Money Moral Dilemma: Should I have asked for a refund after using Eat Out to Help Out?

Suzash56490

Definitely raise the issue AT THE TIME. Complaining later, or not using the restaurant again helps nobody. We all have bad days, things go wrong and pubs and restaurants usually welcome the opportunity to put things right and for their customers to go home feeling happy with their experience.
Eat out to help out was a massive success, customer numbers soared and many were turned away. The chefs and waiting staff had been at home for months and were out of practice, this is not an excuse for poor food but things do go wrong. Mistakes highlight areas for improvement or training needs and identifying them is actually useful for the business!
A quiet word at the time will usually result in resolving the complaint, complaining later and never returning is simply damaging and could quite possibly result in the business closing in the coming quiet months when government help dries up.

rose28454

We went out every week during this promotion to various restaurants and had some wonderful meals, went to a local country hotel that has always had a great restaurant on Monday for the last meal. They had cancelled their normal menu and were operating a burger and pizza menu with a few other bits like fish and chips. Service was slow food was food was not great ( deep fried burgers and undercooked pizza ). We did say to the young waitress but no response. The hotel has recently added an expensive roof top bar but would have been better spending the money on a better menu and staff training. 

I left a trip advisor review and won’t return . It’s a shame as it was a great place to go to for a lovely meal in the past . I would return to all the other places I visited but not this one. An opportunity missed for repeat business

callysgran

You should always complain at time, seems to be the consensus.  Just don't return.  My real problem was the 'eat out to help out menu' which was not the usual menu but a reduced part of it.  Portions were smaller than usual and definitely poorer quality.  Should this be reported to anyone? Big corporations cashing in and making money of the back of the pandemic- and yes, of course, they're back to normal menu and no reductions now!

Sweeti1

Complaints should be made at the time, and if it was so bad I wouldn’t be returning again.  There’s no excuse for poor quality, and what’s to say that they won’t continue to serve the sub standard food

meknowalot-51

Forget the price,you should have sent it back and got a refund.I have heard that because of social distancing there are not the same numbers of staff allowed in the kitchen which puts added pressure for those that are working.This is not an excuse but we should all take this into account when eating out,i would rather wait another ten or so minutes to get proper edible food.If at anytime your meal is below the expected standard then send it back and even ask to speak to the adult that created the mess.

jon81uk

No you shouldn't get a refund. The plate of food should have been sent back at the time and replaced. If there was still awful service then maybe complain later and see what you get, but bad food should just be sent back for replacement.

dirtmother

So often people say "You should complain at the time/send the meal back" and I get that but it is probably an illusion that this gives the opportunity to 'put it right' This ignores the context - that you may be hungry right now and you don't know how long a replacement will take, which might disrupt the whole social experience if you are with others.

Scrapit

Always complain at the time

CathWat

I think you are perfectly justified in saying something at the time.  I think restaurants should expect this, whatever budget they are serving to.  What a lot of them don't realise is that it ruins the experience for many customers to have to complain, risk a row or rudeness back from staff.  I would just not go back.  

crmism

I have been in a similar situation a number of times in hotels and fancy restaurants and have returned the offering to the kitchen because it was not up to the standard I would expect. Too late now to do anything about it but, if it should happen again, do draw the chef's attention to it as he's primarily responsible for the quality and quantity of the food. If the restaurant or whatever won't budge, photograph what's on the plate, and suggest you pay half what it wants, or simply walk out. Courses are often grossly overcharged, but most diners appear to think they're worth the extra; frankly, they're not.