 Booze, booths, canoodling and credit cards: dinner out on the town can be a recipe for awkwardness, both for diners and the staff that serves them. A restaurant is a salad bar of human behaviors: There’s the couple on their first date, the man cashing in his bad luck on Irish whiskey at the bar, the colleagues pretending to like each other in order to impress the client. The majority of the time, the server-customer interaction passes without incident. But, every now and again – whether in the form of a declined credit card, overserved customer or the couple getting steamy in the corner booth - it’s up to the front of the house, or waitstaff, to get things back on track and make sure other guests’ experiences aren’t negatively affected. Jason James, the general manager of Barley Swine in Austin, Texas, said he would rather have one angry guest leave because he told them to be quiet than 10 angry guests because he did nothing about it. “It is absolutely necessary for the FOH [front of house] to maintain peace. If for no other reason than to heighten the experience of those around you,” said James. Justin Warner, the co-owner of Do or Dine in Brooklyn, New York, and the latest winner of "The Next Food Network Star, embraces the human element. “When you go into the boiler room of a restaurant there is generally a little box labeled 'chaos' which powers the restaurant. Too little chaos is a dull and lifeless robo-restaurant. Too much and it's, well, chaotic.” “I think that the front of the house has more opportunities than the back of the house [kitchen staff] to turn liabilities into assets, and therefore regulate the flow of chaos a little bit more,” he added. According to the blogger who writes under the pseudonym The Bitchy Waiter, servers are the go-between for the kitchen and the guest - and there is a delicate balance between the two. “Customers want to blame us for the kitchen's mistakes and the kitchen wants to blame us for the customer's mistakes. It is up to the servers to bridge that gap and make sure that no one actually blames us for anything,” he said. “I’m sorry, but your card has been declined” Take for instance, a declined credit card. Warner said blame it on the machine, the bank, anything but the fact that the customer may just not have budgeted accordingly. The Bitchy Waiter runs the card at least three times before returning to the guest so when the first thing the guest says is, “Try it again,” he’s already one step - or in this case, three swipes - ahead. “Personally, I rarely use the word ‘decline.’ It just sounds so negative. I usually say something like, ‘I'm not sure why, but for some reason this card is not being accepted. Perhaps you have another one that I can use instead?’” he said. “On very rare occasions, I have known servers to tell rude customers that the card was declined even though it wasn't just to shame them a little bit,” he added. “It's the little things that get waiters through their night.” “You’re cut off” Speaking of rude customers, the drunken, obnoxious customer is another inevitable and potential minefield for the front of house. Every server at some point or another is going to have to cut someone off, and the act of doing so, the gentlemen agree, is all in the presentation. Alcohol often facilitates aggression, so Warner advocates dropping the check, doing a last call, anything other than declaring, “You’re cut off.” “That's the worst verbiage to use to someone who is wasted. Sometimes I recommend fictitious bars that have a great happy hour all night which is just around the corner. Anything. Just get them out,” he said. James says while he handles with care, he also makes it clear it's not up for debate. "I use an assertive tone with them so that they get the picture. If at any point I decide they should not be driving, I will let them know that I will call them a cab. If they refuse then I tell them it is that or the police. The cab has always won that case," he said. “Get a room!” As for the heavy petters, there’s less coddling. James says for the most part, people who are engaging in serious PDA (hopefully) know they are doing so in front of others, so there's no need to sugarcoat it. “I did have a couple once give me the ‘That’s rude" at which point I replied ‘Well, you are also being rude to the people around you.’ They left and were not seen here again. No worries,” he said. "It's worth it" So, why not just punch out of the gig for good? Because, these restaurant veterans actually enjoy their jobs. Warner admits, “To me it is about control. It feels good to control the chaos. If people leave happy, even better.” “As much as I want to say that these kind of things are off-putting, they are paled in comparison to the genuine guests I deal with every single day,” says James. “It is the other 99% of my guests that are happy, giddy, and can't wait to come back that makes it worth it for me.” Do you think it’s a server’s job to keep the peace, or would you rather they stayed out of it? Leave your thoughts in the comments below - and please share your stories of horrible customer behavior you’ve witnessed. You, of course, behave like a saint at all times. |
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I have found a not-so-subtle solution to the inattentive server who continually fails to refresh iced tea glasses. After a reasonable number of attempts to get that person's attention, I'll get up myself and go find the iced tea pitcher and refill the glass myself. Preferably when an owner or manager is watching. I've even been known to bring the pitcher back to my table and refill my co-diners' glasses. No need to say anything or complain. The situation is obvious.
My family was on vacation at Disney World and one of the big highlights was a meal at a very nice seafood restaurant, on a boat, in downtown Disney (a non Disney restaurant) After we were seated a large party of about 20 people were seated adjacent to us. It was clearly a business dinner. They proceeded to give speeches which eliminated any opportunity for conversation. I was furious. Our waiter was very nice , seemed sympathetic and claimed " they were trying to do something" They did nothing and after several people finished their speeches , it culminated in someone standing and singing a loud song. Followed by lots of clapping. At this point I had to leave the restaurant or I may have attacked someone at their table!My family was a little worried about that. Certainly this group brought in a lot of money that evening , but at the expense of everyone else's meal. I will never return to this restaurant. Poor management decision.
I was always taught that it was simple: Excellent service = excellent tip; Good service = good tip; bad service= no tip. The server knows they don't make much & their wage depends on their desire to do their job well, it's the toughest part of the job; but the idea that a tip is based on how well they do it supposed to encourage better service. The real problem may be that management doesn't hire (or put on the schedule) enough people to keep the server-to-table ratio reasonable &/or they just hire anyone to the job.
I got to agree! I have been in the business for 20 years (same place!) I have dealt with all the chaos. If ONE customer is making anyone feel uncomfortable, it has to stop, even if it means asking them to leave. You can not allow the place of business to be viewed in a negative light. You will get more business by being known as a safe place, then allows a person to act rudely. And the credit card decline advice was right on! Always try to soften the blow. I always say I've been having trouble all night with visa/master card/ etc! No harm done with that white lie!!
The manager was not mentioned once in this article. As usual, the waitstaff has to bear the full weight of being judge,jury and executioner.
I agree: once in a little Italian restaurant, the owner came out and told a loud man on his cellphone to leave. Then man said: "I'm paying for my meal." The owner replied: "So are they", meaning all his other customers. The man looked around and, seeing no support for his selfish rudeness, left.
wait until the food stamps make their way into regular chains, then it will hit the fan.
serving is a glorified game of fetch. i get tired of hearing the wait staff complain when on a good weekend they make more than the cooks make in a week. waa waa waa is all you hear. shut up and do your job. if you are going to whine about people and freak when people are rude and dont tip, you are in the wrong business. i have noticed after cooking for 25 years the better the waiter the less the complaining.
There's a woman in Denver, 60ish, who for years has always licked her plate clean then complained that it wasn't very good to get her food comped. She has also done this at ski resorts. She will ski all day then go to the resort office in the town and complain to get free lift,tickets. If she was told this is stealing she would be horrified, but it is just that.
So quit whining and tell her already.
Is she a Kennedy? I read they buy dresses in expensive shops, wear them out and return them for refund.
The wonderful thing about social media and customer review sites is that bad establishments with terrible service can be called out in public, and other potential customers can be warned to stay away from them. When they get enough bad reviews and nobody eats there any more, they can go out of business. Then they'll wonder if it was worth it to treat their customers like that. Remember, customers can always go to other restaurants, but if nobody patronizes your business, you don't have anything else going for you.
This is why people like you need to go to places like McDirt and Kentucky Fried Crap. Then you can wallow at the trough with the rest of the pigs and be content. Plus it will get you back to WalMart faster so you can stock up on pork rinds and Natty Light.
Leave the real dining to the civilized and we'll both be happier.
Joe, you sound like a minimum wage busboy who's really angry that diners have a choice to review, and not accept substandard service and products. Whats wrong with the picture? Its survival of the fittest, and if your establishment doesnt make the cut, the sooner it goes out of business, the better off the customers are, and you can always find a job cleaning bus station toilets – you'll still be a busboy !!
Would love to see where you got your Ph.D. in psychology from. Based on your responses to my 2 posts I'd say it was from Photoshop U or MSPaint State. Both response were, of course, dead wrong. Actually one of my replies got attached to the incorrect post so it looked way off. It was supposed to go on the post below it. So be it.
And if you must know, I'm no longer in the food service business. Haven't been for years. I have a quite comfortable lifestyle thank you and probably support your welfare fraud existence with the taxes I pay every year.
I think you need to work in the business before you downgrade anyone in it. I bet you're one of THOSE customers! Bussing tables, cleaning toilets are an honest job. Have a little respect. They are mking YOUR food. Does that make you cheap and lazy? Funny when the tables are turned.
Im so sick of low scale casual restaurants with servers. I go to your establishment to save money, not to spend an extra $3 because you think I need to order my food from a booth instead of a cash register. A server does not automatically make the experience better, a lot of the times it makes it uncomfortable and over priced, not to mention it adds about 20 minutes of pure waiting which is not a good thing on your lunch break (waiting to be seated, waiting for them to come back and take your order, waiting for the check, waiting for them to pick up the check, waiting for them to return your card). I have to pay extra money to wait 10x longer? What exactly is the server adding to my experience besides length of wait and bill amount?
If you are "fast casual" and you are employing servers then you dont understand the concept of "fast" or "casual." If you think food needs to be delivered to tables then invest in some paper with numbers on them and hand them out at the register.
All those casual places take to go orders. I just call ahead with my order, and it's ready to go when I get there. No fuss, saves time and money, and you get the food you want without having to deal with wait times or kids running around screaming.
You have the choice of not going. You pay for convenience, and know- going in -what to expect. I guess you think you should have top priority, huh? I wouldn't be surprised if they are making you wait on purpose. You sound miserable.
How to say this in a public forum...Well, I once had a girlfriend do a job involving her hand under the tablecloth at The Palm Too in NY.
I'm a chef, and just a word of advice to the jerks; Watch the movie 'Waiting', then go be an a** to your server!
I prefer to cook at home. It's tastier, healthier, and I don't need to worry about whether your kitchen is a health hazard or not. If everybody did like me, people like you would finally be out of a job. Chew on that.
There are certain people in this world you don't want to cheese off. People who handle your food should be on the top of everyone's list.
On the other hand, say complimentary, calming things to a harried wait-person, and you'll often end up with free stuff – or at least a heartwarming smile.
Some advice to servers and waiters out there. There is new firmware being downloaded into many credit card terminals and POS systems. It has to do with the use of certain debit cards when used as credit cards at restaurants. In my case, its called the Bank Freedom Card. It is a pay card used by many employers. It can be either one. The problem restaurant staff have with it is a simple sentence on the bottom that confuses them. It says, "Transaction available balance: 0" That is NOT A DECLINE. You can tell it because there is an approval and transaction code. If a transaction is declined, there is NOT an approval code. I have had two occasions where a restaurant has told me the card was declined and I paid cash. I then went home and saw the transaction posted on my account. In both cases, the server did not know how to read, "Transaction available balance: 0" Just for you benefit, that means that for the transaction conducted at the restaurant in which food and beverages were consumed, the customer owes no balance after the transaction is complete.
Don't make the mistake other restaurants have made by thinking its a decline message. I go apeshirt when they do it and I usually get the entire meal comped.
So you have an odd debit card that's fairly uncommon (I know I work in the industry) and has only been around a relatively short time and you think that gives you the right to go 'apeshit' on some poor over-worked server. Then you get the meal for nothing and probably stiff the server so you can feel like a he-man. When I was in the restaurant business (many years ago in school) we waited for a**holes like you to come back. Then we got our revenge. Ever notice an odd flavor in your food?
What an ass.
Joe, you're just a sick little twerp at the bottom of the totem pole. Its seems you have some serious psychological inferiority complex issues to deal with. Your aggressive tone demonstrates it. Please get some help, otherwise you may reach breaking point and get to work some day and attack your co-workers with a frying pan.
You may not like it but it's true. Think twice before returning to a restaurant you acted like a fool in. We will remember you.
Both sides have a point:
* You packed the restaurant with more pople than you can possibly serve. Our dinner was horrible, you're in-the-weeds, and I'm a complainer.....Really???
* I came to celebrate my 20th anniversary and you sat my wife next to the "Yale drinking team"???
* Our waiter acts like Simon Cowell......and I'M A COMPLAINER???
I was a waitress and bartender for years while I was in college. I always tried to make each and every customer comfortable and happy with each experience. I also worked for a high end Hotel where I ran the room service dept. for several years. I knew of several customers that came in looking for things wrong so as they could get dessert or appetizers free. Nothing wrong with the food or service but just came down to they were quite proud of themselves when they could brag they got something for nothing. My ex-father-in-law was one of those. I hated going out to dinner with them, he would be extra picky and demanding so he could gloat by the end of the meal that he got something for free. I usually would excuse myself to the restroom so I could find the waiter to apologize and give him a few extra $$$ for putting up with him.
My personal pet peeves weren't necessarily children but when mom would pack a cheerios/cheeto/cracker dinner for junior to eat and every bit of it would be on the floor because junior wasn't hungry...
another one was those people coming into the restaurant that have the attitude that "you took this job, deal with what you make" and they never tip but they were the ones that were overdemanding, sucking down sweat tea faster than you could fill their cups, and laughing at you cause you are busting your butt trying to keep them happy only to be stiffed. If you don't want to tip, go to the buffet where you don't have to, or fast food.
And you corny joke guys that like to joke at the waiter or bartenders expense, yeah, thanks...whatever.
I made it through college and not only work my job, currently I have my own side business as well, but if I ever had to be a server or bartender again, I would, but hopefully I won't.
One story I do have though made my day. Around Christmastime, the restaurant was really busy, everyone was giving 110%. I had a 6 top table and I busted my butt to serve them, perfect service, perfect food and they even said how everything was just wonderful...the bill $450, my tip, nadda. I was so upset. A young couple sitting near that table had witnessed me being snubbed and when they paid their bill they left me a tip and note. The tip $100 and a note "don't let the jerks get you down, be who you are and you will go far". Now every Christmas when we go out, I pass it along and I do the same for our server.
Red Lobster needs a giant neon sign - TIPPING IS NOT ILLEGAL, especially when you asked for more cheese bisquits 5 times
I know of a Red Lobster in Fairview Heights, Illinois, where the wait-staff has been assaulted by patrons not once but twice within the past year. These assaults were so serious that they resulted in arrests and prosecutions.
Just sayin'
If you want to be treated nicely by a person who works day in and out with the public, it's YOUR responsibility to set the tone – be nice first. Remember, the waiter/waitress/mechanic/cashier/flight attendant has already met 24 thousand people that day, while you're meeting them for the first time. Nice is so much easier than hateful.
well said!
As a customer, and by the way I ilve in Palm beach county Florida. I despise people who dress up their pets and take out to restarants. They should be shot!!!
Sadly, the animals are usually better behaved than the kids.
Oh great another one who wants to be tipped for doing nothing more than his job. You do know most of us go to work every day, do what's expected of us, and don't get a tip?
You do realize that servers only make $2.13 an hour, because you are expected to tip for service, correct? If you don't like it, stick to fast food or cooking at home. Yes, most of us do go to work and earn money without expecting to be tipped (myself included), because we're making at the very least $7.50 an hour. Get off your high horse; it's obvious you've never tried to wait tables. I hope your servers mess with your food when you go out. I would.
I admire folks whose pay depends heavily on merit, every single day. Most of us work our jobs at whatever level of satisfaction to keep them, but don't put our daily pay on the line.
