If you eat out, I need to talk to you!

Originally posted by schuyler

Originally posted by WhisperingWinds
reply to post by Springs1

 

Quite honestly you seem like the type of customer that is picky, requesting a myriad of changes to whatever you order , and will always find a reason to complain.

No kidding! I've never heard of so many different complaints from one person. This sounds like the Customer from Hell. It would make me glad to have a sign that said, "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone."

I was thinking the same thing, but I will give him the benefit of the doubt , because he/she most likely has never had to do the job, and doesn't realize how incredibly difficult it can be to do this job, especially at peek hours.

It can also be very difficult for kitchen staff.

As I said before the system of a restaurant makes a huge difference in how smoothly things work, and it isn't always an option to just up and quit, if the restaurant has a haphazard way of doing things, though its definitely a reason to be secretly looking for a different place to work.

Originally posted by Springs1

Originally posted by schuylerNo kidding! I've never heard of so many different complaints from one person. This sounds like the Customer from Hell. It would make me glad to have a sign that said, "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone."

That's because you all would be *********TOO LAZY AND UNCARING********* TO SERVE ME and you KNOW THAT IS THE GOD'S TRUTH, just admit it!!

It's all about LAZINESS!! TOO LAZY TO DO THE AMOUNT OF *******WORK********* FOR THE MONEY!!

You sound MEAN!

edit on 24-9-2012 by Springs1 because: (no reason given)

It really makes me sad to see you write this, because I know when I did do this job, I wanted to do the best by the customers in my section, and tried to provide the best service I could .

You are the customer that everyone wanted sitting in someone elses section.

My peeves are filth. Menus that arent clean. Hotsauce bottles with gunk under the cap. Salt/pepper/sugar shakers that have crud on the edges.

Also, food that is obviously of very low quality and frozen and just refried. But ill put up with that if its not too extreme.

Well for starters a nasty table is a no-no. I guess its time to ramble. I like my silverware to be rapped up tightly and not with loose ends. I don't like a wet soggy napkin under my drink, I'd prefer a nice thicker cardboard drink mat. I like my seats to be clean and look like they are new, not saggy or worn. If you serve salsa, I'd like my own salsa tray pleez. Thats all I can think of for now.

reply to post by DrumsRfun


OH boy I'm glad my chef can cook a killer steak!!! With all the food allergic people cheese is a really stupid thing to blindly throw onto someone's dish!!

NO FLIRTING, got it

Thanks, and yes, drums ARE fun!!!

P.S. It's even more fun to watch all the faces drummers make while drumming!!!

reply to post by ussoldier


All I can say is WOW!! She probably was a stripper too NO, I have never been to Hooters, but my teenage sons want to go...BAD.

I just wonder, now that this story is out, how many broke adult virgins are heading to the thrift store for a uniform then directly to the closest Hooters????

reply to post by ussoldier
its your duty as a man to tell us where this was so we can go there and ummm verify the story. Thats right, i just want to ummm verify the story.... umm...

Originally posted by Starwise
I love getting bigger portions especially if I am paying for it. I always ask for a box, then myself or kids have another meal to eat! Two or three for the price of ONE.

Also, find out if the customer has food allergies and be able to direct them to areas on the menu they should avoid. Knowing your menu is utmost importance to me! I hate when the waiter doesn't know anything about what they are serving.

Also, my husband ALWAYS asks for tea without lemon. We ALWAYS get the lemon, therefore less tip.

that reminds me... I used to go to "france" (quebec) a bit. it was usually an unfortunate experience to eat there, being that i dont speak french, and the menus always had english translations on them....in very poor english, tiny print, and not much description. Waitresses usually spoke poor english. On one occasion i had this french waiter that had very good english, very polite, helped me understand what i was ordering even though the place had the worst possible english translation in the menu.

Of course, when im in a foreign country i dont even expect locals to speak english, but this guy earned one of the best tips i ever gave. Quebec is one hell of a place to go when you dont speak french!

An open post to those who say they do not believe in tipping...

I agree on one thing and that is that wait staff should be paid a decent wage to start with. Then a tip, or the lack of one, would just reflect how well you were served. And the waiter would still receive a decent dollar for a decent days work.

