The Customer Is Always Right?

The number one rule in the hospitality industry has always been The Customer Is Always Righteven when they are wrong; this has been the case to maintain customer expectation. The question today for many hospitality workers is, do guests take advantage of the industries number one rule to receive discounted or complimentary food. By complaining about virtually anything will prompt a Manager to race over to the table and in an attempt to keep the customer happy ends up (too easily) giving them a discount on their purchase.

Of course when the food or beverage is not up to speed, the manager will replace it or compliment the guest with a dessert or even in extreme cases compliment the complete meal, but when a guest consumes the entire product then complains after wards, does this warrant the same extreme measures? Perhaps this is the type of guest you (regrettably) do not want in your establishment.

It is rare a guest will complain after consuming the entire product but there is a small percentage which do, is it possible to assume these guests are "career free eaters". In my observations when this happens, the guest isn't a frequent patron but one who drops by every six months or so as to not get detected. A specific instant was a lady who ordered a shrimp stir fry, the product she ordered was a signature menu item which is very popular with all our customers, she took one look at it and said "this is disgusting, I am offended you would even bring this out to me" without even trying the product she demanded the server to return it to the kitchen, she then ordered a fish and chips (another very popular item on the menu) which she ate but did not like it, she expected to get the meal for free but I instructed the Manager not to compliment the meal as we already had to waste the stir fry and there was nothing wrong with it.

This is the type of guest I am referring to, of course my philosophy is; the one most important priority in a hospitality environment is customer service and to exceed their expectations.