In my years of working with restaurants, I’ve noticed that restaurant customer complaints are inevitable in the dining experience, but how you handle each customer complaint can make all the difference.
According to the NRA’s State of the Restaurant Industry 2025 report, consumers place high importance on cleanliness and a friendly, welcoming staff—achievable goals for restaurant operators of all types. Addressing these complaints effectively can boost customer loyalty and improve your restaurant’s reputation.
In this article, I’ll walk you through the most common customer complaints restaurant owners face and provide practical solutions to handle customer complaints, helping improve your restaurant’s performance and customer satisfaction.
Key Takeaways
- Slow Service: Slow service frustrates customers and can lead to bad restaurant reviews. Train your staff to greet guests promptly, communicate wait times, and improve efficiency.
- Cold/Undercooked Food: Cold or undercooked food can ruin a dining experience. Implement quality control measures to ensure proper cooking times and temperature checks.
- Poor Food Quality: Poor food quality damages a restaurant’s reputation. Implement restaurant SOP to ensure consistent food prep, ingredient inspection, and cooking standards.
- Incorrect Orders: Incorrect orders can cause dissatisfaction and impact restaurant customer retention. If it occurs, apologize for the mistake, correct the order, and offer compensation.
- Delivery Problems: Delivery issues, such as delays or incorrect items, damage customer trust. Set up an online ordering system and offer your own delivery service with trained delivery drivers.
- Long Waits for Tables or to be Served: Long wait times for seating or food can lead to customer frustration. Train your staff to provide accurate wait times and offer amenities like restaurant WiFi.
- Unsanitary Conditions, Poor Hygiene Practices, and Allergen Cross-Contamination: Dirty tables, utensils, and allergen cross-contamination lead to complaints. Implement hygiene standards, regular cleaning, and staff training.
- Noise Levels: Excessive noise disrupts dining and affects satisfaction. Monitor noise levels and adjust based on customer feedback.
- Overcrowding/Crowded Seating: Overcrowding makes customers feel uncomfortable. Optimize restaurant seating arrangements and space, and use reservations to manage guest flow.
- Website Issues: Technical problems on your website frustrate customers, especially regarding ordering or booking. Use a restaurant website builder to ensure easy navigation and seamless functionality.
- Lack of Menu Variety or Options for Dietary Restrictions: Lack of menu options for dietary needs can alienate customers. Consider offering limited options for dietary needs.
- Overpricing and Poor Value for Money: Customers may feel prices don’t match the food’s quality or portion size. Regularly assess pricing, adjust portions, and offer restaurant promotions.
- Menu Mismatches or Misleading Descriptions: Discrepancies between menu descriptions and the actual dish can lead to disappointment. Ensure your menu accuracy with clear menu descriptions and authentic images.
- Unfriendly or Inattentive Staff: Unfriendly or inattentive service can ruin the dining experience—train staff to be friendly, attentive, and responsive to customer needs.
- Difficulties with Reservations: Reservation issues, like long waits despite booking, can frustrate customers. Set up a restaurant reservation system to streamline bookings and avoid errors.
- Inadequate Portions: Small portion sizes or mismatched servings can upset customers. Standardize portion sizes and adjust menu items to meet customer expectations.
- Inconsistent Service: Inconsistent service can lead to dissatisfaction. Create clear service protocols and train your staff to provide a consistent experience every time.
- Lack of Certain Products: Unavailable menu items can disappoint customers. Use restaurant inventory management tools to keep track of stock and update your menu in real time.
- Food Poisoning: Food poisoning complaints can seriously damage your reputation. Ensure food safety standards, provide restaurant training in food handling, and address any issues promptly.
- Limited Parking or Accessibility: Limited parking and accessibility can deter customers. When customers complain about these issues, consider valet services or a shuttle, and ensure your restaurant is accessible to all.
What Are the Most Common Restaurant Complaints and How to Respond to Them
There are a few general issues that guests frequently voice at restaurants, even though precise complaints can vary from one business to another. Handling restaurant customer complaints effectively is key to maintaining customer loyalty and improving overall service.
Below, I outline a common restaurant complaints list and offer practical solutions to address them, helping you enhance your restaurant’s operations and customer satisfaction.
1. Slow Service
Slow service is one of the most common complaints. Delays in greeting guests, placing orders, or receiving food can lead to frustration, customer service complaints, and lost business.
Customers may leave negative reviews or refuse to return due to poor customer service.