BUT, that is not the way the world of the waiter/waitress works. So while my tip does still reflect my pleasure or displeasure with the service I do tip generously for excellent service, 15% for good service and less for poor service. I never leave a zero tip as I feel that a two cent tip carries my message much better for the truly bad wait person. I feel that the person who totally refuses to leave a tip is expressing one of two sentiments.

1 - A lack of understanding of how the system works for the poor slob who has to work for a substandard wage.

2 - A way of getting something for less than it is worth in the real world.

If wait persons were paid a good wage so that they did not need to rely on tips YOU WOULD STILL BE PAYING THEM in your bill. Restaurants are businesses and like any other business they are in it to make a profit. THEY WILL pass on their cost of doing business plus a profit from their investment to YOU the customer.

So you see that the current system of low wages and dependance on tips can be very unfair to the waitperson. But if you fully understand all of this, then to refuse to leave a tip is tantamount to theft in at least a moral sense.

Originally posted by wondermost

Originally posted by SeriousIndividual
I don't tip. I don't believe in it. If she don't make enough money, she can quit. I don't tip because society says I have to. If they really put forth the effort, I'll give them something extra. But this tipping automatically, it's for the birds. As far as I'm concerned, they're just doing their job. Say I order coffee, all right, and she only fills my cup up a total of three times, but I wanted it filled six times. You might say she's too busy. Well I say the words "too busy" shouldn't be in a waitress's vocabulary. These ladies aren't starving to death. They make minimum wage. I used to work minimum wage, and when I did I wasn't lucky enough to have a job that society deemed tip-worthy. Don't the people working at McDonald's bust their ass just as much? You don't feel the need to tip them though. They're serving you food, but society says "Don't tip these guys over here, but tip these guys over here." That's nonsense. I'm very sorry the government taxes their tips. That's screwed up, but it ain't my fault. It would appear that waitresses are one of the many groups the government screws over on a regular basis. Show me a paper that says the government shouldn't do that, I'll sign it. I'll vote for it. But what I won't do is play ball. This non-college crap, I got three words for that: Learn to type. If you're expecting me to help out with the rent, you're in for a big surprise.



Who knows? Come onnnnnnnn...........

edit on 24-9-2012 by SeriousIndividual because: (no reason given)

Really? Then don't ever, EVER go out ot eat. It's that simple. I've worked in the restaurant industry the past ten years. Always in the kitchen, mind you, never a server. The relationships forged between front of house and kitchen goes with the territory, so i will take up and fight for servers till the day i die regardless of what i come to do in the future. Most people don't understand how restaurants work from the other side. You come in, see a wait and immediately become upset because you can't come in and stuff your face right away. The ball rolls down hill from there, and now the server is too stupid or sucks at thier job, whatever you tell yourself to feel good about stiffing someone that DOES NOT make minimum wage. Yeah, i've heard it all before. If they don't like it, go get a different job. I couldn't agree more. My counter offer to those people. You don't like tipping, don't ever go out to eat. It's that simple.

To the op. Me and my wife frequently go out to eat. We see it as keeping the blood flowing in the industry. And we tip very well, even when the service is a little lackluster. The one thing i wish, was compassion from the "guests". We (in the restaurant industry) are humans, fallible humans, just as you are. We make mistakes, we have bad days. The general public walks in and automatically become definsive over the simplest of things. If you complain about your drink not being filled quickly enough on a busy night, remeber that when your boss is barking down your neck over something not getting done timely enough, and you thinking to yourself that your too busy. Stop crying about it. YOUR job isn't that hard.

I really wish that the policy "we deserve the right to refuse service" was still around, because people take advantage far too frequently when it comes to getting free meals and stiffing servers. I'm pretty convinced some go out with it in mind like its a game, because we have "regulars" who come out all the time, and complain every. single. time. Why in the world would you keep coming back if you know your food and service are going to be terrible? Free food. Its that simple.

And its not everybody. There genuinly are very nice people that come out and have a legitimate bone to pick with food and service. Every coin has two sides. I really wish that compassion was more abundant in this line of work.

end rant.

edit on 24-9-2012 by wondermost because: messed up quotes

Soooo you miss the good ole day when you had the right to refuse service, BUT not the good ole days when a tip was reserved for EXTRA good service! A tip that was freely given and NOT extorted! My husband and his family own a restaurant and he feels just like me, even though we are forcibly taxed on an amount of tips we may not have gotten we DO NOT feel anyone should tip unless they feel inclined!

reply to post by happykat39


I hear ya. But......i go to a lot of truckstops. Or i used to, until i got sick of the bull. As a trucker its a tough choice. But when its obvious to me that the restaurant is making a killing off me, and still expecting me to pay the waitress' wages, thats bull.

