Drax said:Yeah, but if he says it's okay you'd just kinda assume it is, I think.
Renaming the poster makes posts like this make a lot more sense.
Drax said:Yeah, but if he says it's okay you'd just kinda assume it is, I think.
If the employee makes a mistake but then I assuage them of responsibility by telling them "it's fine" or "don't worry about it" then yes, the onus is absolutely back on the customer.
I get that OP probably didn't want to be the bad guy and get the employee in trouble, but if I feel like I'm experiencing "shit customer service", I'm going to speak to a supervisor about it, not bank on the employee to try and be a mindreader.
You shouldn't have ghosted the restaurant and instead been more direct about how you really feel
Eh?What did you not read the first post in the thread?
So cry on the outside?He was crying on the inside though. 😢
So you gotta be a space alien to expect people to say what they feel and not be all anticlockwise about it?Renaming the poster makes posts like this make a lot more sense.
I don't understand why TwoWords is getting so much grief here. And I also don't understand how anyone could say that just because she apologized that it should be the end of it. If you were in his shoes would you not want more than an apology? It sounds like some of you have been programmed to side with businesses thanks to McDonald's vilifying the woman who got scalded with coffee. He's not even trying to sue or get anyone fired.
It's not about being a mind reader it's about doing your job. Good customer service helps get repeat customers. She took no initiative.
It's not bad service to offer an apology. That sounds like good customer service: remorseful and willing to admit their mistake.Could OP have said/demanded more? Absolutely. But i'll be damn if i give a pass to a server who apparently doesn't have the decency to internalize that spilling soup on someone is a major offense that deserves more than just an apology. That's a major mistake for what is suppose to be one of the many competencies of your job.
Nothing removes the fact that the server should WANT to do/offer more than just a simple apology regardless of how the customer reacts given that they should KNOW that spilling soup on someone is a major fuck up. If that server walked away from that situation telling themselves "well I apologized and he accepted so everything is ok" then that's a clear cut indication to me that's not someone who values or knows how to give good customer service
Renaming the poster makes posts like this make a lot more sense.
if someone pour soup on me I would apologize for it and leave a 20% tip.
Why would the people at the restaurant need to be psychic to know that they poured soup on him when they poured soup on him? It's such an absurd statement that the fact that you proceed to be condescending afterwords really threw me off.
Why would the people at the restaurant need to be psychic to know that they poured soup on him when they poured soup on him? It's such an absurd statement that the fact that you proceed to be condescending afterwords really threw me off.
Yeah, but if he says it's okay you'd just kinda assume it is, I think.
I mean OP would totally be in the right to get back in touch and clarify that it's not okay. But I don't think it's outrageous that he'd be taken at his word.
OP didn't complain to the restaurant, how would have they known to compensate him? The waitress was probably busy enough to not report it to the rest of the staff because he accepted her apology.
1) No they're beholden to logic (the human kind with all its limitations);
2) No see above;
3) The point about math contradicts your previous point;
4) Axioms fall down if you're considering the realm of the unobservable (for funsies); and
5) Allahu Akbar
I'm an athiest but bringing a God into this causes silliness.
If their policy to such an error (you know, spilling an entire bowl of hot soup on someone) is to say "oops, sorry about that" and do nothing else, they have bad customer service. Most other restaurants would have comp'd or at least discounted his meal. You measure customer service quality by how it compares to the industry standard. This was a weak response.OP didn't complain to the restaurant, how would have they known to compensate him? The waitress sounded like she was busy enough to not report it to the rest of the staff because he accepted her apology.
If their policy to such an error (you know, spilling an entire bowl of hot soup on someone) is to say "oops, sorry about that" and do nothing else, they have bad customer service. Most other restaurants would have comp'd or at least discounted his meal. You measure customer service quality by how it compares to the industry standard. This was a weak response.
So you're saying that the waitress not victim blaming makes it good customer service? Like, what the hell else could the server do to make this bad customer service in your eyes?How is apologizing and not being defensive about the accident make this bad customer service?
Like, how the fuck did being nice mean bad customer service?
