Hi Ozbargainers ,
Wanted to get your feedback regarding a dining experience I had over the weekend.
The long story is below, but to cut it sort, I complained about my meal, and the manager offered a friend and I to dine there again (on the house) to redeem themselves.
The question is, despite being free, the meals weren’t nice, and I wouldn’t want to be the table sitting there and staff knowing that we were on the ones that complained. So would you go back there? Will you be worried they’ll spit in your food or sabotage it? Any similar stories that ended up satisfactory?
Edit: before I posted this I was already inclined to not go there again. If I did go..I would have to call them up or email them again and say 'i decided to take up your invitation etc etc…' Would be awkward.
Long story….
This place had a 76% on urban spoon and a friend goes there often as it is his local. He took 5 of us there, each ordering a dish to ourselves. Three of them ordered the same item from the menu (Dish A), two of us ordered the same item from the specials menu (Dish B), and one ordered an item from the main menu (Dish C)
My dish being Dish B was warned it was hot, I can handle very hot, but my gosh, it was far too hot, but not only that, it lacked flavour. To me it tasted like a water broth with chillies in it. I was so hungry that I ate some of my friends DISH A, that was lacking flavour too, and DISH C wasn’t any better.
Each dish was around $30 mark, not a cheap meal, and I am a bit of a critic when it comes to food, so obviously I wasn’t satisfied paying that much for a meal I barely touched.
I didn’t want to make a fuss complain in front of my friend who took us there because it’s his local, but another friend paid the bill at the counter, so I use that opportunity to speak to guy at the counter. My concern was not to get a free meal out of it, but for them to listen to their patrons and perhaps have the desire to hear feedback and pass it on. He basically said DISH B is a hot dish and started showing me the “hot symbol” on the menu, however DISH B was on the specials menu and didn’t have a chilly symbol (but was warned of it). He didn’t care and handed me a pen and card to answer some general feedback q’s by circling 1-5 on the card.
I didn’t sign the card, and left with DISH B in a takeaway container so I could take home and “fix” it.
2 days later I was still upset about the experience and the service I received. So I called the restaurant and spoke to the manager and he knew about our table, that I spoke to someone behind the bar and leaving negative feedback on US (although not actually serving us on the evening). He was saying he was glad i called and asked me what i'd like them to do..eventually after some chitchatting he said he'll like for us to go back for a meal on the house.
Personally I wouldn't. Plenty of great restaurant out there, also I don't want to be looked at as someone-who-complains-to-get-a-free-meal person.