Because I'm in a cranky mood (I'm sick, which means a lot of missed work this weekend, which means no money), here's a list of the worst behavior from customers I've seen. The most annoying things I have to deal with.
- Letting the kids run around. It's so unsafe; you just can't let them do that.
- Letting the kids scream and cry for long periods of time. (key word long periods of time, I guess a little screaming and crying is unavoidable)
- Trying to pull me into an argument/disagreement. Just don't do that. Honestly. I don't know you, I don't know the situation. Don't draw me in and force me to pick sides. It will inevitably end with somebody getting mad at me (which jeopardizes my tip).
- Whistling for a server. We're not your dog, asshole. We're people. Screw you, you nasty pig. What right do you have to treat us that way? A simple "excuse me" or giving the server a look or a wave will suffice; there's just no need for whistling.
- Expecting me to read your mind. If you want something, speak up. Since I'm an experienced and fairly good server, I can to some extent predict your needs (if your glass is half empty, you probably want a refill. If you ordered fries, you probably want ketchup). Be specific with your order. If you don't want an ingredient in there, speak up. If you want fries, tell me. Otherwise, I won't know.
- Leaving a gigantic, awful mess for me to clean up. Look, I don't expect the table to be clean enough to eat off once you leave. And I get that cleaning that table up is part of my job, so I don't mind. But please, if your kid dumped half their food onto the floor, pick it up (or make them do it if they're big enough to learn how to clean up after themselves). If you knock your drink over, don't idly stand by as your server wipes that mess all up, pitch in a little if you can. It will be much appreciated.
- Sugar on the table. There's not that much sugar in the packet, why can't you just dump it all in? Why must you dump all that sugar on the table? Or leave an open packet to be spilled all over? Do you know how hard it is to clean up all those granules of sugar? It's so annoying! Please either use the entire packet or put the open packet on a plate or something so that it spills there, not on the table I then have to clean. (Perhaps I should say that I am OCD, and thus it's really hard for me to clean something like that up. It's so hard to get them all! And I have to. Maybe this doesn't bug other servers as much?)
- Large to go orders that don't tip. I've had $120 to go orders that didn't leave any tip at all. Ok, but that's $10 that I am being taxed that you screwed me out of. If you're getting a large to go (let's say like anything over $30?) you should leave some tip. It does take some work boxing it all, wrapping it, putting it in bags, getting dressings, utensils, napkins, etc. and just making sure you have everything you need.
- Constant refills. Look, I'm not saying don't get your money's worth (drinks are so outrageously priced, you should have a few). All I'm saying is that if I've had to refill your drink 2 or 3 times before I've even taken your order, we have some problems here. Haha. At least give me like 4 minutes or so in between refills please? I do have other stuff to do besides refill your drink every minute.
- Red Hats. I'm so sorry, ladies (if any of you even go on the internet). But man. Some groups of you are lovely and kind, but some are just awful. You work your server to the bone, are kind of rude about it, and then don't tip. As a server, you know you're in for a rough day when you see them on the reservation sheet. I once had to make a separate trip upstairs for drinks for an entire table (as in one trip for each lady) because they would not tell me they wanted anything despite my repeated asking of "anybody else want something to drink besides water?"
- Haggling. Sorry, but no. That dish will not be any cheaper if you get it without the onions (because there will be a few extra of the other ingredients thrown in). And no, I can't get you any kind of special price.
- Not knowing coupon rules. The place I work at is in the entertainment and enjoy books. If you're not familiar with them, they're just coupon books; however, there are rules attached. You can't use them with a party of more than 10, you can't use more than 3 per table, sometimes there are specifications about what days or times they can be used on, etc. etc. Now, I know these rules inside and out. Why? Because it's my job, and I deal with these coupons on a nightly basis. I need to, because if I don't my bosses understandably get mad. These rules are in the books, so if you read them you can see. Don't yell at me and get huffy and say "well it doesn't say that", because yes it does and I will show you in black and white that it does. Please believe me, I know what I'm talking about. And I want to keep you happy (after all, my tip does depend on it). If I could help you, I would. But if I break or bend the rules, we could get kicked out. And that would hurt our business. Also, I can't use a coupon that expired. So please, people, if you want to use a coupon, ask your server about it. Tell them from the beginning you have it and ask about conditions (if you don't want to read them for yourself). Best way to make sure you can use them.
