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Aside from a burger that is still mooing I will almost never send my food back if something is wrong with it.
I just honestly don't like to complain plus in the back of my mind I always think they will get mad and do something to my food.
Do you send your food back?
I had this happen to me yesterday. I mean I only do it sometimes but yesterday I got a chicken fajita that tasted like fish...it was so nasty! they were so nice about it and I didn’t fear getting it with spit. But most of the times I don’t do anything, it depends on the restaurant and the vibe they give.
I have worked at alot of restaurants and have never seen or heard of anyone doing anything to food that was sent back, think about it -yes- do it - NEVER. I have no issues sending food back if it isn't right, but I am not that picky so there are alot of times that I don't even notice that it isn't right unless it's a steak.
@panterapeach: It depends. Most of the time I end up sending things back if it's overcooked. Kind of important if it's steak or seafood.
I generally don't express disatisfaction, so probably not.
I worked in the resaurant business for a bit, and I never saw anyone mess with food that got sent back. The only time anyone ever complained was if a customer sent it back more than once with a silly complaint.
I've sent food back if it wasn't what I ordered, which to me is pretty reasonable. I've actually sent drinks back far more, I seem to get sodas right as the machine is running out of syrup!
Yes, I've had dishes with food that I'm allergic to on it even though I specified it's left off. Also, I like my steak really well done. As in no pink whatsoever. I will put up with a small amount of pink, but I think every time I have ordered a steak it had to be sent back. I even specify really well done when I order it.
I never do, and I rarely make special requests. I am terrifed to ask for extra ranch at Chili's because I am afraid someone will do something to my food. My dad put that in my head :(
Servers don't mind sending food back, I promise! Just don't freak out at your server, because your server didn't cook the food. I served for many years, and trust me, your server wants their food to be correct when they go out to eat too. Just don't scream/call them names/ask them how difficult it is to take a food order. They want you to be happy so you leave a good tip.
When you're busy with 8 tables, you're not thinking about messing with someone's food, you're calculating how many things you can possible grab on your way out of the kitchen so you don't need to make extra trips. The worst a server might do is decide you're being horrible and ignore you because they figure a tip won't be happening anyway.
I have a couple times, but I always feel really bad about it.
I never get nit-picky because I feel bad and I'm afraid they may spit in it/drop it on the floor (ever seen the movie 'Waiting'?). But once FI and I got chicken tenders that were REALLY not cooked in the middle. I didn't feel bad because the staff was really concerned and accomodating.
I've asked for something to be removed from our ticket ONCE... It was terrible and I literally only took 2 bites.
Otherwise I haven't come across anything bad enough to send back. I eat pretty much anything. lol
I always feel bad about it so I don't do it generally. There is only one time I can think of and the food was actually raw. It was either pork or chicken, can't remember which, but it was definitely pink throughout - I felt so bad sending it back but obviously there was no way I could eat that!
I know this is gross, but I've found a hair in my food a time or two and if it's at a generally clean restaurant, I just push it aside, along with the food immediately touching it, and go about finishing my meal. Maybe that's super disgusting but I'd rather do that than send it back.
I am glad to hear though that servers don't mind when food is sent back, as long as it's done so politely and with a legitimate complaint!
The only food I send back are steaks. I always ask for medium and if it comes back like a burnt brick, I send it back. I try to speak to the manager and usually they will stand and watch it being re-made and brought back to me.
I waited tables for years- just be polite. I would rather run the food twice than have somebody silently dissatisfied with their food and take it out on me in my tip. Which is also why I would watch the cooks like hawks to make sure it's perfect the second time around.
Also, despite what movies tell you, most of the cooks and chefs I worked with took pride in their work and would never do something to your food out of spite. And this was at chain restaurants, not super high end places. Politeness and a smile will get you far in dealing with any customer service.
I do if they bring me the wrong order, or if its just plain disgusting. I think Ive only done it maybe three times.
Never. I sometimes wish I did, but I don't want some annoying manager to come out and talk to me. I hate it when the food is bad! I usually just bite the bullet, and don't return.
Rarely. If a steak is really not cooked well enough, then thats pretty much the only situation I can remember. Or the time there was a bug in my salad...
I've worked in restaurants. Unless the requests/complaints are really silly, everyone takes it in stride.
@cbee: If you dealt with the annoying manager, they would probably comp your meal. Even if you never return, they have no problem not charging you for a meal you didn't eat or enjoy.
I sent my food back once and it was because my chicken kabobs were almost completely raw! I usually will just suck it up and eat the dish unless it's not edible, such as the raw chicken!
I love how so many people find the steak issue so annoying! I mean, how HARD is it to cook a steak? Especially, you'd think that if you were a restaurant and you do it ALL THE TIME you'd have it figured out, like exactly how many minutes it takes to cook it rare/medium, whatever.
I mean, I can go to the grocery store, throw it on the George Foreman grill, and get myself a nice steak that's cooked approximately to the done-ness that I want it. But when I'm paying $30 for a hunk of meat I'd like it to be cooked correctly, please!!!
