The original poster (OP) wants advice from an online community about his recent experience with friends at a restaurant. He went out for dinner with a group of friends. When they ordered their meals, OP ordered a steak cooked medium-rare. When the steak arrived, it was well done and tough instead. OP called the waiter over and politely explained the issue, asking if they could cook him another steak as he asked. The waiter apologized and took the steak back to the kitchen.
When he received his replacement steak, it was cooked perfectly. However, when the bill came, he noticed he had been charged for both steaks. He asked the waiter why he was charged for two steaks and said they had to charge him for it since they had to cook another steak.
OP was frustrated by this and argued with the waiter, saying that it wasn’t his fault that they had messed up his steak in the first place. His friends were getting uncomfortable with the situation, and eventually, he gave in and paid the bill. Later one of his friends pulled him aside and told him that he had been rude to the waiter and shouldn’t have argued with him over the bill. They said he was selfish and should have just paid for the second steak without causing a scene.
His friends said he was ‘shouting’ at the waiter. But he believes his voice was just elevated out of frustration, but he wasn’t shouting. He didn’t escalate the issue intentionally to not cause a scene. He also says some of his friends are socially awkward, so he just let it go and paid.
Many readers agreed that he was right to complain about being charged for two steaks and said they never would have paid for the second steak.
“They take it back and cook the new one. They’re just being petty and wanting him to pay for two since they used two and he wasn’t happy with the first.”
“They messed up your order, the restaurant should’ve covered the cost of the new steak. Next time don’t argue with the waiter if they’re refusing to comp the messed up meal, ask for a manager.”
Some readers said his friends likely wouldn’t have said something if it didn’t sound bad.
“Didn’t shout but raised his voice a bit.” Yeah, I’m gonna guess that it was worse than they think. It most often is.”
“But evidence is OP responded in a way that made his friends uncomfortable. If OP was merely “frustrated” why would his friend need to “pull him aside?”
However some readers pointed out that some people are just uncomfortable with confrontation in general.
“Some people are just very uncomfortable with confrontation, no matter how civil or how justified.”
“I find this with many younger adults, 18-25, they will do everything in their power to avoid any confrontation. I never would have paid for the second steak.”
One reader agreed that she has the same issue.
“I could be served actual crap and I’d just sit there quietly so not to make a scene! Thankful for my husband or else I’d never eat out.”
A reader advised her “You should do your best to change that. Don’t be a doormat. Speak up!”
Several also said his friends were wrong for stopping him from getting his bill changed.
“If you wanna be a meek little worm about everything, more power to you, and if I’m being rude please stop me. But don’t try to make me the bad guy for asking for my money back when it’s owed.”
What do you think? Should OP have argued about the bill or let it go? Should his friends have stopped him from getting the bill changed?
This article came from a post on this thread.
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