Describe a Bad Service You Received in a Restaurant/shop - IELTS Cue Card

I have had many experiences with excellent service in restaurants, hotels, government offices, etc. However, occasionally, issues arose, making the experience poor in comparison to other services.

I want to write about one such instance where I went to a restaurant, and the meal service was terrible. It was last month, as I recall. My buddies and I made plans to attend a celebration when we all completed our master's degrees.

Following that, we made plans to visit a recently opened cafe in my hometown. This place was called “Chilli and Cheese”. We had heard excellent reviews and advice on the local channel and the internet. It was a traditional Indian restaurant in the heart of my city.

Since some of my friends were non-vegetarians, we ordered vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Despite asking for the food several times, we had to wait a long time for it to arrive. It finally arrived after 45 minutes. 

However, the waiter mixed the vegetarian platter with the non-vegetarian food, so one of our vegetarian friends consumed non-vegetarian food. He got so angry at the restaurant because of this mistake. 

We immediately contacted the cafe manager. He called the waiter to clarify the matter, but the waiter continuously denied his mistake. But somehow, the manager forced him to tell the truth. After that, he apologised to us and prepared a fresh border for us. 

The experience was disgusting because we had to wait too long for the food to arrive, and that was because of the wrong order. 

This event reminded me of how important excellent customer service is in determining a customer's entire experience. Errors should not only be corrected but also avoided.

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A company's ability to provide excellent customer service is essential to its success. In my life, I've encountered bad service a few times at various establishments, including restaurants, hotels, and shops. Here, I'll discuss a time when I went to a restaurant and wanted more than the service I received.

I can still clearly recall that last year, my family and I decided to go out for dinner. We went to a recently constructed restaurant in the city centre. We were all really delighted to be eating at a new restaurant. But, the moment we entered, I noticed an excess of people standing in the restaurant, waiting for the tables. 

I was a little let down that we hardly had a table. We were so hungry, so we ordered our favourite foods and asked the waiter to bring them to us as soon as possible. Conversely, our order took a very long time to deliver. With so many customers to attend to, it was kind of understandable. But when we discovered the waiter had delivered the incorrect order, our patience quickly turned to anger.

We called him right away and asked him to bring the correct order. He became absorbed in other customers rather than trying to solve our issue. After waiting a while, we addressed this issue to the manager and reviewed everything with him. I must say, he listened patiently as we talked about our issue. When he heard it, he told us that our favourite cuisine would be delivered in a few minutes and apologised for the poor service. In addition, a complimentary dessert was provided as a gesture of apology. 

I was angry at first, but the kind manager helped me cool down. As a result, the experience was neither positive nor negative. But after that, I never needed to return to this restaurant.

Overall, we must deal with the situation patiently every time we encounter such an issue. Every problem has its solution and can be solved easily with patience. 

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In restaurants and retail establishments, poor service is intended to occur when a customer is inconvenienced or has their expectations not met. I'll talk about my negative experience with poor service at a restaurant right now.  

It happened last year when my friends and I went to celebrate my birthday over lunch at a restaurant that was just 2 km away from my house.  

Since we were 11 people in total, we ordered from a vast menu. One of us requested chilli garlic noodles. We detected hair, similar to beard hair, in that dish, which was very disheartening. 

We initially called and complained to the server, but he dismissed it and blamed us as if it were our fault. Since he did not listen, we raised our complaint with the manager. He replaced our food with another bowl after apologising for the inconvenience.  

I was really unhappy with the bad service we received that day. We were eager to enjoy some delicious food when we arrived, but things went differently. We also had to argue with the server and the manager, which ultimately ruined our mood. 

All in all, I still remember that experience. Negligence is the primary cause of bad services. 

It should be the restaurant's job to answer customers' questions and treat them nicely.

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Question: How do most people respond to bad services? 

Answer: Most people may feel displeased or irritated when they receive poor service. They can voice their worries or request a solution by speaking with the person delivering the service. In addition to contacting higher authorities, some individuals may also submit online reviews or discuss their negative experiences with friends and family in an effort to alert others to poor treatment. 

Question: Do you think services are better now than in the past?

Answer: Undoubtedly, technological improvements and heightened competition have significantly improved the quality of services provided in a variety of industries today. In the past, fewer service providers, such as hotels and restaurants, guaranteed top-notch services; today, there are many of these businesses, eliminating the opportunity for error and standardising the services.

Question: What kind of services are bad services?

Answer: Bad service is defined as a service where there is an unheard-of delay and the work performed falls short of the customer's expectations. Furthermore, it is also considered poor service if the product experiences another malfunction after receiving service.

Question: Why do some people remain silent when receiving bad services?

Answer: It all depends on the person and the individual's problem-solving method. Some people choose not to speak up because they believe complaining about poor service wastes time. They wish to avoid any needless arguments that may result from it.

Question: Who should be responsible for the inadequate services?

Answer: I believe it depends on the circumstances, but in general, the service provider should be held accountable as it is their responsibility to ensure that clients are satisfied.

Question: What would you do as a boss to prevent inadequate services?

Answer: If I were the manager, I would ensure that everything is well-organized and that the employees are well-educated to handle any requests. I'd also teach them how to treat clients with courtesy.

Question: How can we avoid the bad services?

Answer: The company should ask customers about their requirements and preferences, listen to their feedback, and teach server staff or servers to respond to clients to prevent poor service. 

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The speaking cue card sections of the IELTS typically require the applicant to approach them cautiously. Examiners will be impressed and award a good band score if you include vivid details, personal experiences, and a sincere connection to your topic. 

We hope you are now clear on how to answer cue card questions like “Describe a bad service you received in a restaurant/shop” type of IELTS speaking cue card questions. But, if you want to get further details or would like to prepare for IELTS, you can contact our expert counsellors at Meridean Overseas Education Consultants (MOEC). You can also take free online counselling through our website. Our expert counsellors will provide you with the best support and guidance you need for admission and visa. In addition, they will help you shortlist the universities according to your profile. For more information or any queries, contact application02@meridean.org or 1800-1230-00011