Juggling Plates

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

Sort of going along with the theme of the OP: What are your biggest pet peeves when you are in a restaurant? I just got hired as a server at a local Italian restaurant. I know how I expect a server to behave, but perhaps my expectations are different than others'. TIA!

Ummm Don't spit in my food!! (hehehehehe)

The only one that sometimes bothers me is getting the bill. Both DW and I have finished eating, the plates are taken away, and we are sipping tea or coffee, and it takes ten or more minutes to get the bill.

Sometimes when we eat out, we have other things to go do on our night out!

(I know you are busy, but taking our plates should be a "benchmark")

[mechurchlady]

definitely do not make me have to send out the flares and coondogs to find the help. I know the menu so PLEASE do not tell me that they are only serving 6 shrimp with the meal, PSSST waitress, you got a shrimp tail hanging out of your mouth.

I know you need the money, have kids to feed, and must work but could you not come to work with pneumonia or in such poor health that you are doing triple work because you and chefs are redoing orders you screwed up. Waitress makes a salad, takes it back, makes a NEW one, takes that back because I hid something in the old salad in case she picked of the croutons. Second time I pour ketchup or something on the salad. Steak well done oops she brings me the pot roast with double veggies and no taters. oh that belongs to the guy who is eating my steak. He is senile i guess. No not baked potato, french fries, and that was iced tea straight not diet coke.

and yes I have had one waitress do that to me over and over and over but she has issues.

[EeyoresButterfly]

Wow! That's insane Churchy. I would never eat off of a guest plate, it's rude and gross. I've waitressed at a couple of different restaurants in my teens, and now when I go out to eat, I analyze the service I am getting. I look for things that I should do, and what I would do differently.

I eat out a lot on my own, so I don't have conversation to distract me. I know that I don't want to wait 10 minutes just for somebody to take my order (as happened to me tonight.) I will not eat my food if my drink is gone, and I hate feeling like I need to flag somebody down for a refill. I wondered if this is a common feeling, and I guess it is!

When I interviewed the owner and I talked about our expectations for servers, and he and I had some similar views. He said that the restaurant operates on a 50% rule: the drink should not get below 50% and you should only touch the bottom 50% of the glass. He and I also agreed that a server should write down the order, it always makes me nervous when they don't. I have no patience for mistakes if you didn't even take the time to write down my order. You shouldn't have to come back to me to ask me what I wanted.

Keep 'em coming!

[I LUV Chip]

Please try not talking to me just after I put a forkful in my mouth. GRR I hate that! I can't tell you how many times I've actually needed to talk to the server and have them not show up UNTIL I take a bite. Then of course I can't answer without talking with my mouth full, and because I refuse to be that rude I can't answer and they leave. sigh...

Also, don't talk my kids into dessert. They aren't paying the bill, I am er hubby is. :D: Nor should they get dessert without eating everything on their plate. (Unless we're at Disney and then they can have a Min and Bill's shake AS their dinner) :)

Please don't make me wait forever for the bill. We are a family that likes to get in and out as quickly as possible, kids have only so much patience. (Even the good ones)

And please do be friendly and talkative. We will tip better for a server who is willing to give us a few extra seconds. That's not saying that we want you to spend too much time with us either. We totally understand what a busy night is.

[Princess Susi]

Just a quick backtrack; Hey Mainstreeter my folks live in Grass Valley! They do say that there! Yes, indeedy!

Have never heard the above expression. In NORCAL (Gold Country) they say; "It's colder than a well digger's a**. Thought the saying was so funny. When I first saw snow in Grass Valley, Ca. I realized how close to truth the statement was / is. I HATE snow!!!

We have gone to dinner twice this week and had one okay server, and one great server. The okay server dropped Ralphies *bun*, the top of his burger, but got another one out to him quick! it happens. He really should not have been at work, he was hacking and coughing as he was taking our order. Yikes. He was fast and got us extra napkins and refilled the water very fast, so he was okay.

The really great server was a young lady who chatted with us and got us everything fast and even the bill came quickly. We liked her alot. And we will remember her and ask to be seated in her section again. She was so bubbly and friendly and really liked her job.

It is a sense about the job, if you like it, people can tell, if you don't want to be there, it will show. The best servers we have had are those who seem to like people and their job. They are happy even when tired and we will always ask for them again. Both Ralph and I have worked in Food Services so we know the drill.

And we are forgiving if a server has been working a double and IS tired and even tells us she/he is on a double. You get extra points for working a double and still being happy and friendly! The gal today was exactly that, she was on a double, had been at the restaurant since 7AM, we ate about 4PM and she still had til 10PM to go! But she was great! Of course when you are 20 yrs old, you have the energy of youth! :)

Have fun, that is important. If you find you hate being a server, STOP doing it. It won't be fun for you or the customers. Find something else to earn that extra $$$. If you love it, keep at it!
I could NEVER be a server. I was always *kitchen*. Ralph worked front of the house as a waiter and then Manager. It is tough to serve hungry people. I worked retail and got enough SC (Stupid customers) to ever want to wait tables. I admire those that can wait tables AND still smile!
sues

[I LUV Chip]

I don't know why I just thought of this...or even if this is the right place. :p: But we had a server at the local sitdown apple restuarant, who was fantasic!

