How would you recover a missing pickup item?
Check the guest’s deadline, the remake estimate and the refund status.
The question
At 12:12 a guest at a US fast-casual restaurant reports a missing paid item in pickup order 84. You lead the service team. The guest must leave at 12:20.
| Value | |
|---|---|
| Missing item price | $7.50 |
| First kitchen estimate in minutes | 6 |
The shift lead can offer a replacement or one item refund after checking the order and payment record.
“Give the guest a response that fits their departure time and explain what you would check.”
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A strong answer, step by step
Open each step in turn. This is one strong answer, not the only one.
Step 1: Check the receipt and deadline
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Confirm the missing line, the departure time and who will update the guest.
The strong move. The receipt gives the affected line. The deadline tells you which remedy may help.
Refund the whole order when the guest reports a missing item.
Tempting, but it misses something. The reported issue concerns one $7.50 line. The case allows one item refund after a payment check.
See how a strong candidate says it
“I’d acknowledge the missing item, confirm order 84 and match the missing $7.50 line to the receipt. I’d confirm that the guest leaves at 12:20 and own the next update.”
Why it works: The receipt gives the affected line. The deadline tells you which remedy may help.
Step 2: Check the remake time
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Offer 12:18 as an estimate and ask whether the guest wants to wait.
The strong move. The first estimate meets the deadline. The guest can choose whether to wait.
Guarantee the remake will be in the guest’s hands at 12:18.
Tempting, but it misses something. Six minutes is a kitchen estimate. The kitchen has yet to confirm the replacement is ready.
See how a strong candidate says it
“Six minutes from 12:12 gives an estimated 12:18. That is two minutes before you need to leave. Would you like to wait for the replacement?”
Why it works: The first estimate meets the deadline. The guest can choose whether to wait.
Step 3: Check the pending refund
The kitchen revises its estimate to 11 minutes from 12:12. The guest chooses a refund. The payment record shows a $7.50 refund request already submitted through the order channel and still pending.
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Verify the pending $7.50 request with the shift lead.
The strong move. The guest chose a refund. The pending request already covers the paid item.
Submit a second $7.50 refund to be sure the guest gets one.
Tempting, but it misses something. The record already shows a request for this item. A second request duplicates it.
See how a strong candidate says it
“The replacement estimate is now 12:23, after you leave. The record already shows a $7.50 refund request pending. I’ll ask the shift lead to check that request and keep the replacement off the plan.”
Why it works: The guest chose a refund. The pending request already covers the paid item.
Step 4: Give the guest the next update
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
State the pending status and give an update before the guest leaves.
The strong move. The guest gets the amount, current status and a person who will follow up.
Tell the guest the $7.50 is already back on their card.
Tempting, but it misses something. The payment record confirms a pending request. It has yet to show a completed credit.
See how a strong candidate says it
“Your $7.50 refund request is pending. The shift lead is checking it, and I’ll tell you what we can confirm before you leave at 12:20.”
Why it works: The guest gets the amount, current status and a person who will follow up.
The answer, in short
- Decision
- Check the existing $7.50 refund request and update the guest before departure.
- Because
- The remake is now due three minutes after the guest leaves. The guest chose the refund.
- What would change it
- If the shift lead finds that the request failed, use the current payment record to decide what the lead should do next.
Common traps
- Offering a remake after the guest’s departure.
- Treating a pending refund as a completed credit.
Check your answer
- I confirmed the line and deadline.
- I recalculated the remake time.
- I checked for a refund already in progress.
- I gave the guest a person and update time.
Last reviewed Nov 11, 2026