People see my Instagram and assume I’m a foodie. I get told all the time, “You should totally be a food blogger!”
Please allow me to clear things up, hey? While some people live to eat, I’m firmly in the eat to live camp.
I even tried food blogging once… and quickly discovered I’d make a terrible food critic. My family has an inside joke:
“If Jacq recommends a place, take it with a pinch of salt. If she says the food sucks, avoid it like the plague.”
The thing is…I’m ridiculously easy to please when it comes to food. Which means if a place still can’t pass my very low bar for “edible and enjoyable,” it’s doomed.
That’s because food isn’t the main thing that gets me coming back. I judge restaurants more on hygiene and customer service. You can serve me the world’s most perfectly cooked steak, but if your staff treats me like I’ve personally offended their ancestors, I’m not coming back. Same goes for sticky tables or questionable bathrooms.
And yes, I’ve had a few dining experiences that sealed my personal “never again” list.
The Potato Skins Incident at T.G.I. Friday’s
T.G.I. Friday’s is a popular American casual dining chain I used to love back in the days. Warm, friendly staff, even when things got busy. Sure, orders got mixed up sometimes, but the staff’s attitude always made up for it.
Then came that visit at their other branch in The Curve (a Malaysian mall). My partner and I went for dinner, and I ordered half a serving of loaded potato skins. I made it crystal clear, confirmed it when the waiter repeated my order, and was feeling good about my choice.
Minutes later, a waitress brought me a full serving. I told her it should’ve been half. She apologised and took it back. Then another waitress came to check, nodded, and walked away. So far, so good.
Then my original waiter returned, not with an apology, but with a confident “You ordered the full serving.”
Excuse me? I know I didn’t. But he doubled down, basically trying to put words in my mouth. Eventually, he brought me the correct order, set it down without a word, and walked away.
I know, I know…some of you might think I was being petty to get upset over something so small. But here’s the thing: I’ve had plenty of times where I just accepted the wrong dish and ate it anyway, as long as the staff owned up to the mistake and apologized. Two reasons. One, I hate wasting food, knowing the “wrong order” will probably just end up in the bin. And two, I don’t like the thought of a waiter or waitress getting in trouble over a simple slip-up.
However, in this case, the waiter who made the mistake was so adamant he was right that he probably was complaining to his colleagues because I noticed one waitress kept staring like I was some kind of troublemaker, and the whole vibe was uncomfortable. At that point, my appetite had left the building. The only bright spot was another waiter (not local) who apologised on behalf of his colleague and even tried to cheer us up. Unfortunately, one friendly face wasn’t enough to salvage the night. I decided not to return to that branch until I got an apology (see how forgiving I can be?) which, of course, never came.
“Death by Scones” at Dome Café
Dome Café is an Australian coffeehouse chain, and for a while, they made my favourite scones.
So back in 2018 when they moved from Mid Valley Mall to The Gardens, a slightly more upscale mall next door in Kuala Lumpur, I was thrilled. Quieter, prettier, and with fewer crowds.
That excitement lasted exactly three visits.
First visit: Service was fine, but the manager was loudly giving staff briefings right next to our table. Pro tip: if your voice is competing with customers’ conversations, move the pep talk somewhere else.
Second visit: My partner ordered creamy seafood pasta. The order was repeated and confirmed… and then she was served bolognese. When we pointed out she didn’t eat beef, the waiter looked baffled, fetched the receipt, and showed us the wrong dish written down. So why repeat the order if you’re going to get it wrong anyway? Strike one. The replacement dish came eventually, but they also messed up our bill by forgetting to apply my free meal coupon.
Third (and final) visit: This was a masterclass in how to destroy customer patience.
- My scones arrived before my meal despite me clearly saying, “Please serve them after.”
- My coffee came without my partner’s hot chocolate.
- Her meal took so long she started eating my wedges.
- Multiple tables were waiting absurd amounts of time just for their change and one girl waited 15 minutes for coins.
- Our bill was wrong. Twice.
- And yes, we waited for our 65 cents change just to make a point.
By the time we left, no one said thank you, goodbye, or “please come again.” The manager didn’t apologise, the staff looked frazzled, and I mentally moved my scone loyalty elsewhere.
The Real Secret Sauce
Here’s the thing: good food might get me through your door once, but good service will keep me coming back for years. Bad service? It sticks in my memory longer than the taste of any meal.
If you’re in the food business:
- Train your staff to be friendly and professional.
- Don’t treat customers like they’re wrong by default.
- Hygiene isn’t optional.
If you’re a diner: remember you’re allowed to vote with your wallet. You don’t owe your loyalty to a place that makes you feel unwelcome.
I may not be a foodie, but I know this; great service is the real secret sauce. And if you can serve me that plus a decent scone? You’ve got me for life.
JacQ’s Restaurant Survival Guide (A Completely Unscientific List)
- If the cutlery sticks to the table, run. You don’t need to know why. Just go.
- Never argue with a customer over potato skins. It’s not about the potato skins. It’s about dignity.
- If you have a free meal coupon, watch that bill like a hawk. Apparently, “free” means “optional” in some places.
- Timing is everything. Meals before drinks, desserts before mains. These are red flags, not “quirky service styles.”
- The change test: If it takes longer to get your change than it did to cook your meal, you’ve just witnessed a management problem in action.
At the end of the day, I’ll never be the person who chases the latest food trends or lines up for a dish just because it’s gone viral on TikTok. But if your place is clean, your staff treats people with respect, and you can get my order right without a wrestling match, I’ll be back even for just a quiet cup of coffee. Because for me, eating isn’t just about the food. It’s about how the whole experience makes you feel… and nobody ever Instagrammed a bad mood.
