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Sympathize with the guest. When dealing with any problem, start your conversation with, “I’m sorry.” Acknowledge
and validate their feelings. “I know how you must feel. You have every right to be upset.” Say, “I’m sorry” even
if we didn’t do anything wrong. You are sorry our guest isn’t happy. A heartfelt, honest apology to an unhappy
guest usually soothes the frustration that led them to complain in the first place.
Never try to “educate” the guest. It is not our job to educate or correct them. Instead, tell them what we can do
to help them. When a guest complains about how long the wait is on a busy night, you might say, “I’m sorry. I’ll
make sure you get seated as quickly as possible.

Never ruin a great apology with an excuse. “The kitchen is really busy.” “The bar is swamped.” “We’ve got a
new guy on the grill.” These are excuses, and have no place in our culture. The guest really doesn’t care why their
food took 25 minutes. What they really want is for you to make it right. Resist the temptation to make excuses.
If one item at a table needs replacing and another guest at the table tells you, “You ought to buy the whole table
dinner.” Inform the guest, “You know, I wish I could. What I will do is get this gentleman a nice, fresh chicken
sandwich.”
Be clear to both the guest and the server in explaining your resolution. Make eye contact and speak directly to the
guest involved. “I’m going to get you another chicken sandwich; in the meantime, I’d like to buy you a bowl of
soup” (assuming there are 2 or 3 other guests at the table who will begin eating without him). After speaking to
the guest, always clearly inform the server of your decision. “Ring in another chicken sandwich. I’ll tell the kitchen
to make it on the fly and comp it. I’ve taken the gentleman a bowl of soup on the house while he waits.”
Never respond to a guest with a problem through a server or other employee. If a guest has a problem, talk to the
guest. If a guest does not like their meal, you must be involved. Telling the server to “comp the item off and get
them what they want” is not acceptable.

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