What steps should you take when a guest complains about a dish?

• A. Listen, apologize, offer to remake or replace, involve a manager if needed, and follow up.
• B. Ignore the complaint and walk away.
• C. Argue with the guest about the dish.
• D. Offer a discount without addressing the issue.

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is service recovery: handling a dish complaint in a way that restores the guest’s experience through empathy, action, and follow-up. Start by listening carefully to understand exactly what went wrong and to show you care about the guest’s experience. A sincere apology acknowledges the disappointment and helps set a cooperative tone. Then offer a remedy, such as remaking the dish or replacing it, to fix the issue right away. If the situation requires it, involve a manager to authorize the appropriate response, whether it’s a replacement, refund, or other compensation. Finally, follow up to confirm the guest is satisfied and leave them with a positive impression rather than a lingering negative memory.

Choosing approaches that ignore the complaint, argue with the guest, or offer a discount without addressing the underlying issue falls short because they don’t resolve the problem or rebuild trust.