There is this ridiculous thing becoming much more common. You order your food, and then at some point before it arrives, stop someone to change your order. This is so nuts. We've already begun cooking the food, what the heck are we supposed to do with it now???
A couple did it today. They ordered two sandwiches, then stopped my manager as he was walking by to change to 1 entree that they wanted to split.
A lady did it a couple of days ago. She ordered an entree, then asked me 10 minutes later if it was too late to change her mind. I told her it was to late, it was being plated as we spoke.
Another lady did it last week, she wanted to change her entree. I was able to change the order for her.
I have several theories for why this is becoming more common. It may be the economy. People are more careful about how they are spending their dollars, so they are constantly rethinking their purchases. The other is that people are just becoming mush brained and indecisive do to excessive TV and Internet use. These guests seem to be totally out of touch with reality. The product you ordered is being used and prepared to your specifications. It is now complete waste. It also backs up the kitchen, making everyone else wait for the food they know they wanted.
If you don't know what you want it is OK to take a few more minutes to read the menu. Don't guess. "I guess I want chicken. Oh, is it ready? I meant fish." Grow the hell up and make a decision like an adult.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Sunday Rudeness
Yeah for Sundays and plenty of fodder for my blog. I'll go with my first table of the day. It was a table of 3 women that looked at me with blank stares and proceeded to give me a run for my money. They were a text book study in rudeness.
One woman ordered a hot tea. Servers HATE hot teas. They are a pain in the ass because of so many elements that fills up your hands and makes it impossible to multi-task. After I had served her tea and put away the tea box, her friend decided she wanted one too. Bite me.
All three wanted appetizers. The third woman wanted her app and meal at the same time, a separate check, and a dessert to go. I had a feeling she hated the other two. As I brought their food the last woman was complaining that she didn't have everything she ordered. Relax lady, it's still in my hands.
The second woman didn't tell me she had a food allergy and we had to remake her food. And also sent me on at least 3 trips back for extra sauces and add ons. She asked me twice what my name was again, but it was too much for her to remember.
The first woman decided to finish her meal and then complain about how much fat was on her pork chop and that she shouldn't have to pay for it. Way to get a free meal and piss off your server.
On both checks they left me about 18%, which is the minimum you should leave for good service. It was a relief when I saw my tips, I didn't expect anywhere near that much. But as any other server will tell you, these kind of guests are not worth the effort.
One woman ordered a hot tea. Servers HATE hot teas. They are a pain in the ass because of so many elements that fills up your hands and makes it impossible to multi-task. After I had served her tea and put away the tea box, her friend decided she wanted one too. Bite me.
All three wanted appetizers. The third woman wanted her app and meal at the same time, a separate check, and a dessert to go. I had a feeling she hated the other two. As I brought their food the last woman was complaining that she didn't have everything she ordered. Relax lady, it's still in my hands.
The second woman didn't tell me she had a food allergy and we had to remake her food. And also sent me on at least 3 trips back for extra sauces and add ons. She asked me twice what my name was again, but it was too much for her to remember.
The first woman decided to finish her meal and then complain about how much fat was on her pork chop and that she shouldn't have to pay for it. Way to get a free meal and piss off your server.
On both checks they left me about 18%, which is the minimum you should leave for good service. It was a relief when I saw my tips, I didn't expect anywhere near that much. But as any other server will tell you, these kind of guests are not worth the effort.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Closing Time
Another doozy of a night. With so many gems to choose from I'll tell about my last table of the night.
I was not closing tonight. I could have left as soon as my last table left. Unfortunately they decided to stay until well after closing time. And sure enough, they left me 10%. And they had a free appetizer. Are you that cheap that you get free food and still can't leave a decent tip? You suck.
We've all eaten out and been there when the restaurant is closing. It happens. If you should find yourself in this situation please follow these simple guidelines to ensure you are not having your food messed with.
-Be respectful. If they are locking up as you are walking in don't ask them to stay open for you.
-Don't wait to order. Figure out what you want as quickly as possible. There are a lot of people (kitchen staff, servers, hosts and managers) that have lives and would like to go home.
