Had a coworker (two weeks of out of state training, employer reimbursed all meals and pit us in a hotel) ... coworker sent every single meal back. Expensive steak, lobster, even eggs! I got so tired of it and felt so bad for the staff. She would start by asking me... "is it supposed to be like this? Aren't I supposed to be happy?"
Never again will I be sitting with someone like this for two weeks. I found out why group transportation can be a problem.
It was too done. It wasn't done enough. Its red in the middle, ewww... you name it, she complained about it. I got suckered into "ride sharing" with her for a few weeks after, too. Shockingly, she complained about the trucks on the road, too. Around Charlotte, trucks are restricted they have to stay out of the inner "fast" lanes. She'd get right in the only lane the trucks could pass in, and ride along at the speed limit and get mad when the trucks would treat her aggressively. When I finally got her to understand the trucks point of view and just move over one more lane, things got a little bit easier. Happily, I am no longer working for that company, so no more interaction with her.
My stepmonster (I use this name too) also does this. She gets overly indignant about sending perfectly good things back. It’s so weird to me because in 15 years, I’ve never seen her actually pay for her meal. It’s me or dad.
Yes mine woukd touch the plate and then send everyone's food back. I'm like no mine is fine and had it yanked from me with fork in hand. She tried to send then2nd round back too but my dad finally said something.
I get on with her fine otherwise but she's awful in restaurants.
My friend, who I was a server with for years, does this. I hate going to restaurants with her and avoid it at all costs. She will get her plate, tear through it like she is looking for gold, like literally destroy it, smash the chicken, tear the burger into as many pieces as possible, slightly nibble at it and then shove it away like it’s on fire. Shake her head while making a face, saying it doesn’t taste right, she don’t like it, it wasn’t like this the last time she had it…..whatever. Sometimes she gets something else, but usually she just sits there and stares at me while I eat. And she’s a damn server. She would lose her mind if anyone ever pulled the shit she does. It’s insane. I hate it. And I don’t really like her either.
That actually sounds like disordered eating behavior. It’s classic to mess the food up around the plate to hide how little was eating and make excuses to not eat.
Also sounds like the stuff Gordon Ramsey does on his Kitchen Nightmare's show. Digs through all the food to find anything he can to criticize. Granted he has a REASON, I suspect hers is nonsensical
While I know that part of the show is necessary I don't like it. He orders a ton of food and barely eats any of it. Even if he were to like it there is no way he could eat it all. I also suspect that a lot of it is exaggerated. Again I know why they do it but but it seems like the food is almost always terrible. In my experience it's rare that food in a restaurant is fully terrible. If it's not good that's usually it, it simply isn't very good. Acceptable as sustenance only but not offensive.
He orders a ton of food because he’s trying to get a feel for all the different items on the menu. Can’t really decide if a restaurant’s entire menu sucks if you only order, like, one thing. Seems like common sense to me; try a bunch of food and if all of it sucks, he knows the place is absolute shit.
I gotta agree that this sounds eating disorder-ish. I don’t at all mean to diagnose someone over the internet based on so little info. But, from what info you’ve provided, it just reminds me of the things I would do when deep in an eating disorder. Mess my plate up so it looked like I ate and then try to divert everyone’s attention away from the fact that I didn’t. I hope that isn’t the case but the alternative sucks, too. Those types of guests are the. worst. It’s like they come in looking for an excuse to pay less, not tip, or get a free meal. Infuriating!
We smile, split it off the check and send out something else. It burns me up but it’s won’t do any good to argue. The food usually goes to the staff or dishwashers if it’s not touched. Occasionally I’ll hide it behind the bar for myself for later.
One time we had someone send back a steak and rice meal for being “burnt” we all were eating it and it was so good the steak was tender and the rice was seasoned perfectly lol I had to give my thanks to the chef for that one. The customer didn’t even try it just looked at it and assumed the steak was burnt
When people order a certain temp, don’t cut the meat, and send it back for being “overdone” I just fucking laugh tbh, like you haven’t even checked you doofus.
I HAD a friend that would do this. I used to be a cook, and the way she would bitch about her food EVERY single time we went out ( just us or a group), was embarrassing. She would send back quesadillas for crissake. FFS sake you KNEW it was just tortillas and cheese at a sports bar, what did you expect???
It's like an attention seeking thing I guess.
That's exactly what it is most of the time. My nephew was that way when he was younger. My wife and I used to joke that he ate more server spit than the rest of us combined,
I was a cook at some pretty busy sports bars for 4 years, in late 90's. I can count on one hand the send backs I ever had. Thats not a brag. We served good food. I feel like this bitch and complain mentality is more recent.
I have had some underwhelming plates served to me as well. I certainly never took that out on my server, I guess because I'm rational.
It has existed for a while. I have a niece and a nephew (one on my side, one on my wife's side), who in the few times I've eaten out with them have each returned more food than I have in my age 50 something life. I had former friends (and looking back wish they had been former friends much before they were) who also did a lot of returns.
I did Mexican restaurants and some chains in the early 2000’s. People sucked back then too, but that does track, I didn’t have a lot of full send backs.
Totally an attention-seeking thing. People like that are the absolute worst. It’s like they’re desperate to be a victim and cause a scene, even in the smallest of situations.
>It's like an attention seeking thing I guess.
It has to be the case for some people. If you are so picky that you always return food at least once, maybe consider not eating out.
I last ate at a restaurant with a buddy of mine and his wife about five years ago because of this. EVERY fucking time she would she would send something back, she would try to send other people's food back if she couldn't find something on her plate to bitch about.
It was super embarrassing and I simply stopped dining out with them because of it.
Your username is fitting here. This is the answer - to have a manager that’ll back up his staff and simply tell the idiots, “No.” I love to see a manager very politely telling a problem guest that they’re not going to get one over on their staff.
Woman started screaming at me that she hated olives, as though I had served them to her specifically to ruin her day. Olives were listed in the description on the menu.
From what I remember, she wouldn't let me get her a new dish or remake the current one. We're talking 5 olives in total, it would have been possible to remove them.
When I was a server I'd watch 5 servers destroy a chicken marsala or lasanga that was sent back! Lmao I was super nice to the kitchen staff and they'd always give me the extra make or if I just wanted some pasta or something basic they'd just hook it up.
I still miss my old fry-guy Kevin. He used to share the joints he smoked under the vent every night, and he knew exactly how I wanted my chicken wings.
If it was our mistake kitchen/server the customer isn’t charged. If it’s exactly how that item is supposed to come out and they just change their mind when it’s on the table they pay full price
I like when a guest has an issue with their food - maybe steak temperature, for example - so you have it remade, check on them to see if all is well this time, they confirm it is delicious and eat it all up so you obviously don’t comp the item, and then they rage that you didn’t give it to them for free. (Holy run-on sentence).
Sir, you devoured the entire thing and confirmed it was absolutely delicious. You ain’t slick. Why do you think I stood here and waited for you to cut into your steak and ensure the temp was to your liking? Why do you think I waited here for you to taste it and confirm that it tasted awesome? You think I’m just gonna give you a free steak, of which you nearly licked the plate? Nice try.
Also super frustrating when someone orders a notoriously fatty (but downright mouth-wateringly delicious) cut of steak, then complains, saying, “This steak was fatty!” Yeah, it’s a ribeye….
I have so many people get upset if the kitchen adds lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and pickles to their burgers, sometimes the mistake is on me for forgetting to put no whatever, sometimes it’s on the kitchen for not seeing it, and sometimes even when asked they don’t tell me to take it off. How hard is it to pick off those items? Our burgers come with the top bun off, and the lettuce touches the patty so the flavor of the tomatoes, onions, and pickles wouldn’t linger on any part of the burger. The lettuce covers the whole patty and hangs off the sides so legit no contamination to the burger what so ever. How hard is it to take the stuff off?
