When they get your takeout order wrong yet again...

[NicoleFriedman]

What do you do when your favorite takeout place gets your order wrong? I'm not talking about major mistakes such as the wrong entree, but rather smaller ones that make your meal somewhat less enjoyable but not to the point where you can't eat it. For example, from my favorite diner II always ask for a specific home-made dressing when I order a salad, yet about 25% of the time, I get some horrible bottled dressing. I do not always order from this restaurant for this reason, but sometimes I get a craving and usually (according to my own statistics :) ), the odds are in my favor. Is this simply the risk you take when ordering takeout? Just to be clear, i do call them right away if they made a major mistake, but if it's just the salad dressing, I make sure to mention their mistake the next time I place an order.

[KaimukiMan]

If it is drive thru, check in the bag, especially if it is a complicated order.

if it is take out and you can't easily look in the bag, ask them to either repeat the order to you, or ask specifically about the special items you ordered. yeah, they look at you like you are a moron, but will probably give you an extra order of the dressing rather than go to the trouble of opening up the bag or the box to check or replace an item.

but that does mean you are going to be tipping them, maybe 10% instead of 20%, but often worth it to get home and open up the meal you actually wanted.

[mucho gordo]

It's been my experience that, whenever this happens, it is always because the person taking my order doesn't speak/understand english well enough.

[jhopp217]

Ironically, I've found the complete opposite.

[mucho gordo]

By opposite, do you mean that I don't speak their language well enough? <G>

[jmckee]

I had this occur once with an outstanding Mexican restaurant in my neck of the woods. I picked up our order, and when I got it home I discovered that they didn't get a single item right.

It was a delightful opportunity to sample menu items we'd never tried, and as a result of us accepting -- and not causing a scene -- we discovered some new favorites.

[jhopp217]

That's probably the way I would look at it. Unless there was something I knew I didn't like, i'd chalk it up to a new experience. I might mention it the next time, but would probably thank them for the mistake.

[Tripeler]

jmckee -- totally great attitude, and in true Chowhound spirit.

[mucho gordo]

I would use your method of dealing with it but only if what they gave me was something I'd never had before. However, if they screw up by not preparing something exactly the way I ask for it, I do get angry. Burrito's, for example; I tell them "all meat. No rice or beans; just onion and hot sauce. When I get it home and find they've put everything on it..............

[jgg13]

which is exactly why 99.723% of my delivery orders are done through foodler

[jmckee]

I am not sure I get your answer. Maybe because I dont know Foodler?

[jgg13]

Foodler let's you order online and they forward to the resto

[jmckee]

OK. I looked it up (they don't have it where I live). And I still don't get how that's germaine as a reply to mucho gordo's comment about erroneous takeout orders being a result of "they don't speaka de English". Which sounds vaguely xenophobic to me anyway.

[jgg13]

Uhh, before I started using Foodler I routinely had orders botched that were clearly due to communication issues while talking over the phone. The two most notable offenders were a local pizza shop and a local sichuan resto. Pretty much every time I got off the phone I had the feeling that I had no idea what I ended up just ordering because the convos went like this:

"I'd like a pepperoni pizza"
"Ok, one pepper and onion pizza"
"No, pepperoni"
"No pepper?"
"No ... I want pepperoni"
"But onion ok?"
"I want pepperoni"

I don't think that exact discussion ever happened, but you get the drift. Eventually I'd just get tired of it and say "ok" to whatever they happened to have last said.

Those conversations no longer happen because the dude in the pizza shop gets a faxed order that says "pepperoni pizza".

edit: And yes, this is precisely because the people on the other end have poor English skills. I don't see how one could say that is xenophobic at all, it is just poor customer service on the part of the restaurant to put someone who speaks broken english in such a front facing position.

[mucho gordo]

Well said, jgg13

[jhopp217]

Not trying to turn this around, but is the home made dressing a special order? I find when ordering takeout or delivery, when you veer away from the listed menu, they get very frustrated. I dated a girl who found it impossible to order what was stated on the menu and was miffed when her orders were wrong.

