I stood up today.

[screenman]

If something or some service is better than what I paid for then I will tell them so, I have even gone so far as to write to the Chairpersons of major companies.

If it is poor I do likewise, I have run different businesses for over 40 years and if I or one of my emploee's were doing something wrong then I wanted to know about it.

 

[colly]

Was that the one in The Light @postman ?

My daughter took us there last Saturday lunchtime, her treat. A lovely gesture on her part but...............................

 

[I like Skol]

Damn! Wish I had kept out of this thread now. Had a very disappointing lunch today while in Manchester with Lady Skol for a spot of Christmas shopping. Popped into Patisserie Valerie on Deansgate, arriving just minutes after 12, just when the place was nice and quiet before the lunch rush. Ordered soup of the day (there was a choice of two) and Moroccan chicken with couscous.
Waited ages then was told my soup was sold out. No problem, I would have the other soup, same as my wife. Waited a while longer then soup arrived scalding hot! Then waited an age for the main course. Had to ask about it twice and kept being reassured that it wouldn't be much longer
Our meals eventually arrived at 1.15! Relieved, I tried to spread my shaped mound of couscous out on the plate but the first attempt deflected my knife and fork. I went in for a second attack and found I was trying to saw into something that had the resilience of a regulation tennis ball! At this point I called over the head waitress and demonstrated my problem before throwing down my cutlery in disgust and suggesting to my wife that we should leave now. Lady Skol was starving so she had to eat her meal despite the salad looking as though it had been out in a hot sun for a few hours.
The waitress asked if I wanted my meal replacing and I pointed out that we had already been there since 12-o-clock and had other things to do, NO I do not want any food now and the whole fiasco was rapidly descending into a farce.
In the end all my food and my wife's main course was knocked off the bill so we ended up paying for a few drinks and a single soup but I would have gladly spent £50 elsewhere for a decent lunch
Anyway, thanks @postman I'm sure this is your fault, I should never have posted on your thread!

Lady Skol reminded me of the time we stormed out without paying. It was 14 years ago when she was pregnant with our first child. The service was diabolical and the final straw was when her main course arrived and it was a chicken breast that was totally raw in the middle!

 

[swee'pea99]

I've never refused to pay, but I have knocked off the service before paying. The waiter got quite shirty about it, but I was adamant that I wasn't paying for service when the service had been diabolical.

 

[marzjennings]

I've never refused to pay, but I have set food back (too cold, wrong dish, etc) and been compensated entire free meals when a restaurant has really screwed up. Also over here we get the power of tipping and as much as I have struggled to come to terms with tipping, it is a useful tool when wait staff screw up. Generally I tip 20% for great service, 10% for doing their job and nothing if they screw up (which is rare as waiters need those tips to compensate for lower than minimum wage hourly rates).

 

[postman]

Was that the one in The Light @postman ?

My daughter took us there last Saturday lunchtime, her treat. A lovely gesture on her part but...............................

Yes it was.

But,tell us more.

 

[cyberknight]

You did the right thing. Trouble is, most don't do so.

Indeed . for some reason mrs ck wanted to go to KFC the other week , the food arrived cold so i sent it back and got a refund and went elsewhere , left to her own devices she would just eat cold food and not say anything .
Mind you i wasnt in the best of moods last week when i took the lad for a morning hospital appointment and they were over 2 hours behind by 11 am ...............

 

[colly]

Yes it was.

But,tell us more.

......but it was kind of noisy, kind of scruffy, and the menu was 40 types of the same thing. Lovely to be treated though so I shouldn't such a miserable old bugger I reckon.

 

[Paulus]

I went to a Nando's restaurant for the first time a few months back to see what the fuss was about. It was ok, busy but the food came quite quickly. I couldn't see what was so special about the place. Spiced chicken with chips and a choice of sauces. I won't be rushing to go back.