I have been working in the food service industry for a little over 12 years now. I am 24. That's 50% of my life. And that's only the time I've been on the payroll (my father owns a restaurant). More recently, I began bartending, so I have both BOH and FOH experience. Over the years, I have come to realize that for some reason, human behavior changes drastically as soon as people are waited on. People who are otherwise fantastic individuals can become total monsters in a restaurant setting, while at the same time, people who typically come across as snobby, arrogant, or ignorant can turn out to be easy to wait on and, more often than not, fairly decent tippers. Why these seemingly contradicting behaviors take place is a total mystery that even Freud would have a difficult time explaining, but the fact remains that it tends to pan out that way (not always, but often enough). That being said, the "difficult customer" can be the most mentally devastating feature of a service industry job. I have seen weak servers mentally crumble in the wake of that one jerk that for some reason was just served the WORST meal of all time (yet finished every bite), and is on a quest to make everyone in the establishment aware of it. It is a true test of mental fortitude to deal with this person. I feel that for this reason, servers (while they are ultimately tasked with the duty of handling these individuals' issues) are owed a break. I would implore conscientious people all over to boycott dinner out with your jerk friends. Make it clear to them that behavior is unacceptable and embarrassing. Solidarity will overcome. Viva la Revolucion!
The explanation is easy, a lot of people really dont want to be waited on, especially the ones from the 80's as they are a "do it yourself" generation and have learned to distrust sales people (which the server essentially is). Not only do they not want to be waited on but they have to pay for something they dont want with a tip which just gets them frustrated. Then there are some people who love being waited on since they dont like doing anything themselves, like older people.
That's funny because when I don't want to be waited on, I eat at places where they don't have waiters. It's a really neat trick that works out just fine.
That bit about "people turning into monsters..." A good check of the new beau or belle is to see how they treat the waitstaff in a restaurant. That's going to be you some day.
Notice that 1 percent who responded with, "I'll behave how I want, and no one should dare to challenge that"? That is the small percentage of people this article is referring to. Thank you other 99% for making it worth while!
American children should not be allowed in public restaurants. Go to McDonalds, KFC or a takeout joint. Your kids are noisy, dirty pigs!
Is that right?! Well, at least our kids aren't dirty little gang bangers shooting up people and spraying gang names everywhere.
Yet!
Children should be sterilized, de-loused, immunized, and probably just sedated before being admitted into a restaurant.
too funny.... actually too pathetic. I hope you've never had children or worse yet, not a grandparent... cause i'd feel sorry for both.
I take my 8 chilldrens to the restaurant so that they can be in a place with other adults to supervise them so i don't have to. I just want to sit with my glass of chardennah and relax after a long week you know. the other adults in the restaurant can supervise and raise them that hour and a half i'm there. it takes a village, people! be nice to my children's and set an example. Or are you racist?!?!
Wow, you are worst than the kids. Restaurants are not daycare. They are your children, thus, your responsibilty not "other" adults. Drink at home so restaurant staff does not have to deal with you or your 8 kids!
JD, are you familiar with the concept of sarcasm?
I'm sorry, American children? What does that mean? Since you are obviously not American, NOTHING you say about America matters, so keep your comments to yourself! Be proud to be here, or leave!
Oh no, go to Europe and observe how those children act in restaurants. It's an eye opener. I'm a born American raised by immigrants, but I when I was little, I wouldn't even *think* about leaving my seat and running around, or throwing a tantrum in public.
this is VERY true,thanx!I am a serevr too!
So they are complaining about the customers, well what about bad service from servers and they still want a good tip No way.
Hahahaha I totally agree!!
I took a waiter job for about 6 months because I needed the extra money. Ever since then, I have a greater appreciation for what waiters and waitresses do for a living. It's NOT an easy job. Now when we go out, I don't expect the world, but if I get good service, I tip VERY WELL. However, on a few occasions, the service was really bad (not everyone is cut out for it), I will ALWAYS ask for a manager at that point.
I am the same way (I worked as a cook for a number of years). If I get great service I leave a really good tip but if I get mediocre cervice I will leave 15% only and if I get bad service I ask for the manager. I have also asked to see the manger if I get phenominal service as I want them to know that I was extremely pleased with the service (managers will often get a bit flustered at that because it is not that common to get called to a table for a compliment)
I don't think the article really dealt with the main issue that I see as a problem for most servers: a guest who is expecting a bad time. Whether its the food, the service or the environment, a guest who expects a terrible time is a horrible guest. Now don't get me wrong. I have certainly experienced bad food, bad service and bad environments, just few and far between. The person that I am talking about is my father. Never have been to a restaurant with him were he has been totally happy. Something is always wrong and that something is making the experience crappy. Guys, that guest sucks and never actually deserves a great time. And they never get a great time. Too bad for them. Moreover, although I don't give a darn about that guest, the server in me still tries to give them the best experience I possible can. Not because I care about them, but because thats the best way to control the situation. A server must be in control of their tables and that is why this type of guest sucks because they want to be in control of everything. Luckily they are less than 1% of the population.
Great point Matt. I've been a server/bartender for many years and I now own a restaurant. I try not to let those "hate the world" guests get to me. I see them as a challenge. If I can make them happy, then I did my job. Who knows, they be the type that tips really well for putting up with them. If you can win over "pain in the ass" guests, you should be proud, because you are good at what you do. You are absolutely right about the fact that "you", the server, control the table and the guests experience, not the guests. I may see things from a different light being a business owner and not just a staff member but even horrible customers are customers spending money. A "pain in the ass" customer is better than no customers at all.
I don't think the article really dealt with the main issue that I see as a problem for most servers: a guest who is expecting a bad time. Whether its the food, the service or the environment, a guest who is not expects a terrible time is a horrible guest. Now don't get me wrong. I have certainly experienced bad food, bad service and bad environments, just few and far between. The person that I am talking about is my father. Never have been to a restaurant with him were he has been totally happy. Something is always wrong and that something is making the experience crappy. Guys, that guest sucks and never actually deserves a great time. And they never get a great time. Too bad for them. Moreover, although I don't give a darn about that guest, the server in me still tries to give them the best experience I possible can. Not because I care about them, but because thats the best way to control the situation. A server must be in control of their tables and that is why this type of guest sucks because they want to be in control of everything. Luckily they are less than 1% of the population.
The customer is in the final analysis responsible for his or her own behavior and it is to be hoped that most people are not so boorish that they would cross the behavior line in the first place. But after they do, it would be ideal if their dining companions could reel them in and calm them down, alhtough so often it's not a solo gig. In which case the waitstaff seem stuck with the task. I would hate to see it fall upon other diners, who themselves came for a hopefully pleasant evening out. Anyone with a "to heck with you, I'll do whatever I want to!" attitude should be bounced, nobody is entitled to ruin a restaurant's business for their own entertainment. Meybe restaurants should keep at least one big, burly guy on staff who is trained in martial arts. And Lars, we 'real' women find putrid vile excuses of ED such as yourself to be the most repulsive thing on the planet. You are clearly just engaging in wishful thinking since you cannot perform, and your only jollies can be gotten off by being as offensive as you possibly can online (the only place you could ever hope for companionship). Too bad your vocabulary is no better than your foreplay.
I have some funny and astonishing stories from my many years as a server in high-end dinner houses:
1) a family of 4 came in, all dressed up for some kind of important event. Mom, Dad and 2 little daughters probably 8 & 10 yrs old. Jerk of a dad orders the most expensive things on the menu.. Alaskan King Crab legs for the little girls. They were miserable, but I spent time showing them how to eat these scary looking things, bibs, crackers, finger bowls and all. Mom was very subdued while Dad kept barking orders at me and smoking a big cigar (allowed at the time). Then, pays the very high bill and purposely leaves me ONE PENNY for a tip. I followed them into the parking lot with the tip tray, knocked on his window (Mercedes Benz of course) and asked why he'd do such a thing.. his response? You Took Too Long. I threw it at him. I sat on the curb by the dumpsters and just cried my heart out, not only for me, but those poor little girls growing up with a tyrant for a father. My mgr didn't want to do this, but had to.. I got suspended for a week without pay.
2) 2 bikers had a bet going.. I"ll pay for your meal if you eat the check (the big card stock kind). I come back to pick up the payment and check is nowhere to be found. He did eat it.
3) Lovely very-elderly couple celebrating something. He orders the 'crab quickie' clearly meaning the crab quiche. Had to choke back the hysterical laughter until I got back to the kitchen and just howled. Still the funniest thing I ever heard and still makes me laugh
Ah yes, those were the days!
mckenzy............. I recall all of the jerks too. One I remember well was a local Detroit t.v. personality (Marylin Turner). She came in for lunch. Parked in front of the restaurant in a metered space. Had a LONG lunch with a friend. She jumped up at one point saying she needed to put more money in her meter. I said, "no, stay with you friend Miss Turner, enjoy your lunch, and I'll put money in your meter". She was very grateful. So much so, that when she left she thanked me and handed me a quarter. I actually spend $4.
Why is it so hard for people to be nice? It takes so little effort to treat the person serving you with respect. Leave a generous tip and be kind, you might just make their night/day. Waiting on people is a hard enough job without dealing with folks treating them like they are some sort of slave. I've never actually been a waiter, and now work as a programmer but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate the hard work I see before me. I've honestly ended up having great conversations with servers just because I addressed them as a person. It's an easy opportunity to make some one else's life a bit better.
"Why is it so hard for people to be nice?" I agree, I ask myself that everyday. It really takes little to no effort to be kind. Rudeness is one of the worst signs of weakness in a human.
Truer words never written. Most insidious is the person who behavior changes with the relationship. They will act respectful to those they deem of equal status. As an industry veteran, I am especially appalled by the way men will speak disrespectfully to a female who is waiting on them, even to the point of bullying them.
"If you're a guy who's really really nice to me, and really really nice to my family, and really really nice to my friends, but you're nasty to the waiter, you are NOT a nice guy."
~Chris Rock
To the waiters and waitresses who fit this bill...and you know who you are...
Quit giving horrible service (no utensils, waiting for a refill, no sign of you after my food is delivered to see if I need anything, etc...) and then try to make up for it with a heartfelt "thank-you so much and have a great night!" while handing me my receipt. I'm gonna start calling you out on this and I hope others do too.
Obviously you are able to demand perfection from your servers because that is the standard to which you hold yourself. Especially in your chosen field.
Some people, myself included, do not like being bothered by the staff every five minutes during a meal. You should pass by, observe the drink levels and if one glass is near empty, then ask them if they need a refill or anything else.
Exactly. I find the best servers are those who can find just the right mix of being there and not being there. I do not want a server always at my table nor do I want one that is MIA. Be there when I need or want you or do not bother me
Just shut up and do your job. If you don't like it, then find another line of work.
Again, only servers whine about their job, and accept mediocrity in their efforts. It is the one segment of the workforce that is keeping this country down. Let's face it, none of us really likes of tries to hard at our job. It's the American way!
you're a tool. How do you manage to drag America down in this forum? And "only servers complain about their jobs". So all people that have jobs, other than servers, are happy all the time and never complain??
I have a couple of personal policies when it comes to wait staff, or the equivalent in other fields. First of all, a little patience goes a long way; everyone makes a mistake sometimes, and if they admit it and fix the problem, that's fine. I save the real annoyance for repeated errors. Second, make sure I'm blaming the cause of the problem, not the messenger. If it's the waiter specifically who's screwing up, I'll have no problem telling them so. But if they're just the one stuck telling me about a mistake they had no part in, getting in their face about it gains me nothing, whereas being understanding is far more likely to yield their best efforts in resolving the issue. Finally, I always make an effort to be courteous to the people who are helping me, particularly if they do so as well. A little politeness motivates them to do their absolute best to make my experience enjoyable, and there's also a ripple effect for others. If I'm an @$$hole to the wait staff, they get frustrated and may be abrupt with other customers, who then also get mad at them, and so on. But if I show some courtesy and respect, help make their day a little better, that feeds back to the other customers as well, and hopefully they'll do the same.
I love to read all these comments. It makes me remember why so many times I was sick to my stomach serving rude, selfish, overly demanding, fill-in-the-blanks. While you as the diner have every right to expect the food you pay for, you also have an obligation to be a decent human being. I would never serve tables again. Yes, there are many decent people out there who were kind and reasonable. However, the other types dictate I'd rather clean toilets than wait on them again.
Newsflash, boys and girls. I don't have time to stand by your table while little Joey learns how to order his dinner at three years of age. When you ALL have decided what you want, I can take your order. I am not the idiot-type who won't write it down and forgets to get your order right. But I don't have time to play stupid games or your appetizer will be lukewarm, your drink refill will not happen, and your dessert will melt. While your precious Joey is taking five minutes to order, the next three tables are looking around for their server-me- and my tip is shrinking fast. I also don't have the time to dodge Joey when he is running around unsupervised- yes, you are the parent, act like one- and the sizzling fajita will fall on him if I trip over him. We are in a restaurant, not the playground.
I also am not the one to blame when your friends or family members cannot tell time and show up with only half an hour before the big game, movie, etc starts. When I had all the time in the world, your party was late. Now I have others to take care of as well. Oh, but you will punish me by leaving a token or nothing.
Make no mistake. I have seen some awful servers and I understand your attitude about them. I know some of you diners are great people, expect little, tip well, and must really be provoked to act lousy. However, we ex-servers and current servers see awful garbage everyday. I believe EVERYBODY should be drafted to serve one year. I'd love to see how some of you do your jobs. I have seen a lot of non-servers who do nothing or do a lousy job, but they still get a FAT paycheck. As I said I'd rather clean toilets than ever wait on some people again.
Amen! You are right on the mark.
I agree with you. I never waited tables although I might assist in running food and did work the door on occasion. I have also found that some of the best or worst customers are other restaurant people. They will either be your best customer as they know what you have to go through (I try to be in that category but sometimes I cannot) or they will be the most demanding supposedly because they are wanting you to live up to what they think they can do.
16 years owning a restaurant...I think that it isn't up to the waiter to quell trouble... management should receive that problem information from wait-staff and respond as management. This keeps the wait-person out of the path of fire.
I'm always try to be very nice to the staff when I go out to eat, they're working hard and even if it seems like there's some slack then I assume that they're having a bad day. I thank them every time my glass of water is filled or any other seemingly littile service is done. I notice that some that seemed down or angry perk up a bit– gratitude goes a long way! They're providing a service, they're not personal servants. I've heard people be very rude to their waiters and other staff, and have spoken up a few times, they might be there to wait on you but they're working people just like anything else and to treat someone disrespectfully... there is just no excuse unless they are being flat out rude to you. Even in that case, speak with the manager or discontinue dining there if you're that upset.
It's up to everybody to keep the peace, not just the staff or guests.
I eat out every day for lunch and one to two times per week for dinner. Rudeness from any staff is never acceptable. Likewise, rudeness from customers is not acceptable either, except that the staff must put up with it.
It is the manager's duty to protect the staff from rude diners and to protect the diners from rude or incompetent staff. I never raise my voice. I calmly either ask for the manager or leave.
That being said, if the steak I ordered comes out over/under cooked, I chalk it up to experience. If I send it back, i don't know what else might be done to it. I will tell the server and management of the problem, and I do not expect to pay for my meal, assuming I don't actually eat it. I can miss a meal without it being the end of the world.
If the kitchen makes a mistake, I still tip the server at the normal rate. And I stay pleasant.
I am the same pleasant way with airline clerks. I understand they can really make your life miserable. I find that if you are pleasant through problems, you get much better service.
Nothing worse than not getting what you ordered. And the wait staff should check the order for correctness before setting it down in front of the customer.
Here's a tip... If you don't like to tip eat at McDonalds... lol
The establishment pays the wait staff to take and deliver my order. The tip is for them doing it correctly and seeing how I am doing while I am there.
The establishment pays them a rate, well under minimum, assuming that the tips will bring them up to minimum wage.
The tip isn't a given, buddy – you have to earn it.