My local Chinese place messed up and order recently and called me. They apologized and I told them not to worry (it was a $4 item). They delivered it within 5 minutes and it was a double order and they threw in some almond cookies and apologized profusely. The only other time they messed up, I ordered something steamed and it came fried. I got over it after the first bite.

[JenJeninCT]

If it is a place you really like, call and have a friendly discussion about it with the manager- how do they know there's a problem (or what the problem is) if you either: a) keep ordering, expecting the law of averages to work in your favor; or b) stop ordering? Along with other customers experiencing similar frustration, also without communication, pretty soon, the place you really like is out of business. Most managers would appreciate the honesty, and if they don't (or the problems aren't fixed once brought to their attention), it's their loss when you take your business elsewhere.

[rockandroller1]

been there, done that. At the place I'm talking about, the owner simply stated that he was proud of his team and thought they did a great job. It's kind of like the emperor's new clothes here - nboody else is complaining and they have tons of business, so the complaints I think mostly fell on deaf ears. There are only so many comps or gift cards you can receive to make up for errors and then you just really don't want to go back.

[Crockett67]

I don't return. Three strikes and they are out. There are too many other great restaurants in town to put up with that.

But I have a LOT of options here and I usually don't subsitute anything.

[rockandroller1]

I posted about this about a year ago, because there's a place near my work that I really like to get takeout from, but my order is wrong about 60% of the time, and in little ways like what you described.

I've basically all but quit getting takeout there because it's too frustrating. I just eat there at the restaurant, where the errors are just as frequent but can be quickly resolved. I also go there less often because of the added expensive of tax and tip when dining in, so they are technically losing out because of these errors.

[Quine]

OK, I am working from the assumption that this is a major city place that does a good amount of take-out and you get it delivered. SO I will say, the person setting up the order, bag etc. may just be putting in the "usual" which includes the dressing and not checking it against the order. This is a frequent practice. And the deliver person is not checking the order, just getting when completed and off they go.

Now, if it is a smaller place and you are picking up your own order, you have the control. Smooze the person who gave you the order, so you are more than Order #56 and check the bag to make sure what you wanted was indeed done.

[NicoleFriedman]

You're right that I was describing a place that I get deliveries from. Also, they are pretty busy, which is why I have been generally forgiving. It's still annoying though, especially since even a simple meal is not that cheap; I usually end up spending 15-20 just for myself. And considering that my entire family gives them a lot of business, it adds up. For the record, I love to eat in before work for breakfast once a week when possible, and the service is fantastic.

[sueatmo]

I find that there are often errors in food that order in a sit down resto. Recently I asked for a BLT on whole wheat, and it came out on white bread. I sent it back. Also recently, I ordered a chopped salad with shrimp and it cam out without shrimp. Sometime the waitperson does not hear you or forgets to make that sub that you request. Or it could be the kitchen.

If a place is subbing for bottled dressing, I wonder if they ran out of the homemade. I find that often this sort of thing takes place. They hope you won't notice or make a stink.

[ricepad]

Remember the words of the inimitable Leo Getz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWfaiT...

[coll]

I WILL remember this scene, every time I get something wrong.

I went back on New Years Eve to the local Chinese place because I got white rice instead of fried on the side (lunch vs dinner?), and I think I sounded sort of like Leo when they refused to give it to me without paying extra. What is "shut up" in Chinese? I think that's what the owner was saying to me! At least I amused all the other customers.

[foodiemom10583]

This happens to us all the time. It's gotten to the point that we do not leave the restaurant without checking the bag. Sometimes it's a little embarrassing, especially if the bag is tightly packed or stapled shut. We even do it in drive-thrus, but we're quick about it.

[cleobeach]

Yep, us too, we always check.

[escondido123]

I figure if the same place has made the same error I will check to see if they made that same error on a takeout order before I left the establishment. Not fair to have to do that, but I think it makes sense.