I HATE bad restaurant service

Humboldt · Post by **Humboldt** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 11:17 pm

Got off work, brought my girlfriend to a local Mexican restaurant.

Have eaten there for years and they have good food, but every so often they have the worst damn help there.

I don't expect a lot, just do your damn job, check on us at least once and I'll give you your 15%.
Do a bit better and I'll tip higher.

Tonight, she took our order, mouthed off a bit and eventually brought the food. Great.

But I asked for a small pitcher of water that she never brought. After draining my glass and my girl's, flagged her down and had to ask for water since she wasn't coming anywhere near us. Never saw her again.

5 minutes after finishing, had to go up to the counter to ask for the check.

The place was maybe 25% full, several wait folks on duty.

God, what a bitch. Between her crappy service and crappy attitude towards us, she's lucky she got any tip at all.

Sorry for the rant. The food was good but she spoiled the entire dinner for us. I look forward to going there again and making a point of asking to be seated in anyone's section but her's

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 11:21 pm

And you still left a tip, I hope it was a single Penny and nothing more.
If you leave nothing they think you cheep or forgot, if you leave a penny its like driving a nail in their coffin

brembo · Post by **brembo** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 11:21 pm

Cuz yer so damn ugly...that's why.

I tip a penny in those situations. Rather rude on my part, but does get a point across.

BaLa · Post by **BaLa** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 11:21 pm

I'd never have a problem leaving no tip..

Humboldt · Post by **Humboldt** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 11:26 pm

My girlfriend insisted on paying for it and left about a 20% tip.

Damnit.

Her point is that other staff members depend on the tip aside from just the waitress.

Mine is that, if so, maybe they'll get together and bitch at her if she gets enough crappy tips.

When we had to go chase down our check, another wait person whispered, "I'm really sorry, some of us are nice"

If it was up to me it'd have been a penny. One I keep in the crack of my ass just for such occasions.

thepieman · Post by **thepieman** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 11:27 pm

Humboldt
Some people are just not meant to be waitpeople. A lot of people find it de-meaning (And it is a demeaning job sometimes) and only do it for the quick cash.
A customer of my computer shop knows we own a couple of restaurants and asked me last week for my opinion. Last week he went to dinner and not realizing that the restaurant only accepted cash , he had barely enough to cover the check and had about 3.00 left to give the guy as a tip. He was leaving the restaurant to go and hit an ATM machine , when the waiter followed him outside and began to berate him calling him all kinds of names for not leaving him a sufficient tip. He wanted to know what he should do. I told him to call the manager/owner and let him know what his employees are like when they aren't looking. If you are a patron for a long time and you feel that you weren't served properly you should say something to the owner/mgr for sure. In all the years waiting on tables for my parents not once did I ever mistreat a customer.

Pie

Bastid · Post by **Bastid** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 11:28 pm

Humboldt wrote:
If it was up to me it'd have been a penny. One I keep in the crack of my ass just for such occasions.

BaLa · Post by **BaLa** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 11:33 pm

Humboldt wrote:My girlfriend insisted on paying for it and left about a 20% tip.

oh lol

I had that happen once..
usually I pay for teh meal and my GF tips..

one time we got a bitch, I left a penny on the table, just as we were getting ready to leave, she went back and put a 'real' tip on the table..

Humboldt · Post by **Humboldt** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 11:34 pm

thepieman wrote:Humboldt
Some people are just not meant to be waitpeople. A lot of people find it de-meaning (And it is a demeaning job sometimes) and only do it for the quick cash.
A customer of my computer shop knows we own a couple of restaurants and asked me last week for my opinion. Last week he went to dinner and not realizing that the restaurant only accepted cash , he had barely enough to cover the check and had about 3.00 left to give the guy as a tip. He was leaving the restaurant to go and hit an ATM machine , when the waiter followed him outside and began to berate him calling him all kinds of names for not leaving him a sufficient tip. He wanted to know what he should do. I told him to call the manager/owner and let him know what his employees are like when they aren't looking. If you are a patron for a long time and you feel that you weren't served properly you should say something to the owner/mgr for sure. In all the years waiting on tables for my parents not once did I ever mistreat a customer.