- Asking me to step outside my job description or asking really outrageous favors. When I'm hosting, please don't expect me to find you a table. We have reservations, they get the table first. Walkins have to wait. When I'm bartending, I can't pour extra in your drink (unless I charge you for a double or something). And while I am more than happy to do a favor for you or help you out if I can, sorry but I cannot blatantly lie or break the rules my bosses have set. I don't care if you're a regular or if you know somebody who used to work here or whatever. I still can't. No harm in asking I suppose, but please accept my answer when I say no. You've no right to get pissy and mean or yell at me or screw me out of a tip because of it.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Eating Out With Kids
So I suck. I've been neglecting this blog. Stupid school getting in the way, stupid finals. Going away for a few days was not stupid though. Haha.
Anyway, I saw this article on Yahoo about commandments for eating out with kids.
And here is my take.
But first please allow me to say that I disagree with the article that nobody wants to ban kids in restaurants; I know quite a few servers who wouldn't mind it. Lol. I'm kidding (mostly). It's not that we mind the little kids in themselves so much (they are often pretty cute after all), it's when they are not kept under control and do not behave appropriately that we start to dislike them. I shudder at some kids I see at work. My parents never would have let me behave in such ways! (I swear I'm not an old fuddy duddy, I'm only 25. haha) I work at a fine dining place (the atmosphere is kinda more casual though), and honestly I think kids should be in double digits before they are allowed in for most cases. It's not that kids can't behave in good ways, because they can. It's more that parents let the kids run amok (literally and figuratively) and don't try to stop inappropriate, annoying behavior.
THOU SHALT NOT BLOCK TRAFFIC WITH BULKY STROLLERS
I have not had any trouble with this one. I will, however, extend this commandment to walkers. Sorry, little old lady, but your walker cannot take up the aisle. I know you need it, and I promise you I will be more than happy to bring it back to you when you are finished and ready to leave, but when you leave something blocking part of the aisle it is truly a safety hazard (in addition to making my job way harder).
THOU SHALT NOT ORDER A 10-COURSE TASTING MENU WITH KIDS UNDER 10
This would never have occurred to me. But I guess a reminder that you're not out for a fun, adult, romantic meal out but you are out with your children and to keep their short attention spans in mind can't hurt.
THOU SHALT NOT TREAT YOUR SERVER LIKE A SITTER
Really? Would anybody do this? I'd hate to have this happen to me. What an incredibly awkward position to put your sever in! S/he has way more than enough to do without adding having to keep an eye on your children to that list. Not to mention if something happens and you hold them responsible for your own stupidity/lack of parenting? Oh god no. Please just don't ever do something like that.
THOU SHALT NOT BREAST FEED AT THE TABLE
Ohmygod, agreed! This actually happened to me (thankfully, it was dead and there was only that one table ... by the way this crazy bitch actually changed her baby right there on a changing pad on the floor GROSS!!! I mean really, you crazy bitch, people eat close by!), and it was not cool. I come over to see if they need a refill or something and it's like "oh hello, there's your boob. With your kid attached." Not that there's anything wrong with breastfeeding at all, but um just do it in private ok? Nobody wants or needs to see it.
THOU SHALL FEEL FREE TO ORDER "KID FOOD" OFF THE MENU
My restaurant has a kids menu, so I don't know. But yes do feel free to ask for something off the menu if your child won't eat anything on the menu. (Most chefs will happily do it, provided they have the ingredients.)
THOU SHALL NOT TURN DINNER INTO A PHOTOSHOOT
Taking a pic? Fine. (I often get asked to do that for some reason.) Doing a photoshoot? Do it before you leave your home, before there's the possibility of the kids spilling something on those cute clothes.
THOU SHALT NOT BRING NOISY TOYS
Be respectful of other customers. Be respectful of the employees. Nobody wants to hear your obnoxious beeping and noises from the kid's gameboy (or whatever the equivalent of that would be today). Put it on silent. You are out in public, and there are other people. You should not try to give them headaches from annoying noise.
THOU SHALL TRY TO QUELL HIGH-PITCHED SCREAMING
No, thou SHALL quell it, not try. In what world is it ok for a child to scream their head off that way? If you must, take them outside or to your car until they calm down. I cannot tell you how obnoxious it is to listen to ear piercing yelling for an hour or two on end. As my coworker puts it "I go to work to get away from that, make it stop!" Our jobs are hard enough without your brat trying to make our ears bleed.
