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

While answering the IELTS Cue Card keep the following points in mind:

• Do not get nervous and lose attention
• Jot down your points in the 1 minute preparation time
• Begin your response with a short introduction about the topic
• Explain the topic in detail
• Summarize the topic
• Speak Confidently

When and where it happened?

It happened during my last birthday. I with my friends went to the cafe to celebrate my birthday and to have lunch.

What happened?

We ordered both types of food: vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian. We found a strand of beard hair in one of the dishes.

How was it solved?

Firstly, we complained to the waiter but he didn’t listen and blamed us. Then, we talked with the manager about this incident. He listened to our concern carefully, apologized for the inconvenience, and replaced our food.

Explain how you felt about the experience.

We were not satisfied with their service because we went with the excitement of having an amazing dining experience.

Conclusion

To this date whenever I go to have food in any restaurant, this experience does come to my mind.

When and where it happened?

People usually get angry and dissatisfied when they experience bad customer service. It can happen when a company fails to meet customer's expectations. I am sharing a similar incident that I experienced in one of the restaurants. This incident happened to me in June 2022. It was the last day of our last semester. My friend and I decided to have dinner at ADA restaurant located in Bangalore.

What happened?

We booked the table at Dallas Restaurant in advance but the manager allocated that table to someone else. We took our concern to reception but they said no pre-booking was done.

How was it solved?

The receptionist was hesitant to give a proper response. Hence, We contacted the manager but he insisted on asking the receptionist. All these things took more than an hour. We also showed them the pre-booked slot on their website but they did not accept it. We also showed them the payment history and the table no. which we had booked.

Explain how you felt about the experience.

It was a bad experience for me because this whole conflict lasted for more than an hour. At last, we got our money back and went to some other nearby restaurant for dinner.

Conclusion

Restaurants should collect customer reviews to avoid poor service. This will help in understanding the concerns of customers in a better way.

Suggested: PTE vs IELTS: Know the Difference & Which is Easier?

When and where it happened?

Last year in March, one of my friends and I went to a pastry shop. It was the evening time.

What happened?

We both ordered two different pastries: red velvet and black forest. At first, it looked delicious but when we tasted it, it was bad and reeked terribly. We realized that they gave us spoiled pastries.

How was it solved?

We complained about the soiled pastries to the person who handles that store but he didn’t respond. He ignored us when we were speaking to him. Then, we raised a complaint on its website as it was a franchise store.

Explain how you felt about the experience.

We often went to that shop to have pastries. So, we never expected this kind of incident to happen, and after that, we stopped going there.

Conclusion

The main reason behind poor customer service was the staff’s inability to fulfill the customer's needs.

When and where it happened?

The incident occurred last spring when I decided to have dinner with my family at a good restaurant called “Echolon”.

What happened?

When we reached the restaurant, there was a long queue. We had to wait for a while to get a table. The waiter assigned to our table was delaying taking orders from our table. When our food arrived, it was not hot and not fresh.

How was it solved?

After complaining several times to the waiter who didn’t even listen to us, we complained to the manager who apologized for the inconvenience and replaced our meals.

Explain how you felt about the experience.

I always value good customer service at dining places but receiving such poor treatment made me think twice before visiting that place again.

Conclusion

This incident made me realize it is important to focus on customer service in the hospitality industry. While the manager’s response helped to solve the situation something more could have been done to give a more pleasant dining experience.

Suggested: IELTS Exam Preparation

The candidates must answer the follow-up questions about the topic discussed after the cue card task completion. Potential questions for “Describe a bad service you received in a restaurant/shop" include:

Q1. How might the restaurant have better served its customers during peak hours to avoid future incidents similar to the one you encountered?

Ans: The restaurant could implement training procedures to make the whole customer service more efficient. The restaurants can also find effective ways to reduce the waiting times and to ensure that customers are provided with quick services.

Q2. Based on your own experiences, what suggestions would you offer to restaurants or stores that want to raise the quality of their customer service and satisfaction?

Ans: According to my experience, the first thing that all restaurants should focus on is giving proper staff training. The second thing should be that restaurants should focus on establishing transparency with the clients in all the processes like waiting times, changes in menu, or any other problems that might arise during the functioning of the restaurant.

Q3. How do you believe instances of poor customer service affect the reputation of restaurants and shops?

Ans: Yes. The instances of poor customer service can tarnish the image and reputation of restaurants and shops. There are multiple ways in which customers can share their feedback like social media platforms and online feedback sites. Thus, negative feedback from dissatisfied customers can destroy the restaurant's reputation.

Q4. Were there any red flags or warning indications, like lengthy wait times or unwelcoming staff, that you saw before you experienced the poor service?

Ans: Yes. I noticed several warning signs before I experienced poor service at the restaurant. Firstly, there were long waiting lines at the counter when we entered the restaurant. Secondly, it was already a busy hour and the staff was unorganized in their conduct which led to a chaotic scene.

Practice and follow these tips to ace an IELTS cue card, ensuring enough time for preparation and effective presentation of ideas.

It is difficult to get a good band in the IELTS cue card. Preparation is the key to cracking it. Cue cards are an important component of IELTS as their score will affect your overall IELTS band. Using a wide range of vocabulary shows your hold on the English language and helps to present your idea. Moreover, speaking too fast can lead to mistakes, and speaking slowly seems like you need help to speak. You can achieve a good hold on all these important aspects with just one thing. Yes, you heard it right - just one thing! Consistent preparation can help you avoid all those mistakes and make you feel confident on the day of your exam.

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