Voice of the Restaurant Industry
Is the customer alway right? Or is it ok to say no to a customer when they demand too much?
As a firm believer in doing whatever it takes. Going above and beyond expectations. When is it ok to say, "I'm sorry, but we just are not going to be able to meet your expectations tonight." I love to make unhappy guests smile, but sometimes do we have to draw the line and cut our losses. Maybe after the 5th redone entree, or the 3rd "wrongly made" bar drink.
Replies to This Discussion
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Non-OperatorPermalink Reply by Lori Bee on -
My first thought was, the customer is absolutely not always right.... but they always have the right to the best possible service. If that's not good enough for them, and become a burden to you, your staff, your business (a liability?)... then I am with Mel - FIRE THEM!
Case in point, in my business (real estate)... if they ask you to break the law, RUN! There is so much fraud going on out there right now. And having also been in the food service industry as a server/bartender for a # of years, I see this scenario in someone asking to be served alcohol, or "passing it" to someone else. I certainly had that experience many times. Not worth it!
And I frequent a very nice restaurant where an "obnoxious regular" was chasing away other potential customers out in droves. Finally she went over the limit one night w/one of the very gracious bartenders. While he did not say no to her request, but only that the specific special request may "take a while,"... well she went off. She tried to get him fired over that, - yelling & screaming all the while, making the atmosphere very unpleasant. Thankfully some of us other regulars protested to management. I think when they realized that she was the problem, and that they would lose the rest of us... well, the decision was obvious. Ban her... yes, sometimes it has to be done. I am glad, cause I would have missed that place.
I have seen a worsening of customer attitudes and demands in recent years. Esp. since 9/11 it seems. A "I'm gonna get mine" attitude. I really hate the way society seems to be heading. I think an etiquette class in school AND that everyone work for a min. of 6mths as a server, would help. ;-)
Just my humble thoughts.....
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Permalink Reply by Keith Bernhardt on -
:Lori, Being in real estate, I'm sure you have your share of stories.
I talked to a realtor friend of mine who told me of a guy who refused to
pay the "paperwork" charges (about $25 at the time).
The client got all worked up about it, threatened to call his lawyer.
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Permalink Reply by Debra Straka on -
Not only an etiquette class should be taught in school, but "How to apply for a job." Is it any wonder that some customers feel "entitled" to do whatever they want, when we can't even teach students that it is not ok to come to a job interview in ripped jeans and sandals with dirty toenails. EEEEEK!
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Permalink Reply by susan holaday on -
Gotta agree with all of this but speaking from the customer side, customers do have a right to expect a certain level of service from those they view as providing it. I had a great example of non-service today- my NY Times came missing two sections (most importantly, the Dining section!) so I called to request a replacement copy. I was told my account was cancelled. I pointed out I'd paid by credit card and was told the charge was rejected. I said "wait a minute," pulled my last card statement which showed it went through, and pointed this out. I got profuse apologies and a promise to send the replacement. I was out much of the morning and came back to find - guess - NO PAPER. I called again and was told they'll send it with tomorrow's. Talk about lousy service from the one of the world's most respected newspapers. I cannot imagine treating my readers that way.
So the way people respond to other people is really a two-way street.
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Permalink Reply by Bryan on -
I agree with everyone's thoughtfull comments. I believe the restaurant industry as a whole does a great job in customer service. That is how you build the business and what the business is truely about? Building repeat customers through great service and great food.
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Permalink Reply by Mark on -
I think that anybody that has been in the business long enough (as an owner) can rattle off some really interesting stories regarding customers that are NOT right. I agree with an earlier message in this thread that almost all customer disuputes can be resolved in a manner that pleases the guest, if this were not the case than I think the operator is doing something fundamentally wrong. However, my post is not about those cases, but rather the rare cases where the inheriently evil guest gives you the honor of walking through your doors!!!