Pie

Not worth my time.
I see your point, but after I made a semi-quiet comment about her wait abilities she said something like, "I've been waiting tables for 10 years now but it looks like I'm a horrible waitress" to the neighboring table.

She knew what she was, and wasn't doing. But I agree. If I had days off coming up I might stop by and ask to speak with someone. Just too much else on my plate I guess.

ace · Post by **ace** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 11:47 pm

I agree with you Humbolt, I hate crappy service at restaurant's. I feel if I am a paying customer then they need to check up and see if you need refills and whatnot. I used to goto this one coney island by my house and the waitress must of thought she was super waitress because she never wrote down your order and it always came back wrong.

Well the third time this happened I told her I wasnt leaving her a tip and told her she better start writing things down because her memory was shot. When I got home I emailed them a complaint and received a free meal the next time I came in.

mountainman · Post by **mountainman** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 11:50 pm

LOL... after I got midway through your first sentence, I stopped reading.

"local mexican restuarant"

You were asking for it.

Humboldt · Post by **Humboldt** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 11:54 pm

lol, there are a lot of Mexicans here and a lot of quite good Mex restaurants. Or whatever version of it we have on this side of the border

mountainman · Post by **mountainman** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 11:56 pm

Humboldt wrote:lol, there are a lot of Mexicans here and a lot of quite good Mex restaurants. Or whatever version of it we have on this side of the border

Don't get me wrong... Mexican food = AWESOME! Service = SUCKS.

(At least for the 3 or 4 local mexican places here ran by Mexicans)

Humboldt · Post by **Humboldt** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 12:03 am

That's what was so frustrating. This place normally does have perfectly good help.

So compared to how good it normally is, or how good it would've been in another section, we got her.

Damnit

At least the food was up to par. Got 1 potato enchilada, 1 spinach enchilada with rice and beans and it was all excellent.

mountainman · Post by **mountainman** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 12:06 am

Hmph....a potato and spinach enchilada. I've never had one that wasn't chicken, beef or cheese.

I guess I'm just a mid-west boy pretending to eat real Mexican food.

gieslel · Post by **gieslel** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 12:38 am

RANT ON:

I took the wife to Applebee's tonight and had bad food and bad service. Applebee's is not my first choice for steak of course, but I thought I'd give it a shot. The Steak tasted like ass and our waitress forgot my damn salad. I think the steak was rotten or something, hell even A1 didn't even make it taste any better. So I bitched and got my food 1/2 off. I left a 10% tip against my better judgement. I'll think twice before going back again. If I want ****ty food I'll make it myself, not pay someone else to do it!!

RANT OFF:

De Plano · Post by **De Plano** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 2:51 am

Went to a place that was a brewery and retaraunt ordered a beer and a plate of food ($16+ for the chicken). Saw that they offered their own sodas, but wanted another beer first (wasn't driving and figured it would help cure the effects of two days skiing) but I wasn't sure whether I wanted another amber or their bock. Asked for a taste of the Bock, and they told me I had to pay $2 for five ounces of beer to see if I wanted to pay $3 for a pint.

A brewery that won't let you taste one of their beers? If I was asking for tastes of multiple beers that would be one thing, but one 1-2 ounce taste? I told them that was a load of ****. I still tipped over twenty percent because it wasn't the waitresses fault her managers or owners were ***** and she had to deal with me after I was fuming about that and complained to her somewhat expressively (no swearing though).

I would have left with beer and soda for home, and a dessert but those cheap ***** werent gettting a penny more from me then I was allready suckered into.

AND the food sucked, only reason it was eaten was because we were starving

Joint Chiefs of Staff · Sun Oct 31, 2004 5:30 am

Do what I have done in the past. Make your way to the waiter/waitress station or cash register and ask for your waiter/waitress and the newest one that they have hired. Give the tip (make it a good one) to the new hire and look at your waiter/waitress and say, "This could have been yours".

Do this in front of a manager and you'll be on the receiving end of a free meal. For the really crappy places take the coupon and give it to someone waiting on a table.