I served a guest a burger with that stuff on there because it WAS his burger and apologized that the kitchen had left it on there expecting him to pick it off, instead he passed it to another person that got a burger with no special requests on it and then later asked me where his burger was.
Uhm… I gave it to you? I don’t know why you passed it to another member in your party. If I serve you food and apologize for it being messed up, you can send it back and the kitchen staff will take off the lettuce and stuff for you, or you can do it yourself. He ate the other guy’s burger, complete with lettuce, tomato, onions, and pickles on it either picked off or eaten.
I just want to say I have a tomato allergy that requires an EpiPen. Can't touch the rest of the meal. But, I'm guessing that most of your complainers are just ass hats.
That’s me and mangoes.
I’ll request no mangoes, and remind the server that I’m deathly allergic.
I’ve only ever had to send back a plate once, and told the server, “I can’t touch this, the mango will kill me, I’m allergic.” She had an “oh shit” look on her face - she had forgot. It was fixed, no issues.
Yeah if it’s an allergy and I’m told it’s an allergy, it’s typed in so the kitchen sees it and the food runner sees it before it’s pulled and should be able to catch it if it’s an issue. And if it’s deathly I’ll put that on there too so they know it’s a major issue and they need to take extra precautions for it.
I'm allergic to walnuts. Makes a burning sensation in my mouth.
Restaurant had a sandwich on walnut focaccia, told the server my allergy.
The kitchen just flipped the bread over to hide the walnuts. One bite, I spit it on to the plate and was really mad. Server was mortified. Lots of water to rinse out my mouth and I stormed out.
For some people it's a mental thing, for others that truly dislike pickles or onions, the taste and smell do linger, even if it was sitting on the lettuce. Especially if you don't get rid of the lettuce?
I understand if they don't say anything to you about it. That's totally on them.
But if they did that's on you or the kitchen. Your job description literally is to bring them the food the way they ordered it.
It seems like there are servers who sometimes forget that the customers also worked hard for the money they are using to pay for their meal, so they have right to expect that if they ordered something a certain way, that is reasonable, then the server shouldn't get upset if it comes to the table "wrong" and the customer asks for it to be corrected.
I get that the server is maybe busy or it was the boh's mistake, but if I'm eating out, I'm part of the reason you're busy and have a job. I'm using my hard earned money to treat myself and support your place of work.
All that being said I want it understand that I rarely send anything back. I'm pretty easy going and not a picky eater. I also believe in tipping well for good service (25%+)
I also don't expect my food to be removed from the check if it was wrong. Just bring me the correct food and we're good, mistakes happen!
And I agree that a customer should never assume that an incorrect order is just going to be left at the table. That customer just passing the burger off was totally out of line!
I don’t have an issue taking it back, and if someone says “I can’t eat this because of x” even if it is just the taste lingers and they won’t like it, I get that.
I can’t eat icecream with nuts in it, and taking them out doesn’t always erase the taste which is what I dislike. I nearly cried once because I’d asked for sprinkles instead, got nuts, asked for it to be fixed, and they took off the whipped cream where the nuts were and it still wasn’t right. My ex brought it back inside and told them I was allergic and they remade it.
If it’s a problem I’ll fix it, I just need to know it’s that big of a problem so I can fix it properly vs someone just telling me “I didn’t want that on there.” Okay… what do you want me to do? Take it back? Do you want to take it off yourself? I just need to be told so it can be made right.
Those things can be taken off but things like mayo and mustard can't. I wouldn't send food back if I could pick off the stuff that is not supposed to be on there. I will send it back if there is a sauce/condiment on there that I don't like. I'm never rude about it, though. Everyone makes mistakes. As long as they fix it, I'm fine and I don't ask for it to be taken off my bill.
ETA: I rarely send anything back. I also ALWAYS ask for no mayo or mustard every single time I order.
Our burgers don’t come with Mayo, mustard, or ketchup. I wouldn’t mind taking back a burger for that kind of mess up.That’s a taste that can’t be taken off or covered up.
There were a couple times that they just tried to wipe it off and give it back to me. At that point, I watch them remake it or get my money back. This is usually fast food, though. It seems that they very rarely get it wrong at a sit down place. We don't get to eat at restaurants a whole lot because it's cheaper to make our own food but it's a nice treat once in a while. I think if you are polite and don't make a habit of sending things back, the server doesn't mind too much. I am very clear about what I want when I order and treat people with respect.
The one time I sent food back was when my son ordered a medium burger and it came back still mooing. Yuck. Asked if they could just chuck it back on the grill for a few more minutes.
I had to do that recently too, the burger was literally raw inside. I showed it to the server and her reply was: "Oh wow, yeah, I'd send that back too. I'll get a new cooked one out to you as soon as possible."
I had a burger like this, but I had brought it home with me. I tried to eat around the cold, raw part. That burger was $14 with chips, not including the tip. After that I always made sure to request it medium-well. Cause I somehow knew ordering it well would mean burnt.
Only once have I sent something back without trying it. I was at a Japanese restaurant and ordered a plate of nigiri, basically a mix of sushi. The nigiri that came out smelled so foul that I couldn't even try it. Just this super strong rotten fish smell.
I try really hard to never send food back, my Spouse will eat it or I'll find a way to doctor it up at home.
The only time I did send something back was because the server was insistent and felt really bad for me. I was heavily pregnant and trying to eat healthier, but the food I ordered smelt and tasted off (stupid pregnancy hormones messing with my tastebuds and sense of smell) - even though my Spouse tried it and it was made fine.
I was very apologetic to the server and told her it was fine, but she was adamant that she wasn't going to let a pregnant woman "starve".
This happened to me when I was doing chemo. I felt pretty good one day and my bf took me out for dinner. My steak was overcooked to hell and back, so I sent it back to get a new one. It also had turned out that red meat had begun to taste like shit to me (a common symptom of chemo). I didn't say anything after my steak came out the way i wanted, I just took it home and let my bf eat it. I felt bad for sending it back especially since I didn't realize it was more about my new tastebuds than anything, but if I order a med rare steak and it comes out well done then I'm going to say something.
I'm sure the steak tasted fine, but changing taste buds are a real thing. I was pissed that I couldn't eat Wendy's during one of the hungrier times in my life. Red meat was disgusting, but the steroids they had me on made me absolutely ravenous. I know chemo and a big appetite sounds contradictory, but it happened to me. I'd be eating a meal and start talking to my bf and mom about what I wanted for my next meal.
I also had a friend who got diagnosed with literally the same type of cancer at the same time as me. We went to dinner with her once and both of us were gorging ourselves, since we had the same dr and were on the same meds. Shit's wild.
Thank fucking god I work at a place where people don’t dare send food back for nonsensical reasons.
We’ve been open long enough we’ve trained guests to behave as well as it helps being in finer dining.
I think the only things we’ve ever had sent back were kitchen or server mistakes - if you change your mind or just don’t understand the dish you’re still paying for it so you might as well eat it.
Had a coworker who did this at every meal. Of course, our employer was reimbursing for every meal as well because per diem did not require a receipt. I swear this was a game. She even sent back french fries back at McDonald's and was reimbursed at a Benihaha's because the chef did not "engage" with us.
Playing games with reimbursements and per diems is playing with fire.
You think you’re getting away with it and maybe you are for a while. Management doesn’t care or acts as if it doesn’t care.
Then one day it cares. Perp gets fired and there’s not a damn thing he can do because it’s theft.
It’s how you get rid of troublemakers or rivals.
I love when people send our award-winning, 1st place festival winning food back. Like what kind of exquisite food are you eating that our festival-winning food "doesn't have no flavor"
We are a pie only bakery and I also love when people take it home, eat most of it then call and complain that they wanted/ordered a coconut but got a cheesecake instead and want a refund or replacement. Or leave a review about how they don't get the 'hype' of this place because their long lost auntie made it better at home.
I went to an “award winning” chicken place that was lauded as the best chicken in this big city before. It was meh at best. Like Costco and sams club rotisserie chicken would have been better kind of meh. Not saying they all are or that this place was always like that. Mostly just pointing out that just because they are award winning doesn’t mean they are perfect and will please every living person in the world.
