Satisfaction NOT guranteed?

My brother tells me this morning of the following:

His wife goes into a local restaurant (I will not name it or the dish). It's one of her personal favorites, but for some reason does not taste very well this time. After only a few bites (I've no reason to doubt the story), she sent the dish back for another one. The manager HAD asked whether or not she liked it; which precipitated the dish being sent back for another one.

She finishes the second dish (a different entree) and gets the bill. For both meals.

The manager informed my brother's wife after telling her she thought the meals were going to be free "We don't give out food for free".


Does this seem...a bit....odd?

A bit odd would be an understatement! I've never heard of such a thing, especially after the manager asked if everything was all right. I hope she called back and talked to the owner to get it straightened out. A restaurant who treats customers like that doesn't deserve to be in business when there is some of the others.

I think you should reconsider not naming the restaurant if the issue was not solve the satisfactorily.

Wow. That is NOT how a well managed place should operate. Customer satistfaction is so important. I would like to know what was going through that managers mind.
I can understand charging for the second meal that was eaten but the first one that was sent back? I think a letter or phone call would be in order.
If it were my call, I probably would have just charged for the second entree and would have offered a complementary dessert so hopefully,the patron leaves on a positive note.

I believe if you are openly speaking of a place that you SHOULD name the name. It leaves too much speculation about the situation.

She should not have been charged for the first.

Your brother's wife should send him a book on restaurant management, bookmarking & highlighting the sections on customer service & go back in a few months to see if he's learned his lesson.

It leaves too much speculation about the situation.

She asked me to not name the restaurant in question when addressing this issue. All I can say is that: Being in the weeds and time had nothing to do with it.

I would not out the place until after I had contacted the ownership (not a manager) and was unable to achieve satisfaction. Give 'em a chance to do the right thing.

I would not out the place until after I had contacted the ownership (not a manager) and was unable to achieve satisfaction. Give 'em a chance to do the right thing.

They were already given that chance. They didnt do the right thing when they put both meals on the bill. I see no reason not to name the place.

They were already given that chance. They didnt do the right thing when they put both meals on the bill. I see no reason not to name the place.

We can't assume that the manager and owner are synonymous, so the person who has the most at stake may not have had a chance to rectify the situation yet.


I wouldn't name the place until after I'd talked to the owner, and only then if the resolution wasn't satisfactory. I really hope your sister in law lets him or her know about this before the manager manages to alienate anyone else.

We can't assume that the manager and owner are synonymous, so the person who has the most at stake may not have had a chance to rectify the situation yet.

No reason to torpedo a local place because of one deed. If she feels compelled to follow through with it, then I'll recommend she contact the owner. If not, then she'll stew about it. And, I'll tell her not to mention it until she contacts the owner. It's in her hands as to what she's going to do about the situation.

Her exact words : "Don't Nuke this place".

Apparently, Louisville Hotbytes has clout within the culinary community.

OK....if it's someplace where you've been before, and you are comfortable with the place ("one of her favorite dishes" makes me sumize as much), then I would not hesitate in the least about approaching the management/owner with your concern.

This to me was not handled well, and it should be addressed as appropriate.

The question I have is -- did you pay for the returned entree?

They can put it on my check 10 times, but there is no way I am paying for it!

Let the cops be called and or see you in court, but no way I'm paying for it! (did i already say that?)

That's crazy. And suicidal. Contact the owner, and if you don't get any satisfaction - bombs away!

You simply cannot charge a customer for a replacement dish unless you are brash enough to tell them up front "I'll replace that dish, but you'll have to pay full price for it again."

That said, you shouldn't charge to replace an unsatisfactory dish with its duplicate (hopefully of higher quality) in any instance. Sometimes things just don't come out right and you have to do it again. You take one on the chin in the interest of great customer service and you double check your quality control to prevent it from happening again.

Thanks everyone for the input. I've eaten there myself with no problem and know friends of mine have too. Hopefully this was an isolated incident never to be repeated in any other restaurant.