I want to speak to the manager

Seven dreaded words when I managed a restaurant. My heart would miss a beat. I would tense up. The hair on my neck straightened. Was something so wrong the server couldn't fix it?

It hurt me to think that we did not do our best. I would ask the server what happened. Getting all the information, I would take a deep breath and go to the table ready for my lashings.

In most cases, the customer would thank me, offer praise to the staff or just want to say hi.

There were bad times. It is in those bad times, a manager is tested each and every time.

Here are my steps to handle a complaint.

Step 1: Listen and Understand
Let the customer say everything they have to say. Let them speak their entire mind. Ask questions to get more information. Don't offer a solution until you have all the information. A customer who starts to repeat themselves is probably done venting.

Step 2: Empathize and Acknowledge
Apologizing for a mistake is normal. Don't give excuses. A customer isn't always right, but they are about 95% of the time. Not all customers are equal. Asking a customer if this is their first experience with your brand is really important. A returning customer is more important than a first time customer. A first time customer can become a loyal customer if the stars align properly. But chances are if this is their first experience, and it's bad, they won't be back.

Step 3: Fixing the problem
Offer to fix the problem immediately. The manager's most important job during the day is fix this customer's problem immediately. Everything else becomes secondary. A fixed problem is a gone problem. A manager must always empathize that the customer's time has been wasted. All complaints need to be handled with tact. Putting a restaurant's immediate profits with this customer is not important. The future business is more important. If the problem can be fixed, offer a discount on this purchase but also on a future purchase. The rationale is to leave a customer with a remarkable last impression.

Step 4: Thank the customer
This is the most critical step. Saying something like, "Thank you for making my business better. I'm sure you're not the first person who this has happened to. You're courage in telling us has brought this oversight to our attention."

Most customers are not looking for freebies. They just want to be served. The very small percentage of customers that are potentially scamming the business is only damaging if you treat all your customers like thieves.