Her name was Shannon and she was an ex-CM. We had brought our Disney guidebooks with us to do some planning while we waited for dinner, and she saw them as we ordered. She took the order to the kitchen, came back and started talking to us about Disney, how she had been a CM and how much she loved working there, how she missed it. She gave us a few tips about MK (her *home* park) The tears that were in her eyes as she talked made me tear up. She was amazing. When she gave us our ticket she asked us to say hello to a certain CM for her when we went down. She said he was a really great guy and he was there for her when she needed a shoulder. Well, we did and he about teared up when we passed along the message. He gave us a little gift to give to her.

We *of course* passed the gift along when we got home, we also gave her a copy of a pic we took of the castle, and some of the soaps from POP. LOL The way she reacted was priceless. I got a hug and a giant thank you.

You CMs are awesome! Even after you've been away awhile.

[Shorty82]

You CMs are awesome! Even after you've been away awhile.

You can take a CM out of Disney but never the Disney out of a CM.

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

He and I also agreed that a server should write down the order, it always makes me nervous when they don't. I have no patience for mistakes if you didn't even take the time to write down my order. You shouldn't have to come back to me to ask me what I wanted.

Keep 'em coming!

There was only one time I saw a waiter not write things down and got it totally right!

A number of co-workers and I were at a training seminar in Georgia, and one night we drove to St. Simons Island to a resteraunt that was a converted barn. ther was a table of twelve of us. Our waiter came over, and with an assistant gave us water. While he was doing that, he recited the specials, and included various choices with each dish. he then went around the table taking orders, and did not write anything down. Several people asked for special changes, and steak orders cooked to different ways, plus vegtable and potato requests. Didn't write down a single thing. (his assistants were gone when he started taking orders)

When the food came, it was perfect, and EVERY order was correct!


He made a LOT of tips from our per diem that night!!

(Oh and fresh peach or cherry cobbler was had by all!!)

[dazyhill]

I have just returned from a cruise with Holland America that took me from Tampa,through the Panama Canal,and landing in San Diego.
While there were some great port stops and a few on ship activities,perhaps the highlight of my trip was dining in the ship's dining room. For me this is big-I am not a foodie. I have a sensitive stomach and generally do not enjoy eating.
The dining room was wonderful because of our servers. We had a server and an assistant that were assigned to us for the cruise. They made sure we had everything we wanted,were concerned if we didn't finish a meal,etc.
Even when things did not go as planned,they tried to remedy it as quickly as possible. On the next to last night of the cruise,there had been a small fire detected in the incinerator room. The dining room and some of the cabins had to be evacuated. This caused a delay in the dining operations. Our 8pm dining time was pushed up to 8:30. When we got there,our table was barely set up and the teacups and hot water that my Mom and I used for tea were not there. Considering what had happened earlier,one could resign themselves to the fact that perhaps the servers had forgot or they were too busy trying to get the meals out. However our assistant server took the time to prep the hot water and teacups before he served the first course.
Our servers were from Indonesia (as all the servers were) and worked harder than most people than I know. They didn't speak the same dialect but understood each other. They were the best team in the dining room.
I miss them terribly.

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

I have just returned from a cruise with Holland America that took me from Tampa,through the Panama Canal,and landing in San Diego.
While there were some great port stops and a few on ship activities,perhaps the highlight of my trip was dining in the ship's dining room. For me this is big-I am not a foodie. I have a sensitive stomach and generally do not enjoy eating.
The dining room was wonderful because of our servers. We had a server and an assistant that were assigned to us for the cruise. They made sure we had everything we wanted,were concerned if we didn't finish a meal,etc.
Even when things did not go as planned,they tried to remedy it as quickly as possible. On the next to last night of the cruise,there had been a small fire detected in the incinerator room. The dining room and some of the cabins had to be evacuated. This caused a delay in the dining operations. Our 8pm dining time was pushed up to 8:30. When we got there,our table was barely set up and the teacups and hot water that my Mom and I used for tea were not there. Considering what had happened earlier,one could resign themselves to the fact that perhaps the servers had forgot or they were too busy trying to get the meals out. However our assistant server took the time to prep the hot water and teacups before he served the first course.
Our servers were from Indonesia (as all the servers were) and worked harder than most people than I know. They didn't speak the same dialect but understood each other. They were the best team in the dining room.
I miss them terribly.

Sounds like a great cruise! Did you get a chance to partake of the stuff here in San Diego, or did you have to skedaddle to the airport?