In customer service the goal is to leave the person being served happy. Even if they aren't openly upset, nobody would ever be happy about having soup spilled on them. Telling the manager, who would then compensate the customer, would lead to a free meal, which would be far more likely to lead to a positive experience instead of a negative one.No, they need to be psychic to know his "it's chill no worries" secretly means "it's not actually chill some worries." Obvs they knew they spilled the soup, sorry.
OP didn't complain to the restaurant, how would have they known to compensate him? The waitress was probably busy enough to not report it to the rest of the staff because he accepted her apology.
So you're saying that the waitress not victim blaming makes it good customer service? Like, what the hell else could the server do to make this bad customer service in your eyes?
If their policy to such an error (you know, spilling an entire bowl of hot soup on someone) is to say "oops, sorry about that" and do nothing else, they have bad customer service. Most other restaurants would have comp'd or at least discounted his meal. You measure customer service quality by how it compares to the industry standard. This was a weak response.
I very much doubt her apology was just an "oops, sorry about that." People are a lot more genuine when making that kind of mistake.
I've never gotten compensated for any mistakes at a restaurant unless I spoke up about being unhappy, and only expect it when I ask for it. Lots of people here really need some ass kissing in order to eat.
Oh shit I just got this reference XDYou shouldn't have ghosted the restaurant and instead been more direct about how you really feel
It's not bad service to offer an apology. That sounds like good customer service: remorseful and willing to admit their mistake.
Like, y'all need to be a bit more humble and realize an apology and a non-defensive attitude is good customer service. I don't know where it got twisted where going above and beyond is now the bare minimum of good customer service. You're inflating your idea of service to make this look bad.
For all your "polite" talk you're kind of not that. You should have taken this big bad attitude to the restaurant with you that day and maybe you would have been comp'd.
We clearly have different standards of service.How is apologizing and not being defensive about the accident make this bad customer service?
Like, how the fuck did being nice mean bad customer service?
I think much of the problem in this thread is that people like yourself don't understand the basics of customer service yet you feel the need to be condescending and it comes out all awkward.
The fact that you insist that this is the problem shows that you are not even attempting to try to understand the situation.
Would you rather have your entire order wrong, which can easily be replaced, or have a bowl of hot soup dropped on you?*shrug* I've gotten my entire order wrong before and had wait staff furiously apologize to me, and I understand that shit happens. Why punish them for it? We make mistakes all the time.
The fact that you insist that this is the problem shows that you are not even attempting to try to understand the situation.
We clearly have different standards of service.
Offering an apology for a mistake isn't bad customer service at all. However, the way you reference the situation by saying it's a mistake and she apologized, doesn't take into any account the offense of the mistake. She spilled soup on a customer. That should inherently warrant more than just an apology.
Would you rather have your entire order wrong, which can easily be replaced, or have a bowl of hot soup dropped on you?
I'm treating you how you treated the OP and you are getting antsy about it.Uh, pot kettle black much? You're the condescending one here. Sorry that 'people like myself' are getting in your way milord.
It is done to create a positive relationship between customer and business. I'm not saying it is necessarily wrong to give poor customer service, it can often be more profitable to do so, I'm just stating that that's what it is.*shrug* I've gotten my entire order wrong before and had wait staff furiously apologize to me, and I understand that shit happens. Why punish them for it? We make mistakes all the time.
Good points
How is this thread 18-pages long.
I searched for reviews of said place on Yelp (there's four of them, not sure if it's the exact same store) and found this 4 star review from 2015, OP:
Sounds like they do give comps.
They should really be able to take the hint though, just like when someone ghosts you.I don't want either of those things to happen to me. If someone spills shit on me and I'm not hurt, I'll either say "no worries, I'm fine!" or "this really sucks, can I talk to someone please?"
Oh shit I just got this reference XD
They soiled the guy's clothes, that's damage, it's pretty obvious to me he should be compensated.Should people expect comp's for mistakes? No. You are not entitled to it.
I'm treating you how you treated the OP and you are getting antsy about it.
Telling.
That said, it does suck when people who don't know what they're talking about pretend they do, so apology accepted. Perhaps you can avoid repeating the mistake in the future.
