The New Intimacy

If your order is wrong at a restaurant, do you send it back?

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Contributor: Ms. N Ms. N
Personally, I am a picky eater, so if I go to a restaurant, and I don't get what I ordered, how I ordered it, I will send it back. I have friends who don't want to rock the boat, and they will just eat whatever they are brought. Others will not send theirs back and wind up picking at the meal or not eating at all. I know some people are afraid of the restaurant staff "doing something" to their food if they send it back, but honestly, I feel if you are paying for a meal, you should expect to get what you want, the way you want it.

How about you? Do you send it back, or keep it?
Answers (private voting - your screen name will NOT appear in the results):
I usually send the order back if it is wrong.
53  (52%)
I usually do not send food back.
36  (36%)
I never eat at restaurants.
Other (in comments)
12  (12%)
Total votes: 101
Poll is closed
06/04/2012
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Contributor: Peggi Peggi
I always send it back, every single time.
06/04/2012
Contributor: Ryuson Ryuson
(Review Program Mentor)
It depends on if it's my fault or not. Like if I forget to ask if something has onions, and it does have onions and I didn't know to order it without it, I don't send it back then. If it's their fault I do, and they're usually really nice about it.
06/04/2012
Contributor: - Kira - - Kira -
Seconding Peggi. I send it back every time. I'm picky AND a vegetarian. Most of the time if it's not right, it means I can't eat it at all. I'm not gonna pay to starve. No thanks.
06/04/2012
Contributor: Elias McLovin Elias McLovin
I never really have an issue with getting my order messed up since I don't usually have any special requests. There was one time at Olive Garden that I ordered spaghetti, and asked for penne noodles. When they brought it to me with regular spaghetti noodles, I was too hungry to care, and didn't want to wait for a new plate. We did get a free dessert for the mix-up though. If I was making a somewhat complicated order, I would probably send it back if it was messed up.
06/04/2012
Contributor: indiglo indiglo
I had to vote other, because for me it depends. If it's just something I can live with, I don't send it back. I don't have any food allergies and don't need a special diet (except for no caffiene) so if it's still edible I just usually eat it. One time at a local sandwich/soup/ice cream shop I got a completely different sandwich (through the drive thru) than what I ordered. I ended up actually liking that sandwich more than what I had ordered! So I try not to be too picky unless it's something that is nearly inedible to me.
06/04/2012
Contributor: Lilith Bealove Lilith Bealove
I'm not picky, I don't have any common allergies, and usually when there is a mistake with my order it's minor and can be over looked. That being said if it was something like I ordered grilled asparagus and they brought me boiled asparagus or green beans, yea I'd send it back. If I ordered a medium rare steak and they brought me a well done steak, I'd be mildly upset, but I'd eat it. I guess it depends on what the mistake is.
06/04/2012
Contributor: chantalgiardina chantalgiardina
Quote:
Originally posted by Ms. N
Personally, I am a picky eater, so if I go to a restaurant, and I don't get what I ordered, how I ordered it, I will send it back. I have friends who don't want to rock the boat, and they will just eat whatever they are brought. Others will ... more
depends whats wrong. a simple side- ill keep it.. if they cook my steak wrong or if something is undercooked I will send it back
06/04/2012
Contributor: Beck Beck
I send it back. If I am paying and tipping you, you better get my meal right.
06/04/2012
Contributor: JessCee JessCee
Quote:
Originally posted by chantalgiardina
depends whats wrong. a simple side- ill keep it.. if they cook my steak wrong or if something is undercooked I will send it back
Yup. Same here. It depends on the mistake, and how much I care.
06/04/2012
Contributor: Love Obsessed Love Obsessed
I send it back.
06/04/2012
Contributor: Mwar Mwar
I try hard not to send it back. If they forget to add something, I'll ask for it. I understand how rough the service industry can be, so I do my best to be easy going. It still better taste okay.