I'm not advocating giving a tip to someone who was blatantly rude to you and refused to address your concerns, but I think we all know such instances are extremely rare. It may not be fair and I'm sure none of us like it, but the system is presently set up in such a way that wait staff makes its income from tips, not from so-called salary. If you feel that's unjust, write angry letters to restaurant owners or something, but don't stiff the guy or gal serving you your dinner. Until the system changes if ever, the cost of dining out includes decent tipping, it just does.
When I waited tables I made $2.13 an hour. Tipping is an essential part of a server's income. If you can't afford to do it properly, or have unrealistic expectations, then you would be better off eating at home.
You sound bitter – perhaps you should find another line of work if you can't work with people...
Like I said – your tip isn't a given...
Have you noticed that it ALWAYS seems to be the folks who have NEVER worked in the trenches, that 'poo-poos' you? They wouldn't last two minutes dealing with what we had to. Glad you 'escaped'... I did too.
I was a waiter for 10 years at a high end restaurant in the Detroit area. I could never do it again. The work was enjoyable one minute, and frustrating the next. I had my regular customers who were always a joy, and when I saw their name "in the book", I knew it would be a fun evening. There were others who would come in regularly who were impossible and everyone on staff would refuse to serve them................. the owner would pitch in then. Some of my most favorite times were when as head waiter, I would get V.I.P guests. Andy Warhol, Mercedes McCambridge, Juliette Prowse, and other celebrities made my job fun and interesting. As for the regulars.................... I'll never forget my favorite couple. They were aware I took the bus back and forth to work. It was a frigid, sub zero night. They met each other for dinner and drove separately. I'd cashed them out, but they asked if I was done for the evening. I said they were my last table, but had clean up work to do before leaving. They started another tab with after dinner drinks. When I was finished with my work, I approached them asking if they wanted another drink, they said "no, they were finished" and they wanted to drive me home because it was 10 below outside. When you get to know customers like that, you forget about all of the other jerks.
Your comment made me tear up. It is so nice that you remember that couple. I hope that couple had a great life.
LE, thanks for your thoughts. I left that job in 1991. A few years later my partner and I were at an event at a hotel a few blocks away from where I used to work. We made our "required appearance" and were leaving. As we walked through the lobby, I saw my wonderful customers sitting by the fireplace having drinks. The Mrs., "Carol" jumped up, said "John, where have you been?", and insisted my partner and I join she and her husband for a night cap. Lots of stories and laughs later we said goodnight. I was actually a little jealous that they knew our waiter by name, and seemed just as familiar with him as they had been with me years ago. That was the last time I saw them............ almost 20 years ago. I wish them well.
I once had some one ask it lettuce and tomato came on their BLT... I had to excuse myself before I laughed in their face.
EC, I once had a waiter ask if I wanter lettuce and tomato on my BLT!!
I once had a waiter ask me if I wanted cheese on my cheeseburger.
I like to ask sales clerks in clothing stores if these pants come in extra-medium.
You left out one category: People talking loudly on their cell phones. Restaurants should be allowed to use cell phone jammers to shut these idiots up before they even get started. Who goes to a nice, classy restaurant to hear people chattering away on their phone or to hear constant ringtones and electronic chirps?
They also left out kids. I hate going to a restaurant only to be seated next to a family with 5 screaming babies. They don't get any better when they're older, just more rambunctious. I don't go out to eat just to have your kids running past my table every 10 seconds or squeezing between my chair and the person sitting behind me because they are playing tag.
Wow – this poll leaves out the most important choice – THE PATRONS THEMSELVES. Further proof that nothing is the fault of the person doing it anymore. Everyone blames everyone else – no accountability whatsoever. Frustrating but seems that this is the way the County is going (from top to bottom) and has been for all too long. THIS is the bigger worry for me honestly. All the ills we are encountering today stem can be attributed to this one simple fact – PEOPLE MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE OR THEY WILL RUN ROUGHSHOD OVER EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING. Adults should act like adults and children should be controlled by their PARENTS. Easy peasy.
Seriously, just serve my food. I won't be rude to you nor will I do anything other than give you my order. The wait staff, especially in NYC, seem to think their PATRONS are such a bother. Seriously folks? Your job, THAT YOU CHOSE, is to serve to customer. So just shut up and do it.
I once got drunk, laid, and had my credit card declined at the same time.
you say that like its not a normal occurence for you...
If the waiter looks good then im going to tip her real good.
The only truth here "Truth" is that you are an immature pig.
waiter = male, waitress = female. Hence, if your waiter looks good, you will be tipping HIM. Now *there's* a "truth" waiting to come out of the closet!
Damn funny! Thanks.
I was a waiter(as a second job) for ten years, Put my wife through college and two kids through day care. I thouroghly enjoyed it. It is truly a job of hustle. The more you hustle the more you make, and the more you can please the customer. I would work a friday night, and a saturday double, and leave with $300+. I would recommed this to anyone. It requires constraint(customer is always right), hard work(10 hour days no break) and greatly improves your people skills(Talking to 4 new people every 15 minutes).
Don't miss the work, but do miss the interaction with front/back of the house employees and all the customers people.
Turn and burn. Cha-Ching.
you sure are right that its a hustling job.
I waitressed part time for a while too, and while of course there was a customer here and there that you'd love to slap in the face, for the most part I had a great time. Hustled for sure but I enjoyed it, I was young and able to run around and make good money for tips. You absolutely must enjoy people though, and be a people person to do well. It's not rocket sciene, treat your customers the way you want to be treated when dining out.
"It's got to be the staff 71.39% (9,671 votes)"
Wow, you're all pathetic losers. Own up to some personal responsibility sometime people.
I don't even work in a restaurant and at least I have human decency.
You sound like the drunk that got cut off. Talk about pathetic losers. You're an idiot.
The staff have to step in when the people can't police themselves.
Whenever I am in a restaurant and another diner tries to straighten out a problem diner, it results in a shouting match that is unpleasant for everyone in the room. The staff _must_ be involved. In a perfect world, we would all be responsible and behave ourselves–but until then, the staff must handle those who are disturbing everyone else.
This article is a joke. Bad behavior goes both ways and I've been at both ends of it. Yes, being a waiter stinks. I did it for many years while in college and witnessed some of the most atrocious behavior human beings can dish out. I also witnessed some of the greatest acts of kindness. A fellow waitress received a $200 tip from a regular customer who knew Christmas would be tough for her as a single parent. Fact is when you're at the bottom of the employement food chain people tend to treat you like dirt on their shoe. Do your job the best you are able and remember to always keep calm. Some people are just miserable by nature and the "help" are just an easy target.
You are a guest in any bar or resturant you use and should conduct yourself accordingly. Nowhere on the menu are items such as ACT LIKE AN ASS ~ $14.95 or DRINK TO MUCH ~ $8.50. Your behavior is not part of the price of the meal and drink. It is expected that you behave and if you do not it should be the job of all persons disturbed by you to correct your behavior. Staff, other guests and even passers by should inform you in no uncertain terms you are wrong.
When I was a waiter, I had two pet peeves:
People coming in at closing time, being served, and then not tipping. You just made me stay an hour late. I don't get paid overtime. The least you could do is make it worth my time.
People ordering dishes with meat / animal products, the food is brought out, and they are allergic to something or they are vegitarians... etc. I'm ok with your choices on what to eat or not to eat... but if you have dietary restrictions you should tell your waiter up front so they can fix your meal on the front end.
I hated the people that never tipped whatever the time of the shift was. Most people don't realize that we make about half of minimum wage with the tips supposed to make up the rest. I'm not here to work for free.
The only time I don't tip or don't tip well is when I received poor service. If I have to sit at the table for 15 minutes before you even come for my drink order, you're starting off with a tip of 0% and you have your work cut out for you.
Jewish Much?
exactly DB, I once had a lady say she was bringing us water when we sat down made us wait 15 mins came back (we saw her like 3 times at other tables near us) and when she came back to FINALLY get our orders I had to ASK about the water so yeah you have lost some tip right there, I get it that sometimes you are busy but you passed us several times didn't you notice something was missing
When I waitressed many years ago, there was one couple who would always come in, act rude, find something to complain about, and then leave... without tipping. They even managed to infuriate our manager. One night, they came in 5 minutes before closing, and ordered a ton of food... which I gave them in take-out boxes. It felt great :)
In regards to the waiters stuck between the kitchen and the customer. You show me a waiter that passes the buck on the kitchen when the customers are unhappy or a waiter that passed the buck on the customer when the kitchen complains and i'll show you a bad waiter.
On another note, where is the mention about the crying babies. Everyone should learn the paper or cloth rule. If the restaurant uses paper napkins you are good to bring kids. If it is cloth, don't bring the crying babies with you!!!!!!
what if i just use the tablecloth as a napkin? (and a hanky.)
The manager on duty... it is their shift, they are in charge. One of the necessities of being a food service manager, especially a bar, is to crowd control. Maintaining the balance BEFORE an altercation is the gift that a good manager has...
Years ago, I was dining with a date at a very nice restaurant on the top floor of a New York landmark building. We were seated near the elevators when the male half of a couple waiting for an elevator started punching and slapping his female partner, knocking her to the floor and then kicking her. He was very big – looked like a football lineman – and the two restaurant employees who were stationed right there in the elevator lobby did nothing except ask him to stop – and they probably would have been pounded into the floor if they had tried to restrain him. Needless to say, my evening was ruined, and for years I've felt guilty about not trying to do something – although for the life of me I can't imagine what I could have done to stop him, given his size and strength.
That sounds like a job for the police. Assault and battery, and all.
Almost all men are equipped with a handle and sack with which to place a hard, swift kick. It will drop any size man in seconds when done correctly. If only men had the "sack" to act when they witness terrible behavior like what Al in Texas witnessed. That big guy then went home and probably beat the crap out of that woman and nobody cares. Hit a loser guy where it hurts.
A guy with big legs and thighs is nearly impossible to kick in the goods, believe me, over the years quite a few people have tried to strike me in the junk and neverybody failed and ended up getting tagged for their efffort unless we were just kidding aroun.
As a woman, I would have held up my smartphone and snapped a photo of the two and then made my way into the ladies room. You could have also said out loud – to another dinner, "Yep, I know… they already called the police". Don’t beat yourself up about it. Ever watch the show, What Would You Do?, hosted by John Quinones? Most folk are not prepared to handle sudden dangerous or contentious situations. Just come up for a plan should you ever see something like this happen again
Pull hair his to stun him, then poke him in the eyes while kicking him in the balls. Imagine what he does to her in private if he did that in public, the SOB. I hope she found the courage to leave him.
Did you read how big the guy was? He wasnt one of those limpsters you date that wind up pushing rope in the sack.
An employee might cause a liability issue for his employer if he intervened physically, so I agree that their place was to try to calm him down while the police were called. I have intervened when a child was being slapped around, and have stepped in when a woman was being abused. But such intervention is best done verbally - you interrupt and divert attention away from the victim. In that time, the abuser sometimes calms enough to be embarrassed or to make excuses (sometimes true with people who lose it and hit their kids) or to just yell at and insult you. The victim can then escape if she chooses to (children are a different matter). That's a big if, though, as too often the abusive relationship is consensual.
All you people mentioning kicking someone in the crotch are dumb. It only works if you do it hard enough and hit them EXACTLY in the right spot. They don't even teach that tactic in personal defense classes for women because it is not very useful. Instead, you should hit them square in the ears with the inside of your wrists, as hard as you can. That will disable anyone.
Maybe it was consensual .. ya never know, there are kinky people in this world! Just sayin.
Oh, boy! More "servers" whining about how people are rude to them; don't them them enough (for snotty/supercilious service. Or having to bring you a glass of water); "Don't know how hard this job is", blah-blah. And yes, I was in the "food and beverage" biz for 12 years. I knew going in: You live on your tips, pay your bills with your paycheck. Want more tips? Give better service! Act like a human being. I don't OWE you a tip and I resent the new practice of adding it to my bill so I don't have to "figure it out". Especially you "fine dining" twits! Get off your haughty trip. You're still just a waiter.
should be: "don't tip them enough".(" Waiter! Can I get a little service over here?" Waiter: "You're getting as little as possible right now.")
wow, bitter much?
I HIGHLY doubt you've ever been in a customer service type job with your attitude on the whole mess; or if you were, I'm guessing you were some out-of-touch "suit" in the whole affair like a manager or something. Anyone that's served time in the actual trenches of customer service jobs knows how terrible and bitter customers often are and tries their hardest to be nice to their waiter/cashier/call center agent and so on.
IronWolf, you & I both know that there are times where we just want to choke the sh.. out of a customer but we have to be nice and smile. Sounds like Mr. Manager was one of them.
Wrong! I started as a janitor and worked my way to bartender. I worked in hoity-toity restaurants and rock and roll toilets. Would you like to see the "Whine List"? One thing I will concede is you new guys have to tip-out everybody in the "house". In my day my tips were my tips. If you don't like the job don't do it.
Yes because anybody can pay bills on $70 biweekly checks. You know since wait staff make half of min wage or more. Not to mention the taxes they take out of your check based on sales percentage, because they assume even the thickest of idiots knows how to tip. Then you factor in the percentage of sales that they automatically have to give the rest of the staff. Basically all I'm saying is that regardless of how you act, you have NO idea what you are talking about.
That was supposed to say half of minimum wage or LESS. Thats my bad.
Oooh all this talk makes me want to go out to dinner tonight. HAH yeah right. What a risk. Instead I'll cook a fab meal at home, get what I want, when I want it, refill my own wine glass with ease, tip no one and pay much much less for a guaranteed great meal instead of an I-hope-it's-worth-it experience. Service schmervice, first and foremost it's the FOOD and that's just always a question mark these days.
Its definately about the food, but great service makes the dining experience special.
The manager, not the staff, should control the situation.
Just cook at home – the lady will love you!
Not all women are lesbians, Alain.
South Americans and Europeans are the worst. They have money, expect you to worship the ground they walk on, and then your lucky to get 5%. Blacks usually don't tip but at least they are not demanding. Sorry, but it is the truth 95% of the time.
I'm an American living in Europe, and European tourists don't tip much because most don't know that it's customary in the US. In the country where I live, 5 to 10% is fine. But wait staff make a livable wage and don't rely on tips. So I try to tell all my friends who travel to the US to tip well.
There's a reason for that. Most restaurant staff outside the U.S. are paid at least minimum wage in addition to tips, so the tipping standards are different. In some countries, tipping is discouraged entirely.
The underlying reasons for tipping in the US are not widely publicized. Tipping is not, from the customer's perspective, a means of subsidizing an establishment's unwillingness or inability to pay properly for staff. It is a bonus provided for service above and beyond expectations, often the result of better training, greater knowledge and an abundance of the "It" factor. I would be more inclined to tip at a restaurant in which the tip was that kind of bonus than at one in which it's painfully clear that the staff is stumbling over themselves to make ends meet (literally.)
That used to be a good justification but come on, it's 2012....ignorance is no excuse...if you go to a foreign land....LEARN THEIR CUSTOMS!
That's just not true. In Virginia, wait staff are paid $2.13/hr, and tips are expected to make the difference, so it has has eff-all to do with "comping for great service" or whatever your exact quote was – it's because restaurant owners have decided that it's up to the customer to pay for the staff as well as the food. I know what the stats say about failure rates, but a restaurant shouldn't fail, when food costs are tripled (that's how the price of the meal is set), and THEN the customers pay for the person that brings them the plates. And the back-of-house staff, while not tipped, aren't paid highly for either, so the labor costs aren't what owners would want us to believe.
@SoWrong, I know that wait staff in the States are paid $2.15 an hour. My point (and I should have phrased it better, so I apologize) is that the tip was never meant to give restaurant owners a way out of paying a living wage to its staff. That it has come to this is a gross abuse of the practice by the owners and should be discouraged as far as possible. It creates a tension between server and guest that should not exist – the server resents the reliance on the customer for their income, while the guest resents having to pay for service on top of their food, and has to balance their own expectations for service against their "responsibility" to the server. Quite honestly, a restaurant that can't afford to pay their wait staff a decent wage without depending on tips does not deserve to operate.
