Restaurant Pet Peeves

Also, just have to say this, if you are a customer and notice what's happening at other tables (unless they are making out or being loud in some way) you may need to consider the company you keep. One of you is a bore, if you are looking at other tables (that are not a disturbance that would draw attention).

Or when they ask you "How is everything?" and you have a mouthful of food. Every time. It never fails.

I was trained to do that because people with full mouths can't complain
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So then if there IS a problem, you're not around when the person needs to let you know. And that means lower tips for you and probably the restaurant losing business. That's really dumb and terrible cutomer service.

For the record, I am not demanding or picky about restaurant service. If the server is polite, willing to fix a mistake and doesn't disappear for extremely long periods of time (this has happened to me many times), I'm perfectly happy. I've gotten slightly annoyed at overly-talkative servers because I'm there to talk to and spend time with my dining companions, not a stranger. But I still smile and engage politely and will still tip the normal amount.

BURPING at the dinner table. That is seriously disgusting!!!!

I personally have 4 peeves:

(1) Being forgotten. I mean like staff come over and are surprised to see us at the table. This is actually usually the person who seated us not talking to the servers, or realizing when peoples shifts have ended.

(2) Not allowing minor adjustments to the food. I can understand that the meal is prepared in a certain way, but maybe I don't like avocado or runny eggs; putting it on the side of the plate so I can ignore it if I don't want it and you insist on including it.

(3) Not letting me order off the kids menu if there is nothing else I like. This most often happens at seafood restaurants, since the only food on the menu I like is the chicken fingers. I am willing to pay for it and even give up the soda and dessert; I don't eat fish and that's all I want. And before you say don't go there if you don't want the food, sometimes I get outvoted in the group; should I stay at home because my friend from the Midwest wants fresh lobster? Or should I just drink a lot of beer on an empty stomach?

(4) Waitstaff who complain about their pay when they are making more then I do. I understand that the job is hard, but they seem to enjoy their work for the most part, and have more free time then I do. Sure, you got stiffed by that table, by you still get more overall then I do, and pay less taxes on those tips that you do receive. For everyone who says don't eat there if you don't want to pay so much, I counter that you could always try and get a new job(I know its not that easy, but don't tell me I shouldn't eat somewhere when I 'technically' have enough money to)

That being said, I generally tip roughly 20%, barring a disastrous experience, like being forgotten. Not that I'm nice or not, its just easy to do the math.

I don't see it as asking for a tip because 9 times out of 10 they haven't even looked at the cash when they ask this question. For all they know there isn't even enough to cover the bill!

Why would they give their server not enough to cover the bill? That makes no sense what-so-ever.

It doesn't matter what amount. They shouldn't try to shorten their job. They should be WILLING to do their ENTIRE JOB without asking to shorten it. It's almost saying "Do I have to make an extra trip to get your change for you?" To me, that's like complaining that they have to do WORK.

I hate the once in a good while where I am out with friends, we get good service, and they want to leave a lackluster tip. Luckily though, most of my better friends have had experience in job positions where tips are your largest source of income, so often I don't have to worry about this.

WHY? You can compensate for them. That's what I have done before. I went out with my husband and my friends before, which they cheap so they still are in the 15% mentality for wonderful service(not just mediocre service), so I go by their amount, tip the amount more than what they are to add it to 25% for example. You can put more if *YOU* CHOOSE to. That's up to *YOU*!

Let's say your bill was $40, 25% is $10, but their bill is $30, but they tip $4.50 which is 15%, you can tip the rest of THEIR tip would have been in *YOUR* tip, so your total tip on your tip line would be $13 if you tipped 25% for the total table, because they are taking the other part of the percent ($4.50) in their own tipping. Their total tip should have been $7.50 at 25%, so you pay the $3, they pay the $4.50 out of it. Now you get it? I have done this before. So this way you won't have to feel bad. No one can tell you that you can't tip on part of their bill on your bill. It's your money. I don't see why you feel bad. You sound cheap yourself not to do this automatically. I don't need someone to come up with an idea like this. I am not sure why you do?

Not sure what water has to do with your tip money, but whatever psycho.

Are you dumb? THE TIP IS FOR THE **********SERVICE************, which *IS* part of the service time the server is WASTING, DUHHHH! Not sure WHY ANYONE would have to actual *EXPLAIN* this to you??? I don't want water. I don't want my server wasting my time that they could be getting something *********I*************** want instead. It's MY TIP MONEY, I *RULE* WHAT THEY GET ME, NOT ANYONE ELSE! Just because it's the water is free doesn't mean the service is, DUH!

How do you feel when your server gets you something you didn't want and you were waiting to order something you *DID* want, huh? Not frustrating at all at least a little bit, huh? Especially if you are in a hurry for example such as someone on their lunch break.

:yawn: :yawn: :yawn: :yawn: :yawn: :yawn:

I know! I mean, that two seconds the server might spend filling a glass of water before approaching your table could mean the difference between you finding a cure for cancer or NOT finding a cure for cancer!

It's not just 2 seconds. Why would servers on the internet ALL OVER ***COMPLAIN***** about getting people water that they don't drink? Because it's A LOT OF WORK, IT SURE IS! Especially if you are getting waters for 10-20 people, that's VERY TIME CONSUMING! Where are you getting 2 seconds from? Also servers are complaining about getting a zillion refills, modifications, etc. Yes ANY work is time consuming. Maybe getting extra napkins might be a 2 second action, that's about it.

You seem to be under the impression that I never worked as a server.

You seem to be under the impression that I never worked as a server.

It's still A LOT OF TIME. Go fill to glasses right now in your own kitchen, then think if it was a big restaurant, how long it would take to do this for EVERY customer. That's why in chains they don't do that automatically without ordering anymore. Back in the day, my mom was a waitress briefly and she said she'd get waters for all the tables. That's why when I went to Ruth's Chris they *ASKED*, because a lot of wasting time for NO REAL REASON if the customer doesn't want it. Why waste money like that for the restaurant and why waste time if the customers do not want water? Why do something for nothing?

Just filling the glasses takes more than 2 seconds. Do you not know that for real? Don't you think if everyone wanted water, they would just have it on the table before you even got seated?

Well, my kitchen is 3 miles away at the moment and it's rush hour, so it would probably take me quite a long time to do that, yes.

Children unrestrained by parents who let them run all over the damn place, under the tables, looking over the top of the booth, etc....no bigger pet peeve than that IMHO.