I've only sent food back twice. Once when I ordered a calzone with artichokes and they gave me anchovies. And another when I wanted a hot waffle sundae and I go a cold, hard as a rock, waffle.
06/04/2012
Contributor: ghent529 ghent529
depends on how bad
06/04/2012
Contributor: Mx.Nekora Mx.Nekora
I don't mind if they got my order wrong,since i just politely tell them that my order is incorrect. I still eat it anyway! I'm not picky at all.
06/04/2012
Contributor: ghalik ghalik
It depends on what's wrong with it. If it's their fault and I can't eat it, I will definitely send it back.
06/04/2012
Contributor: HannahPanda HannahPanda
It depends on if I can eat it or not. If it's just toooo wrong, I think I'd try to be as nice as possible in sending it back.
06/04/2012
Contributor: Allstars316 Allstars316
I have given my food back for the right order.
06/04/2012
Contributor: Geogeo Geogeo
As a vegetarian I send it back when they put meat on it.
06/04/2012
Contributor: Missmarc Missmarc
Quote:
Originally posted by Ms. N
Personally, I am a picky eater, so if I go to a restaurant, and I don't get what I ordered, how I ordered it, I will send it back. I have friends who don't want to rock the boat, and they will just eat whatever they are brought. Others will ... more
We only sent back food once. It really tasted disgusting... the meat tasted like they been cooked, re-fried a few days in a row. The service was really bad as well...
06/04/2012
Contributor: sexxxkitten sexxxkitten
I usually send it back.
06/04/2012
Contributor: Voir Voir
Depends on what's wrong with it. If it's the wrong order I'll send it back, but if, for example, there's pickles when I asked for no pickles. That's really not worth the trouble of bitching and sending something back when I"m perfectly capable of picking the pickles off of the food.
06/04/2012
Contributor: quackbuster quackbuster
I'll only send it back if they put impossible-to-pick-off meat on it (I'm a vegetarian), otherwise, I don't like causing a fuss. Comes from working retail for too long, I guess.
06/04/2012
Contributor: Megan Jean Megan Jean
It depends on how wrong the order is, and how hungry I am.
06/04/2012
Contributor: Sunshineamine Sunshineamine
I will typically send it back, but if it is something really minor then I may just eat it anyway. Wrong item, i will definitely send it back for what i wanted though.
06/04/2012
Contributor: Greenleaf Greenleaf
It depends on how close it is. If it's something like the wrong side or they forgot to hold the tomatoes - I really don't care. If it's the wrong thing altogether I might send it back - I don't eat red meat, so if they mix up my order and give me a burger or steak... I'm not going to eat it, and I'm not going to pay for it. I always try to be really polite if I have to send something back though.
06/04/2012
Contributor: GONE! GONE!
Unless it's really wrong I don't. I'm so indecisive that there's usually multiple choices I would be okay with so if, say, my steak comes with a baked potato instead of fries that's totally fine and I won't send it back. If they replaced my steak with chicken or something though... Nope!
06/04/2012
Contributor: Woman China Woman China
It depends. I have been known to return my coffee to the counter or my tea. I asked for plain simple, regular, black American coffee and if I get some fancy pants hazelnut-strawberry-tr iple-no drip-whatever those yuppies pass off for coffee these days... I return it and if there are any hassles, I take m business elsewhere. I am quite the tea snob and if I ask if the tea is loose leaf or bagged in silk or bagged in the "Tetley" kind of way... I listen carefully to their response. If I order loose leaf and they give me bagged. I send it back.

And yes, it tastes different.

As for food? I have issues with many kinds of foods and many combinations. For me? I know I should avoid those foods and it is my choice if I do or don't. I don't complain about the food I get. But if it is undercooked, frozen, cold when it should be hot or old, I will return it and order something different.

Here in China on the other hand... all bets are off. In the places where I live (in the bigger cities it happens more often almost on par with the West) I've only ever had to return food once or twice. There was a hair.
06/04/2012
Contributor: Tork48309 Tork48309
I send it back but EVER so politely. If it's really busy it depends on the restaurant. In some places, I wouldn't chance the cooks results if you know what I mean.
06/04/2012
Contributor: little miss kinky little miss kinky
As long as it's not missing anything crucial, I'll eat it. If they've forgotten to get rid of the meat and I can't really remove it (like meat sauce on spaghetti) then I'll definitely send it back and be annoyed that they wasted the meat LOL.
06/04/2012
Contributor: G&L G&L
I send it back but try not to be a asshole about it.
06/04/2012