How would you expect the restaurant to rectify this mistake?

[Amandasummers]

After much deliberation, decided to place an order with a highly recommended restaurant as a thank you to a close friend for providing some much needed help recently. This person LOVES ribs/American bbq type food, so although it was expensive in my eyes and a total pain, it seemed like an appropriate thank you.

Placed an order for 2 x full racks of ribs (£14 each) + 2 x portions of chicken wings (£7 each) and 4 x sides (total £22) total order £64. I had to collect the order, so got a cab to and from the restaurant. Paid for my order which came to £61.50, I assumed that perhaps because it was a takeaway order each item may have been a tiny bit cheaper hence the difference in total.

Got home, no ribs in the bags! Gutted. Contact restaurant who insisted that I only ordered 2 x half racks of ribs and that they were in the bag 🙄 they offered me a refund for the ribs, but as they were saying I only ordered 2 x half rack of ribs, that would only work out £19 refund. I declined and said I would wait until somebody higher up could contact me and deal with this.

I got in touch with the owner via email and although they asked if I could rearrange the evening and they would provide the order again in its entirety free of charge and deliver it (despite not offering delivery) it just wasn’t an option, my friend was travelling back to their home country the next day. I do very much appreciate the gesture, but I kind of feel like I want an explanation? How did my order total £61.50 if they are saying I didn’t even have 2 x full racks on the order, is a £19 refund acceptable when we were left without the main courses, only a few sides and I’ve had an absolute palava going to collect the order in a taxi costing me £20! At the same time, I don’t know what I expect them to offer.

Am I being unreasonable to be pissed off? It’s really annoying me and I sitting here £80 out of pocket (I appreciate its not their fault I had to get a cab, but it’s not my fault they didn’t provide the correct order!)

What would you think is a reasonable solution?!

[Anniissa]

Surely there was a receipt for what you paid for? It’s not clear if you ever were charged for the 2 full racks rather than 2 half racks. If they only charged for the half racks then they only need to refund for what was actually paid and not received. It was extremely disappointing for you but they offered to give you a full replacement order at another time. It’s unfortunate that that wouldn’t work in your circumstances but I’m not sure what else they could have done.

[ReeseWitherfork]

I get it. Whatever you did or didn't get, you couldn't use what they sent you because it was a gift for a friend. It's like ordering a teapot for a big tea drinker and getting a cappuccino machine. Value is irrelevant if you can't use it.

I think the trouble is that my comparison doesn't quite work because you were only down a rack of ribs (2x half racks). What with the wings and the sides, I'd have thought you'd have enough food just to get on with it.

Not a lot the restaurant can do except apologise and refund you. Doesn't sound like a massive cock up, just someone mishearing in a busy restaurant. Probably a lesson for you to get them to read back the order and to check your food before you leave.

So yes, I see why you're miffed, but I think you need to make the best of a bad situation.

[AnotherDelphinium]

I understand where you’re coming from, because you would not have ordered the sides, chicken wings or the taxis, if you weren’t actually getting the ribs.

It’s like paying for an inclusive day out at the theme park fir £100 including photo pass, t-shirt food, drink container etc, and when you get there the theme park is closed, but the cafe is open, and I hand you a T-shirt and drinks container, so PP are saying it would be absolutely fine to just get a £30 refund for the entrance ticket despite the whole reason for going not being available!

I’ll be pushing for the whole meal to be refunded back to you, but you’ll have to accept the transport costs. I’d include a photo of your friends flight tickets to evidence that it’s not a event you could redo at a later date.

[worriedatthemoment]

Ask for a £28 refund for missing food , the cab is not their problem unfortunately
I would prob rather go for free meal and delivery again though and just invite another friend over to share

[IntermittentParps]

you were only down a rack of ribs (2x half racks). What with the wings and the sides, I'd have thought you'd have enough food just to get on with it.
There were NO ribs at all in the bag. Just wings and sides.

