Unit 5

Dealing with complaints and difficult situations

Perhaps the most common and vital aspect of a waiter’s job is dealing with complaints from dissatisfied customers. We’ve made note of this before, so we’ll reiterate again the importance of staying calm in these situations and listening to the customer’s explanation to figure out what the issue is and if you or a coworker made a mistake. Of course, sometimes the customer is the one in the wrong so in those cases you must be even more careful in handling the issue. 

It’s easy to lash out at the other person when you know you didn’t do anything wrong but customers have the power to build up or tear down an establishment’s reputation with their comments and word-of-mouth stories. So the best approach is to try to explain calmly and in a friendly manner how the customer might have made a mistake and offer a complimentary drink or dessert to smooth things over. If you see that the customer is too agitated to listen, it would be better to simply apologize and offer the gift without commenting on anything else. Your restaurant might lose its good reputation if the customer gets offended and starts spreading negative rumors about the service and the staff. 

Customer 1: Waiter!

Waiter: Yes, ma’am? Is there a problem?

Customer: Yes, there is a problem! What do you call this? I said I wanted the extra spicy sauce to go with the steak and this tastes so mild I can barely feel it.

Waiter: I’m sorry, ma’am, this is the kind of hot sauce we offer. 

Customer 2: It really tastes nothing like the spicy sauce we get at other restaurants. I can’t believe this is the best you can offer. I can buy something better at a much cheaper price from the convenience store.

Waiter: My apologies, ladies. I can check again with the chef if there’s a different kind of sauce, we can offer that will be more to your liking. Would that be ok?

Customer 1: I suppose that’s fine.

[waiter returns after a few minutes]

Waiter: The chef explained that this recipe is traditionally prepared with a milder kind of spice so that it doesn’t overpower the taste of the meat and the other vegetables. That’s why he used this kind of sauce as dressing.

Customer 1: That’s fine and all, but I clearly said I want something with a strong spicy taste. I prefer my meals to be on the spicier side.

Waiter: I understand, ma’am. The chef offers his apologies as well, but he was simply following the standard recipe. If he adds a stronger spice now, it will change the taste of the whole meal.

Customer 2: I don’t mind. The hot spice will make up for it. 

Customer 1: Yes, I’m fine with it.

Waiter: If you’re sure, I’ll take your dishes momentarily to bring them back to the kitchen and add the sauce. We apologize for the delay.

Customer 1: Well, this wouldn’t have happened if you’d just listened to us in the first place. We know what we like better, don’t you think so?

Waiter: Yes, you’re correct. I am very sorry for overlooking your requests. As an apology may I offer from behalf of the restaurant a complimentary dessert for you, ladies?

Customer 2: Oh! I was thinking about getting a dessert anyway. Well, this just works out great then.

• Is there a problem?
• I can check again with the chef.
• Would that be ok?
• The chef offers his apologies as well.
• If you’re sure, I’ll take your dishes momentarily.
• We apologize for the delay.
• This wouldn’t have happened if you’d just listened to us in the first place.
• I am very sorry for overlooking your requests.
• As an apology may I offer from behalf of the restaurant a complimentary dessert.

This is the hardest part of dealing with customers in any of the fields of customer service. When you’re dealing with a complaint from a calm and polite customer it’s easier to remain calm yourself and think clearly about the best solutions. However, when the customer is rude and unpleasant the situation can quickly escalate and then it will be much harder to handle it.

In order to avoid that escalation, a good idea is to call your manager or someone in a superior position in the establishment. On one hand, a manager is more likely to know how to deal with such a customer and what they can and can’t offer on behalf of the establishment as compensation. Sometimes a customer might demand compensation that’s too much or can’t be fulfilled at the moment. The manager can make the decision whether to agree with the customer’s demands or not and give valid reasons why. 

