What do you think is an appropriate response to different bad services in a restaurant?

[Ibanez]

1) Waiter is rude, or lacking in manners, or generally display bad altitude (sighing, rolling eyeballs)

Depends on when the bad attitude starts.

I.E. some friends and I went to a restaurant sat down the waiter serving us a little older than I ( around 25 then) walked by and lobbed the menus on our table and kept on walking knocking my friends cutlery around. We decided to go somewhere else but before we did I asked for the manager and explained why we were leaving. No matter what is offered as restitution, leave.

If the bad attitude starts after the meal has been ordered or well under way, my normal standard of tipping 20%+ drops to 5%, just to enough for him or her to pay into any sort of tip pool system he or she may have to pay into at their end of their shift and before I leave explain why they are getting such a low tip. I guarantee you the attitude will adjust for their next table.

2) Waiter mixed up the orders, but food comes on time…

Not a problem, but wont eat whats served to me. Not what I ordered.

3) Your order has been forgotten and you have been left waiting for 15 to 30 minutes (and is expected to wait another 10 for the food to come)

If its busy in the restaurant and I see the staff are busting their asses, I understand no problem. Something usually gets comped anyways. Might even tip them more because I know what its like to bust your ass in a busy restaurant.

If the restaurant is not busy, that’s when my slacker alarm goes off. That usually means at least 1 or more people don’t give a shit your in the restaurant. If they don’t give a shit about getting my money its safe to say there’s a good chance they don’t give a shit on how they prepare/handle your food either. Low tip again. Probably wont be back.

4) You found something mildly icky, like hair in your food; or that the food is unsatisfactory (too salty, the beef is not at the done-ness you want)

Foreign objects in my food, it goes back.

If the food is objectional, the only thing I’ll send back is if something is under/over cooked or its way to salty, I’m 40 and want to live as long as I can. I realize that some food in some restaurants are really bland or just plain weird, those are just bad cooks, will take note and not likely go back for awhile.

5) You found something considerably icky in your food.

Foreign objects in my food, it goes back.

[Arnold_Winkelried]

1. Waiter is rude, or lacking in manners, or generally display bad altitude (sighing, rolling eyeballs)
   What is rude? In general, I don’t care if he’s nice to me, as long as I get what I order. I don’t expect Pollyanna to be serving me food.

2. Waiter mixed up the orders, but food comes on time…
   You mean that all I have to do is switch with someone else at the table to get my food? Or that I have to send it back with the waiter, but my correct order shows up on time? In either case, as long as I don’t have to wait for the food, don’t care.

3. Your order has been forgotten and you have been left waiting for 15 to 30 minutes (and is expected to wait another 10 for the food to come)
   This I do care about. Especially now that I have kids, I have become more sensitive to unnecessary delays in restaurants, because at that age they get bored easily.

4. You found something mildly icky, like hair in your food; or that the food is unsatisfactory (too salty, the beef is not at the done-ness you want)
   If it’s minor, I’ll pull out the foreign object (like a hair on the plate) and eat it anyway. If it happens more than once I’ll mention it to the waiter.

5. You found something considerably icky in your food.
   Send it back.

When would I reduce my tip? Operating under the assumption that tips go to the waiter, I don’t care about 1 or 2. For 3, 4 or 5, I don’t know if it’s the waiter’s fault or not, so it’s unfair to penalize the waiter for it. Leave the same tip I usually do.

[OpalCat]

@Satchmo

My Mom, who waitressed for 30 years, tips big when she gets good service. (30-40%). When it’s bad, she lets them know in no uncertain terms. But her policy is to then leave a penny tip. She explains it as, if you leave no tip, they can always rationalize that you weren’t going to leave a tip no matter what. The penny tip means, “I ALWAYS leave a tip, but this is the smallest one I can leave.” Maybe not every service person will figure that out, but that’s what she does. I know I’m not answering the OP, for which I apologize. But wanted to add to the discussion about tipping.

