Offering Your Restaurant Guests A Free Meal
An all too common issue with restaurants is when to give out a free meal and when to know you are being taken. Sometimes things don’t go right such as a customer sitting there for 30 minutes and then the waitress finds the order is still in her pocket. They should definitely be compensated in some way. Other times though they are just complaining about anything and everything in an effort to get the food for free.
They wanted you to comp their meal and set out to get you to do just that. They aren’t going to stop complaining until that offer is extended to them. It is expensive when restaurants have to comp meals because they don’t make any money off the sale at all. Yet it can be a great way to get a customer who didn’t have a wonderful dining experience to come back again.
It is less expensive to give them one free meal and have them come back then for them to avoid your restaurant in the future. When you calculate the number of people that they will tell of the negative experience who also don’t come it you really are better off paying for their meal.
It also shows good faith in your customer service values. It lets your guests know that mistakes can be made but that there are solutions. It shows that you really do care about more than just their money – you want them to have an amazing dining experience. Most people are willing to let the issue go if you find a way to make it right for them.
However, it is important to understand that there are people out there who will take advantage of this. They will go to a restaurant with the intension of not paying for what they ordered. They will complain and often create a scene. Of course the restaurant wants to keep them quiet to paying for their meal is often offered.
People brag online about doing this several times a week at various restaurants. It works best for them in larger cities where they have more selection. They will choose busy times of the day or night too. That way dealing with them is something that the staff wants to do rapidly so they can get back to taking care of their other guests.
It is important to know how your particular restaurant is going to handle such situations. That way you are prepared for them when they occur. This is a type of decision that only those in charge should be allowed to make. That way there is very little room for other staff to get caught in the middle of it. Find out what happened so you can decide if the situation only warrants an apology or a free meal to go along with it.
Sometimes extending a free meal is worth it to save the customers from avoiding your restaurant in the future. Other times though it is just someone trying to see if they can get that food for free. This can be a hard decision but one you need to firmly stand behind. Look for warning signs though about the party being loud or asking for a free meal. They may be doing all they can to keep their money in their pockets.
Filed under: Small Business