[Malyaj]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Sometime ago an interesting trend started to emerge, read and weep:

https://www.economist.com/gulliver/2...or-bad-reviews

Interesting read. Got me thinking on where a review stops being a review and starts becoming libel / defamation. For me, a review has to have a sense of proportion. Proportion to the time and money I spent on a service. There are people who are too easily pushed over the edge and write with a sense of vengeance that should be reserved for more serious infractions. This is partly a result of some people having made reviewing their occupation and find more takers for over-the-top, dramatic, often insulting content.

That said, it is highly inappropriate to levy such charges. The fact that such conditions have been incorporated into the fine print proves that there is deliberate attempt to earn money on the pretext of “I told you so”. If you are an ethical business person, you will display such an unusual condition prominently at the booking stage, in fact verbally inform the customer. I am sure some would opt out of such touchy establishments.

Originally Posted by Jeroen

The proprietor of the venue went absolutely mental and told me I was all wrong and I should have given him 5 out of 5, or at the minimum 4 out of 5.! He started accusing of not even having been there. At the time, although the particular event had been running for several years, every Sunday, it’s online presence was limited. Mine was the fourth review! and I brought down the average rating considerable.

True, there are business owners who have an exaggerated sense of what their product offers. And if it comes along with a low tolerance for feedback, this is what happens. ‘Demanding’ a good review is as petty as it gets.

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Food wastage seems to be a problem just about all over the world. The only
country that I know that has institutionalised the idea of doggie bagging in restaurants is, remarkably, the most wasteful nation in the world: The USA.

No matter where you go, small, large, simple, exclusive, posh restaurant they will all offer you a doggie bag for the left overs after a meal. And just about all customers makes use of it.

Question – Do customers themselves put the leftovers in the doggie bags? I ask because here in India it will require some cultural shift to get people to handle their own leftover food. Moreover our gravy dominated cuisine will necessitate containers and more packaging. Already reeling under the effects of plastic ban! And if the customers eventually dump it in the bins in their homes, it is food wasted plus garbage generated.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by Malyaj

Do customers themselves put the leftovers in the doggie bags? I ask because here in India it will require some cultural shift to get people to handle their own leftover food. Moreover our gravy dominated cuisine will necessitate containers and more packaging. Already reeling under the effects of plastic ban! And if the customers eventually dump it in the bins in their homes, it is food wasted plus garbage generated.

I seem to recall it might differ. In some restaurants the staff will happily do it for you, in others you have to it yourself.

Just for those who are not familiar with the concept of doggie bagging. What the restaurant will provide are actually various, usually styrofoam, type containers in different sizes to accommodate different types of food. And a carrier bag. So you take home the food that is left over, only the bits that you want, properly separated etc.

In some EU countries it is mandatory that restaurants have to offer guests a doggie bag. (E.g. France), but by and large the uptake is still low.

One difference between the USA and Europe is the size of the portions served. As always just about everything in the USA comes in colossal sizes/portions. Less so in Europe.

Exception to this rule are Dutch Chinese/Indonesian restaurants. For some reason, don’t ask me why, if you order for 2, you can feed 4 easily. And the Dutch are known for eating their plates clean, no matter how much you put in front of them. Not so in Dutch Chinese/Indonesian restaurants. But very rare to be offered a doggie bag.

When we order Dutch Chinese/Indonesian take away, we always end up with too much. So days after we are still eating satay, fried rice, sweet and sour chicken. Keeps well in the fridge!


Jeroen

[hrman]

Very entertaining article Malyaj. Thoroughly enjoyed to the core.
On my part, i consider myself as a very complying and dormant customer. I have never kicked up fuss anywhere, always treat waiters and restaurant staffers with politeness. I also believe a thank you after being served makes their day as well.

Its a difficult business to be in. Hats off to you and your tribesmen, really!!

[mazda4life]

Dear Malyaj, thanks for thread ,makes for an entertaining reading. Also, if you don’t have a loyalty program better start if fast , lest you get into a situation like this https://www.theguardian.com/australi...e_iOSApp_Other

[Jeroen]

On this allergy; my wife and I went for dinner last night. Local simple restaurant. I opened the menu and this sticker was on the inside:



Do you have an allergy? Let us know

Jeroen

[Malyaj]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

On this allergy; my wife and I went for dinner last night. Local simple restaurant. I opened the menu and this sticker was on the inside:

Attachment 1908276

Do you have an allergy? Let us know

Jeroen

Hmm. On a lighter note, I am just thinking if I was to put this on my menu, a lot of customers would misunderstand this and would interpret it as me wanting to kick out customers who are showing symptoms of some allergy.

[Theyota]

Originally Posted by Malyaj

Question – Do customers themselves put the leftovers in the doggie bags? I ask because here in India it will require some cultural shift to get people to handle their own leftover food. Moreover our gravy dominated cuisine will necessitate containers and more packaging. Already reeling under the effects of plastic ban! And if the customers eventually dump it in the bins in their homes, it is food wasted plus garbage generated.

