The other day I was sitting across from my wife, Mel, looking at the meal that I thought I had ordered. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if this was the meal that I had ordered since the one in the photo looked nothing like it and was quite a lot better than this thing on my table. I started scouting the room to find a waiter until I noticed how Mel was looking at me. She’s not as much of a complainer as I am, you see. If I’m not happy for with what they’ve given me and I don’t think that the kitchen staff would put my food down their pants in a horrid revenge attack then I’ll say something and complain. Mel, on the other hand, will just do a silent protest and never go back to the restaurant again.
There’s a show on TV, called Hell’s Kitchen, where amateur/professional chefs battle to become a chef in one of Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants. Just about everyone sends their meal back if there is the slightest thing wrong with it. It just doesn’t seem realistic but I guess it makes for more drama on the show. When I’m out, the only person I’ve seen complain about their food.. is me! I don’t even do it that much but just want to make sure that I get what I paid for.
I have heard some terrible complaint stories about people trying to get a free meal by complaining. There was one where the person had eaten a whole fish before complaining that it wasn’t cooked properly and demanding that they make him a fresh one. Not very subtle. Apparently, quite a lot of people make these fake complaints than you would think.
When is it actually appropriate to make a complaint? Well, you have to make sure that your expectations are appropriate for the type and class of restaurant that you’re at. If you’re at McDonald’s and you’re angry that your beef patty is wafer thin then you may have to adjust your thinking.
If you feel that the restaurant is taking you for a ride, or there is something inherently wrong with the way you’re food has been prepared, then you should definitely say something. If you’re uncomfortable sending things back, then just vote with your feet, like Mel, and never return. If everyone did that, maybe we’d only be left with decent restaurants!