Tonight there has been a complaint in the restaurant.
It isn't a disaster but it is the first serious complaint we have had to deal with and it is uncomfortable. There is a palpable air of sadness; everyone is feeling deflated.
But the signs a complaint was imminent were there from the start.
The table ordered a bottle of white and two different bottles of red. We explained that one of the wines was unavailable in bottles but was available in magnums (a minor brewery hiccup). They said they'd have that. Dutifully the waitress showed the magnum, opened it at the table and decanted it into two decanters. Then, shortly afterwards, one of the table announced they hadn't ordered it. The waitress beckoned me and explained what happened and I told her to discreetly remove the wine and we wouldn't charge them for it. When she tried to do so the customers stopped her saying they now wanted to drink it. I spoke to the waitress and said I thought these people were going to complain. Little did I know...
Twenty minutes later I saw one of the customers pushing his steak around the plate in that disconsolate manner and knew the complaint was imminent.
The chef was summoned and there was a meeting with the customers in the hallway. I have the feeling that these customers knew exactly what they were doing. Maybe they make a task of it ~ getting free items by complaining fatuously. But tonight someone on every table chose the steak and no one else made a complaint. To be fair I spoke to the waitress and she said she had sampled the offending steak and it wasn't up to our usual standard. The chef explained there had been a change of butcher that day.
The chef made all sorts of overtures to placate them. The customers played out lines like "well if you don't want our custom" and "well, we'll just continue to eat at the Sportsman" (a local, highly esteemed restaurant). I positioned myself where I could eavesdrop. The chef offered free desserts, free wine. He hadn't a hope. They had arrived almost expecting to complain. As I have sat here writing this one of the complainants walked past explaining to her friend the theatre they had. They since have had their cigarettes and walked back, with one complaining that if anyone foraged in her hedgerow she'd "shoot them".
In 20 minutes or so they will ask for the bill. I reckon they will argue about the wines they had. They'll be looking for a freebie I guess. I'll let you know tomorrow.
It is difficult to have good grace in these circumstances.
Ah well…