Restaurant Pet Peeves

Erin_goBrahScience

Don't expect fine dining treatment at chain restaurants.

Yup! B****, please, don't act like you're a big deal because you scraped up enough money for a Bloomin' Onion and a 6-ounce sirloin.

A fellow previous Outbacker? lol, me too.

I actually have never worked as a server, but Outback is the type of place where I've encountered annoying customers. it sucks because those squeaky wheels always get the grease so to speak, and I feel as a polite customer who isn't very demanding I get nothing. Oh, well.

When I was working there, a guy asked if I could bring out the meat rack so that he could pick out his steak from our selection. lolwut?

:laugh: OMG


When I was a server I hated the following (and actually still do):

1.) Complaining that the salad was extra and doesn't come with the meal. (news flash when its free; its not really free it is charged to the cost of the dinning experience weather you eat it or not. The same goes for bread or chips and salsa. It's never really free).

2.) Not watching your own kids - they are servers not babysitters. if you want a date with other couples pool in for a babysitter and a pizza.

3.) Thinking you are a VIP - usually almost 99% of the time, you're not.

4.) Wanting to inspect [ie test, sniff, swirl] a $8.00 (that you are actually paying $16.00 for) bottle of Sutter Home white zinfandel to look like you know about wine.

5.) Talking down to the server - NEVER EVER EVER ACCEPTABLE. NEVER. Never assume because they wait tables they are idiots, lazy, uneducated, and or anything that is beneath you.

Erin_goBrahScience

When dining I'm pretty easy.

1.) I don't need a babysitter. Just bring my food, check on the table from time to time and bring the check in a timely fashion.

2.) If the food is good, just about anything in my eyes is forgivable.

3.) I always tip. The baseline is 20%. Stiffing a server is unacceptable.

TheSwollMinister

When dining I'm pretty easy.

1.) I don't need a babysitter. Just bring my food, check on the table from time to time and bring the check in a timely fashion.

2.) If the food is good, just about anything in my eyes is forgivable.

3.) I always tip. The baseline is 20%. Stiffing a server is unacceptable.

I waited tables, and really learned to appreciate guests like you :bigsmile:

kit_katty

I love this topic!

I've actually had TWO pubs in Calgary where the place was half empty (so not closing but not needing to turn tables) where the server asked if we'd like another round, we said "NOT YET" and they brought the bill. Um, what? We wanted another round but they came by when I had half a beer still and the other time we hadn't discussed whether or not we wanted another one, give us a minute and come back in 5! Sheesh. Both times we had decided on another round. One we decided to leave, the other we got one directly from the bar after paying the server! :laugh:

Also, had a server who walked by us to the table behind us to fill up water, didn't make eye contact, didn't fill ours when they needed it. Promised more bread never got it, we ordered coffee and didn't get it. Had to flag down the server multiple times. I think they were understaffed but some of that was inexcusable. I don't mind things being late usually, but at least bring them!

I've also had servers chatting with other tables (not serving, just hanging out, flirting, chatting) or with each other and ignoring me. That's when I leave a nickel or two. :laugh:

JennaM222

as a past bartendr/waitress/cocktailer -


best job money wise hands down, but.....

SOME CUSTOMERS are nightmares!!!

Your screaming messy kids who want 50 refills of cherry coke
Oh, you want another side of ranch and cant believe i charged you for it when you get your bill?
Game day and you come in and eat the 5$ bucket of 2lb wings, drink water, and eat the free taco bar only at half time? sit in my section for 3 hours and spend 5 bucks?
My bar is 3 rows of people deep at 11:00 pm and you asked for a blended margarita
I greet your table and ask for drinks and no one aknowledges I am there
Large party of you and your friends come in and say one bill is fine, then after happy hour is over all 15 of you say you want seperate checks and wonder why it is taking my SO LONG to bring you your tabs
The food wasnt that great., but the service was so thats why you left me a bad tip??
you get your tab and cant BELIEVE you have that many drinks on your tab and that some were not free

Yea, customers can suck.

seltzermint555

Tipping.

"I'm very sorry the government taxes their tips, that's fcked up. That ain't my fault. It would seem to me that waitresses are one of the many groups the government fcks in the @ss on a regular basis. Look, if you ask me to sign something that says the government shouldn't do that, I'll sign it, put it to a vote, I'll vote for it, but what I won't do is play ball. And as for this non-college bull**** I got two words for that: learn to fckin' type, 'cause if you're expecting me to help out with the rent you're in for a big fckin' surprise. "

so despite the severity of this I kind of love it. Yes.

