Behind the Scenes of a Food-Poisoning Shakedown

Published on Wednesday, May 11, 2011, by Anonymous / Edit Post

May I Speak to the Manager

This column is the first in a semiregular series by a restaurant general manager who prefers to remain anonymous. He works at a prominent San Francisco restaurant.

I tend to arrive at the restaurant a few hours before my staff. This time is filled with paperwork, future-looking projects, and general firefighting. I make it a rule to avoid answering the phone because (1) our phone rings constantly, (2) explaining to potential guests that we have a two-month wait for a reservation sucks, and (3) I hired a reservationist for this particular torture reason.

And yet a couple of months back, I answered the phone. A guest started to recount a tale about his family's visit to our restaurant. I figured he wanted to commend our service and food, say thank you, and ask for a future reservation. And then he declared, "We had dinner there two nights ago, and after the dinner, my son got extremely sick. I'd like for you to look into this situation and provide an explanation as to how this happened."

This is exactly why I don't answer the phone. I asked what they ate, and he said that his son and another guest had had the same entrée, though the other guest had no issues. I promised to look into it and call him back. I didn't really have a plan—I just wanted to get off the phone quickly and think about my next move.

We had been open for 10 months, with nary a word about any guest getting sick. In the back of my mind I knew the time would come when we would get a food-poisoning complaint—when you're serving over a hundred meals a day, someone's bound to get sick. But l never gave thought to a systematic response.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), "[S]ymptoms from the most common types of food poisoning generally start within 2 - 6 hours of eating the food. That time may be longer (even a number of days) or shorter, depending on the cause of the food poisoning." The cause can possibly be determined through blood tests, testing the leftover food, or examining your, um, leftovers. And yet according to the NCBI, "Even if you have food poisoning ... these tests may not be able to prove it."

I consulted with Chef, who asked the obvious question: "Did anyone else call and complain about getting sick?" Nope. Chef was clearly concerned, but we follow all the food-safety protocols. Typically there's no way to know for certain the origin of food contamination, especially if it's a single incident. Regardless, I was left with no real explanation as to how the guest's son had gotten sick, or if, in fact, it was our fault. It was time to return the call and do a little tap-dancing.

I called back the next day and explained that we hadn't had any other complaints of food poisoning the day he had dined, or any other night. This was not good enough: "It was definitely your restaurant's fault, because he had a light meal earlier in the day with no issues. And I can't believe that you didn't find anything in the kitchen." I started to think that this guy had watched too much CSI, expecting us to close the restaurant, yellow-tape the area, and have professionals swab the entire kitchen. I reminded him that another guest had had the same entrée without any issues and he dismissed this fact, continuing, "It's obvious from what happened that your restaurant is to blame. This pretty much ruined our evening. I'm thinking that I should contact the health department also."

OK, this is the part that really pissed me off. I had taken the fact that this guy accused us of food poisoning. I had swallowed the suggestion that we ruined this family's evening. But to then threaten me was way out of line. So how did I respond?

"Sir, I'm so sorry that this all happened. What can I do to make it up to you and your family?" I could feel my backbone turning to jelly.

"How about comping the meal?" Aha! We had finally gotten to the point of this whole exercise. By then I had spent way too much time dealing with this. I had to clean this mess up and move on. So I suggested that I comp the offending entrée (which would have been $17), but he took it a step further. "Well, our bill was about $220; it's fair that you comp a fourth of the meal since you did make our son sick." My lip probably started bleeding from me biting it so hard. "Sir, that shouldn't be a problem at all. Let me call you back once again." I wanted to discuss this with Chef, who agreed that comping $50 was an appropriate solution.

I called back yet again, happy to check this off my to-do list. For fun, I also recommended that we call the health department together so we could document the complaint. "Oh no no, that won't be necessary. My son's feeling better." There you have it: Fifty dollars bought this guy off. Why didn't I just offer that when he first called? "Oh, your son got food poisoning? How about 50 bucks?"

Alvin Leung, a Michelin-starred chef at Bo Innovation in Hong Kong, recently told me that even the best restaurants are susceptible to food poisoning. In January and February of 2009, over 500 guests at England's Fat Duck (rated amongst the best restaurants in the world) contracted food poisoning from shellfish that had been contaminated with a norovirus. Leung added, "If you have a situation where it's only the one diner that got sick after eating at your restaurant, what are you supposed to do? How are you so sure it was at my restaurant? If you think it's from us, then sure, I'll buy you a meal for next time or comp your meal this time. But how do you ever know?"

