"So how's your meal?"

Started by Juno January 26th, 2017 6:12 PM
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  • 14 replies

Juno

OK I PULL UP

Age 28
Female
Seen 1 Day Ago
Posted 5 Days Ago
4,561 posts
9.5 Years
"How's everything?" "How's your food?" etc

When your server comes to your table and asks some variation of this question (and the food is bad), do you respond truthfully or do you just go with the generic, polite response, then vow to never come back?

Sothis

Will this hand destroy you?

She/her
Firene
Seen 10 Hours Ago
Posted 14 Hours Ago
17,837 posts
9.9 Years
I'd probably just respond nicely, I don't want to make anyone feel bad ^^

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Sylphiel

Between your fantasy and my reality
Seen March 28th, 2023
Posted January 9th, 2023
13,114 posts
18.5 Years
I usually just give a little nod or am just like "good, good." Not too big of a reaction, though most of the time I actually am enjoying the food, I just don't want to say much. Or, yeah, I'm right in the middle of eating a bite, hah. I haven't come across a situation yet where I dislike the food enough that I don't have anything good to say about it.

(And if it did turn out bad, it would just mean I wouldn't go there again.)

pastelspectre

Memento Mori

Age 25
he/him
The Pacific Northwest
Seen 1 Week Ago
Posted 1 Week Ago
2,156 posts
13.1 Years
i usually respond with a "it's good" even if it's (very rarely) not very tasty. if it's not very tasty to me i usually never say anything because i'm too nice.

Nick

Seen 3 Weeks Ago
Posted July 28th, 2021
17,572 posts
18.6 Years
As a server, it's essential that you tell me the truth so that I can resolve the issue and either get you a comp for the food, or replace it with something that you may like instead. You aren't going to make anyone feel bad if you don't like the food you ordered and your food will be prioritized so the kitchen makes it as quickly as possible. If you're nice and understanding about it (as in, don't take it out on me like it's my fault you don't like the dish), I won't have a heart attack or complain to you to my coworkers about how you're an asshole.

Lunar

Age 24
Male
England
Seen September 16th, 2020
Posted September 15th, 2020
Yeah I just go along with the polite, generic response. This is quite interesting as I work as a waiter and ask that question quite a lot, does it annoy you guys if a waiter comes over and asks about the food?

Juno

OK I PULL UP

Age 28
Female
Seen 1 Day Ago
Posted 5 Days Ago
4,561 posts
9.5 Years
As a server, it's essential that you tell me the truth so that I can resolve the issue and either get you a comp for the food, or replace it with something that you may like instead. You aren't going to make anyone feel bad if you don't like the food you ordered and your food will be prioritized so the kitchen makes it as quickly as possible. If you're nice and understanding about it (as in, don't take it out on me like it's my fault you don't like the dish), I won't have a heart attack or complain to you to my coworkers about how you're an asshole.
That's actually a fear of mine, that servers might spit in my food if I piss them off or something. :P Not that I'm usually rude, but it horrifies me when I eat out with people who just lay into the food to the server, because what do you expect them to do about it lol, they didn't make it. If it's something simple, like if my steak is undercooked I will ask the server if they can just get it a little more done for me, since I know that's not a huge deal. Or if there's something that's actually wrong with the food, of course I'll let them know.

Do you guys offer comp/replacement even if the customer just doesn't like the food? I can understand doing that if the kitchen made a mistake with the order, but I would never ask someone to replace my food just because I don't like it.

Yeah I just go along with the polite, generic response. This is quite interesting as I work as a waiter and ask that question quite a lot, does it annoy you guys if a waiter comes over and asks about the food?
Not at all! It makes the establishment seem more professional and caring of their patrons' needs. I was mainly wondering how many people actually tell their servers if they don't like the food, because I usually say "good" or "fine" regardless. But like I said above, I have met people who very bluntly critique the food to the servers, which isn't something I'd do.

For those of you who work/worked in food services, have you encountered any customers like that?

Nick

Seen 3 Weeks Ago
Posted July 28th, 2021
17,572 posts
18.6 Years
That's actually a fear of mine, that servers might spit in my food if I piss them off or something. :P Not that I'm usually rude, but it horrifies me when I eat out with people who just lay into the food to the server, because what do you expect them to do about it lol, they didn't make it. If it's something simple, like if my steak is undercooked I will ask the server if they can just get it a little more done for me, since I know that's not a huge deal. Or if there's something that's actually wrong with the food, of course I'll let them know.

Do you guys offer comp/replacement even if the customer just doesn't like the food? I can understand doing that if the kitchen made a mistake with the order, but I would never ask someone to replace my food just because I don't like it.
I have never heard of anyone ever even accidentally spitting in food. Spitting in food is something that everyone claims to not even do to their worst guests and something that's not even joked about because it simply isn't funny. Its actually heavily frowned upon to even joke about. It's something that's joked about and all that by the general public and the media, but everyone who works in at least a respectable eatery takes a lot of pride in their job.

From the cooks to the dishwashers to the servers to the bussers. They are all there to provide a guest experience and do the best they can and they are all choosing with their free will to be there. They know and are prefaced that they aren't able to please everyone and they accept that. I promise you you do not need to worry about anyone, especially a server, spitting in your food. If anything, they are going to be worrying how to make it up to you if they're a good one. The service they provide to you is a direct job performance review for them. Their review is how good you tip them.

At my job, we will comp if you simply don't like your meal. We are super popular around here and we usually make multiple thousand dollars an hour, so it's not at much of a cost if you don't pay for something. We will however do our best to find something that you like so that your experience is a good one and you'll return in the future.

But by all means, tell your server that you're not really into the dish you picked.

Lunar

Age 24
Male
England
Seen September 16th, 2020
Posted September 15th, 2020
For those of you who work/worked in food services, have you encountered any customers like that?
Not too often, although there's sometimes a bit of drama. Like the other night, we had run out of Cheese (bearing in mind it was a busy Saturday night at about 10pm) and this drunk women started laying into the waiters and demanding to see the head chef, I suppose that's kinda a different situation, but still.

Frozocrone

Fighting a bigger fight

Age 29
Male
Derby, England
Seen September 8th, 2019
Posted August 16th, 2018
I've never had bad food. However, I've been with other people and they've had bad food, so I've taken their cue and if it happens to me, I'll signal the waiter over and inform them of the problem.

Is it true that pouring salt on the meal gets you a brand new meal instead of 30 seconds in the microwave? I've only ever heard that on the internet and wasn't sure if it's true or not.
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