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Original poster

How should a franchise respond to a food poisoning complaint?

32 replies

ChetChet · 28/07/2021 18:03

Just this really.
I've finally received an email from the franchise owner after I contacted customer service about a recent bad order. The feel I get from reading the email is, "Customer service told me to contact you. I hear you got sick, sorry about that. See you again soon!".
To me, the tone is off but perhaps I am expecting a bit more sincerity..? Goodness, I was fully clothed, under my weighted blanket last week during the heatwave, shivering with cold and vomiting and ahem, on the loo all day. One child suffered with diarrhoea and another was also sick.
Regardless of that, I can't help but feel his reply has not addressed my complaint but am thinking too much on this?
I've never dealt with a food poisoning complaint before.

OP posts:
caughtinanet · 28/07/2021 18:06

I don't know if there are special rules for franchises but in my 2 experiences of food poisoning I'm as sure as cab be came from 2 different restaurants they won't admit anything

Report to environmental health might be your next step.

DogsSausages · 28/07/2021 18:09

I would report to their head office and your local environment health. Some food poisoning is notifiable.

BelleClapper · 28/07/2021 18:11

If three of you were ill it’s much more likely to have been a bug rather than food poisoning.

The restaurant will never admit liability, and you would have no way to prove it.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General health
mafted · 28/07/2021 18:11

I didn't have to contact the suspected source of the food poisoning, when it was confirmed by the GP they passed it on to Environmental Health people.

Viviennemary · 28/07/2021 18:14

Food poisoning might be quite difficult to prove. Might be down to a vomitting bug.

MakeCrisps · 28/07/2021 18:14

Do you have evidence that it was food poisoning and that it came from them? Have environmental health been involved?

If not you don't really know any more than they do so they're not going to accept liability

lurker101 · 28/07/2021 18:14

I imagine their response is based on the many false reports they likely get. Not suggesting yours was a false report, but it Environmental Health etc. Isn’t involved I imagine they don’t say very much, as they won’t want to admit any liability (which may be misplaced) and if they served 500 burgers/wings/pizzas whatever from the same freezer/batch/staff on that day and there’s only been one family complaint they likely believe it’s another source.

TheLovleyChebbyMcGee · 28/07/2021 18:19

Did you get it confirmed by your doctor? I work in an NHS microbiology lab and any cases of salmonella, campylobacter etc are automatically referred to public health who will investigate.

If not, then you could try and report it to PH yourself, but they may not take your report because like a PP says, it could be a non-food bug you all caught.

I'm not saying you are making it up at all, but without proof they can't take action against a restaurant I'm afraid. Unless you witnessed unsafe food handling practices, or unless other cases have been linked to the place.

Hope you feel better soon, its horrible!!

BungleandGeorge · 28/07/2021 18:19

Has it been diagnosed by a doctor? Pretty sure it’s notifiable so that they know to investigate the restaurant.

Original poster
ChetChet · 28/07/2021 19:01

It wasn't notified. Thank you for your input, it's helpful. I'm not expecting anything (as in, the MN term being grabby), at all. I felt the owner was quite pithy in tone which kind of hurt my feelings and that's what had got me wondering about customer service training in events such as these, that was all.

I don't think we succumbed to a bug. This meal was delivered at 10am and it was a special occasion treat as it was a celebratory day. My teen daughter loves this shop but we rarely ever buy it in. She's a fan and has always claimed it's "the best" and so we went with that to surprise her. I remember We were all sat eating it and it was really quiet at the table and it tasted so underwhelming, but I couldn't put my finger on the problem. The two youngsters refused to eat theirs, my hollow legged son complained about how dry his order was and ate slowly (haha!), I struggled to finish mine and the same with DP. My huge fan daughter had half of hers before proclaiming, "they must've changed xxxxx, because this is NOT how I remember it" and then left the rest of her order. So that was that. I was disappointed more than anything but hey ho.
The next hour I became nauseous. After that came the vomiting, then the diarrhoea, more sickness, cramping etc. So I laid down and spent the rest of that day in bed. One child had diarrhoea later in the afternoon. Teen DD felt queasy all day. I felt bad more so because it was supposed to be a fun day but felt i had inadvertently ruined it.
Anyway. I see now that contacting the GP would've been the best course of action but I didn't think of that at the time. Quite silly of me with hindsight.
On a brighter side of things, I suppose it's a good thing to not have experience with food poisoning procedures.