Nearly two-thirds of service complaints in restaurants are related to wait times, with customers often frustrated by delays in food service. Time is a significant concern for restaurant-goers.
Solution: Train Your Staff to Be Efficient and Proactive
Train your staff to greet customers promptly, explain wait times clearly, and provide timely updates on their orders. Empower your team to anticipate customer needs and prioritize efficiency.
Regular training exercises and role-playing scenarios can help staff better manage high-pressure situations, ensuring they know how to greet customers in a restaurant and respond quickly to any issues.
A well-trained staff can turn a potentially harmful experience into a positive one.
2. Cold/Undercooked Food
Complaints arise when food is served at incorrect temperatures or not cooked to the desired level, leading to customer complaints and dissatisfaction.
Solution: Implement Quality Control Measures
Ensure regular checks on kitchen temperatures and cooking times—train staff to monitor the quality of food closely and address discrepancies quickly.
If a customer’s complaint involves cold or undercooked food, apologize and assure them it’s not the norm. Offer to re-cook or replace the dish, and thank them for bringing the issue to your attention, emphasizing your commitment to quality.
“We deeply apologize for serving you a cold/undercooked dish at our restaurant. We work to ensure our meals are correctly prepared. Therefore, we sincerely apologize if we didn’t meet your expectations.”
3. Poor Food Quality
Complaints about food’s taste, texture, or overall quality can damage your restaurant’s reputation and customer retention.
Solution: Implement Consistent Quality Control and SOPs
Develop clear restaurant SOPs to ensure that all food consistently meets high-quality standards. Regularly inspect ingredients, monitor cooking times, and ensure proper food storage to prevent quality issues.
Promptly addressing customer complaints about food quality can help retain customers and maintain a positive reputation.
“We apologize for the quality of food during your recent visit. We strive to serve delicious meals, and regret not meeting your expectations. As a gesture of goodwill, we’d like to offer you a complimentary meal on your next visit.”
4. Incorrect Orders
Another common restaurant complaint concerns incorrect orders. Customers may receive the wrong or missing items, leading to frustration and impacting repeat business.
Solution: Apologize and Offer Compensation
When handling customer complaints about mix-ups, sincerely apologize for the mistake and offer to correct the order promptly.
Offering a complimentary item or a discount as a goodwill gesture can help turn the situation around and satisfy the customer.
Additionally, ensure your staff is trained to notice dissatisfied customers and react quickly, addressing issues before they escalate into complaints.
“We value your feedback and would like to make things right. If you give us another chance to serve you, we’ll ensure your order is prepared as requested. Your satisfaction is our top priority, and we’re dedicated to giving you a fantastic eating experience.”
5. Delivery Problems
Delays, incorrect orders, or cold food can negatively impact the customer experience and loyalty when delivering food. The most common delivery problems include:
- Delays in food delivery
- Incorrect orders
- The food arrived cold
- Missing items
- Improper packaging causing spillage during delivery
- Poor communication about delivery status
According to the State of the Restaurant Industry 2025 report from the National Restaurant Association, most consumers wish more restaurants offered takeout and delivery options in their area. Additionally, a significant majority would order a wider variety of food if restaurants used food delivery packaging that preserved the food’s temperature, taste, and quality, just like when it’s served in the restaurant.
Solution: Implement an Online Ordering System with Your Own Delivery Service
Set up a reliable online ordering system and consider offering your own delivery service with restaurant delivery software. This allows you to monitor and control the delivery process, ensuring timely delivery, improved delivery efficiency, and reducing issues like delays or incorrect orders.
Provide proper training for your delivery staff and consistently check deliveries to maintain high service standards.
6. Long Waits for Tables or to be Served
Long wait times for seating or food can cause frustration, especially if customers are not kept informed.
- ScienceDirect research analyzing data from 94,404 customers at a popular Indian restaurant found that eliminating wait times could increase revenue by nearly 15%. With flexible table allocation, revenue could rise by 7.5%, and increasing seating capacity by 20% could boost restaurant revenue by 7.7% without attracting more customers.
- 38% of U.S. diners are willing to wait 15 to 30 minutes for a table, while only 3% would wait more than two hours.
Solution: Train Staff to Communicate Wait Times and Offer Amenities
Train your staff to greet guests immediately and provide accurate wait time estimates. Offer customers amenities like restaurant WiFi, charging stations, or entertainment (e.g., TV) to make the waiting time more comfortable.
