When you didn't like your meal in a restaurant...

[vickalamode]

What do you do when you don't like your meal in a restaurant? In the instance where nothing was wrong with the food itself (meat not cooked the way you wanted it etc.)-you just ordered a dish that you thought you would enjoy but didn't care for it.

What would you do? What would you expect the restaurant to do?


I'm asking because my family owns a restaurant and I've been working there for a long time. This comes up sometimes, a customer didn't care for the dish they ordered and although there was nothing wrong with it (meat not cooked right etc) they don't want to pay for it. We definitely want our customers to leave happy and we usually offer them an alternative dish from the menu, although we almost never offer to remove it from the bill all together as some income is better than none. And, we want the customer to eat a meal that they enjoyed so that they will return because they liked the food, rather than just taking it off the bill and having them not want to come back because they didn't like their meal.

Our restaurant is a very inexpensive 50's themed family restaurant, and we keep our prices very low. As such, our profit margin after paying employees and bills is not very high and we simply can't really afford to comp meals left and right like some places can (I worked at a fancy, expensive Italian restaurant in a wealthy community for a little while and they would comp meals for the most trivial of reasons, like there was a wait for a table...but they could afford it since their prices were so outrageous!)

So what are people's opinions on this? What do you expect out of the restaurant if you just don't like your dish? Does your opinion on this depend on the type of restaurant you are in? For instance, a diner vs. a fancy restaurant? Family owned vs. chain?

 

[merekc]

If I don't like what I chose and there was nothing wrong with it, I do not expect it comped. I also typically do not say anything about a dish if it is not prepared correctly, unless it is unedible. Even sometimes when it is unedible we will just set it aside and not worry about it (especially depending on price).

I do however appreciate when the wait staff notices that we didn't eat something and inquires if there was a problem with it. Then if there was a true problem that I was just going to let go, sometimes they will comp it which is appreciated.

I do think too many people try to get comped anymore when it isn't deserved.

Could you maybe offer a coupon for a free dessert or appetizer for these situations? You could even have a coupon for a particular item that has the lowest cost to your business. Just a token. That way you are not out the full price of the meal and you are giving them a reason to return. I would give it out in a nice way indicating that since the meal wasn't what they were expecting, you hope they come back and try again.

 

[tlenzendorf]

I personally just suck it up. I'll either eat it, order something else, or see if someone else at the table likes and and wants to trade. It's not the restaurant's fault I ordered something and don't like it. I don't expect any comped meals.

 

[sk!mom]

If I chose it and there's nothing wrong with it, I just chalk it up to experience. I now know what not to order.

I wouldn't complain or say anything about it. On a few occasions, I've ordered something that I disliked so much that I couldn't eat it and the wait staff asked about it. I simply replied that I didn't care for it. In that case they've almost always asked if I'd like something else. I've always declined as everyone else at the table was finishing and would have to wait. I remember once when it was removed from the bill- not at my request, though. The couple of other times a comp dessert was sent to the table- again not at my request.

If you want to do something, I think sending the dessert is a nice gesture but not necessary for me to go back. It honestly doesn't happen often to me.

 

[Madison'smommy]

As long as what I ordered was prepared correctly, I would never expect them to do anything about my meal. If they happen to notice it it not eaten or pushed aside, and offer another entree.. I may take them up on it. Just depends.

 

[clanmcculloch]

To me it depends.

If a server really pushes a meal, especially unsolicited, then I do expect an alternative to be offered. I expect to pay for the meal I get in the end. The same is true if I ask the server specific questions about the dish and what's served does not match the answers I was given. The same is also true if the menu description does not represent the meal I'm served.

If I order and what's served is what was described in the menu and there's nothing wrong with the meal and it matches the description in the menu then I expect to pay for my meal even if I didn't enjoy it. I figure at that point it's my own fault for either not reading the menu correctly or for not ordering something I'd know I like. How is that the restaurant's fault?

That being said, I have had servers and cooks notice that DD10 wasn't eating food that was put in front of her and they've offered to get her something else. If they've offered then I expect to only pay for one meal (I'm fine with it being the more expensive one but I still expect only one). I would never ASK for a replacement meal based on her fussiness and I have let her sit staring at her full plate the whole meal (I'm trying to teach her to make sure to order what she'll like and not waste food; she'll survive not eating) and I pay for it each and every time, but if an alternative is offered then I would expect to not have to pay for what is offered as I would not normally have ordered a second meal.

 

[Dacky619]

I personally just suck it up. I'll either eat it, order something else, or see if someone else at the table likes and and wants to trade. It's not the restaurant's fault I ordered something and don't like it. I don't expect any comped meals.

This is well put, and that is how I'd respond at a cheap place or somewhere expensive. I ordered it, it is my fault if I don't like it.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

As long as the item was served as presented on the menu, I'd certainly not expect to be compensated in any way. (Example- if it arrived covered in mushroom gravy that wasn't mentioned in the description, or something like that rendering the meal quite different, I'd ask for something else.)

As PP said, I think offering a coupon for a future dessert/appetizer is a fair compromise if you want to make them happy another time.

That said, sometimes a customer is such a PITA, you're going to lose them no matter how nice you are!