These things are made by humans at the end of the day and humans make mistakes. So maybe today the chicken didn’t come out as great as It did yesterday.
Also when preparing food for competitions and festivals, restaurants will usually make sure they are putting their best foot forward and will try to do things as perfect as possible because awards and prestige are on the line. That doesn’t always translate to the every day operations of the restaurant.
I have yet to encounter a restaurant that is 100% consistent in flavor and how things are cooked or displayed between visits. Even the really fancy ones.
If the meal touches the table, we have to toss it. but if I have someone send something back before I even put it down, I'll just take it and we all eat the dead food.
I have sent food back due to order being wrong, over salted, etc. As I worked in restaurants where workers did bad things to reorders, I don't accept replacement food and just drink my drink.
Depends on the customer. We have this one guy that comes in, Sal. He is an Elvis impersonator. Yes, an Elvis impersonator. He sends his fettuccine back if it’s not the correct ratio of noodles to sauce. Like sends it back 5+ times. We just keep tossing it with sauce over and over lol. For most other customers it gets remade.
I sent my steak back. But to be fare it was well done. I asked for medium rare. They made no problem, I have worked both FOH and BOH, when a reasonable mistake is made there's usually no problem remaking it.
Y’all probably would hate me but if my dish comes out with onions or green onions on it, I always send it back. I have a hellacious allergy and hives are no fun. Not sure if that counts. I do always specify but I know it’s chaotic in the kitchen.
No, if you ask for it a certain way, it’s the restaurants fault if it isn’t correct. Now if you forget to mention it then I’d be tiffed, but people are human and it can slip their mind and an allergy is more of a reason than “wow it’s not what I thought it would be in my head even though the menu clearly describes what it is” 😁
If it wasn’t profound I’d never be extra about it but I can’t even eat the food that onion has touched so I can’t even ‘just pick it off’. Thank you for understanding.
We never mind if there’s a legitimate reason and you’re nice about it. Just gets bothersome when someone sends back their orange juice for being too orange
If you’re letting your server know that you have a sever allergy to onions of any kind, it should be specified on the ticket when it gets sent back to let the kitchen know so they can take extra precautions. Allergies are no joke.
Yep... the one time I was at a professional restaurant I told staff I had a food sensitivity. (Cheese caused migraines). Waitress stopped me. Few minutes later the cook appears. I ordered plain grilled chicken, vegetables. I figured that should make it easy for all concerned. To my surprise they cleaned the grill. And nobody at my table got any cheese, to which they weren't too happy, but they were ultimately okay, considering the reason. So, some places are capable of doing more, and being careful when a customer has a problem. Been more than 20 years ago and I still remember that...
Yeah I felt like an ass once because I had to tell a customer that we couldn’t guarantee things wouldn’t be cross contaminated if it was grilled or fried because the kitchen wasn’t prepared to handle a seafood allergy. We didn’t have a separate frier for non seafood items nor did we have a separate grill for non seafood items. Why they couldn’t clean it or grill in a small pan I’m not sure. The new place I work let us know that they’ll do what’s needed to help prevent issues.
Yep. That's obviously not the norm, but I worked at one spot in downtown L.A. where ya, ridiculous salary. I don't even want to know what the general manager's salary was.
It was a Japanese restaurant owned by Armenians. It was on the top floor of a downtown high rise near the US Bank building. They own another restaurant in that building too.
I won a big screen smart TV at the holiday party the last year I worked there. I wasn't the only one either.
ETA
Even my managers thought it was ridiculous pay.
In my life I’ve sent dishes back twice, and only because they truly tasted awful. Something was *off**.
If there’s a mistake in your order, you mention it. But otherwise you eat it unless it’s actually bag/gone off
Its a power move. Something like 2 out of 10 witnesses will be super impressed. I threw my great friend who pulls this shit out of my bar over treating champagne like this. Tried to pay for their other stuff and I told them its ok people like you are priced in so Im comping it. About sixmonths of not talking ended and they don’t act like that(at least with me) anymore. Wonderful person with that one shitty way about them. 11/10 experience, those kind of people can go to hell in those moments. Sorry you didn’t like exactly what you ordered box it and pay for another meal or gtfo.
We eat out alot (and I mean alot) and we’ve lived outside the US and found that Service and expectation have changed by MILES in the last 16 years. I love this group because you guys help me see the server’s view of various situations. Our family rule is, if you have questions about what the dish is like, ask. If you ordered it and it looks different, that’s your fault and you don’t ask for a new meal. If they didn’t do what you asked, sending it back is fair. Having said that, typically the only food I’ve sent back is overdone steaks (I’m all about medium rare, but will typically live with it anywhere from almost rare to medium-ish, if it’s outside of those parameters I send it back) and plates that have strawberries. People who send food back because it sprang look like they thought… read the menu and ask questions…
I had a co-worker send back fries because they were "too different in length." I was friends with the server and we were both like "You know how potatoes are shaped, right?" it was top 5 most embarrassed I've ever been in a restaurant.
The only good I’ve ever sent back was an eggs Benedict. I ate the first half, and went to cut the second egg and it was so cooked it was like a hard boiled egg. I still felt bad about that, but I couldn’t eat half of my breakfast. So I asked for a new egg. The egg was still on my plate but the server actually missed that it was my plate (thought I’d just eaten the second egg), and was like because you’ve eaten the egg we cannot replace it…I said I haven’t eaten the egg, then he realized the yellow thing on my plate was the over cooked egg…and rushed away for the replacement.
I’m not picky, but an egg with zero runny yolk on a breakfast dish (with very little hollandaise) designed for it to run, was a no go. Also won’t be getting eggs there again/because the ratios were bad on this Benedict all around
I think I've only ever sent something back once, because I asked for a Black and Bleu or even just a rare steak, and got straight up Well Done. They must have completely forgot it on the grill. I'm not paying $20 for shoe leather.
Besides that one extreme, I'll usually just eat whatever mistakes happen. Wrong side, wrong dressing, whatever.
Some people do this JUST so they can get their meals comped out, or so they don’t have to tip the server good or they are just plain salty. I’ve had people who complained about E V E R Y T H I N G! They didn’t like orange juice (which comes from Minute Maid in a machine and from MM themselves.), saying the OJ was “TOO THICK”. Another coworker and I tried it, found nothing wrong with it. Then they said they must’ve been used to a store brand OJ. Like, it’s not better than MM. The store brand is a generic version to them. But, whatever. Then they were suuuuuuuper complicated with what they ordered, I put it all in and with all the modifications, I forgot ONE thing. So, when I delivered their food, the one guest I kinda messed up on was upset about the modification I didn’t do for him, and I offered to get it remade for him, as that is what you should do as a server, right? (And at most places, when a guest sends food back, they get their order on the fly, which is like priority, and the original meal gets tossed out. I have worked at one place that if they guests didn’t touch their food or take a bite out, they called it a refire. Like, on a steak. It’s supposed to be medium, but it’s medium rare. If they didn’t take a bite, they throw that steak back on the grill and cook it a little longer. If they did take a bite, they throw it out and make a whole new steak.) Okay, we’ll, this guy said it was fine and he would take out the pieces he didn’t want. I go to the back for another table, that’s on the other side of the store (I would have like ten or so tables in every section of that place, which I quit at.), and my manager comes back saying that they complained about the guys food and one of the other two guests found a hair in their meal and wanted their food cooked again. Well, not even five minutes goes by and they leave. There are people who you can tell from the first second of just looking at them or when they open their mouths, that you already know they’re gonna be a problem. I have found from where I am from, that race usually has a big factor. And kids. Most people go in with kids for kids eat free or the cheaper prices for kids. And some adults order kids food so they don’t have to tip you good. And the ones that send something back because it “looks funny” to them, are awful too. I get highly annoyed by people when they do that, but you still have to wear a smile while unaliving them in your head for being very difficult guests.
