As a restaurant owner, a food poisoning complaint is one of the last problems you want to hear about but it’s a reality of the business. A food poisoning complaint doesn’t just require a formal response, it can also dent your restaurant’s reputation if the person that made the complaint doesn’t feel as if you are handling things in the appropriate manner. The truth is that contaminated food can take minutes or days before causing illness, so it’s possible that your patron fell ill from something he ate at home or somewhere else. However, if the food poisoning complaint is legitimate, you must identify where it originated, such as from incorrectly prepared food, food that wasn’t properly refrigerated, or food that was contaminated. Having a procedure in place to deal with potential problems may help your restaurant avoid negative publicity or even a lawsuit.
The first part of your restaurant response to food poisoning should be to project empathy without accepting blame for the incident. You should avoid saying “I’m sorry” because if the patron files a lawsuit that apology could be construed as an admission of guilt. You can say things such as “I hear your complaint,” and “I understand that you are upset about what happened,” which convey the fact that you are not taking the patron’s comments lightly. It’s important that your restaurant response to food poisoning is neutral and non-confrontational, which can help you get all the necessary information about the incident from the patron.
The next important step of your restaurant response to food poisoning is to document the incident using a foodborne illness complaint form. The templates for these forms are widely available on the internet. Information required to complete this form includes, customer name and contact information, date the patron dined, specific food the patron ate, specific food other diners at the table ate (if applicable), patron symptoms, treatment the patron sought, whether or not the patron took home food from your restaurant, other food the patron consumed that day before and after the restaurant meal, and the date and time you scheduled a follow-up call with the patron.
When patrons report food poisoning, they expect you to investigate the incident as thoroughly as possible. Start by talking to your chef and cooks about the exact ingredients they used to cook the patron’s meal. Since many patrons report food poisoning shortly after they visit a restaurant, it’s often possible for you to isolate the ingredients used to prepare the meal that could have made that patron sick. Store samples of these ingredients, and instruct your chef not to use them until you can determine if they’re safe for consumption. It’s also a good idea for you to review the proper handling of food and cooking surfaces with your cooking staff.
Restaurant managers or owners should always contact their local health department after patrons report food poisoning so that there’s an official record on file in the event that the patron pursues legal action. Inform the health department representative that you’ve completed a foodborne illness complaint form and the other steps you’ve taken to investigate the incident with your cooking staff.
Once your investigation is completed, contact the patron and inform that person of the steps you took to resolve the issue. If your investigation yielded no evidence of contamination, and no other patron reported food poisoning, inform the patron of these facts. Let the patron know you contacted the health department, and that you have reiterated the importance of safe food handling with your staff. It’s important to remember that if the patron has medical evidence of food poisoning, then you may need to send samples of your ingredients to the health department for testing.
