Let me tell you about a portion (take note of the word "portion") of the public who walk into our content environment and piss all over it. These guests see us (the wait staff) as a life form with superpowers.
To start, we are expected to be at all of our 5+ tables at one time. Allow me to elaborate. They sit in our section, and can clearly see that we have several other tables. As we run back and fourth from table to kitchen, bar to table, table to table, sweating, out of breath, the whole nine yards, we are expected to arrive to their table the second they put their menus down to order. If this doesn't happen, we have some personal vendetta against them. Therefore, the meal is now going to be as unpleasant as they can make it, for us and for themselves.
Finally we do get to their table with a smile on our face, and ask, "How are you all doing?", "Hungry", they answer. (Really, smartass?) Now they ever-so-rudely put their order in, avoiding all eye contact to get their point across and possibly end up waiting 30-45 minutes for their meal (I don't work at McDonalds, by the way). At this point we are reminded that they are waiting for their food. We know. We also know that from this point on, we are screwed out of any of their leftover coffee change as our tip. Let's not forget the possibility of the guest yelling, cursing, etc. in between the time they sit and the time they leave. This is one example that all servers will deal with at least once a night when the restaurant is full.
Here are some helpful guidelines to this portion of our guests:
- If you had a bad day, don't take it out on the person who is handling your food.
- Try to remember that your server is human. He/she has a mother, father, brother, sister or child, and they put their pants on one leg at a time too.
- Don't disregard that your server is running around and persperating. This actually means that they are working hard, not ignoring you.
- If the parking lot is full, chances are the restaurant will be too. Don't come in and say that you are in a rush (a.k.a.bring food up right away)...you are not special. Remember, there are other tables waiting on food too.
- If you are the type of person who believes that people should drop everything for you, because you are special. Or, if you are capable of being miserable, sooky and rude if things don't go exactly as you imagined...stay the 'F' home out of it!!!
Now...I would like to take this time to thank the guests that understand that we are humans too. You are all a pleasure to serve, and we wish everyone was just like you. Take care and have a good evening!!!!
18 comments:
There's nothing wrong with someone reminding a server that they have been waiting, really. It's all in how they react after they've been reassured they are not forgotten. I've been in restaurants that have forgotten I was there. Literally.
But, that's not your point, is it? You are ranting about folks who are rude because they've been waiting. There's no excuse for rude. I don't care how long they have to wait. You can express discontent without being rude.
You can tell a lot about a person by the way they treat a waitress. (or the cleaning lady, or the bus driver, or children, or...)
Also, your number one point is a VALID one!!! Do NOT piss off the person who is handing your food. They have ways of getting back at you.
I respect what you have to say about these rude people. My thought is if the place is that busy, then they may have to show a bit of patients.
I feel bad for the waiter/waitress if they are doing their best to accommodate everyone they can in their usually friendly, upbeat manner, and they have to deal with rudeness, so when I dine out, I will tip them quite well, just to make their day.
I respect you and your job...it is a busy one.
In responce to what Steve wrote. No, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a table reminding us that they are waiting a while. I usually will check with the kitchen and reassure my guests that the food is coming their way really soon(however, not all people do that). Thanks for pointing that out Steve!!!
Loving this...LOVING IT!!
Told you I'd read it Parrott, and I totally agree with you %101!!!
We should get together and write a book, since I could go on forever on this topic!!
Love my job, don't get me wrong..
waitressing pays the bills (and then some) but there are days I wonder if it's all worth it!
love ya sexy lady
Hahaha, Parrott this is awesome. I could add chapters to your book Jill. Hahaha, no your table of 20 w/o a reso will not get food before your soccer game in 25 minutes..haha. Love it, and love youuu!
Although I have not waitress before, I have worked with the public forever. (Actually I have regretted not waitressing cause I would kick ass at it!!)
Anyway, though my experience I always remember one thing..If they are coming in so negative what kind of day must they be having to be that mean to other people...it takes so much more energy to be mean and sad than it does to be happy.
That is my motto; why be that way when its better for you and me to have an upbeat and positive attitude.