Using a restaurant reservation system can help reduce wait times.
7. Unsanitary Conditions, Poor Hygiene Practices, and Allergen Cross-Contamination
Dirty tables, restrooms, utensils, and cross-contamination of allergens can lead to serious guest complaints, as dining in a clean environment is essential for customer satisfaction and safety.
Moreover, 75% of consumers avoid restaurants with negative reviews about their cleanliness.
“When asked to pick the attributes that have the biggest impact on their personal experience when they visit a sit-down tableservice restaurant, 73% of consumers put cleanliness in their top 3. Next on the list were ‘staff is kind and welcoming,’ ‘responsiveness of the staff to their requests and needs’ and ‘wait time for things like food, beverages and the check.’”
Source: STATE OF THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY 2025 by NRA
Solution: Implement Hygiene Standards and Cleanliness Protocols
Create a detailed cleaning checklist and ensure regular cleaning of all areas, including tables, restrooms, and kitchen equipment. Staff handling food should use hand sanitizers and food service gloves to prevent contamination.
Provide thorough allergen training to ensure all team members know proper handling procedures. Consider implementing a regular sanitation schedule and conducting routine audits to maintain the highest hygiene standards.
Doing so will reduce complaints, prevent health risks, and create a safer, more pleasant dining experience for your guests.
8. Noise Levels
Excessive noise from the kitchen, loud music, or other customers can disrupt the dining experience and annoy guests.
Solution: Monitor Noise Levels and Ask for Feedback
Regularly assess noise levels and adjust music volume or restaurant seating arrangements. If a customer’s complaint concerns noise, acknowledge their concern and offer to relocate them to a quieter area or adjust the music volume, if possible.
Solicit restaurant feedback from customers and make adjustments as needed.
Express your understanding of the issue and emphasize your commitment to providing a comfortable dining experience for all guests.
“We apologize for the restaurant being exceptionally loud today. We recognize that a quiet dining setting is crucial for a nice experience, and we are truly sorry if we fell short of your expectations in this regard.”
9. Overcrowding/Crowded Seating
Customers may feel cramped or uncomfortable if seating arrangements are too tight. Poor positioning of tables near high-traffic areas, such as the kitchen service door, can further exacerbate the issue, leading to a less pleasant dining experience.
Solution: Optimize Seating Arrangements
Reassess your restaurant’s seating layout to ensure comfortable spacing between tables. Use reservations and limit walk-ins to manage crowd flow to improve the overall atmosphere and ensure guests have a more relaxed dining experience.
“We value your feedback and apologize for the inconvenience. We’re reassessing our seating arrangements and reservation processes to ensure a more comfortable dining experience for all guests.”
10. Website Issues
Technical difficulties with the restaurant’s website can frustrate customers, particularly when ordering or making reservations online.
Solution: Use an Effective Restaurant Website Builder with Online Ordering Features
Ensure your restaurant website is user-friendly, mobile-optimized, and equipped with an efficient online ordering system.
Use a reliable restaurant website builder to maintain a seamless customer experience and ensure that all menu items and reservation options are easy to navigate.
Our customers report that using the UpMenu restaurant website builder, which includes an online ordering system, has boosted their sales by up to 51%.
Don’t have a restaurant website yet? Check out this ranking of the best restaurant website builders and learn how to create a restaurant website.
11. Lack of Menu Variety or Options for Dietary Restrictions
Complaints may arise when customers with dietary restrictions, such as gluten-free or vegetarian needs, feel limited by your menu options.
Solution: Consider Offering Limited Options for Dietary Needs
Offer at least one option for common dietary needs, such as gluten-free or vegetarian dishes. Ensure your staff know about available options and can suggest modifications where possible.
If you cannot accommodate a customer’s request, apologize for the limited choices, express your commitment to catering to various dietary preferences, and guide them to nearby restaurants that can fulfill their needs.
Take note of their feedback for future menu improvements, and thank them for bringing it to your attention.
“We apologize for our menu not meeting your expectations. Your feedback is greatly appreciated, and as a token of our commitment to your satisfaction, we would like to offer you a complimentary meal on your next visit. This will allow you to experience the positive changes we are implementing and witness the increased menu variety we are striving for.”
12. Overpricing and Poor Value for Money
Customers may feel that the prices are too high for the quality or portion sizes of food, leading to dissatisfaction and negative reviews.
