Restaurant Pet Peeves

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 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:

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.

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.

I'd rather cook for 100 people...

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.

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."

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?

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.

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

I don't see this as asking for a tip, just a simple question. At least they asked... one time I had a server who just took the money and never came back even though we did need change.

How can you not see it as asking for a tip when the server is asking "Can I keep the rest of this for my tip please?" That *IS* what the server is doing. It's *ASKING* to KEEP THE REST OF THE CHANGE.

I mean why ask if they weren't going to KEEP the rest of it? How can you not *SEE* it's asking for a tip? The main reason is because they are TOO LAZY to do the 100% FULL COMPLETE JOB. That's why. They don't want to *EARN* their tip ALL THE WAY.

Another thing that burns my beans.. I clean my plate and the server says something like, "Wow, you didn't like that at all, huh?" I get that he or she is trying to be funny, but you really just made me feel like a fat-a**. Please, just take my plate and bring me the dessert menu because, yes, I do stil have room.

I fully 100% AGREE servers are being jerks when they say that. It's making us feel bad that we ate the whole thing and then making us possibly not make another sale on your check making you have less tip you servers out there don't understand that.

It's not nice to make a comment about your ordering. I have that in my list of pet peeves.

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.

You could argue that "unskilled labor" is absolutely needed and vital to the entire restaurant industry tho. But then again, I think everyone who works a full time job should make enough money to live.

I wouldn't tip for horrendous service, but I have only gotten what I would consider "horrible" service once. I dunno if I have low standards or if it is luck of the draw. :laugh:

If I am going out for drinks, Im definitely hitting the bartender or server with a big first tip on the first one :drinker:

Automatic Gratuity... If you force me to tip then that is all the tip they are going to get. I always tip 20% or more unless I am forced to tip...

I have found that it is usually a good idea to ring the kids food in a little bit ahead of time of the adults' food, especially if they are small children. That way, the kids are happy and settled, and the adults can enjoy their meal by the time it comes out. So many parents have expressed to me how much they appreciate this move.

You aren't the first person I have heard of this. You obviously want a MIND READER at your table. If you want your kid's food at a certain time, **YOU** have to speak up, *YOU*, just like if you want your side salad WITH your meal or your appetizer WITH your meal, *YOU* have to speak up.

If I were a server, I would ask this since I have seen people say this. I have read the 100% opposite that some parents said they were ready to go and they couldn't eat their own food by the time the parents got their food that their kids were getting antsy. I don't have kids, so I have no true idea, but I can't see your point of view to not eat together. I see their point of view more. I wouldn't want my kids food first if I were a parent, because I'd want to be able to eat in piece myself. Sure I may have to take an extra minute or two let's say cutting their meat for them or something like that, so what? Seriously, that's ridiculous that you seem to EXPECT it rather than just *ASKING* for what you want.

If I want water, I order it. I don't expect my server will just bring it. Get what I am saying?

http://forums.thebump.com/discussion/7408119/dinners-out

keg said: "We do it relatively often. We generally go early (5-5:30ish) and go to kid friendly places. For some it works best getting their kid's food first, but for us, I've found that's a recipe for disaster. I seem to have decent luck entertaining them before the food comes but once they are finished eating they are done. When they were younger, I carried the Tiny Diner placements and used those instead of plates. Now, we just use the restaurant plates and silverware. I also carry our "secret weapons"--ipod touches with toddler apps that will keep them occupied when all else fails."

See there is someone I found just googling this subject that disagrees with you. Not everyone wants things like that. That's why you need to place your ORDER that way. ORDER in that way if that's how you want it. NO SERVER CAN READ YOUR MIND NOR DOES EVERY SERVER HAVE KIDS TO KNOW WHAT YOU WANT OR DON'T WANT. This would have never occurred to me if I were a server since I do not have kids. If you want things that way you *ASK* for it.