All I know is that I don't ever want a guest shaking the restaurant down for money again. I do want to know if someone gets sick, because if it turns out that it's not an isolated incident, we have problems to solve, and fast. But I don't think I would change how I handled this situation, other than getting to a solution faster. We've been open for over a year now, and this is still the only complaint of food poisoning that we've received. The fact that guests most likely can't prove we're culpable for their sickness also means that we can't prove that we weren't the cause of it. In my book, $50 is a suitable compromise. My takeaway from this episode? Don't answer the phone again.

ALLMay I Speak to the Manager?
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  • @Smarta: I also had food poisoning from Miso Soup at a well known UK chain. Looks like it can go bad easily.. although it was the first time I tried it so it could be what @shanagain says about not having experienced the pathogens.. does this mean that the first time you eat any food you will get poisoned?

  • As a lot of other readers pointed out, the point is not to get money for the pain caused by the poisoning.
    Firstly, a refund of the meal for that person which was poisoned is simply fair and square and a gesture of good will on behalf of the restaurant. It implies that the restaurant has accepted responsibility and will do anything they can to rectify the problem / ensure it does not re-occur.
    ...+READ

    As a lot of other readers pointed out, the point is not to get money for the pain caused by the poisoning.
    Firstly, a refund of the meal for that person which was poisoned is simply fair and square and a gesture of good will on behalf of the restaurant. It implies that the restaurant has accepted responsibility and will do anything they can to rectify the problem / ensure it does not re-occur.

    Secondly, it makes the person think that you take responsibility for your actions and will make them consider coming back, rather than striking you off from their list.

    The guy didn't want to call the authorities in the end, as you accepted responsibility by showing him a gesture of good will and promised to investigate. Why cause you unnecessary trouble? If you had kept refusing that it was your fault, then he would have!

    To summarise, it's not the money it's the principle of it and the fact that refund means that the restaurant has accepted responsibility and apologised.

    Therefore, no, you didn't buy that guy off with $50.-COLLAPSE

  • Wow, timely. Just spent the night next to my fifteen year old, who was sick as a dog the last 12 hours with the classic evacuatory symptoms of food poisoning, along with shaking and a severe stomach ache. Two things - we ate lunch at a Sushi restaurant we all have enjoyed many times before, however she alone had Miso Soup. Also, we had received terrible news of an overdose death of one of her...+READ

    Wow, timely. Just spent the night next to my fifteen year old, who was sick as a dog the last 12 hours with the classic evacuatory symptoms of food poisoning, along with shaking and a severe stomach ache. Two things - we ate lunch at a Sushi restaurant we all have enjoyed many times before, however she alone had Miso Soup. Also, we had received terrible news of an overdose death of one of her friend's sibling, and she had paid a call to the bereaved family when she came down so ill. For the first hour after I got her home, I though she was just in shock and distress over the family's loss. It makes sense that teen's systems have just not had contact with some of the bugs that might hit them hard.

    Here's the point -- while I'm not sure even today that the shock and family visit didn't excacerbate the sitaution for her, she was so comprehensively sick I may let the restaurant know that the Miso Soup was very suspect as she'd literally eaten nothing else all day the whole family hadn't eaten. I simply want them to know about it, for their own information and hopefully so someone else doesn't have to get sick.-COLLAPSE

  • Devil's advocate says: Childen's/teen's immune systems are frequently not as "experienced" with dealing with common pathogens as would be that of an adult. So something that bothered one diner could easily not pain another.

    Also, to those stating he is a bad father for accepting a payoff... Anyone who has ever had food poisoning knows that it's perfectly, utterly miserable - and generally...+READ

    Devil's advocate says: Childen's/teen's immune systems are frequently not as "experienced" with dealing with common pathogens as would be that of an adult. So something that bothered one diner could easily not pain another.

    Also, to those stating he is a bad father for accepting a payoff... Anyone who has ever had food poisoning knows that it's perfectly, utterly miserable - and generally blessedly short-lived. Fluids, dry toast and close proximity to a commode for a day or so are generally the only treatment necessary. Further, it is my understanding that the father was given a refund, not a gift cert toward a future meal - indicating he has no desire to dine there again.-COLLAPSE

  • I find Titothebody's post puzzling. They don't take reservations over the phone? Why have a business phone if you aren't going to use it? Think of the money you could save by having it disconnected.

