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There are some calls in a restaurant that can be hard for those in charge to make. One of them is when to merit offering to compensate the meal and when you are being taken advantage of. Sometimes the dining experience leaves something to be desired and customers will complain about it.

Many customers just want you to take notice of the problem so it doesn’t happen again. They may be annoyed but they certainly don’t expect a free meal. If you offer it they will be very gracious about accepting it. Those that demand it though are the ones you need to watch out for. They may just feel that is what is deserving but they may have this down to a science as well.

This can be quite a dilemma to deal with because you don’t want to run the customer off for good. Unhappy customers can cost you money as they won’t be returning. They can also post information online about the experience as well as tell those they know. It can certainly result in many more people not coming to your restaurant either.

Someone who intended to pay for their meal but then had a complaint will appreciate you paying for the food. They will more than likely give your restaurant another chance in the future to prove how things should be taken care of. Mishaps do occur and most customers understand that we are all human and make errors. It is how they are corrected that matters.

Some individuals take restaurants for a ride though. They are looking for a free meal and they know that many restaurants offer just that if they complain. They will look to make the most out of it by creating an issue that everyone in the restaurant can see and hear. As a result many managers feel pressured into comping the meal so that all the customers will be happy with the outcome they saw.

It doesn’t seem practical that people go out for dinner with the intention of getting it paid for, but many do. You only have to search this information online to see how true that is. You will read stories from those who have done it as well as the restaurant owners who are tired of it. This game is hard to prove and it is costing the business money.

It is important for the restaurant to have a plan of action for dealing with such issues. That way they don’t escalate out of control. This is a decision that the manager needs to execute though rather than the staff. This way discretion can be used to determine when offering a free meal is right and when it is a ploy that someone is after.

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.