An all too common issue with restaurants is when to give out a free meal and when to know you are being taken. Sometimes things don’t go right such as a customer sitting there for 30 minutes and then the waitress finds the order is still in her pocket. They should definitely be compensated in some way. Other times though they are just complaining about anything and everything in an effort to get the food for free.

Saying you are sorry may not be enough though so offering to pick up the tab for the dinner can soften the perspective of the customer. This is going to cost the restaurant money though so you want to avoid doing it when you don’t have to. On the other hand though you don’t want to risk losing out on repeat customers.

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.

When you do try to make things right with offering a free meal, it does show your commitment to customers. They will remember what you did to remedy the situation and that will likely get them back in the door. Most people are willing to forgive things that occur if they feel the mistake was sincerely addressed well.

The handful of people who will take advantage of such gestures though have to be watched. You may not be able to catch onto their scam if they are good enough with it. There are a few signs to watch for though such as they get extremely loud and the issue takes place when the restaurant is very busy. Experience has shown them the manager will act fast to keep others from finding out what is going on.

People brag online about doing this several times a week at various restaurants. It works best for them in larger cities where they have more selection. They will choose busy times of the day or night too. That way dealing with them is something that the staff wants to do rapidly so they can get back to taking care of their other guests.

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.

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