Dining Disasters...
Consumer Champion James Walker “fighting for your rights”
Here at Resolver we get loads of complaints about food-related problems. Since Resolver began three years ago we’ve received 20,000 complaints about takeaways and an incredible 35,300 about restaurants. In fact, both restaurants and takeaways make our top ten of most complained about products or services.
I’ve dealt with complaints that have involved top end restaurants,
food poisoning and projectile
vomiting, unpleasant things in fried chicken and other stomach turners. But I’ve also dealt with some more surreal cases, like the woman who was furious that there was no pizza option between 6”and 12” at her local takeout - so she was either too full or not full enough.
There’s no ombudsman for dining – fi ne or otherwise. But there are a number of rules that places that serve food must follow. And you can report things like poor hygiene, food poisoning and other health related issues too.
The Food Standards Agency is an independent Government department that deals with all things food related. But if you have a problem with a restaurant or takeaway, you can complain through Resolver but also report them to your local authority if you’ve encountered: •
poor food hygiene.
• a foreign object in your food (surprisingly common in the complaints I see). cleanliness of facilities.
•
Food poisoning comes on quite quickly – and you’ll feel awful. But make sure you let the place where you have eaten know asap. Problems occur in clusters, as anyone who has seen Airplane will know, so if there is an issue, it’ll have hit someone else too.
Councils often publish ‘lists of shame’ of off ending restaurants in your local area, so if you’re worried about hygiene, check online. Don’t forget to look for the hygiene certifi cations in each venue too.
36 •
It’s also a good idea to have a look at some online reviews. But bear in mind that the internet is a funny old place, and some people have impossibly high standards. So, look for a balanced review with no OTT language or exclamation marks (!!!)
When it comes to takeaways, It’s the big fast food places that we get the most complaints about. The most frequently complained about issue I see is poor quality food (15%), everything from soggy burger buns to chicken so raw you’re afraid it might jump off your plate and start clucking around the living room. Rude staff is another common takeaway complaint followed by people receiving an incorrect order.
Here’s a few tips to help you avoid a nightmare if you’re eating out:
• • •
Book online. It doesn’t guarantee good service or a decent meal, but there’s an email to back you up if need be.
Drink tap water. Places selling booze have to off er it to you so don’t feel pressured in to the bottled stuff . And wine costs can double your bill.
There’s loads of discount cards that you can pick up on reduced price off ers, like Tastecard. You can often get the money it costs back from the discount on the fi rst few meals.
If you get a duff meal, then snap a picture and don’t eat it all! Lots of people only complain after polishing off the main course, which makes it harder to say the food wasn’t good enough. Tell the waiter that you’re unhappy but don’t worry about making a scene. Decide what you’d like as a compromise, like a reduced bill or a replacement meal.
You can fi nd out more about your rights or make a complaint using Resolver for free at
www.resolver.co.uk. A completely free service recommended by Martin Lewis, founder of
MoneySavingExpert.com
To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fi
ona@thewireweb.co.uk
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