Solution: Reevaluate Pricing, Portion Sizes, and Offer Promotions
When a customer complains about pricing or value, listen attentively to their concerns and clearly explain the factors contributing to the prices, such as quality ingredients, skilled chefs, and overhead costs.
Regularly compare your pricing with competitors and adjust portion sizes as needed. Suggest menu items offering good value or provide promotions like “happy hour” or meal deals.
Consider using seasonal ingredients to reduce restaurant costs while maintaining quality.
Be transparent about the food cost percentage included in the prices and emphasize the overall dining experience, including ambiance and service quality, to show your commitment to value.
“We want to reassure you that we work hard to provide a menu that is a well-balanced blend of quality, flavor, and value. We choose the best ingredients, work with talented chefs, and try to create a setting that enhances your dining experience. While we try to offer fair pricing, we also consider the expenses of upholding our dedication to excellence.”
13. Menu Mismatches or Misleading Descriptions
Customer complaints often arise when the food served doesn’t match the description or images on the menu, something customers notice, leading to disappointment and dissatisfaction.
For American diners, key menu factors include item descriptions (65%) and pricing (64%). Additionally, 40% say readability is important, and 37% value food pictures.
Solution: Ensure Menu Accuracy
Ensure that your menu descriptions and photos accurately reflect the actual food served.
Use real photos of the dishes instead of stock images to avoid misleading customers, and pay close attention to food presentation to ensure it meets the expectations set by the menu.
If you plan to take pictures of your dishes yourself, check out these food photography tips.
14. Unfriendly or Inattentive Staff
Complaints about rude or inattentive staff members can negatively impact your restaurant business. The issue might also arise if customers don’t voice their dissatisfaction directly but later leave a negative review online, such as on social media.
People-related issues, such as staff attitude and competence, account for most (62%) complaints. In comparison, the quality and reliability of goods and services contribute to just a third (34%) of complaints.
Solution: Provide Regular Staff Training
Conduct regular customer service training for staff to reduce complaints and ensure they provide friendly, attentive service.
Address behavioral issues promptly to avoid poor service and maintain a positive atmosphere.
Additionally, encourage open restaurant communication with customers to address concerns before they turn into negative online reviews.
15. Difficulties with Reservations
Issues like mishandled bookings, long waits despite reservations, or lack of availability can cause frustration.
Solution: Set Up an Online Reservation System
Implement a restaurant reservation system to streamline the booking process and avoid errors. Encourage customers to use this system instead of calling, ensuring smoother management of reservations and reducing the chances of double-booking or missed requests.
Our data shows that restaurants using an online reservation system see a major shift, with online bookings making up 64%, while phone reservations account for only 36%.
16. Inadequate Portions
Complaints about portion sizes being too small or not matching the menu descriptions can lead to dissatisfaction and negative feedback.
US Foods reports that 78% of diners consider portion size when eating out, with 74% saying it affects their order.
Solution: Standardize Portion Sizes
Ensure that your kitchen follows standardized portion sizes for consistency. Reevaluate menu items to ensure they align with customer expectations.
While you can consider adjusting portion sizes to improve customer satisfaction, this requires careful pricing consideration—will customers be willing to pay the adjusted price?
Calculating food costs and ensuring that the new portion size remains profitable is key to making this change successfully.
17. Inconsistent Service
One day, everything goes smoothly—customers are immediately welcomed when they arrive, and the service is on point. The other day, they might have to wait for a table with no updates, and frustration starts to build.
Inconsistent restaurant service like this can lead to disappointment and make customers hesitant to return.
Solution: Standardize Service Protocols
Create clear service protocols and ensure that all staff are trained to deliver consistent service every time. Regular training and performance reviews help maintain high standards, ensuring customers receive the same excellent service on each visit.
18. Lack of Certain Products
Customers may get frustrated when items they were excited to order are unavailable. Imagine a customer coming in, sitting down, receiving the menu, choosing their favorite dish, and then finding out it’s unavailable, without any prior notice. This can lead to disappointment and dissatisfaction.
Solution: Use Inventory Management Tools and Update Menus Regularly
When a dish is unavailable, inform customers right away and offer alternatives that match their preferences. This way, you can minimize disappointment and ensure a better overall experience.
Use a restaurant inventory management system to keep track of stock and prevent out-of-stock issues.
Keep your online and physical menus updated, hiding unavailable items from your online menu in real time.
Our data indicates that restaurants using a QR code menu see a 17% increase in online orders. Additionally, QR code menus ensure customers always see the most up-to-date menu, leading to a 23% increase in table turnover.
