Do you complain?

Kimia

My boyfriend is always teasing me because I have no problem with complaining if I feel like I didn't get good service, if the food wasn't good, if the quality of the product wasn't good etc.

I think that this attitude of 'oh i hate to complain' is stupid and I also believe that companies should WANT to know how they can improve.

Also I think there's a way to do it - I'm pleasant but firm and I'd never be rude to anyone, especially not someone who has no control over my bad experience.

What do you guys think? Do you complain or are you more comfortable just leaving or not buying the product?

Malari

Yes, I would complain if I needed to, no problem.

But it can depend on my mood, who's with me, how bad the service actually is. Sometimes the best complaint is leaving and never going back!

Fink Goddie

No i'm one of those people in a restaurant that'll give out about the food to whoever i'm with and then when the waitress comes over and says is everything ok i say yeh its lovely thanks.

Professey Chin

With food I would if its bad or not what I ordered (sauce when I requested none or somethin like that)

In general, constantly.Im a miserable fecker

Kimia

I also think (and I could be completely wrong and lambasted for being sexist) that men don't complain as much as women?

*hides

helimachoptor

My Gf complains all the time! A couple of years back we were in TGIs and i ordered a regular burger but got a classic instead, no big deal just took off the tomato, Gf went a bit mental called the waitress over, pretty f**king embarrasing tbh.

Though it does come in handy sometimes.

I'm a bit more laid back but tend to go postal

Yep I'll complain. No problem.

Of course it totally depends on how bad the situation is but I'm not spending my hard earned cash on something that's not as it should be!

The Big Red Button

I don't have a problem with complaining if something's not right.

I'm not a bitch about it, and I'm not petty - I can overlook small problems. But if something's actually bothering me, I'll say it.

You can tell a lot about a place by the way they handle complaints. It's not like I'd often have cause to complain, but in the vast majority of cases where I did, the restaurant/shop/whatever were really lovely about it, apologised, and gave me a refund, or didn't charge for the meal, etc. But there's been a couple of instances where it was handled really, really badly - and that would put me off going back to the place far more than whatever the original problem was.

Cupcake_Crisis

I always make someone else do my complaining for me

minidazzler

Usually no, but I don't come across bad food often. I will eat just about anything! a

Whispered

Kimia wrote: »

I also think (and I could be completely wrong and lambasted for being sexist) that men don't complain as much as women?

*hides

How bloody dare you etc

It might be true on the most part. But the biggest complainer I know, without a doubt, is a man. Good god he'll complain about anything. Now he says that he's paying for good food/service and I suppose he's right. But it's very funny sometimes.

Personally, I do if I need to. But I'll usually do it in a silly apologetic way. Then feel silly for apologising for their mistake. :rolleyes:

Lia_lia

Yes, I do. But I try to complain in the nicest way possible. I've been waitressing for years and some of the people that try to attack the waitress just do my head in.

My Mother NEVER complains. It does my head in. She's a chef so if bad food comes out she'll complain like mad to whoever she's sitting with at the table, but when it comes to complaining to the waitress she'll be all "no, the poor chef will get in trouble etc etc.."


I say does my head in a lot. Weird.

Snowie

Lia_lia wrote: »

Yes, I do. But I try to complain in the nicest way possible. I've been waitressing for years and some of the people that try to attack the waitress just do my head in.

My Mother NEVER complains. It does my head in. She's a chef so if bad food comes out she'll complain like mad to whoever she's sitting with at the table, but when it comes to complaining to the waitress she'll be all "no, the poor chef will get in trouble etc etc.."


I say does my head in a lot. Weird.

yep they give the waitress crap nothing worse then seeing a waitress come into the kitchen with big red eyes where some costemer has gone to town on her.... :mad: espehilly if its your mistake.

I understand that its diffficult espechilly when you work in a the industry to complain because you feel slightly bad but on the other hand if food is'nt up to standerd. why should you eat it, now the thing being standereds.

Id never eat a well done stake. i wont eat helmens mayo i dont agree with tomoto ketchup etc. im pretty fussy about what i put in my mouth and very critical, while yes chefs have a perticularly tough job that most people couldnt even stand, food should be done well its not hard to add a little bit of care an attention to a dish your prepairing, for instance i got a noodle salady thing one there where full sised leafs in the bowl, while the dish was a tractive at the bigining after about to mouth fulls it begun to look like a rain forrest.

i didnt complain simply I had no need it the chef cant figure out that ripping a couple of peaces of leatcue tbh why the hell should i ? complaining is all very good but be warned not all kitchens enjoy having there food criticsied things can happent to your reorder, and worst of put the kitchen back while they do a mad dash to get a messed up order looking right.