Ive only ever sent something back once (and it wasnt me tbh but the person paying) and I felt so bad. I ordered a burger cooked a specific way and I got it and it was exactly the opposite of how I ordered and so I just decided I wouldnt eat it but id take it home and the person paying caught the waiter and sent it back for a new one, and I felt SO BAD. The waiter was so nice though and got a new one for me cooked the way I asked for it the first time (he even glanced at the one on the table and was like ‘wow thats the opposite of what you asked’). I hated that experience so much though. Never sending food back again
If you can't eat, when the rest of your table is eating, I feel like you should ask for them to fix their mistake. Now, if you forgot to tell them, or somehow you think the communication was unclear, that's different. But generally you should have food you can actually eat, that's why you are there.
I mean since the waiter agreed that I got the direct opposite of what I asked for I would assume it wasn’t miscommunication, but I still felt so bad about it. I really dont get how people can be serial food returners lol
It’s not your problem at all as the server. Just tell your manager and move on. I personally always take stuff off if someone doesn’t like it for whatever reason - doesn’t cost the restaurant all that much to create repeat business, assuming they don’t do it every single time, and if they do, it’s your manager’s problem.
A waitress once brought me a sundae and set the spoon down on the table top. I never let my silverware touch the table top. (I've worked in restaurants.) She picked it up and went for a replacement and my wife said. "She'll spit on it and bring it back."
No one spits on food or utensils. Way too risky. Servers don’t have time or privacy and if another server sees it take place, you’re probably getting ratted out. Then it’s very likely cops, lawyers and all the rest.
All to mess with someone who will never know his food got messed with.
Better to treat diner so his nice night out becomes super stressful.
If I send something back, I'm glad for the original to be taken away. But then, I very rarely send something back. I don't actually remember the last time.
Personally just ‘deal with it’ despite the frustration - what were they expecting? Did the menu description not match the dish? What are they looking for?
Ridiculous customers are inevitable, also sometimes the menu doesn’t represent the dish and that is fare enough. Just try to get them what they want.
I look at them like I hate them and then I fix it. Usually by myself bc if you tell our cooks something is wrong they start cussing and throwing a fit even tho we have an open kitchen. If they don't want it fixed I just take it off the bill or tear the bill up in front of them. If it's not a table I waited on, we loudly talk about it being a waste of food and imply they're immature. If it's untouched, we give it to other employees or even customers. We all hate wasting food.
This actually happens a lot with one of our Crawfish dishes. Travelers are never expecting it. I'd rather them get something they can enjoy. I'll actually tell some customers *not* to be adventurous. I'm like, this is a diner, get a basic breakfast then go get your touristy food elsewhere.
I’ve never really understood sending food back unless it’s severely messed up. I have had a few instances where something sounded different on the menu than what came out and I just ask for the menu to see what I missed. No big deal really.
Fortunately, I don’t have any food allergies. If something isn’t quite right it isn’t gonna ruin my day.
I sent food back once this year.
It was a farmhouse chicken dish. What came out was bland chicken in broth with a few veggies.
It was bland and awful. They took it back and I had it swapped out with a burger instead. It was no problem.
I rarely send food back. The one time I did I ordered eggs over easy and got eggs with runny whites. It was a dinner 20 feet from my apartment. So what did they do to fix it? They threw the same eggs back on the grill. Really? Couldn’t spare two eggs to try again? Well I started walking all the way across the street to go another dinner and I stopped going there. Then the rest of the neighborhood stopped going there. You know what happened next. It’s a shame.
I am sure I sent it back with an apology. But really? Couldn’t start with two fresh eggs?
I sent back two (expensive) steaks because the chef cooked the first steak medium because he couldn't imagine anyone wanting a rare (cool red center) steak.
The chef cooked the second steak to medium because he thought the waiter had not explained to me the reason he gave me something I did not order the first time.
It ended with the chef coming to the table to confirm my order.
I told him I wasn't looking to see if the third time was the charm, and that I'd be having the salmon.
Had customer INSIST on being made orange chicken but substitute the chicken for tofu, chef specially cut and fried the tofu extra crispy for the dish and when it came out him and his wife started laughing, I asked what was wrong and they told me that ALL of their food “looked gross” but especially the tofu in the orange sauce. At least they agreed to pay for their food and even tipped me but they didn’t touch ANY of it, not even the fried rice which is a very standard fried rice, same way any other place would make it. Felt like a huge waste to toss it but that’s the policy once it’s already been out to a table.
Meanwhile like 99% of people are mortified to have to send something back. My husband will just eat the wrong food, burnt food, cold food. Because he's been a waiter. I'm like "dude, just kindly ask for a replacement!"
At a local Mexican restaurant, I ordered what’s called a nachos over rice (or fajitas over rice, I can’t really remember now), but I told the server that I just wanted the rice, vegetables and queso. I didn’t want the chips (because I had a lot of dental pain and had a lot of bad teeth that were going to be extracted the next week so crispy chips would hurt like hell). Our food comes out and my food had the chips in it. I just looked at it, and decided to eat around the chips until they got soggy from the queso, then they’d be easier to eat. But my best friend noticed and remember I specifically said no chips, and flagged the server down to send it back, the whole time I’m trying to stop her because I don’t wanna cause a fuss and be “that person”. My mother was 1000% the “I want to speak to your manager!” Kind of person, and I spent a lot of my childhood embarrassed as hell because she was always doing that stuff. So I vowed I’d never be like that.
I told the server that my food was okay and I’d eat it the way it was, but even she insisted on taking it back because she said she remembered I said no chips and she put that on the ticket but the kitchen messed up. I felt really bad because I could have made due, eaten what I could and then taken the leftovers home and fed it to my cats (they LOVE chips, rice and veggies covered in queso!).
I even left a 50% tip because I felt so bad about my best friend sending my food back.
I sent food back twice in a row at a dam CHILIS when I was a 14 year old little shit and I cringe reliving that about once a month. Can’t imagine doing it as a grown adult
It depends on what it is. Ur not gonna order the most expensive thing & send it back for no good reason. I’ll offer to pack it up for u if u’d like to order something else.
I absolutely agree 💯. She retired from state government at the ripe age of 78. Apparently she did this her entire career getting comped for hotel rooms and meals on every frequent trip she took...I can't even begin to imagine or add up how much she must have pocketed...
Had a coworker (two weeks of out of state training, employer reimbursed all meals and pit us in a hotel) ... coworker sent every single meal back. Expensive steak, lobster, even eggs! I got so tired of it and felt so bad for the staff. She would start by asking me... "is it supposed to be like this? Aren't I supposed to be happy?" Never again will I be sitting with someone like this for two weeks. I found out why group transportation can be a problem.
"No, sir/ma'am. Food will not make you happy. Can I recommend lots and lots of therapy?"
"I'm afraid, this restaurant doesn't offer therapy. Would you be interested in a lot of booze?"
Nah, you'd be responsible for overserving in that case. Not worth it.
Perhaps meds?
Awful my stepmonster does stuff like that. Some people really shouldn't eat out. What were her reasons?
It was too done. It wasn't done enough. Its red in the middle, ewww... you name it, she complained about it. I got suckered into "ride sharing" with her for a few weeks after, too. Shockingly, she complained about the trucks on the road, too. Around Charlotte, trucks are restricted they have to stay out of the inner "fast" lanes. She'd get right in the only lane the trucks could pass in, and ride along at the speed limit and get mad when the trucks would treat her aggressively. When I finally got her to understand the trucks point of view and just move over one more lane, things got a little bit easier. Happily, I am no longer working for that company, so no more interaction with her.
My stepmonster (I use this name too) also does this. She gets overly indignant about sending perfectly good things back. It’s so weird to me because in 15 years, I’ve never seen her actually pay for her meal. It’s me or dad.
