Effectively managing customer requests is crucial in the service industry, especially when dealing with preferences like food temperature. This guide provides essential Korean phrases and cultural insights for waiters handling situations where a customer finds their dish not hot enough and requests it to be hotter, ensuring polite and professional communication in a Korean restaurant setting.
Table Of Content
Core Expression
-
Expression: 다시 데워 드릴까요?
Pronunciation: da-si de-wo deu-ril-kka-yo?
Meaning: Shall I reheat it for you? (A polite offer to fix the issue)
Understanding the Request
-
Expression: 음식이 좀 식은 것 같아요.
Pronunciation: eum-si-gi jom si-geun geot ga-ta-yo.
Meaning: The food seems a bit cold. (Customer’s potential statement) -
Expression: 이거 좀 더 뜨겁게 해 주실 수 있나요?
Pronunciation: i-geo jom deo tteu-geop-ge hae ju-sil su in-na-yo?
Meaning: Could you make this a bit hotter? (Customer’s direct request) -
Expression: 생각보다 안 뜨거워요.
Pronunciation: saeng-gak-bo-da an tteu-geo-wo-yo.
Meaning: It’s not as hot as I expected. -
Expression: 국물이 미지근해요.
Pronunciation: gung-mu-ri mi-ji-geun-hae-yo.
Meaning: The soup is lukewarm. -
Expression: 방금 나왔는데 왜 이렇게 식었죠?
Pronunciation: bang-geum na-wan-neun-de wae i-reo-ke si-geot-jyo?
Meaning: It just came out, why is it so cold? (Customer expressing surprise/complaint) -
Expression: 온도가 괜찮으신가요?
Pronunciation: on-do-ga gwaen-chan-eu-sin-ga-yo?
Meaning: Is the temperature okay? (Waiter proactively checking) -
Expression: 혹시 음식이 차지 않으신가요?
Pronunciation: hok-si eum-si-gi cha-ji an-eu-sin-ga-yo?
Meaning: By any chance, isn’t the food cold? (Waiter checking politely) -
Expression: 어떤 점이 불편하신가요?
Pronunciation: eo-tteon jeo-mi bul-pyeon-ha-sin-ga-yo?
Meaning: What is bothering you? / What seems to be the problem? -
Expression: 음식 온도가 만족스럽지 않으신가요?
Pronunciation: eum-sik on-do-ga man-jok-seu-reop-ji an-eu-sin-ga-yo?
Meaning: Are you not satisfied with the food’s temperature?
Apologizing and Acknowledging
-
Expression: 죄송합니다. 바로 확인해 보겠습니다.
Pronunciation: joe-song-ham-ni-da. ba-ro hwa-gin-hae bo-get-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: I apologize. I will check it right away. -
Expression: 불편을 드려 죄송합니다.
Pronunciation: bul-pyeo-neul deu-ryeo joe-song-ham-ni-da.
Meaning: I apologize for the inconvenience. -
Expression: 네, 알겠습니다. 금방 조치해 드리겠습니다.
Pronunciation: ne, al-get-seum-ni-da. geum-bang jo-chi-hae deu-ri-get-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: Yes, I understand. I will take care of it shortly. -
Expression: 음식이 식었다니 죄송합니다.
Pronunciation: eum-si-gi si-geot-tta-ni joe-song-ham-ni-da.
Meaning: I am sorry to hear the food was cold. -
Expression: 저희가 신경 쓰지 못해 죄송합니다.
Pronunciation: jeo-hui-ga sin-gyeong sseu-ji mot-hae joe-song-ham-ni-da.
Meaning: I apologize that we weren’t attentive enough. -
Expression: 고객님 말씀 감사합니다. 확인 후 바로 처리해 드리겠습니다.
Pronunciation: go-gaeng-nim mal-sseum gam-sa-ham-ni-da. hwa-gin hu ba-ro cheo-ri-hae deu-ri-get-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: Thank you for letting us know. After checking, I will handle it immediately. -
Expression: 미처 확인하지 못해 죄송합니다.
Pronunciation: mi-cheo hwa-gin-ha-ji mot-hae joe-song-ham-ni-da.
Meaning: I apologize for not checking beforehand. -
Expression: 네, 고객님. 불편하셨겠네요.
Pronunciation: ne, go-gaeng-nim. bul-pyeon-ha-syeot-gen-ne-yo.
Meaning: Yes, customer. You must have been inconvenienced. (Showing empathy) -
Expression: 즉시 주방에 전달하겠습니다.
Pronunciation: jeuk-si ju-bang-e jeon-dal-ha-get-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: I will inform the kitchen immediately.