Thats why I dont work in the industry its not the, food, its the stress and highly strungness of it all. :mad:

Wibbs

It's how one complains is the important thing. If it's just a need to moan and vent and do so in a scattergun way, I'll largely ignore it, if it's aimed at me. If it's genuine issue, calmly phrased then I'll be all ears. Too many moan, not complain. Men and women. I will say hand in the air, that in relationships women can be a complete bloody nightmare when they have an issue , but the funny thing is, I have found over the years in business that I prefer how women as a very general thing bring issues up. Men can bring the ego in way to early and often.

I also agree that flying off the handle at someone where its not within their control is idiotic. If I have issue with service in a restuarant say, I wont complain to the floor staff(unless they're specifically the problem). I'll ask for a manager.

krudler

Itd depend, if its a simple mistake or something then no sense in biting someones head off, a massive **** up then yeah i would, i work in customer service though and the amount of people who bitch and whinge over NOTHING is ridiculous, I had a woman one day want to speak to a manager because one of our stores didnt have enough parking nearby, what ****ing planet are these people on? People do need to realise that shouting, being abuse and acting like a spoilt 4 year old isnt the way to get things corrected, customer with general grievances and errors who rationally explain their problem and are aware i cant fix it in 10 seconds are the easiest ones to deal with, its the fools who think roaring at you is going to make you go out of your way to help them i have no time for

I cringe when I hear people complaining over pedantic things in restaurants.
Especially in Culchie land.....we are mellow leave your crabbiness behind in the city.
Or they will do nasty things to your food. Seriously. :eek:

Wibbs

Wibbs wrote: »

I also agree that flying off the handle at someone where its not within their control is idiotic. If I have issue with service in a restuarant say, I wont complain to the floor staff(unless they're specifically the problem). I'll ask for a manager.

I agree with this completely, I hate when people give the front liners stick when they are just doing their job.

Calm and concise and if possible, with a smile, it's the only way to complain, otherwise you will be ignored and get nothing from it.

Oh - and there is nothing worse than hearing someone say to a person "I pay your wages". Grrrr. Seriously, it makes you sound like the biggest d*ck to ever have walked the earth.

Kimia

Deleted User wrote: »

Oh - and there is nothing worse than hearing someone say to a person "I pay your wages". Grrrr. Seriously, it makes you sound like the biggest d*ck to ever have walked the earth.

This makes me want to vomit with rage. :mad:

MissIT

If somethings scans wrong in a shop I would say it just because I know from working in a shop it happens all the time so i don't get bitchy!

But if I never say it i get too embarrassed !! I remember i got a stake over the summer I asked for well done but the amount of blood that poured out of it was disgusting.. I think I actually heard it moo but my shyness took over and instead I just went hungry!

My dad always kills me for not speaking up for myself!

Stella777

I used to complain occasionally by letter if it was seriously appaling service, but I had a bad experience a couple of yeas ago. The employee in question somehow got my name and number from the complaint letter and had her BF call me to make threats of violence.

After that experience I don't bother anymore. If I receive horrible service, then I just avoid the business in question.

metaoblivia

I have no problem complaining, but I usually don't as I'm quite easy going. I've never complained about food in a restaurant that I can remember unless it came out prepared in a way different from how I ordered.

My most frequent complaint in a restaurant is seating, but only when I'm with my mom. She has very particular tastes when it comes to seating, so if they give us a seat I know she won't like and if the restaurant is not at all busy, I'll ask for a different seat (she won't, she's very non confrontational). If the restaurant is busy, I'll just tell her she has to deal with it!

I don't know which gender complains the most, but my mom's boyfriend takes the cake when it comes to people I know who complain. He's been to known to complain about restaurants celebrating other people's birthdays (he doesn't like the noise and ruckus they cause). It can be really embarrassing.

How Strange

I tend to complain about things if the service is bad etc and my OH is usually backing out the door when I start. I'm never rude and always make my complaint in a civil manner. If, for instance, I've gotten terrible service in a restaurant or the staff have been so rude that I'm about to lose my temper then I just walk out because my complaint will come out as a rant.

krudler

Deleted User wrote: »

I agree with this completely, I hate when people give the front liners stick when they are just doing their job.

Calm and concise and if possible, with a smile, it's the only way to complain, otherwise you will be ignored and get nothing from it.

Oh - and there is nothing worse than hearing someone say to a person "I pay your wages". Grrrr. Seriously, it makes you sound like the biggest d*ck to ever have walked the earth.