-DO NOT SEND BACK YOUR FOOD! The grill has been closed, everything has been put away, and the kitchen stiff WILL mess with your food.
-Don't order coffee or dessert. The coffee will probably be old and reheated in the microwave anyway.
-Respect last call. Don't brow beat someone into getting you another round of drinks.
-Finish you food, ask for the check, pay it and leave.
-Leave at least 20%. If you are there well after close you should leave much more. If it was Friday at 5pm and your boss asked you to stay a few extra hours, how much more money would you want?
-Don't be proud of the fact that you shut down the restaurant, or that your blind date was so great that you stayed around for hours talking after the lights were turned up and chairs put on the tables. What you should have been proud of was closing the deal early and getting laid instead of ruining everyone elses' night.
One of these days when a guest asks "Oh, I'm sorry. Are we the last ones? Are you waiting on us?" I am going to tell them the truth and give them a piece of my mind. If your server says something like "no worries", or "it's all good" what they mean is "fuck you".
I was not closing tonight. I could have left as soon as my last table left. Unfortunately they decided to stay until well after closing time. And sure enough, they left me 10%. And they had a free appetizer. Are you that cheap that you get free food and still can't leave a decent tip? You suck.
We've all eaten out and been there when the restaurant is closing. It happens. If you should find yourself in this situation please follow these simple guidelines to ensure you are not having your food messed with.
-Be respectful. If they are locking up as you are walking in don't ask them to stay open for you.
-Don't wait to order. Figure out what you want as quickly as possible. There are a lot of people (kitchen staff, servers, hosts and managers) that have lives and would like to go home.
-DO NOT SEND BACK YOUR FOOD! The grill has been closed, everything has been put away, and the kitchen stiff WILL mess with your food.
-Don't order coffee or dessert. The coffee will probably be old and reheated in the microwave anyway.
-Respect last call. Don't brow beat someone into getting you another round of drinks.
-Finish you food, ask for the check, pay it and leave.
-Leave at least 20%. If you are there well after close you should leave much more. If it was Friday at 5pm and your boss asked you to stay a few extra hours, how much more money would you want?
-Don't be proud of the fact that you shut down the restaurant, or that your blind date was so great that you stayed around for hours talking after the lights were turned up and chairs put on the tables. What you should have been proud of was closing the deal early and getting laid instead of ruining everyone elses' night.
One of these days when a guest asks "Oh, I'm sorry. Are we the last ones? Are you waiting on us?" I am going to tell them the truth and give them a piece of my mind. If your server says something like "no worries", or "it's all good" what they mean is "fuck you".
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Listen up!
One of my main pet peeves is people not listening to us lowly servers. You see me come to your table, you hear me introduce myself, and you turn back to your conversations or cell phones and ignore my pleas to tell me what you want. It was called kindergarten and its where you should have learned manners. Please read these examples and try to avoid them. You'll be making the world a better place.
When I tell you I am bringing refills, don't then ask me for a refill. You won't die of thirst, they're coming. My friend who works in a texicana restaurant says this happens all the time to him with chips and salsa. He just told you they are coming, relax.
When I have already told someone else at your table the side choices, don't then ask me to repeat them, listen up.
Another thing about side choices. I run through the whole list of what we have for you, then you ask "You don't have sweet potato fries?" Did you hear me say them? No? Then no I don't. "Oh, well I was only listening for the sweet potato fries, can you repeat those sides again?" I just wrote "bitch" next to your order on my notepad.
No I will not repeat the specials. Next time don't answer your phone in the middle of my spiel. Ask your friends what the specials are, they were only mildly ignoring me.
And what's with the talking over each other? I'm taking your dates order over here. Do you want to get laid? Shut the hell up and let her tell me what she wants.
Please shut up when your server comes to your table and listen politely. We are not your slaves, when you see us there and dismiss us to continue your conversations you are destroying our faith in humanity. Learn some manners.
When I tell you I am bringing refills, don't then ask me for a refill. You won't die of thirst, they're coming. My friend who works in a texicana restaurant says this happens all the time to him with chips and salsa. He just told you they are coming, relax.
When I have already told someone else at your table the side choices, don't then ask me to repeat them, listen up.