It's not a matter about if they have money... it depends on the service.
I always try to be a good and polite customer if for no other reason than the fact that getting angry just ruins the mood and an angry dinner out is just a waste of money. On three occasions however I have tipped a penny to express my displeasure with the service. (tipping a penny ensures they know you didn't just forget or put it on your card) Once was when a waitress started arguing with my wife over what she ordered, once when a waitress didn't provide any drink refills during a meal and then angrily slapped a dessert menu down in front of me when requested, and once when a waiter informed me that my card had been declined and began lecturing me (who was probably 25 years older than him) on financial responsibility when had he looked at the card he would have noticed, as I did when he handed it back, that it was expired and I had given him an old card by mistake.
Most of the time if there is a problem with an order, if you are polite and courteous the waiter or waitress will endeavor to correct the problem. I ordered a steak well done and received one that was barely medium rare. I politely asked the waitress to have the kitchen cook it again and she did and the manager comped us a dessert. But I have never in thirty years as an adult restaurantgoer yelled at a waiter or belittled them or unfairly docked their tip for issues beyond their control. The only time I have ever even raised my voice with a manager or server was at a Denny's where the smoking area was directly adjacent to the nonsmoking area and we were seated next to a table full of chain smokers and the server informed us we could not be moved to another table. After the manager rudely informed us that we were seated in the nonsmoking area and there was nothing he could do about it we left and did not return.
I always try to be polite as well. However, there are people who take offense no matter what.
I was yelled at by a mother one time for keeping her child from being injured by something falling off of a counter at a restaurant. Her kid was pulling at a display toy that was attached to a heavy object on the counter at a fast food restaurant. Her kid screamed, and she yelled at me to leave her kid alone.
OK – next time, your kid will get hurt – not my problem.
Regarding the financial responsibility comment: I had a bank officer do the same thing when I expressed my displeasure at the increase in fees for using my line of credit at his bank. I agreed with him, then told him to close the account. Problem solved.
Exactly, Richard. While there are a few genuine @$$holes on both sides of the coin, the fact is that most servers and customers are simply decent people who want to do their job, or have their meal, and be treated with some respect by the other side.
Well stated, Richard. One should always be polite & kind unless one has been treated poorly. And even then it is best to handle things quietly & without rudeness, but without being walked all over.
Thank you for quoting me, Eatocracy!
Teabaggers will typically dine at any establishment that serves Everclear.
Disagree. what they want is to take their progeny to the calmest, most upscale restaurant that they can afford, then make a giant mess, disturb everyone's night and insist that "that's just the way kids are."
I stand corrected.
Sorry to disagree but is usually the Libs that are obnoxious slobs.
As a server for years..Both sides of the spectrum can be complete idiots. But in general, all are plesant to serve...and tip about the same.
Brilliantly said Mike K. :)
Not that politics has anything to do with it. There are bad parents of every political persuasion.
I'm not a Republican, but nits like you bring shame to every rational-minded person out there.
The teabaggers can act anyway they want! THEY BUILT IT for god's sake!!!!
Look at the stats, Teabaggers lead unemployment lines.
T-baggers also almost always seem to have worked in a taxpayer paid job, like a teacher, fireman, or even soldiers. Then they complain about socialism!
Sounds to me like you have lots of experience with teabagging.
Don't you have some sort of session to attend at the RNC?
Oh, we tip just fine.
It's just that we don't tip well for poor service. If a server provides poor service (for whatever reason, INCLUDING because s/he has assumed I won't tip, and thus s/he doesn't need to bother refilling my water glass), then indeed, a mediocre tip s/he shall get. I know the difference between good service and bad service, and I know the difference betwen poor service and kitchen mistakes. If you acted surly, threw cold, incorrect food in front of me 75 minutes after you took my order, and then never made another appearance until I was standing up with my coat on talking to the manager, I'm not giving you 22%, and that's just how it is.
Think of it this way. When I do my job poorly, I get fired. Yet somehow when a server does his/her job poorly (possibly because s/he has made negative assumptions about me), I'm supposed to pay them extra. Yeah ... not happening. I work hard for my money, and I expect you to work hard to get my money from me.
Touched a nerve huh?
If you don't get your water refilled, then ask the waiter to refill it... Also, waiters/servers usually deal with a lot of people at the same time.
With that said, most waiters/servers are high school/college/young adults who are either drug junkies or have too much stress at home so you really shouldn't expect them to be 5-star restaurant quality.
JJ, I'm not black, but I couldn't agree more. Nothing assures a "mediocre" tip like poor service. Race has nothing at all to do with it!
not singling any particular race out, but I've given awesome service to people even though i profiled them and knew i wasn't getting more than 5%...you know if you aren't going to tip well or not, but you'd never say so ahead of time
Thats right Gary, keep thinking those utopian thoughts meanwhile any waitress in the US that has 3 yrs on the job will tell you there is a difference.
In general, they don't tip as well. But as time moves on they are getting better, I have been doing this for a long time. I
You know who the best tippers are...ex/current waitstaff:)
I suspect that every single person complaining about "whiny waiters" and articles like these are the problem customers that everyone else at the restaurant (diners and staff) would like to see kicked out.
Exactly!
I think we are excellent customers who come in to have a pleasant dinner, order appetizers, drinks, entrees, and even dessert if we still have room. So we have done our part, show up in order to give the restaurant our business. As in we came to spend money. But when the staff provide little in the way of service, we don't receive menus or water in a timely manner, our food takes forever to arrive, or as recently when we came for a big celebration of our own but with only 4 people, our food was not delivered in a timely manner nor was it hot when it got there, because there was a table of 25 or so with a bigger celebration, and we ended up last on their priority list. This is at one of the best restaurants in our city (at least the best that we can afford a few times a year, for big moments in our lives). I find there has been a decline in the quality of staff waiting on us in restaurants, that there is often some attitude from the staff, and all I wanted to do was spend money and increase their revenue stream for the day. We are not a pain, not difficult customers, don't ask for a wide array of exceptions to menu items, order our items at the time the staff are ready to take our order, and are generally good quality customers. But when we are treated as if we don't matter to the restaurant, we take our business elsewhere the next time we go out. There are plenty of whiny restaurant staff, surly people in both this industry and retail, and it just does not make me want to give them any more of my money. So when I receive lukewarm appetizers, have to wait forever to order or get the courses delivered, watch my food be delivered to the wrong table, then go back to the kitchen, then finally come back out to me – gosh, it just might make me less than pleasant to the people who are supposed to be waiting on me. Service. Even pleasant service. How about it? I don't really need a list of improvements to my behavior as a paying customer, it's as bad as flight attendants who act like they are some kind of supreme being and that I should be grateful to get my diet coke from them. After paying hundreds of dollars for a ride in their company. Yeah.
You sound like a lot of fun:)
First off, there is absolutely such thing as being a bad customer. That's true in any business. The ability to pay does not a good customer make. If one customer ruins the experience for other customers, that guy is more trouble than he's worth.
That said, your complaints seemed fair, and you don't strike me as one of the people targeted by this article. Your complaints were about about slow and bad service. That's very different from feeling that you are entitled to be loud, grope your date at the table and be sloppy drunk, wouldn't you say? Nowhere in this article was anyone trying to excuse bad service. Nowhere does it say that waiters should go as slow as they want and be rude or that lukewarm orders should be just fine.
"Customers want to blame us for the kitchen's mistakes and the kitchen wants to blame us for the customer's mistakes. It is up to the servers to bridge that gap and make sure that no one actually blames us for anything"
Sounds a lot like you don't want to take responsibility for your own mistakes - like any poor wait staff. There comes a point at which you simply have to accept the possibility that /you/ might be the problem.
Servers don't carry thermometers to make sure that their chicken parm isn't still pink in the middle. Also, it's not the servers' kids who want to substitute steak fries with tater tots. That said, I'm out and I'm never going back.
BTW ladies– if you ever find yourself old, white and rich, you aren't automatically allergic to gluten.
You sound like an ignorant teenager. Say you took my order correctly of a medium-rare steak and gave it to the Chef, but it came out well done. Is it your fault or the Chefs? I'd blame the Chef, but if you ever were my waiter, I'd blame you cause you're an ignorant goof.
sounds like you've never worked as a server...who do you think each will blame?...the only person they're in contact with. if you're a halfway decent server, it's almost always you putting out someone else's fire...servers do make mistakes but not nearly as many as customers and kitchen combined.
please,really ? ive been cooking for over 25 years and while there are some mistakes coming out of the kitchen, most are guest or waiter related. its usually guests not reading the menu right (i didnt know it came with cheese) or ordering wrong(order rare and then ask why is my rare steak bloody) a waiter describing a dish wrong or not knowing the menu. and of course my favorite the waiter forgetting to put in info like no onions or no flour on the order.
You forgot the one I saw the most. "Oh! here is a steak that looks like the one I put in for table 3" so they take it and it is actually a well done steak for table 12 and their medium rare steak for table 3 is still on the broiler. But then they will bring it back and it is the kitchen's fault that they did not take the correct order adn we now have to rush a new well done steak for table 12 as well so we are getting it from two servers because that one did not actually look at the ticket for the order they were taking
yeah didnt want to say it but the last person checking to see if the order is right is the server . if it goes out wrong it is part their fault too.
We were once sitting at a booth in a restaurant, two booths over from a large family. As we received our dinners, the son at the other booth suddenly vomited onto the carpeting along side their table. While he was puking his guts out, the mother simply looked on while he continued his wretching. Once he finished tossing his cookies, the mother continued to sit at the table. It was only when the server arrived with rags and cleaning supplies did she then get up from the table to assist. The best part was that the boy who had vomited then went back to his meal and continued to eat. Needless to say, we notified the manager that we no longer had any desire to eat our meals. He then had no choice but to write them off. We never even took the food home to eat...it would have been too much of a reminder.
The guests should have manners and common courtesy. If they don't though, or forget themselves, the staff should politely remind them. If something goes wrong there and you're there, you should help the waiter if their statement to keep the peace was off. Maybe rephrase it, which will assure the customer that the wait staff aren't the only ones with a problem.
If the staff does everything right and the customer's still unruly, you make it known you're behind the staff. This should help bring them back down. If it doesn't, it still lets them know they're out numbered and they better behave, because if they're not getting the hint, they're more likely to accept the intimidation inherent in being outnumbered.
I'd like to edit but can't so I'm just replying to myself:
All in all, the staff needs to initiate it, like a host would, while you just back them up if the need arises. Of course, for those who frequent restaurants, the need shouldn't ever arise. It's that odd person that doesn't do well in public.
While waiting tables a few years ago I encountered the worst guest I have ever had. I had just moved to Pittsburgh, and was working in a restaurant in the area. My third table, first lunch shift, I get a table with son and mother. Everything went great until the very end. Last bite of food she found a hair in her salad. Our manager said we'd buy them desert and discount the lunch. During this time I was seating again. I get the desert order from table one. Anyways, a couple minutes pass, and I take the drink to table 2. Dude buddy decides since two minutes have passed since he ordered his cheesecake that I have slighted him and everyone he ever knew. He chases me into the kitchen, breaking the kitchen door. Then goes on a rampage through the restaurant. He through a chair into the wall, broke a table, through silverware across the restaurant, broke a wine hutch and then broke our glass doors. Almost $15,000 in damage over a slice of cheesecake.
When I hear stories like the one about that guy who went berserk and did $15000 of damage over a slow dessert order, I always suspect that it's been a looooong time since he had sex.
LOL!!
Unbelievably ape like behavior.
It's a group effort. The staff of the restaurant has some legal obligations when alcohol is concerned, but if people are just being jerks, then some responsibility lies on those customers. We as individuals should be responsible for our actions in a restaurant.
Hi Sy2502. Tell me about your education. I have a master's degree from Oxford University and am finishing a second. I was accepted to a doctoral program at Oxford but am waiting for a year to reapply so I can get better funding for my wife and two daughters. I am also a certified massage therapist and an award-winning editorial cartoonist. I am waiting tables because I tried for unsuccessfully six months to find a "real" job and our bank account got down to $13. I'd love to "choose a different line of work," but I must not be doing it right, because it just doesn't seem to be working. I would suggest it has something to do with the economy right now, but of course it could just be because I don't really want it bad enough, or maybe because I'm just kinda stupid. It may be that the field I am passionate about is just not thriving right now. Maybe that's my fault as well.
Do you know what a server's paycheck looks like? It says "VOID" on it, because servers in most places get paid $2.15/hr., which usually doesn't even cover the taxes they have to pay on the tips they have to report. For the majority of severs in this country, their tips constitute their entire income. When someone stiffs a server they are quite literally telling them they do not deserve an income for their work. How would you like it if your boss told you you didn't do well enough today, so you're not getting paid? I bet you get to sit down from time to time at your job, too.
Finally, Sy, it appears that you've never worked in the restaurant industry. Waiting tables is not a very complicated job, but it is often a tiring and frustrating job that keeps you on your aching feet and running (often literally) all day and night (when's the last time you were on the clock for more than 12 hours?) while you try to keep a bunch of spinning plates spinning so everyone stays happy. Most people understand, but every now and then a person like you will come in and make assumptions about someone else's livelihood and education that makes it difficult to keep a smile on one's face so that one idiot doesn't end up getting them fired. Perhaps you'd like to find me a job. I can send you my stuff and you can let me know when I've been hired. In the mean time, I'm going to try to put food on my wife and daughters' table by waiting tables during the day, the night, the weekends, and even holidays, and I hope it doesn't upset you too much if I complain from time to time about someone who feels it's necessary to condescend to me about my education, work ethic, or intelligence, or who decides that my work isn't worth any compensation at all.
At $2.15 and 40 hrs/wk., to achieve a "void" on the paycheck, you are pulling in close to $700 in tips. That comes out to something on the order of $17-20/hr total. Given, this is highly variable depending upon hours/week and prime-time scheduling, but please stop pretending that you're a pauper... while supporting a wife and children, and pursuing a send Master's degree.
Sorryhun, but not even close. You clearly vote Republican.
I'm not sure what resturant you work at...but an average of 700 every week is not even close to what the average server makes. Also, these days it's the servers tips that are paying the ENTIRE staff. Most places make you tip out to busers, hosts, and bartenders which comes to 3-5% of your sales. Therefore, you are losing money up front EVEN if the person doesn't tip you anything. Remember that next time.
A BIG hi-five to you Dan!! I'm not a waitress, but I do eat out. I can usually spot a good server from a bad one the minute I walk in. I understand the pay scale....it sucks! I will tell you though, I will be the first one to leave a lousy tip for lousy service. I've had my share of overcooked steaks or burgers, fish that was "fishy", baked potatoes that we're still hard and so cold that the butter didn't melt and understood that it was the kitchens error. I do, however, expect a smile, small talk, and an ear that listens to the detail of my order. Please don't forget my sugar substitute because you were too busy feeling the vibration of your cell phone in your pocket, or you just hate your job so much that it's expected of your customers to leave you 15-20%. For those of you that do the job and do it GREAT, an you know who you are. For those that really suck at it, you might have more fun doing custodial work at your local high school. I will fill you in a a little secret, I've been that B*!$*^ customer too and have been treated like gold...the server walked away with a fat tip just for putting up with me.
Well said!
Congrats sir! I greatly appreciate your response! As a server for many years, a FH manager, and a corporate trainer, I have had plenty of experiance dealing with people who feel that servers are somehow less of a person than they are because of their line of work. Thank you for standing up for the industry, and keep up with the good work.
