Sunday Six (caution: grumpy)

Ah, I'm so tired of restaurants. I cook at home and only go out for my T&T favorite spots.

 
Are you daring to imply that my typo was insincere?

Okay, it was, but I thought Erin could use a laugh.

 
I disagree. Pointing out an error is not taunting, belittling or condescending

if it is done politely. Mistakes are nothing to get upset about--they just need fixing. I was a waiter for 10 years and when a customer was slighted in some way, I was eager to fix it IF they were nice about it. In turn I was nice about it to the cook. If the customer was a jerk we still tried to fix it we just grumbled a bit.

Why should a diner suffer in silence for fear that the staff is going to abuse the food? In my experience we didn't have time for stunts like that, we just wanted the customers fed and happy so they'd tip and come back.

Granted, I would never send food back unless there was something seriously wrong with it, for all the reasons you describe. I would also never leave without paying unless I had given the restaurant a chance to make things right.

 
I've worked in restaurants too and I agree with Joe. It's more about how you address the waitstaff

and other workers. Only in the movies can someone get away with "This is terrible! Take it BACK to the kitchen! What is this, some kind of hash house?"

I've rarely experienced a situation where if there is some kind of issue with my meal (a soup that's ice cold, steak done to well instead of rare, etc.) where if you're polite and don't act ridiculous, the staff won't be happy to oblige. It's all about time, place and style-points.

Now if THAT fails (and I've had it happen) I've received serious satisfaction from the "I'm-not-angry-just-disappointed" letter to the owner or manager.

 
Letters to the management are always a powerful way to express your displeasure. Again, politeness

is key. Any manager worth his salary would welcome honest feedback.

Something tells me your letters would be more entertaining than most.

 
My exact experience there...without the clever spelling. I stumbled out with a boatload of chocolate

and those super-thin Swedish cookies. The rest of the store items did look like DRËKK.

I had such high hopes.

 
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