1.) We had a group of women one night that stressed the importance of there being no garlic in one of the guest's entrees as she was extremely allergic. We take such requests very seriously, and were careful to use all freshly cleaned utentsils involved with the preparation of the meal as is standard procedure when we get an allergy request. After the table had nearly finished their entrees (after being asked how everything was several times) one of the women called a manager to the table in horror. An entire, unpeeled, whole piece of garlic was sitting in the middle of the plate of the woman with the allergy. You would think we would be horrified, however, we don't carry whole, unpeeled garlic in our restaurant, but rather, buy containers of minced garlic. There has never been a whole garlic clove within the four walls of our kitchen, ever.
When we brought this to her attention, she blushed, and her friends all looked down at their plates. We asked her politely as possible to pay her bill and to please not return. On their way out, one of the friends stated to us that "She does this everywhere she goes to get us a free dinner, she brings the garlic in her purse. We told her to please stop but she refused. We're sorry."
Was the guest right in this circumstance?
If you want more stories, let me know. I promise you that you will think I'm making them up!!!
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Permalink Reply by susan holaday on
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It's amazing that someone would try to do something so blatant - and disgusting.
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Permalink Reply by Keith Bernhardt on
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The gall of people !
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Permalink Reply by Sharon Adams on -
Hello All,
Being new to this forum I guess it would be proper to say hello.. As far as the lady with the garlic - please - I work in the fast food industry - and we all know of the story of the finger in the chili - yes there are times that the customer is NOT right, but as I stress with my staff - please allow a manager to handle the call/customer/guest so that it is handled in a professional and proper manner. As you did, I have done, asked a guest not to return after blatantly causing a stir for no reason.
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Non-OperatorPermalink Reply by John Irvine on -
Some really great points made all across the board. In my opinion there are many components at play in these scenarios. Getting another face involved after the first remake is unsatisfactory is key though. In all of the for instances the order of events is always the same.
Guest reads or hears Menu choices (sometimes from previous experiences)
Guest relates order to Server
Server relates order to Kitchen or Bar
Guest receives Order
Server Checks Back
Best case scenario.... all is well
Complications tend to arise in the following area
Menu not known well enough by staff members
Staff members not asking the right questions of guest...
-If the steak isn't prepared right, are we asking "what the guest looks for in a steak, Color tenderness, flavor"
- The same for Wines of Cocktails that are disagreeable
- If it is a drastic change to a menu Item, Is there something similar to what they are asking for that can be more easily modified to avoid huge changes, or a slowed pace in the kitchen
The question to be asked in my opinion is not" is the guest right or Wrong, and when do you cut off a guest"; but rather have we taken all the steps necessary to allow the best experience for the patrons.
There will always be special circumstances. On a very notable occasion I had a unique opportunity to kindly ask a group of patrons to perhaps seek another establishment in the future, since our service was not up to there expectation. Yes the spent $2000 on dinner(party of 10) Yes they brought in about $25,000 in there own wine. Did we hit all of our points to the "T" absolutely. THe moral of the story here, sometimes its ok to say no to a guest. If we take the proper steps to ensure a great experience then it will undoubtedly involve a set of boundaries. These boundaries are here to Protect the guest, the staff members and the restaurant as a whole. For example I would not walk into French Laundry and Demand Thomas Keller for a burger. Or tell him that I did not like his Tartar.
Boundries
This is not a hip shot but rather a preplanned set of events. WE can encourage the "rightness" of the guest, but there are limits.
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Permalink Reply by Keith Bernhardt on
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I dealt with a customer *(and I use the term loosley) in travel. He had purchased tickets by phone and came in a week or two later to say he didn't get his"senior discount" (was about $11).
He bitched and complained, and my boss, at the time gave him a check for $11.
A few days later, I saw him driving a new Jaguar. I thought "Has he spent his $11 yet ??"
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Permalink Reply by susan holaday on
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It certainly makes you wonder -sounds like the auto execs who arrived in DC with their hands out while traveling in private jets, doesn't it? Are we heading for a "class war" in the country as the divide between haves and have nots (or at the least, squeezed) becomes more pronounced?
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