19. Food Poisoning
Customers may report feeling ill after dining, leading to serious complaints and health risks. This issue should be treated seriously, as how you handle it can significantly influence your restaurant’s reputation and customers’ safety.
Solution: Ensure Food Safety Standards
Implement strict food safety standards, conduct regular health inspections, and ensure staff are adequately trained in food handling practices.
If a customer does report illness, apologize sincerely and offer compensation.
Respond to online reviews regarding health issues by moving the conversation to email for a more detailed resolution. Speak with the chef and review kitchen practices to investigate the issue and prevent future occurrences.
20. Limited Parking or Accessibility
Customers may find it difficult to park or access your restaurant, especially if the location is not accessible to people with disabilities. This can discourage potential diners from visiting.
Solution: Offer Valet or Shuttle Services & Ensure Accessibility
If expanding parking space is not an option, consider offering valet service or providing a shuttle from nearby parking lots. Additionally, ensure your restaurant is fully accessible to people with disabilities by providing ramps, wide doorways, and accessible restrooms.
You could also look into partnering with nearby parking facilities to offer discounts for your guests.
A restaurant employee needs tolerance, empathy, and strong communication skills when dealing with a disgruntled customer. Here are key actions to take:
- Stay Calm: Maintain composure, even if the customer is angry. Stay professional and breathe deeply.
- Listen Carefully: Give the customer your full attention and let them vent.
- Show Empathy: Acknowledge their emotions and express regret for any inconvenience.
- Verify Concerns: Reassure angry customers that their issues are taken seriously by repeating their concerns back to them.
- Offer a Resolution: Propose a solution, like replacing the dish or offering a discount or complimentary item.
- Involve a Manager: If necessary, have a manager offer additional help or compensation.
- Stay Professional: Remain polite and avoid arguing to prevent escalating the situation.
Where Can I See Customer Reviews?
Reviews provide valuable feedback from diners and can significantly influence a potential customer’s decision.
38% of customer complaints are made on social media and review sites, while restaurants receive just 14% of all complaints.
Below, I shortly describe where you can find customer reviews.
Online Review Sites
Restaurant review sites allow customers to share experiences and rate businesses. Examples include:
- Yelp: A well-known platform for finding, reviewing, and ranking restaurants.
- TripAdvisor: A popular travel site with restaurant reviews and travel tips.
- Google My Business: A free tool for managing your restaurant’s presence on Google Search and Maps.
Social Media Platforms
Diners often leave reviews on social media. Popular platforms for feedback include:
- Facebook: A major platform for customer interaction and restaurant promotion.
- Instagram: Focuses on visual content, perfect for showcasing menu items and dining experiences.
- Twitter: A quick platform for real-time updates and direct engagement with customers.
Dedicated Restaurant Feedback Systems
Restaurant feedback systems are typically one of many features found in a food ordering system, which restaurants use to take orders, collect customer data, and market their business.
UpMenu is an all-in-one restaurant management system that allows restaurant owners to collect and share customer feedback on their websites.
Restaurants use UpMenu to create their websites, menus, and ordering apps, enabling customers to place online orders and make reservations via the website and restaurant mobile app.
Additionally, UpMenu provides powerful restaurant marketing tools, including SMS and email campaigns, push notifications, loyalty programs, and QR code menus. It also helps restaurant owners track sales, manage food deliveries, and more.
What Can You Do to Prevent Restaurant Complaints in the Future?
While you can’t eliminate bad restaurant reviews entirely, you can take proactive steps to minimize and address them. Here are some strategies:
- Provide Consistent Quality: Focus on delivering high-quality food, service, and atmosphere—train staff to maintain standards and address issues promptly.
- Set Realistic Expectations: Be transparent about your offerings, menu pricing, and wait times to manage customer expectations and avoid disappointment.
- Train and Empower Your Staff: Invest in staff training to ensure excellent service and equip them with the skills to resolve issues on the spot.
- Actively Seek Feedback: Offer opportunities for customer feedback to address issues before they turn into negative reviews. You can use these restaurant survey questions to gather insights and improve the customer experience.
- Respond to Feedback: Acknowledge and address both positive and negative feedback promptly and professionally.
- Foster a Positive Online Presence: Engage with customers on social media to build a positive image and encourage good reviews.
- Learn from Feedback: Use negative reviews as opportunities to improve your restaurant operations and meet customer expectations.