There are few things that make me LESS sympathetic to the plight of servers than hearing them gripe about it on message boards. And I'm not even talking about THIS thread or MFP. Just in general. I get it...it's a thankless job, blah blah blah...so find a new job. End of problem.

love2lift_85

When you get your entree and you haven't even taken a bite yet and they say "HOW IS EVERYTHING?!?!?!?!?!?!!!?!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??????!?!?!?!"

I am like.... come back in 5...

haha

This for me too.

BinaryPulsar

People that don't understand that when they go to a restaurant with servers that the prices on the menu are for the food and the tip is the very small amount that they pay to have a server (you even get to choose the amount, and there are of course guidelines of common courtesy). But, apparently some people like to receive a service and not pay for it (though I do understand adjusting the price based on issues related to the actual service). No, I do not work as a waitress. I did 17 years ago for 2 months. I just don't understand why people can't grasp this simple concept. If you don't want to pay for service, don't get service and instead order the food as takeout. If you go into a restaurant with service then you pay for the food and the service. If you just want to pay for the food, then just get the food.

faraNick

Its a habit when you have other friends that aren't as forthcoming with splitting the check properly.

ccmzone2013

I'd rather cook for 100 people...

dumb_blondes_rock

I bartended/served at Macaroni Grill for some strange reason, people would think it was like a 5 star restaurant. Mac grill is by no means fancy, but maybe the decorations gave off that impression?

I would get people who complained about the prices on EVERYTHING "26 dollars for filet mignon and lobster stuffed mashed potatoes, good god thats a lotta money" or, they would order an 8 ounce steak well done, then complain how small the portion is. Duh, you wanted all the juices sucked out.

Another of mine is when you have a group of 25 and they want 23 seperate checks, but they all show up at different times and order stuff at different times, and they switch seats during dinner. Then when food comes out, a fellow server helps you deliver it and nobody is owning up to their dish, or they dont even bother to be quiet for a moment so people can hear for the food. (I can remember where food goes at my own tables, but if im helping someones party, I cant magically know who ordered what)

When I help another persons party, or deliver food to someones table, and their table asks me for a whole bunch of different stuff. There are some things I just cant get you, because I dont have access to your table on the pos system.

When a group of teenagers wants to gonout on a friday night, at about 7 when its super busy, you have to put two tables together just for them all to order water and if they order food they want a kids entree....I could have made at least 20-40 dollars off those two tables, but instead ill be lucky to make 7.

ican_doallthings

Yesterday the waiter who didn't really show any interest in our table at all, decided to come over and tell a joke right as my grandma was paying for the food and giving him his tip.

Sav_Sky

Having to tip my own sister lol

ItsCasey

Rude host/hostess ... It amazes me how many restaurants hire hosts who have zero personality and seemingly zero desire to deal with the public. It's a complete turnoff to walk into a place and feel like your mere presence is bothersome to the person whose job is to make you feel welcome.

Forgetful servers. I know you're busy. I don't care. It's your job. Get better at it, or find another way to make money.

For the most part, though, I think a lot of the performance of servers is due to their training. I don't like when servers come over every 5 minutes to ask if I need anything, but I know that a lot of owners/managers tell their servers to do that. I had a good friend in high school whose dad owned one of the only non-fast food restaurants in town, and his philosophy was that customers should not ever have to flag a server down to ask for anything. That's how he trained his staff, so you could hardly fault the servers for doing what they were told to do.

And as for the tipping issue, I'm mostly just annoyed by people who think waiting tables is supposed to pay a "living wage." It's unskilled labor. It's not a career. The secret to earning a higher salary is to acquire some skills that the people around you don't have. You can do that in food service. But not if you stay at the same level for the rest of your life. Millions of people have gone through management trainee programs or used the wages they earned flipping burgers to put themselves through college or vocational programs, from which they've gone on to make significantly more money. I like to call them "people who get it."

randomtai

Tipping.

"I'm very sorry the government taxes their tips, that's fcked up. That ain't my fault. It would seem to me that waitresses are one of the many groups the government fcks in the @ss on a regular basis. Look, if you ask me to sign something that says the government shouldn't do that, I'll sign it, put it to a vote, I'll vote for it, but what I won't do is play ball. And as for this non-college bull**** I got two words for that: learn to fckin' type, 'cause if you're expecting me to help out with the rent you're in for a big fckin' surprise. "

so despite the severity of this I kind of love it. Yes.

There are few things that make me LESS sympathetic to the plight of servers than hearing them gripe about it on message boards. And I'm not even talking about THIS thread or MFP. Just in general. I get it...it's a thankless job, blah blah blah...so find a new job. End of problem.

