[link138]

So tonight at work, somebody ordered a NY strip medium, now with his add-ons his individual meal was roughly 45$ with out booz.

Now i sent the steak out slightly above medium, because i knew it would cook slightly until it go to the table. The gentlemen proceeded to cut into his steak, saying in a quite sarcastic voice that this was no where near medium, so now i have the FOH manager barking down my throat, my chef didn't say anything but cook it more and send it back out. After my shift i got reamed out by the FOH manager because he lost a bigger tip and that we lost those customers forever because of that issue.

It in my opinion it was medium, the customer said otherwise, so am i at fault. I know "the customer is always right" , but what if the customer doesn't know what medium really is, what if there used to chain restaurants, where you order by the amount of pink you want compared to a real professional cooking a properly done steak.

Your thoughts......


PEACE OUT

[Chad Aaland]

First of all, why is the FOH manager talking to you at all about that, and why doesn't your chef or expeditor deal with him? Secondly, if you truly KNOW it was medium, then don't sweat it. As long as your chef backs you up you have no problem. You aren't responsible for a guest's reactions. You just have to do what the ticket says in the proper way as quick as possible and then it's out of your hands. If it gets sent back to have something else done to it...do it and keep your mouth shut about it. Some guests are just never satisfied.

[link138]

well our FOH is also the head server and we don't have an expo, well not on weeknights.

[Chad Aaland]

Ok, well just make sure you are absolutely sure every time you cook a new york that it's the correct temp. New yorks are more dense and if you don't know about them, will be undercooked; ie: a medium new york feels like a well done filet or otherwise.

[link138]

Thanks for the advice, i appreciate it

[the_seraphim]

just wait till its after the shift and speak to your FOH manager... ask him if he can cook.... if his answer is no then tell him that you appreciate his loyalty to his customers, but if he ever yells at you in service because a customer says medium but means well done, hes going to find himself short of whatever finger he was pointing at you.

then walk away and leave the matter closed

only once was i yelled at by FOH... i simply walked out of the kitchen and asked the customer what was wrong with the meat... she said she wanted medium and this was rare, i explained that this was infact medium, and rare is alot redder in colour and how does she like it, without any red? she said yes i said ok, ill sort this out, next time if you order well done, then you will get it how you like... apologised for the FOH not knowing about the difference between medium and rare (she had heard him yell at me and felt bad) and i got a fairly decent tip from it.

now i know you cant always go out of the kitchen during service... but the point is... the customer is not always right... they must simply think they are always right

the real motto should be the customer always gets what he wants, wether hes right or wronger than a sideways leopard

[even stephen]

I have put temp descriptions on the menu......rare/red cool center,
mr/warm red center, medium/warm pink center, mw/hot light pink center,
well/not recommended. Do your job....don't sweat it, sounds like unprofessional co-workers, what would the gm care about lost grats in the
first place. Good luck!! When in doubt....comp the meal....you know what
they say......customers that had a bad experience will tell 10 people, customers that had a great meal may only tell 2 or 3 people.

[Mahavishnu Nath]

Hey,
I think the steak should have been a little UNDER medium optimally, Iagree with the letting it finish scenario, plus sometines the servers are slow and it finishes in the window!
Next time get a thermometer and check, and /or show the chef before it goes out so he can make the call and get you out of the middle.
If it was me I would save that steak for a medium well order that you may get or well and re cook the steak!
A good chef will intercede on your behalf and would rather make the customer happy than having to comp more than a steak on the bill and tarnish his/ your/ the houses reputation.
Thermometer!!
Ciao
Nate the Great

[BrooklynChef]

This seems like a perfect opportunity to spike the FOH manager's cranberry juice with a red pepper flake/vinegar reduction. He will have learned his lesson.

[even stephen]

To bad visine doesn't work anymore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BrooklynChef]

You could always send the FOH to the restaurant next door for the lobster gun or the Trout au Bleu because oh no! we ran out of bleu.

[link138]

^^^^

Empty the water out of coffee machine so it can be cleaned..i get them on that everytime

[BrooklynChef]

Send em out for a bucket off steam

[stir it up]

good replies!

I have to confess to watching part of Kitchen Nightmares last night, and there was a complaining whining customer incessantly bitching about the new menu food... Ramsay told her point blank she was talking out of her butt, and then when she proceeded to continue to complain to him in front of other customers, he said to the other customers right in front of her "sorry about the old bag."

Even Stephen I like that your menu says "not recommended" for well done. I'm thinking "not in this restaurant" or how bout "a capital offense."

[Mahavishnu Nath]

My dream response(besides when driving, a rocket launcher on top of my car) is to suggest my special sauce!!!
I call in De- Greaser Buerre Blanc, for the FOH manager...I also like the idea of bleach in a squirt gun to squirt at his back of his suit/sport coat....ooh a little too evil huh??
Why is the guy getting tips, he's a manager.
Your chef should still intercede and cover your ***...thats kitchen politics 101, maybe he doesnt deserve your loyalty, plus if one customer ruins everyones day it will be a short lived career for all involved.
If this is a chain place ask huiman resources about the greivance procedure or policy for handleing customer complaints, the pecking order and ...suggets sharing some of the tips to the FOH manager to give you guys charring the flesh and incentive to collaberate , not incinerate!!

(sounds like shoe makers in the front of the house to me!)
Ciao
Nate the Great