How to complain in a restaurant, according to Carina

Yesterday I was asked to contribute on BBC Kitchen Cafe with food critic Jonathan Trew.

It was fascinating.

Several visitors to an Inverness shopping mall were asked if they would ever complain in a restaurant if their meal wasn’t right. Overwhelmingly all of those interviewed said no they would never complain. As a restaurateur I find this scary and very unlike my own actions. If something isn’t right when I go to a restaurant or cafe, I’ll say something and give the team the opportunity to solve the problem. I’ve been going to the same restaurants for years because I’ve built up trust and know if they ever don’t get it right, they’ll fix it. Please let us have the same opportunity.

Please let us know if we haven’t delivered the food or service at the level you expected. We genuinely care and want you to leave feeling happy and satisfied. Our team love their jobs and take great pride in looking after you. We are tasked with providing goods and service. It’s our obligation to deliver the best experience so please feel confident that you can tell us if you feel there is any area we could do better.

Please don’t wait until you pay the bill or worse wait until you’ve sitting in front of your computer and tell TripAdvisor.

Like everything in life, sometimes things don’t go to plan, even with all the best intentions in the world, but we will try our very best to fix any situation if you feel we haven’t delivered.

As Jonathan shared with me after our chat yesterday, restaurants (and their staff) are not the enemy, we only want you to have a relaxed and happy time, enjoy great food and want to share in your lovely experience.

Grazie,

Carina.

Victor’s promise

Victor can make you a promise. You will leave any Contini restaurant feeling happier than when you arrived. All our staff know how to make each customer feel welcome and ensure everyone has a great food and drink experience. Genuine hospitality is at the heart of what we do and we’re happy to make that guarantee. If ever we do not meet your expectations, let us know and we will fix it for you immediately.

Listen to the programme here.