# Restaurant screws up your order. How hard do you expect them to work to make it right? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 6, 2020, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-screws-up-your-order-how-hard-do-you-expect-them-to-work-to-make-it-right/847540 "2020-02-06T14:47:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-screws-up-your-order-how-hard-do-you-expect-them-to-work-to-make-it-right/847540/61 "2020-02-08T14:42:49Z")
my ex wife threw a tantrum if the order was wrong and would not let them fix it. That never happened at one place because she ordered the same exact dish every time for about 50 visits. She looked at the menu and ordered the same thing, shrimp fra diavolo. Not sure why she wasted time looking at the menu. She said she might see something new. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-screws-up-your-order-how-hard-do-you-expect-them-to-work-to-make-it-right/847540/62 "2020-02-08T15:16:25Z")
> [@albino\_manatee](#): > > not sure i’d trust the kitchen to _‘remake’_ my order … think we’ve all been victimized with a wrong order now 'n then … typically, depends on the staff as well as mgmnt. > > s’been several years since i placed dine-in order at the local **red-lobster** restaurant chain. the waitress arrived with my order … only for me top flag her down for the wrong options. apologizing … the kitchen prepared me a new dinner … this time it was correct … however, the portions were much smaller. not sure who was at fault … but, likely the waitress disavowed her own fault and blamed it on me. **chili’s**? better check your utensils ‘n glassware … four outta’ five times, either or both are dirty\*(not just water stains)\*. back when i worked in the hospitality industry … well, never mind. as for product … mostly it arrives correctly. > > fast-food places … mixed bag of tea … some of the staff are well seasoned … while others arrive directly after school’s out for the day. **mcdonalds** has improved customer quality … mostly, what i find faulty is short-changing\*(i pay cash)\*. with the predominance of cashless systems … less opportunity for cashiers to polish up on their math skills. true … most **POS** systems incorporate an _‘amount tendered’_ … which most employees have no clue as to how the function is utilized. **braums** … back 35-40 years ago, used to be great … nowadays, they serve _‘floaters’_ … not cook-to-order. i’ve complained to mgmnt … the resulting product was even worse. **whataburger** used to cook-to-order also … least they freshly cook the replacement item. > > pizza-chain … usually eat **pizza-hut** once a week … the staff at my place screw up often enough. pizza is cooked for too long … cardboard insert missing underneath the item … pizza not cut thoroughly … _‘reorders’_ not adhered to spec … etc. why i continue being a patron? because i love the product … and believe in what **pizza-hut** ’s franchise stands for. > > however … i have nightmares … fearful as to what the miscreant in any of the kitchens might be doing to my product. occasionally … my only resort is to contact corporate hq. > > as to the op’s question … imho, the manager handled the situation appropriately. I really don’t think the kitchen staff messes with people’s food. They’re just cooking, not having to deal with bitchy customers. Sometimes it might be a sign if a couple of orders come back that perhaps something is wrong with the temperature of the oven. Or perhaps a manager is helping out, either because someone was out sick. And, at chain places sometimes the managers like to show you how brilliant they are and start ‘helping’ ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-screws-up-your-order-how-hard-do-you-expect-them-to-work-to-make-it-right/847540/63 "2020-02-08T15:45:39Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I really don’t think the kitchen staff messes with people’s food. Yeah, I cooked on a line at a restaurant in my youth. We were proud of the work we did, to “mess with someones food” was unconscionable, it just wasn’t done. I feel a little offended when people suggest it would happen, although I guess it has, though rarely. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-screws-up-your-order-how-hard-do-you-expect-them-to-work-to-make-it-right/847540/64 "2020-02-08T16:32:28Z")
I don’t know how this trend started where correcting a mistake involves free everything from now until the end of time, the firing of the person who made the mistake, posting a 1-star incendiary review on Yelp, and demanding the resignation and execution of the corporate CEO are seen as the appropriate steps, but it needs to stop. Mistakes are made, mistakes are fixed, problem solved. The biggest lie ever told and perpetuated is “the customer is always right”. If you have a problem that cannot be fixed to your satisfaction simply by direct replacement or you don’t like the food just don’t go back. How hard is that to figure out? ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-screws-up-your-order-how-hard-do-you-expect-them-to-work-to-make-it-right/847540/65 "2020-02-08T16:39:49Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > my ex wife threw a tantrum if the order was wrong and would not let them fix it. That never happened at one place because she ordered the same exact dish every time for about 50 visits. She looked at the menu and ordered the same thing, shrimp fra diavolo. Not sure why she wasted time looking at the menu. She said she might see something new. There’s reasons why our “exes” are in fact exes. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-screws-up-your-order-how-hard-do-you-expect-them-to-work-to-make-it-right/847540/66 "2020-02-08T17:04:24Z")