THOU SHALT NOT ALLOW FREE-RANGE KIDS
YES YES YES YES! I cannot stress this enough. You cannot let your child run free at a restaurant. You cannot do it. It is completely unsafe. Please let me say this one more time, it is extremely unsafe. Servers are coming through with heavy trays (trays that weigh more than your small child – these trays can weigh up to like 40 pounds!), which may contain piping hot food (or steaming hot soup) and heavy dishes. Imagine if your kid runs in my way, and I stumble. A plate flies off the tray, dumping food all over your kid. Your kid can get burns from soup. A glass could fall, and break!, on your child. Your child can get a serious injury from a broken glass or plate. I can fall, drop the tray on myself. Or they're running and fall on a bit of liquid that spilled on the floor, they run into a tray jack or a table. Just because you don't see any servers in that area does not mean there will not be any. We may have to go to any area of the dining room. Other customers may need through there too. There is so much potential for injury here, very serious potential for a bad injury. For the sake of the servers and especially for the sake of your child, do not let them run around. Keep them in their seats. We often host parties, including rehearsal dinners and even wedding receptions, and we often have small children with these parties. I am continually amazed that parents would think this is ok.
Further more if you allow this to happen, you put me in a bad position. I have to be the bad guy, I have to say "sweetie, you cannot run around. It's not safe. Can you please go sit down?" (I've definitely had parents get PISSED at me for attempting to correct their children for bad or inappropriate behaviors, but what can I do? I cannot risk it, I have to nicely tell your kid to stay out of the way)
Seriously just do not let your children run around a restaurant. Please don't. I cannot tell you how unsafe it is.
THOU SHALL CALMLY DISCOURAGE FOOD FIGHTS
Again, no you WILL stop them. Or better yet, how about not allowing them to happen in the first place? Again I have to ask in what world is this ok or acceptable in any way? Just because you don't have to clean up the fucking mess, doesn't mean it's ok to let it happen. This is the second biggest pet peeve of waiting on tables with children (first of course being ear splitting shrieking that goes on and on and on and doesn't stop). It sucks enough cleaning up a table as it is, but when your brat has thrown half their meal onto the floor? I get pissed, really pissed. You are out in public, not the comfort of your own home. Have respect and consideration for the poor person who has to clean up that disgusting mess. (Have you ever tried to clean up cut up spaghetti from a carpeted floor? Well I have, many times, and let me tell you it is not easy and it can take a long time. It pisses me off. Also, food on the floor tends to get stepped on. Do you know how difficult it is to get all those tiny little crumbs? Or how annoying it is to clean when they get ground into the carpet?)
If your child is too little to not make a huge mess, maybe they're too young to go out to eat. Or how about having a little consideration and confining that mess to the table.
And to you parents who pick up the cheerios your kid throws on the floor, thank you so very much! From all servers everywhere, we appreciate that little kindness in making our job easier.
I'd love to hear your opinions, people.
Anyway, I saw this article on Yahoo about commandments for eating out with kids.
And here is my take.
But first please allow me to say that I disagree with the article that nobody wants to ban kids in restaurants; I know quite a few servers who wouldn't mind it. Lol. I'm kidding (mostly). It's not that we mind the little kids in themselves so much (they are often pretty cute after all), it's when they are not kept under control and do not behave appropriately that we start to dislike them. I shudder at some kids I see at work. My parents never would have let me behave in such ways! (I swear I'm not an old fuddy duddy, I'm only 25. haha) I work at a fine dining place (the atmosphere is kinda more casual though), and honestly I think kids should be in double digits before they are allowed in for most cases. It's not that kids can't behave in good ways, because they can. It's more that parents let the kids run amok (literally and figuratively) and don't try to stop inappropriate, annoying behavior.
THOU SHALT NOT BLOCK TRAFFIC WITH BULKY STROLLERS
I have not had any trouble with this one. I will, however, extend this commandment to walkers. Sorry, little old lady, but your walker cannot take up the aisle. I know you need it, and I promise you I will be more than happy to bring it back to you when you are finished and ready to leave, but when you leave something blocking part of the aisle it is truly a safety hazard (in addition to making my job way harder).
THOU SHALT NOT ORDER A 10-COURSE TASTING MENU WITH KIDS UNDER 10
This would never have occurred to me. But I guess a reminder that you're not out for a fun, adult, romantic meal out but you are out with your children and to keep their short attention spans in mind can't hurt.
THOU SHALT NOT TREAT YOUR SERVER LIKE A SITTER
Really? Would anybody do this? I'd hate to have this happen to me. What an incredibly awkward position to put your sever in! S/he has way more than enough to do without adding having to keep an eye on your children to that list. Not to mention if something happens and you hold them responsible for your own stupidity/lack of parenting? Oh god no. Please just don't ever do something like that.