Yes mine woukd touch the plate and then send everyone's food back. I'm like no mine is fine and had it yanked from me with fork in hand. She tried to send then2nd round back too but my dad finally said something. I get on with her fine otherwise but she's awful in restaurants.
That’s a weird flex. I’m sorry that you experienced that. How annoying.
My friend, who I was a server with for years, does this. I hate going to restaurants with her and avoid it at all costs. She will get her plate, tear through it like she is looking for gold, like literally destroy it, smash the chicken, tear the burger into as many pieces as possible, slightly nibble at it and then shove it away like it’s on fire. Shake her head while making a face, saying it doesn’t taste right, she don’t like it, it wasn’t like this the last time she had it…..whatever. Sometimes she gets something else, but usually she just sits there and stares at me while I eat. And she’s a damn server. She would lose her mind if anyone ever pulled the shit she does. It’s insane. I hate it. And I don’t really like her either.
That actually sounds like disordered eating behavior. It’s classic to mess the food up around the plate to hide how little was eating and make excuses to not eat.
Also sounds like the stuff Gordon Ramsey does on his Kitchen Nightmare's show. Digs through all the food to find anything he can to criticize. Granted he has a REASON, I suspect hers is nonsensical
While I know that part of the show is necessary I don't like it. He orders a ton of food and barely eats any of it. Even if he were to like it there is no way he could eat it all. I also suspect that a lot of it is exaggerated. Again I know why they do it but but it seems like the food is almost always terrible. In my experience it's rare that food in a restaurant is fully terrible. If it's not good that's usually it, it simply isn't very good. Acceptable as sustenance only but not offensive.
He orders a ton of food because he’s trying to get a feel for all the different items on the menu. Can’t really decide if a restaurant’s entire menu sucks if you only order, like, one thing. Seems like common sense to me; try a bunch of food and if all of it sucks, he knows the place is absolute shit.
Like I said I know why he does it but it just feels wasteful when all he does is take a bite of each dish.
I like to think his staff comes in and eats the food. But if it really is terrible they might not.
I gotta agree that this sounds eating disorder-ish. I don’t at all mean to diagnose someone over the internet based on so little info. But, from what info you’ve provided, it just reminds me of the things I would do when deep in an eating disorder. Mess my plate up so it looked like I ate and then try to divert everyone’s attention away from the fact that I didn’t. I hope that isn’t the case but the alternative sucks, too. Those types of guests are the. worst. It’s like they come in looking for an excuse to pay less, not tip, or get a free meal. Infuriating!
Sounds like time to end that "friendship"
She's your friend?
Dude, bang her, and if she says it's not that great, you know you got a fuckin monster can
What the fuck
I SAID TO FUCK HER NOT ME
Haha
User name checks out.
If you dont really like her either, why are you still her friend??
We smile, split it off the check and send out something else. It burns me up but it’s won’t do any good to argue. The food usually goes to the staff or dishwashers if it’s not touched. Occasionally I’ll hide it behind the bar for myself for later.
One time we had someone send back a steak and rice meal for being “burnt” we all were eating it and it was so good the steak was tender and the rice was seasoned perfectly lol I had to give my thanks to the chef for that one. The customer didn’t even try it just looked at it and assumed the steak was burnt
When people order a certain temp, don’t cut the meat, and send it back for being “overdone” I just fucking laugh tbh, like you haven’t even checked you doofus.
I HAD a friend that would do this. I used to be a cook, and the way she would bitch about her food EVERY single time we went out ( just us or a group), was embarrassing. She would send back quesadillas for crissake. FFS sake you KNEW it was just tortillas and cheese at a sports bar, what did you expect??? It's like an attention seeking thing I guess.
That's exactly what it is most of the time. My nephew was that way when he was younger. My wife and I used to joke that he ate more server spit than the rest of us combined,
I was a cook at some pretty busy sports bars for 4 years, in late 90's. I can count on one hand the send backs I ever had. Thats not a brag. We served good food. I feel like this bitch and complain mentality is more recent. I have had some underwhelming plates served to me as well. I certainly never took that out on my server, I guess because I'm rational.
It has existed for a while. I have a niece and a nephew (one on my side, one on my wife's side), who in the few times I've eaten out with them have each returned more food than I have in my age 50 something life. I had former friends (and looking back wish they had been former friends much before they were) who also did a lot of returns.
Agreed... based on comments in this sub guest behavior (and quite possibly the service) has declined dramatically. Maybe they're connected?
I did Mexican restaurants and some chains in the early 2000’s. People sucked back then too, but that does track, I didn’t have a lot of full send backs.
Totally an attention-seeking thing. People like that are the absolute worst. It’s like they’re desperate to be a victim and cause a scene, even in the smallest of situations.
>It's like an attention seeking thing I guess. It has to be the case for some people. If you are so picky that you always return food at least once, maybe consider not eating out.
I last ate at a restaurant with a buddy of mine and his wife about five years ago because of this. EVERY fucking time she would she would send something back, she would try to send other people's food back if she couldn't find something on her plate to bitch about. It was super embarrassing and I simply stopped dining out with them because of it.
My boss will ask them why they’re sending it back and if it’s a stupid reason they’ll say “we’ll take it off the table but not off the check”
Good boss.
Your username is fitting here. This is the answer - to have a manager that’ll back up his staff and simply tell the idiots, “No.” I love to see a manager very politely telling a problem guest that they’re not going to get one over on their staff.
Woman started screaming at me that she hated olives, as though I had served them to her specifically to ruin her day. Olives were listed in the description on the menu. From what I remember, she wouldn't let me get her a new dish or remake the current one. We're talking 5 olives in total, it would have been possible to remove them.
The staff eats the food unless it’s severely fucked up.
Exactly. A hoard of staff members will descend upon the plate and it will disappear in about 87 seconds 😆
I’m picturing the scarabs from The Mummy
That’s almost exactly it
Precisely
When I was a server I'd watch 5 servers destroy a chicken marsala or lasanga that was sent back! Lmao I was super nice to the kitchen staff and they'd always give me the extra make or if I just wanted some pasta or something basic they'd just hook it up.
I still miss my old fry-guy Kevin. He used to share the joints he smoked under the vent every night, and he knew exactly how I wanted my chicken wings.
How did you want your chicken wings?
Lmao well done, mostly flats, and with the orange glaze cause at the time I had very little spice tolerance and couldn't handle even mild buffulo😂.
I would have guessed 86 seconds.
You are 100% correct, 86 seconds for that plate of food to be 86'ed. Mad i didnt think of that on my own lmao
If it was our mistake kitchen/server the customer isn’t charged. If it’s exactly how that item is supposed to come out and they just change their mind when it’s on the table they pay full price
I like when a guest has an issue with their food - maybe steak temperature, for example - so you have it remade, check on them to see if all is well this time, they confirm it is delicious and eat it all up so you obviously don’t comp the item, and then they rage that you didn’t give it to them for free. (Holy run-on sentence). Sir, you devoured the entire thing and confirmed it was absolutely delicious. You ain’t slick. Why do you think I stood here and waited for you to cut into your steak and ensure the temp was to your liking? Why do you think I waited here for you to taste it and confirm that it tasted awesome? You think I’m just gonna give you a free steak, of which you nearly licked the plate? Nice try. Also super frustrating when someone orders a notoriously fatty (but downright mouth-wateringly delicious) cut of steak, then complains, saying, “This steak was fatty!” Yeah, it’s a ribeye….
