Sarah and her husband David were celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary. They had made a reservation at a new Italian restaurant called Bella Notte. The restaurant had received excellent reviews online. Sarah was excited because she had heard the pasta there was exceptional. They arrived at the restaurant exactly at seven o'clock. The hostess greeted them warmly and led them to their table. The restaurant had a beautiful atmosphere with soft lighting and elegant decorations. Sarah smiled at David as they sat down. 'This place looks wonderful,' she said. A waiter came to their table after about ten minutes. He introduced himself and handed them the menus. 'I will be back in a few minutes to take your order,' he said. Sarah and David looked through the menu carefully. Everything sounded delicious, so it was difficult to choose. When the waiter returned, Sarah ordered the seafood linguine. David chose the ribeye steak with roasted vegetables. They also ordered a bottle of red wine to share. The waiter brought the wine quickly, which was a good start. Sarah and David talked about their ten years together while waiting for the food. They remembered their wedding day and laughed about some funny moments. After forty minutes, their food had still not arrived. Sarah looked around and noticed that other tables that had arrived after them were already eating. 'This is taking quite a long time,' David said, checking his watch. Sarah agreed but decided to wait a little longer before saying anything. Finally, after fifty-five minutes, the waiter approached with their plates. Sarah was relieved to see the food at last. However, when she took her first bite of linguine, something was wrong. The pasta was barely warm, almost cold in the center. 'How is your steak?' Sarah asked David. David cut into his steak and frowned. 'I ordered it medium-rare, but this is well done,' he said with disappointment. Sarah put down her fork and looked at David. 'My pasta is cold too,' she said quietly. 'We should say something,' David suggested. Sarah hesitated because she did not like confrontation. She usually tried to avoid complaining in restaurants. 'But this is our anniversary dinner,' David reminded her gently. 'We paid a lot of money for this meal.' Sarah knew he was right. She raised her hand to get the waiter's attention. The waiter came over after a few minutes. 'Is everything okay with your meal?' he asked. Sarah took a deep breath before speaking. 'Actually, there are some issues with our food,' she said politely but firmly. 'My linguine is cold, and my husband's steak is overcooked.' The waiter looked surprised and apologized immediately. 'I am very sorry about this. Let me take these back to the kitchen.' He quickly picked up both plates and hurried away. Sarah and David waited again, this time with less patience. After fifteen minutes, a different person came to their table. She was dressed more formally and introduced herself as the restaurant manager. 'Good evening. I am Maria, the manager. I understand there was a problem with your order.' Sarah explained the situation calmly. She mentioned the long wait time, the cold pasta, and the overcooked steak. Maria listened carefully and nodded with understanding. 'I am truly sorry for your experience tonight,' she said sincerely. 'This is not the standard of service we aim to provide.' Sarah appreciated that Maria took responsibility instead of making excuses. 'We will prepare fresh dishes for you right away,' Maria continued. 'And I would like to offer you a complimentary dessert and remove the cost of your wine.' David and Sarah looked at each other with pleasant surprise. 'That is very generous of you,' Sarah said. Maria smiled warmly at them. 'It is the least we can do. I want you to have a wonderful anniversary dinner.' True to her word, the new dishes arrived within fifteen minutes. This time, the food was perfect. Sarah's linguine was hot and delicious, full of fresh seafood. David's steak was cooked exactly as he had ordered, medium-rare and tender. They enjoyed every bite of their meal. When they finished their main course, the waiter brought out a beautiful chocolate cake. It was decorated with fresh berries and a candle. 'Happy anniversary,' the waiter said with a smile. Sarah felt emotional at this kind gesture. The chocolate cake was absolutely delicious. After finishing their dessert, Sarah and David asked for the bill. When the waiter brought it, they were surprised to see an additional discount. Maria had reduced the total bill by twenty percent. 'This is more than we expected,' David said gratefully. Before leaving, Sarah went to find Maria to thank her personally. 'Thank you for turning our evening around,' Sarah said. 'What started badly ended up being a lovely experience.' Maria shook Sarah's hand warmly. 'I hope you will give us another chance in the future,' Maria said. 'We definitely will,' Sarah replied with a genuine smile. On the drive home, David and Sarah discussed what had happened. 'I am glad you spoke up,' David said. 'If we had stayed silent, we would have had a disappointing meal.' Sarah nodded thoughtfully. 'I learned something important tonight,' she said. 'Complaining does not have to be aggressive or rude.' 'If you explain the problem calmly, most people want to help fix it.' David agreed completely. 'The manager handled everything professionally,' he added. 'She made us feel valued as customers instead of being defensive.' When they got home, Sarah thought about writing a review online. She decided to write an honest review that mentioned both the initial problems and the excellent recovery. 'A restaurant's true quality shows in how they handle mistakes,' she wrote. She gave the restaurant four stars and recommended it to others. That night, as they got ready for bed, David gave Sarah a kiss. 'Happy anniversary. Here is to ten more years of adventures together.'
English Story (B1)Complaint at Restaurant
This B1 English story is designed for intermediate learners. Click any word for instant translation and build your vocabulary as you read.
aboutStory
Sarah and David go to a new Italian restaurant for their tenth wedding anniversary. When their food arrives, Sarah's pasta is cold and David's steak is overcooked. Sarah overcomes her discomfort with complaining and politely explains the problem to the staff. The restaurant manager apologizes sincerely, replaces the dishes, and offers complimentary dessert and discounts. Sarah learns that polite and calm communication can lead to positive outcomes, and the couple ends up having a wonderful anniversary dinner.
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Comprehension Questions
4 questions
1
What was wrong with Sarah's linguine?
2
What did the restaurant manager Maria offer Sarah and David?
3
Why was Sarah hesitant to complain at first?
4
What did Sarah learn from the experience?
Vocabulary
39 words from this story
