Changing an Order After It's Been Sent to the Kitchen
IntermediateRestaurant
A new part-time waiter asks an experienced colleague for advice on how to handle a table that wants to change their order after the food has already gone to the kitchen.
L
LinW
WangL
王姐,那桌客人想换菜,可是我已经把单子送进厨房了,怎么办?
Wáng jiě, nà zhuō kèrén xiǎng huàn cài, kěshì wǒ yǐjīng bǎ dānzi sòng jìn chúfáng le, zěnme bàn?
Sister Wang, the customers at that table want to change their dish, but I've already sent the order into the kitchen. What should I do?
W
别慌,你先问清楚他们想换成什么,顺便看看厨房那边开始做了没有。
Bié huāng, nǐ xiān wèn qīngchu tāmen xiǎng huàn chéng shénme, shùnbiàn kànkan chúfáng nàbiān kāishǐ zuò le méiyǒu.
Don't panic. First ask clearly what they want to change it to, and while you're at it, check whether the kitchen has started making it.
L
他们说那道鱼太辣了,想换成清蒸的。要是已经下锅了呢?
Tāmen shuō nà dào yú tài là le, xiǎng huàn chéng qīngzhēng de. Yàoshi yǐjīng xià guō le ne?
They said that fish dish is too spicy and want to change it to a steamed one. What if it's already in the pot?
W
如果还没下锅,你直接跟厨师说一声,改一下就行,一般都没问题。
Rúguǒ hái méi xià guō, nǐ zhíjiē gēn chúshī shuō yī shēng, gǎi yīxià jiù xíng, yìbān dōu méi wèntí.
If it's not in the pot yet, just tell the chef directly to change it, and that's fine — usually there's no problem at all.
L
那要是已经下锅了,或者快做好了,我该怎么跟客人解释呢?
Nà yàoshi yǐjīng xià guō le, huòzhě kuài zuò hǎo le, wǒ gāi zěnme gēn kèrén jiěshì ne?
Then if it's already in the pot, or almost done, how should I explain it to the customers?
W
这种情况就实话实说,委婉地告诉他们菜已经在做了,不太方便退。
Zhè zhǒng qíngkuàng jiù shíhuà shíshuō, wěiwǎn de gàosu tāmen cài yǐjīng zài zuò le, bù tài fāngbiàn tuì.
In this situation, just be honest — tactfully tell them the dish is already being made, so it's not really convenient to cancel it.
L
万一客人不高兴,非要换,我一个新人也不敢做主啊。
Wànyī kèrén bù gāoxìng, fēi yào huàn, wǒ yí gè xīnrén yě bù gǎn zuòzhǔ a.
What if the customers get upset and insist on changing it? I'm a newbie and don't dare make that call.
W
遇到这种情况你别自己硬扛,直接叫店长或者领班过来处理。
Yùdào zhè zhǒng qíngkuàng nǐ bié zìjǐ yìng káng, zhíjiē jiào diànzhǎng huòzhě lǐngbān guòlái chǔlǐ.
When you run into this kind of situation, don't try to tough it out alone — just call the manager or the head waiter over to handle it.
L
明白了。那我现在就去厨房问问那道鱼到底做了没有,对吧?
Míngbái le. Nà wǒ xiànzài jiù qù chúfáng wènwen nà dào yú dàodǐ zuò le méiyǒu, duì ba?
Got it. So I'll go to the kitchen now and ask whether that fish has actually been made yet, right?
W
对,动作快一点,越早问越好处理,拖久了菜一做好就只能算了。
Duì, dòngzuò kuài yìdiǎn, yuè zǎo wèn yuè hǎo chǔlǐ, tuō jiǔ le cài yī zuò hǎo jiù zhǐ néng suàn le.
Right, be quick about it. The sooner you ask, the easier it is to handle. If you drag it out and the dish gets finished, then there's nothing you can do.
L
好,我记住了:先问清楚,能改就改,改不了就找领班。
Hǎo, wǒ jì zhù le: xiān wèn qīngchu, néng gǎi jiù gǎi, gǎi bu liǎo jiù zhǎo lǐngbān.
Okay, I've got it: first ask clearly, change it if you can, and if it can't be changed, find the head waiter.
W
对,而且跟客人说话态度一定要好,他们才不会计较。快去吧!
Duì, érqiě gēn kèrén shuōhuà tàidù yídìng yào hǎo, tāmen cái bù huì jìjiào. Kuài qù ba!
Right, and make sure your attitude is good when you talk to the customers — that way they won't make a fuss. Now hurry up and go!