i'll certainly not waste my time filling out a “feedback” form – i have far better things to do than that, and see no reason why somewhere that has provided poor service should expect *me* to tell them what they did wrong!

i'll certainly not waste my time filling out a “feedback” form – i have far better things to do than that, and see no reason why somewhere that has provided poor service should expect *me* to tell them what they did wrong!

http://www.barda-restaurant.com/

Superb.

K

If you tell them that, and how much it hurt you, then they may try to make it better for you. You say there is no way to make it better. fine. However, they'll *also* know they're getting it wrong, and that their customers expect them to get it right first time. They will probably make to the effort to make sure it doesn't happen again, to you, should you choose to go back, or to anyone else.

Your evening's been ruined. Let them know. Maybe then they can work out why and make an effort to ensure nobody else's is ruined. For all they know, you had a wonderful evening. If your'e not a frequent customer, they're unlikely to even notice you not coming back again.

“First off, the Spanish. Tourism the national industry, so a spaniard knows how it should be done, and demands things to be done right. he'll complain at the first sign of trouble, send things back, and generally talk to the head of section or maitre, or head of reception, knowing full well that it's these people's jobs to ensure the smooth running of that particular area. If they're particularly incensed, they know their rights and will fill in a complaints form.

“The Germans are very precise. They know what they want, and they want it just so. They will tolerate some problematic stuff, but not much. When things do go worng, they immediately ask to speak to the manager, the big boss, and I hear them out, and offer them a freebie or a discount, and it's all fixed. Zer Gut.

“The ones that frustrate me most are the British. They moan to each other about problems, but never complain to anyone who can do anything about it, preferring not to send meals back, or talk to the reception, or whatever. If they don't get something, they'll just tough it through, and none of us will be any the wiser. We try our best to minimise mistakes, but we can't do anything about them if we don't know they're happening. The worst bit is when you are aware that things have gone wrong, and you deliberately ask them 'is everything OK?' as a way to open up the conversation and maybe offer them some compensation and they just smile and say 'Yeah, fine', and leave you conversationally stumped. Of course, the next week you'll get the tour operator calling you up to tell you you're blacklisted because they've received a letter of complaint and were forced to give out a refund”

It's good to complain to the people in question, though in the UK we seem to have developed a “don't complain about things” culture. If you complain, the people who are in charge of quality control can actually know that things are going wrong, something that they may not otherwise realise, and can hopefully take steps. It also stops things getting to a head to the point where drastic actions occur.