I had a guy roaring at me because we cut him off after not paying his bill for 4 months once and he as complaining that we didnt give him "enough warning" (as if 4 unpaid bills arent warning enough, anyway) and i told him a supervisor wouldnt take the call as theyd tell him the same thing, no chance, he said the classic "i pay your wages" line to which i replied "clearly you dont as you havent been paying your bills lately" to which he told me to go **** myself and hung up god i love messing with asshole customers

Ickle Magoo

I used to work in a team that dealt with the complaints for a large company so I make a pretty mean complainant - but it really depends on the circumstances. Is it bad customer service because they don't care or there is another issue? Was somebody really rude to me or did they make an error in calculation? I tend to leave my complaining in restaurants to not leaving a tip and never going back rather than moaning to the staff.

Kimia

krudler wrote: »

he said the classic "i pay your wages" line to which i replied "clearly you dont as you havent been paying your bills lately" to which he told me to go **** myself and hung up god i love messing with asshole customers

Brilliant! I love this. Good comeback. :cool:

stovelid

I've no problem with upbraiding if people are rude, but I'm really bad about, say, complaining about smudged glasses or bad food if the service is friendly.

It's typically Irish I know.

WesternNight

It depends on the situation and who I'm with. If I get something in a restaurant that I didn't order, I'll say it. If I've been overcharged, you bet I'll be letting them know. If it's a case of bad service, then generally not. That's one thing I've yet to become really assertive about. Unless it's at a restaurant in which case there won't be any tip.

Nervous Wreck

I agree with the general consensus about how to go about complaining etc. Tbh, I'm pretty easy-going and am very seldom in a situation that would bother me enough to warrant a complaint. The most recent memory of something vaguely similar was a few months ago when I ordered a bottle of beer for a girl I was meeting for a date before she arrived and then when I realised I'd gotten the wrong beer, I politely asked to change it and the barman recapped it and gave me a new one. That's the only time in recent memory I've been moved to have any sort of vaguely similar interaction (and it was just to impress a girl :P).

I work Front of House in a 1,200 capacity theatre so I deal with the public and with complaints on a daily basis. Thankfully, most people that I interact with are fairly pleasant when complaining. I really do appreciate the odd time when someone will say something like "Look, I know you're probably not in a position to change this but _______." It's nice that people understand sometimes that the person they're interacting with might not be the person they have a problem with. Conversely, someone once went through me because the singers on stage were miming to a backing track.... I also sometimes get "This show is too long/boring/loud/artsy/slapstick/whatever".... What am I gonna do, rewrite it? Eugh. Anyway, I've gone into a fatigued rant and probably way off topic.... But, yeah!

watna

I used to be mortified when my mum complained when I was younger but now I'm the same. I always do it in a polite way though. as has been said above, it's not usually the front of house person's fault and you achieve nothing by being nasty.

I got terrible service in a shop today. The girl was about to go on her break and was in a rush and scanned everything wrong (i.e. missed some things, scanned a few things twice). I only realised after we paid and then we had to stand there for twenty minutes while the poor guy who came on the till after her tried to sort it out. I've worked in retail and I know what the first day of the sales is like so we waited patiently until he was done. The manager came over to help sort it out and asked me what happened, I politely let him know that I felt the girl had rushed so she could go on her break and everything had been scanned wrong. He apologised and thanked me for my feedback and off we went. Making a huge fuss wouldn't have got us anywhere. I felt he should know that the service we received wasn't the best.

SerialComplaint

Deleted User wrote: »

Oh - and there is nothing worse than hearing someone say to a person "I pay your wages". Grrrr. Seriously, it makes you sound like the biggest d*ck to ever have walked the earth.

Kimia wrote: »

This makes me want to vomit with rage. :mad:

Don't ever become a public servant so.

mias

I think I have to be really pushed to complain - sometimes wish I was more assertive with complaining. I usually just smile and get on with it but I think if it was something that really got my back up I'd complain (probably in too nice and polite a manner sometimes to be noticed).

Windwalker

I'm usually one of those 'don't rock the boat people' but, a few years ago
my partner and I went on holidays, we knew we wouldn't be going on another one for a while so decided to go for the more expensive hotel. The end of the first week, there was a terrible storm, we were on the fourth floor but water leaked in under the floor-to-ceiling windows on the balcony and flooded the carpet all the way in. We reported it as it was happening and got no-where. I went down to the reception and they sent up a maid with towels.
Next morning the smell started, we asked for our room to be changed. Two days and many complaints later they finally did, but only after I had a stand up row with the receptionists in front of new guests, (they had brushed me off so many times and were incredibly rude.)
That was the only time I've ever raised my voice to complain, it felt horrible. I was so close to giving up and booking a flight home, worst holiday ever.:(

chocgirl

I don't usually complain, especially about food in a restaurant. I just don't see the point in complaining to the waitress, don't shoot the messenger and all that.