My main issue though is that the restaurant seem to be mixed up or lying about what was actually in the order ie what OP paid for. She ordered 2 x full racks of ribs and the restaurant insisted that a) she'd ordered 2 x half racks and b) they were in the bag, when obviously they weren't or why would she complain?

For this show of incompetence I'd accept their apology and the order again free of charge (which I know they offered) or, as the evening couldn't be rearranged, a full refund.

[Davina69]

You are exactly the reason why my DH and I are completely and utterly fed up of running a small business. Mistakes happen and the unrealistic expectations of the entitled idiots I have to encounter on a daily basis are the reason I have anxiety.

You should spend your time reading about the difficulties that many people are having in society with cuts to universal credit and the ever increasing cost of living. Maybe then you would realise that you have nothing to complain about.

[Amandasummers]

@AnotherDelphinium thank you! This is exactly it! I’ve said in my OP I appreciate the gesture but if I got the restaurant to re do the order another time it would be pointless, the meal was not for me and wouldn’t be eaten!

My biggest issue is being told I only had 2 half racks on my order instead of 2 full, meaning I literally have no idea how the price ended up as it did, I wasn’t provided with a receipt and I wasn’t expecting any problems, so didn’t query this, I don’t generally walk around expecting everything to go wrong all the time! I darent mention that my friend and his family didn’t even eat the chicken wings because they were covered in some kind of white dressing that was not mentioned in the product description! I would no doubt be hung drawn and quartered for my unreasonable-ness!

[Amandasummers]

@Davina69

You are exactly the reason why my DH and I are completely and utterly fed up of running a small business. Mistakes happen and the unrealistic expectations of the entitled idiots I have to encounter on a daily basis are the reason I have anxiety.

You should spend your time reading about the difficulties that many people are having in society with cuts to universal credit and the ever increasing cost of living. Maybe then you would realise that you have nothing to complain about.

@Davina69 do you know anything of my life? Perhaps, the reason this has got to me is because I don’t have money to splash about, it was a very very rare treat and something I really had to consider wether I could spare the cash to do….how in gods name is expecting an explanation any kind of unreasonable expectation?

[IntermittentParps]

@Davina69

You are exactly the reason why my DH and I are completely and utterly fed up of running a small business. Mistakes happen and the unrealistic expectations of the entitled idiots I have to encounter on a daily basis are the reason I have anxiety.

You should spend your time reading about the difficulties that many people are having in society with cuts to universal credit and the ever increasing cost of living. Maybe then you would realise that you have nothing to complain about.

Mistakes happen but I expect the person who made them to be able to understand and admit the actual mistake they made, which doesn't seem to be the case here.

Arguments about universal credit etc are pointless here. If you want to read and post about universal credit and the cost of living, find a thread about those things.

[Davina69]

@Amandasummers

You were offered a free meal yet you still aren't happy ! You're clearly someone who is looking for the poor restaurant owner to magically turn back time and wave a magic wand. I think you're being unreasonable and unrealistic.

[MadinMarch]

@Davina69
You are exactly the reason why my DH and I are completely and utterly fed up of running a small business. Mistakes happen and the unrealistic expectations of the entitled idiots I have to encounter on a daily basis are the reason I have anxiety.

That's a ridiculous thing to say!
OP is fully entitled to expect the restaurant to take her order and provide the food she paid for. It's their mistake and of course the restaurant should apologise and at least refund the money in full for the missing items.
It's very kind of OP not to be talking about leaving a very bad review on their facebook page etc

In OP's shoes I'd take the offer of the free meal with delivery included though, as this is a generous offer on the restaurant's part. It shows (to me) that they fully realise the mistakes is theirs.

[IsabelBeck]

but I kind of feel like I want an explanation?

Simple human error, OP. You were getting a takeaway from what you describe as a very busy restaurant.

I understand you being disappointed when you'd planned a special treat for your friend and it can't be replicated now she's left.

The restaurant industry has been battered by lockdowns and restrictions so I'd probably accept a refund for what you paid for but didn't receive and wish them well.

