Back to Situations
Making Complaints

Complaining about Poor Service at a Restaurant

A diner experiences slow service, incorrect orders, or rude staff at a restaurant and wishes to express their dissatisfaction to the manager.

Dialogue

Listen and follow along with the conversation

1
diner (Female)
Excuse me, I'd like to speak with the manager, please. I'm quite disappointed with the service tonight.
2
manager (Male)
Certainly, I'm the manager. How can I help you? Please, tell me what happened.
3
diner (Female)
Well, first, we've been waiting for our main courses for over 45 minutes, and the restaurant isn't even busy. Then, when the appetizers finally arrived, one of them was the wrong order.
4
manager (Male)
I apologize deeply for the excessive wait and the incorrect order. That's absolutely not the standard we aim for. Was there anything else?
5
diner (Female)
Yes, actually. When I politely pointed out the mistake with the appetizer to our server, she was quite rude and dismissive. She just shrugged and said 'It happens'.
6
manager (Male)
I'm very sorry to hear that. That's unacceptable behavior from our staff. We pride ourselves on excellent customer service, and clearly, we've fallen short tonight.
7
diner (Female)
It really put a damper on our evening. We were looking forward to a nice meal.
8
manager (Male)
I completely understand. To make amends, I'd like to offer you a complimentary dessert for your table, and I'll also be taking 50% off your entire bill tonight. We truly value your business and want to ensure you leave with a better impression.
9
diner (Female)
That's very kind of you. I appreciate that. Thank you.
10
manager (Male)
My pleasure. I'll personally ensure your main courses are expedited and correct. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.

Vocabulary

Essential words and phrases from the dialogue

disappointed

Feeling unhappy or unsatisfied because something did not meet your expectations, like poor service in a restaurant.

service

The way staff treat customers in places like restaurants; good service means being helpful and polite.

apologize

To express regret for a mistake or problem; use it when saying sorry in formal situations like complaints.

rude

Behaving in a way that is impolite or disrespectful to others; opposite of polite.

dismissive

Showing little interest or concern, often by ignoring or brushing off a problem; like not taking a complaint seriously.

unacceptable

Something that cannot be allowed or tolerated because it is wrong or below standard; used in complaints to show disapproval.

complimentary

Given for free as a gift or to make up for a problem; like a free dessert in a restaurant.

expedited

Made to happen more quickly than usual; useful when asking for faster service.

Key Sentences

Important phrases to remember and practice

Excuse me, I'd like to speak with the manager, please.

This is a polite way to start a complaint; 'Excuse me' gets attention, and 'I'd like to' is a formal request using 'would like' for politeness. Use it when you need to talk to someone in charge.

I'm quite disappointed with the service tonight.

Expresses dissatisfaction clearly; 'quite' softens the complaint to sound reasonable, and 'with the service' specifies the issue. Useful for starting a complaint without being too angry.

I'm very sorry to hear that. That's unacceptable behavior from our staff.

Shows strong regret; 'apologize deeply' emphasizes sincerity, 'excessive' means too much, and listing problems ('and') makes it specific. Use this as a response when handling complaints.

When I politely pointed out the mistake with the appetizer to our server, she was quite rude and dismissive.

Describes a problem in detail; past continuous 'was being rude' shows ongoing action, and 'pointed out' means mentioned. Good for explaining what went wrong step by step.

It really put a damper on our evening.

An idiom meaning it spoiled the fun; 'put a damper on' is a common expression for ruining something enjoyable. Use it to explain emotional impact in complaints.

To make amends, I'd like to offer you a complimentary dessert for your table.

Offers a solution; 'to make amends' means to fix a mistake, and 'I'd like to offer' is polite suggestion. Useful for resolving complaints by giving compensation.

Thank you for bringing this to my attention.

Shows appreciation for the feedback; 'bringing to my attention' means informing me. End complaints positively with this to keep the conversation good.