Annoying Wait Staff Habits

[S60Turbo]

Just unprofesional behavior in general
We reently went out to The Keg. Its a chain thats not particularly upscale but nice. they charge about 30 bucks a plate for a steak dinner and here we have this waiter that is a meatball.
Leaning against the table, won't take his hands out of his apron and really didn't bother to learn anything about the food on the menu.
if yer gonna charge that amount of money then at least get some profesional wait staff.............sheeeeeeeesh
I won't go back

 

[ComNavFdgPk]

...These are people doing a job, not your personal butler or maid for the duration of your stay....

I beg to differ, but that is exactly who they are! If I wanted to do all the work and save $100 or more per person, I would cook and eat at home, but when I go to one of my favorite restaurants, I want to be pampered. Fortunately, the acronym TIPS stands for "To Insure Prompt Service." When you have a good relationship with wait-staff who know that a hefty one is coming at the end of the meal, they will go out of their way to make certain that your every request is met. I am very lucky to have a couple of restaurants in my area who do precisely that.

By the time I get from the host's podium to the bar, the bartender has my drink set up. I always get a large table in the center of the room. I am greeted by the captain by name and presented with a variety of new wine choices every time I dine. My dinner guests always comment that they have never seen the level of service that I receive at any other place they dine. And I'm not one of those super-snooty food snobs. I enjoy the occasional glass of beer with a steak instead of wine, sometimes just some fresh fruit for dessert. I don't need the $10 bottle of water. I just want to sit down, relax, enjoy a good meal and know that I don't need to worry about anything for a few hours!

[Sorry for hi-jacking this thread! I promise it won't happen again!]

 

[1gayguy]

I beg to differ, but that is exactly who they are! If I wanted to do all the work and save $100 or more per person, I would cook and eat at home, but when I go to one of my favorite restaurants, I want to be pampered. Fortunately, the acronym TIPS stands for "To Insure Prompt Service." When you have a good relationship with wait-staff who know that a hefty one is coming at the end of the meal, they will go out of their way to make certain that your every request is met. I am very lucky to have a couple of restaurants in my area who do precisely that.

By the time I get from the host's podium to the bar, the bartender has my drink set up. I always get a large table in the center of the room. I am greeted by the captain by name and presented with a variety of new wine choices every time I dine. My dinner guests always comment that they have never seen the level of service that I receive at any other place they dine. And I'm not one of those super-snooty food snobs. I enjoy the occasional glass of beer with a steak instead of wine, sometimes just some fresh fruit for dessert. I don't need the $10 bottle of water. I just want to sit down, relax, enjoy a good meal and know that I don't need to worry about anything for a few hours!

Sorry NO!
You are not the only customer there nor should you expect to be treated as such. One needs to be realistic. Especially in this day and age of maximizing profits over service. Staff levels are kept very low to ensure profits.
What you are talking about above is fine dining in an establishment where you are already known. In this intsance staff already knows you and what you expect and should perform to that expectation. It still doesn't make them your slave for the duration you're in the establishment. The respect and service you demand goes the other way too. Treat them well and they will generally go way beyond your expectations.Treat them poorly and you'll get what you deserve.
You also can't compare a formal dining experience to casual dining at the local Bugaboo Creek either where staffing levels are really kept low.
I hope that you all are always saying please and thank you to your staff as well as complementing a job well done.
Regardless of how much you spend you should never leave manners and respect at the door.

 

[ThePrince85]

I hate it when they hang around you, constantly hinting for a tip. I barely ever tip and I don't know why so many people feel obliged to do so.

Man...You do know that over on this side of the pond we get paid $2.13 an hour, and tipping is an expected part of income right? That's why restaurants are allowed to pay us pocket change like that. I am also in school full time and when I'm not there I'm waiting tables to make ends meet. It is really frustrating when I work my ass off for tables and they leave little or nothing at all.

 

[PER4MER]

I'm annoyed by servers who can't pronounce the food they're serving.

Example: Bruschetta is pronounced "broo-SKETT-uh," NOT "broo-SHETT-uh."

If you don't know what it is and how to say it, get another job.

 

[timnmostud]

Having waited tables, I can definitely tell you that there is no pleasing everyone! I was very good at it and made a lot of money then and had a lot of requests to be seated with me. Still, there were people that could not be pleased.

