Top 10 Tips for Making a Successful Complaint in a Restaurant – The Art of Complaining

We have all had service or food in restaurants that is less than we expected. Many of us complain, with little success… But some people manage to complain successfully and get compensated in some way for their poor “dining experience”. Below you will find the top 10 tips for complaining successfully.

Image by stu_spivack via Flickr

1.  Always be polite, don’t become aggressive – if you are rude then you will be ignored.
2.  Make sure the complaint is reasonable – you are not complaining just for the compensation, you are complaining because something spoilt your dining experience.
3. Ask to speak to the manager on duty – they are the most likely to be able to compensate you.
4.  Never raise your voice – keeping the complaint “low key” enables the staff to deal with your complaint swiftly and without making other diners aware of the problems.
5.   Be specific – give timings or precise problems e.g. It took the server 20 minutes to take our order.
6.  Explain how disappointed you are – you have come on a recommendation, you are a regular, some form of “I expected better” often works.
7.  Give the manager the opportunity to put things right – this may be a free meal, a free dessert, a free drink, a new meal or some other form of compensation.
8.  Thank the manager for resolving the issue – you may well visit the establishment again and you want good service / food next time.
9.  Explain that you would like to have the matter resolved now – the implication is that you will take it further, which duty managers often hate as it shows they couldn’t deal with the issue.
10.   If none of the above work, find their website online and e-mail the complaint, you may often receive more compensation this way than by complaining in the restaurant.

Remember above all be polite, this more than anything is likely to achieve the outcome that you are seeking.