Another thing about side choices. I run through the whole list of what we have for you, then you ask "You don't have sweet potato fries?" Did you hear me say them? No? Then no I don't. "Oh, well I was only listening for the sweet potato fries, can you repeat those sides again?" I just wrote "bitch" next to your order on my notepad.
No I will not repeat the specials. Next time don't answer your phone in the middle of my spiel. Ask your friends what the specials are, they were only mildly ignoring me.
And what's with the talking over each other? I'm taking your dates order over here. Do you want to get laid? Shut the hell up and let her tell me what she wants.
Please shut up when your server comes to your table and listen politely. We are not your slaves, when you see us there and dismiss us to continue your conversations you are destroying our faith in humanity. Learn some manners.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Sending Back Food
At lunch today my sister did not like her sandwich. When the server asked her about it she said that she didn't really like it, but that it was fine and that she didn't want anything else. She asked me as a server what I thought our server was thinking and what she should have done. Every server is different, but here are my thoughts.
I want my guests to be happy with their meals. If they are happy I will get the maximum of what they think a good tip is (which unfortunately varies alot). I would rather that if a guest didn't like their meal they would take my suggestions and let me fix it for them.
DO NOT do the following:
1. Sit there miserably while everyone else is eating and keep whining,
2. Eat everything but the last two bites and then complain, (this happens to me all the time--"you should let the chef know this was soooo salty", or "it was really overdone but I ate it anyway", I'm sorry, what exactly do you want me to do now about it?)
3. Wave down your server like someone is having a heart attack and freak out on them because you don't like your food (there are starving people in the world),
4. And don't just try to be polite and eat something you don't like. You may be one of the few nice people out there and I would rather that you (rather 1,2, and 3) actually got to enjoy your meal.
I know what I can get on the table quickly if someone doesn't like their food, and can suggest getting them something quick that they may enjoy more. When sending back food tell the server what you don't like and let them tell you what they can do to fix it. If they ask you what you would like done, ask them about their quick entrees or tell them specifically what you would like done to fix your meal.
Yes it is a pain to send back food, it backs up the kitchen and throws off your server on busy nights. That is why we hate it. And we also hate the sneer and thinly veiled contempt of guests as they complain and explain to us how food should be prepared. But I would also rather you let me fix the problem for you and see that you are happy with the result.
I want my guests to be happy with their meals. If they are happy I will get the maximum of what they think a good tip is (which unfortunately varies alot). I would rather that if a guest didn't like their meal they would take my suggestions and let me fix it for them.
DO NOT do the following:
1. Sit there miserably while everyone else is eating and keep whining,
2. Eat everything but the last two bites and then complain, (this happens to me all the time--"you should let the chef know this was soooo salty", or "it was really overdone but I ate it anyway", I'm sorry, what exactly do you want me to do now about it?)
3. Wave down your server like someone is having a heart attack and freak out on them because you don't like your food (there are starving people in the world),
4. And don't just try to be polite and eat something you don't like. You may be one of the few nice people out there and I would rather that you (rather 1,2, and 3) actually got to enjoy your meal.
I know what I can get on the table quickly if someone doesn't like their food, and can suggest getting them something quick that they may enjoy more. When sending back food tell the server what you don't like and let them tell you what they can do to fix it. If they ask you what you would like done, ask them about their quick entrees or tell them specifically what you would like done to fix your meal.
Yes it is a pain to send back food, it backs up the kitchen and throws off your server on busy nights. That is why we hate it. And we also hate the sneer and thinly veiled contempt of guests as they complain and explain to us how food should be prepared. But I would also rather you let me fix the problem for you and see that you are happy with the result.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Religious Tracts
I had some doozies tonight I could write plenty about: the guests who complained to a manager because we do not sing a birthday song, the guest who tried to use a gift card envelope as a gift card claiming all they got was an envelope, the guests who camped till after close with whopping $18 check. But I will write about something that happened a few weeks ago that every server has had happened to them.