DH and I once went to a VERY nice steakhouse, and we ordered the exact same steak, but I ordered it medium-rare, and he ordered his medium-well. And let me tell you, they looked IDENTICAL. (lots of red in both of them!) I know some people have the opinion that fancy steak will always have red in it, but DH HATES the idea of eating "raw" meat. It doesn't matter how fancy a restaurant you are! If the customer doesn't want raw meat, then DON'T SERVE IT TO THEM! (We didn't send it back, but DH did admit that it was good, he just wished it were more well-done!)
I have, but I felt so bad and somewhat awkward about it! It hasn't happened a lot - I'm not super picky. Offhand what I can remember - I ordered this fabulous sounding $15 salad and it came looking like they scraped the toppings off a big mac, and once when I found a plastic bread tab in my wrap. I think as long as you're friendly about it, it should be fine. I mean, it's not the server's fault...
Dad is a chef and he said yes it does happen that people screw with your food. But only if you were being a real pain in the behind about it.
I remember him once saying the movie "Waiting" was pretty accurate 
@TeamAwesome: I would rather run the food twice than have somebody silently dissatisfied with their food and take it out on me in my tip.
Wow I can't believe someone would take out of a tip for food the server didn't cook? It's not your fault! sheesh.
If you asked and it came wrong and you kindly ask that it be fixed, re done or whatever nothing bad happens if you act like a snobby cow, yes something might happen to it.
I once had a customer who snapped her fingers at me. Well I dropped her bread on the floor before I put it on her plate. Manners, and kindness go BOTH ways even in the service industry.
@cbee: Believe me, a manager would rather you complain than to not come back because of service. I used to never complain but after working in the hospitality industry for 5 years it's really upsetting to me when people don't complain (about things that are legitimate) and choose not to return. Feed back is the only thing they have to go on to see what's working and not working.
I've only sent food back, rarely, if I had asked for something specific and it didn't happen, or if it was cold/not completely cooked at a place that usually serves food super hot. Never had a problem- as PPs said, as long as you're polite, it's all good.
@amnystik: Oh yeah, people do that all the time! I had someone write on the tip line of their credit card slip "Didn't like the sauce." Um, could have gotten you another kind, but thanks for completely stiffing me on a $60 check...
They have no problem complaining about their food, they just wont' tell the people who can actually fix it for them in about 5 extra minutes of their time!
@amnystik: Yeah, peeps don't think that much into it when they are dissatisfied. Servers are the face of the restaurant. Apparently that makes it ok to not tip them, in their eyes. Crazy--the actual establishment still gets paid!
I don't know if I've ever send food back. If I were at a super nice restaurant and they messed something up, I may say something (always being very nice) but if I don't like the food or forgot to express a preference, etc. I won't send it back. It irritates me so much when people send food back over frivolous things.
I just did that a few hours ago. We went to our favorite place to eat and the meal I got tasted horrible so I sent it back and got my ussual.
I have twice- once when I ordered my steak medium rare and they served it to me well done
and the second time at a very nice restaurant (on our honeymoon actually) when I ordered venison and it was so chewy and hard that i could barely swallow it.
It had obviously had been frozen and not defrosted properly.
I was very polite and apologetic with my server so I didnt feel badly.
A hair, a bug, etc... That goes back and I ask for it to be taken off the bill. Undercooked goes back and I ask them nicely to toss it back on the grill. Things I am allergic to go back if I can't remove them, and apologize to the server if I didn't know it was going to come with that item (like walnuts in rice...come on). If they just forgot, I just ask nicely for them to bring me a new dish. I really think it's all about how you treat the server more than anything...most of the time I just keep in mind that they can't control the kitchen, and everyone makes mistakes.
Just be nice about it and don't be a pain and everything will be fine. I'm glad the people in this thread have never seen anyone do anything to food/drinks, because I've seen horrible things.
Also, the movie Waiting is EXTREMELY accurate.
I do if he order is wrong or cooked wrong, but I am always super nice and apologetic to the server and I've noticed they never really mind. They always seem very willing to fix it! I can't believe people would take that out on a servers tip though! How ridiculous! Usually I end up giving them a better tip if they were really nice about fixing the order :)
I've never sent food back, even if I get the wrong thing. Im the kind of person who will eat anything ahah.
Actually, now that I think about it, there was ONE time i Sent food back, and that was because I was at my favourite resturant, and I always get the same thing. And they screwed it up, and as soon as it was put down infront of me, I knew it was wrong. But I was nice about it, and the server was appolgetic and I knew it wasn't anyone's fault. I just waited the extra few minutes and then they gave me my dish for free. I tipped very well that day haha. But I guess it helps the fact that I eat there like once a month, and I always get the same thing. So I knew instantly it was wrong and was nice about it.
Only if it's really horrible, the wrong thing or not cooked properly. Generally I try not to be too fussy and to appreciate what I am given.
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