They should really be able to take the hint though, just like when someone ghosts you.
They soiled the guy's clothes, that's damage, it's pretty obvious to me he should be compensated.
But they do. All the time. At places with better CS.If he asked they should absolutely compensate him for damages. People don't receive compensation for not saying anything.
What is the problem?
Let's break this fucker down:
1) OP has soup spilled on him by another table's server
2) The server apologizes emphatically (but it's now hurried and frazzled)
3) OP accepts the apology
4) OP says he is fine and never shows he is upset
5) OP goes home and asks NeoGAF if the restaurant should have known he was upset and should be comp'd
That's the problem right there. OP has said multiple times in this thread that he is 100% right and deserves to be comp'd even if he didn't speak up. He was not happy with his apology but he never told the restaurant that. As far as the restaurant knows, the customer left happy because he never chose to communicate with them.
Yes, it would be nice if every accident or transgression that occurs at a restaurant gets you a free comp -- I even had my meal comp'd because they accidentally put tomatoes on a wrap I ordered even though I said it was OK and I'd take them out. Those situations are 100% fine where the restaurant goes above and beyond. They do not have to, though. That is your expectation. Should people expect comp's for mistakes? No. You are not entitled to it.
This is key right here. Absolutely key. If you feel you were wronged and an apology does not suffice then speak up. This is your tool. Use it to get what you need. If you do not speak up and you still tip then the restaurant believes all is good.
He never spoke up. That was his mistake. Whether he learns anything from this is up to him. Clearly the OP knows speaking up will cause him to comp'd but he didn't. He would rather say they should know better when they don't have to.
OK, and? It's soup. Life goes on. Mistakes happen. She apologized and was nice about it. Nothing warrants more than an apology unless you ask for it. If you're visibly and verbally OK with an apology then you'll get just an apology. Don't like it? Speak up.
You're arguing from a position that heavily suggests that all mistakes are created equally and an apology is always good enough as long as the other party doesn't cause a ruckus. If i take your logic and apply it to the server it reads to me that she would have had to spill the soup on him and apologize thinking that's substantial enough and, depending on how he reacts, is the only way she'll offer him a comp but that's only if he's angry or makes a fuss about it. She's doing the bare minimum and seeing what she can get away with. There's no initiative.
What should happen is that the instant she spills the soup, she offers him an apology and internalizes that something needs to be done whether it be comp the meal, a portion of it, offer dry cleaning or just give him a free dessert, whatever.....and all that should happen BEFORE she can even gauge his reaction. How he reacts, regardless of how polite or angry, shouldn't even factor into the equation. That's good if not great customer service.
First world problems...a rather egregious mistake
No shit. We're talking about eating at a restaurant. Try to keep up.First world problems...
The waitress emphatically apologized, and I didn't make a big deal about it.
It was only a $15 meal, so I wasn't going to make a fuss about it.
Yeah, and the post I was responding to made it sound like they shit in his cereal or gave him 2nd degree burns.No shit. We're talking about eating at a restaurant. Try to keep up.
Naw, you're asking for too much of someone. If someone wants to do that then they can. To want everyone to do that is just entitled. It's an accident. Y'all expect too much from a mistake.
Like, some of y'all are saying "get angry with the server" or "make a fuss" -- naw, just, ya know, be polite and say, "hey, can I get reimbursed for this?" You know what the restaurant will 100% do? "Sure, it's our fault."
But ya know what? You can stay silent all you want and that's fine but don't expect anything. An expectation is just that.
Like, it's fine if some of y'all expect to be comp'd. That's 100% fine. You have to realize that it's just an expectation and only has a chance of occurring, so yes, that's the answer to OP's "question", you can expect it but you might not get it. The most definitive way of getting what you want is to ask for it.
Yeah, and the post I was responding to made it sound like they shit in his cereal or gave him 2nd degree burns.
The onus shouldn't be on the customer to start this conversation. What you're effectively doing is saying that it's ok for the server/restaurant to not offer some kind of comp or reimbursement from the jump as it makes sense for them to assume that he wouldn't want one.