Returning poor food at restaurant

[JonnyF]

My girlfriend often sends food back if it's undercooked, not enough of a particular ingredient or whatever. As long as you do it politely with a smile they don't mind.

[Lacessit]

I don't eat it, leave it on the plate. Pay the bill, and never go back. Good restaurants get my return business.

[Bluespunk]

1 hour ago, OzMan said:

paid for a meal I did not ask for and did not eat. What would other members do in this situation?

I’ve done the same in past and just not eaten in the restaurant again. 

[innosiem]

This is a lesson that takes some a while to learn here
the easiest thing to do if the meal is not exactly as you would want it
is simply order a different meal that comes how you want it.

alterations to meals are hit and miss even in the best of restaurants
it is much easier to just order something that does not need any alteration

other than that, as with any bad service
don't visit again, leave a 1 baht tip 
and a bad review on google/tripadvisor 

Edited July 1, 2020 by innosiem

[userabcd]

So we understand you did not order the flambe.

[EVENKEEL]

I'd take off the chilies the best I could and weep as I eat.

[ThailandRyan]

10 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

I'd take off the chilies the best I could and weep as I eat.

But the Chili's are the best part.  Spicy is the way to go.  It only burns for a little while and you get a good sweat in.  Boosts the metabolism as well.

[EVENKEEL]

3 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

But the Chili's are the best part.  Spicy is the way to go.  It only burns for a little while and you get a good sweat in.  Boosts the metabolism as well.

Not my post, tell the other guy.

[Percy P]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Suspect food was pre-cooked, and just warmed up for customers.

Everyone is served from the same pot.

 

I wouldn't eat there again.

But the restaurant doesn't know why your not eating their. If you complain and tell them the problem then informing them you will not be eating their again. You must complain so the restaurant will know where they have gone wrong .

[kingofthemountain]

22 minutes ago, Percy P said:

But the restaurant doesn't know why your not eating their. If you complain and tell them the problem then informing them you will not be eating their again. You must complain so the restaurant will know where they have gone wrong .

Not in Thailand

they are not used to the complains

and even if someone dare to complain

usualy they don't care.

 

For the OP i never send back a plate in a restaurant

you never know what's happen in the kitchen and how far the cook is angry or not.

 

If the food is not good, i don't eat and never comeback,

 

but i alway try to do it simple for everybody at the begining

i order only something which is on the menu and i do not ask for any ''special'' change

there is too much lost in translation, plus the Thais waiters usualaly always say ''yes''

even when it's not possible then you never know what is the final result of your demand.

 

The biggest issue i can see in your post is your GF not standing at your side

in this case. It should be a red light for me.

Edited July 1, 2020 by kingofthemountain

[473geo]

I am struggling to understand why people would not go back to a restaurant that got one meal a bit too spicy.

I doubt you are going to order the same thing again. Some dishes are very spicy and if you can't stand the heat, just don't order them. Certainly 'not too spicy' to a Thai may well be way too hot for others.

[richard_smith237]

Service in Thailand is completely hit & miss.... 

 

Whether or not I (we, Wife and I) draw attention to a mistake or send food back depends on the expectation of the restaurant in the first place and degree of the actual mistake. 

 

Each and every situation is different so there are no general rules. 

 

I have found the listening skills of the waiting staff many restaurants to be quite poor. I used to put this down to some grammatical or accent errors in my Thai. However, all to commonly, I fully understand what my Wife (Thai) has ordered and the waiter/waitress brings the wrong item: Conclusion; they didn’t understand, didn’t listen or forgot by the time the got to the kitchen and guessed !!!!

 

Sometimes, if we’re in a really simple place and receive the wrong food item we’ll just eat it. Other times we may highlight the mistake and ask for the correct order, this can be done politely with little fuss. 

 

In a higher end restaurant where expectations are also higher its best to speak with the head waiter / waitress about a complaint, the expectation that the staff will respond well to customer ‘interaction’ is also higher.

 

In the example the Op provided, the dish in inedible for him, he asked for ’no chillies’ - there is nothing wrong with the Op being polite and asking the waitress to switch out his dish without chillies. If its just 40 baht noodles - just order another bowl, but emphasise that you are ordering another because this one is too hot.

 

Regarding the Ops Girlfriend not wanting to make a fuss. This is not isolated towards demure Thai ladies, many Westerner feel uncomfortable instigating what could turn out to be a potential conflict. 

