# An interview question



## m.d.hughes (Apr 28, 2007)

Here is a question I always ask prospective chefs during interviews

"It's 8pm on a busy Saturday night and a server brings a plate back saying that this tastes like merde, what is the 1st thing you do?"

Remember that this is during an interview so I would expect an answer quickly and I am only interested in the 1st reaction.

You can tell a lot about a person by the way that they answer and there is only 1 right answer what is it?


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## greg (Dec 8, 1999)

If that was the only information I was given, the only thing to do is ask what needs to be done to correct the situation to the guest's satisfaction.


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## tessa (Sep 9, 2007)

i would offer to redo the dish and send my apologies to the customer


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

"Tastes like merde" is NOT very specific. My first reaction would be to tell the waiter to tell the customer to brush their teeth twice a day.

No honestly. If the complaint would be "too salty", "not salty enough", "raw", or "overcooked" , I would immediatly do my best- and with out any attitude-to remedy the situation. 

But "tastes like merde" gives me no information about what the customer doesn't like about the dish, the only information it gives me is that the customer is a schmuck who doesn't want to pay.

Complaints, for me, anyways, are only legitimate when they are specific....


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## chef.esg.73 (Dec 10, 2007)

I'm assuming merde is something that does not taste good.(no idea what merde is) :look:

The very first thing I would do is taste it, to see if the guest is right. To have an understanding of what the guest is talking about.

*If the guest were right.* I would have the dining room manager, ( not the server ) ask if they would like another one or a different selection off the menu and let the them know its on the house.

 *If the dish was good*, my opinion the guest is wrong 93% of the time ( ya, I said it) even though we don't let them know it. I would offer them another one or different selection not on the house and only offer them a dessert on the house. Why, just because it is all about guest satisfaction whether their right or wrong, I would want them to leave happy.


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## just jim (Oct 18, 2007)

The first thing?
Ask the server what we can do to make the customer happy.


The last thing I would do (and hopefully not do)?
Cause the machine to come to a standstill while trying to determine what's wrong, go on a tirade, hit the server, etc.


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## blueicus (Mar 16, 2005)

Only 1 right answer? Seems a little wrong to me . To be honest, the first thing I'd say is "What's wrong with it?"

If it's a trick question then I'd say, "What are you doing eating the customer's food?"


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## bazza (Apr 2, 2007)

Taste it.


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## rat (Mar 2, 2006)

I'm suprised only 1 person thought to taste the dish. I would taste it to see if it is in fact bad, then regardless get a FOH manager involved to see what I could do to make the customer happy.

So what is the only correct answer here anyway.


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## longfellow (Jun 11, 2008)

Go out tell the customer the mob owns the restaurant, is he current on his health insurance payment lol
did i get the job lol


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## iconoclast (Aug 8, 2007)

ask whats wrong, taste it, and make a new one to the customers specifications...


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## greg (Dec 8, 1999)

My reasoning is to go directly to finding out how to solve the problem, not finding out what went wrong. Unless the customer wants the same dish again, it's an unnecessary step. Finding out what went wrong does need to be done, just not while a customer is waiting.


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

Cripes, I saw this on ****'s Kitchen... let's see. Taste it, yell obscenities at the person who made it, dump the plate on their workstation, demand another in 2 minutes.


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## allanmcpherson (Apr 5, 2007)

The problem there is that sometimes the two are linked at the hip. I agree with your proviso about the customer order the same dish but even if they want to sub something else out you should do a little checking. I'll give an example from the other night:

Customer orders a grapefruit / Campari sorbet. A couple of minutes latter the server runs it back down, apparently it tastes freezer burned. I'm in charge of deserts that night so I'm personally going to wear this if we sent out stale food. We also had an apricot/ riesling sorbet in stock so the customer requested that. While I'm getting that together Chef comes by to see what's going on. We bother agree the Campari was fine, sharp and lively in fact. I'm just about to hand off the comp'd replacement when it hits me. I ask the server what the customer is drinking and it turns out she's just polishing off a super-Tuscan. Chef and I put the apricot back in the freezer and offer the customer a nice piece of chocolate cake, on the house. 

My long winded point is that we could have rushed in to "make the customer happy" and given her a second choice that would have seemed even more dire to her palate. Then we wind up looking mighty stupid.

--Al


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## blueicus (Mar 16, 2005)

I would have to say that with regards to tasting that I would only do it after it's been told to me what the customer says is wrong with the dish. If it's simply a matter of under/overcooking then tasting it is a waste of time but if it's a matter of salt then tasting provides a good baseline of how much to add if I opt to replace the dish with a new one.


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## m.d.hughes (Apr 28, 2007)

Congratulations Just Jim you have won yourself a shiny new donkey.....