  • @titothebody - what a horrible attitude you have thinking that people who are interested in your establishment are a waste of your time. I would have thought that phone calls would be a brilliant way to establish an instant rapport and get a booking right then and there. You don't have a chance to do that with people who find the info from your website. Why don't you just disconnect the phone...+READ

    @titothebody - what a horrible attitude you have thinking that people who are interested in your establishment are a waste of your time. I would have thought that phone calls would be a brilliant way to establish an instant rapport and get a booking right then and there. You don't have a chance to do that with people who find the info from your website. Why don't you just disconnect the phone altogether and take web bookings so you don't have to deal with the telephone at all?-COLLAPSE

  • HaHa! On the "flip-side" of not answering the 'phone at work:
    When one MUST answer the undying ringing machine, constantly, at work, the result afterwards:
    NOT EVER answering the 'phone at home. :)
    Life at home then truly becomes peaceful - and home, the oasis one always enjoys arriving at.

  • I am the general manager and owner of a restaurant in San Francisco. We are a very busy and popular establishment. We NEVER answer the phone, yet we receive hundreds of calls a day. Mostly for similar reasons - most of the phone calls are a waste of the management's time (people asking for hours, location, menu, ingredients, etc - when all this information is online, or even worse, on Yelp). Our...+READ

    I am the general manager and owner of a restaurant in San Francisco. We are a very busy and popular establishment. We NEVER answer the phone, yet we receive hundreds of calls a day. Mostly for similar reasons - most of the phone calls are a waste of the management's time (people asking for hours, location, menu, ingredients, etc - when all this information is online, or even worse, on Yelp). Our goal is to serve amazing food with excellent service. If we spent time answering the phone, or hired people to answer the phone, it would take time away from this mission. I ask the general public - what's more important to you in a restaurant - a place that answers every question to the last detail on the phone, or a place that's happy to answer every question if you show up in person, and spend the majority of their time delivering an exceptional product with unforgettable service?-COLLAPSE

  • The US has everybody in a litigious state of mind. There's gross negligence and then there's accidents, honest mistakes, etc. The public seems to want to sue the b'jesus out of everyone for every minor erroneous accidental misstep. Furthermore, most parents these days refuse to admit their precious little snowflake is not the perfect specimen who never does anything wrong. The kid probably...+READ

    The US has everybody in a litigious state of mind. There's gross negligence and then there's accidents, honest mistakes, etc. The public seems to want to sue the b'jesus out of everyone for every minor erroneous accidental misstep. Furthermore, most parents these days refuse to admit their precious little snowflake is not the perfect specimen who never does anything wrong. The kid probably touched something he shouldn't have and then rammed his finger up his nose, or in his mouth, and that's how he got sick. Somebody must pay! It's someone's fault - it's not our fault, not my kid's fault! Ugh. I've heard it all before.

    How's this: Guy comes into my restaurant, orders a Heineken and a sandwich. Orders another Heineken. Server comes to me a short time later, "The gentleman at table six wants to see you. Says he found a fingernail in his food." I walk up, and the guy shows me this pile of fingernails and lint on the side of his plate. "Sir, THIS was in your meal?" He nods, stands up, shrugs on his coat, and makes to leave -- fully expecting to not have to pay for anything. "Whoa, buddy," I say. "You didn't find this in your meal. You took this crap out of your pocket. How does LINT end up on your plate from the kitchen?" He wasn't expecting a confrontation. I told the server to go call the police. Buddy started walking toward the door. I grabbed him by the elbow and wouldn't let him leave -- he didn't even argue the fact that his meal had been ruined. He knew he'd been caught. Never once expecting the manager to consider what's right and what's wrong versus concern for the restaurant's image. He tried to rip us off. The police never came -- the guy only had bus fare in his pocket. I took it. Sorry, buddy, better luck next time.-COLLAPSE

  • Why is everyone so upset that he doesn't answer the phone? He says "he hired a receptionist"! HE has a lot of other things to do. Get over it! That's not the point. It sounds like he handled a lame situation really well. It seems like so many people are just looking for a way to take advantage.

  • Ok. He got his 50 bucks. Make sure that he never makes a reservation at your restaurant again. Folks need to reserve two months in advance? This guy needs a year.

