How long must we wait for our meal after ordering

sharpshot

There's no problem with 45 minutes if they tell you it will take that long. A few times I've waited that long only to find out they didn't get my order to the chef. So now I always ask how long it's likely to be and check if it's taking too long. If you do walk out, make sure you take everything with you. I remember my dad having to go back for his bag in a Chinese restaurant when we walked out after waiting over an hour. That gave us a laugh.

Sicard

You need to watch Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares.

Kantankrus_Mare

I work in a restaurant and usually we can get whatever is ordered to the customer within 10/15 mins. As an experienced member of staff, I can look at how busy the kitchen is and how many orders are in front and if I think it will be longer I will inform the customer. This then gives them the option to not eat if they are in a real rush.

I would never expect to go out to eat myself and expect to be prioritised just because I am in a rush. Every customer should be served in order and if you are in a rush you should eat in a fast food restaurant or god forbid.....make something yourself.

Oakdene

Kantankrus_Mare wrote: »

I work in a restaurant and usually we can get whatever is ordered to the customer within 10/15 mins. As an experienced member of staff, I can look at how busy the kitchen is and how many orders are in front and if I think it will be longer I will inform the customer. This then gives them the option to not eat if they are in a real rush.

I would never expect to go out to eat myself and expect to be prioritised just because I am in a rush. Every customer should be served in order and if you are in a rush you should eat in a fast food restaurant or god forbid.....make something yourself.

Totally agree with this, I have gone back to customers & said 'I think it may be a good 25 minutes for your main meals to arrive, is that ok?'

Pollycat

Sicard wrote: »

You need to watch Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares.

I'd much rather not.

Is this restaurant chain featured on there?

Pollycat

Kantankrus_Mare wrote: »

I work in a restaurant and usually we can get whatever is ordered to the customer within 10/15 mins. As an experienced member of staff, I can look at how busy the kitchen is and how many orders are in front and if I think it will be longer I will inform the customer. This then gives them the option to not eat if they are in a real rush.

I would never expect to go out to eat myself and expect to be prioritised just because I am in a rush. Every customer should be served in order and if you are in a rush you should eat in a fast food restaurant or god forbid.....make something yourself.

Oakdene wrote: »

Totally agree with this, I have gone back to customers & said 'I think it may be a good 25 minutes for your main meals to arrive, is that ok?'

This is a pub chain.
I'm not familiar with Chef & Brewer but if it's similar to Wetherspoons where most stuff is 'dinged', it's not a fair comparison to other 'proper' restaurants.

Oakdene

Pollycat wrote: »

This is a pub chain.
I'm not familiar with Chef & Brewer but if it's similar to Wetherspoons where most stuff is 'dinged', it's not a fair comparison to other 'proper' restaurants.

Well at any Weatherspoon I have been in they have told me if they have a significant delay

Pollycat

Oakdene wrote: »

Well at any Weatherspoon I have been in they have told me if they have a significant delay

I think it's part of the till function when someone orders food.

That's not the same as going back to customers and saying 'I think it may be a good 25 minutes for your main meals to arrive, is that ok?'

Kantankrus_Mare

It doesnt matter if you are eating in a "ding" restaurant or a "proper table service" restaurant. The length of waiting time will depend on how busy the restaurant is and at peak, busy times you should expect to wait a little longer. 45 mins is a long time to wait though, I have to agree. Anything longer than half an hour in our place and I start getting agitated and will occasionally offer the customer a drink on the house which shows you care.
Not saying anything is just not good customer service.
I understand when ordering at a bar, the staff may not be aware of what is happening in the kitchen but thats a lack of communication and is easily solved.

Pollycat

Kantankrus_Mare wrote: »

It doesnt matter if you are eating in a "ding" restaurant or a "proper table service" restaurant. The length of waiting time will depend on how busy the restaurant is and at peak, busy times you should expect to wait a little longer. 45 mins is a long time to wait though, I have to agree. Anything longer than half an hour in our place and I start getting agitated and will occasionally offer the customer a drink on the house which shows you care.
Not saying anything is just not good customer service.
I understand when ordering at a bar, the staff may not be aware of what is happening in the kitchen but thats a lack of communication and is easily solved.

I disagree.

Whilst I'd be happy sat at my table in a 'proper' restaurant - maybe picking at a plate of olives or bread and drinking my wine - for a while whilst my chosen meal was cooked, I'd not expect to wait anywhere near the same in a place that even pre-cooks poached eggs for eggs benedict and can bang out a curry in almost the time it takes for the customer to finish ordering, pay and return to their table.

You're comparing apples & elephants.
Wetherspoons staff (as I said earlier, I'm not familiar with Chef & Brewer but I do know it's a pub chain which is very different from the Turksih, Italina or Indian restaurants in my town) are very unlikely to get agitated about how long a customer has been waiting.
That's because they are not 'proper' waiting staff that you'd expect in a restaurant.