Offering Solutions
-
Expression: 다시 데워 드릴까요?
Pronunciation: da-si de-wo deu-ril-kka-yo?
Meaning: Shall I reheat it for you? -
Expression: 더 뜨겁게 만들어 드릴까요?
Pronunciation: deo tteu-geop-ge man-deu-reo deu-ril-kka-yo?
Meaning: Shall I make it hotter for you? -
Expression: 주방에 요청해서 더 뜨겁게 준비해 드리겠습니다.
Pronunciation: ju-bang-e yo-cheong-hae-seo deo tteu-geop-ge jun-bi-hae deu-ri-get-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: I will ask the kitchen and prepare it hotter for you. -
Expression: 잠시만 기다려 주시면 새로 데워서 가져다 드리겠습니다.
Pronunciation: jam-si-man gi-da-ryeo ju-si-myeon sae-ro de-wo-seo ga-jyeo-da deu-ri-get-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: If you wait just a moment, I will bring it freshly reheated. -
Expression: 혹시 새로 만들어 드릴까요?
Pronunciation: hok-si sae-ro man-deu-reo deu-ril-kka-yo?
Meaning: Would you perhaps like me to make a new one for you? (Use if reheating isn’t appropriate) -
Expression: 원하시는 온도가 있으신가요?
Pronunciation: won-ha-si-neun on-do-ga i-sseu-sin-ga-yo?
Meaning: Is there a specific temperature you would like? -
Expression: 최대한 빨리 처리해 드리겠습니다.
Pronunciation: choe-dae-han ppal-li cheo-ri-hae deu-ri-get-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: I will handle it as quickly as possible. -
Expression: 음식을 잠시 가져가도 괜찮으실까요?
Pronunciation: eum-si-geul jam-si ga-jyeo-ga-do gwaen-chan-eu-sil-kka-yo?
Meaning: Would it be alright if I take the dish for a moment? (Before taking it to reheat) -
Expression: 바로 주방에 전달해서 다시 준비하겠습니다.
Pronunciation: ba-ro ju-bang-e jeon-dal-hae-seo da-si jun-bi-ha-get-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: I will inform the kitchen right away and prepare it again.
Confirming Satisfaction
-
Expression: 다시 데워왔습니다. 괜찮으신가요?
Pronunciation: da-si de-wo-wat-seum-ni-da. gwaen-chan-eu-sin-ga-yo?
Meaning: I’ve brought it back reheated. Is it okay now? -
Expression: 이제 온도는 괜찮으신지 확인 부탁드립니다.
Pronunciation: i-je on-do-neun gwaen-chan-eu-sin-ji hwa-gin bu-tak-deu-rim-ni-da.
Meaning: Please check if the temperature is alright now. -
Expression: 더 필요하신 것은 없으신가요?
Pronunciation: deo pi-ryo-ha-sin geo-seun eop-seu-sin-ga-yo?
Meaning: Is there anything else you need? -
Expression: 맛있게 드십시오.
Pronunciation: ma-sit-ge deu-sip-si-o.
Meaning: Please enjoy your meal. (Formal) -
Expression: 혹시 더 뜨겁게 해 드릴까요?
Pronunciation: hok-si deo tteu-geop-ge hae deu-ril-kka-yo?
Meaning: Would you perhaps like it even hotter? (If unsure if it’s hot enough) -
Expression: 이제 만족스러우신가요?
Pronunciation: i-je man-jok-seu-reo-u-sin-ga-yo?
Meaning: Are you satisfied now? -
Expression: 불편하신 점이 있다면 언제든지 말씀해 주세요.
Pronunciation: bul-pyeon-ha-sin jeo-mi it-tta-myeon eon-je-deun-ji mal-sseum-hae ju-se-yo.
Meaning: If there’s anything inconvenient, please let me know anytime. -
Expression: 식사 맛있게 하세요.
Pronunciation: sik-sa ma-sit-ge ha-se-yo.
Meaning: Enjoy your meal. (Slightly less formal than 맛있게 드십시오) -
Expression: 온도 확인 한번 해 보시겠어요?
Pronunciation: on-do hwa-gin han-beon hae bo-si-ge-sseo-yo?
Meaning: Would you like to check the temperature once?
Korean Culture Notes
Understanding cultural nuances can greatly improve service interactions. In Korea, while customers appreciate hot food served hot, direct complaints might sometimes be avoided. However, if a customer does voice a concern, addressing it promptly and politely is key.
