of employment at even a McDonalds let alone Disney World. I would fire them on the spot, and prosecute them. You can actually be charged with assault for doing such a thing as spitting in someone's food. As the attack can be pushed as an "attempt" to spread disease or illness to another person. The first case of a successful prosecution for this was after an inmate spat at a police officer. So yes, if caught, serious charges could also be filed against the employee. As an employer it would give me great satisfaction to prosecute the kind of scum who would do something like this.