Unfriendly service the biggest annoyance in restaurants

For anyone who eats out, it will come as no surprise. Having to wait a long time for your plate to be served, dining at tables that are too cramped, only to then have to wait a long time for the bill. ‘Foodieblog’ Culy listed the thirteen biggest annoyances of Dutch restaurant-goers.

Number one by a long shot: unfriendly service. Three-quarters of the 1,215 surveyed readers say they are annoyed by this, plagued by inattentive staff. Also frequently mentioned were poor food quality, dirty toilets, and restaurants that do not serve free tap water.

Foodie. It is a term that may still sound unfamiliar to many. On Wikipedia, a foodie is described as ‘a person with a refined interest in food and alcoholic beverages. He seeks new food experiences as a hobby, rather than simply eating out of laziness or hunger’. Viewed in this light, one might question whether the study is representative of the average restaurant-goer. Forty percent of respondents eat out several times a month, 45 percent once. Three percent visit a restaurant several times a week.

As noted earlier, not every restaurant visitor is a foodie. Generally, people go out to eat for convenience, to socialize with family and friends, or for business purposes. They may have different expectations for a restaurant visit than the average foodie. Nevertheless, owners and staff should take the criticism seriously in order to offer the customer an even more pleasant experience in the future. Finally, I would like to give a shoutout to the Groningen hospitality staff. Do not take the conclusions of this study too seriously. You are doing fantastic work, especially when compared to the compensation involved. But try, where possible, to be even friendlier to your guests. A beautiful smile works wonders!

The complete top 13 restaurant annoyances:
1. Unfriendly service
2. Inattentive operation
3. Poor quality of the food
4. Poor value for money
5. Dirty toilets
6. Having to wait a long time for food
7. Do not serve free tap water
8. Nuisance
9. Having to wait a long time for the bill
10. Tables too cramped
11. An incorrect bill
12. Menus with way too much choice
13. Unable to make a reservation online

Author: R. Beens
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