Using formal language (존댓말 – jon-daen-mal) is standard in service interactions. Phrases ending in -ㅂ니다/습니다 (-m-ni-da/-seum-ni-da) or -아/어요 (-a/eo-yo) are appropriate. Always address customers respectfully, often using 고객님 (go-gaeng-nim), meaning ‘customer’.
Apologizing sincerely, even for minor issues, is considered good service (서비스 – seo-bi-seu). A quick apology like 죄송합니다 (joe-song-ham-ni-da) followed by a solution shows professionalism.
Speed and efficiency (빨리 빨리 – ppal-li ppal-li culture) are often valued. Resolving the issue quickly, such as immediately taking the dish back for reheating, is generally appreciated.
Offering a small complimentary item (서비스 – seo-bi-seu, also means ‘freebie’ in this context) like a drink or a small side dish after resolving a complaint can sometimes be done to ensure customer satisfaction, though it depends on the restaurant’s policy.
Real Conversation Example
Situation: A customer at a Korean restaurant finds their soup (찌개 – jjigae) is not hot enough.
Roles: A = Waiter (종업원 – jong-eo-bwon), B = Customer (손님 – son-nim / 고객님 – go-gaeng-nim)
-
Expression: B: 저기요, 이 찌개가 좀 식은 것 같아요.
Pronunciation: jeo-gi-yo, i jji-gae-ga jom si-geun geot ga-ta-yo.
Meaning: Excuse me, this stew seems a bit cold. -
Expression: A: 아, 그러신가요? 죄송합니다. 바로 확인해 보겠습니다.
Pronunciation: a, geu-reo-sin-ga-yo? joe-song-ham-ni-da. ba-ro hwa-gin-hae bo-get-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: Oh, is that so? I apologize. I will check it right away. -
Expression: B: 네. 좀 더 뜨겁게 먹고 싶어서요.
Pronunciation: ne. jom deo tteu-geop-ge meok-go si-peo-seo-yo.
Meaning: Yes. I’d like to eat it a bit hotter. -
Expression: A: 네, 알겠습니다. 불편을 드려 죄송합니다. 다시 데워 드릴까요?
Pronunciation: ne, al-get-seum-ni-da. bul-pyeo-neul deu-ryeo joe-song-ham-ni-da. da-si de-wo deu-ril-kka-yo?
Meaning: Yes, I understand. I apologize for the inconvenience. Shall I reheat it for you? -
Expression: B: 네, 그렇게 해 주세요.
Pronunciation: ne, geu-reo-ke hae ju-se-yo.
Meaning: Yes, please do that. -
Expression: A: 잠시만 기다려 주십시오. 금방 뜨겁게 해서 가져다 드리겠습니다. (Takes the dish)
Pronunciation: jam-si-man gi-da-ryeo ju-sip-si-o. geum-bang tteu-geop-ge hae-seo ga-jyeo-da deu-ri-get-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: Please wait just a moment. I will bring it back shortly after making it hot. (Takes the dish) -
Expression: A: (Returns with the reheated dish) 다시 데워왔습니다. 이제 괜찮으신지 확인 부탁드립니다.
Pronunciation: (Returns with the reheated dish) da-si de-wo-wat-seum-ni-da. i-je gwaen-chan-eu-sin-ji hwa-gin bu-tak-deu-rim-ni-da.
Meaning: (Returns with the reheated dish) I’ve brought it back reheated. Please check if it’s alright now. -
Expression: B: (Checks the temperature) 아, 네. 이제 훨씬 낫네요. 감사합니다.
Pronunciation: (Checks the temperature) a, ne. i-je hwol-ssin nan-ne-yo. gam-sa-ham-ni-da.
Meaning: (Checks the temperature) Ah, yes. This is much better now. Thank you. -
Expression: A: 다행입니다. 맛있게 드십시오! 더 필요하신 것 있으시면 말씀해 주세요.
Pronunciation: da-haeng-im-ni-da. ma-sit-ge deu-sip-si-o! deo pi-ryo-ha-sin geot i-sseu-si-myeon mal-sseum-hae ju-se-yo.
Meaning: I’m glad. Please enjoy your meal! If you need anything else, please let me know.
Practice Tips
Handling customer requests smoothly comes with practice! Try role-playing these scenarios with a friend or language partner~ Imagine yourself as the waiter and practice responding politely and efficiently. Pay close attention to the formal endings like -ㅂ니다/습니다 and -아/어요.
Listen to Korean service interactions, perhaps in dramas or vlogs set in restaurants, to get a feel for the natural flow and tone. Focus on how staff apologize and offer solutions. Remember, a sincere apology and a quick fix go a long way in Korean service culture! Good luck with your practice!