@ Tedasaurus Rex – Hopefully whatever job you work at does not require you to use math. At a federal minimum wage of 7.25/hour, working 40 hours a week, you would make $290 per week. If the restaurant is paying 2.15/hour, you would need 290 in tips to reach a void on your check. Hopefully (again) you check your math before coming up with a fantastic number like 19/20$ an hour to get a voided check.
@Dan,
While I agree that education or intelligence can't be measured just because you're a server, you aren't being honest about the voided check part. As a retired industry worker (retired in that I now work a day job) I made twice if not more as a server or bartender than I make at my day job. While your check may be void, the 2.15 goes towards taxes (your employer is obligated) and you pocket most if not all of the rest. If you aren't making enough still, you should find a higher scale restaurant.
Thanks for your comments, jones. It's true that the right restaurants can make the right people lots of money, but many people don't live in places with high-end restaurants, and it's usually the more experienced servers who get those jobs in the places that are lucky enough to have them. Most servers do it for a couple to a few years and are at the Chili's, the Olive Gardens, and the Golden Corrals, rather than the Fogo de Chaos, the Morton's, and the Three Forks. In my experience, the people who make the most are also usually the single people who can spend the most time at work and don't spend much. There are plenty of single parents and married people waiting tables who are just barely scraping by, if that. I know there are exceptions, but well-off servers are absolutely not the norm. I have been friends with dozens of bussers and servers over the years who have had to work at multiple different restaurants just to get by.
Additionally, I am not at all being dishonest about the voided check. At most of the restaurants I worked at I would occasionally get a check for $4 or $7, but "VOID" was by far the norm for me and the vast majority of the people with whom I've spoken about it. I can't speak to tax rates, just to experience.
Good for you that you're so educated. However, the 'expected' tip is 15-20%, and when I say expected, I mean every wait staff person, regardless of 'class' of restaurant, thinks that's the norm. And many of them do nothing for that; other than take an order and bring a plate. Even the better staff I've seen provide not much more than some small talk and perhaps a little animation as they go around. Don't get me wrong – I still tip – but I resent it, because (despite what people keep trying to sell in these comments blocks) it's just a way to pass costs to the customer by the restaurant.
No, it's not a lot of money. But it's also not a lot of skill involved, either. And in fact, just acting human to the customers tends to boost the tips, so staff can end up making $15-20/hour by simply turning tables. Not bad for a a job anyone can do. (And before the current/former waiters decide to unload – just be honest with yourselves. Most of you will throw out Happy Meal insults, and act like YOUR place is some 'fine dining establishment,' and that's why I've never seen the level of service YOU and your like can provide. Well, unless you're chewing my food and regurgitating it back to me like a momma bird and/or giving me a bj under the table – what service are you providing, other than taking an order, bringing it to me, and maybe checking to make sure my drink levels are good? That might take 5-8 minutes of your time for my table, total, while you're juggling 4-6 tables at a time. If you can't handle that, find another line of work.)
I lived in Australia for 7 years, and have been in Japan off and on for about 4. In both countries, tipping is not part of the deal. And the service is roughly the same, if not better. So, when I'm adding another 15-20% to my meal costs at a place in the US, shouldn't I then expect that much better service? Yes. Does that happen? No.
Wow, I got a degree from a community college and have a great job. And no debt.
That's great. You're one of the fortunate ones.
Parents that bring their loud and unruly children need to be told to either quiet down or leave. I've had so many meals spoiled as the staff just shook their heads when I'd complain. I have actually spoken to these parents but that didn't get anywhere either. Go to McDonalds, I say.
My biggest complaint is when parents bring very young children [who have no attention span] into movies that start after 8pm, and the kid start getting cranky and talking......and completely ruins the movie-going experience of the people around him who paid $15 to watch the movie. What is the parent thinking or the parent coulnd't care less what happens to adults unfortunately sitting around their miserable kid. And complains to theater management gets a smug look and not much else....
I couldn't agree more. If you bring kids to a restuarant, even babies, they need to be kept entertained and quiet, if they cannot be kept happy then you need to leave. It is unfair to other customers but really unfair to the children that they are so miserable they scream. If you can afford a restaurant then you can afford a babysitter. Movies are even worse.
You got that wrong: if you can't afford a babysitter, you can't afford to eat out at a restaurant.
The statement "If you can afford to eat out at a restaurant, then you can afford a babysitter" and the statement "If you can't afford a babysitter, then you can't afford to eat out at a restaurant" are logically equivalent. Their meanings are the same.
I think the problem is more in the fact that some parents don't recognize bad behavior in their kids. It seems like this is becoming more and more common too. As a parent myself, I cannot understand why many of my peers don't recognize when their kid is simply being obnoxious. Even worse are the parents that reward that behavior by dismissing it as precious child-like behavior. At what point in our societal history did masses decide that being a child was synonymous with an unbearable disregard to those around you. Babysitters should be reserved for when the parents want an evening alone, not when you can't take your kid in public because they are an obnoxious turd stain.
"Customers want to blame us for the kitchen's mistakes and the kitchen wants to blame us for the customer's mistakes."
Speaking as someone who was a cook for a number of years, I can say that although this does happen there are quite a few times where the server is actually the one who made the mistake. I have had numerous instances where a server will grab an item from the pass that looks like their order without making sure it was actually the one for them then brings it back stating "you guys %$#*ed up this order" when I was actually putting up the order they were actually looking for. A good kitchen staff will take responsibility when we made the mistake and will just try to get it taken care of quickly when the server or guest made the mistake. Bitchy Waiter may need to change his name to Incompetent Waiter if he is constantly getting blamed like he claims.
Bristol Palin will take her cousins to the stock yards where they will dine on scraps of fat. No waiters to worry about there.
I thought all the Elementary Schools were back in session. However, some appear to be waiting until after Monday.
In some states you can emancipate yourself at 16 even if you're still in the 8th grade. Explains a lot!
Where's the manager in all of this? Isn't this his job?
Credit card declines can mean many things other than not enough credit. My card is declined about once a month when Citibank's Fruad Early Warning kicks in. I immediatley get a text message on my phone asking if the charge is legit. If I text back Yes, the merchant swipes the card again and the chrage goes through. Unforunately, there are those awkward moments in between when the merchant thniks you might be a deadbeat.
"The customer wants to blame us for the kitchen's mistakes." Yes, I do. My waiter took my order and should check my food in the kitchen before delivering it to my table. Maybe the kitchen made a mistake, but I should never find out about it. I don't want excuses, I just want my food the way I ordered it.
And what happens when a steak you've ordered comes out under / over cooked? What would you think then? Would you like for me to cut open your steak beforehand to see if it's cooked correctly?
I work in a large restaurant where more than likely we don't run our own food. We rely on teamwork to get food out of the kitchen quickly. If I was to wait on only my food to come out, well I'm sorry, my other tables would end up suffering (e.g. drink refills, pre-bussing, delivering checks). Think again!
Yes, because making a customer wait a little longer for their check to be delivered is the end of the world. And because it's just SO hard to get a drink refill to a table.
Look, that may be the way your restaurant/chain does things, but please don't make it sound like you're at the controls of a nuclear power plant. You're bringing a plate of food to a table. And the "roll different staff at a table" method, isn't about providing a service to the customer – it's about churning and burning. And that's fine, but it probably works out less well for YOU as the staff. Why? Because one cock-up along the way means your tips will get screwed, and if you don't "own" your tables, then you're relying on co-workers not to shaft you. Good luck with that.
Let's say you order a cheeseburger, mid rare, with no tomatoes as an example. Do you really want the server to dig through your burger to make sure it has no tomatoes and is cooked a nice mid rare? I doubt it.
That's silly, really. If the hamburger was supposed to be delivered a certain way as ordered, and it is not, when the customer says there's an issue, the server needs to replace it. Quickly, pleasantly, and after saying they are sorry. It is most likely the kitchen's fault, not the server, so it wouldn't kill them to apologize for the error, and get the person a new burger cooked correctly. And no, not all mistakes can be seen before they get to the table. Regardless of whose fault it is, the server needs to get the CUSTOMER the correct food, as they ordered it. The cook who messed it up can eat the bad item, or it can be tossed out, whatever the manager decides. But the person who will be paying for their food, they should get what the ordered. Is it so bad that people want to give your employer money for their food, that you make some tips if you do a good job, and that the customer walks away happy and willing to return to your place of business? Have some pride in your work, and in the business that you work for that provides your livelihood. Or get a different job where they like cranky rude people, and good luck getting paid money for that.
If they did find a mistake and addressed it you would then complain about it because the food was taking to long.
Not really. if the server does their job, they are at the table explaining the problem. That's what the alleged service is they're supposed to provide – you know, the alleged reason we're supposed to tip.
Most people – and I mean a VERY high percentage – will not have an issue if the wait staff explains the delay. It's the "did the waiter die?" kinds of wait where people will (justifiably) complain.
So it's the servers fault if your meal was cooked wrong? For example overcooked steak or undercooked chicken? That's not the servers fault.
If the server brings the dish out to you with the wrong side orders–that's on them–but how the food is cooked? Not their responsibility.
It is the server's responsibility to deliver to the table the food that I ordered, as I ordered it. So it's their job to check the food and see that it's the right items, at the right temperature, and pleasantly deliver it to the table. Should they miss something that may not be visible, like the steak is cooked wrong, then when I say, "I ordered this medium well and it's rare", it is their job to say, "I'm sorry, let me take that back for you." Apologize that the RESTAURANT failed in their task of serving the food as ordered. Pleasantly. So yes, it is the server's job to correct the error, it is their job to talk to the cook, and if it happens often, it is their job to tell the manager of the restaurant. And if they really mess up the order, or delay one member of the party's order so that they sit with nothing while everyone else's food gets cold as they politely try to wait or deal with the chaos of the food delivery, they need to comp the meal. If they want to see the customer back again.
Ellen – your superior, self-entitled attitude has bled into your writing. Trust me, after dealing with your snooty ass, they don't want you back.
If you are ordering so particularly that a quick cursory look can't identify the problem, and its a problem you feel occurs frequently enough for you to write about then perhaps you should examine how you order and communicate and not blame the restaurant. Or perhaps you should order items on the menu that don't require the extreme make over edition.
Then don't go out. If you want something done your way, do it yourself. Typical behavior/mentality of a lazy/ignorant American.
Yes, how dare someone want what they ordered and are paying for! They best part is that when Europeans come and eat at restaurants here in the states, they are even more demanding since they come from a land with mostly competent wait staff (France being the exception).
Actually, the server should not be responsible for that. The person running the "pass" and expediting the food from the kitchen should be responsible for it. They have the order ticket too, ya know.
Ask any waiter or waitress....the bigger the demanding A-hole....the worse the tipper they are.
She looks like the type to give head under the table. Just how i like 'em.
scuzzbag!
Except you like guys, right?
LOL!
I remember 7th grade humor.
From when you were held back last year...
Herp a derp derp derp. Nothing like an internet crusader defending women from creeps like me with childs humor. Thankfully real women like jerk guys and spread their legs for us and emo pûssies like yourself end up alone on friday nights, crying and mastûrbating, using your own tears for lube.
I know some customers are a real piece of work, rude, obnoxious little creatures; however with that been said:
Some waiters don’t seem to get that when guys go to a restaurant with a date is better to leave the 2 love birds alone, we don’t to talk to the waiter about his business, family, career goals or any other BS pertaining to the waiter, we are there for us, the couple that came to dinner. It drives me crazy when I bring a date to a restaurant and the waiter is all over my date talking nonsense, geeeshhh!! Some guys have some cohones, and then on top they want a tip, yeah!! A tip, a tip of my…
meanwhile, as your date excuses herself from the table to "powder her nose"....
Yup, you should not feel obligated to tip when the waiter or waitress is being rude or just providing bad service.
Yup its always important to remember that nice smiling server that you will be tipping is often complaining or talking about what a whatever you are in the back. I worked in restaurants for my school years and this is going on all day every day.
dont forget to mention the speedballs, and shots
Many years ago I was a guest at an uber-stuffy, old-world San Francisco restaurant in an "exclusive" hotel (The Big Four...it's still there). It was one of those places that employed professional, life-long waitstaff of the kind that used to be common in San Francisco. When I got up to visit the restroom at the end of our meal, I walked by the front desk where the waiter who served our table was chatting quietly with a couple employees. I could hear them before they saw me, and I paused to hear more. The waiter was mocking everyone at my table, criticizing how much we ordered and how we recieved the dishes. I was very young at the time, so I was more mortified than furious, but that scene stayed with me through the years. I never ate at that restaurant again, never accepted an invitation to eat there, steered people away from it when I could. But it made me aware of the subltlties of disdain among waitstaff. Just hold it in when within earshot of the customers, folks.
I'm not excusing the waiter in this instance, but really, you just told us you stopped to purposely eavesdrop on a conversation being conducted quietly, you said, among employees of the restaurant. Your behavior was also inexcusable.
You must realize that there are jerks in every quarter of life, both customers and employees in every business. It's human nature. Maybe you got this man on a bad night or something. In any case, I've been reading your comments here and it sure seems that you have an agenda regarding this particular topic. And you seem especially easy to disappoint. Just my observation. I could be wrong.
Actually, if you get your thumb out of there, Chicago, and actually read what I wrote, you would understand (perhaps...but probably not) that I was a GUEST and was aghast that my HOSTS and FRIENDS were the subject of gross disrespect. I was not in a position to say or do anything at the time, so just had to make myself known to the childish employees (which I did) and return to the table. As for why I am posting here, this is a subject I care about. I dine out a lot. I tip a lot. I tip less when I find that service is disrespectful, sloppy, rude. When I get a lasting, bad impression of a full-service restaurant, it is most often due to the failings of the waitstaff and the "front of the house". Of course it is sometimes the food that fails to impress, but I will usually try a place a few times before I make a decision about the chef. A poorly managed dining room and a rude or inappropriate server, on the other hand, will often ruin a place for me on the first go.
If I was walking by someone and I realized they were talking about me, I would stop to listen too.
yup, probably say something to
Serving at a restaurant sounds so glaomourous and powerful. I'm sorry that I went to grad school instead.
Half the people putting themselves through college and Grad school do it by waiting tables, whats your point. Ironically most people that work for a living never did.
Don't know what you mean by your comment but, it sounds a little condescending. I own a restaurant (fine dining) and I know what my wait staff go through and I have nothing but respect for them. Remember, they are the ones serving your food. Since you mentioned that you went to grad school, and you think the job sounds glamorous and powerful, I could use your help – I need a bus boy- more glamorous (they wear black apron, white shirt, black tie), more powerful because they have control over which table they want to clear first.
Thanks for that. I own a restaurant also, I would start him or her as a dishwasher. When it doesn't interfer with grad school that is.
$5 says you're the exact customer this article is talking about. Another $5 also says you're one of the self-entitled 'people' who helped get this country in the mess it is in now, by buying a house, cars, and 500 other things you couldn't afford, and then going bankrupt and whining about it and telling everyone you talk to about how unfair it is.
Instead of looking down your nose at people who are proud of the fact they are putting in a hard day’s work, be glad they are there and have a job and aren't taking advantage of gov't hand-me-outs.
I'm sure that the particular grad school was even sorrier for having you.
"I'll behave how I want, and no one should dare to challenge that 0.85% (66 votes)"
These ones are best served with a baseball bat whack to the head.
I agree. They are probably Republicans anyway.
or Obamam lovers.
"Don't like it? Move away or leave 1.05%"
Confirmation that at least 1% of the populace fit firmly with the a- hole category.
Frankly, I am a bit tired of reading articles of waiter's complaints. First of all, if you are in a dead end, low skill, low pay job like waiting, you have little elbow room to criticize anyone. If you don't like your job, get an education and do something else. Second, you are in the service business. Do you know what that means? That you'll be in contact with the general public all day long. You don't get to pick and choose who comes to the restaurant, and your job is to serve each of them as if they were the most important person on the planet. That's what you are hired for. If you can't deal with it, choose a different line of work. And finally, since the customer pays your salary, both through the bill and with the tip that waiters EXPECT instead of earning, the waiters should maybe keep that in mind before complaining about the customers.
