I am of a belief I I have to pay for something I want my $ worth and have always been outspoken on that, dad was also and most of my friends are the same way. Same for returning things that do not work as said. Every time.
Follow up: I received a letter of apology from the company headquarters along with a coupon for a free sandwich of my choice. Of course the letter stated the matter will be addressed. I will use the coupon to get the biggest sandwich they have but at a different location.
@Von Jones No complaints lodged by me, but reminds me of an interesting incident. In line at a buffet, the guy ahead of us produced a credit card; he had a wife & 2 kids. Card denied. He starts up about some mistrake being made, finally produces a $100 bill, pays for buffet. We go in and eat, just finishing up, close enough to see and hear an altercation at the cash register. Same guy, claiming some disgusting fault with the food. Manager brought into it, we knew her from before, sweet courteous young woman, who listens patiently, orders cashier to give him his money back! Upon exiting, I sought the Mgr. out; she immediately recognized us, and laughed as I told her I demand DOUBLE my money back! Then seriously, I commended her, saying had I been the Mgr., I would have kicked the guy out. She said she might too, but policy is policy. Frank
Optimists see: A glass half full. Pessimists see: A glass half empty. "Chronic complainers see: A glass that is slightly chipped holding water that isn’t cold enough, probably because it’s tap water when I asked for bottled water and wait, there’s a smudge on the rim, too, which means the glass wasn’t cleaned properly and now I’ll probably end up with some kind of virus. Why do these things always happen to me?!"
Also the opposite when it or all is good service and food I ask for the mgr and tell them every time. Also praise wait person. It goes both ways, that is just me.
Being by myself I use drive through lines all the time every week to get food, if bad I go back I usually stop and look at it or taste it before leaving the area. Every week. It is what it is. Day in day out our truck stop here has good food that is very dependable most every time if what I want that day. Good salad bar, great service and all available anytime of the day. No issues ever, plus cheapest fuel around. I met one of my best friends there getting fuel sometime back when I offered to assist her as she was in a wheel chair with 1 leg. I lost her to a health issue. Also for a great steak our cattle sale barn is the place to get a good one but only open 2 days a week. Tues and Sat. Tuesday is better as to you only get the non hobby ranchers there usually and not as crowded. Another good place here to eat regular food for breakfast and lunch is our feed store/gas station as they bake all bread and buns daily, nothing pre cooked. I love this style of eating so much better that the city stuff where I rarely ever go.
In short, a lot. Before taking on a position as a consultant, I would visit the restaurant and / or the bar As a guest and take some mental notes just so I would know what I was in for. Whilst visiting, I would also try to key in on the reactions of the other guests and possibly overhear what their comments were. After a few visits I would then call the staff together and praise those things that warranted praise and also bring the hammer down on the things I found to be less than desirable. On one occasion I brought out a handful of paychecks and handed them out along with the reason why they were being given their last check. So yeah, I’ve complained a lot.
A few of the restaurants I patronize have their websites listed on their bills customers receive, and encourage you to go there and take surveys on your dining experience, at times offering you a small discount on your next meal there in exchange for doing the survey. I'll do the survey, especially if the service was ponderously slow. I don't fault the waiting staff for slow service, but rather the kitchen. It really shouldn't take almost half an hour to cook and deliver a simple breakfast, especially if the restaurant isn't busy...
I completely agree with this. It's rather sad that people only mention the bad. How about filling out those surveys and praising the staff at a particular location for a job well done? Customer service enjoys good news and when an employee, or an entire staff, does a good job they need to be acknowledged for it. I do mention a problem when it arises, but I also make a huge deal about good service. It can really make a day special for someone and it only takes a few seconds.