The Food Chain How (not) to complain
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Oct 8, 2025 Join chef Siba Mtungana, known for her vibrant cuisine in Cape Town, and Seth Gerber, a restaurant expert from Boston University, as they dive into the hilarious world of restaurant complaints. They share outrageous stories from diners, revealing how some customers 'weaponize' their feedback with online reviews. Discover the emotional toll of rude complaints on staff morale and learn effective strategies for both diners and servers on managing issues smoothly. Get ready to rethink how you handle your next dining experience!
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Guest Disrupts Fine Dining Service
- Siba described a dining-room incident where a hotel guest barged in, took a table with a laptop and disrupted other diners.
- Staff had to escort her out while calming affected guests and offering compensations.
Complaints About Things Outside The Kitchen
- Sam recounted customers complaining about unrelated external issues, like receiving a bus lane fine.
- Other complaints included being unhappy with table placement and threatening social-media backlash.
Recurring Complaint Patterns In The US
- Seth described recurring problems: custom orders gone wrong, last-minute seating changes and chargebacks for cancelled large-party bookings.
- He said such patterns desensitise staff over time.