OP posts:
Original poster
ChetChet · 28/07/2021 19:08

Do you think I should reply to the email the owner sent? There's not much point really, is there? I feel more stung by the tone of his response but otherwise what else can he say?

OP posts:
user1471453601 · 28/07/2021 19:18

When I had good poisoning it was diagnosed by a doctor, sample checked etc. I have a good idea where it may have come from (undercooked chicken, id eaten a slice on top before I realised the rest was pink). The pain and vomiting took about 36 hours to manifest itself

I was not I the UK at the time, as I told my doctor. Nevertheless, he told me he would have to report it to environmental health. Got a letter from them telling me how to keep family members safe etc.

Although I'm pretty sure it was the undercooked chicken I would never have accused them, as you just don't know

Panickingpavlova · 28/07/2021 19:27

Op any time soon I've had food issues I've gone straight to the council... It's the only dept I've dealt with thats actually educated and sensible to deal with.

They will look at the files, see if anyone else complained, when last inspection was, the rating and if its not been for a whole they will go in.

I never understand why people complain to the actual perps!! What do you expect.. Yes we are substandard naughty us!!

Eh council.

WhatMattersMost · 28/07/2021 19:29

An hour later? That would be terribly unusual. It is usually between half a day to a few days after ingesting food.

AnneFuckingKirrin · 28/07/2021 19:37

@WhatMattersMost

An hour later? That would be terribly unusual. It is usually between half a day to a few days after ingesting food.
This is what I thought too.
LubaLuca · 28/07/2021 19:46

I too would feel annoyed that the business owner was so flippant, it seems like he's laughing at you. Whether they believed my complaint was valid or not, a little bit of token sympathy (without admitting liability) would have given you reassurance that they take such things seriously and are concerned with keeping their customers safe and healthy.

Leavesofautumn · 28/07/2021 19:56

If they're being unhelpful and uncaring, then that's an even stronger reason to report them to Environmental Health as they're obviously not taking it seriously enough.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 28/07/2021 20:02

Unlikely to be food poisoning so soon after eating. And there's definitely various bugs around. I had some sort of 24 hour thing a couple of weeks ago.

BungleandGeorge · 28/07/2021 20:16

It’s possible that it’s food poisoning although the more severe types take longer to develop www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/diseases/staphylococcal.html
There is also a resurgence of winter vomiting bugs at the moment though. Without seeing a doctor and getting a stool sample it’s impossible to say, I guess it’s just one to chalk up to experience. Yes they were dismissive but not much you can do apart from avoid in the future and report to the council in case there are others. What was there food hygiene rating? I’m sure many restaurants do avoid scrutiny because people are too unwell to get to the doctors with a sample and just get on with it

mafted · 28/07/2021 20:43

I understand why your unhappy with the response. You could email back saying as much if it makes you feel better. If they email back an apology then it will feel meaningless and if they offer you free food I doubt you'll want to return!
I'd probably leave a bad review online about the food but not mention your illness.

Mantlemoose · 28/07/2021 20:54

NHS : Food poisoning : The symptoms usually start within a few days of eating the food that caused the infection. Sometimes they start after a few hours or not for a few weeks.

Could have been anywhere. You need the food sample analysed before you can accuse them.

Original poster
ChetChet · 29/07/2021 15:28

Thank you everyone. I won't email back and I've taken the advice on board.
Oh well. It's an unfortunate set of events but I've learned a few things.
Thanks again.

I do think I'll leave a review, on second thoughts. That'll show him Grin

OP posts:
helpfulperson · 29/07/2021 15:57

The fact that you all thought the food in general didn't taste good is also indicative of you already coming down with a bug. Food poisoning would normally be confined to an element of the meal unless you all had an identical order.

Viviennemary · 29/07/2021 17:57

An hour later is a bug not food poisoning. IMHO. And if you all had different meals its unlikely to be FP.

TakeYourFinalPosition · 29/07/2021 18:00

An hour later is too soon to be food poisoning. My council rejected my complaint five hours after I ate, as it was too soon so they wouldn’t investigate.

What did you eat the night before? It sounds like you were all getting ill before you tucked in.