I am actually pretty tolerant of wait staff knowing how hard it is to do. Still there are some basic things that they need to get right. If they do those things I am okay. The rest is just optional in my opinion. I am not going to be upset if they pour the wine or fill my coffee without asking. They may have been told to do those things where they work. Things like that are just petty to me.

Worse than bad wait staff are pompous asses that like to make themsleves feel powerful by abusing someone working their ass off to make a living wage. I have waited on many of those people and it was the only time in their life that they thought they could treat someone like shit legitimately. They were still asses though. I had an aquaintance that did that and I apologized to the waitress in front of him for his bad behaviour and told her that he was just a miserable person and this was his only way of making himself seem important!

 

[Shepherd 2]

The worst habit of wait staff:

It must be when they SPIT in my food,

And I did't ask them to add garnish.

 

[ComNavFdgPk]

Sorry NO!
You are not the only customer there nor should you expect to be treated as such. One needs to be realistic. Especially in this day and age of maximizing profits over service. Staff levels are kept very low to ensure profits.
What you are talking about above is fine dining in an establishment where you are already known. In this intsance staff already knows you and what you expect and should perform to that expectation. It still doesn't make them your slave for the duration you're in the establishment.

If you will actually read my post, you will note that I never said I expected to be treated as the only patron in the restaurant. Nor did I state that I expected them to be my slaves. And I NEVER stated that I held the staff in low esteem or had no respect for them, therefore, you should not assume such. Nor should you be lecturing me on proper personal etiquette (saying "please" and "thank you"). I am perfectly capable of being gentleman, thank you very much. And, as I believe I actually have a better knowledge of the interactions between staff and guests than you, your advice is neither required nor appreciated.

 

[1gayguy]

You're very welcome, please come again!
You may think whatever you choose about my knowledge of the interactions between staff and guests, but you may also be wrong.
The way your post read to me, it did read like you held the staff in low esteem. Again just how it read to me, my opinion.
My lecture on personal etiquette was not just for you, it was meant for all. I am amazed at how many people forget simple etiquette, not just to those who serve but in general.

 

[chillyboi]

i get 3.43 hour & i made 84.00 on 3 tables tonight

 

[The_Reaper]

I agree with the "Is everything okay here?", just as you've taken the biggest bite of your meal complaint.

However, the worst I think is the move talker. They just sort of keep walking, yet make their comment to you without stopping. So it's "Do you need another..." and she's/he's halfway gone before you hear the end or can respond.

 

[wanderer]

I'm annoyed by servers who can't pronounce the food they're serving.

Example: Bruschetta is pronounced "broo-SKETT-uh," NOT "broo-SHETT-uh."

If you don't know what it is and how to say it, get another job.

i also hated it when the damn customers couldnt pronounce the food they were ordering. it all goes both ways!

i had a customer order the "cafe burger" by pronouncing it as the "caff burger".

i could just as easily say they should not come into the restaurant. but that is also wrong.

 

[wanderer]

I agree with the "Is everything okay here?", just as you've taken the biggest bite of your meal complaint.

However, the worst I think is the move talker. They just sort of keep walking, yet make their comment to you without stopping. So it's "Do you need another..." and she's/he's halfway gone before you hear the end or can respond.

if you compare the time it takes for the server to get across the room and check on you with the time it takes for you to pick up the piece of food with your fork for your "biggest bit of the meal"....you may notice that it is much longer on the server's end.

this means they had already started across the room before you took your bite. perhaps it is the customers that should be polite and look around to make sure the server is not in the vicinity of the table before they take a bite. (this is obviously obsurd, im just saying this to make a point).

serves will always catch you with food in your mouth, that is why you are there, to eat isnt it? when they check on tables, its everyone they check on (or are supposed to). what are the chances that everyone is there with no food in their mouth just clamouring for attention from the wait staff??? none. somebody will be caught with food in the mouth.

i would always do this, and the BIGGEST part i hated was when customers think i strategically did this so i didnt have to hear them respond.

 

[martin6]

That's why I ask "Is everything good?" with a thumbs up instead of "How is everything?" Yes or no question, nodding or thumbs up will do just fine.

 

[Blatino]

Man...You do know that over on this side of the pond we get paid $2.13 an hour, and tipping is an expected part of income right? That's why restaurants are allowed to pay us pocket change like that. I am also in school full time and when I'm not there I'm waiting tables to make ends meet. It is really frustrating when I work my ass off for tables and they leave little or nothing at all.