  • The sense of entitlement of the people in this country is astonishing

  • Sometimes people have sensitivity to certain foods. Maybe there are emotional or other factors causing somebody to toss their cookies after a meal. It's hard to be sure.

  • Frankly, there's no evidence that this is even a case of food poisoning. The fact that comping the meal was all it took to make the customer happy makes me believe that he wasn't sick at all. Plus, it's funny how he was threatening to call the health department at the beginning, but wouldn't when you offered to call together at the end.

    I've never worked in a restaurant, but I assume that two...+READ

    Frankly, there's no evidence that this is even a case of food poisoning. The fact that comping the meal was all it took to make the customer happy makes me believe that he wasn't sick at all. Plus, it's funny how he was threatening to call the health department at the beginning, but wouldn't when you offered to call together at the end.

    I've never worked in a restaurant, but I assume that two of the same entrees to the same party would come from the same source of food, and probably even be touched by the same hands, which is why it usually isn't just one person getting food poisoning.

    I think the customer was trying to pull the wool over your eyes but I think you handled this situation well.-COLLAPSE

  • I got food poisoning and I believe it came from Potbelly Sandwiches. I ate there with two other people. We all ordered "the wreck" but one person ordered it without roast beef. The two of us that had roast beef both got very, very sick within 2 hours of eating. The one that skipped the roast beef? No symptoms at all.

    I called the restaurant and spoke to the manager. I only wanted him to know...+READ

    I got food poisoning and I believe it came from Potbelly Sandwiches. I ate there with two other people. We all ordered "the wreck" but one person ordered it without roast beef. The two of us that had roast beef both got very, very sick within 2 hours of eating. The one that skipped the roast beef? No symptoms at all.

    I called the restaurant and spoke to the manager. I only wanted him to know so he could take whatever action he needed. I thought it was over after the phone call. People get sick. It happens. Sucks that it happened to me but its over.

    So a day or so later I got a call... from their INSURANCE COMPANY. Seriously? How about to do what you need to fix the problem rather than just covering your butts? You made me sick. Period. Clean your place. Make your employees wash their hands after taking a dump.

    The guy in this story may have been looking for cash. He sucks. But the fact that the restaurant did NOTHING AT ALL is what pisses me off. Maybe the guy did get sick. The likely reason for a single group to get sick? The check wiped his butt, didn't wash his hands, then went back to the kitchen. That would explain the small sample number. But did the manager say anything to the staff about washing hands? Nope. Did he do anything at all? Nope.

    I agree with the above poster's comment about letting the dish washer do his job. I bet his/her hands are clean...-COLLAPSE

  • This piece was very well written and explained. I think you have every right to feel suspicious of this customer's intentions. A like incident would certainly make me angry. Dealing with the public can be so aggravating, but hopefully you get enough positives that incidents like these can fade away with time.

  • I have gotten food poisoning from a chain resturant here in Canada. It was from a heated cheese pot, and many others have gotten sic from the same pot. I feel the writer is being too defencive about this. I would have:
    1: let the complaining dad know he was thank-ful that he had brought this to their attention
    2: called for a total sterilization of the whole kitchen and serving areas

    I agree...+READ

    I have gotten food poisoning from a chain resturant here in Canada. It was from a heated cheese pot, and many others have gotten sic from the same pot. I feel the writer is being too defencive about this. I would have:
    1: let the complaining dad know he was thank-ful that he had brought this to their attention
    2: called for a total sterilization of the whole kitchen and serving areas

    I agree that he was shaken down, but, at least here in Canada, the public health system would have identified the resturaunt as a possiable sorce of contamination when the kid was brought in because of suspected food posioning and dealt with it from there.

    I agree with contacting the health department together. Good thinking and pro active.-COLLAPSE

  • ""I dont like answering the phone" we all do not like our job but its a job that has to be done and a job that keeps a shirt on your back and food on your table. You should answer the phone as its your "JOB". Sad considering that answering the phone is part of a managers Job. Perhaps you should have the dish washer take over your job..."

    He clearly stated why he doesnt answer the phone, an no...+READ

    ""I dont like answering the phone" we all do not like our job but its a job that has to be done and a job that keeps a shirt on your back and food on your table. You should answer the phone as its your "JOB". Sad considering that answering the phone is part of a managers Job. Perhaps you should have the dish washer take over your job..."