THOU SHALT NOT BREAST FEED AT THE TABLE
Ohmygod, agreed! This actually happened to me (thankfully, it was dead and there was only that one table ... by the way this crazy bitch actually changed her baby right there on a changing pad on the floor GROSS!!! I mean really, you crazy bitch, people eat close by!), and it was not cool. I come over to see if they need a refill or something and it's like "oh hello, there's your boob. With your kid attached." Not that there's anything wrong with breastfeeding at all, but um just do it in private ok? Nobody wants or needs to see it.
THOU SHALL FEEL FREE TO ORDER "KID FOOD" OFF THE MENU
My restaurant has a kids menu, so I don't know. But yes do feel free to ask for something off the menu if your child won't eat anything on the menu. (Most chefs will happily do it, provided they have the ingredients.)
THOU SHALL NOT TURN DINNER INTO A PHOTOSHOOT
Taking a pic? Fine. (I often get asked to do that for some reason.) Doing a photoshoot? Do it before you leave your home, before there's the possibility of the kids spilling something on those cute clothes.
THOU SHALT NOT BRING NOISY TOYS
Be respectful of other customers. Be respectful of the employees. Nobody wants to hear your obnoxious beeping and noises from the kid's gameboy (or whatever the equivalent of that would be today). Put it on silent. You are out in public, and there are other people. You should not try to give them headaches from annoying noise.
THOU SHALL TRY TO QUELL HIGH-PITCHED SCREAMING
No, thou SHALL quell it, not try. In what world is it ok for a child to scream their head off that way? If you must, take them outside or to your car until they calm down. I cannot tell you how obnoxious it is to listen to ear piercing yelling for an hour or two on end. As my coworker puts it "I go to work to get away from that, make it stop!" Our jobs are hard enough without your brat trying to make our ears bleed.
THOU SHALT NOT ALLOW FREE-RANGE KIDS
YES YES YES YES! I cannot stress this enough. You cannot let your child run free at a restaurant. You cannot do it. It is completely unsafe. Please let me say this one more time, it is extremely unsafe. Servers are coming through with heavy trays (trays that weigh more than your small child – these trays can weigh up to like 40 pounds!), which may contain piping hot food (or steaming hot soup) and heavy dishes. Imagine if your kid runs in my way, and I stumble. A plate flies off the tray, dumping food all over your kid. Your kid can get burns from soup. A glass could fall, and break!, on your child. Your child can get a serious injury from a broken glass or plate. I can fall, drop the tray on myself. Or they're running and fall on a bit of liquid that spilled on the floor, they run into a tray jack or a table. Just because you don't see any servers in that area does not mean there will not be any. We may have to go to any area of the dining room. Other customers may need through there too. There is so much potential for injury here, very serious potential for a bad injury. For the sake of the servers and especially for the sake of your child, do not let them run around. Keep them in their seats. We often host parties, including rehearsal dinners and even wedding receptions, and we often have small children with these parties. I am continually amazed that parents would think this is ok.
Further more if you allow this to happen, you put me in a bad position. I have to be the bad guy, I have to say "sweetie, you cannot run around. It's not safe. Can you please go sit down?" (I've definitely had parents get PISSED at me for attempting to correct their children for bad or inappropriate behaviors, but what can I do? I cannot risk it, I have to nicely tell your kid to stay out of the way)
Seriously just do not let your children run around a restaurant. Please don't. I cannot tell you how unsafe it is.
THOU SHALL CALMLY DISCOURAGE FOOD FIGHTS
Again, no you WILL stop them. Or better yet, how about not allowing them to happen in the first place? Again I have to ask in what world is this ok or acceptable in any way? Just because you don't have to clean up the fucking mess, doesn't mean it's ok to let it happen. This is the second biggest pet peeve of waiting on tables with children (first of course being ear splitting shrieking that goes on and on and on and doesn't stop). It sucks enough cleaning up a table as it is, but when your brat has thrown half their meal onto the floor? I get pissed, really pissed. You are out in public, not the comfort of your own home. Have respect and consideration for the poor person who has to clean up that disgusting mess. (Have you ever tried to clean up cut up spaghetti from a carpeted floor? Well I have, many times, and let me tell you it is not easy and it can take a long time. It pisses me off. Also, food on the floor tends to get stepped on. Do you know how difficult it is to get all those tiny little crumbs? Or how annoying it is to clean when they get ground into the carpet?)
If your child is too little to not make a huge mess, maybe they're too young to go out to eat. Or how about having a little consideration and confining that mess to the table.
And to you parents who pick up the cheerios your kid throws on the floor, thank you so very much! From all servers everywhere, we appreciate that little kindness in making our job easier.
I'd love to hear your opinions, people.
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