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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think if you make a complaint about service in a restaurant they should offer you a voucher by way of apology?

73 replies

lostindubai · 31/05/2015 17:35

I recommended a restaurant to a friend for lunch as I'd had some lovely meals there, and unfortunately we ended up being rudely hurried through our meal (waiter even tried to take plates away while friend was still eating!)

I wrote to the restaurant explaining how embarrassed I'd been as it was my recommendation (although accepted the food was lovely, which it was). I got a reply saying thanks for the feedback and the staff would be retrained etc. But no invite back to the restaurant or voucher.

Before this incident I wouldn't have expected that. But now I feel no motivation whatsoever to go back now after our experience and will probably not bother again (lots of other lovely places to eat anyway).

It's a small problem I know, but what do others think? I've never complained to a restaurant before, so wonder if it's usual not to offer some incentive to come back?

OP posts:

YourKidsYourRulesHunXxx · 31/05/2015 17:37

If being given a voucher for a bad experience was expected, everyone would make stuff up/ exaggerate in order to get free stuff. Unfortunately, people do try it on and ruin it for everyone else

Cantbelievethisishappening · 31/05/2015 17:38

You should have probably complained at the time.... they might have given you a free drink of knocked a few quid off. That said, it seems people do expect some sort of compensation for all and sundry these days.

AuntyMag10 · 31/05/2015 17:40

I think if you complained at that time maybe you would have been offered something. Yabu, to be expecting some compensation, everything is about compensation these days.

Smartiepants79 · 31/05/2015 17:41

Well it would be a nice gesture but it's not compulsory. You might have got more if you'd complained at the time. It's good PR to offer a small voucher or free drinks and as you say it's not encouraged you to go back. It would be foolish to make it a policy to give stuff to everyone who complained though people do try it on.

EveryPenny1 · 31/05/2015 17:43

You should have complained at the time and given them the opportunity to apologise, they may have given you a free drink to ensure you left happy.

VanitasVanitatum · 31/05/2015 17:43

They don't even know if your complaint is justified, so I think to graciously apologise is fine.

CoogerAndDark · 31/05/2015 17:44

I wouldn't expect to be compensated. I was surprised to be offered a sizeable voucher for future meal at a local chain restaurant after I complained. Turned it down, didn't want them to think I was just after a freebie. The important thing to me was that future customers weren't ripped off or disappointed, not going there again to check if they'd smartened up their act.

ilovesooty · 31/05/2015 17:45

You didn't even raise the matter at the time and give them a chance to make amends.

EatDessertFirst · 31/05/2015 17:47

You would have had more luck complaining at the time. I work in a pub/resturant and the management are much keener to sort problems out on the spot to maintain good customer relations in person. People that kick up a fuss after leaving tend to be viewed as the 'trying to get something for nothing' type.

midnightbeast · 31/05/2015 17:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Bambambini · 31/05/2015 17:55

I made a comment recently after a lunch as we were paying ( wasn't going to but she did ask). They had gotten the bread wrong for the sandwiches and a long hair was in my son's sandwich which put him off. Got a discount but tbh wasn't really looking for one. She shouldn't have asked if everything was ok!

MajesticWhine · 31/05/2015 17:57

I think you have to do it at the time to be taken seriously. We politely grumbled about bad service at Nandos of all places. And we got 5 free meal vouchers.

Original poster

lostindubai · 31/05/2015 17:58

The only person we saw was the rude waiter and I didn't feel like bringing it up with him.

Just think it's a marketing fail really, as I could have gone back, spent my voucher, enjoyed myself, forgotten all about it and become a regular customer again. But I get the point that everyone could try it on so that's probably why.

OP posts:

Alisvolatpropiis · 31/05/2015 17:58

Yabu. You complained, they've responded to say it has been taken on board.

PtolemysNeedle · 31/05/2015 17:59

I agree that you should say something at the time. It would be good service if they were to offer a voucher or some incentive to come back, but they obviously don't have to, so you can't expect it.

Rivercam · 31/05/2015 18:00

Making a complaint doesn't entitle you to anything.

Original poster

lostindubai · 31/05/2015 18:02

Midnight - he tried to take our drink order before we even sat down. Then tried to take our food order when we'd only had a chance to decide on our drinks!

We did protest at the time, obviously my friend asked for her plate back so she could finish her food. I suppose that doesn't count as a complaint though.

OP posts:

LineRunner · 31/05/2015 18:02

Dunno really. I gave feedback to a restaurant and meant it when I said the best part was leaving. They gave me a 'money off your next visit' voucher - but I just wouldn't go back.

WayneRooneysHair · 31/05/2015 18:05

OP you sound a bit entitled.

BackforGood · 31/05/2015 18:10

What YourKids said in the first reply.

If something isn't right - you have to say something at the time and give them chance to apologise and put it right there and then. Saying nothing, but writing at a later point makes it too difficult for them to investigate, or to have tried to have made that visit better for you.

I wouldn't expect a voucher, no. Might be a nice gesture if they'd been given the chance to sort it when the issue arose.

meandjulio · 31/05/2015 18:11

Why would I want a voucher to eat at a restaurant with shit service?

GoofyIsACow · 31/05/2015 18:12

I am in that industry and there is nothing more frustrating than people not making you aware of a problem, instead choosing to utterly slate you on Trip advisor or similar.

No restaurant aims to give you shit service, you could have made someone aware and, I agree, i would have knocked something off your bill, i wouldn't however send you a voucher after the event.

Crocodopolis · 31/05/2015 18:13

OP, I agree with everyone else. You could have complained at the time or asked to speak to the manager. You complained in writing and got an apology. There was nothing in what you describe that merited a voucher.

Aermingers · 31/05/2015 18:20

YABU. But they often don't do this.

It's not the same level as a restaurant but I complained to KFC about some truly appalling service recently and got the same response. I used their 'express' self service where you order at a self service till and are given your order. I had to wait nearly an hour for my order. The normal till was emptied, refilled and served about 5 times in the time I was waiting in the other queue the two serving us were really slow. At some points the people on the normal till (who there were a lot more of) were standing around doing nothing. And nobody asked them to hell.

But what took the biscuit was that a customer from my queue dropped his dinner. One of the staff from behind the counter from my queue went out to clear it up. Which meant that the queue which was slow anyway was now even slower because it was reduced to one member of staff. While the staff on the other till we're doing nothing. I went over to the guy mopping and said, look, we've been in that queue 3/4 of an hour. Why can't one of the staff who are standing doing nothing on the other tills go and help on out queue or do the mopping so you can go back to serving. He was really rude, basically saying, 'You went on that queue so you'll get served when we're ready, it's your fault for going in that queue'.

I went back and waited for a bit then walked to the main tills and said 'Look, this is getting ridiculous, you're standing here doing nothing and I've been waiting nearly an hour, get me my order'. And the girl said 'Oh you could have come over any time you liked'. I asked why in the past hour when they had been standing doing nothing, knowing the other queue was severely delayed, they hadn't bothered to tell us. And she was just 'That's not our job'. And I said to her, so there are people still in that queue who've been there for over an hour you know that and you know you can serve them now, are you going to tell them? She said 'No, that's not my job'. So I had to go and tell them myself.

I know it's a hard shitty job for not much money. But that was appalling. Turned a 3 hour journey into 4.5 hours with a cranky toddler who ended up in bed very late.

Never again.

Aermingers · 31/05/2015 18:21

KFCs response was the same. 'Comments passed on'. Not even a voucher.

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