— The Servd Guarantee
Seven promises in one small fee.
Every SERVD booking carries an 8% Guarantee fee, added on top of your chef’s rate. Your chef keeps 100% of their price; the 8% pays for the seven protections below. Nothing else. No hidden line items, no quiet retainers.
Why we put this in writing
A guarantee should mean something specific.
Most marketplaces bury what they actually owe you under a word like “trust” or “protected” and call it a day. We’d rather say it out loud: here are the six things we’ll do if something goes wrong, and the timelines we’ll do them on. If we miss any of them, write us and we’ll make it right.
The seven protections
What the 8% actually buys.
01
If your chef cancels, we make it right — or refund every dollar
If a confirmed chef cancels within 72 hours of your booking, our team finds you a qualified replacement chef. If we can't, you get a full refund — including the Servd Guarantee fee — within 24 hours.
02
Every chef is vetted, background-checked, and certified
No chef appears on SERVD until they've passed identity verification, a criminal background check (via Checkr), and a current food handler certification review (ServSafe or equivalent). All three are required to take bookings — no separate badge needed, no exceptions.
03
Satisfaction guarantee
If the experience materially differs from what you confirmed — wrong menu, dietary needs ignored, misrepresented service — file a claim within 48 hours. Our team reviews within two business days and issues a partial refund or platform credit if the claim holds.
04
Your funds sit in escrow, not cash-in-hand
Your booking payment is held by Stripe and only released to your chef 24 to 48 hours after the event you booked. You never pay your chef directly. If a cancellation falls under our policy, the funds are returned to you automatically — not chased.
05
Day-of human support
A real SERVD team member is on call by phone or text during your booking window. Not a chatbot, not a ticket queue. We aim to answer in under five minutes if something goes sideways on the day.
06
$1M general liability insurance on every chef
SERVD requires and verifies that every chef carries a minimum $1M general liability insurance policy with a food-liability endorsement before their first booking. We work with Thimble and Next Insurance for fast issuance, verify coverage at onboarding, and re-check on renewal. If a chef's policy lapses, their profile auto-pauses until they're current.
Protection 03 · How to file
If a dinner went sideways.
The Satisfaction Guarantee above is the promise. Here’s how it works in practice when something a chef confirmed at booking shows up materially different on the night.
01
File within 48 hours of the event
Email disputes@servdchefs.com or open the floating chat in the bottom-right and ask for a dispute. Include the booking date, the chef’s name, and what materially differed from what you confirmed at booking. Photos help.
02
We review within two business days
A SERVD team member — not a contractor, not a chatbot — reads your message, pulls the booking record, and reaches out to your chef for their side. We aim to land a decision inside two business days.
03
Resolution: refund, credit, or replacement
If the claim holds, you receive a partial refund, a platform credit, or a replacement booking — whichever fits the situation. Refunds land within five business days. Credits are instant. Replacement bookings are coordinated by our team.
Protection 07 · Now live
Property damage protection up to $500.
A SERVD-funded reserve covering minor in-home incidents during a booking — broken glasses, stained countertops, scratched cookware. Filed within 48 hours, resolved within five business days.
Report a claim →Questions about a specific booking?
Day-of issues go to the human support line. Anything else, write us — we answer everything.