:noway:

Springs131

These are my personal restaurant pet peeves:

1. Ask if you have been there before? (Especially if you have, it's irritating and a time waster).

2. Make comments about what you order whether good or bad, by basically putting their opinion into what you are ordering. It's not your business and it's not nice, so don't go there unless specifically asked to. Even if it's a positive thing, you aren't acting as if that were you being hungry and thirsty by delaying the customer from ordering their food. “That’s my favorite” doesn’t mean anything to me since we all like different things. I don’t care if it’s your favorite, goodie for you it’s your favorite, that doesn’t mean it’s mine. Especially if I have had it a zillion times, do I care about what *YOU* think of it, HELL NO I don’t!

3. Take your glass instead of get you a new one for a refill.(That means I am left without anything to drink for that time period, especially if I have food in front of me.)

4. If you are sitting at the bar or table that the bartender or server refills your ice melted glass without dumping out the old watery ice in the glass first.(Common sense I don't want watery coke or iced tea for example.) In the picture below, would *YOU* really want your server or bartender to pour on top of that watery ice HONESTLY?

5. Refills your glass of tea at the table. It would be nice to not have a watery glass of tea and a nice, clean glass.(Common sense again.)

6. Gives you your check when they didn't ask if you wanted it.

7. Wastes time writing their name and "thank you" on the check or even draws stuff. What a waste of time.

8. Gets your dirty dishes or any objects first before going to get what you asked for such as your check when you want your check. Common sense I want to leave, so get what I do want before worrying about clean-up work. If it's a refill, common sense I am thirsty, duh, get me my refill first. Why are servers so uncaring about customer's time they'd rather favor objects over people? Don't you think your tip will be altered when the customer waits longer for what they asked for?

9. Servers that put lemon in your water or tea rather than on the rim of the glass or on the side due to that seeds can get into your drink and/or you just may not even want lemon.

10. Auctioning off drinks and/or food when your server is the one that took the order. The servers should be going down the line from a starting point and make sure the food goes in front of the correct person. The only way the server has a good excuse to mess up on this is if the customers switched spots, because then I could see not knowing, but most servers are too lazy today to compare their written orders to what is in their hands, the plates of food or glasses of drinks. Once, I had a waitress in a party of 4 auction off drinks. I was like, how stupid and lazy can she be? 4 drinks, when she wrote them down even as to how lazy she was to make us state who had what drink. That's not our job, that's our server's job.

11. Servers that ask you to remind them when you have modifications like adding some condiments. NO, you remind yourself by your written order. Those servers didn't even want to write the stuff down they were so lazy. I have had 4 servers over the years ask me that.

12. Servers that assume things like you want your check just because you ask for a box or assume you want another refill or assume you are going to always share appetizers, etc.

13. Servers that assume change is theirs when the customer never told them to keep it.

14. Servers that you don't know start trying to make a conversation with you before you get to place your order. Common sense would be we are hungry and thirsty, please let us order!

15. Servers that don't apologize when a mistake happens that are theirs.

16. Servers that blame someone or something else for their mistake.

17. Servers that walk away too quickly when they come to see how you are doing that you can't ask them for everything you need.

18. Servers that only ask 1 person if they need anything, but not anyone else at the table.

19. Servers that don't write down orders.

20. Servers that don't write down parts of orders, only some, but not all.

21. Servers that assume things such as bringing a ketchup bottle when you didn't ask for one that everyone likes ketchup when they could have just simply asked you when they took your order.

22. Servers that bring out obvious mistakes when they don't compare their written orders or tickets to the food.

23. Servers that don't go in order in which requests came in so you sit wait 5 minutes for your check when they voluntarily decided to check on other tables or even worse, gone to buss an empty table with lots of dirty dishes.

24. Servers that don't take "no" for an answer trying to convince you to get a dessert for example. That's aggravating.

25. Servers that don't know the menu, that you even know more about the menu than they do.

26. Servers that bring you what they want when they are out of something instead of asking you first.

27. Servers that just don't know how to take an order such as you say you only want cheddar cheese, lettuce, and onions only on a chicken sandwich that comes with on the menu lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and mixed cheese, but they actually ring it in as extra cheese(adding cheese) when you were just substituting cheese, not saying you wanted extra cheese, which means they put in the order wrong as well as overcharged you. Some servers are too stupid to know how to taken an order. A person doesn't have to say "substitute" if they are already stating they only want one type of cheese. Some servers just don't have common sense, it's true. They aren't listening or reading the menu to know what they are serving you all because they are too lazy to do so and they just don't care, but yet, they want that money at the end.

28. Servers that don't write down requests such as a box, a bag, the check, a refill, etc. They are just too lazy and don't care if they remember what you said.