I understand if it’s allergies or there was a legitimate problem with the food but some people just like to complain
I have so many people get upset if the kitchen adds lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and pickles to their burgers, sometimes the mistake is on me for forgetting to put no whatever, sometimes it’s on the kitchen for not seeing it, and sometimes even when asked they don’t tell me to take it off. How hard is it to pick off those items? Our burgers come with the top bun off, and the lettuce touches the patty so the flavor of the tomatoes, onions, and pickles wouldn’t linger on any part of the burger. The lettuce covers the whole patty and hangs off the sides so legit no contamination to the burger what so ever. How hard is it to take the stuff off? I served a guest a burger with that stuff on there because it WAS his burger and apologized that the kitchen had left it on there expecting him to pick it off, instead he passed it to another person that got a burger with no special requests on it and then later asked me where his burger was. Uhm… I gave it to you? I don’t know why you passed it to another member in your party. If I serve you food and apologize for it being messed up, you can send it back and the kitchen staff will take off the lettuce and stuff for you, or you can do it yourself. He ate the other guy’s burger, complete with lettuce, tomato, onions, and pickles on it either picked off or eaten.
I just want to say I have a tomato allergy that requires an EpiPen. Can't touch the rest of the meal. But, I'm guessing that most of your complainers are just ass hats.
That’s me and mangoes. I’ll request no mangoes, and remind the server that I’m deathly allergic. I’ve only ever had to send back a plate once, and told the server, “I can’t touch this, the mango will kill me, I’m allergic.” She had an “oh shit” look on her face - she had forgot. It was fixed, no issues.
Yeah if it’s an allergy and I’m told it’s an allergy, it’s typed in so the kitchen sees it and the food runner sees it before it’s pulled and should be able to catch it if it’s an issue. And if it’s deathly I’ll put that on there too so they know it’s a major issue and they need to take extra precautions for it.
I'm allergic to walnuts. Makes a burning sensation in my mouth. Restaurant had a sandwich on walnut focaccia, told the server my allergy. The kitchen just flipped the bread over to hide the walnuts. One bite, I spit it on to the plate and was really mad. Server was mortified. Lots of water to rinse out my mouth and I stormed out.
Wth? That’s BS! What kinda person thinks they can hide the food and make a person not be allergic anymore?! I’m sorry that happened to you.
For some people it's a mental thing, for others that truly dislike pickles or onions, the taste and smell do linger, even if it was sitting on the lettuce. Especially if you don't get rid of the lettuce? I understand if they don't say anything to you about it. That's totally on them. But if they did that's on you or the kitchen. Your job description literally is to bring them the food the way they ordered it. It seems like there are servers who sometimes forget that the customers also worked hard for the money they are using to pay for their meal, so they have right to expect that if they ordered something a certain way, that is reasonable, then the server shouldn't get upset if it comes to the table "wrong" and the customer asks for it to be corrected. I get that the server is maybe busy or it was the boh's mistake, but if I'm eating out, I'm part of the reason you're busy and have a job. I'm using my hard earned money to treat myself and support your place of work. All that being said I want it understand that I rarely send anything back. I'm pretty easy going and not a picky eater. I also believe in tipping well for good service (25%+) I also don't expect my food to be removed from the check if it was wrong. Just bring me the correct food and we're good, mistakes happen! And I agree that a customer should never assume that an incorrect order is just going to be left at the table. That customer just passing the burger off was totally out of line!
I don’t have an issue taking it back, and if someone says “I can’t eat this because of x” even if it is just the taste lingers and they won’t like it, I get that. I can’t eat icecream with nuts in it, and taking them out doesn’t always erase the taste which is what I dislike. I nearly cried once because I’d asked for sprinkles instead, got nuts, asked for it to be fixed, and they took off the whipped cream where the nuts were and it still wasn’t right. My ex brought it back inside and told them I was allergic and they remade it. If it’s a problem I’ll fix it, I just need to know it’s that big of a problem so I can fix it properly vs someone just telling me “I didn’t want that on there.” Okay… what do you want me to do? Take it back? Do you want to take it off yourself? I just need to be told so it can be made right.
Those things can be taken off but things like mayo and mustard can't. I wouldn't send food back if I could pick off the stuff that is not supposed to be on there. I will send it back if there is a sauce/condiment on there that I don't like. I'm never rude about it, though. Everyone makes mistakes. As long as they fix it, I'm fine and I don't ask for it to be taken off my bill. ETA: I rarely send anything back. I also ALWAYS ask for no mayo or mustard every single time I order.
Our burgers don’t come with Mayo, mustard, or ketchup. I wouldn’t mind taking back a burger for that kind of mess up.That’s a taste that can’t be taken off or covered up.
There were a couple times that they just tried to wipe it off and give it back to me. At that point, I watch them remake it or get my money back. This is usually fast food, though. It seems that they very rarely get it wrong at a sit down place. We don't get to eat at restaurants a whole lot because it's cheaper to make our own food but it's a nice treat once in a while. I think if you are polite and don't make a habit of sending things back, the server doesn't mind too much. I am very clear about what I want when I order and treat people with respect.
Give them their full priced check and tell them to have a nice day.
The one time I sent food back was when my son ordered a medium burger and it came back still mooing. Yuck. Asked if they could just chuck it back on the grill for a few more minutes.
I had to do that recently too, the burger was literally raw inside. I showed it to the server and her reply was: "Oh wow, yeah, I'd send that back too. I'll get a new cooked one out to you as soon as possible."
I had a burger like this, but I had brought it home with me. I tried to eat around the cold, raw part. That burger was $14 with chips, not including the tip. After that I always made sure to request it medium-well. Cause I somehow knew ordering it well would mean burnt.
Only once have I sent something back without trying it. I was at a Japanese restaurant and ordered a plate of nigiri, basically a mix of sushi. The nigiri that came out smelled so foul that I couldn't even try it. Just this super strong rotten fish smell.
That's not a nonsensical reason.
Sorry I wasn't implying that it is. Just that even with it smelling that bad I still feel bad about sending it back.
I have done that. I still felt bad. Not risking food poisoning to save someone's feelings.
I try really hard to never send food back, my Spouse will eat it or I'll find a way to doctor it up at home. The only time I did send something back was because the server was insistent and felt really bad for me. I was heavily pregnant and trying to eat healthier, but the food I ordered smelt and tasted off (stupid pregnancy hormones messing with my tastebuds and sense of smell) - even though my Spouse tried it and it was made fine. I was very apologetic to the server and told her it was fine, but she was adamant that she wasn't going to let a pregnant woman "starve".
This happened to me when I was doing chemo. I felt pretty good one day and my bf took me out for dinner. My steak was overcooked to hell and back, so I sent it back to get a new one. It also had turned out that red meat had begun to taste like shit to me (a common symptom of chemo). I didn't say anything after my steak came out the way i wanted, I just took it home and let my bf eat it. I felt bad for sending it back especially since I didn't realize it was more about my new tastebuds than anything, but if I order a med rare steak and it comes out well done then I'm going to say something. I'm sure the steak tasted fine, but changing taste buds are a real thing. I was pissed that I couldn't eat Wendy's during one of the hungrier times in my life. Red meat was disgusting, but the steroids they had me on made me absolutely ravenous. I know chemo and a big appetite sounds contradictory, but it happened to me. I'd be eating a meal and start talking to my bf and mom about what I wanted for my next meal. I also had a friend who got diagnosed with literally the same type of cancer at the same time as me. We went to dinner with her once and both of us were gorging ourselves, since we had the same dr and were on the same meds. Shit's wild.
They would get their next choice in time for a box.
Thank fucking god I work at a place where people don’t dare send food back for nonsensical reasons. We’ve been open long enough we’ve trained guests to behave as well as it helps being in finer dining. I think the only things we’ve ever had sent back were kitchen or server mistakes - if you change your mind or just don’t understand the dish you’re still paying for it so you might as well eat it.
this sub has flair?
Had a coworker who did this at every meal. Of course, our employer was reimbursing for every meal as well because per diem did not require a receipt. I swear this was a game. She even sent back french fries back at McDonald's and was reimbursed at a Benihaha's because the chef did not "engage" with us.
Playing games with reimbursements and per diems is playing with fire. You think you’re getting away with it and maybe you are for a while. Management doesn’t care or acts as if it doesn’t care. Then one day it cares. Perp gets fired and there’s not a damn thing he can do because it’s theft. It’s how you get rid of troublemakers or rivals.