 

In this case the Ops girlfriend should have backed him up. But that also depends on the situation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

6 minutes ago, 473geo said:

I am struggling to understand why people would not go back to a restaurant that got one meal a bit too spicy.

I doubt you are going to order the same thing again. Some dishes are very spicy and if you can't stand the heat, just don't order them. Certainly 'not too spicy' to a Thai may well be way too hot for others.

The Op ordered the plate with no chillies, the dish came with chillies. This in itself is not a reason not to go back. But it is reason to have the dish changed. 

 

If everything else was ok - try the restaurant again, be more specific and ‘stress’ details in the order. 

If they can’t get this simple ‘aspect’ correct a second time, then don’t go back.

 

Waiters and waitresses is a very common situation in Thailand - its par for the course, even when my Wife orders something - When a waiter / waitress has a pad, things are much better. This simple addition (the pad) makes the difference. 

 

I can’t blame them, its a boring job, it must be hard to remain focused - the issue is simply from poor restaurant management - and poor training. The issue of receiving the wrong order is common in lower end places with a high turn over of staff. 

 

 

 

[473geo]

5 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

The Op ordered the plate with no chillies, the dish came with chillies. This in itself is not a reason not to go back. But it is reason to have the dish changed. 

 

If everything else was ok - try the restaurant again, be more specific and ‘stress’ details in the order. 

If they can’t get this simple ‘aspect’ correct a second time, then don’t go back.

 

Waiters and waitresses is a very common situation in Thailand - its par for the course, even when my Wife orders something - When a waiter / waitress has a pad, things are much better. This simple addition (the pad) makes the difference. 

 

I can’t blame them, its a boring job, it must be hard to remain focused - the issue is simply from poor restaurant management - and poor training. The issue of receiving the wrong order is common in lower end places with a high turn over of staff. 

 

 

 

By way of example, If you order say tom yum soup, it is a spicy soup, otherwise it is not tom yum soup. So you would not order it with no chillies, if you do chances are you are going to get tom yum a spicy soup.

[NE1]

I wish I had a 100 baht for everytime we have had a problem with the order in a restaurant. 

The waitress tries to remember it instead of writing it down .

We have run out of what you ordered so we gave you something else.

The cook forgot .

The cook got it wrong.

Different cook today .

Wife ordered beef got pork , waiter swears blind she ordered pork , bill comes and it says beef dish.

KFC chicken black on the inside , " we cooked it to long "

Man I could go on.

 

Bad service like this and I don't return , no problem for them or me.

Now we find it easier to eat at home , it is hard to find a consistently good restaurant .

 

 

Edited July 1, 2020 by NE1

[kingofthemountain]

10 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

I can’t blame them, its a boring job, it must be hard to remain focused - the issue is simply from poor restaurant management - and poor training. The issue of receiving the wrong order is common in lower end places with a high turn over of staff. 

I don't blame them, but i don't excuse them like you do

they have a job, pretty easy and well paid for Thai standarts

(Their parents were probably working 8 hours\day in the fields for 300 bahts)

these idiots they just don't care, they are most interested by their FB or Line friends, you can be

sure they are not going to forget the date with them for tonight at the party (Aka drink and smoke)

but they forget what you have ordered 3 minutes ago? Come on....

[Oldie]

There are enough videos on YouTube what could happen if you complain about food in a restaurant. I personally have seen many restaurants and their staff and kitchens. Often it was a very shocking experience. After having been sick for almost 2 years because of food poisoning I avoid all of them. Not all of them are bad but you don't know witch one you should avoid until you get problems. 

[Why Me]

3 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

I believe it would be an individual thing, out with a farang, showing some status, not wanting to lose face.

 

As for less educated lower-middle background, my wife finished high school and would never accept an order that wasn't up to scratch, she would return it, politely, respectfully, and if anyone arked up, then they would see her otherside which I love....

 

 

First of all you've got the wrong pic. You don't want to be comparing your gal to a lioness with her heels up to a random strong male (males have manes, females don't and are smaller). Here you go:

 

In any case, I am sure your wife is different. But if she is lower-middle class with no more than high school, then really she isn't. She knows exactly her place. But you think the world of her which is all that matters.

 

 

 

Edited July 1, 2020 by Why Me

[GinBoy2]

This is very much akin the the issue of taking leftovers home.

 

My wife is a coconut, brought up in Chicago.