My tips reflect a combination of service and how wealthy i am at that moment.

Speaking of tips, i hate when waitresses whine to me or around me about their tips. Im not going to tip more for that. However, i did tip a little extra once cause the waitress was whining about someone that walked out on their bill. Thats just not right.

reply to post by wondermost


HEY Wondermost!!! Thanks for sticking up for us, very sweet. I have had my turn in the kitchen as well and would do the same for all you greasy cooks

I'm lucky to work where I do, I can honestly say in the 8 years I have been there, I can't remember ever being stiffed. Don't get me wrong, I know it happens and have been stiffed at other places i've worked like Eat'n Park.

Our kitchen staff really has it together so rarly get complaints in that department. But you are right about the regulars who keep coming in and always have something to bitch about, wtf??

I have had my share of bad tippers though, but I try not let it bother me to much. I look at it like this...It all balances out in the end because thankfuly there's ALWAYS The occasional 25% + tippers!!

Thanks for posting

Originally posted by WhisperingWinds

I was thinking the same thing, but I will give him the benefit of the doubt , because he/she most likely has never had to do the job, and doesn't realize how incredibly difficult it can be to do this job, especially at peek hours.

I didn't say it wasn't a difficult job and I know it's VERY, EXTREMELY STRESSFUL. The thing is a good amount of the times we have had terrible service has been when it wasn't busy at all, like the server had just us in their section or even in the restaurant even during odd times of the day where the restaurant was empty or almost empty.

I do consider when it's busy, but if I have like 4 obvious mistakes on my plate, that's lazy. I don't care how busy you are, because part of your job is to get things CORRECT, NOT JUST SERVE ME A PLATE OF SOMETHING AND NOT *CARE*. If you expect me to care about your money at the end, you have to equally care about me.

I am a woman, 35yrs old. I have been married since 2002 and been going out to eat 2-3 times a weekend, almost every weekend since late 2000 since me and my husband met. We have had some good and bad service at times.

I worked at a donut shop/diner from 1998-2002 off and on a little over 2yrs worth as counter help, which I had to do 90% of the time besides the summer months when schools are out more than 40hrs per week usually 50-55 and even at times 60-65 hours a week. Since it was a small enough company, you didn't get time and a half, just regular min. wage pay or if you got raises, then the regular hourly pay. At times, I had to work double, sometimes even triple shifts. Once, I had worked from 11a.m. to a little after 6a.m. the next morning, because of someone quitting and not having anybody to take my place. A couple of times at least I worked from 6a.m. to 10p.m. Sometimes I also worked 2p.m. -6a.m. because sometimes workers would call in sick at the last minute. We served MUCH MORE than just donuts almost kind of like a dunkin donuts, but this wasn't dunkin donuts. We served regular food items. It just was on a much smaller level than a server, but it did becomes stressful at times. They had 2 booths, the counter, drive-thru, and some 2-seater tables. One Sundays at times, especially during the winter months, it was pretty stressful sometimes having 6 counter girls in front and just a shift from 6a.m. -12p.m. on a Sunday at times was sometimes even almost or even 2,000 in sales AT THAT TIME which is around 10yrs ago. I think that's a lot for a donut shop/diner honestly. Now during m-thurs, probably a shift of 6a.m. to 11a.m. only got $500-$700 in sales at times. Sometimes it was pretty stressful like if the 2p.m -10p.m. shift since they'd make us work that by ourselves since most of the time it wasn't busy like the mornings, at times I was busy the entire time at times with customers. It wasn't often during the afternoon hours, but I did have a lot of people sometimes to serve all by myself as far as in front goes. Once, at 9p.m. at night there was like a bus load of people like probably 20 people at once came in that they all wanted real food modified and then I had drive-thru as well as people ordering to-go.

So my point is, I have been at a job where I had a lot of stress at times. Sure, it wasn't the same by any means, but I did deal with the public serving food and drinks, just on a much smaller level than a server.

