There are probably about 100 things that drive me crazy about people but I'll stick to the basic ones that seem to happen almost EVERY night. :)
These are my top 5 pet peeves when it comes to serving:
1. "I can't decide between the steak or the salmon. What do you think" REALLY???? These 2 items are nothing alike first of all. I can not tell you what you are going to like more, I DON'T KNOW YOU! Maybe if we were best friends I could say, " you want the steak, duh". Now I'm happy to make a recommendation, but then if you don't take my advice why the heck did you ask me in the first place. UGH. I usually just say we have a wood burning grill so our steaks have a lot flavor... and then they order salmon.
2. People that ask if a certain menu item is good. Okay. This is my job, if I was to say, "no, it sucks" I wouldn't have my job for long. Enough said.
3. When people ask you jokingly about how much tip to leave you. I do not think this is funny. If I did a great job, leave 20+ percent. I really hate when people say, "so how much are you worth?" I just smile and say, "I'm worth at least a million but you can make installments!" Ha Ha.
If you are going to joke about my tip it better dang be worth it!
4. Do you realize that I do not cook the food? I serve it, I don't have any part of the cooking process or the recipe? If your steak is over cooked or under cooked, I will happily take care of the problem but don't act like a jerk about it! Don't all the sudden start taking it out on me like I had anything to do with it!
5. Campers. These are the tables that have a lovely meal and then sit at your table and chat, without ordering anything else, forever. This is really bothersome when a) they are the only table left and you are waiting on them so you can go home and b) it a busy night and now your section is a table smaller. Let me explain that. Typically a server has a 3-4 table section. In order to make the most amount of money we need to "turn" our tables. Meaning, get one table, serve them, and then have it sat again with another table. If we have a table camping then our section just got smaller as that table will probably not get sat after they leave for the rush will be over. What would be nice is if people who want to stay and chat after their meal is over tip accordingly. Although I can say that it rarely ever happens. I know that guests are not intentionally trying to screw us over but it feels that way sometimes when your whole section is done eating and no one is leaving.
So next time you are out with friends or your loved ones think of these things while you are eating as they may very well be the pet peeves of your server too.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Pardon the interruption
Okay. There are so many things I could complain about today that I don't even know where to start. I guess I will take the first table that I waited on last night.
Let me first preface this by saying I completely understand when you want to go out and "relax" while also having a meal. Businessmen often are having meetings during dinner. I get it. With that said, YOU as the customer should also remember the purpose for being at a restaurant is TO EAT! So excuse me for asking if you are ready to order!! Now, I always greet my table, say hello, find out what cocktails, wine, or drinks they would like. When I return I'll ask if they would like to hear the specials for the evening or take some time to enjoy their drinks and chat. During this time I would like you to be listening to ME. I'm trying to do a job here, not annoy you. So back to my table. I had a 4 top (meaning 4 people at the table) of 2 couples. I head over to the table, grab the bread plates and start passing them out. This is USUALLY when people will pause in their conversations and I can introduce myself and so on... OH NO, not this table. I'm am apparently completely invisible. A gift that I have although I don't know how to control it. I never know when i'll be invisible and it happens all too often. OOOOh, maybe its because I wear all black.... and i'm soooo skinny you just don't see me. The plates are moving by themselves... Okay, you get the picture.
So they won't stop talking and I'm standing there akwardly waiting for a pause so i can interject. Nothing. One gentlemen happens to ask me a question. Yeah! I'm in. Nope. I answer and they rest keep chatting. Okay, I'll just get this one man a drink. I precede to ask him what he would like to drink and he says, "start with the ladies". Well... if they would shut up I could! How long is an appropriate time for me to wait??
I politely say, "parden the interruption, but i'd love to bring you a cocktail or wine". I'm so fake. :)
I return with the drinks and set them down. I decide to just talk over them since they clearly don't care what i'm saying anyway. I quickly go through the specials while they continue to talk as well. SO RUDE! I ask if they would like an appetizer to start or if they want to sip their drinks and "relax". I literally get NO response. I guess that means you are not having an appetizer?? I decide to leave the table. A few minutes go by and then i see my guest waving his white linen in the air to get my attention!!!!!! Is this what I needed to do earlier?!? If only I would have known. Are you freaking kidding me???? I'm praying my boss doesn't see them. This makes me look bad. Although, I have done all I could at this point. I rush over and the man says, "I'm starving. Can we order?"
Cuss words in my head, I smile and say "of course!"
This was the start to my evening and needless to say it went downhill from there.
More to come later.
Let me first preface this by saying I completely understand when you want to go out and "relax" while also having a meal. Businessmen often are having meetings during dinner. I get it. With that said, YOU as the customer should also remember the purpose for being at a restaurant is TO EAT! So excuse me for asking if you are ready to order!! Now, I always greet my table, say hello, find out what cocktails, wine, or drinks they would like. When I return I'll ask if they would like to hear the specials for the evening or take some time to enjoy their drinks and chat. During this time I would like you to be listening to ME. I'm trying to do a job here, not annoy you. So back to my table. I had a 4 top (meaning 4 people at the table) of 2 couples. I head over to the table, grab the bread plates and start passing them out. This is USUALLY when people will pause in their conversations and I can introduce myself and so on... OH NO, not this table. I'm am apparently completely invisible. A gift that I have although I don't know how to control it. I never know when i'll be invisible and it happens all too often. OOOOh, maybe its because I wear all black.... and i'm soooo skinny you just don't see me. The plates are moving by themselves... Okay, you get the picture.
