Returns in Restaurants

[ironchef]

If you're going to send a dish back, at least do so after you've taken a couple of bites so that it gives the restaurant a chance to redo their mistake. Many people complain and moan after they've eaten the entire dish, which leaves the only option for the manager is to comp. the dish. These people aren't trying to help the restaurant, they're just trying to get a free meal.

 

[ChefJune]

quote]the only option for the manager is to comp. the dish.[/quote] The dish SHOULD be comped! but I agree, tif the dish is unsatisfactory, you should make your complaint and NOT eat any more of the offending dish!

 

[ironchef]

I don't think foods should be automatically comped; it depends on the situation. If the dish is refired, done properly, and the guest enjoys it, it doesn't necessarily have to be comped. Most times in that situation, the guests aren't expecting it to be comped anyway. If the manager wants to give the guest something in goodwill, better to just take off an appetizer/salad or send them out a comped dessert.

Of course if the dish is removed after the guest has only eaten a few bites and doesn't want anything else, then yeah, that should automatically be comped.

 

[VegasDramaQueen]

We had a bad experience at La Madeleine French Bakery and Restaurant in Georgetown. We ordered the chicken salad sandwiches (3 of them) and got salty chicken salad. But I mean "SALTY" to the point you couldn't even taste the salad but only salt. Gross! I was tempted to return our meals but DH asked me not to-he doesn't like returns of any kinds. He was lucky he ordered quiche and his was fabulous! We ended up having only our desserts for dinner that night. At least we ate. If this ever happens again, I will certainly return the meals until I get my money's worth.

Do I get the idea that your husband was making you eat something that was unsatisfactory? Extremely salty food is horrible and I can't imagine why you didn't stand your ground and send it back.

 

[Claire]

There are extremes, and twice since I've lived here in small-town-midwest where everyone is almost always infalliably polite, I've seen two large groups (years apart, in different towns) eat over 3/4 of their dinner, drink copious amounts, and try to walk out w/o paying, insisting that the (consumed) meal was unacceptable. Ironically, both groups were biker groups. I say IRONICALLY because before here I lived for six years in the Daytona Beach area, where there are two major bike weeks a year (i.e., more bikers in any given month than both these towns ever see, put together), and everyone loves to see them come, and never, and I do mean NEVER seen that behavior. Yet both towns (and both restaurants) still maintain that they love bikers and welcome them. There are always people who will try to get over on a restaurant. If you're returning food (or a wine or drink), you'd better darned well not eat most of it before hand.