Why don’t they come back, Its not because the steak is overcooked.

Published 24.02.2025 - Michael A. Di Palma

A guest doesn’t leave a restaurant thinking, “That steak was overcooked; I’m never coming back.”

They leave because of how we responded.

An overcooked steak can be fixed. A cold dish can be reheated. But if a guest gets met with indifference, defensiveness, or a half-hearted “Sorry about that”—that’s what they remember.

People don’t come back because they felt dismissed. Because the server didn’t seem to care. Because the manager avoided eye contact.

Hospitality isn’t about getting everything right. It’s about handling things right when they go wrong.

A simple “I see the problem, let me fix it” changes everything. But so does “That’s just how it comes” or “There’s nothing I can do.”

And the worst? Silence. Pretending you didn’t notice the guest barely touched their meal and hoping they won’t say anything.

So here’s my challenge—if you’ve worked in hospitality long enough, you’ve seen this happen (or maybe you’ve done it yourself). Next time, call it out. Set the standard. We’re not just serving food—we’re serving people.

And people remember how you made them feel.