Even though I know I shouldn’t, I tend to hold grudges for a long time if I feel I’ve been wronged. For example, I refused to drive on the 407 for years after they insisted on charging someone I know an account setup fee and various other one time charges in addition to the per km billing when this person turned onto the toll highway by mistake (when it was new) and immediately exited at the first available exit 3 km away. I like to buy an occasional takeout meal from Swiss Chalet particularly when travelling. When I was disappointed by a recent problem, I was pleased that the Cara Operations guest services (who run Swiss Chalet) made it right so I can keep patronizing their restaurants without feeling ruffled.
The Swiss Chalet Mistake Was Very Minor
The problem with the meal was very minor: they forgot to package an order of fries with the chicken. It was annoying, though, because I’d specifically ordered the fries to suit a guest who doesn’t like rice or bread.
Rather than just fume silently, I tried phoning in a complaint. The message warned me to expect a 5 minute or more wait on hold. So I sent in a complaint online instead.
How Did Cara Operations Guest Services Right the Wrong?
Within the next hour, the customer service department replied by email with an apology and an e-gift card for $10. I was very satisfied with their response.
Did I Profit By Complaining?
I don’t particularly want to receive more than what I paid for, so receiving $10 for a single missing order of fries seemed too much to me. That was easy to correct though: I used the full $10 a few month’s later when I next ordered from Swiss Chalet. And then I donated $7 worth of food to our local food bank. Win win.
What Would I Have Done If They’d Ignored My Complaint?
With many stores, I would not have gone back if I wasn’t satisfied with the customer service response. To be honest, I probably would still have gone back to Swiss Chalet though: After all, it was only fries. But I was pleased that they fixed the problem and I could go back feeling good about it.
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Do you complain when a restaurant doesn’t provide what you paid for? Do you just shrug it off? Or do you just seethe inside and let it rankle? Please share how you handle life’s minor hiccups with a comment.