Would you complain?
 

Mr. Kipper and I were out at dinner last night, and the manager delivered our entrees before we received our salads. I told the manager that I'd really like for him to take our food back until after we had a chance to eat our salads. He stated that if he took the food back, they'd throw it out, but that if we took it now, he'd buy it for us.

When we received our check, nothing was discounted. I opted not to push the issue, because I didn't complain to get the meals for free. I complained because I obviously wasn't happy that our entrees arrived before our salads.

However, now I'm wondering if I should have complained, or if I should talk to the GM today.

Would anyone else?

Where was this? In France, it's traditional to serve a small green salad after the main course, before the cheese and dessert. I've complained when my salad is served before my main course in Paris because they realize I'm a foreigner.

i frequently order 4 small plates. i ask they bring them when they are ready. i think usa is unique in demanding salad course first.

if i were you, i would complain

This is incorrect. I have visited several European countries where the salad course is served prior to the main course.

There is a little room for confusion because entree means starter/appetizer in Europe and main course in the USA. If they served an appetizer before the salad, it's not really worth a complaint. Obviously if this restaurant was in the US and they served the main course prior to the salad, you have a valid complaint.

You certainly should not have expected to get free food for complaining. However, once he offered to remove the charges, and you agreed, he is obligated to follow through. Otherwise, you would have chosen the "send my food back" option. The time to talk to him was when you received the check with the incorrect amount.

At this point, I would drop it.

I'd say let it go.

Yes, the manager offered to remove the charges, you accepted, and this didn't happen. This was probably an error on the manager's or server's part (server wasn't told by manager or simply forgot) but once you got the bill, chose not to dispute it and paid it IMO the matter was closed.

Agree with medic51vrf, because though the complaint is
justified, there is now a timeliness issue.

I would not have left the restaurant without calling the manager back to have the bill adjusted. If he hid in the kitchen and did not honor his word, then fine, get on the internet and call him a liar, and file a dispute with the credit card company and anybody else who cares to listen that they screwed up, offered you a free entree, and then didn't honor their word. But you chose to accept getting terrible service and then you chose not to insist on receiving the compensation that you were offered. It is now a "he said, he said" story. You can certainly choose to escalate and you probably should since it does seem like the manager is a bit of a fibber and people who lie to one person generally lie to many...but it would have been better to correct this on the spot. If it's an honest mistake, it would have been kinder to take care of it without an internet discussion. If it's a lie, which it probably is, since it's hard to forget you just offered someone a free meal, then it should be posted, but I would have wanted to be REAL sure the manager was a liar...thus I would not have left without giving a second chance. I do realize people are busy and don't have time for endless discussions...but if you do have time, use it!

I'd have bellied up to the bar and threatened to shoot out the lights, but then I'm an obstreperous diner likely to complain about miscues, missteps and blunders.

Obviously, even for me there's an exception, dining out with others. I hesitate to embarrass them. As for me, I'm past the age of embarrassment.

1. Local custom has nothing to do with this. The manager offered to write off the cost.

2. The manager forgot.

3. The time to deal with this was when the check was presented with the error in it. Can't imagine that it would have taken more than 10 seconds to do it.

4. Complain after the fact? Not in a million years.

+1 Why would you not correct the bill at the time?

Bringing the main course before the salad is a significant screw-up, and I give the manager credit for an innovative solution to your problem -- if only he'd have followed through.

I agree with Often1. This should have been dealt with in the moment.... not after the fact.

You might call and try to get the manager and say you were disappointed to get charged for your entrees after his agreement to remove the charge and that you would have asked for the food to be served in the order expected if he had not offered that option.

I would hope you would get a free dinner out of the request.

We didn't correct the bill at the time as we were both rather tired, having not had a restful night's sleep the night before, and having just returned home from a weekend away. All I really wanted to do was go to bed, not wait around to find the manager.

Then let it go altogether.

+3 - OP made a perfectly understandable decision to let it go. Now, he really needs to let it go.