    He clearly stated why he doesnt answer the phone, an no its not part of his "JOB." He is not the receptionist, he is running the place....how well do you think he/she can manage a restaurant while they are in the phone in the office? Food ordering, scheduling, paperwork and a million other things all need to get done. If people want a reservation that badly they can call back during business hours and speak to the reservationist.-COLLAPSE

  • My dad and I both got very sick after eating at our favorite Guatemalan restaurant once. We were never sure if it was food poisoning or the flu but my dad called just to give the owner a friendly heads-up. The owner immediately got very defensive and began insisting that it could not have been their food, but nevertheless, I think my dad did the right thing, giving them a chance to reconsider...+READ

    My dad and I both got very sick after eating at our favorite Guatemalan restaurant once. We were never sure if it was food poisoning or the flu but my dad called just to give the owner a friendly heads-up. The owner immediately got very defensive and began insisting that it could not have been their food, but nevertheless, I think my dad did the right thing, giving them a chance to reconsider their practices. I'm glad that "anonymous" seems to agree.
    The only other time I've had food poisoning was from Burger King .... I wasn't sad to stop eating there.-COLLAPSE

  • Recently at an office lunch my boss got deathly ill, all of a sudden. She threw up every where. Not one person in the restaurant asked if they could help or call an ambulance or anything. We ended up carrying her out of there to a waiting car. She was sure they poisoned her. I wasn't really sure what happened. I figured it could have been anything. Then...a few days later at a Xmas party, an...+READ

    Recently at an office lunch my boss got deathly ill, all of a sudden. She threw up every where. Not one person in the restaurant asked if they could help or call an ambulance or anything. We ended up carrying her out of there to a waiting car. She was sure they poisoned her. I wasn't really sure what happened. I figured it could have been anything. Then...a few days later at a Xmas party, an aquaintance mentioned his wife couldn't attend because she was sick after eating at the same restaurant!! Ok I think it was definately food poisoning now. We didn't call the health board, we didn't call the restaurant, we all just stopped eating there. After reading this, maybe that was wrong?-COLLAPSE

  • I'm studying microbiology and the truth is that somewhere along the way, someone will get sick from a restaurant. Even with the best practices it's hard to avoid. All you can really do is lower bacterial counts, and diminish the chance of it happening. You can't be autoclaving food and dishware. No restaurant is expected to go for sterilization. That's not to say that restaurants don't have a...+READ

    I'm studying microbiology and the truth is that somewhere along the way, someone will get sick from a restaurant. Even with the best practices it's hard to avoid. All you can really do is lower bacterial counts, and diminish the chance of it happening. You can't be autoclaving food and dishware. No restaurant is expected to go for sterilization. That's not to say that restaurants don't have a responsibility for striving to do the best but let's be realistic. You can even make yourself sick when you cook at home or if you eat left overs.

    You get sick, you don't eat there again. Easy.-COLLAPSE

  • I've been involved with two incidents of food poisoning- in a twenty year career. The first incident was due to the diner leaving the food sitting unrefrigerated all night prior to eating it. The second was due to the front of the house staff failing to follow explicit instructions as to storing sauces. Word to the wise- certain condiments- such as tartar sauces? Not always obvious when they...+READ

    I've been involved with two incidents of food poisoning- in a twenty year career. The first incident was due to the diner leaving the food sitting unrefrigerated all night prior to eating it. The second was due to the front of the house staff failing to follow explicit instructions as to storing sauces. Word to the wise- certain condiments- such as tartar sauces? Not always obvious when they start to go off. This sort of thing can be further disguised by the diner having consumed a couple of drinks before eating. Fortunately- or not, depending on how you look at it- the victim was not disposed to make an issue out of the incident- which put him out of commission for three solid days- as that victim was their friendly manager- me.

    Other than that... every complaint I have ever faced has been either so vague as to be unprovable- or a definite attempt to shake down the restaurant.-COLLAPSE

  • My son and I ate at a local restaurant. we had great service and the meal was very hood. ..and I got food poisening. It came on so suddenly that I thought I was going to die. Did I call the restaurant and ask them to comp the meal? No!I just did not want to eat there, again. as the saying goes once bitten....and neither did I call them to tell them of my experience.

