Out at dinner with the family last Saturday at Yautcha restaurant just off Berwick Street in London. Terrible service. The meal took over an hour to turn up. The kids were getting very restive. When the meal finally arrived it was cold. I duly blew my top as this is not an inexpensive restaurant and they need to do better. Important to remember at times like this though to propose a remedy as well as just sounding off- otherwise you don’t give the other side a chance to put the deal right.

In this case I made clear that we wanted money off and the restaurant was only too happy to oblige. We got the whole meal cooked again and enjoyed it for free. If we had just stormed out that wouldn’t have happened and the restaurant wouldn’t have had a chance to make amends.

So the next time you want to complain, do say what will put it right as well. And if someone is complaining at you, make them state their remedy. That will ether completely take the wind out of their sails or it will get the discussion on to a far more positive track…