We left half a penny once. We just happened to have half a penny on us, and it left zero question as to the reason for the low tip–hell, the waitress THREW our bill AT us when we finally got her attention to bring it, after a whole long evening of craptacular service. We never saw her reaction to the half penny, but we were second in line filling out complaint forms about her when we were leaving, so she was that bad to everyone, apparently.

As for the OP, I pretty much adjust the tip downward unless something isn’t being adequately addressed by the waitperson, in which case I’ll ask to speak with the manager.

[snowmaster]

1. Waiter is rude, or lacking in manners, or generally display bad altitude (sighing, rolling eyeballs)

Most places, people like these are identified so fast they don’t work there very long at all. When we get a waitress who’s not quite at her bet, we usually try to get on their side and say “long day, huh?”. Continued bad attitude leads to minimum tip.

2. Waiter mixed up the orders, but food comes on time…

Human error is inevitable in any operation. I’ll often take what I get if it’s at all palitable to me, if not I’ll explain the mistake and ask for my meal and be OK with the wait. I’ve made mistakes. As long as its not chronic, I appreciate people understanding when I have.

3. Your order has been forgotten and you have been left waiting for 15 to 30 minutes (and is expected to wait another 10 for the food to come)

Depending on how long we have, I’ll either ask to pay for our drinks and go, or make mention of the problem and ask the waitress wether she forgot or the kitchen messed up. It takes an awful lot for me to complain about a waitress, but if the kitchen drops the ball, I’ll usualkly want to make the manager personally aware of it.

4. You found something mildly icky, like hair in your food; or that the food is unsatisfactory (too salty, the beef is not at the done-ness you want)

I’m a little critical of people who peg the righteous indignation meter when they find something mild in food. In fact, I think a lot of people who find a hair in food don’t consider for a second they may have dropped thier own hair in.

As for done-ness, there’s a lot of variation in how a chef will grade beef doneness. If it’s underdone for how I like it, I’ll ask nicely for them to give it another minute under the boiler. For overdone, I won’t ask them to waste a steak unless it’s way, way over well.

5. You found something considerably icky in your food.

Finding an insect is probably the worst thing that squicks me out and calmly, I will express my disgust and displeasure to the manager.
I never ask for a discount, but am pleased to recieve one if its offered. If I’m not offered one when something more-than-minor happens, I probably won’t be back.

And above all, going out of your way to COMPLIMENT the service to the manager one in a while is VERY important. I don’t feel I have much right to complain if I never have anything positive to say.

[snowmaster]

1. Waiter is rude, or lacking in manners, or generally display bad altitude (sighing, rolling eyeballs)

Most places, people like these are identified so fast they don’t work there very long at all. When we get a waitress who’s not quite at her bet, we usually try to get on their side and say “long day, huh?”. Continued bad attitude leads to minimum tip.

2. Waiter mixed up the orders, but food comes on time…

Human error is inevitable in any operation. I’ll often take what I get if it’s at all palitable to me, if not I’ll explain the mistake and ask for my meal and be OK with the wait. I’ve made mistakes. As long as its not chronic, I appreciate people understanding when I have.

3. Your order has been forgotten and you have been left waiting for 15 to 30 minutes (and is expected to wait another 10 for the food to come)

Depending on how long we have, I’ll either ask to pay for our drinks and go, or make mention of the problem and ask the waitress wether she forgot or the kitchen messed up. It takes an awful lot for me to complain about a waitress, but if the kitchen drops the ball, I’ll usualkly want to make the manager personally aware of it.

4. You found something mildly icky, like hair in your food; or that the food is unsatisfactory (too salty, the beef is not at the done-ness you want)

I’m a little critical of people who peg the righteous indignation meter when they find something mild in food. In fact, I think a lot of people who find a hair in food don’t consider for a second they may have dropped thier own hair in.