On the other hand, most people react differently when they’re dealing with someone they view as lower on the hierarchy ladder than they’d react when talking with a manager or the owner or someone in a position of power. So calling in the manager could help de-escalate the situation and resolve it peacefully. 

But in any case, the main points are still the same. You have to try to remain calm as best as you can and ask the customer to also explain calmly what the problem is; and remind them that no matter what it’s not acceptable to act rudely in a public place and/or insult the staff and other customers.

Customer: What are you doing?

Waitress: Excuse me, sir? Is there a problem? I was going to help you get seated at your table.

Customer: I can see that. I can also see that this isn’t the table I wanted. I explicitly stated in my reservation that I want a window view.

Waiter: Yes, sir, but as we told you then the last window view was already reserved before you called. So, we booked you this table instead, it has a great view of the open space in the dining room and-

Customer: What nonsense! I told you to book me the window view table, I don’t care about the stupid dining room. You could have changed the reservation, couldn’t you?

Waiter: I’m sorry, sir, but we can’t switch around the reservations.

Customer: Are you not listening to me? Who cares about the other reservation, I can pay your little extra fee to get the table I want!

Waiter: That’s not how it works, Mr. Anderson. Please, if you’d lower your voice, there are other people dining here.

Customer: So? What do I care? You’re the ones who ruined my evening with your incompetence! I won’t leave this standing like this.

Waiter: I’m sorry but there really isn’t anything we can do. All the tables are booked today and there are no window views available. Would you please reconsider?

Customer: No! I want to speak with the manager. I SAID 

Waiter: Please, I already asked you to lower your voice. This is a public area.  I’ll get the manager right away.

Customer: You’d better!

• help customers get seated at your table
• but as we told you then….
• the last window view was already reserved
• we booked you this table
• we can’t switch around the reservations
• Please, if you’d lower your voice….
• there really isn’t anything we can do
• Would you please reconsider?

Lastly, we’re going to look over the other type of common mistake which happens in a lot of establishments – mistakes concerning the bill. This is also a serious issue since it’s about payment and money so of course, you have to be extra careful to present the customer with the correct bill and if they bring your attention to a problem, check immediately if something is indeed wrong.

Even though nowadays everything is digitalized, mistakes can still happen when the waiter is marking off the different items that have been purchased. Especially if the company is a big one and each guest is ordering multiple food items and drinks, it’s easy to mark one item more or less and thus have an incorrect receipt at the end. 

In most cases, the customer will immediately let you know if something isn’t right with their bill and then you can compare the bill with the tickets you have written down during the course of your shift. It’s likely that you will catch your slip up if you’ve forgotten to mark an item on the bill or you’ve marked one twice. 

Waitress: How was your evening, gentlemen? Was the meal to your liking?

Customer 1: Yes, everything was great. Thank you.

Waitress: Shall I bring you the bill then?

Customer 1: Yes. 

[waitress brings the bill]

Customer 2: Excuse me, miss. I think you’ve made a mistake.

Waitress: What do you mean, sir?

Customer 2: Here, on the bill it says 2 medium-sized servings of Mexican rice with mushrooms, but we ordered only one. The other was Risotto with chicken fillets. 

Waitress: Oh, I’m very sorry if we’ve made a mistake. Let me check that and I’ll get back to you right away.

Customer 1: And please, make sure the wine is charged properly since we didn’t order a whole bottle.

Waitress: Yes, I will check over everything again.

[waitress returns after a few minutes]

Waitress: My apologies, gentlemen. You were correct. You ordered one Mexican rice and one Risotto with chicken so the mistake was mine. There are also the 5 glasses of red wine we’ve charged and a shredded Brussel sprouts salad. Is that all correct?

Customer 1: Yes.

Waitress: I’ve issued you a new bill. Please, check again if you’re satisfied with everything and sign at the bottom. Will you pay cash or credit?

Customer 1: Cash, please.

Customer 2: Here you go.

Waitress: Thank you. Have a nice evening and I hope to see you again.