I learned so much more though being a regular customer since then honestly as far as customer service goes. Back then since my mom cooked a lot, I didn't understand what it was really like to be that customer with your food wrong for example. NOW, I DO!

I am not preaching anythng I wouldn't do if I were a server. I am a hard worker. When I started the donut shop/diner back in Jan. 1998 I believe the day after martin luther king which was around Jan. 20 or so, I found out I got a raise of 35 cents the first week in March 1998. I bust butt when I work and there are things I would do differently know knowing how it FEELS to be THAT CUSTOMER. You don't seem like you understand what it's like to be a customer. Do you go out to eat much? If you do, do you have things go wrong a lot? We do on both counts.

Originally posted by WhisperingWindsIt really makes me sad to see you write this, because I know when I did do this job, I wanted to do the best by the customers in my section, and tried to provide the best service I could

But you just said you wouldn't check the plates from what you said. That's *NOT* providing the best service possible.

Originally posted by WhisperingWindsYou are the customer that everyone wanted sitting in someone elses section.

WHY? Because we want you to *********EARN********** YOUR MONEY AND WE WANT YOU TO *CARE* ABOUT US FOR OUR MONEY? WHY would you not want me in your section? If you do as I want, we won't have problems. A waiter at a restaurant we had for years I wrote on the survey what he did well and what he didn't. He is pretty much the ONLY SERVER that LISTENED to 99.9% of things I said. When I said not to give refills without asking me first, he did it for example. He did what *I* wanted. He was always a good waiter in that he checked the food and that is the one that I mentioned that got an award for checking the food. If you do as I want, then you will get a good tip. We gave him $20 at Christmas just cause he always busted ass for us and did EVERYTHING basically I wanted and then some. He kissed ass essentially.

If you make me happy, I make you happy. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU WANTING A HUGE TIP AND ME WANTING WONDERFUL SERVICE FOR IT, HUH?

I don't get WHY you feel you wouldn't want to serve me other than you sound lazy, because that waiter loved to serve us. A time I gave him a good review, he came to hug us even. I mean show you care about us, we care about you.

Customer service is all about satisfying the customer in order for them to satisfy you in the tip.

reply to post by Springs1

Customer service is all about satisfying the customer in order for them to satisfy you in the tip.

I tried my best to not compromise the service of other customers just to satisfy all the demands of one.

reply to post by MidnightSunshine


You know, you just can't please everyone. There's always going to be someone who thinks they "know" what you should be doing and how you should be doing it.

I waited tables for 35 years, and work at some pretty high end digs. For the most part, asking a customer who is ordering a steak if he is going to want ketchup, isn't going to get a better tip, if it doesn't get you fired!

But you can't teach class, now, can you?

A career server knows service. What those little forks are for and why a table is set with 2 kinds of glass wear. Servers have to carry huge oval trays, balancing as many as 8 entrees on a tray, carry cocktails trays loaded with drinks for multiple tables, de-bone fish, lobster, etc, and toss Caesar salads, flambe the Banana's Foster, etc. Opening a bottle of wine is an art in itself. Helping a customer choose that wine is a learned skill.

Etiquette, serve from right, bus from the left. Serve the ladies first and dance around that table like a boss! Appetizers DO come before the salad, soup comes after the appetizer, before the salad. Plates are to be removed before the next course can be served.

But then, if your customer is going to prejudge your service because you didn't ask if "You want ketchup with that?, it's a lost cause anyway.

Good luck! Happy tables to you. Be proud in what you do and know that you earn your money from the kindness and generosity of your customers. The few losers that just want to judge you and run you around, and think that you should be a mind reader, are just a few and far between.

Originally posted by WhisperingWindsI tried my best to not compromise the service of other customers just to satisfy all the demands of one.

First off, "DEMANDS" makes you sound SO LAZY, seriously, NO CUSTOMERS ARE "DEMANDING" ANYTHING, that's your *JOB* as a server to get them ALL the things they wanted. You are at THEIR MERCY IF YOU WANT THAT THEIR MONEY AT THE END CALLED A TIP. It's REQUEST, NOT DEMANDS! You really sound REALLY LAZY to call it demands. The customer is almost like your boss, because they tell you what they want, how they want it, and they are paying you. So it's your job to do what *THEY* want.

