Enough Is Enough: When the Customer Crosses the Line

I recently read an article in The Telegraph about chefs fed up with being blackmailed for freebies, threatened with bad reviews, and publicly shamed over nonsense complaints. It sparked a flurry of conversations between friends and customers in the fish and chip world. Because let's be honest—this isn't just happening to fine dining restaurants. It's happening to me, you, everyone, every single day.

You serve someone a decent meal, maybe even a great one, and next thing you know, you're dealing with a one-star review or a post in the local Facebook group. Sometimes it's fair. A lot of the time—it's not. The culture around complaints has changed. It's more aggressive, more public, and often wholly disproportionate. And if you run a fish and chip shop, I don't need to tell you how exhausting it is.

 

The Rise of the Keyboard Complainer

What used to be a quiet word at the counter has turned into a one-star ambush online. A complaint isn't just a complaint anymore—it's a performance. It's a viral post. A threat to "expose you."

 

You know the type:

"The food and staff were fine, but I got a parking ticket nearby. I want a refund."

"Close at 9 pm, what sort of chippy is this"

"Great portion, really fresh, but my table was wobbly. Ruined the meal."

"Didn't like the colour of the walls. One star."

 

You try to laugh it off, but let's be real—these reviews sting. And if you're a small, independent business, they can have real consequences. A bad review can knock you down the rankings on Google, steer potential customers away, and leave you second-guessing your team for something that wasn't your fault.

 

And the worst bit? You don't even get the chance to fix it. Because by the time you've read the review, it's already out there. Public. Permanent.

You Want to Get It Right—So Do We

I'm not here to say businesses never mess up. We all do. Orders get mixed up, fish overcooks, chips sit a little too long. And when that happens, good businesses want to make it right.

 

It's no different at Ceres. We supply shops like yours with products you rely on, and when something goes wrong, we jump on it. But like you, we also deal with people who lead with threats instead of fairness.

 

Recently, someone emailed about a single item that had broken in transit. It was a simple issue, and one we'd already resolved—a replacement was literally being packed as I was responding. But the tone of the message was all ultimatums. "Sort this out, or I'll be posting it in the groups."

 

Sound familiar?

 

That tone doesn't help. Not with us. Not with you. Not with anyone.

 

Is the Customer Really Always Right?

Let's be honest: sometimes they're not.

Sometimes, they ordered the wrong thing.

Sometimes, they're pushing their luck.

Sometimes, they just have a bad day and take it out on you.

 

You don't need to be a mind reader to spot when someone's "trying it on." And yet, we're expected to smile, nod, apologise—and then some.

 

Chef Andrew Sheridan has spoken out about this too. His team were once asked to comp a meal and give out vouchers because a customer's view was blocked by a structural pillar—one that literally holds up the building. He's also dealt with online blackmail: fake reviewers demanding £2,000 or they'd tank his Google score.

 

And it's not just chefs at high-end restaurants—this happens everywhere, including your local chippy.

Fighting Back: You're Not the Only One

You're not imagining it. Other businesses are experiencing this too—and some are pushing back publicly.

 

Take Naseer Khan, owner of Taste of Pakistan in Hounslow. He's become known for his savage-yet-satisfying replies to unfair reviews. When one customer left a one-star review, he replied:

 

"Looks like you left your taste buds at home."

To another, he said:

"You are the guy who was intoxicated, you smelt so bad, the workers complained."

 

Blunt? Absolutely. But it struck a chord. He's passionate about his restaurant and tired of being treated like he's running a scam.

 

Then there's Jackie Wan, owner of Forum Chinese restaurant in Cambridgeshire. When a customer claimed their stir fry only had four prawns, Jackie didn't panic—he checked the CCTV.

 

"From my limited calculating skills, I got seven pieces, which is the standard number of prawns," he wrote. "Have you forgotten the three pieces your partner had?"

 

Again, maybe not everyone's style—but it shows how far some businesses now have to go just to defend themselves from nonsense.

 

Social Media Has Removed All Friction

It used to take a bit of effort to complain. You had to find a manager, speak your mind, or write a letter. Now? Two taps, and you've left a public review.

 

That friction kept things fair. It gave you, as the business owner, a chance to fix things directly. But now people jump straight to outrage. Some don't even give you the chance to respond privately—they go public first and then email you demanding a solution.

 

The most damaging part is this behaviour trains others to do the same.

After kicking off online, they see someone get a refund or a comped meal and think, "I'll do that too."

It becomes a tactic—not feedback.

Big Brands, Easy Refunds—And the Problem That Creates

What likely doesn't help is how quickly the big American fast food chains—McDonald's, Burger King, KFC—are willing to appease customers without first qualifying whether the complaint is even valid. They deal with huge volumes of complaints every day, and their approach is often: refund, replace, move on.

 

It's not necessarily because the customer is right—it's because they don't want the hassle or risk of escalation. It's cheaper for them to cave quickly than to get dragged into an argument or, worse, go viral.

 

But what that's done—often unintentionally—is train customers to expect the same response from every business, including independents like yours. So now, when someone complains in a fish and chip shop and doesn't get an instant refund or apology, they escalate. It's not right, but it's where we are.

 

A Better Way to Complain

After reopening after the refurbishment, one of our customers started getting a few negative reviews. Instead of panicking, they printed labels and stuck them to every order:

 

"If your meal was good, tell your friends. If it wasn't, tell us: [phone/email]."

And just like that, negative reviews dropped by 95%.

 

Sometimes, people just want to be heard. Give them a quiet channel to share their concerns; most won't go nuclear.

 

That doesn't mean you're ducking feedback. Quite the opposite—it means you're handling it like grown-ups.

 

It's Okay to Say No (Respectfully)

There are times when the customer is simply wrong. Maybe they ordered something, ate all of it, and then said they didn't like it. Maybe they're claiming something happened that clearly didn't. Maybe they're being rude, aggressive, or downright unreasonable.

 

It's okay to push back—professionally, respectfully, and factually.

Don't ignore them, but don't cave in either.

 

At Ceres, when this happens, we try to gather all the facts before responding. Not to "catch them out," but to understand the situation fully. And when we do respond, we're polite—but firm and always fair.

 

The same applies to your shop. You're allowed to stand up for your team, your standards, and your reputation. That doesn't make you difficult. It makes you fair.

Let's Lead by Example

Here's the reality: we've all been customers. We've all had disappointing experiences. But when you've been on the other side—running a business, dealing with complaints—you see things differently. You know what it takes to keep things running, put things right, and stay calm when someone's losing it over a chip.

 

Most of us bend over backwards to get it right. All we ask in return is a bit of fairness, a bit of patience, and a chance to sort things out before someone tries to torch our reputation. That's not too much to ask, is it?

If I have a bad experience somewhere, I won't try to destroy them online. I just won't go back. That's my choice—and it's a powerful one.

 

Feedback should be about helping us do better—not threatening to burn the place down.