We’ve all experienced some form of poor restaurant customer service. It could have been dealing with a neglectful server or waiting half an hour for a plate of curly fries without any staff explaining why.
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A man ticked both boxes during a recent dining experience. After waiting 40 minutes for half of his order to arrive, no one communicated with him about the delay. It left such a bad taste in his mouth (pun intended) that he left without paying.
As a customer service veteran, the author was left dumbfounded by what he went through. He now shares his very first dine-and-dash episode on the “True Off My Chest” subreddit.
Bored Panda also had the pleasure of speaking with Jess Panganiban, owner of Sage Day Coffee in Pampanga, Philippines. She was kind enough to share her insights about restaurant management and the possible reasons for poor service.
Some restaurants have poor customer service practices
Image credits: Jay Clark (not the actual photo)
A man had a terrible dining experience where he had to wait for his incomplete order for 40 minutes without explanation from the staff
Image credits: Portuguese Gravity (not the actual photo)
He was so irritated that he left the restaurant without paying
Image source: Ghostspider1989
Three factors lead to poor service, and they are all the responsibility of management
Image credits: Getty Images (not the actual photo)
According to Jess, three main factors lead to subpar customer experience: the lack of prioritization of excellent service, policy implementation, and adequate training. As you can see, these are the responsibilities of management.
Ultimately, the entire restaurant staff suffers from such preventable problems.
“Some establishments charge damages from payroll, and I wouldn't say that's fair if they weren't properly trained,” Jess explained. “The other way also isn't fair when management shoulders the cost when the employee mishandled the situation.”
Receiving good or bad service is also a matter of timing
Unfortunately, poor restaurant service exists; sometimes, it’s a matter of timing. As former New York City-based server turned bestselling author Steve Dublanica tells NBC News, customers will likely experience it during the busiest days of the week.
As he explained, Friday and Saturday nights are the worst times to dine out; you will need a lot of patience.
“Managers really want to turn and burn — get you in and out so the restaurant can make money,” Dublanica stated, adding that “off nights” like Wednesday and Thursday are the best times where you will likely receive the best service.
You also don’t want to be too early or late for dinner. According to Dublanica, servers tend to be “at their worst” at the start and end of their shifts. It also doesn’t help to enter a restaurant before closing time.
“You will never see food cooked faster than the food that’s cooked for the last customer of the night,” he said.
Regarding servers supposedly ignoring customers, writer and former restaurant professional Darron Cardosa says it likely isn’t the case. In an article for Food & Wine, Cardosa, who has 30 years of server experience, says the waitstaff is reading the room.
“It’s that the server is trying to give them the space they seem to want,” he explained, adding that servers intend to “be efficient without being seen.”
The author’s experience could be one of the rare moments. As Cardosa assures, restaurants don’t deliberately ignore their customers.
“It’s more of an oversight that any restaurant will want corrected because no restaurant wants to give anything other than exceptional service,” he said.
A diplomatic approach is still the way to go
So, how should one handle poor restaurant service? Celebrity chef Robert Irvine advises against making snide remarks to “teach a lesson.” Respectfully expressing dissatisfaction is still the best way to go.
If the situation remains unresolved, the only way to escalate it is to involve the manager. Irvine explains in an article for his website that managers have enough authority to offer a complimentary meal or a free drink.
“Make the manager aware of what has transpired, and give them the opportunity to determine what should be done to make it up to you,” he wrote.
Jess shared a similar sentiment, adding that most establishments will cater to your requests if escalated through the proper avenues.
“Online reviews do make a difference for establishments that care, so I would resort to those instead,” Jess said.
The author could have tried talking to the manager, but according to him, none of the staff seemed to pay attention. Worse, his appetizer didn’t arrive despite the 40-minute wait.
The author could have tried this approach, but he said none of the staff seemed to pay attention. Worse, his appetizer didn’t arrive despite the 40-minute wait.
Unfortunately for the restaurant, they had to pay the price through missed profits, which was entirely on them.
The author provided more information about what happened
Commenters shared similar dine-and-dash experiences
Most readers agreed that poor service does not warrant a payment