I always find pleasure in smiling and saying "Have a nice day, hope to see you again" to the rudiest meanist people cause that shows them #1 They did not get to me (like they probably wanted to) and #2 F*** You :) Need I say more :-}
Its been nice dishing with you Melissa..till next time!
melissa, i think you make some awesome points. you are right in asserting that there are too many people who feel it their birthright to be arseholes to the psople who do important work like most who work in the service industry. Someone else said it, but the point is a good one : there are so many ways to make a point, positive or negative, but rudeness will not make your point anymore meaningful. In fact, the opposite is true - you show just how ignorant (in the word's true sense) you are.
Well said - and well written Miss Meliss....
Well written article.
Granted, there is no excuse for being rude to anyone, even if you're a victim yourself. In the restaurant business, or elsewhere, rude people are not worth losing sleep over. Karma will handle them.
I must say, however, that in today's society, there is a complete and utter lack of "customer service". Short of the high-end establishments that focus on providing great customer service to their patrons, the majority of employees at most restaurants, banks, retail stores, etc. have no clue what great customer service is all about, and certainly don't train their employees to provide a high level of service.
While I'm sure the original author's restaurant is the exception (it's never the server), the customer service I receive most of the time, despite my always friendly demeanor, is abhorrent. Perhaps it's because the majority of people filling the server positions in today's establishments are late teen or early-to-mid 20 somethings with a sense of entitlement that their generation has come to expect. An entitlement that is mightily unearned I might add.
I don't really complain too much about poor service though, because the pool of individuals from which to select for these positions (i.e. restaurant servers), while not limited, is typically comprised of teenagers, college students, and those with a lack of formal education. Most/many are smokers with a chip on their shoulder because they're serving someone else instead of being served. I'm not throwing rocks or being elitist here, and clearly there are exceptions, but that's the reality from what I've seen, and I've traveled and lived all over the U.S., and visited 20+ countries. I also have found that despite the customer feedback that most restaurants apathetically elicit from their patrons, nothing seems to change (i.e. lack of leadership).
Perhaps you fail to consider as well the small but unspoken business anomaly the U.S. restaurant industry has perpetuated for decades; servers' salaries are essentially paid for by the customers, not the restaurant. Sure, restaurants kick in enough to basically cover the "reported taxes", but why should the customer directly pay the server, and indirectly the busboys, for doing the work the restaurant requires of them? I'm sure you could argue that every business pays their employees from the net revenue earned from its customers, but restaurants seem to take this a bit too literally if you ask me. I think most customers, if they actually thought about it, would agree that restaurants with average priced menus should be paying their servers something slightly North of minimum wage (it's not rocket science after all), and that tips should only be provided when exceptional service is rendered, as it is in most every other service industry. Servers wouldn't like that, of course, because then they would actually have to pay taxes on most of their income, not just the understated portion they decide to declare to the IRS. Am I wrong?
I receive great service when dining throughout Europe and Asia, even in some 2nd World countries, and with the exception of U.S. chains that open a foreign location, there is no tipping overseas. The service is good because the employees take pride in their work, something I don't see much of with servers in the U.S..
I also couldn't help but notice that Steve mentioned that you shouldn't piss off your server, because "they have ways of getting back at you". That's true, and those immature tasks of spitting in a customer's food or drink, among other things, are childish at best, and not how things are handled in the rest of the adult business world. Thanks for proving my point Steve!
Before you label me an elitist "server hater" though, I'll tell you that I typically tip on the high end (i.e. 20% - 30%), particularly when I receive good service. Without sounding trite, I do that to reinforce their positive behavior, just as one would with a child or dog. Conversely, I'll also tip on the low end (i.e. 15%) when the service is poor (i.e. server forgot my appetizer, doesn't stop by even once for a drink refill, didn't write down my order and it was incorrect, etc.). I'll also explain very nicely what I had hoped could have been better, in a constructive and friendly way, if asked the obligatory yet less than heartfelt "how was your meal" question. Most, however, never take the constructive feedback to heart I'm sure (reference previous comments about immature teens and 20 somethings with an unearned sense of entitlement). Clearly it's never the server who's wrong, right?
There are of course other options for those of you unhappy with your server jobs. I don't say this to be sarcastic, but if you're unhappy serving people, finish your education and get a job where others can serve you! If you really love the restaurant business, think about getting experience in restaurant/hospitality management so you don't have worry about tips to pay your rent, presuming you're not still living off of mom and dad while in your 20's. Time to give up on the pity party...it doesn't pay well either!