To me and I am the interviewer the only answer (in the form of a question) is

what does the customer want?

Everything else can follow from there, if you are in a professional confidant kitchen you can 95% guarantee that the dish that was sent out was correct but not to the customers taste, so why let pride, ego or a dumb server ruin a great night?

From there 

replace the meal as quickly as possible with what the customer wants
check the plate if it is not right (under or over cooked protein) caution the cook but not Ramseyequelly to be more careful then check every plate from that section, if it is a sauce that is incorrect replace it, if the dish is going be a problem for the rest of the evening and cannot be resolved without causing a major delay 86 the dish for the rest of service
Communicate with front of house manager to touch the table
keep producing great food for the other 249 customers out there that are having a wonderful time
Later

make sure procedures are put in place so that a server does not cause this problem again, no server should come into the kitchen with that little information what they should do is remove the plate and inform the floor manager immediately who should then talk to the customer and find out what they want and maybe suggest something to replace the dish as quickly as possible (not m/w rack of lamb), the manager will then communicate this to the kitchen, if you are lucky enough to work with real servers not "A.ttitutes B.etween G.igs" they will know how to do this so the manager only has to touch the table when the customer has the replacement meal
But that nagging 5% that can ruin a great evening

The protien wasn't cooked right, who hired and trained the cook?
The grill station always gets swamped on a Saturday night so sometimes proteins aren't cooked correctly, who wrote an unbalanced menu?
The sauce wasn't made right or has been festering in the back of the walk in for a couple of weeks, who's job is it to write the recipes, check the sauces, walk ins or instill the confidance into their staff to speak up if they feel that something isn't right
The customers do not get your new cutting edge creation and the plates have been coming back into the dish pit not finished then just tossed ito the garbage, why has no-one approached you to raise their concerns
It all comes down to you, that one bad plate can effect your business more than 249 perfect ones and you have the resposibility to make sure that it happens as little as possible.....but that's why they pay you the big bucks right!!

Of course sometimes "merde happens"

P.S. Just Jim If you want your shiny new donkey you just have to pay for shipping and handling


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## allanmcpherson (Apr 5, 2007)

Not to make too fine of a point on it but I do disagree with the fundamental logic of your desired answer. By asking "what would make the customer happy" alone you assume that the customer can clearly and simply get what they want across to you in a sound bite delivered second, or third hand (depending on how expedition is run is your business). Customer service is much more more than "stop on a dime" timing and being quick on your feet. There has got to be some probing, even in the heat of the moment as you are getting ready to fire a reorder. I appreciate that you are looking for a first response type of answer but honestly, in a kitchen, when are you only doing one thing? The key to cooking on a line juggling many tasks at once, why is customer service any different? If I asked you "why did the mayonnaise break, only the first thought to pass through your head please?" as a chef you know there are several ways that mayo could have been blown, and different fixes for each problem. That's basic cooking. Why assume that customer relations are just that simple?

--Al


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## just jim (Oct 18, 2007)

I'll pay for the shippl\ing, but I'd prefer that you didn't handle my "donkey".


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## greyeaglem (Apr 17, 2006)

I'd tell the customer not to use foul language in my restaurant.


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## rsteve (May 3, 2007)

m.d.hughes, you would have *failed* in my kitchen!

If a server returns a meal to the kitchen, saying that the customer referred to it as scat, I would immediately put on a spotless chef's coat, and go into the dining room, myself, and attend politely and directly to the problem. There are times when you sincerely apologize because the preparation was not up to standard, but there are times when the customer did not order what he/she expected and is complaining about preparation, because he/she wants a different meal. You'll learn to separate a legitimate complaint from the other, with experience and an ownership stake.

And there are the scammers. A couple orders complete meals via a non ala carte menu. They each devour assorted breads, eat their salads or soups, etc., but when the main course arrives, SHE finds fault, irrespective of the item. You go into the dining room to correct the problem. After some back and forth, she says, "We're really pressed for time. I'll just share my husband's entree'. Certainly, you're not going to charge us for my dinner." My reply: "You will be charged for everything you consumed, as priced via our ala carte menu. While I am sorry you did not like your entree', this is not an establishment that serves free food." 
In business long enough, you get to know who the scammers are by their demeanor. As a rule, these folks make the rounds; you only see them once.