The one thing that does really bug me though is being overcharged. Even if it's 50cent I always say it. It's a total nightmare because the sales assistant usually has to get the manager to give the money back and you get dirty looks for holding everyone up but I don't care.

I do think we'd get much better service if we complained more though although the recession might just do that without us needing to complain!

WesternNight

chocgirl wrote: »

I don't usually complain, especially about food in a restaurant. I just don't see the point in complaining to the waitress, don't shoot the messenger and all that.

That's the point. The messenger relays the message to the chef who can fix it.

chocgirl

WesternNight wrote: »

That's the point. The messenger relays the message to the chef who can fix it.

From my experience that doesn't tend to happen though. If the customer complains, the waitress offers to get something else or redo the original. Customer usually doesn't want to wait as whoever they're with will be finished before them and they're already annoyed. Waitress not sure what to do, stressed out trying to please customer for the rest of the night and the message is rarely relayed to the chef.

Jwacqui

I complain, not over simple things but if something is bothering me enough I will speak to somebody.

Last couple of time I complained were due to hotel stay in 2 different hotel. Well one I wrote a letter of complaint as the whole stay was apalling and got an refund. Second I wrote a review on the website, is a lovely hotel so I was very nice to balance the bad and the manager emailed me offering a 50% discount on a stay and free upgrade to the penthouse suite! I was chuffed!

The only reason I complain is because as part of my job I deal with complaints alot and when I see the silly things others complain about it really makes me think I should speak up more!

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

Conversely, someone once went through me because the singers on stage were miming to a backing track.... I also sometimes get "This show is too long/boring/loud/artsy/slapstick/whatever".... What am I gonna do, rewrite it? Eugh. Anyway, I've gone into a fatigued rant and probably way off topic.... But, yeah!

I hate that!! I work in a cinema as a supervisor so I'm on the floor and am the first person to be called to deal with complaints! Some are unreal!! I had a couple demand a refund after they watched their entire film because they didn't like it!! Normally if they don't like it within the first 1/2hour we'll give a refund or offer another film, but they watched it all!! When I politely explained why I couldn't give a refund she went through me!!

People complain daily about film being too loud or too long, the screen being too cold/warm, prices being too dear, kids messing, the film certificate :rolleyes: ANYTHING!!

I once had a group complain about a film after watching the entire thing saying it was too scary and graphic and we shoud have warning up about it and they wanted free passes!! It's not my job to inform every person what their film is about!!

People always complain when we charge extra for additional portions!! Do they think we get it for free??! Its stock we buy it and we sell it!! Yes I get called for people to moan at me for this stuff aswell! Some people have nothing better to do! Also when people complain about the price it gets my goat!! We have price menus with everything displayed, all cinemas charge the same price (we are def not the dearest) and people order something and say "How MUCH??! I'm not paying that!" Em go to tesco before you come here then!! The price is on a big display behind me!!

Sorry for the rant!! But people should have a complain filter!

shellyboo

chocgirl wrote: »

From my experience that doesn't tend to happen though. If the customer complains, the waitress offers to get something else or redo the original. Customer usually doesn't want to wait as whoever they're with will be finished before them and they're already annoyed. Waitress not sure what to do, stressed out trying to please customer for the rest of the night and the message is rarely relayed to the chef.

You think you can get a chef to redo a dish or make a new one without telling him/her why??? Not one bite of food goes out of a restaurant kitchen without the chef knowing about it. If there's a food complaint, even if the dish isn't remade, the chef *always* gets told.

As for not leaving a tip, that's not an effective means of complaint. The waiter will just write you off as a cheapskate and will continue to provide inferior service. A quiet, polite word in the manager's ear ("I won't be leaving a tip because...") is much more effective.

I always complain if I have an issue in restaurants. It's tough, stressful work, yes... But having done it myself for many years, I know it's not rocket science. There's no excuse for bad service or bad food.

chocgirl

shellyboo wrote: »

You think you can get a chef to redo a dish or make a new one without telling him/her why??? Not one bite of food goes out of a restaurant kitchen without the chef knowing about it. If there's a food complaint, even if the dish isn't remade, the chef *always* gets told.

As for not leaving a tip, that's not an effective means of complaint. The waiter will just write you off as a cheapskate and will continue to provide inferior service. A quiet, polite word in the manager's ear ("I won't be leaving a tip because...") is much more effective.

I always complain if I have an issue in restaurants. It's tough, stressful work, yes... But having done it myself for many years, I know it's not rocket science. There's no excuse for bad service or bad food.

Yes definitely have seen it happen so many times and have done it! Sometimes it's easier to distort the truth than go back to a tempermental chef and like I already said often the customer will just complain to the waitress and not send the food back and nobody is any wiser.

Glad my waitressing days are long over though!:)