I love when people send our award-winning, 1st place festival winning food back. Like what kind of exquisite food are you eating that our festival-winning food "doesn't have no flavor"
We are a pie only bakery and I also love when people take it home, eat most of it then call and complain that they wanted/ordered a coconut but got a cheesecake instead and want a refund or replacement. Or leave a review about how they don't get the 'hype' of this place because their long lost auntie made it better at home.
I went to an “award winning” chicken place that was lauded as the best chicken in this big city before. It was meh at best. Like Costco and sams club rotisserie chicken would have been better kind of meh. Not saying they all are or that this place was always like that. Mostly just pointing out that just because they are award winning doesn’t mean they are perfect and will please every living person in the world. These things are made by humans at the end of the day and humans make mistakes. So maybe today the chicken didn’t come out as great as It did yesterday. Also when preparing food for competitions and festivals, restaurants will usually make sure they are putting their best foot forward and will try to do things as perfect as possible because awards and prestige are on the line. That doesn’t always translate to the every day operations of the restaurant. I have yet to encounter a restaurant that is 100% consistent in flavor and how things are cooked or displayed between visits. Even the really fancy ones.
If the meal touches the table, we have to toss it. but if I have someone send something back before I even put it down, I'll just take it and we all eat the dead food.
I have sent food back due to order being wrong, over salted, etc. As I worked in restaurants where workers did bad things to reorders, I don't accept replacement food and just drink my drink.
Depends on the customer. We have this one guy that comes in, Sal. He is an Elvis impersonator. Yes, an Elvis impersonator. He sends his fettuccine back if it’s not the correct ratio of noodles to sauce. Like sends it back 5+ times. We just keep tossing it with sauce over and over lol. For most other customers it gets remade.
I sent my steak back. But to be fare it was well done. I asked for medium rare. They made no problem, I have worked both FOH and BOH, when a reasonable mistake is made there's usually no problem remaking it.
Y’all probably would hate me but if my dish comes out with onions or green onions on it, I always send it back. I have a hellacious allergy and hives are no fun. Not sure if that counts. I do always specify but I know it’s chaotic in the kitchen.
No, if you ask for it a certain way, it’s the restaurants fault if it isn’t correct. Now if you forget to mention it then I’d be tiffed, but people are human and it can slip their mind and an allergy is more of a reason than “wow it’s not what I thought it would be in my head even though the menu clearly describes what it is” 😁
If it wasn’t profound I’d never be extra about it but I can’t even eat the food that onion has touched so I can’t even ‘just pick it off’. Thank you for understanding.
We never mind if there’s a legitimate reason and you’re nice about it. Just gets bothersome when someone sends back their orange juice for being too orange
We get people that complain that the fresh banana has bananas in it! (No joke) or that the bananas turned brown after they let it sit for 4 days!
If you’re letting your server know that you have a sever allergy to onions of any kind, it should be specified on the ticket when it gets sent back to let the kitchen know so they can take extra precautions. Allergies are no joke.
Yep... the one time I was at a professional restaurant I told staff I had a food sensitivity. (Cheese caused migraines). Waitress stopped me. Few minutes later the cook appears. I ordered plain grilled chicken, vegetables. I figured that should make it easy for all concerned. To my surprise they cleaned the grill. And nobody at my table got any cheese, to which they weren't too happy, but they were ultimately okay, considering the reason. So, some places are capable of doing more, and being careful when a customer has a problem. Been more than 20 years ago and I still remember that...
Yeah I felt like an ass once because I had to tell a customer that we couldn’t guarantee things wouldn’t be cross contaminated if it was grilled or fried because the kitchen wasn’t prepared to handle a seafood allergy. We didn’t have a separate frier for non seafood items nor did we have a separate grill for non seafood items. Why they couldn’t clean it or grill in a small pan I’m not sure. The new place I work let us know that they’ll do what’s needed to help prevent issues.
If you have an allergy why not tell them when you're ordering?
See the part of my comment where I said ‘I do always specify’?
That's what I get for skim reading....
If it's $30+ for a main then sending it back is reasonable. Tell a manager. That's what they make half a million dollars for.
Manager at high end restaurant pulling down 500k ??
Yep. That's obviously not the norm, but I worked at one spot in downtown L.A. where ya, ridiculous salary. I don't even want to know what the general manager's salary was.
What kind of restaurant was it? That’s amazing pay for someone not an owner or celebrity chef.
It was a Japanese restaurant owned by Armenians. It was on the top floor of a downtown high rise near the US Bank building. They own another restaurant in that building too. I won a big screen smart TV at the holiday party the last year I worked there. I wasn't the only one either. ETA Even my managers thought it was ridiculous pay.
In my life I’ve sent dishes back twice, and only because they truly tasted awful. Something was *off**. If there’s a mistake in your order, you mention it. But otherwise you eat it unless it’s actually bag/gone off
Its a power move. Something like 2 out of 10 witnesses will be super impressed. I threw my great friend who pulls this shit out of my bar over treating champagne like this. Tried to pay for their other stuff and I told them its ok people like you are priced in so Im comping it. About sixmonths of not talking ended and they don’t act like that(at least with me) anymore. Wonderful person with that one shitty way about them. 11/10 experience, those kind of people can go to hell in those moments. Sorry you didn’t like exactly what you ordered box it and pay for another meal or gtfo.
I don't understand any of this
Lol same
Read it 3 or 4 times and it makes sense. But, yeah, not the best prose.
We eat out alot (and I mean alot) and we’ve lived outside the US and found that Service and expectation have changed by MILES in the last 16 years. I love this group because you guys help me see the server’s view of various situations. Our family rule is, if you have questions about what the dish is like, ask. If you ordered it and it looks different, that’s your fault and you don’t ask for a new meal. If they didn’t do what you asked, sending it back is fair. Having said that, typically the only food I’ve sent back is overdone steaks (I’m all about medium rare, but will typically live with it anywhere from almost rare to medium-ish, if it’s outside of those parameters I send it back) and plates that have strawberries. People who send food back because it sprang look like they thought… read the menu and ask questions…
I had a co-worker send back fries because they were "too different in length." I was friends with the server and we were both like "You know how potatoes are shaped, right?" it was top 5 most embarrassed I've ever been in a restaurant.
The only good I’ve ever sent back was an eggs Benedict. I ate the first half, and went to cut the second egg and it was so cooked it was like a hard boiled egg. I still felt bad about that, but I couldn’t eat half of my breakfast. So I asked for a new egg. The egg was still on my plate but the server actually missed that it was my plate (thought I’d just eaten the second egg), and was like because you’ve eaten the egg we cannot replace it…I said I haven’t eaten the egg, then he realized the yellow thing on my plate was the over cooked egg…and rushed away for the replacement. I’m not picky, but an egg with zero runny yolk on a breakfast dish (with very little hollandaise) designed for it to run, was a no go. Also won’t be getting eggs there again/because the ratios were bad on this Benedict all around
I think I've only ever sent something back once, because I asked for a Black and Bleu or even just a rare steak, and got straight up Well Done. They must have completely forgot it on the grill. I'm not paying $20 for shoe leather. Besides that one extreme, I'll usually just eat whatever mistakes happen. Wrong side, wrong dressing, whatever.
Eat it.
