I was in a restaurant with a friend who ordered a beer and then didn’t drink much of it. I gestured towards it and said, “So, you’re really not a big drinker.”
She said, “It just doesn’t taste right to me.”
I said, “Then send it back. Get what you want.”
She said, “No, that’s okay. I’ll just get some ice for it.”
A few minutes later she asked the server for ice and I had to hold myself back from saying “She actually doesn’t like it. Can she get a different beer?”
If it had been my drink, I would have told the server I didn’t like it. In the U.S. servers are trained to make the customer happy. You’re supposed to be satisfied with your meal or drink. It’s not the customer’s job to make the restaurant workers feel good about the job their doing.
If you don’t like your drink, entree, appetizer or anything you’ve ordered, don’t force yourself to consume it. As soon as you realize it’s not what you want, say to the server, “Excuse me. This doesn’t taste right to me. Could I please order something else?”
Chances are the server will take it away and bring you another dish or beverage. The only thing to be careful of is not to eat or drink most of the item and then complain. That will make you look like you’re trying to get free stuff.
If it’s an item that can’t be substituted — for instance, if they only serve one dessert and you don’t like it — and they took it back when you said you didn’t want it, then they should take the item off of your bill. If you only had a bite or two before saying you disliked it, but they didn’t remove it from the bill, it’s perfectly fine to point that out to them. Don’t pay for anything you sent back.
My ex-husband has worked in the American restaurant industry his whole life, and he confirms all of this. If you don’t get good customer service from your server (or bartender), you actually can ask to speak to the manager. This might feel uncomfortable now that many think of it as a Karen move, but you absolutely can do it. Sometimes requesting a manager is the best way to get what you want. American restaurant managers want their guests to leave happy, so they should resolve the situation.
If not, then don’t go there again and let your friends know that you don’t recommend that place or leave an online review with your experience. In fact, that’s the behavior most feared by restaurant managers. My ex will do back-flips to make a guest happy so they don’t talk bad about his place.
My friend got the ice for her beer, but still didn’t drink more than another swallow or two. Even though I told her everything I’ve put in this post, she paid for it. I really hope everyone who reads this post doesn’t do that. You’re allowed to ask for what you want.
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