...but, but, it's all about me me me me and I want it, and i want in NOW!
wow...you sound like one of the horrific individuals waitstaff are forced to deal with on ocassion. Don't get me wrong, there are waiters out there with horrible attitudes too. But in this economy, there are many educated people with degrees waiting tables too. Just because you're eating out somewhere doesn't entitle you to treat waitstaff like crap or irritate other diners. Keep your crappy attitude at your own kitchen table.
This article is about a fringe of rude, obnoxious and clueless customers. Not customers in general, and not about crappy wait staff. But it sounds like it hit a little closer to home than you're comfortable with....so I'm guessing you've been called out before or had altercations with staff.
The fact that your ilk exists, has successfully ensured that I never could remotely consider any type of work that deals with serving the public. Thank you.
"should get an education"?? Really? Do you realize most waitstaff are college students working their way through college? I suggest you spend a week as a server and we'll see if you don't have a bit more empathy when you're done.
Honestly? "...dead end, low skill, low pay job like waiting, you have little elbow room to criticize anyone."
Serving tables is in no way what you describe it to be. I worked full time in sales and served on weekends and recently quit my full time sales job because I made much better money doing that than working full time. For you to criticize people and belittle them is just plain rude. You are probably the type of customer that this article is talking about. I am a good server and for the most part have no issues with any customers but when you have people who are A) drunk B)rude C) cheap....than yes....you do lose your patience just as you would in any job.
How I see it is if you aren't going to act like a civilized human being and you treat your server like a piece of S**t than you deserve a little attitude right back. I've actually had other customers congratulate me or thank me for giving people a taste of their own medicine. Before you go and judge people try walking in their shoes and see how you like serving. I wouldn't even give you a week before you lose it because you seem to be that type of person.
OK. Some things you need to realize:
1) All of that elitist ranting is showing how you think they are beneath you. Nowadays, a lot of wait staff is either working through high school or college, looking for a job in thier area of expertise, etc. They are just as educated, or plan to be, as a little minded person like you.
2) Heavy PDA, Going Overboard with the alcohol... that's called exercising self-control... which most of our species seems to have a hard time doing. If you could be chastised for it as a child... you should be as an adult.
3) Card Decline... that's trying to be as courteous as possible. And don't be rude to your waiter. They work crap pay and most times need those tips they "expect" just to float above water. They work long hours. Mistakes happen. Being a rude, pathetic person doesn't help them, and it makes you look like whiner. You need to be knocked down a peg in that case.
You must have been in my restaurant! and you were POLITELY asked to leave...
Wow... really? Did you actually read the article, or are you one of those deep thinkers who reads the headline and then spouts off? The article was about a very small percentage of customers that come into restaurants exhibiting boorish behavior, public drunkeness, and are obnoxious not only to the restaurant staff, but other customers as well. I didn't see any mention of servers hating their jobs, just having to deal with narcissistic jerks of varied stripes.
And no, you do not have to treat every person like they are the most important person on the planet. If they act inappropriately, like in ANY OTHER BUSINESS, you ask them to leave so that other decent human beings can enjoy the dining experience.
And your obvious arrogance concerning work that you clearly consider beneath you just drips off the page. If that's the way you feel about waitstaff in restaurants, with your obvious lack of being able to do anything but overgeneralize – stay at home and eat your frozen dinner.
In case it's not already obvious, the money a customer pays in a restaurant is for the food and drink, not the right to be a jerk to the people who are there to serve them. Also, as I think someone here has already pointed out, many waiters ARE students. Maybe you should get off that high horse of yours before you get a nosebleed.
I bet your meals have been spit into on numerous occasions with that kind of attitude. If I were you I would not eat out anywhere again except Mom's kitchen.
Wow... elitist much??
My daughter, a teacher with a master's degree in education waits on jerks like you in order to make ends meet.
you tool...you have no clue what you are talking about...most important person ever? customers are no more important than servers...it's the poor attitude from both sides that perpetuates this mentality...the customer is not always right...they are usually wrong...the problem is that too few servers (that's SERVER not SERVANT) are adept in handling situations where they are contact with individuals who are so needy or at best self-righteous. anyone in any position at a restaurant or in life who has an attitude that they or someone else stands above them is as you are...a tool
I bet you have a lot of servers lining up to spit in your food.
I want to be in the front of that line! And it won't be just spit!
Get over yourself. I have a saying, "some people should never go out" guess what, you are one of those people. Is your last name Hilton by chance?
When my entire family gets together, we can be really loud, but we're also pretty silly and enjoy getting the waitstaff involved so we're not completely obnoxious, plus we tip accordingly. Smart restaurants that know our MO put us in corners or back rooms, which is appreciated. Despite the rowdiness, nobody has ever been too peeved.
General silliness is okay as long as it's not being rude to anyone. =)
I had a job once in my youth as a waitress so I know first-hand that waiters have a really tough job, getting the food out timely for a bunch of tables, managing customer sensibilities and the prima donnas in the kitchen, just generally keeping the environment pleasant for everyone. They are scandalously underpaid. I tip fairly, with an eye on the exploding costs of groceries, gas, a roof over one's head, and the fact that 15% doesn't cut it anymore. 20% minimum. Everyone gets that for the most basic service; a waiter would have to spit in my food right in front of me not to get that much. 25% for keeping my glass brimming, being friendly and not interrupting my conversation with my dinner mate. 25% also for a very small tab. 33% for exceptional service. That's hard to define; there are a lot of examples and they're always different. But you know when the waiter has gone out of his or her way to make your dining experience memorable. A truly great waiter is like a truly great salesperson: rare, and worth their weight in gold to their employers.
Could not agree more! Very well said.
Yes. And thank you for pointing out that a truly professional server makes a good living, and earns it. If a server is complaining about lack of tips, the server is probably the problem and not the customers.
Yes, there are bad servers out there, but you can still have jerk customers that refuse to tip no matter how great the service was.
In addition to what you mentioned, it also depends on the employer. if the employer treats his/her employee well, he will be rewarded accordingly. A well treated and respected employee will have a sense of pride and ownership of his workplace thus, the employee will do everything to protect, for lack of a better word, his workplace.
Agree 100%.
Woot for hot broads drunk on wine and making bad decisions
Liberals won't be happy until they control every aspect of our lives.
You are correct. That is the secret plan we have been working on since 1969.
Well, you teabaggers have had control of all the trailer parks for how long now?
You read an article about wait staff, and your response was something about liberals? You are a nut job.
He just got back from throwing peanuts at the RNC...
Why are you posting in the middle of the day? Don't you have a job or at least something better to do than polititroll a food thread?
I'm not happy because I couldn't control your silly post.
I like to engage the waiter or waitress in conversation, especially if they have a sense of humor. sometimes I order what is not on the menu to see what happens, sometimes I say bring me anything- you choose- I don't like -. that is always fun.I have never had a rude waiter or waitress. I have seen rude customers and I always call on the manager to deal with them.I always tip 20 percent, even if things are terrific. being a wait person is hard work;so, I treat all of them with respect.it is all about common courtesy.
Well said. That's what's lacking nowadays – common courtesy and respect for your fellow human being. I always start my dinner with a simple hello and always ask for the server's name – it's a good way to have rapport with your server. They realize that you acknowledge their presence. Also, it won't hurt to always start your requests with "May I...".
I bet she's all about taking deposits too.
LOL! Stir that stink pot!
I was a waitress, hostess/student manager, and bardtender for a little over two years when I was in college. For the most part things were good and I can say that I have never once seen someone on the waitstaff mess with a customer's food. What shocked me the most was when meals were paid for by the University or a person's department and no tip was left. (The palce I worked was run by the University). Our building was big enough to hold decent sized parties/meetings, a bill could be over $400.00 and nothing would be left, even where there were four or five waitsaff in charge of the event. I've bartended wedding rehersals, baby showers, christenings, and other events were left with no tip and what was made at the bar was split between seven or eight people, resulting in a $3.00 tip each. With regard to being the middleman between the kitchen, for the most part it is true. The only thing a waitress can control is your drink. But remember there is a good chance your waitress has more than one table, and its possible that the other table may just be very demanding and its even possible that the kitchen is behind (typically orders are filled by what time they go in, if everyone orders at the same time, it will take longer to get your food than if you are the only table in the place). All in all its everyones responsibility to keep everyone in check, but unless you have been a waitress don't assume you know what its like.
I like it when I see waitresses actually write things down rather than leave it to memory. Nothing impresses less than me getting cheese on something when I wanted it without cheese and the person who took my order didnt write it down...that just gets me all hot and bothered
when you get all hot and bothered by it, do you go to the lavatory and fap?
Primarily keeping the front of the house an appealing place to be is the staff's job. That said, it can be useful for the customers around them to pitch in if the the offenders are really bad.
Ultimately, though, we should all be taking responsibility for our own actions. If we feel like we want to get drunk, we need to find a bar, not go to a family restaurant. If we feel like we are not getting good service, we need to talk to the manager or the waiter calmly. If we really want to get snuggly with our date, there are places for that too, but a restaurant is not one of them. If everyone would act like adults, we wouldn't have to worry about keeping the peace.
This article is AWESOME! My manager refuses to do anything when a guest is loud. It's a bummer. People aren't always smart or driven by etiquette so why should those around them suffer for the folly of their personality? Anyway, props to this article.
Jennifer, a waitress
http://iamWaitress.com
I do not eat out often, but when I do I bring my children and it's easily a over $120 tab and I tip well. However, if the place is loud, allows people that are exceptionally undressed, in the corner getting a bit too comfortable and close with each other – I won't go back. Honestly, for me – that's a "not coming back" more than the food.
Atmosphere is most important, second to me is the food, third because I understand circumstances dictate the outcome – how I am waited upon. I really do not mind being delayed if they give me a heads up.
My only pet peeve is asking me how things are with the "hope you give me a BIG tip look". Most do not but some.. you can see it... When the Manager comes by – or keeps control – thats a big thing in my book. But so far I've never really had bad service, or rude waiters/waitresses. Even very good food – it's always the atmosphere I have issues with.... (this means the folks sharing the area with me too).
Teabaggers who date their cousins will sometimes take them to a gas station for a roller dog. No waiters there.
LOL! Where does Bristol Palin take her cousins to?
my bedroom
American children are spoiled, rude, noisy little pigs who have been sat in front of a television most of their young lives.. They leave a mess on the tables, in the seats and on the floors. You do not see such gross behavior or manners in Europe or Asia.
Descarado, you are so correct about American children. That gross, rude behavior you speak of is not seen in as many children in Asia and Europe. It is reserved for the adults of those countries.
at least we teach ours to wash their hands after they use the rest room.
Companions, the wait staff, the manager, the cops, the state police, the national guard, the regular armed forces, NATO... in that order. It all depends on how out of control the situation gets.
I wasn't allowed to post this in reply to a comment below, so I'll do so here. If you don't like your job, that comes across in your work. Where I live the service in full-service restaurants and othermeateries is usually terrible because the servers feel they are too good for the work they are doing, and they view it as temporary (it's a college town). But there's dignity in doing any job well. And in the case of waiting tables, there are good monetary rewards in the form of tips. The right attitude gets the right behavior from customers. This even extends to coffee bars (per the poster below), which are two to a block in my town. The Starbucks is run by addled baristas who scowl, and the store is dirty and cluttered, and they get the rough, rude crowd. On the other hand, an independent coffee business (award winning) that keeps to remarkably high standards in product, service and atmosphere (open, airy, clean, smiles and friendly eye contact and greetings from all employees...and impeccable coffee) has the most polite, compliant customers I have ever seen in my town. it's like walking into a spa when you go there. My blood pressure immediately falls when I walk through the door.
I agree with you... I've bused tables and really had fun. One because I got to see so many very interesting people from around the world (Florida job) and second, because I loved the energy around me.
But I do have a strict rule > I never come between people and their food / or their money. They can be pure meanness..
My reply was "Other"
Because it's everyone's responsibility to act as respectful adults.
Mildred is exactly correct.
That would be a dream world Mildred.
I agree, but it seems that being pleasant and respectful has gone the way of the dinosaur. Now the more rude you are garners the most attention, even our so called leaders have no manners anymore.
In order of responsibility, I think it should be:
1) The person themselves
2) Their companions
3) The staff
Unfortunately, I see an ever increasing number of patrons who seem to believe it is their divine right to act however they please, and (for the ones with others) whose companions either agree with them or lack the intestinal fortitude to rein them in. I also have seen too many staffs who are unwilling to rein in the patron. My personal opinion is too many managers and waitstaff have bought into that "the customer is always right" nonsense.
the question was whose responsiblity is it to control the customer who is unruly and the answer plain and simple is the Manager! all serverss are trained not to imply or get involved during a "situation" get a manager.
I have been a waitress and bartender before and there was never a "manager" around, so that is not always an option.
TRUE STORY:
I took my wife to dinner one night. These two kids were running around the dining room, through the tables like they were cars in a slalom course. The kids ran by my chair two or three times, and I finally decided I had enough. The next time they ran by, I locked eyes with the oldest one and said, "Hey! You need to go sit down at your table, and finish your dinner." The kids just looked at me - dumbfounded. (I did not grab them, touch them, or otherwise interact with them other than my verbal instructions.)
About that time a woman at the next table said, "How DARE you talk to those children that way! You wouldn't talk to them like that if their father was around."
I said, "That's exactly the problem! Where's their father?!"
She retorted, "You OBVIOUSLY don't have children!"
The two boys walked slowly back to their table (in a different room), and I didn't see them for the rest of the meal. However, the rude woman at the next table continued to interact with me...
Today, I have THREE (3) children, and I have NEVER allowed my kids to behave like that in any social setting. We receive compliments on our well-behaved children from random strangers all the time. (The last time was two weeks ago, at FORMAL DINNER on a cruise ship!)
People either understand, or they don't. I do not think there is any middle ground.
I would have tripped the kids and blamed it on the chair.
LOL – I did that once........their parents totally ignored them as they ran around – one little boy even took a french fry off my plate and stuck it in his mouth!!!! The little bass tard fell and cut his chin.......oh well!!!!!
I would've given the kids a dollar and told them whoever runs around that woman's table, after her retorts, 100 times the fastest / loudest, wins.
The "you obviously don't have children" scold is usually spouted by the insecure. It's the mom equivalent of the fourth-grade schoolyard jeer, and it's rather pitiful in that way. Kids running around between tables are a major hazard to servers and customers alike.
I was once out with a seasoned schoolteacher who, upon seeing bad behavior among seversl children who were with their oblivious parents, gave the kids "the look" and said in a calm, low voice, "Stop it". They did, and mom and dad stood there dumbfounded.
I'm with you on this one. I have disciplined other people's children at the park for throwing rocks at the ducks, for fighting over the ball during my child's soccer game and preventing the game from proceeding, and for running around in a restaurant- usually while the parents look on. Some of the parents dropped their jaws but no one has ever said a word. I have a pretty high tolerance for noise and craziness- I have 4 children but I feel bad for children who are not taught how to behave properly. We can take our children anywhere and they know how to behave nicely and interact politely with adults.
When I was married I was a military wife, often alone with the children. I began taking my five out for short periods of time to understand what is acceptable in public. Small children do not have very long attention spans and do get cranky and anxious if too much time passes. I try to bring things to keep them mentally busy. (A bag I kept in the trunk that of little games they did not see often).
But I also would react.... if they acted up. Once my daughter and me went to get her school clothes and she was being a 'I want" horror. I was at the register – had quite enough – gave her the 3 warnings – and kept to my "if you do not stop and get 3 warnings – we are leaving".
Yes we did – and I apologized to the Manager for them having to restock the items. She was kind, said she understood and wished me a nice day. School was the next day.