Some people do this JUST so they can get their meals comped out, or so they don’t have to tip the server good or they are just plain salty. I’ve had people who complained about E V E R Y T H I N G! They didn’t like orange juice (which comes from Minute Maid in a machine and from MM themselves.), saying the OJ was “TOO THICK”. Another coworker and I tried it, found nothing wrong with it. Then they said they must’ve been used to a store brand OJ. Like, it’s not better than MM. The store brand is a generic version to them. But, whatever. Then they were suuuuuuuper complicated with what they ordered, I put it all in and with all the modifications, I forgot ONE thing. So, when I delivered their food, the one guest I kinda messed up on was upset about the modification I didn’t do for him, and I offered to get it remade for him, as that is what you should do as a server, right? (And at most places, when a guest sends food back, they get their order on the fly, which is like priority, and the original meal gets tossed out. I have worked at one place that if they guests didn’t touch their food or take a bite out, they called it a refire. Like, on a steak. It’s supposed to be medium, but it’s medium rare. If they didn’t take a bite, they throw that steak back on the grill and cook it a little longer. If they did take a bite, they throw it out and make a whole new steak.) Okay, we’ll, this guy said it was fine and he would take out the pieces he didn’t want. I go to the back for another table, that’s on the other side of the store (I would have like ten or so tables in every section of that place, which I quit at.), and my manager comes back saying that they complained about the guys food and one of the other two guests found a hair in their meal and wanted their food cooked again. Well, not even five minutes goes by and they leave. There are people who you can tell from the first second of just looking at them or when they open their mouths, that you already know they’re gonna be a problem. I have found from where I am from, that race usually has a big factor. And kids. Most people go in with kids for kids eat free or the cheaper prices for kids. And some adults order kids food so they don’t have to tip you good. And the ones that send something back because it “looks funny” to them, are awful too. I get highly annoyed by people when they do that, but you still have to wear a smile while unaliving them in your head for being very difficult guests.
Ive only ever sent something back once (and it wasnt me tbh but the person paying) and I felt so bad. I ordered a burger cooked a specific way and I got it and it was exactly the opposite of how I ordered and so I just decided I wouldnt eat it but id take it home and the person paying caught the waiter and sent it back for a new one, and I felt SO BAD. The waiter was so nice though and got a new one for me cooked the way I asked for it the first time (he even glanced at the one on the table and was like ‘wow thats the opposite of what you asked’). I hated that experience so much though. Never sending food back again
If you can't eat, when the rest of your table is eating, I feel like you should ask for them to fix their mistake. Now, if you forgot to tell them, or somehow you think the communication was unclear, that's different. But generally you should have food you can actually eat, that's why you are there.
I mean since the waiter agreed that I got the direct opposite of what I asked for I would assume it wasn’t miscommunication, but I still felt so bad about it. I really dont get how people can be serial food returners lol
It’s not your problem at all as the server. Just tell your manager and move on. I personally always take stuff off if someone doesn’t like it for whatever reason - doesn’t cost the restaurant all that much to create repeat business, assuming they don’t do it every single time, and if they do, it’s your manager’s problem.
A waitress once brought me a sundae and set the spoon down on the table top. I never let my silverware touch the table top. (I've worked in restaurants.) She picked it up and went for a replacement and my wife said. "She'll spit on it and bring it back."
No one spits on food or utensils. Way too risky. Servers don’t have time or privacy and if another server sees it take place, you’re probably getting ratted out. Then it’s very likely cops, lawyers and all the rest. All to mess with someone who will never know his food got messed with. Better to treat diner so his nice night out becomes super stressful.
Um - - she was joking. . .
Plenty of times I have said, oh so you don't mind that we have to throw this out now? Not all customers but some definitely change their minds.
If I send something back, I'm glad for the original to be taken away. But then, I very rarely send something back. I don't actually remember the last time.
Personally just ‘deal with it’ despite the frustration - what were they expecting? Did the menu description not match the dish? What are they looking for? Ridiculous customers are inevitable, also sometimes the menu doesn’t represent the dish and that is fare enough. Just try to get them what they want.
I've worked in many restaurants I NEVER send my food back lol. I either eat it or get refund (if it's REALLY bad) and leave.
I look at them like I hate them and then I fix it. Usually by myself bc if you tell our cooks something is wrong they start cussing and throwing a fit even tho we have an open kitchen. If they don't want it fixed I just take it off the bill or tear the bill up in front of them. If it's not a table I waited on, we loudly talk about it being a waste of food and imply they're immature. If it's untouched, we give it to other employees or even customers. We all hate wasting food. This actually happens a lot with one of our Crawfish dishes. Travelers are never expecting it. I'd rather them get something they can enjoy. I'll actually tell some customers *not* to be adventurous. I'm like, this is a diner, get a basic breakfast then go get your touristy food elsewhere.
I’ve never really understood sending food back unless it’s severely messed up. I have had a few instances where something sounded different on the menu than what came out and I just ask for the menu to see what I missed. No big deal really. Fortunately, I don’t have any food allergies. If something isn’t quite right it isn’t gonna ruin my day.
I sent food back once this year. It was a farmhouse chicken dish. What came out was bland chicken in broth with a few veggies. It was bland and awful. They took it back and I had it swapped out with a burger instead. It was no problem.
Should have said, "Oh, I'm sorry, this isn't Denny's where there is a picture for reference."
I rarely send food back. The one time I did I ordered eggs over easy and got eggs with runny whites. It was a dinner 20 feet from my apartment. So what did they do to fix it? They threw the same eggs back on the grill. Really? Couldn’t spare two eggs to try again? Well I started walking all the way across the street to go another dinner and I stopped going there. Then the rest of the neighborhood stopped going there. You know what happened next. It’s a shame. I am sure I sent it back with an apology. But really? Couldn’t start with two fresh eggs?
I sent back two (expensive) steaks because the chef cooked the first steak medium because he couldn't imagine anyone wanting a rare (cool red center) steak. The chef cooked the second steak to medium because he thought the waiter had not explained to me the reason he gave me something I did not order the first time. It ended with the chef coming to the table to confirm my order. I told him I wasn't looking to see if the third time was the charm, and that I'd be having the salmon.
“Wipe its ass and walk it through a warm room” is how my sister describes how she likes her steaks, lol.
Had customer INSIST on being made orange chicken but substitute the chicken for tofu, chef specially cut and fried the tofu extra crispy for the dish and when it came out him and his wife started laughing, I asked what was wrong and they told me that ALL of their food “looked gross” but especially the tofu in the orange sauce. At least they agreed to pay for their food and even tipped me but they didn’t touch ANY of it, not even the fried rice which is a very standard fried rice, same way any other place would make it. Felt like a huge waste to toss it but that’s the policy once it’s already been out to a table.
Meanwhile like 99% of people are mortified to have to send something back. My husband will just eat the wrong food, burnt food, cold food. Because he's been a waiter. I'm like "dude, just kindly ask for a replacement!"
At a local Mexican restaurant, I ordered what’s called a nachos over rice (or fajitas over rice, I can’t really remember now), but I told the server that I just wanted the rice, vegetables and queso. I didn’t want the chips (because I had a lot of dental pain and had a lot of bad teeth that were going to be extracted the next week so crispy chips would hurt like hell). Our food comes out and my food had the chips in it. I just looked at it, and decided to eat around the chips until they got soggy from the queso, then they’d be easier to eat. But my best friend noticed and remember I specifically said no chips, and flagged the server down to send it back, the whole time I’m trying to stop her because I don’t wanna cause a fuss and be “that person”. My mother was 1000% the “I want to speak to your manager!” Kind of person, and I spent a lot of my childhood embarrassed as hell because she was always doing that stuff. So I vowed I’d never be like that. I told the server that my food was okay and I’d eat it the way it was, but even she insisted on taking it back because she said she remembered I said no chips and she put that on the ticket but the kitchen messed up. I felt really bad because I could have made due, eaten what I could and then taken the leftovers home and fed it to my cats (they LOVE chips, rice and veggies covered in queso!). I even left a 50% tip because I felt so bad about my best friend sending my food back.
I sent food back twice in a row at a dam CHILIS when I was a 14 year old little shit and I cringe reliving that about once a month. Can’t imagine doing it as a grown adult
It depends on what it is. Ur not gonna order the most expensive thing & send it back for no good reason. I’ll offer to pack it up for u if u’d like to order something else.
I absolutely agree 💯. She retired from state government at the ripe age of 78. Apparently she did this her entire career getting comped for hotel rooms and meals on every frequent trip she took...I can't even begin to imagine or add up how much she must have pocketed...