Five Ways to Complain Effectively When the Restaurant Messes Up Your Order

Restaurant week is almost upon us and it's going to be busy when you head out for some good eats. Waitstaff is under extra pressure, the chefs and bartenders are as well and you might have someone make a mistake on your order. NOW... You have to decide whether to handle it like an adult, suck it up and not say anything, or turn into a raging psychopath. For some reason, it's a situation that tends to turn perfectly normal people into psychos, even though copping an attitude doesn't help.

CNN had an expert break it down. Here are the top five things to do if you want to complain EFFECTIVELY at a restaurant.

#1.) Stay Calm. Flying off the handle won't get your order fixed any faster. It'll just make your server wish you were never born, which won't help. So it's best to take a deep breath, and remember that mistakes happen . . . even at NICE restaurants.

#2.) Act Fast. Don't wait until you're halfway done with your meal before you tell the server there's something wrong with it. As soon as you realize something's wrong, let them know. Or if you're starving, shut up and eat it.

#3.) Be Specific. For example, don't just shrug your shoulders and say your food tastes "weird." Give the waiter something to tell the chef . . . like it's overcooked, or it's undercooked. Whatever. Just give them a reason. If you order something that's a little risky, and it turns out you just don't like it . . . then that's YOUR FAULT.

#4.) Trust the Server. Don't badger them. If you ask for a new steak, you should expect it to take ten to fifteen minutes. So there's no point in asking every TWO minutes. With that said, a good waiter will stop by the table once or twice with updates. Also, don't start asking for free stuff. If it's a big screw up . . . like they make you wait an hour for your food . . . then the manager should offer you something for free. But little mistakes don't equal free food.