Wow... that was quite a reality check, Reality Check!
Funny... karma will take care of rude people, but your tips reinforce good behaviour? ;-) The problem though, with telling rude people they are rude, is that many of them are ignorant or apathetic to their rudeness. They either won't get it, or they won't care.
Lots of good points though. Yes, many people believe that the younger generation believes they have a sense of entitlement. For example, ere mention of the word "room and board" conjures up negative thoughts in the payee, payer, and anyone listening in. "Duh!"
Recently in a restaurant, the hostess was clearly perturbed that we asked for a booth instead of the table close to the door she tried to put us in. The server was friendly and efficient. The food was mediocre and the portions a little smaller than the last time we were there. All at once, I wanted to take the hostess aside and tell her to remember her job, slip a twenty in the servers order pad, and complain to the management about the food.
I didn't do any of it. Figured karma had my back.
Good point on rude people Steve. They either don't realize it, or don't care, so any criticism they receive will either be met very defensively, or go in one ear and out the other. In fact, I go out of my way to be extra nice to rude people. It drives them crazy. I do firmly believe, however, that what goes around comes around, but in a positive way, I don't mind helping Karma out a bit, just in case:-).
I may have miscommunicated my philosophy on tipping though. What I tried to convey, was that since good service is so tough to find these days (i.e. your hostess who was bothered because you asked nicely for a booth, instead of the cold, windy table by the door), that I'll go out of my way to tip, and comment, about good service I receive. I guess I do it in the hope that the individual will realize that getting a good tip isn't an entitlement, it's a reward for excellent service. I'm sure the philosophy isn't that different up in Canada, right?
RC: Actually, my wife and I tend to do exactly the same thing. If the service is excellent, we will tell the person dong so, even in situations that don't normally require tips, like checking in groceries.
"Wow, finally I get the fastest line. You are awesome!"
or
"I've never seen anyone bag the food so carefully before. Good job."
Those kinds of things are probably more impactful than the tip that is only really noticed if it is withheld.
Oh, and you communicated your point on tipping just fine... I was just being an ass! ;)
Reality Check,
I didn't get notification of your comments until now, and have only read your first lengthy comment, which I appreciate...I love feedback. I have to tell you, that it seemed that you categorized the 20-somethings as immature/having a sense of entitlement that is mightily unearned/etc. I have to let you know that I am a 20-something, with an education and I am still currently attending university. I work for everything I have and I refuse to have "Mommy and Daddy" support me financially. I truly believe that if I can't earn it on my own, then I don't deserve to own it.
On another note, I do not expect amazing tips or any tips if I give shitty service. However, I can say to you with complete honesty, hat I am an amazing server, who works extremely hard for my tips. I always keep in mind that I am the server and the customer is always right...I know my place. I have worked since I was 11 years old, and have volunteered since I was 8...so, I have excellent work ethic. I have a long list of different job titles, and working as a server is definitely, by far, the most challenging...and it pays the best (because of tips). Minimum wage certainly cannot support someone in university with bills to pay...so serving tables seems to be the most rewarding job financially.
You seem like an educated person, and you have thrown a few good points out there, however, there were parts that came across as being judgmental and belittling with your statements on 20-somethings. It actually hurt to have all the work I have put into my accomplishments thus far, unacknowledged and thrown into someones view of what the stereotypical 20-something is today.
It is a little late, but I will definitely read the rest of what you have written. Thank you for giving me a perfect description of the customers view...it will only help me be a better server! :)
Unfortunately for you Melissa, I apparently am not your typical customer, because I would be the first to appreciate you if you were the best server in town. I appreciate hard work, since that's helped me to achieve my goals in life, so I suspect your work ethic will continue to do the same for you. I might add, however, that you seem to be the exception, not the norm, for the typical 20 something I'm accustomed to interacting with. Granted, I'm here in the U.S., where the sense of entitlement is likely more pronounced than it is in Canada, so kudos to you Canucks!
I will also say, however, that I disagree with you on another issue, but it's one you'll appreciate. I don't think the customer is always right. Providing excellent customer service is important, and something that has waned over the years, but I do think that many customers are jerks, and that you should treat them as they deserve. Providing great customer service isn't about being a servant, as you've stated yourself, but about providing great service as an attitude towards your work. Some customers won't deserve your service!
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