When we went back the following weekend and she started up, she got her one warning – and ceased. She knew I would follow through and that I meant it.
Never raised my voice, cursed, or hit. I gave her my expectations, asked if she understood them, and if she had any questions. I got a yes and a yes... and gave 3 warning which she ignored. Oddly the rest leaned from her – I meant it so I did not have these issues out of them...
Doodlebug...I was the same way with my kids. I have left restaurants, grocery stores and playgrounds when the kids didn't listen. They learned I meant what I said, even if it messed up MY plans.
Agree. That's how my mother handled her 5 daughters, though she did raise her voice. But still, mom didn't play when it came to warnings.
Couldn't believe the restaurant manager or assistant manager was not a choice in the poll! If I have trouble with the food, waitstaff or other diners, I let the managerial staff handle the problem. That's what they are there for...
Agreed! I would have voted for MANAGER, if that was an option.
Did some pretty heavy petting at a bar once, as in my hand was up her skit, the staff din't care.
Gross, dude.
That's because it was really a dude.
did you whisper "who's your daa-a-a-a-a-dy"
So .. how much did she charge you?
If a guy ever did that to me – he'd find out how fast one punch to the nose can knock him off his bar stool and across the room.
I voted "other" because I think all apply. We've all had our moments but, I'm not going to let anyone ruin my evening out. If the staff can't handle it I have no problem speaking up for myself. Some of you readers may have been people I chastized for line jumping and made sure they went to the end of the line. Didn't I see a recent commercial for a new TV show about hidden cameras in restaurants that are for seeing what the STAFF is doing wrong?
I can't stand the screaming babies. What's worse ar the parents (usually the mother) who tries to reason with a hysterical 2 year old - "Do you see that man over there? Do you want him to throw us out?" "Wait till we get home" "They're not going to let us in here again." and all that wasted verbage!
My good friend has a sure-fire cure for that. He gazes at the offender like a sociopath for a moment and tells them in a quiet, haunting voice: "Control your SPAWN ... now!" He's a big guy and I haven't witnessed any replies...other than quiet.
Before you are a parent, you are sure no child of yours will ever behave badly in a restaurant. Then you have kids (note the plural; one child is infinitely easier to control), and you have no choice but to realize that the shrinks really are correct when they tell you that you cannot make another human being do anything. Not your lousy boyfriend, and not your kid. Good parents do their best, but there are definitely times when even good parents are faced with a big problem. In an expensive restaurant, good parents take their little problem out of the room once it becomes clear normal measures aren't working. Parents who are clueless need a a visit from the waiter. At a cheap restaurant or fast food place practice tolerance, because unless you remain childless you will one day be in their shoes, and karma is a witch (If all else fails, try thinking of the kids as the people who will fund your retirement and staff your nursing home - because they are.).
Excellent answer, Sandy. As a mom I completely agree. I do everything in my power to keep my child well-behaved in restaurants, and usually I am successful and he is not disruptive. But some days he is a challenge. In Red Robin no one even notices because there are children everywhere. At a nicer place with fewer families the solutions have to get more creative. I just hope non-parents understand that most of us really are trying hard to prevent our children from infringing on your peace and we also hope you understand that we can't always be 100% successful. But neither were your parents when you were a kid.
Easy answer – keep your demon seed at home if its after 7pm.
Completely true! If you cannot handle your children in an atmosphere then you should not be there. There are plenty of locations that cater to families. The biggest issue I have is when the parents are not even paying attention to the children and letting them act however they like...REALLY? If you do decide to take them out it is not my responsibility to deal with it, it is your responsibility to discipline the child and leave until they can behave for the setting. At McDonald's not so much, but at a nicer establishment, YES!
As a parent (I have five children) you have to understand and realize – children do not have a long attention span. And from experience I can tell you to not expect it till they are past 16.
You can take them out but you have to weigh a few things, are they hungry, will they get hungry, are they sleepy, are they going to get sleepy, do I have an extra outfit, socks, shoes, anything they might lose, toss out the window or get wet / messed up. Do I have an extra bottle, extra non-chokable candies as well as my bag of toys they rarely see in the trunk.
You honestly have to time it right for things to go smooth and know the signs of when it's starting to turn bad. Very young children (babies and toddlers) do not always mean to be – loud -. They simply are reacting to something they need, want or discomfort. Or there is too much for them to intake at once..
But there is the pure brats.... My oldest .. omg the mental wars we had. Know how I win? I hold the key > the $$$. Mine are older so now I simply hold the wifi password (thats alot of power right there), the code to Netflix movies and well – I've put them on oatmeal, soup/sandwiches and beans/rice for a week once when they decided to slack on chores.
They slack > I slack on buying cool stuff. They want to sass? I'll decide to -not- renew the TV's cable... Yeah..I win.. And I have a secret weapon – I can play console games. When I really am tired of it I simply buy the console game they want, play it and wait them out – trust me they come around.
if i'll be your he-man, will you be my she-ra?
You are my hero. You have given me some great ideas for the future with my two boys, now 5 and 2.
The term is childFREE. I am not childless, as I don't lack a child...simply because I never wanted any.
When talking about folks that don't want children, please use the proper terminology. However, the rest of your post is spot-on. As someone who occasionally dines out, I appreciate the parents who take their job seriously and handles their kids when they act up.
If a restaurant caters to families then children are to be expected, and the fact that they are not going to be perfectly still and quiet must also be expected. However, out of control, screaming, running around brats, not so much, and if a parent can't control extreme behavior, then they should feed their kids at home until the little darlings are a little bit older and easier to manage. In fine dining establishments, younger children just should not be there. Evenings like that are what babysitters are for.
I agree 100%. Thank you.
I've had wonderful wait staff and some awful experiences as well and there's no question that customers come in all personalities. As a former cocktail waitress, I have to give a thumbs up to 99% of customers. When I made the occasional error with a drink order, they were always very gracious and funny about it. Now if I get a surly and incompetent server, I make my point with a tiny tip. But actually this doesn't happen often. And when it does, management is to blame. They need to train, discipline and observe their staff in action. Customers should not have to deal with their poor hires.
It can be a combination of all three. One customer can off set the entire night for the staff. Staff members do make mistakes at times, and most are good about correcting the situation. Sometimes its the cook that made the food wrong. Most of the time its the customer who makes a mistake in ordering.
Jason...that's not true It's the server's job to make sure the customer knows what he or she has ordered, and to get it right. If the customer has told you that she's a vegetarian, and as asked whether the soup broth is made with animal products, do not go ahead and serve her a "vegetarian' dish topped with shaved foie gras. That would be your fault, not the customer's. (Ths actually happened to me.)
I know a waiter who used to "do stuff" to peoples food all the time, he got caught by his manager and the manager called the police, the guy is now serving 2 years for endangering the public and a couple other things. Be very careful what you threaten, I also can wait and see what car you drive and follow you home.
Waiters who "do stuff" to food are stupid jerks that are too ignorant to get any other job.....
I think people would be shocked at how common this "procedure" happens. I am never rude to waitstaff, if I am unhappy I let the manager know AFTER the meal, I don't want to eat someones spit because I was a complainer.
I just started waitressing – and I only made it a month and a half. I thought waitressing was hard before I started the job but once I actually did...people need to learn that treating the waitstaff like crap is one of the worst things you can do. They work hard and have to put up with an insane amount of idiocy. What is worse is that you serve extremely entitled people who you bust your butt for and they still tip you crap. And it is very true as the article states that the kitchen blames the waitstaff for the customer mistake and the customers blame the waitstaff for the kitchen mistakes. They definitely have the crap end of the stick. Hence why I'm not a waitress anymore. One of the most thankless jobs in this world. Word of advice – stop being jerks to those around you – period. The world will be a better place.
Sounds like you sucked and didnt care that you were ruining the customers time which made them not care about you. Nearly everybody has good manners towards servers and will put up with a lot of mistakes unless the server acts like they are too good to be taking their order. If all your customers were rude then it was you who were the problem. You probably thought a customers only job was to shut up and leave a big tip.
I agree. If you don't like your job, that comes across in your work. Where I live the service in restaurants is usually miserable because the servers have the " I'm too good for this temporary job " attitude (it's a college town). But there's dignity in doing any job well. And in the case of waiting tables, there are monetary rewards in the form of tips.
I'll give her a smidge of credit. There are some areas where customers really can be more difficult than others. I served and bartended at a college bar for a year. I loved it! And many of my custmers were absolutely lovely. However, there were specific days and times when the targeted customer base was...less than understanding. 19, 20, and 21 year olds who often (not always) are not yet used to dining alone and footing the bill alone tend to be a little uneducated on proper ettiqute, unreasonable requests, and the hard fact that tipping really is how servers get paid. I realize that's a huge generalization, and I have had many, probably a majority, of my student tables tip wonderfully. However, in general, the majority of tables that didn't tip well happened to be people in that age range. Understandably! Dining ettiqute has to be learned like anything else. Regardless, people need to be treated with respect! If a server treats a table poorly and they tip her poorly, it's her own fault. However, if she is respectful, friendly, helpful, and efficient, and if she does her job well, and they still tip her poorly, then it's on them.
Not necessarily – my son worked as waitstaff too, and there are some people who will be rude and obnoxious no matter how polite, polished, and attentive the server is. 98% of his customers were fine, but it's that other 2% that make life miserable for servers. For example, the party of 4 that comes in, spends well over $350, is there for 2 hours and wants constant attention, and leaves a $5 tip. Or the family that allows their kids to run around the room or throw screaming temper tantrums, then gets indignant when the manager asks them to control their brats (my language, not hers). Or the person who feels he HAS to finish the extended loud conversation on his cell phone and ignores the waiter standing there patiently waiting to take his order. I could go on, but you get the idea. These are all things I've personally seen happen (not at the place my son worked, but at other upper-end restaurants). Yes, of course there are rude and unprofessional waitstaff, but lately it seems that the nasty customers far outnumber them.
Thats the point, 98% of customers are fine, Anna is acting like all customers were rude which means she was the problem and her bad attitude was contagious. There is no restaurant in the world where all your customers are rude except maybe some stuck up legal firms private restaurant. Ive had plenty servers like her where they immediately give off bad attitude which means you have no interest in being nice to them and just want them to get your order and go away.
Yo ice... you've obviously never worked in any kind of service industry. Speaking from years of experience, a large portion of people feel entitled. And people love to take out whatever frustrations they have on the strangers that are waiting on them. Point blank, you can bust your ass to provide terrific service and without a doubt there will be some unappreciative arsehole that wants to spread his misery.
Feel entitled? Like, the waitresses that feel entitled to a 20% tip MINIMUM, and will tell you if you don't (had it happen once)? The ones that feel they deserve a dollar a beer when the beers are on special for 80 cents, but if you tip a dollar a beer when buying $9 microbrews, they get mad because you are tipping under 15%? The ones that get mad because you don't comb through the menu to figure out regular prices when you go somewhere for happy hour specials, and tip on the reduced price instead?
I worked for nearly two years at a retail store at minimum wage, which is just as customer intensive as the service industry. Never once did I not do my job because I wasn't being tipped, or feel the need to treat customers bad if they were being rude. Entitlement is rife on all sides, not just the customers.
It depends on what you mean by entitled. If I am paying for a good meal then I am entitled to polite and timely service, I am entitled to get the food that I ordered at a reasonable quality, and I am entitled to a certain environment depending on what type of restaurant I go to. That is what I am paying for.
Word of advice to customers: Don't ever F*** with the people who are serving you your food. You never know what you might be ingesting if you're not respectful of your servers.
Is food tampering / poisoning a felony or a misdemeanor?
Word of advice to servers: Dont ever f*** with a customers food, you never know what your cell mate will have you ingesting.
I got a polite post held for the moderator, and your post is allowed? Ridiculous.
Way, way more common than people know. If you are a rude ahole you will probably be ingesting someone's spit.
I will be polite and leave if I find something terribly wrong before I would complain to the staff. I believe that it was Confucius who said “Be mindful of comments to people who handle your meal out of your eyesight..…..it can cause negative energy along with strange and unwelcome additions to your food”
No one should have to control you other than yourself. Americans have become used to others telling them what is, and is not, appropriate in public that we are no longer capable of monitoring ourselves. It's just another example of how pathetic people are. Treat others as you would like to be treated, RESPECT the fact that other people around you might be offended by your language/behavior so avoid it, and when corrected by someone don't be rude and dismiss their concerns, because if one person is offended, more than likely others are as well and the only one making a jerk of themselves is YOU.
I would take it a step further and say treat people better than you would like to be treated. Some people just don't care how others treat them and therefore treat others the same..without respect. If you treat others just a notch above how you would like to be treated the world would be a little happier place.
Unfortunately too many people think that being rude and demanding is being proacrive. Yes, being polite and respectful is something adults should do without being prodded, but they don't so they need to be reminded. That's how children are taught, too bad so many adults still act like misbehaving children.
People today are extremely selfish and don't give a rat's patootie about other people – especially in restaurants. My daughter works at Starbucks, and the stories she comes home with can be hysterical, ridiculous, and sometimes extremely maddening. Once we were there, waiting in line, and a man in front of us was making extremely rude comments about the baristas – a lot of innuendo. My husband, who is in law enforcement, happened to be in uniform. When this man made an inappropriate comment, she said loudly "Hi Dad!". My husband waved and the man turned around and was horrified. My husband calmly said "I think you need to watch your mouth around ladies, sir". The man quickly apologized, got his drink and left.
Turns out that the manager had just called the police department to register a complaint about this man because both employees and customers had complained about his behavior. I was shocked to find out just how many people get banned from places like Starbucks because they are so incredibly rude and offensive. People today need to stop being so self-absorbed!
Hey, "Mom", do you really consider Starbucks to be a "restaurant"? You need to get out more.
Hey Fiona-
Awfully brave of you to hide behind your keyboard and be unnecessarily rude to people.
Hey "Fiona." Don't be petty. You just make yourself look like an idiot.
Define restaurant, Anderson. Go...look...it...up.
Hey "Fiona" -
A Starbucks can qualify as a restaurant. Don't retreat into pedantry to defend your rudeness.
Man (or woman) up and apologize.
Fiona....THIS IS EXACTLY the type of rude behaivor that the internet has encouraged, anonymous and cowardly, just like the guy in the OP's story.
Common decency isn't, it's out to lunch with common sense. The crux of the situation is that people should treat each other with respect and grace; that's staff and customer. Both customers and staff can be good or bad. The truth is that selfishness is the real issue. Since people are decreasingly being taught the virtues of kindness, patience and grace, it's only going to get worse.
Girl in the photo is just my type. Cute but a little on the large side so probably has self-esteem issues. Likes alcohol so her inhibitions are lowered while toasted. Highlights her hair so wants some attention drawn to her. Combine all these and you have a girl who gives it up easy, lets you do freaky things to her because she thinks it will make you like her, costs little because she has to buy her own drinks, and knows how to cook me breakfast in the morning.
You must the arse you doesn't leave a tip, is loud and obnoxious and doesn't care. You are quite simply nauseating.
Because I know a good opportunity when I see it has no bearing on my financial status. Besides, you're r3tarded. Less money buying her drinks means more money for the tip. Plus if the bartender gets her really good and sloshed they will get an even better tip. Not rocket science. Also not my fault society has made it so that women such as the hot one in the picture feel the need to spread their legs to validate their existence. I'm just taking advantage of it.
Scott, $10 says this guy is an overweight virgin living in his mom's basement and fapping to stock photos on CNN. No real man acts this way.
Good one Chris. Nobody has used the "virgin in moms basement" joke before you. I like it and think it could really take off and become something big.
Shouldn't you be busy running the comic book store on the Simpsons?
Good one Lars. Nobody has used the "Besides, you're r3tarded" joke before you. I like it and think it could really take off and become something big.