I myself am a waiter and I couldn't have said that better myself...

 

[Blatino]

Like I said Im a waiter, I work at Applebees. I love waiting, getting paid everyday (even its like 20 dollars) is pretty nice. I mean granted I cant go back to work until I get that stupid liquor license but still I like it.

Anyway I once had this woman who wanted a Quesadilla burger but instead of beef she wanted chicken. I had so many "see server" that day to go back to the kitchen I was like you've got to be kidding me. Well anyway I bring out her Quesadilla burger and she complains about how the chicken isnt cut up. In my mind Im thinking "Well if the beef (which is what it really comes with) isn't cut up then why should the chicken"

Also guys if your food doesnt come out as soon as you want it to please try not to scream at the server. Yes at times I have forgotten to put in someones order into the computer while attending other people but sometimes the kitchen is a hectic mess n it takes a while. Once I had a table wait 45 minutes for the their order because their food was just sitting on the expo line, the expo forgot to call a runner for it. Now that wasnt my fault. At the resturante I work at any server can take out your food not just you. Which is good incase your busy

 

[PER4MER]

PER4Mer, don't you think this is awfully petty in the scheme of things? Our soldiers are dying on the streets in Baghdad, and you're chewing glass over how a waiter pronounces a food item.

This is one of the reasons I hated waiting on gay guys.

You're absolutely right.

Unless something is as tragic as a senseless war, I promise to never have an opinion about it.

(Geez...I thought this was a forum for expression of ideas pertaining to the topic at hand. Thanks for setting me straight. From here on out, regardless of the thread topic, I'll tie it into the war somehow. What fun.)

 

[PER4MER]

i also hated it when the damn customers couldnt pronounce the food they were ordering. it all goes both ways!

i had a customer order the "cafe burger" by pronouncing it as the "caff burger".

i could just as easily say they should not come into the restaurant. but that is also wrong.

In high school, I worked in an ice cream parlor. I'd love it when the bubbas would saunter up to the counter and say something like, "I'll have a triple dip of that there MACHO almond fudge."

 

[wanderer]

What I don't get is this "food runner" thing - one person takes your order, then someone else brings it out. And inevitably, they don't know who ordered what. They always say, "OK, the Philly cheesesteak?" and then stand there until someone claims it, then put it down in front of them. Then, "The Marilyn Monroe omelette?" and wait for that person to speak up. It seems absurd, because just a few minutes earlier all that information was given to the waiter. What is the original waiter doing during this time? That kind of bugs me and it makes it seem like an assembly line rather than a restaurant. And then the waiter expects the full tip even though all they did was take your order and later bring the check?

LOL, when i understand it i will let you know. as a former server i hated the concept. i was always able to run my own food and never had a problem. in fact, the reason i told them i didnt want a food runner was the exact reason you point out. they required us to tip the rood runner from our own tips, so if you think about it, you ARE also tipping that food runner. since i insisted on running my own food, i felt like i was wasting the tip every night, but i also think about what the tables think. to me the food runner is also counterproductive. many orders consisted of a food item from the kitchen, and also a salad or soup bowl we had to make ourselves.....so what did this food runner do? well they only took out the kitchen food, and there is the problem, the table has half their food, while im taking an order and they dont get to have their other item till im done. also, they used the food runner position as an entry point to be a server. so new person = lots of mistakes. i think instead of having the food runner they should have an extra person setting up the plates with sauces, getting refills, etc, so the customer is well taken care of, and the server has an easier time running out their own food without auctioning off the items.

i have been in worse situations as a customer in a restaurant, where a host brought out the drinks, the server took the order and brought out bread, and a food runner brings the food, and a busser refills the water/ice tea,etc. so who do you tip? everyone is so used to have a singler person wait on them but what happens when its a "committee". well the tip is added to a giant pool and everone dips in. strange to me, but it works i guess, this was an upscale terrace cafe in Santa Barbara. very good food, and everyone helped everybody, so all customers were properly helped, but there was no "individual" for the table, and this is NOT my preference.

 

[martin6]

I was a food runner and all the servers hated me for doing my job. I couldn't understand why. Now I'm a server and I hate the food runner. I cannot stand auctioning off food to customers, except in the extreme case that I drop my notepad somewhere and don't notice. And the food runner not only auctions off food, but he makes it look like I'm too busy to do my job (when usually I'm not). Not that I hate the food runner himself, just the fact that one exists in the first place.