Resolver’s rules of the restaurant

(1/1/15) Tired of Turkey?
How to find restaurant service that’ll make you smile

The festive season has come and gone. So if you’ve got fed up of slaving behind a hot turkey, where are the best places to go to make sure you’re not left fuming at terrible service?

Resolver, the free online complaints assistant, has looked at the cases consumers have raised over the past 90 days to work out which restaurant chains give you the best service.

But first… what’s most likely to go wrong?

These are the top five issues that Resolver’s users have experienced while ordering food and drink.

1. Rude staff or poor service
2. Food poor quality
3. Long wait for meal
4. Food was cold
5. Complaint ignored

Rude staff/poor service/long wait

If you are finding the staff to be unhelpful or service is slow and frustrating, ask if you can speak with the manager. Explain your frustrations and be very clear about what you would like. A good manager ought to apologise and offer a gesture of goodwill such as a free drink or dessert.

Food poor quality/food cold

Raise the issue with waiting stuff or the manager and explain your disappointment. Sometimes during busy periods you can expect to wait, so also be reasonable in your expectations.

If you have tried to resolve the issue and cannot, then you can always deduct a portion of the bill if you do not feel the meal was worth the asking price. This is a civil dispute and not criminal, as long as you part-pay the bill. If the restaurant wishes to pursue you then they need to argue against your valuation.

For unresolved issues and complaints ignored 

If you still are not satisfied, or your complaint is ignored, take a photograph of your bill and the problem you encountered and raise the issue via www.resolver.co.uk to get your voice heard.

Best places to go

These results are based on the companies with the least complaints or issues raised via www.resolver.co.uk per restaurant in their group. We have based the best on the key restaurant chains.

Takeaway pizzas

Dominos
Papa Johns
Pizza Hut

Eat-in pizza/Italian

Pizza Express
Prezzo
Zizzi’s

Pubs

Greene King (includes Hungry Horse and Loch Fyne restaurants)
Vintage Inns
Beefeater

Eat-in burger restaurants

Ed’s Diner
Gourmet Burger Company
Handmade Burger Company

Fast food

Subway
McDonalds
KFC

Coffee Shops

Caffé Nero
Starbucks
Costa Coffee

Your top local takeaway aggregator: Just Eat vs Hungry House

Based on the number of takeaway restaurants in their system and the number of issues raised and resolved, Just Eat is currently delivering better customer support if something goes wrong with your takeaway delivery. 

Got a restaurant complaint to raise? Start it now via Resolver

Pic: USAG – Humphreys