Man, you all are a bunch of gullible pûssies. The internet is the best when people like you fall for an obviously baited trap. LOLZ
"LOLZ?"
Wow, what a mental giant you are.
what easily an lead sheep you are.
your remarks should be deleted
Oooh, good one.
Lars, you eurotrash POS, you don't have a chance to bag a girl one tenth has hot as the girl in the pic. KEEP DREAMING!
WHOA!!!! Easy there fella. The last thing this place needs is an internet white knight defending the ladies honor.
Thankfully your mom is only 1/12th as hot as the girl in the pic and knows that after I hit it, she has to sleep on the couch.
LOL people seem to dislike you Lars but they can't buy funny.
seriously......a "your momma" joke, you give trolling a bad name
That's the best part, it's no joke. Your mom is a complete slût and me and the boys have all taken her for a spin.
had the beat the dead horse twice .....out of material so soon
Just like your mom, had to beat it up twice.
three times a charm
And yet you keep responding to it. You say it's bad trolling but you keep coming back over and over again. Seems like that trait is genetic since your mom does the same thing.
well, that was fun, but I must go.....take care of yourself
...like he took care of your mom. bada bing, bada boom
The good doctor gets it.
You speak the truth!
quite possibly a glimmer of hope, the proverbial silver lining in this ever darkening cloud since the masses of easily lead facebook users have descended into web use.
Herpes alert!
You have no shame in yourself, LarsBaba?
You're contemptibly pathetic and pitifully lacking in character. Why don't you post your photo for us to comment on? KIDDING – it's not worth diving down to your level.
The fact that you have posted multiple irrelevant & inappropriate comments shows that you're just into "kicks" & that your little mind lives in a little world with you at its center and not much else.
Why don't you contribute something positive to this country? (enlist, do public service, etc.)
You have no shame in yourself, LarsBaba?
You're contemptibly pathetic and pitifully lacking in character. Why don't you post your photo for us to comment on? KIDDING – it's not worth diving down to your level.
The fact that you have posted multiple irrelevant & inappropriate comments shows that you're just into "kicks" & that your little mind lives in a little world with you at its center and not much else.
Why don't you contribute something positive to this country? (enlist, do public service, etc.)
Right on WorldTraveler!
This is very telling: "“Customers want to blame us for the kitchen's mistakes and the kitchen wants to blame us for the customer's mistakes. It is up to the servers to bridge that gap and make sure that no one actually blames us for anything,” he said.". How about the majority of the problems lying with the SERVERS? That's where I see dining experiences falling apart.
I dined in a tiny, highly regarded (and very expensive) Manhattan restaurant on two visits several months apart. The restaurant is known as a place to dine before the theater, so they should be adept at getting you out the door on time. The first meal was ruined by an incompetent server and dining room manager who seemed to pretend we weren't there for most of the very-delayed meal. We barely made the curtain and had to bolt down what should have been a liesurely meal. Because I tend to give a restaurant a free throw for bad nights and new employees, I tried the place again. This time the service was frigid and openly rude, both upfront in the bar lounge and at table. An out-of-control party table dominated the tiny dining room and all the attention of the waitstaff. We were made to feel we weren't wanted or welcome, and the extremely uncomfortable atmosphere ruined the excellent food (the kitchen was not at fault in either meal...nor were we, the customers).
A professional server is someone who puts ego and vindictive urges aside, offers assistance when asked but otherwise keeps opinions to him or herself, appears when needed but otherwise doesn't intrude, gets dishes to the table on time and in the right order, quietly tops off the wine and clears away dishes promptly...and makes diners feel welcome and cared for. They are the face of the restaurant. If I am treated poorly by a server, it doesn't matter how marvelous the food is or how beautiful the dining room - the meal is ruined. As dining out becomes more expensive, I am less likely to give a restaurant a second chance, too. I tend to just cross the place off my list.
It doesn't surprise me that you have bad experiences in restaurants, etc. Your behavior on this board speaks volumes. You seem like an extremely rude, bitter woman.
Posting under two monikers, Mom of 4? Could you be more obvious?
What about her comment makes you think that? I think she has a valid point. A server can totally make or break an experience at a restaurant that good food cannot overcome. I think she was straight-forward and honest. That doesn't make someone rude and bitchy.
Sometimes it just beats all the fun out of the dining event, to have poor or neglectful service, or for them to act as if we don't deserve to have them take our order for the evening. We don't go out to eat that often, so when we do we really want to enjoy it. It is the restaurant's job to serve the customers, not just to serve by carting the food to the table, interfering with the table conversation with inane questions like "how are the first few bites" or asking me to hand over the tableware we are not going to use because there are only two of us instead of the four the table is preset for. Just like anyone who does a job well, it is a real pleasure to be served in a restaurant of any price range when the people seating you at your table and serving you are gracious and friendly, informative, and just nice (but not too fake-friendly if I don't know them). We receive some of the best service from waitstaff at our local family-owned Italian restaurant, where we are somewhat regulars and always ask to be seated in our favorite server's area. She knows what we like to drink, which appetizers we tend to get, and she is friendly and notes when we are celebrating some event, or when we bring other guests with us. They appreciate us and we appreciate them. We tip her well, because she has always taken care of us well. I think I liked "waiter" or "waitress" as a term that has fallen out of use, because the concept is that they are waiting on you, serving you, taking care of you before and throughout the meal. Seems to be a bit of a lost art, and tips are expected as a fill-in for low pay, not a result for good service.
When we went to celebrate our anniversary at a nice local waterfront restaurant (nice and expensive), we were walked past the nice booths with the water view, to end up at the wicker chairs and glass tables in the back, next the family group whose kids are loud and running around. We asked to be moved because we had hired a babysitter at home, and wanted a nice evening out. We were well-dressed and didn't understand why we'd been shuttled to the back, unless we weren't a big enough group for their still-empty restaurant as it was early in the evening. They did move us, a little grudginly, and our tip reflected their attitude. We figure the server has 20% as the tip amount at the beginning of the evening, and it goes up or down from there. If we bring in a group of people, and they auto-charge us 18%, we always let the manager know that we would have tipped more for the good service, but their forced tip doesn't allow us to make the decision ourselves and tip based on the level and quality of service we receive. If they are really good to us, we tip more anyway, but it is irritating to be assessed a penalty fee based on the size of your group.
I used to wait tables at a really nice seafood restaurant that added 18% gratuity after 9pm and to parties of more then 5. Guess what? The people who were ACTUALLY going to tip more, TIPPED MORE. Nearly everyone complained about the autograt, the manager removed it, and then I'd get stiffed, or get 10% (in a nice restaurant! – and no, I'm not a crappy waitress. I was one of the best in the restaurant and trained the newcomers). Some of the customers would just PAY IT (there's a radical idea – pay the bill that you're given!) and then throw in extra cash to total 20%, 25%, or even higher – THOSE are the people who are "going to tip more." Ugh. I hate people like you. Snobby brat.
trolling...
They probably remembered your "attitude" from the first visit and decided you needed "the treatment" for snobby stuck up bit-ches. Good for them, you give nice people heart burn.
You people who work in the hospitality industry in the south and midwest lol, your imagination will come up short with what those who do your job in the northeast and left coast experience each and every day.
For those who work in the south or midwest, take your worst day ever, the most rude, loud, and selfish person you have ever had to deal with. That person would be at the top 1% of kindness, respectfulness, and decency in the northeast and left coasts.
The New Yorker (city, long island and up to 50 miles North of NYC) is a thing of its own, no words can describe this totally thoughtless completely void of self responsibility and remorse idiot.
They reduce an 18 year old girl to tears and she cries I did everything right, I got them their order as fast as possible, unknowing that this ny creature is possessed by hate and anger and is just looking for victims to inflict upon their nastyness and total inability to display decency or the most remote trace of compassion. They do treat minorites a little better, since they are ripe of some kind of brainwashed white guilt, but no matter your skin tone, they have never made a mistake in their whole life so you are always at fault.
The Jersey and New York reality shows truly do show these people in the best light possible, they are a billion times worse than the crazyness you see on your tv. With a country filled with the best people ever in the South and Midwest, it is mind blowing that such a creature can exist in the northeast and west coast.
Wow. You sound real bitter to NYC. I've actually waited tables in NYC, and northern Cali, and the Mid west. Cali people were laid back but shocked if something didn't agree with their moral compass. People in the mid- west were nice, but shocked if they didn't know something on the menu. Finally people in NYC were just direct. If something wasn't right they wanted it fixed.
I prefer the NYC customer. They know what they want and they tip better.
If you were crying every night, than you just weren't meant to be a server. Bottom line.
What a ridiculous stereotype that is also absolutely not true. Every time I've visited New York, I've found the residents to be enormously helpful. You can stop anyone on the street and ask them for directions. They're always happy to give them. The problem is that because most New Yorkers are in a hurry, that comes off as abrupt and therefore rude to southerners. This is as opposed to in the south where a diner will just coat you in sugar and then leave a pittance as a tip. My college roommate waited tables...she always said the worst was the after church crowd, a bunch of sugar sweet southerners making all sorts of demands and leaving next to nothing for a tip.
Let me guess, Starbucks?
Waiting in NYC is highly competitive as they have the highest tippers in the world, so they also have the best servers, which makes people have higher standards for what a server is. Servers on average make over 60k a year with 100k+ being common, serving at a nice NY restaurant is so competitive and so highly paid that people fly in from other states to interview as it can pay hundreds of thousands of dollars. They serve hundreds of people each, the prices are high, and the people tip based on percent, thats WAY more money in tips than some southern diner that gets 50 customers on a busy day serving cheap food.
I've lived in the Midwest, South, Northeast and now the Northwest. I gotta agree with you on the East but I find the west coast to be WAY more friendly. The problem I had on the east coast (Boston) was that the servers were apathetic and rude (like a lot of the other folks in that city), which often set the wrong tone for a pleasant meal. They could care less if you enjoyed your experience. In all those other places, and especially the Northwest, I have found servers to be far more friendly, helpful and invested in their jobs. I am generalizing, of course, and have of course experienced exceptions to these statements. In general, though, I find dining to be far more pleasant when it's away from the self-absorbed, overcrowded large cities in the Northeast. But then again so is most everything else.
As someone who grew up in Connecticut, and is now living in Saint Louis, I find people in both places to be similar. There are some that are super nice, and some that are super rude, but most fall somewhere in the middle. People in the Northeast (NY, Boston, Philly) have the stereotype of being unfriendly, and rude, and what-have-you, but honestly, when people here in Saint Louis find out that I am from the Northeast, they say, "But you are so nice!". I am trying to break the stereotype that prevails. People are people are people.
It doesn't make sense the overcharges would go into the pocket of the waiters, most of the restaurants or work places don't allow the staffs to open the cash drawers or access the cash. Three same c.card receipts should alarm the manager of the restaurants.
You need to read the article again and see if your comprehension is better the second time. Hint: there weren't three credit card receipts.
I once had a waiter kick out a lady who figured it was her right to hold her baby while it cried in my ear. It was obvious she had learned to tune it out and figured the rest of us should do the same. Can't control your offspring? Eat at home.
Eat at home, or go to a country where children are loved, tolerated and cherished, like Indonesia or Israel. But not here!!
Can't take a crying baby? Grow a pair and eat at home.
Seriously? What part of " lady who figured it was her right to hold her baby while it cried in my ear" did you miss? There's a HUGE difference between a crying baby (normal) and a parent who's rude and insensitive.
I agree. People pay a lot of money to have a meal out in peace. Fine dining restaurants are no place for children.
Staying (or going in the first place) in a restaurant with a crying baby is rude. You accuse others of being unloving for your child, but deny or ignore the fact that you are being rude. I have more than once wanted to walk up to a person with a crying infant or loud, undisciplined kids and said, "You ruined my quiet evening out with my wife, how about you pay my bill?" Don't accuse us of lack of love when it's your tyke that is making the fuss.
Exactly! More than once I have gone out to a restaurant only to be repeatedly disturbed by unruly children running around while their parent ignores them, instead talking to another adult. I understand the need for parents to have adult conversations, but if you don't want to bother to babysit your kids, what makes you rude enough to think that anyone else does either?
If you can't deal with a crying baby, wear earplugs or don't leave you house.
Obviously you're one of the: "I'll behave how I want, and no one should dare to challenge that...".
Teabaggers who date their cousins usually go to Chik-Fil-A. There are no waiters there.
Great line...
I was not clever enough to notice that this was actually a political commentary column the entire time
Douschbaggers make comments like that which don't apply to the article
learn to spell..............
Knute, learn proper punctuation.
Time to get back to your junior high classroom, dear. Stop playing with Mommy's laptop.
Are you and Elmer still coming over for dinner tonight? Wilma would love it if you can bring dessert again.
No dessert this time but we have a lovely wabbit stew!
I've never had bad service at a Chic-fil-a. Ever. Doesn't matter which location either.
If you're going to lash out, at least choose an establishment that has a bad service reputation, like a cable company.
LOL
People do behave badly...you know who you are or you've seen them in action. Some folks feel that since they are paying customers they own the joint or own the staff. We all have been on the bad end of terrible service, cold/bad/wrong food, overall bad management but we should recognize whom to comment to regarding the problem. Don't put the blame where it doesn't belong.
I've had places where the food was great, but the service sucked. On my way out I leave a tip at the front desk and tell them it's for the cooks. I'm sure it gets divided amongst them, but at least I get my point across.
What a wonderfully simple way to deal with poor service. Thanks for the idea.
How about people taking responsibility for their own actions and behavior, and keeping the peace themselves by behaving in a civilized manner in public? How is this not a choice, CNN?
Ah the response to what you said is a canned and pre-programmed "tea bagger".
They look down on people who have repsect and decency, being kind, compasionate and thinking of others is a capability that escapes the Moore-ons.
Most mirror the actions and selfishness of one Joe Biden. Ask people for the stories of waiting on famous and rich Democrats, most do not leave a penny for a couple thousand dollar bill. The pre added gratuity exists because Democrats exist, there would be no need for it if everyone acted Conservative toward others.
Please don't politicize a food blog...
So you filed and/or intend to file a trademark claim with the PTO for the handle "Truth?"
Thieves abound...
WOW I thought this was a story about proper ways of dinning out.Not a platform for the RNC.its not so stop
A few years ago I reserved a private room at an upscale buffet restaurant for my wife's birthday dinner. When we got there at 6:30 pm the room was still occupied by the party who reserved it for lunch. They ate all afternoon and were now eating their way the evening, so after a 45-minute wait our entire group got jammed into a corner of the main room. I'll never know if they bribed management or management was too cowardly to ask them to move on. But no-one in our large group ever went back there.
"Upscale buffet?" You should consider going places that don't have a chocolate fountain.
Tipsy hotgirl ftw.
I remember I was in a restaurant and I complained to the waitress that one couple was displaying too much PDA and some of the patrons had shockingly revealing clothes. I remember the waitress said "Sir, you're not in the United States, if you want to be a prude go do it outside!"
The waiter was definitely in the right on that one. Perhaps you should go back to North Korea. 안녕!
I've had my debit card declined (not at a restaurant, at a checkout) because of my bank's system being down, or, I assume, other technical difficulties. Since I'm one of the world's most apologetic customers, and also balance my register at least daily, that's the only thing it could have been as I know that there was several hundred dollars in the account with nothing outstanding at the time (not even the ridiculous $100+ hold on a $10 purchase that some gas stations like to slap on there.) That's when I started carrying a back-up CC. Just in case. So it's not always a case of "just didn't budget."
I'll take the girl in the picture please.
I'll have what he's having.....
I'm done with her, she's all yours. (sloppy seconds)
i'm sure would have not been the first there, stud.
it's a stock/file photo with jupiter imaging. has nothing to do with this specific article.
no wedding ring and no protein wash on teeth–I'm game...
Je voudrais la frapper!
Me too!