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

my late 2 cents...i've been wicked busy...i ask what exactly was wrong with the dish..was the prime rib just too too fatty or the peppercorn sauce sauce too spicy(duh,its peppercorn sauce!), or was something overcooked or too salty? if its a busy night(not just saturday) i probably won't taste it cuz i'm busy and trying to keep focused, but i will offer to either remake the dish or offer to make something else..if its busy, i don't have time to labor on this, i just want to get it corrected, get the customer fed and happy and then turn the table over!..this thread does bring up an interesting point that i'm not always sure how to deal with...if a customer is unsatisfied with a dish, who pays for it? do you charge the customer? my thinking is that if its something on my part, (which hardly ever happens), then i don't charge, if its something that they just don't like, not because of anything on my end but because they just plain don't like the dish(which also almost never happens)...then i still charge them..of course with apologies..what do you do?..happy labor day all!..i know i'm working, as usual...


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## just jim (Oct 18, 2007)

Big difference between owner/chef and just chef.
If I'm the owner, I'm going out to the table myself to see what remedy is needed.
If I'm just the chef, I'm assuming that there is a floor manager, etc. who has already assessed the situation.
If that's the case, then asking what to do to make the customer happy is the correct response.
Someone else, if they can do their job properly, has already determined the next move by the time I am alerted.

As far as who pays, I always eat it.
Noy only are you paying for the food cost, you're buying goodwill.
While there are those few who are simply abusing the system, you can't undo the damage of making a customer with a legitimate complaint feel that their opinion isn't the important one.

There is nothing wrong with giving the customer what they want.
Even if they are wrong.


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

This gets interesting...

Now, would you offer to replace the meal if the 2/3 of the meal was eaten? 1/2? 3/4? Two bites?


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## just jim (Oct 18, 2007)

Under half of the offending part of the meal.
Now, keep in mind that while I firmly believe in my stated position, there are obvious limits.
If I feel I have made all reasonable attempts to placate the customer, and they still remain unhappy, then I tell them I am sorry to have lost their business.


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

one other thought..this hasn't actually happened to me but i can certainly see the potential...what would/do you do if a customer 'modifies' a dish to their liking...for example, orders the pasta primavera without the sundried tomato cream sauce or the sauteed vegetables, which is essential to the dish, then complains that the dish is boring or dry or whatever..they have changed your recipe and the dish is not your dish, its theirs..do you charge? do you even change the dish? i will pretty much always give the customer what they want and will omit certain foods if there is an allergy involved, but i really get more than a little ticked off when they start to change the whole dish..i put something on the menu because i think that it is the perfect blend of flavors the way it is. so at what point do you say whoa, and no? i once had a texan pour ranch dressing all over his penne with gorgonzola, pine nut and snap pea pasta, and just recently had a customer pour( i mean pour) tabasco all over her once beautiful pasta primavera! next time she came in, i told her we were out of tabasco,...she devoured the dish with accolades...go figure! probably hasn't had food without hot sauce on it in so long, she forgot the nuances food has to offer..so, what do you do?...btw, i am the chef and owner...
joey


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## rambo (Sep 8, 2008)

It is a situation like this where a seasoned veteran of a server is irreplaceble. Guys/Girls that have been in the biz for years can spot a "free checker" from a mile away. It saves big time on food costs. A note on mods - If you change the special I wrote, and then complain about it... feel free to never come back. Seriously, I don't stand over your shoulder at your accounting job and ask if you added up those numbers correctly. My favorite line ever: You don't need a reservation for the alley. Feel free to use that next time. 
Rambo


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

ouch, rambo...seems a bit harsh don't you think? the alley?
joey


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

If there's a complaint, I do (did) what I can (could) to make the customer happy. Whatever that is -- AND comp something immediately -- such as a round of drinks or a bottle of wine, an amuse, a dessert, or a twofer for another day. Whatever it is, and whatever happened, I'm getting something on the table in front of the complaining diner as soon as possible. Even if it's saltines and gummint cheese, or an apple. Something.

As soon as I get to the table, in addition to telling the diner that food is on the way immediately, I offer information as to how long it will take to replace the dish, and if it's going to take too long discuss other options.

If the fault is the restaurant's, I admit it without grovelling and comp the offending meal -- even if I can and will fix it. If the fault is the diner's -- which happened maybe once every couple of months when I was on the line at the BF and pretty regularly at CP (because the menu was always new and could confuse people who didn't actually read it), I wouldn't comp, but would replace at no extra charge -- along with one of the extras already mentioned.

The "I'll just share my husband's" thing isn't usually a dodge. Maybe sometimes, but usually not. People who get bad or wrong food take it personally, are usually pretty upset, and their appetites suffer. The idea of waiting another 10 minutes (which is going to seem like 45 to the diner) to get what she should have had to begin with is not appealing. Not only do I not charge, I throw in dessert. If it happens a second time -- that's another story.

You've got to be hip enough to understand that some people (women perhaps more often than men) will show their displeasure by not eating. You've also got to understand that being a woman in America means having one sort or another of eating disorders thrust on you. It's complicated, but that's just how it is. Your job is to make it better, not make it more of an issue. Besides, "You knew the job was dangerous when you took it."