5. You found something considerably icky in your food.

Finding an insect is probably the worst thing that squicks me out and calmly, I will express my disgust and displeasure to the manager.
I never ask for a discount, but am pleased to recieve one if its offered. If I’m not offered one when something more-than-minor happens, I probably won’t be back.

And above all, going out of your way to COMPLIMENT the service to the manager one in a while is VERY important. I don’t feel I have much right to complain if I never have anything positive to say.

[GaryM]

1) Waiter is rude, or lacking in manners, or generally display bad altitude (sighing, rolling eyeballs)

Much reduced tip!

2) Waiter mixed up the orders, but food comes on time…

Mention it, but probably still tip my regular amount, or close to it. Depends on how badly it’s mixed up.

3) Your order has been forgotten and you have been left waiting for 15 to 30 minutes (and is expected to wait another 10 for the food to come)

Reduced tip and a complaint to manager

4) You found something mildly icky, like hair in your food; or that the food is unsatisfactory (too salty, the beef is not at the done-ness you want)

Send it back and complain to manager

5) You found something considerably icky in your food.

Complain to management and refuse to pay. Would probably tip some as it’s not likely to be the server’s fault.

[ScatteredFrog]

1) Waiter is rude, or lacking in manners, or generally display bad altitude (sighing, rolling eyeballs)

I’d just get up and walk out.

2) Waiter mixed up the orders, but food comes on time…

I trade with my wife and enjoy the meal. No big deal.

3) Your order has been forgotten and you have been left waiting for 15 to 30 minutes (and is expected to wait another 10 for the food to come)

If I’m not on a deadline, I sit there and smile and hope they get the hint. Usually works really well, and they knock something off the bill without me even saying a word.

4) You found something mildly icky, like hair in your food; or that the food is unsatisfactory (too salty, the beef is not at the done-ness you want)

First of all, I never send it back unless it’s a place I frequent to the point that they know me. If you don’t know why I never send stuff back (unless the kitchen is exposed for all to see, like they have at Baja Fresh), then you never worked in the food service industry or know someone who did and told you stories.

If the icky thing is a piece of onion or something that has juice from the onion (onions make me throw up – literally), I’ll eat it and hope to puke. Seriously. Because I always request “no onions” and explain that I’m allergic.

Or something I’ll do so that I don’t actually complain is wait until the two-minute two-bite “How is everything?” visit and make it obvious what’s wrong without actually saying anything, so that way they can’t say that I complained – they’d be admitting the mistake themselves without even being told.

5) You found something considerably icky in your food.

Again, I’d eat the thing with onion.

BTW, one thing to keep in consideration is if the restaurant just opened and they’re still trying to get their bearings. You gotta cut 'em some slack. Rudeness is never allowable, though, unless you’re wait staff at Ed Debevic’s.

[Munch]

@ScatteredFrog

If you don’t know why I never send stuff back (unless the kitchen is exposed for all to see, like they have at Baja Fresh), then you never worked in the food service industry or know someone who did and told you stories.

I take it you’ve heard stories. They’re not true. I worked in food service for 5 years, and no one would ever even think of doing something to someone’s food.

[pope_hentai]

1. Waiter is rude, or lacking in manners, or generally display bad altitude (sighing, rolling eyeballs)

depends. if my glass is never empty and the empty plates disappear, i really don’t care. if i never see them after they take my orderi tip less depending.

2. Waiter mixed up the orders, but food comes on time…

no prob, fix it, we’re cool long as the waiter is.

3. Your order has been forgotten and you have been left waiting for 15 to 30 minutes (and is expected to wait another 10 for the food to come)

depends on how busy they are.

4. You found something mildly icky, like hair in your food; or that the food is unsatisfactory (too salty, the beef is not at the done-ness you want)

probably wouldn’t worry bout it.

5. You found something considerably icky in your food.

talk to the manager, get the food comped and replaced probably still tip the waiter, its not his fault. i actually had that happen once, when i found a piece of metal scouring pad in my food.