So they won't stop talking and I'm standing there akwardly waiting for a pause so i can interject. Nothing. One gentlemen happens to ask me a question. Yeah! I'm in. Nope. I answer and they rest keep chatting. Okay, I'll just get this one man a drink. I precede to ask him what he would like to drink and he says, "start with the ladies". Well... if they would shut up I could! How long is an appropriate time for me to wait??
I politely say, "parden the interruption, but i'd love to bring you a cocktail or wine". I'm so fake. :)
I return with the drinks and set them down. I decide to just talk over them since they clearly don't care what i'm saying anyway. I quickly go through the specials while they continue to talk as well. SO RUDE! I ask if they would like an appetizer to start or if they want to sip their drinks and "relax". I literally get NO response. I guess that means you are not having an appetizer?? I decide to leave the table. A few minutes go by and then i see my guest waving his white linen in the air to get my attention!!!!!! Is this what I needed to do earlier?!? If only I would have known. Are you freaking kidding me???? I'm praying my boss doesn't see them. This makes me look bad. Although, I have done all I could at this point. I rush over and the man says, "I'm starving. Can we order?"
Cuss words in my head, I smile and say "of course!"
This was the start to my evening and needless to say it went downhill from there.
More to come later.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
I'm waiting...
I'm waiting for the day when I can go a whole shift without feeling like I'm being talked "down to" by a guest.
I'm waiting for an all 20% tip night.
I'm waiting for people to acknowledge how difficult they can be.
I'm waiting for everyone to realize I only make $2.13/hour, so your tips are extremely important to me.
I'm waiting for people to realize what I like may not be what you like. So just order what you want.
I'm waiting for people to tip according to how long they "camp" at my table.
I'm sure there are 100 more things I'm still waiting for that will probably never happen and I might keep adding them as I think of them. I plan on filling you in on my back story to explain why, at 37, I'm still waiting tables but for now I have to rant about an incident that happened last night.
Let me start by saying the restaurant I work at is one of the nicest for my smaller city. Although my city is big for Kansas, it is relatively small to the rest of the world. Our guests are of all sorts. Rich, average, snotty, nice, demanding, pleasant, high maintenance, and easy going. This particular story is about one of the high maintenance, snotty, rich ones who we have all come to know and hate.
I was waiting on a party of 9 men. Good ole country boys. Not cowboy hat country, but good men! One guy in particular was wearing a baseball cap. NOT a big deal. We are a casual restaurant. Hats are okay. This woman was sitting in a booth facing my table of 9. Next thing I know shes saying something to my table. I immediately head over to my table as shes leaving, and politely ask if they know her. I could tell by the shocked looks on their faces that they did not. I take a deep breath and ask if they can tell me what she said. A few men were chuckling, some were still in shock, and one finally told me my answer. She said to the man in the cap, "it would be really nice if you could eat without your hat on" and she didn't say it nicely! How freaking rude can you be!!! Then she returned to my table to say, "I'm not really a bitch, its just etiquette". Is this broad for real?? Keep in mind, her husband was wearing sunglasses at the time. What gives this crazy woman the right to tell someone else they should take off their hat when eating. They weren't eating at HER house! It really doesn't matter how you feel about the situation. She was in the wrong! Some people will say that it's rude to have your hat on in a restaurant (which i disagree) but she was much ruder in her attempt to get him to take it off. Luckily this table of good ole country boys was able to laugh it off and not get too insulted. Although i have to say I was livid! I'd like to know why this woman is still allowed to eat at our restaurant.
Okay. I'm done.
I'm waiting for an all 20% tip night.
I'm waiting for people to acknowledge how difficult they can be.
I'm waiting for everyone to realize I only make $2.13/hour, so your tips are extremely important to me.
I'm waiting for people to realize what I like may not be what you like. So just order what you want.
I'm waiting for people to tip according to how long they "camp" at my table.
I'm sure there are 100 more things I'm still waiting for that will probably never happen and I might keep adding them as I think of them. I plan on filling you in on my back story to explain why, at 37, I'm still waiting tables but for now I have to rant about an incident that happened last night.
Let me start by saying the restaurant I work at is one of the nicest for my smaller city. Although my city is big for Kansas, it is relatively small to the rest of the world. Our guests are of all sorts. Rich, average, snotty, nice, demanding, pleasant, high maintenance, and easy going. This particular story is about one of the high maintenance, snotty, rich ones who we have all come to know and hate.
I was waiting on a party of 9 men. Good ole country boys. Not cowboy hat country, but good men! One guy in particular was wearing a baseball cap. NOT a big deal. We are a casual restaurant. Hats are okay. This woman was sitting in a booth facing my table of 9. Next thing I know shes saying something to my table. I immediately head over to my table as shes leaving, and politely ask if they know her. I could tell by the shocked looks on their faces that they did not. I take a deep breath and ask if they can tell me what she said. A few men were chuckling, some were still in shock, and one finally told me my answer. She said to the man in the cap, "it would be really nice if you could eat without your hat on" and she didn't say it nicely! How freaking rude can you be!!! Then she returned to my table to say, "I'm not really a bitch, its just etiquette". Is this broad for real?? Keep in mind, her husband was wearing sunglasses at the time. What gives this crazy woman the right to tell someone else they should take off their hat when eating. They weren't eating at HER house! It really doesn't matter how you feel about the situation. She was in the wrong! Some people will say that it's rude to have your hat on in a restaurant (which i disagree) but she was much ruder in her attempt to get him to take it off. Luckily this table of good ole country boys was able to laugh it off and not get too insulted. Although i have to say I was livid! I'd like to know why this woman is still allowed to eat at our restaurant.
Okay. I'm done.
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