29. Auctioning off food if you aren't the server that took the orders as far as what table you are going to. There should be a table number on the ticket and some diagram of the restaurant. Don't be so lazy as to not make sure you are taking the food to the correct table to not interrupt other tables as well as you may end up giving the wrong table food first that was not first and/or made the wrong way, which it's very possible a person that has a food related allergy is served the wrong one, that can mean something serious for that customer, so think if that were you.

30. Servers that don't give you the amount of condiments you asked for. In that picture below, the ranch should be FILLED THE VERY TOP as ORDERED! A side is a side, not 1/4 of a side. The container is a side is what the customer is ordering.

31. Servers that don't notice you don't have any utensils or even napkins even.

32. Servers that order for you without your consent or permission to such as bringing you a refill without you ordering it or being asked for it or even getting you a glass of water you didn't order without asking first.

33. Servers that when you ask for your check and a dessert, they wait until the dessert arrives or even after to give you your check when they were fully in control of giving you your check that you did ask for when you ordered your dessert which is well before the dessert arrived.

34. Servers that don't ask you if you want your side salad before the appetizer arrives when side salads do take much less time to prepare than appetizers do.

35. Servers that serve you food that don't try their best to make sure an obvious errors aren't on the plate or even servers that don't even know what table they are giving food to, especially when it's the server that took the order. Some servers are too lazy to verify anything.

36. Servers that just don't have common sense such as you have an empty glass and don't even bother to ask if you need anything to even offer even.

37. Servers that don't give you a straw or extra napkins.

38. Servers that ask one person that is a fast eater if they want dessert that is finished their entrée when you are still eating your entrée. The server should just ask if they want anything else, NOT a dessert, because that makes the other person feel like a slow eater and they would have to rush to finish.

39. Servers that don't bring out appetizer plates out BEFORE the appetizer comes out so then you have to wait to get them, sometimes several minutes.

40. Servers that tell you instead of *ASK* you if you want a refill by saying “I’ll get you another coke” rather than asking you. It’s not their call to make. I almost want to say “NO, you won’t get me another coke, you ask if it’s OK with me to get me another coke.” I don’t say that, but sure do want to. What's what the "CONTROL" issues?

Springs131

Some people have WAY TOO HIGH of expectations when they dine

Most servers have WAY TOO HIGH expectations to get 20% or more for crappy service.

. If it is Friday night at 7, and your server has a table of 6, a table of 8, and a two top (maybe even more depending on the restaurant), BE PATIENT. It will probably take her a second to get your drink. She notices it, I promise you, but running back to the kitchen with two of her 8-top's steak that the grill guy undercooked WILL TAKE PRIORITY. She will bring your drink, that 30th loaf of bread (fat *kitten*), and your ranch on her way out. Not to mention trying to separate the 6-top into all separate checks while putting in the two top's order, bringing out your appetizer, the salads, AND dessert.

PATIENCE. When you're at work, and you have 30 things to do at once, surely you hope your customers will be patient and understanding as you work your way down the list?

I have become a master multi-tasker through my years of serving.

Now if you wait 20 minutes for you drink and see your server lounging around, that is unacceptable. But if she or he is running around looking frazzled, the last thing you need to do is snap your fingers at them and demand a refill on your 12th Diet coke.

Rant over. LOL SORRY!

I do 100% agree with you on this that if I see my server TRULY *TRYING* their *BEST*, I will be much more forgiving and accepting things that are taking longer than expected if it's something in their control. I will also be a bit more forgiving of mistakes *IF* I see they tried their best AND if they APOLOGIZE. The one thing that can make or break a good tip is being NICE. If you mess up and don't apologize, I sure won't be thinking about your tip as much at the end.

Springs131

I understand maybe if the service isn't great - but either way, you should always tip!

No, sometimes service is SO BAD that the server deserves to be punished for their actions through no tip and reporting it to a manager. You obviously never had bad service. You don't go out to eat much, do you? If you do, I am surprised you never got horrible service before.

Springs131

My #1 is when I hand the server my check and cash and am asked "do you need change?"

How about "I'll be right back with your change," which gives me the option of telling him/her that we're all set.

Why not just ask me if you can keep the change? You're asking for a tip, which is rude.

Disclaimer: I usually tip 20%, but this just sets my teeth on edge.

Why would you tip 20% if the person is being TOO LAZY to do the FULL JOB? By asking that would make me lower the tip some. Luckily I don't have that issue since me and my husband pay with a credit card 99.9% of the times.

I agree a billion percent that it's *ASKING* if they can keep the rest as their tip. It honestly is about laziness. They don't want to *EARN* that tip all the way, just part of the way.

AJinBirmingham

"No, I'm sorry, we don't have a menu including nutrition information, but you can look it up on line."