Poll : 04 May - 17 May 2016

Analysis

Thanks for all the feedback on this one -- interesting to read different people's strategies and tactics, a sampling of which you can read below. Also, if you're a foodie or looking for a new restaurant suggestion, the new 2016 edition of Eating Las Vegasis bigger and better than ever, and it's on sale through the end of the month only at ShopLVA, where you'll also find exclusive publisher's discounts on our other new releases.

• I complain to management and post on a review site. That can be good a good review if it was handled well or a bad review if not.
• "It depends on what kind of problem. Most times, talking to a manager will get things fixed (calmly at first; then more heated if not fixed). If it is a server problem, e.g., rude,etc. then talking to manager and reduction of tip. Reducing the tip for things out of the server's control is just wrong, but servers need to keep the customer informed about problems; ignoring versus being up-front is something within their control."
  
  
• "When a food item isn't right, I send it back after the first bite or two and tell the server why, (e.g., not what I expected; not as described; prepared badly; just don't like it). Sending an entrée (or even a cocktail) back best gets the attention of the manager (and presumably the cook or bartender), rather than just complaining about it later and paying for it anyway. Many restaurants have music volume way too high. I always ask for it to be lowered practically as soon as I enter the place!"
  
  
• "When I get home I email the restaurant w/my complant.I am surprised at how many places have sent me gift cert."
  
  
• "If I have a bad experience at a restaurant I almost always have to accept it and move on, because most times I'm at a restaurant I am there to 'Mystery Shop' it, so I have to lay low and try to get in and out without standing out, so I can possibly come back again or else so that when they get the report, they have no idea who I was. If I am paying for my meal - dang right I say something. It's my money and I am not going to see it wasted."
  
  
• "We had a terrible experience at Texas de Brazil a couple weeks ago, completely out of character for this place. Sent an email to the manager, sent an email to the corporate headquarters. Have heard NOTHING from either. I'll give them a couple more days and if no response, I'll be hitting both Open Table and Yelp. The whole story will be posted for all to see. I feel some of the places feel like folks won't be back so complaints of bad service are just blown off. Not so in this day and age. Word of bad service spreads like wildfire."
  
  
• "I talk to the server, then if necessary, the manager on duty. No matter how the situation is resolved I add a review to my travel blog (part of a travel network) and explain the complaint and the resolution. I add any other pertinent interaction if necessary. In this way I hope to both help the restaurant and other travelers too."
  
  
• "There's no set answer for this question. Slow service, very little tip (if you leave nothing, they may think you just forgot). Cold food or wrong order, send it back. If it's something they can fix, I tell them. If they fix it, I'm fine. If they don't fix it, that's when I raise hell."
  
  
• "Recently we were offered an upgrade on our late night dinner at GVR café, it was a lobster tail with a prime rib dinner for 6 dollars. It took over 40 min. for them to go to Tides to get it. My wife is disabled and wasn't too happy. I asked the waitress to get the manager for us, and the entire dinner was comped as it should be. I would never raise my voice, but when you explain your real issue they do get handled as they want you back again."
  
  
• "When I have a bad experience at a restaurant, I post my review of the business on Tripadvisor. A bit different if I have a bad experience at a hotel. I try to advise the staff/management at the time of the issue and see if/how they deal with it. So, I give them a chance to correct the situation. Then I post a review of the issue or situation and how they did/did not respond on Tripadvior. I do this as I see too many responses from management stating they wish the issue could have been brought to their attention. Then, there is no way for management to deny they were not given a chance to correct the situation."
  
  
• "Forgive and give a 2nd chance. Everyone has a bad day. But if it happens again, we will not go back and we'll let others know about the experience."
  
  
• "I will either leave no tip or a small one, but then contact the owner or the corporate home office by email. That way I can explain exactly what went wrong. In return, I have almost always been thanked for my candor and, once in a while, been the recipient of a token of appreciation in the form of a gift card, etc.. The owners understand the impact a bad dining experience can have on business and would rather hear about in private than read about in public."
  
  
• "If the waitress/waiter was the cause of the bad experience, we don't leave a tip, otherwise we leave a tip and simply never return. Only once was my experience so bad, that we simply refused to pay. This was at one of the steak & lobster dinner specials. My husband's steak was inedible - shoe leather would have been more tender. When we complained to the waiter he simply shrugged his shoulders and did nothing. When it came time to pay, we informed the manager that we would pay for the one meal that was edible, but no way would we pay for the steak dinner and we didn't."