  • I am the manager of a busy restaurant. We comply with all government safety and health standards. In the seven years I've worked for the company I'm with, we've had three calls from irate customers claiming food poisoning. The first thing we do is ALWAYS ask if they've been to the emergency room or seen a doctor. If the answer is no, we will then actually give them the number for the Department...+READ

    I am the manager of a busy restaurant. We comply with all government safety and health standards. In the seven years I've worked for the company I'm with, we've had three calls from irate customers claiming food poisoning. The first thing we do is ALWAYS ask if they've been to the emergency room or seen a doctor. If the answer is no, we will then actually give them the number for the Department of Food and Agriculture (Canada) in order to file a request for an investigation, all the while, expressing sympathy and empathy for their situation. We NEVER apologize. An apology is admitting fault. Anyone that can be BRIBED out of being angry for making their CHILD sick is full of shit and doesn't deserve any free stuff.-COLLAPSE

  • I worked for a small restaurant in Wyoming several years ago. We had a lady rancher, richest woman in town, as a regular on Saturday nights. She always ate all but the last bite and then complained. The owner always comped her meal. She was the worst tipper in town. I always hated getting the short straw on that old biatch.

  • I side with the original writer. My husband got very ill once after we'd had dinner at a local resataurant, I called the owner, he did speak to me. In a friendly, professional and noncondescending way explained to me that yes, it happens to all restaurants eventually, but when it does they get several dozen calls about it, and mine was the only call about that particular night. He told me "I'd...+READ

    I side with the original writer. My husband got very ill once after we'd had dinner at a local resataurant, I called the owner, he did speak to me. In a friendly, professional and noncondescending way explained to me that yes, it happens to all restaurants eventually, but when it does they get several dozen calls about it, and mine was the only call about that particular night. He told me "I'd eat those lamb chops myself, I'm so sure your husband didn't get food poisoning here." because I was worried about the leftovers. After doing some detective work I figured out that DH had actually poisoned himself by eating deli-sliced ham sandwiches all week, packing them to a remote location on horseback with no refrigeration. I'm sure the ham was trying to crawl out from between the bread slices by Friday.
    Did I ask to be comped? Hell no. I wanted to A) alert the restaurant if there was a problem, and B) know if I should risk eating the leftover lamb chops. I'm not into shaking honest businessmen down. The leftovers were delicious.
    I do know people who will spend an entire meal looking for some real or imagined flaw in the service or food or waiter or ANYTHING in order to try angling for a comped meal. We don't go out with them any more. They also- surprise!- bully the waitstaff and are truly miserable tippers.

    And last but not least, if you got poisoned at a restaurant, why are you so eager to get a freebie to try it again? That's a real red flag to me.-COLLAPSE

  • I had lunch with a friend at a (gasp!) chain restaurant. I was a bit worried that the soup I'd ordered was not hot but sort of lukewarm. Hungry and in a hurry so I ate it anyway. Six hours later I was miserable and stayed miserable for 24 hours, and then true to typical food poisoning, bounced back like nothing was the matter. Called the restaurant who referred me to corporate headquarters. They...+READ

    I had lunch with a friend at a (gasp!) chain restaurant. I was a bit worried that the soup I'd ordered was not hot but sort of lukewarm. Hungry and in a hurry so I ate it anyway. Six hours later I was miserable and stayed miserable for 24 hours, and then true to typical food poisoning, bounced back like nothing was the matter. Called the restaurant who referred me to corporate headquarters. They offered to pay for medical care and to put me in touch with their insurance provider. I hadn't sought any medical care, so they lost nothing. No further contact from them-- and frankly I thought they'd send a note or a gift card. So I didn't get anything (which wasn't the point really-- I'd just wanted to alert them to the fact that they had a problem in the kitchen) and two years later they haven't had another penny from me. Had they sent a gift card I probably would have gone back . . . but no, they left me with my last memory of them being that they made me sick. Not a great business practice, in my estimation.-COLLAPSE

  • typically food poisoning like salmonella and such takes at least 24 hours for symptoms to occur, allergies on the other hand are a different story, those r immediate at which point, the family would be responsible..... I wouldn't have given them any $$$ back, I work in the restaurant business

  • "I dont like answering the phone" we all do not like our job but its a job that has to be done and a job that keeps a shirt on your back and food on your table. You should answer the phone as its your "JOB". Sad considering that answering the phone is part of a managers Job. Perhaps you should have the dish washer take over your job...