Faust · Post by **Faust** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 5:47 am

i have to agree, Humboldt. really gets under my skin.

somewhat of a PITA dining experience this evening. had reservations for some time.... get there, and wait almost an hour before we were seated. they were very apologetic and we were comp'd for the wait. but, i can tell you after about 30 minutes of waiting around the bar with people bumping into me (place is always packed), i was about to come unglued.

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 5:52 am

Faust = Unglued, hmmmmm.
That conjurs up a real bad picture

Goes back to picking pedals off daisey

Faust · Post by **Faust** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 6:25 am

Chris wrote:Faust = Unglued, hmmmmm.
That conjurs up a real bad picture

Goes back to picking pedals off daisey

vinnie · Post by **vinnie** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 6:56 am

Earlier this year we ate out for lunch on a public holiday. Place was fairly empty, plenty of staff. Food was a little slow in coming, service was exempelary though. Anything and everything we asked for was brought immediately, waiter was quite nice.

Go to pay the bill, had to wait 5 minutes behind one of the other tables. Guy and his two teenage kids, girl was about 18 and rather bitchy.

They were whinging because the waiter wasn't happy. Yes, that's right, he wasn't happy enough for them. Didn't smile enough they said, so they wanted half off their meal. What did they eat? Three people between them shared 2 entree sized lasanges, a salad and a jug of water.

5 minutes they argue, by then there was my lady and I, another guy and a little old lady waiting. I start whistling and tapping my feet, so does the better half and the guy in the line. They eventually got the hint and paid up, we made a merry bunch whistling away though.

MissTynker2 · Post by **MissTynker2** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 11:34 am

Probably the worst experience I have ever had from any restaurant was one here locally after it had just changed management. I expected some confusion...but what I got was a total nightmare. First off there were only two other tables occupied, plus the counter was about half full...4 waitresses, 3 cooks, and a hostess all on duty. My order was taken...about twenty minutes later I asked my server if it was nearly done..or if there was a problem? Much to her chagrin...she reached in her apron pocket...and discovered she had not turned the ticket in...which she promptly then went and did just that...no problem...we all make mistakes...phase 2...about twenty minutes later again...I called her over...she went to check on the order...since she had mentioned to the cook that I had been waiting a very long time...he was under the impression that I had already left the establishment...and had cancelled the order!!! Grrrrr!! I smiled, and said...well obviously I have not...and would still like my order filled please...by then..inside I was livid!! After about another ten minutes or so...the order was delivered...with a smile...I arose very slowly and said....NOW...you may cancel it! Have a great day...and walked out...never to return. That restaurant is now out of business...geezofratz...I wonder why!!
Enjoy!

Lilith · Post by **Lilith** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 11:41 am

Sometimes I start taking notes at the table. Question any staff I see, etc. Eventually someone asked what I am doing and I say I'm a travel writer. Wow do things improve. Of course, I don't do this during romantic dinners unless the conversation bores me.

thechemgeek · Post by **thechemgeek** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 4:19 pm

before my wife became a doctor and while we were in college she waited tables at Perkins, to help pay for college and to have any spending money what's so ever. she didn't like the job...but had to do it. no matter what happened in her normal everyday life she was supposed to be the perfect waitress and full of smiles. not always an easy job and then some punks (normally a younger crowd) come in and drink coffee for 3 hrs to only leave a 25 cent tip...or worst just leave without paying...which came out of her 2.15/hr pay.

needless to say whenever we go out we tip about 20% (sometimes more if she's paying). if we got bad sevice it was about 10%. if it just looked like he/she was having a bad day..then back to ~20%. have you ever been at your job and had a bad day and then barked at someone for "no reason"? well...you still got paid, right? good.

now, if someone is just being a service jerk...then you need to do more than just tip poorly. tell a manager.

Prey521 · Post by **Prey521** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 5:14 pm

I've had similar circumstances, and I don't tip for sh*tty service, I don't care what kinda face they give me. They don't do their job correct, they don't get any tip from me.

thepieman · Post by **thepieman** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 5:23 pm

De Plano wrote:Went to a place that was a brewery and retaraunt ordered a beer and a plate of food ($16+ for the chicken). Saw that they offered their own sodas, but wanted another beer first (wasn't driving and figured it would help cure the effects of two days skiing) but I wasn't sure whether I wanted another amber or their bock. Asked for a taste of the Bock, and they told me I had to pay $2 for five ounces of beer to see if I wanted to pay $3 for a pint.