> [@Alpha\_Twit](#): > > Upon related this story to a couple of people, the consensus seems to be that I let them off too easily. Some degree of displayed anger plus demanding the coupon and the remade pizza AND the peppery pizza made by mistake AND a call to the corporate HQ to complain is the appropriate response say some. I don’t have time for that and I don’t need a free (mediocre) pizza that badly. Geez, you must know some real assholes. The restaurant reacted quite appropriately. Some people just see this sort of thing as an opportunity to let out their frustrations on people who can’t fight back and to maybe get extra free stuff, too., ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-screws-up-your-order-how-hard-do-you-expect-them-to-work-to-make-it-right/847540/67 "2020-02-08T18:07:10Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Yeah, I cooked on a line at a restaurant in my youth. We were proud of the work we did, to “mess with someones food” was unconscionable, it just wasn’t done. > > I feel a little offended when people suggest it would happen, although I guess it has, though rarely. I did too in college and I guarantee I was probably more upset at a grade on a paper in college than have to remake an order. The servers knew who most of the pain in the ass regulars were so they’d often tell the Expo ‘It’s Mrs So and So’ if it was a known complainer. And, at least at the one place I worked the longest, we had one really good expo and one really good grill guy, but they can’t work every day. So, more mistakes happened on those days ---
**Author:** ![wanderer2575](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/2acd7d/32.png) [@wanderer2575](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wanderer2575)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-screws-up-your-order-how-hard-do-you-expect-them-to-work-to-make-it-right/847540/68 "2020-02-11T13:01:47Z")
“Suppose we refund your money, give you another one for no charge, close the store, and have the manager shot. Would that be satisfactory?” The people demanding a full refund PLUS extra money for their “distress” PLUS still wanting to call HQ are probably the same people who ask that ingredients be left off because they are deathly allergic to them (e.g. hamburger with no tomato slice), but don’t bother checking to be sure the ingredient has in fact been left off. ---
**Author:** ![wanderer2575](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/2acd7d/32.png) [@wanderer2575](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wanderer2575)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-screws-up-your-order-how-hard-do-you-expect-them-to-work-to-make-it-right/847540/69 "2020-02-11T13:06:39Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > I had the opposite experience once, went to a chain restaurant for a steak and scrambled eggs dinner, and my eggs were a strange bluish color on the bottom. I told my server and they brought out a manager who poked and prodded my eggs with a fork for a minute before realizing that they must have put the eggs on an already used plate with some blueberry syrup before transferring to my own plate. The manager literally said “Well it’s just bluish from food coloring I don’t see the problem here” until I demanded the eggs get remade. He hemmed and hawed but eventually relented, took away my blue eggs, then remade me fresh eggs but that was it, no discount or free food or anything. I’m still mad about it. I would be mad about the manager’s reaction, and for that reason alone I would not return. But expecting a discount or even no charge when, in the end, you received your order is too much. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-screws-up-your-order-how-hard-do-you-expect-them-to-work-to-make-it-right/847540/70 "2020-02-11T14:17:51Z")
About twenty years ago, I was doing some work in a impoverished city in a foreign country. My coworker and I were staying at a very nice hotel and went out to dinner at a very nice restaurant located inside the hotel. After we were seated, the waiter brought us water. He fumbled and split about half of one of the glasses. No big deal to us, but the staff was absolutely horrified. Half the staff rushed immediately to us, full of contrite apology. Then they gave us free drinks “because they spilled the water”. We ate a very nice meal without further incident. Then they gave us free dessert “because they spilled the water”. And, as we were leaving, the staff presented me with a huge floral bouquet “because they spilled the water”. And it was presented to me by the manager with sort of a ceremonial flourish. And it wasn’t like any of the spilt water got on me. It was really more of a slosh, dumping a few ounces of water and a couple of ice cubes on the tabletop. I seriously hope they didn’t fire the waiter, I seriously hope they didn’t ritually murder him. On this same trip I left 4 crumpled dollar bills and about a $1.50 in loose change on the dresser in my hotel room one day. When I reentered the room there was a note telling me that my “valuables” had been moved to the hotel safe and they requested that I be more careful about securing my “valuables”. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-screws-up-your-order-how-hard-do-you-expect-them-to-work-to-make-it-right/847540/71 "2020-02-11T14:59:54Z")
