Unhappy customers? Advice on dealing with difficulties

A recent issue of Which? magazine offered readers a guide to complaining in pubs and restaurants.​

Most pubs would probably argue that customers don't need too much help in that department - but do they approach complaining in the right way? We asked award-winning licensee Mike Ibbotson, owner of the Durham Ox, named Freehouse of the Year at The Publican Awards 2008, for his views - and his own advice on handling customers who are having a bad time.​

No restaurateur likes criticism, however constructive its intentions - I am indeed no exception to this. However, I am also a firm believer in the principle "if you like what we do, please tell your friends... and if you don't, please tell me!"

Customer feedback can often be rather arrogantly overlooked. Our customers are essentially our business. The saying that the "customer is always right" should actually read: "The customer is always right, up to a point."

Complaints are a part of life. You can ring the gas company, telephone suppliers, the council, and so on and complain away, sometimes to great effect.

However, if you raise your voice, swear, curse and bully, they will hang up, or simply switch off - and quite rightly so. What gives us the right to swear at someone on the other end of a telephone, simply doing their job - and probably having equally as bad a day as you?

In a pub, you are face-to-face with a complainant but the same rules apply. If you are pleasant, polite and firm, you will get a lot further. The pub industry has a distinct disadvantage, as sometimes excesses of alcohol can move things up a gear or two. Aggressive complaining is likely to be crossing the line into anti-social behaviour.

Creating a scene in front of other customers can mean that you end up on the defensive.

This will actually probably help the customer, to make more of a fool out of themself as everyone else is probably having a perfectly enjoyable time… and the big gob in the corner is now becoming extremely annoying. All most pubs really want to do is remove the problem, and the customer is now the problem.

My personal hatred is a 'staff bully' who targets the junior waiter or waitress. When there are clearly managers, a maître d'​, or owners available, bullying an easy target is simply unforgiveable.

The more senior staff get paid the extra, and usually have the experience and authority to deal with customer problems. I have seen another customer intervene with Mr 'bully' to a round of applause from a pub full of satisfied supporters.

Mike's advice to customersEvery customer complaint should be taken seriously. Mike says pubs should issue the following advice to unhappy customers:

• Identify the manager, maître d or person who appears to be in charge and take them aside quietly and state your case firmly.
• Complain immediately if things go wrong. Don't brood - act. If the soup is cold or the meat not done to your specification, say so there and then. If you want more vegetables or sauce, ask; if your meat is too pink, we will be happy to cook it more.
• Don't choke it down - we can't do anything if your response to your waitress is 'fine' or a big smile!
• A complaint about the food after it has all been eaten just gives the impression the customer wants something for nothing. Don't leave it until paying the bill to make a complaint. This means that the pub has fallen well short of expectations - and any good waiter or manager should notice someone having an uncomfortable time.
• If you have been complaining all night and still complain when the bill arrives, then get out as fast as you can and never go back!