The Wave: How would you react to this experience?

[ChadinTexas]

Just got back from a great week at Disney World with the family, but had one really questionable experience. My party of 5 people had a dinner reservation at the Wave. The food was fine, until a member of our party found a live caterpillar in their salad. Gross. The waitstaff and manager were very apologetic and comped her salad and added a free sundae for the person who ordered the salad. My question is this, should everyone at the table get their meal comped in this situation? Ultimately, the value of a free salad and a simple sundae couldn't be more than 5-10 bucks. It just seemed a little cheap to me. Thoughts?

 

[GoingSince1990]

Maybe the response was a little bit cheap, but everyone at the table getting their meal comped would be too over the top. I would say a free dessert for everyone at the table would have been reasonable and fair.

 

[Meglen]

That's crazy!! What did theyeat instead? I would have asked for a new meal (or was this a side dish?) The meal comp and dessert was ok but I agree with pp the full table should have gotten ice cream and maybe a flat 10% off the bill.

 

[zebrastreyepz]

I would have been grateful for the replaced now free salad and the free dessert.

 

[MICKIMINI]

That is just disgusting. I really don't know what is "fair" except that what they offered was not sufficient.

 

[AnnaS]

I don't know about the whole table/party getting a free meal......

Maybe free meal for the one person affected &/or free dessert. OR

a 10-20% discount off the bill (and no charge for salad).

 

[JFDIS]

I think they should have comped the dinner of the person affected. The whole table seems overkill. Maybe desserts for the whole table.

 

[Dis703]

I think what they did was enough. It's a caterpillar not a cockroach. If anything it's a good sign the food was fresh. Expecting them to comp the entire table is a bit much. Personally, I would have been fine with an apology and a replacement salad.

 

[FCDub]

Seems fine to me.

 

[kanerf]

Hey, the caterpillar was just visiting WDW and wanted to try the salad at the Wave.

 

[LittleStinkerbelle]

Eeek! I wouldn't expect the whole table to be comped but maybe in addition to the sundae and free salad a replacement entree (assuming the salad was their entree, not sure) for the impacted individual would've been nice.

 

[loves to dive]

I think what they did was enough. It's a caterpillar not a cockroach. If anything it's a good sign the food was fresh. Expecting them to comp the entire table is a bit much. Personally, I would have been fine with an apology and a replacement salad.

My thoughts as well. It happens, probably more often than you would want to know. There rarely is a kitchen in a restaurant anywhere that does not have at least one roach in it. My family has been in the restaurant business my whole life and no matter how clean you keep your kitchen you can't keep them out. Caterpillars love their lettuce, no telling where that little guy hitched the ride. No reason to comp anything for the entire table, your food was fine.

 

[Boopuff]

The compensation was on point. Only the affected person should get a free meal. Why comp the whole table if the other meals were satisfactory.

 

[Allison]

No, the entire table should not be comped.

 

[epcotobsessed]

The restaurants I've worked in would have comped the whole table. It's really poor form to not have at least comped the caterpillar-finder's entire meal.

 

[Moliphino]

I think what they did was enough. It's a caterpillar not a cockroach. If anything it's a good sign the food was fresh. Expecting them to comp the entire table is a bit much. Personally, I would have been fine with an apology and a replacement salad.

I might not have wanted another salad at that point, but I agree - replace and comp the affected meal.
It's lettuce, unless you're inspecting every single piece (which I usually do when I'm home, but don't expect a high volume restaurant to do) stuff is going to slip through sometimes.

 

[DSLRuser]

My question is this, should everyone at the table get their meal comped in this situation? Ultimately, the value of a free salad and a simple sundae couldn't be more than 5-10 bucks. It just seemed a little cheap to me. Thoughts?

Uh NO!

Be thankful they are using food fresh enough to have a critter like a caterpillar in it. It sucks that it was missed. But the staff did the right thing comping the salad and giving a free desert. Asking for the entire meal to be comped is just over the top ambulance chasing.

 

[Geomom]

I think that's a good enough response for this issue, comping the affected item and offering a free dessert. I agree that a caterpillar at least means it's fresh! At a local restaurant that has since closed, I found a raw shrimp in my salad after I'd eaten half of the salad. grossed me out and I think all they offered was a new salad...no thanks! Never went back again! I'd have preferred a live caterpillar..at least that makes sense!

 

[Sargeant Tibbs]

At least you knew it was fresh! I don't think everyone's meals should have been comped, but dessert for everyone would have been appropriate. I used to manage a produce dept, and you'd be surprised what kind of little creatures hitch a ride into the grocery store, hiding in the produce - all sorts of little bugs, spiders, frogs, snakes. Still gross to find in your prepared salad, though.

 

[Ariel620]

I don't know what the appropriate response should have been, but I would have expected more as well, that would have grossed me out enough that I wouldn't have wanted to eat anything else, be it a new salad, a new meal, or a new dessert, so anything they comped at the meal would not have felt sufficient to me. I see I am in the minority here, and most people think that this was an ok response of the restaurant, but I've eaten out a lot in my life and very rarely if ever have had anything that bad happen. I would have expected more response, but the honest truth is I probably wouldn't have even been happy with more comped because the bug would bother me too much. I feel spoiled or entitled saying all that, and I wouldn't have asked for more, but I would have felt like I deserved more.