> [@wanderer2575](#): > > But expecting a discount or even no charge when, in the end, you received your order is too much. They served him food that was put on a dirty plate from someone else’s meal. Eating at a restaurant isn’t entirely about getting food to eat, it’s also about competent service. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-screws-up-your-order-how-hard-do-you-expect-them-to-work-to-make-it-right/847540/72 "2020-02-11T15:55:03Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > In general, if business screws up all I want is acknowledgement of the mistake and an effort to fix it. I’d take the coupon and the mistaken pizza unless it had a topping I didn’t like, but even then I wouldn’t be a jerk about it. > > The only time I get angry is if no one gives a shit. That’s really it for me as well. I don’t expect total groveling and ass-kissing for a $15 pizza that some harried pizza-slinger likely got confused with one of the other hundred orders that hour. I’d probably have just taken the one with the peppers, and happily hung onto the coupon for the free one and felt like I’d been treated especially well by the pizza shop. I would have been upset had they told me that my only option was to wait for the new one to be baked, OR that my only option was the free coupon, and that I couldn’t keep the screwed up one. Neither of those is accommodating to me as the customer for the mistake they made. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-screws-up-your-order-how-hard-do-you-expect-them-to-work-to-make-it-right/847540/73 "2020-02-11T18:15:26Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > They served him food that was put on a dirty plate from someone else’s meal. Eating at a restaurant isn’t entirely about getting food to eat, it’s also about competent service. Yeah, I wouldn’t expect being refunded, but I would at least expect acknowledgement of the error, it being rectified, and perhaps a free dessert or something of that nature. Last year or so we went out to a barbecue place. My wife & I ordered our usual dishes, and one of the kids got chicken tenders. The other got something else. I forget what. Anyhow, food comes, a bit slow, but we weren’t in any hurry. I cut into my kid’s chicken tenders and there’s still raw meat inside. I don’t mean just barely any raw meat, I mean, like half of it was obviously uncooked. I call a server over, he takes one look at the meat and his face turns ashen. Now, I wasn’t particularly pissed about it, I was just happy I cut into it before my kid tried to eat it. At any rate, they fully refunded BOTH kids meals and they took 50% off our adult orders, including the drinks. So, despite the rather dangerous snafu, we still left felt that the situation was more than adequately addressed, and we were actually ready to return (but they went out of business in the meantime. That was only our second time there. The first time it was unexpectedly good; the second time, besides the raw chicken issue, the food was closer to what I was expecting the first time – average-to-below-average, but I was happy with the way the situation was handled that I would have returned to give it a third try and see whether my first experience there was anamolous.) ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-screws-up-your-order-how-hard-do-you-expect-them-to-work-to-make-it-right/847540/74 "2020-02-11T20:35:11Z")
I find the options presented to the OP to be acceptable. I’m a picky eater, and I want my food the way I order it. I’d have waited for the remake, and likely charmed my way into a coke or a cookie or something while I wait, cuz I’m charming like that. ---
**Author:** ![Indyellen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/indyellen/32/4176_2.png) [@Indyellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indyellen)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-screws-up-your-order-how-hard-do-you-expect-them-to-work-to-make-it-right/847540/75 "2020-02-11T21:01:46Z")
One night, regrettably close to closing, my husband and I ordered Penn Station. They were not very happy with us. When I got home with the food, one sandwich was wrong and the other was burnt. Husband tried calling the store - no answer. He tried to email them. No response. He emailed corporate. No response. We don’t eat at any Penn Station anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-screws-up-your-order-how-hard-do-you-expect-them-to-work-to-make-it-right/847540/76 "2020-02-11T21:06:13Z")
> [@wanderer2575](#): > > I would be mad about the manager’s reaction, and for that reason alone I would not return. But expecting a discount or even no charge when, in the end, you received your order is too much. I would have called the health dept on that restaurant. It’s one thing for a plate to not be 100% clean from the dishwasher but it’s clear that plate wasn’t even washed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-screws-up-your-order-how-hard-do-you-expect-them-to-work-to-make-it-right/847540.md?page=3)