 

[maggiew]

If I ordered something and ended up not liking it, I would think it was my fault. Probably I would switch plates with DH (who will eat pretty much anything) or one of the kids, if they thought they would like it and I would like theirs. I would make up the remainder of my meal with bread, salad and maybe order dessert if I felt I wasn't full.

Actually, we just did this at Fridays a week or so ago because my DD ordered a caribbean chicken sandwich (or something llike that) and ended up not liking it. DH and DD switched plates. I also offered up some of my food too.

However, we were sitting by a large table and noticed that one at that table was in deep conference with her server after eating a bite of the meal. A little while later the manager came over with another plate and said something like, "I hope you like this better." or close to that.

So, I know that people do "complain" or request something else, etc.

Maggie

 

[Praying Colonel]

I'm responsible for what I order. If it's prepared properly and I just didn't like it, I wouldn't say anything.

 

[tomthebarncat]

If I don't like a dish, I will either have my DH eat it and order something else, or box it up and take it home. I do not expect the restaurant to "eat" the cost of my meal. I would pay for it, if you are a mom and pop place with affordable eats, please stay that way, or you will have bigger problems.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

I would just pay for it and remember not to order it next time. I did order something that they had just added to the menu once at Red Lobster and the server asked me what I thought and I told her that I didn't care for it. She gave me a coupon for a free dessert on my next visit and I thought that was really nice of them, I hadn't expected anything.

 

[luvmy3]

I wouldn't expect the restaurant to do anything.

 

[abbyndrewmom]

Recently I ordered a Chicken Caesar Salad at a bar type restaurant, well it ended up being half croutons and half salad. The waitress never came back to check on us so I just ate around the croutons pushing them to the side. By the time I was done the bowl was more than half full or croutons. Finally the waitress came by with our check and my dh showed her the salad and how little of it was edible - I was hoping they might only charge me for half a salad but they did end up taking the whole thing off my bill which I appreciated.

 

[manhattan]

If I just did not care for the item, I would just have them wrap it up and give it to my husband to eat at home. However if it prepared differently than described, I would say something to the server. Once I ordered a meal and specifically asked the server if it had curry since I was not a fan and he told me no. Well the plate came out and what is that aroma? Curry...he took it right back to the kitchen. The few times that I (or my kids) have not liked what we ordered, the waiter will ask us if there was something wrong with the dish, when we say nothing, they have always asked if they can get me something different, if I say no, a few times they have brought me a dessert so that I don't leave hungry. But, no, I am not one of those that demands a comped meal.

 

[rockundergirl]

I want to throw something out in the mix that happens to me all the time!

If i order something ,just don't like the flavor... oh well. Thats my bad.. i normally order something else and take it home for my boyfriend to eat later.


But.... this happens all the time and drives me nuts! I order something and it has additives not listed on the menu. The other day I went out to chili's and I ordered the white choc molten cake... I love white chocolate! When it comes to the table its covered in strawberry sauce... yuck... i hate strawberry sauce :-( so i sent it back... I feel badly, but i still send stuff like that back.

 

[DVC-Don]

Ran into this a couple of weeks ago. I ordered a steak, medium. Meal came with steak very well done. I did not eat any of it and called the waitress over to take it back. She then returned and said they were out of steak and would I like to order anything else. I said not as my family all had their meals and we had waited quite a while for them. Short time later the chef/owner comes out and asks why I did not want anything else. I explained that we had waited a long time for our meals and my family would be done eating by the time I got another meal. He then noticed my wife had not eaten much of her meal and asked her what the problem was. She explained it had come cold and had searched the breading but could not find much of the eggplant. He then called the waitress over and took the check and ripped it up and threw it on the table and walked off. We immediately left but left $5 on the table for the server. Weird.

 

[Cruise]

I'm in the camp of, I ordered it, my fault. But I also agree with the posters that say this only applies if the item is exactly as presented on the menu. If it comes prepared a different way or with something added on, then I'll point it out and either send it back to get it the way it's presented on the menu or ask for something else. If I just don't like it because it isn't what I expected but is still the same as on the menu, then I'll suck it up and eat it without saying anything.

For the customers who insist on sending something back just because they didn't like it, I'd say offer a different meal, but don't offer to comp. There's no such thing as a free lunch. This might be made easier if you make it "an official policy" and maybe have something printed up nicely to put behind the register or close to the door.

 

[secretpantssam]

I personally just suck it up. I'll either eat it, order something else, or see if someone else at the table likes and and wants to trade. It's not the restaurant's fault I ordered something and don't like it. I don't expect any comped meals.

This what I do. Why would I expect a free meal out of it? If my taste-buds don't enjoy it, it's not the restaurant's fault.

 

[scrapquitler]

What do you do when you don't like your meal in a restaurant? In the instance where nothing was wrong with the food itself (meat not cooked the way you wanted it etc.)-you just ordered a dish that you thought you would enjoy but didn't care for it.

What would you do? What would you expect the restaurant to do?

If I simply didn't like the dish, and there was nothing wrong with it, I would NOT say anything nor would I expect the restaurant to do anything about it.

Why should the restaurant have to compensate me for something that I didn't like? So if I've never had swordfish, and I decided to try it, it's not the restaurants fault that I didn't care for it if it was properly prepared, cooked to the doneness that I requested, etc.

But of course, I wouldn't tell people that I was dissatisfied, either.