But I remember the first time we took some of her relatives out to dinner in Thailand, at a medium scale restaurant, they were all horrified when we asked for boxes to take home the leftovers.

 

Now they ain't rich, and it seems to be much more of a problem for the poorer in Thai society to push back than the rich kids.

 

It blows my mind, you're basically dealing with kitchen staff for Gods sake

[4MyEgo]

23 minutes ago, Why Me said:

 

First of all you've got the wrong pic. You don't want to be comparing your gal to a lioness with her heels up to a random strong male (males have manes, females don't and are smaller). Here you go:

 

In any case, I am sure your wife is different. But if she is lower-middle class with no more than high school, then really she isn't. She knows exactly her place. But you think the world of her which is all that matters.

 

 

 

Nicely summed up.

 

For the record, the picture of the loin (my wife) as opposed to a lioness was deliberate, you see, she turns into the Lion, and the male turns into the lioness on the floor in the picture I posted previously.

 

Trust you me, I know the difference between a Lioness and LIon, been here long enough to pick the lady's and ladyboys apart ????

 

[4MyEgo]

2 hours ago, Grumpy one said:

I did   then married her  

Ditto ????

 

[EricTh]

@OzMan

 

If it's less than 100 baht, just forget about it. You probably won't get a meal for that price back in Australia.

 

Do note that they did cook you a meal , there is the cost of the food ingredients, cooking oil, workmanship etc.

 

Just don't go to that restaurant anymore. Anyway, the problem is not entirely theirs, it could be miscommunication.

 

Next time put it in writing so they can't argue. I believe Thai people when ordering food, they do write down the order like non-spicy, no chilli, no MSG etc.

 

I have done it in the past and never had any problem. Remember they can't remember everything if it is not put in writing.

 

 

 

Edited July 1, 2020 by EricTh

[Don Mega]

I woulda booted the GF and gone shopping for a new one.

[473geo]

3 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

I woulda booted the GF and gone shopping for a new one.

Alternatively next time eat at KFC and be sure not to order the 'spicy' chicken without chillies

Edited July 1, 2020 by 473geo

[Don Mega]

Just now, 473geo said:

Alternatively next time eat at KFC and be sure not to order the 'spicy' chicken without chillies

I wouldn't feed that slop to a stay dog.

[473geo]

3 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

I wouldn't feed that slop to a stay dog.

Yeah but some of us tire of a life with high quality food we enjoy, now and again we have change, and never yet seen anybody send KFC back, which appears to be the case in many of the high class restaurants of Tvisa posters choice, reading this thread

[Don Mega]

1 minute ago, 473geo said:

Yeah but some of us tire of a life with high quality food we enjoy, now and again we have change, and never yet seen anybody send KFC back, which appears to be the case in many of the high class restaurants of Tvisa posters choice, reading this thread

Enjoy the slop.

[SteveK]

In Thailand I have been served the wrong food on so many occasions, and special requests are regularly ignored. The first time I came to Thailand I found it highly frustrating, but now I almost expect something not to come as requested, and actually, if I need to make a special request such as no chilli etc, then it's better to order something else. 

 

Returning food at the little Thai places is not the done thing and you can bet someone will be making comments about the farang even though it's their error. Obviously if something came out and I simply couldn't eat it, I would still ask them to take it back and explain why.

 

Customer service in Thailand is poor, as someone mentioned, looking at Line is much more important than keeping customers happy. 

Edited July 1, 2020 by SteveK

[Dumbastheycome]

1 hour ago, 473geo said:

By way of example, If you order say tom yum soup, it is a spicy soup, otherwise it is not tom yum soup. So you would not order it with no chillies, if you do chances are you are going to get tom yum a spicy soup.

Ok. In that instance yes. But having ordered  Spaghetti Carbonara in what  boasted  to be an authentic Italian Restaurant to be served something so chillied up my tonsils joined hands in opposition I think there are moments when a  paying  customer does have some  justification in saying  "Oi".

[mark131v]

4 hours ago, Keyser Soze666 said:

Right, and the owner would understand that. But to just tell him his food is rubbish and to offer it back to him, well, that is extremely offensive and you could be treading on extremely dangerous grounds. But of course some here would do just that, lol yea course they would, to a petite little Thai girl maybe.

I often wonder how some people manage to live their lives when they are clearly in fear of everything, get a grip you big jessy!

Edited July 1, 2020 by mark131v