Although it seems like plenty of restaurant guests will eagerly complain that the straws suck too much, others will keep quiet even amid more reasonable concerns. Not only does this diminish the customer’s experience, it can be a detriment to the restaurant itself, as issues go unaddressed, and thus uncorrected, and are ultimately liable to repeat ad infinitum. So global culinary icon, noted foul-mouthed chef, and repeat restaurateur Gordon Ramsay, of all people, urged the meek to speak up when things aren’t quite right in an erstwhile X (then Twitter) post.
“Customers are king,” Ramsay wrote on the platform, “chefs only get better on feedback.” His assertion was made in reply to a netizen wondering how to respond to restaurant managers who unprofessionally endeavor to waive away complaints. “Ask the manager to pay for it,” Ramsay wrote, “then watch his reaction.” This all might play out as envisioned in hospitality hypotheticals, but things can get a little bit stickier in the real world.
How to complain the right way
Whether the steak you ordered rare comes out well done, your stirred gin tipple has been erroneously shaken with vodka, or you’ve been waiting forever for flatware, take a two-second reality check to make sure that you do not sound like a raving lunatic before trying to get the situation resolved. Regardless of your hanger or low blood alcohol level, coming in hot will leave everyone cold. And nobody wants to look like the whiny, entitled weirdo in the dining room. You want to look suave, elegant, and like you know how to order a proper martini. In other words, be polite to make it right.
Barring any truly bizarre extenuating circumstances, the house will want to re-fire your chateaubriand or filet mignon, re-mix your drink, and simply provide you with the tools to enjoy it all absent hesitation. And each of these offenses can be remedied rather quickly in any case, even the beef. In the worst case scenario, where a restaurant manager or other staffer balks at making these adjustments — which should be no problem for a professional operation — then that’s still great news! It’s one more place where you never have to go back.