A brewery that won't let you taste one of their beers? If I was asking for tastes of multiple beers that would be one thing, but one 1-2 ounce taste? I told them that was a load of ****. I still tipped over twenty percent because it wasn't the waitresses fault her managers or owners were ***** and she had to deal with me after I was fuming about that and complained to her somewhat expressively (no swearing though).

I would have left with beer and soda for home, and a dessert but those cheap ***** werent gettting a penny more from me then I was allready suckered into.

AND the food sucked, only reason it was eaten was because we were starving

They probably waste twice that each time a mug overflows at the tap. Thats ridiculous and petty

Pie

Joint Chiefs of Staff · Sun Oct 31, 2004 11:38 pm

thechemgeek wrote:before my wife became a doctor and while we were in college she waited tables at Perkins, to help pay for college and to have any spending money what's so ever. she didn't like the job...but had to do it. no matter what happened in her normal everyday life she was supposed to be the perfect waitress and full of smiles. not always an easy job and then some punks (normally a younger crowd) come in and drink coffee for 3 hrs to only leave a 25 cent tip...or worst just leave without paying...which came out of her 2.15/hr pay.

needless to say whenever we go out we tip about 20% (sometimes more if she's paying). if we got bad sevice it was about 10%. if it just looked like he/she was having a bad day..then back to ~20%. have you ever been at your job and had a bad day and then barked at someone for "no reason"? well...you still got paid, right? good.

now, if someone is just being a service jerk...then you need to do more than just tip poorly. tell a manager.

My mother was a waitress for over 25 years. Leaving a single penny for piss poor service with tails facing up is telling the waiter/waitress to wake up and smell the java.

I still like my way of doing things.

If have a bad day at work and take it out on others I won't have a job. Being in the customer service field of any sorts is difficult sure but taking a bad day out on customers is no-no and this goes for any job.

Cable Vision · Post by **Cable Vision** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 11:41 pm

i love the service and dinner of Sizzler.mmmmmmmm

Joint Chiefs of Staff · Sun Oct 31, 2004 11:46 pm

Cable Vision wrote:i love the service and dinner of Sizzler.mmmmmmmm

Sizzler = Yank

The steaks use to taste like shoe leather. I haven't eaten at one in over 17 years. I can't say I've seen one in a long time.

Post by **YeOldeStonecat** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:16 am

[quote="mountainman"]LOL... after I got midway through your first sentence, I stopped reading.

"local mexican restuarant"

You were asking for it.

]

Not up in my area, we're huge restaurant goers (anywhere actually), there should be no correlation between the enthnicity of the food, and service. Many people unfortunately relate "Mexican food" with Taco Bell, burritos and all those other mixed up "tex mex" stuff people think is authentic Mexican for some reason, hence possibly the rationale that Mexican food = poor service.

One of my favorite places to eat of all time is this authentic mom&pop place called Jalapeno Heaven. Oh boy is it great.

But a real restaurant, shouldn't matter what kind of food it is...it's just "people" working there, like any other place, you can get the good, the bad, and the ugly. It's up to the management to filter those out and keep the good, if they wish to fill the seating.

Ken · Post by **Ken** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:40 am

Humboldt wrote: If it was up to me it'd have been a penny. One I keep in the crack of my ass just for such occasions.

TMI, Humby, TMI!!!

Ken · Post by **Ken** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:46 am

[quote="mountainman"]Hmph....a potato and spinach enchilada. I've never had one that wasn't chicken, beef or cheese.

I guess I'm just a mid-west boy pretending to eat real Mexican food.

]
Actually, most are just beans... If you get a taco in rural Mexico, that is exactly what you will get, a torilla with beans in it...

It is kinda like pizza, we Americanize it to suit our tastes...

JawZ · Post by **JawZ** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:47 am

I don't give tips in those situations...I give advice to the manager. Train the hired help or else I write a letter to the editor of my local paper telling everyone just how crappy the service is.

Needless to say....I get alot of free meals.