I really hate this in India . Customers (including a few of my relatives and friends) waiting for dishes to be served to their individual plates after they are delivered to their tables. If they need additional servings in between their meal, they stop and holler at the server to come and refill their plates from a bowl with a spoon sitting right in their face. Maybe I have been living out of India for too long, but I remember very well this was not the case many years back.



Personally, I would like to be left alone by the servers once the food is delivered to my table. I prefer to do the herculean task of moving the food from bowl to my plate on my own.

[phamilyman]

As a long term keto/LCHF person i have a tough time anywhere I go. Its even funnier is heavily process driven QSRs like McDonald's.
I'd like McEgg without the bun, condiments, onions but with double extra cheese - with the cheese on the side in a separate butter paper.



Once they know me, for the next six months its easy as hell - "Your McEgg, sir?" *high five*

[bharatbits]

Originally Posted by Theyota

Personally, I would like to be left alone by the servers once the food is delivered to my table. I prefer to do the herculean task of moving the food from bowl to my plate on my own.

I also like privacy once the food is on my table. However, that might not be the case with everyone. That also forms a part of service and service charge, tax etc are charged for them.

I get my food myself from the kitchen at home. Can't expect to do the same at a restaurant. The extent of service one may expect may vary and I think that must be ok.

[Ithaca]

Originally Posted by Malyaj

Question – Do customers themselves put the leftovers in the doggie bags? I ask because here in India it will require some cultural shift to get people to handle their own leftover food. And if the customers eventually dump it in the bins in their homes, it is food wasted plus garbage generated.

I always ask the restaurant to pack the left overs but as you say in case of an outing with only family, makes sense to carry our own tiffen carriers to get them to put the left overs in it instead of wasting plastic containers.
Never dump them at home or on the road, instead we re-heat and eat at a later date. I do not like wasting food.

Originally Posted by Theyota

I really hate this in India . Customers (including a few of my relatives and friends) waiting for dishes to be served to their individual plates after they are delivered to their tables. If they need additional servings in between their meal, they stop and holler at the server to come and refill their plates from a bowl with a spoon sitting right in their face.

Don't like this either but at most restaurants I frequent after the first or second time of asking the wait-staff not to serve, they leave the food on the table and don't bother serving.
Maybe the wait staff think if they do not serve the food, then they may not get tipped well.

[Miyata]

When I travel with my infants, I check with the floor manager (?) at the breakfast buffet if I can take some milk along for feeding the kids. Never faced any issues. They volunteer to themselves also fill up the feeding bottles.

Have so far never seen anyone packing food from the lunch or any other buffet though. It's a first I've read on this thread! Strange (and cheap)!

Had to find out from a nytimes article on "India’s Restaurants Rebel Against Food Delivery Apps"

the platforms also charge hefty commissions on each order and can squeeze the profit margins of culinary establishments. In the United States, some restaurants have closed, unable to keep up with the cost of working with the delivery apps.

For a place that offers only food, however, the Gold discounts could be devastating. “If you do not have other products, the cost will not work,”

[GrammarNazi]

The Gujarat government Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA), issued a notification asking restaurants and hotels to remove "no entry" signs so that customers can enter their kitchens and inspect the level of hygiene.

The FDCA has also asked restaurant and hotel owners to install transparent glass on kitchen doors so that customers can peek from outside.

A fine of Rs. 1 lakh will be imposed if the directives are not followed and concerned officials are to visit restaurants and hotels in their respective areas and remove sign boards announcing "No entry" or "No admission without permission" from kitchen doors.

Link to News article

I wonder how this will work in the context of managing customers within restaurant kitchens (viz known to be a high stress area).

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by GrammarNazi

Link to News article

I wonder how this will work in the context of managing customers within restaurant kitchens (viz known to be a high stress area).

Seriously? One designs a restaurant to have an 'open' or 'live' kitchen at the time of setting up the premises, not within 2 weeks of a ill-thought-out order!

We are empowering people and citizens and reducing our (FDCA and food safety officers’) burden.

So the customer will do the job of the food safety officer? Does the customer understand what he is to look for? Can customers be allowed to walk in from the road into any restaurant kitchen and look around? Or, are we expecting a new upside-down Kitchen Nightmares series?

What next? Patient's attendants are supposed to walk in and inspect the cleanliness / sterilization levels in hospital operation theatres?

[GrammarNazi]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

...What next? Patient's attendants are supposed to walk in and inspect the cleanliness / sterilization levels in hospital operation theatres?

I too can imagine this can go wrong in too many ways. If managing staff wasn't enough in itself, now restaurants have to manage customers within the kitchen. I don't want a p****d off cook making my food.

Does any country have such laws/rules where the customer is allowed to walk into the restaurant kitchen ?

[WorkingGuru]

Please realise, a recession has hit the economy. Especially states which don't earn massively from exports. In this scenario, unofficial collections from other industries would've reduced. Existing collections from hotels & restaurants would have been limited when demanded as per present norms.

Public insecurity about hygiene would provide the required mass-hysteria and support to over-power the restaurants. An "ever-green industry" fuelled by modern culture to drastically cut down home cooking, can always be squeezed further.

Logic would have it that when the economy isn't doing well, Govts would reduce regulations and help ease of doing business (in order to improve economic activity), but pragmatism works in the strangest of ways.