Would you send it back??

[deelady]

When dining at a restaurant, at what point of non satisfaction woulld you actually send your plate back to the kitchen?
I have several times wanted to but rarely ever do, it would have to be severely wrong for me to send it back, like meat so raw it looks like they just seared the outside. But there have been several time I WISH I could but I guess I have that fear in the back of my head of them messing with my food! Have heard way too many stories!!
One example of me wanting to send something back but instead I just choked it down was I ordered a "Warm Bacon Vinagrette Salad" when I received it the dressing tasted like it was literally just taken from the fridge, even the bacon was not at all warm...but instead of complaining I just glumly ate it...

Any one have this issue? And how do you deal with it?

 

[pdswife]

For me it really depends on what I'm paying... since I believe that I get what I pay for. Fast food.. I never take back, I expect to get yucky food and I get it. If I'm paying 50 dollars for my dinner I think they should get the order correct and will ask them to fix it if it's wrong and that includes too cold or under cooked.

 

[deelady]

What about an in between establishment, say 15.00 plates 9.00 salads ect..??

 

[suziquzie]

Dee I'm a complete doormat...
I don't get to go out to eat much, and when I do it's not real expensive... so like Trish said I can't expect much.
But I really wanted to at Perkins this weekend...... I think they made my fries and let them sit until everyone elses' (4) omlettes and pancakes were done.

 

[pdswife]

Dee, I guess it would depend on the place and the reputation it had. I tend to put up with a lot though. I don't like to send things back, so I don't do it very often.

 

[deelady]

My best friend and her whole family in fact will send anything and everything back without hesitation! They even somehow get more meals than I can count taken off their bill! Which I always felt was not called for. But seeing them I can't help but to feel as you said Suzi, a complete doormat!
Once I even had a worm in my food and all they did was give me a free meal even though I already had a buy one meal get one free coupon....but I didn't argue I just wanted to be done with it. I did however never return to the place, not because of the worm, I understand that happens with certain veggies, but because of the attitude I received.

 

[pdswife]

lol.. even with Micky D's... the worm.. I'd return!

 

[deelady]

well if it was micky d's....sadly I'd return too!!

 

[BreezyCooking]

I only return if something is really out of whack - i.e. I receive something I definitely didn't order (flounder stuffed with spinach instead of crabmeat) or something is totally cold (as in the case of a steak one time - actually frozen in the middle).

Unlike some folks, I never send something back simply because I decide I don't like it. I feel that that's just rude & taking advantage.

 

[Maverick2272]

I too rarely send something back, it has to be pretty wrong before I will. And when I do, I am very polite about it and thank them for fixing it for me. I think the worst was an Old Country Buffet that was horrible. They gave us free meal coupons to make up for it. And at fast food joints, I only go back if they gave me the wrong stuff or got something wrong or forgot something, otherwise I don't worry about it.

 

[luvs]

i ask fer a manager to recieve a re-fund, though i won't return a meal, as i don't want tampered-with food.

 

[jpmcgrew]

When I was chef at a place close to the place I worked in the ski area I once sent back a dinner called Tequila Shrimp with I think pasta the shrimp was not peeled or deveined and had been cooked so long you couldn't even pull the shrimp apart without a lot of effort and I mean a lot of effort they offered another meal but I just stayed with my salad I was just to irritated. The other thing I may send back is in a sit down place and I'm getting french fries I want them brownish and crispy on the outside not white and limp. I have noticed in the past couple of years they seem to tend to under cook french fries in a lot of places. Other than that that I will send back something that is just terrible but if I do I wont order something else and I never return. It never ceases to amaze me how a place can ruin a simple meal although I must say it happens rarely but when it dos it is really disappointing. Not to mention some of the most mediocre meals I have had I don't send them back but still disapointed but that only happens when I travel because I have no clue where to go. This includes room service or a delivery at a hotel some are right on and some are totally off.

 

[babetoo]

i send or take it back. always. doesn't matter what kind of place. fancy or take out or pizza delivery. at any price food should be as billed. fries-hot , chicken-done-steak -rare. i may not take another meal but insist on either i don't pay for it, or i get a coupon for a free meal. they take my money, they better deliver it right.

 

[PytnPlace]

Depends, if it's a question of quality -over or undercooked to extreme, yes I'll send it back. If my FF are cold, I'm bummed cuz I love ff and hardly ever have them, but I don't sent them back. I just don't eat 'em. If it's that I don't like the dish because the taste doesn't meet my expectations, well, that's a bummer as well. I'm just not going to order that dish again.

 

[Dave Hutchins]

As a chef I all ways checked my dinning room during service when time permitted and was quick to rectify something that was not what they wanted. I instructed my wait staff to check and not to be shy about bringing something back for what ever reason.
As a result I had a long tenure at my country club during the reign of three different managers. Which being a chef is a lot like a foot ball couch if you don't wow the fans you don't have a job

 

[Michael in FtW]

I have no problem sending something back if what I get is not what I ordered. Fortunately, this has probably only happened 5-6 times in my life (and I'll be 60 in 3-4 weeks).

One thing - one IMPORTANT thing - is don't get rude with your waitperson, be polite. Kitchens screw up orders some times - your waitperson didn't cook the food. I've never had a problem getting the problem resolved ASAP by being polite ... and I've seen some real jerks make a big boisterous show (like they were going to impress someone by berating the waitperson) and they were still waiting for their meal when I finished and paid the check.

 

[sattie]

I'm with Michael on this one. If what I ordered is wrong, or something does not come out right (over cooked, under cooked, don't taste right), it goes back. We eat out alot and pay good money expecting good food.

When sending back food, I do it with the utmost respect for the waiter and cooks/chefs. Things happen and some places have a bad night. I am polite and understanding as long as they are willing to hear and address my complaint. If they take care of me the right way, I will reward the waiter for their attentiveness despite whatever came out wrong with our food. I have been to some places where they could care less that I got an unsatisfactory meal.... last time I go there!

 

[lyndalou]

Michael and Sattie have it right. A friend's son once told me that instead of leaving and complaining to others about whatever you are dissatisfied with,(thereby causing a loss of potential customers) let the wait staff or whomever know so that they can fix it.

 

[BreezyCooking]

Yup - more agreement. Always be polite. You're sadly mistaken if you think you're going to get better treatment &/or service if you behave like some kind of rude, sarcastic animal - regardless of the mistake(s) the restaurant made.

 

[jabbur]

If it is the wrong order, back it goes. That has only happened once or twice. There have been times the entree is correct but they may give me different sides. That stays and I usually eat the sides anyway. Only twice did I want to send food back and neither time did I do it. Once at a Don Pablo's our food was cold. It was room temp so who knows how long it had to be sitting to be cooled down that much from cooking. The other time we were at a steak place with friends and I ordered a med rare steak and it was more than well done. Again I choked it down because we were with friends. I didn't want to make everyone else wait while I ate after them. I'm usually the slow eater in the group to start and usually the last to finish. I was younger then too. Now I think I would speak up more.