Secondly, WHY not WORK HARDER TO SATISFY ***************ALL******************YOUR CUSTOMERS? You don't sound like a hard worker to me.

Did you do the following:

1. Write EVERY ORDER AND REQUEST DOWN?

I bet you didn't, did you?

2. Did you REREAD the written orders or request?

3. Did you EVER compare your written order or tickets or computer screen that's in the kitchen to the food for obvious errors?

4. Did you bring out soft drinks, tea, and water out BEFORE bar drinks were ready if the bartender was taking a long time to make the drinks, basically asking if you made separate trips at times to not make the customers wait 10 minutes for let's say 2 cokes for example?

5. Did you OFFER to do more work for the customer to make them happy if you saw something such as a waitress that OFFERED to get me some more ice for my margarita that she noticed my ice was melted?

6. Did you EVER ask if the customers wanted their change? If you did, YOU ARE VERY LAZY, VERY and VERY ENTITLED! YOU SHOULD NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER ASK FOR YOUR TIP. THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE DOING IF YOU DO THAT!! You are asking to KEEP the money when you ask that.

7. Did you compare the menu prices to the check prices to make sure your customers didn't have any overcharges? We have had A LOT of wrong prices over the years. If we can notice it, you can and get it fixed from your manager *BEFORE* you bring us the check.

If 1-5 and 7 you didn't do, then you are VERY LAZY AND UNCARING as well as didn't try your best at all, NOWHERE NEAR, NOWHERE NEAR!

If you did #6, SHAME ON YOU for being lazy and entitled asking for your tip rather than *EARNING* it.

K well this is off my own topic but I think It's important.

I used to have the philosophy...If you don't have the money to tip your server you should stay home. I have changed my thoughts about this. I have figured out through my experirnce that 80% of the time the "bad tippers"(less than 15% when service is near perfect) are the nicest, complimentary, and easy going costumers. So much so that sometimes I am surprised to get a good tip from an overly nice table. It's like they know they arent going to give the 15% so they try to make up for it in other ways.

Of course I don't like to be ran to death and talked down to... to fulfill all of the needs...just to get 8% but that happens too. Usually the rudest people are the best tippers.

So I really don't mind the light tippers, because I'm poor and I look at it this way. Everything is sooo expensive it's hard to actually go out and do anything with out a pocket full of cash and sometimes eating out is all we got. Who am I to wish to deprive anyone of a nice night out with what little they may have. As long as I'm treated with respect, and get at least the 8% I have to claim I have no problem waiting on anyone, and I actually welcome it!! I know karma will take care of me and send me the harder to handle good tippers to make up for it.

Originally posted by windwordServe the ladies first

Sorry, but we are all EQUALS on this EARTH and I 100% DISAGREE. I am a woman and I am TOTALLY DISAGREEING WITH YOU!! We aren't better than men. We are EQUALS!

Originally posted by windwordAppetizers DO come before the salad, soup comes after the appetizer, before the salad.

It doesn't always work that way. Once, at Macaroni Grill, my husband ordered an appetizer and I ordered a side salad. Guess what? My side salad came under 5 minutes. I didn't even tell the waiter I wanted my side salad first. He served it to me first. I finished it WAYYYY BEFORE the appetizer came.

Sorry, but I have to 100% disagree in that the *SERVER* should ********ASK*********** what would you like first. Soup and side salads should be served before an appetizer, because people are hungry as far as I am concerned, although I did a survey and most of the people didn't want to still be eating their side salad when their appetizer arrived, but there was a few that agreed with me that they were hungry.

I say the server should be *ASKING* you. This way, if you are in a hurry and/or just plain starving hungry, you can get the soup or side salad as fast as possible.

I am not sure WHY at Marconi Grill the waiter did it like that, but not at Outback? In both situations, I didn't eat the appetizers. We weren't sharing them. See that's the thing, the servers are assuming you HAVE to share appetizers. I wanted a side salad, NOT what my husband wanted.

reply to post by tsawyer2


AWW you're a good Uncle! I looooove when the fam come in for a vi$it

Thanks for your advice tsawyer!

reply to post by Springs1


Sounds about right for Macaroni Grill!

All those impersonal chain restaurants sacrifice quality to service the impatient and irreverent masses, who are tired and cranky from their shopping excursion at the mall.