[ditalini]

I think it would be reasonable to expect to be refunded:

• The price of 2 full racks of ribs since that's what you paid for, and you received no ribs.
• The price of your taxi as a goodwill gesture.

[ditalini]

From a customer service point of view, I would have expected them to have put the missing food into a taxi for your at their expense on the night if you couldn't collect it yourself.

The wings not being to your friend's taste is neither here nor there.

[Floralnomad]

You should have accepted the goodwill gesture and stop making such a drama about it . You collected the meal so had an opportunity to check what was in the bag and the price difference should have been an indication that something wasn’t right . It’s hardly their fault that you used a taxi so that’s down to you .

[IntermittentParps]

@ditalini

From a customer service point of view, I would have expected them to have put the missing food into a taxi for your at their expense on the night if you couldn't collect it yourself.

The wings not being to your friend's taste is neither here nor there.

Yes, good point, surely they could have sprung for a taxi.

[Cas112]

Mistakes happen, its life. I highly doubt they have purposely messed your order. You should have just accepted a refund for the ribs or replacement order and got on with it.

You have took this way to personal.

[Streamingbannersofdawn]

You say..."I didn't receieve my full order"
They say..."You only ordered X"
You say..."If I only ordered X then why did you charge me for the full order?" (show receipt, credit card statement, bank account, whatever)

However the owner has offered you a full replacement meal plus delivery they dont normally offer...

It doesn't suit you though so you say this and take it in the form of a voucher instead.

The taxi is beither here not there.

The explanation is...they made a mistake, oh dear...sorry.

[frogsbreath]

The price difference doesn't make up to what they felt you ordered so I understand that doesn't make sense.

I do feel like you are £80 out of pocket because you spent the £60 odd on food and the £20 odd on taxi (though that's nowt to do with them) and you didn't get the meal experience. You got sides and a lot of grief, so it's like £80 for nothing.

I feel you should ask another friend round and enjoy the meal again, as they are offering to provide.

Sadly these mix ups are commonplace in busy collection or delivery places and generally they will offer to provide it again with an apology.

[Peanutsandchilli]

If you take the refund, you're £6.50 out of pocket. Not £9 as others have suggested.

2x chicken £14
Sides £22

That's £36 of food.
£19 refund added on would be £55.

You paid £61.50 (and didn't question why the total wasn't what you expected).

£61.50 - £55 = £6.50

So either ask for £25.50 as a refund, or leave it because it's petty for £6.50.

The fact that you ordered from a restaurant that required a £20 taxi fare is nothing to do with them. That was your choice.

[Amandasummers]

@Streamingbannersofdawn yes exactly, except they haven’t acknowledged this, the person on the phone just kept repeating that I had ordered X and ignoring the fact I had paid for Y & Z 🧐 that’s my point, I’d like to know what exactly I have paid for, given I can’t work it out.

I haven’t been offered a voucher instead of the replacement, if I had of been, I’d have accepted it.

Fully understand mistakes are made, but they should be rectified appropriately.

[seaandsandcastles]

You ordered over the phone. The person on the end obviously misheard and got your order wrong. They’re human, mistakes happen.

That’s why the onus is on you to check your order before you leave. You could have done this but chose not to.

The restaurant have been more than generous in what they’ve offered tou.

[starfish4]

Sorry, OP but I'd have had a quick check to see if it looked like all of my order was in the bag(s), either in store or as soon as I got in the car if that was easier.

[underneaththeash]

@Davina69 Your business won't last long if that's your stance. Mistakes do happen and you go out of your way to put them right. (I have a small business myself).
@seaandsandcastles why should the OP have the check. They forgot to put ANY main course and then argued with her how much refund she was owed (and they were wrong again).

I'd be pissed off too. I'd expect the least they would do is put the ribs into a taxi for you. Chase for the remaining refund, post a coiple pof bad reviews and don't use them again.

[BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz]

How much is a half rack of ribs?