  • From the information in this particular story, it really sounds like they were trying to give the restaurant a run for their money. Perhaps they were a bit short on their credit card bill this month? I wouldn't have given them anything, if you ask me. If I don't believe your story, I'm not even comping you a smile. I'd just jot down the information until I got another call. Then, and only then,...+READ

    From the information in this particular story, it really sounds like they were trying to give the restaurant a run for their money. Perhaps they were a bit short on their credit card bill this month? I wouldn't have given them anything, if you ask me. If I don't believe your story, I'm not even comping you a smile. I'd just jot down the information until I got another call. Then, and only then, would I be worried. Have the integrity to stand up for yourself when you believe you are right. You may surprise yourself how often you actually are.-COLLAPSE

  • Sounds like you guys got off easy. My bad yelp and chowhound reviews would ahve cost you a lot more than $50.

  • KaimukiMan is right. Food poisoning does happen in the nicest restaurants. I got ill 6 hours after eating at Brio in McLean, VA. Horrible horrible night and next day. And I had not eaten anything else during that day so the Brio food was the only possibility. I did call "Godfrey" at the restaurant and was told that the chef would return the call which did not happen. So I turn it over to the...+READ

    KaimukiMan is right. Food poisoning does happen in the nicest restaurants. I got ill 6 hours after eating at Brio in McLean, VA. Horrible horrible night and next day. And I had not eaten anything else during that day so the Brio food was the only possibility. I did call "Godfrey" at the restaurant and was told that the chef would return the call which did not happen. So I turn it over to the Fairfax health dept. and they responded ON A SATURDAY to me, took down the info, went in and found all food on holding tables at about 41 degrees and made them throw out all the food. Now they are being checked every two weeks by the health dept. I also noted an identicall food poisoning there last Oct. 25 by a Chowhound and a Yelp customer. Same situation. Never did hear back from the restaurant nor did I push it so I certainly wasn't doing the shake-down. I did want them to know, however, that I got violently ill from their food and the prior records the health department had on them plus the reports on Chowhound and Yelp just served to bolster my claim. But, alas, no free offered meal. I do think people who are honestly sick should call the matter in so the restaurant can check, correct itself, and throw food out. In Brio's case, they were required to purchase holding units that were colder and a dishwashing machine that was hotter. But no freebie! And will I go back? No and have I told my friends? yes. Bad PR all the way around for this restaurant-COLLAPSE

  • When you're in business long enough you will get "shaken down" enough to know how to respond. Food borne illness can only be determined in a lab. (Remember your ServSafe Training). We Comp all the time. How about for lumpy mashed potatoes, or onions in the egg salad. Open your wallet and apologize. Its the best policy. But, and this is a big BUT. "Never let them do it to you again." We have...+READ

    When you're in business long enough you will get "shaken down" enough to know how to respond. Food borne illness can only be determined in a lab. (Remember your ServSafe Training). We Comp all the time. How about for lumpy mashed potatoes, or onions in the egg salad. Open your wallet and apologize. Its the best policy. But, and this is a big BUT. "Never let them do it to you again." We have clients that always complain. Its best to know when to comp and when not. One learns through experience.-COLLAPSE

  • I'm stunned that the restaurant doesn't have this as a standard policy. Anyplace I've ever heard of, including one personal incident, has always either offered to comp the meal or to send a gift certificate. This chef needs to wake up and smell the coffee. By never answering the phone he obviously wants to distance himself from his customers, a sure sign of impending trouble.

  • That guest's name should go onto a list to be compared by other restaurants. You never know, he may be doing it over and over.

  • The Department of Public Health in Seattle/King County recommends that restaurants receiving these calls provide the guest with their phone number to call and report the suspected food poisoning. Because as they like to point out, they know food borne illnesses and pathogens, and with a series of questions most of the time they can explain to the guest that they did not get food poisoning from...+READ

    The Department of Public Health in Seattle/King County recommends that restaurants receiving these calls provide the guest with their phone number to call and report the suspected food poisoning. Because as they like to point out, they know food borne illnesses and pathogens, and with a series of questions most of the time they can explain to the guest that they did not get food poisoning from your establishment. Cost to you is nothing, and you invest very little of your own time.-COLLAPSE

  • $50 seems like a totally reasonable amount to pay to have someone go away and leave you alone!