You open the check to find a meagre tip and a religious tract or card inviting you to church. The tip usually ranges from 10-15%. In this instance the tables check was over $100 and they left me 12%. The tract they left me was interesting in that it was several pages long. They were some catchy articles and generic facts, but the back was where the best bits were. I will copy them here for you. These are out of context but are word for word. "People without Christ have no hope for the future. They are condemned", and "Anyone who is not rescued by the arms of Jesus is dead".
There is a reason servers hate to work Sundays: the afternoon church crowd. They are demanding, sit and talk forever, and usually want separate checks. And they are on average abominable tippers. Just because you have tithed to the church does not mean you do not have to compensate your server. If you cannot afford an 18-20% tip you cannot afford what you ordered. And if you have an agenda, really care about the soul of your server, and want them to attend your church, you had better leave more than 20%. WWJD?
You open the check to find a meagre tip and a religious tract or card inviting you to church. The tip usually ranges from 10-15%. In this instance the tables check was over $100 and they left me 12%. The tract they left me was interesting in that it was several pages long. They were some catchy articles and generic facts, but the back was where the best bits were. I will copy them here for you. These are out of context but are word for word. "People without Christ have no hope for the future. They are condemned", and "Anyone who is not rescued by the arms of Jesus is dead".
There is a reason servers hate to work Sundays: the afternoon church crowd. They are demanding, sit and talk forever, and usually want separate checks. And they are on average abominable tippers. Just because you have tithed to the church does not mean you do not have to compensate your server. If you cannot afford an 18-20% tip you cannot afford what you ordered. And if you have an agenda, really care about the soul of your server, and want them to attend your church, you had better leave more than 20%. WWJD?
Friday, October 14, 2011
Rude Guest
Lets start this blog off right with a winner.
During our down time between lunch and dinner a couple walked right by the host stand ignoring their greeting and sat themselves in a closed section. I assume they chose the farthest corner of the restaurant so they could be gross together. The lady ordered a drink we do not make and accepted my modified suggestion. When I asked to see their IDs, the gentlemen had to tell her to move her leg of of his so he could reach his wallet. She reluctantly scooted away from her position half on his lap. When I asked the gentleman what he would like for his meal, with no acknowledgment he answered his phone and ignored me. The lady interrupted him to ask him what he wanted and he ignored her too. She suggested I come back-- I could hardly wait.
Now to the good part. They had put themselves across from a table where an employee had been eating her lunch. We do not get lunch breaks, so this meant she had to run to the table and grab a bite whenever she had a down minute. The site of her meal, which she never ate in front of them, was apparently offensive to the gentlemen. He asked me "whose food's that", to which I replied it was an employees. He told me to move it.
Really?? I really wanted to say tell me please and maybe I would, but instead I said sure and moved the sandwich out of his sight. And that request of his has led me to start this blog. For all the times I cannot say to a guest what I really want, I'm hoping sending it into cyber space will help me get over it. I'm going to stop burying all the psychotic things people do deep in my soul and hopefully start to like humanity again.
During our down time between lunch and dinner a couple walked right by the host stand ignoring their greeting and sat themselves in a closed section. I assume they chose the farthest corner of the restaurant so they could be gross together. The lady ordered a drink we do not make and accepted my modified suggestion. When I asked to see their IDs, the gentlemen had to tell her to move her leg of of his so he could reach his wallet. She reluctantly scooted away from her position half on his lap. When I asked the gentleman what he would like for his meal, with no acknowledgment he answered his phone and ignored me. The lady interrupted him to ask him what he wanted and he ignored her too. She suggested I come back-- I could hardly wait.
Now to the good part. They had put themselves across from a table where an employee had been eating her lunch. We do not get lunch breaks, so this meant she had to run to the table and grab a bite whenever she had a down minute. The site of her meal, which she never ate in front of them, was apparently offensive to the gentlemen. He asked me "whose food's that", to which I replied it was an employees. He told me to move it.
Really?? I really wanted to say tell me please and maybe I would, but instead I said sure and moved the sandwich out of his sight. And that request of his has led me to start this blog. For all the times I cannot say to a guest what I really want, I'm hoping sending it into cyber space will help me get over it. I'm going to stop burying all the psychotic things people do deep in my soul and hopefully start to like humanity again.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)