The customer is always right! Really?

[Retro]

Following on my Starbucks post, I'm siding again with the business. Here, a top a chef has had enough of difficult, abusive customers trying it on to get freebies with lame excuses and hits back. Here are some examples of how ridiculous these complaints are:

“She said she’d had a lovely meal, with great wine and friendly service but the pillar - a steel structure that stops a Grade II building from falling down which no one has ever complained about before - spoiled her evening to the extent that she wanted a free meal and vouchers,” he said.

The demand is on a par with another Sheridan received from customers that he pay the fine they incurred by driving in a bus lane en route to his restaurant. “They said our website should have warned people not to drive in it,” he said.

Sheridan also cites a family who demanded a free meal because they were not happy with the quality of the roads leading to the restaurant, despite the roads being owned by the council. Others have demanded money back from restaurant gift vouchers.

‘The customer isn’t always right’: top chef loses appetite for difficult diners

Andrew Sheridan is one of a number of chefs who say complaints and threats have severed the trust between restaurants and customers

www.theguardian.com

 

[Retro]

I always make a point of being nice to the staff, will send a complement to the chef and always handle any issues politely and respectfully. In return, I've always been treated well.

 

[Tiffany]

I always like to be respectful, as well, and also my rule #1 when it comes to dining out is to not mess with people messing with my food. I worked with a crazy girl many years ago who worked at a fast food restaurant that took pride in getting back at people that ticked her off and took it out on their food by adding something special just from her. I was appalled at her shenanigans.

 

[Hitcore]

I'll just drop this here.

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[Retro]

That sounds about right. Pandering to bad behaviour just encourages more of it. Believe me, I know from experience.

 

[Hitcore]

Yeah, it's the whole reason why I've been avoiding service sector jobs, for about 7 years now.

In daily life I'm a forklift driver btw. Just driving around a bunch of stuff in a big ass warehouse. I never see customers. Delightful.

 

[data66]

I'll try to be careful in my post here but please feel free to edit it if necessary. I've been abused by clients for years. Many, many death threats. Noting that mine is an online business - software industry. I always try to be nice, but sometimes it's not easy. Treat others as you would have them treat you. Don't think that just because you've paid $$ that you can now abuse someone.

We also get that in our hosting business. They want to slide by and not pay for over 30 days and then if their site gets shut off, they threaten to sue and ruin the business with bad reviews. That's another thing - why do clients blackmail with bad reviews. We (businesses) are run by normal folk just trying to make a living. Especially small businesses. Not sure where the "I'm entitled" feeling came from but, we need to go back to being friendly.

 

[Retro]

@data66 your post is 100% ok, no need to change anything. I coudn't agree more.

That's the trouble, abuse can go in either direction and the enforcement line is always a fuzzy border, similar to forum moderation. I hate censorship too as I've said many times on here and elsewhere, but in some cases it's required.

@Mars @Tiffany including yourselves as I know you'll find this interesting.