Easy for me to say, because I've never owned the restaurant. But charging for the soup and bread? No. Not me. Why not just call her a be-yotch and a liar to her face? Put yourself in her husband's position. If you did that to my wife, you'd never see us again. Or our friends. Or family. Or colleagues. Or anyone else I could tell. Insult the wife? Good idea. Did you put that on your business plan?

You've got to put yourself in the diner's position. That is, if (s)he's hungry -- it *feels* personal even though (s)he knows better. It's part of *my job* to take away the sting. Do I want repeat business and word of mouth or not?

How worried am I about giving away a meal to someone who tried to scam me? Not very. For one thing, once they've spilled some wine on the table cloth and got lipstick on the napkin, breathed the air-conditioning and whatnot, I'm in the hole anyway. A couple of bucks more to get a duplicate entree on the table isn't going to kill me one way or the other.

On the extras, don't get me wrong, I'm not going to comp the endless bowl of assorted gold-leafed caviars or something I'm going to run out of, I'm going to comp something that would be going to the food bank anyway. I'm nice but not nuts. The thing is to get free food on the table, NOW! And offer the diner some options immediately. They don't expect you to hand over the deed to grandma's ranch, but they do expected to be treated with R E S P E C T -- even if you're going to lose money this time. Never treat a diner as a PITA.

IMO, "Class" with a capital "C," has nothing to do with making the occasional mistake, it's how you handle them when they come along. I'd rather comp a meal and make a regular than cop an attitude and lose one. More to the point, I'd rather make the effort than not. Speaking as a diner -- Class in handling a mistake makes all the difference to me.

Just my opinion with nothing on the line (sorry, can't help myself) anymore.

BDL

____________________
ex-pro


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

Difficult thread, because there's always a "yah-butt.."

So, Yah-butt... What gets my "spidey senses tingling" is the fact that the diner will not tell the Chef or the waiter what s/he feels is wrong with the meal, and fully expects the Chef or Waiter to read her/his mind. This is why the insult is added (tastes like "merde"), the insult is a calculted incentive for the Chef to read the diner's mind. So my spidey senses are tingling and buzzing like a cheap cell phone by now and I smell a scam.

Now, The guest tells me "Are you effing in love? ( A bit of German folklore; cooks in love supposedly oversalt their dishes). At least I have SOME information as to what the diner finds objectionable, and I will do my utmost to correct the situation. Same for undercooked/overcooked, or not following any wishes or modifiations. This is only fair. 

Insults don't bother me, but insults combined with a demand that I read that person's mind do--this is one of the "golden rules" that scam artists live by.


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## hostchecker (Sep 24, 2008)

Thats a good question.

I'd say best answer is either taste it, or redo it.

If it tastes good to everyone else i'd offer them another dish instead.


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## ed buchanan (May 29, 2006)

You got that right, service is terrible. I feel some servers ,not all should be Nominated for Academy Awards for their imitation of waiters and waitresses.


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## m.d.hughes (Apr 28, 2007)

This is a hypothetical (some might say dumb) question asked to an potential employee to see if they have the right temperament to be able to run a busy line, to be able to see the big picture, not take it personally, not let ego get in the way....it has nothing to do with the customer... the customer does not exist.... I made him up, it only has to do with you and your reaction.

Can't we all just get along?


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## rat (Mar 2, 2006)

Please let this post die already.


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## just jim (Oct 18, 2007)

Not until I get my shiny new donkey.


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## m.d.hughes (Apr 28, 2007)

It's in the mail


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## lodger (Aug 23, 2015)

Guys how would you answer a question about HOW TO CONTROL KITCHEN COST? No idea why but i had an opportunity to answer this question but after the meeting they replied to my agent saying: i'm very good creative bla bla but not structured enough with cost control which i know i am... What will your answer be if they ask you how to control cost in a kitchen?


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## grande (May 14, 2014)

Not trying to be snarky, buy if you know how to do it why can't you answer the question? P.S. this is an eight year old thread. If you really want answers you should start a new one.


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## lodger (Aug 23, 2015)

i answered as much as i know, wastage controling the food in and out, FIFO, controling the recipes... And yea i should open a new thread


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## grande (May 14, 2014)

In that case, you missed labor cost and keeping purchases low, and taking regular inventory


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## lodger (Aug 23, 2015)

Damn sometimes you miss the simplest things))) thx grande


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## grande (May 14, 2014)

Happy to help


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## ed buchanan (May 29, 2006)

Take it from the server and   as them to ask the patron what would they like instead. You can get all the details after service


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