Eating in a Restaurant - from a Waitress

know1

_Crazy_Mary_ wrote:

know1 wrote:

I pretty much refuse to send anything back, though. I think there's a high probability someone in the kitchen or wait staff will do something to it. Maybe she feels the same way.

You're one of the most mild-mannered people on here. You're not an asshole. Why would you think somebody would do something to your food? Are you eating in sleazy places???

Sometimes I do enjoy eating in sleazy places!

soulsinging

lephty wrote:

as a diner, i am not picky. if i ask for medium and it comes back otherwise, i really don't care. as long as everything is edible, i have no complaints.

one thing i notice though, sometimes servers come to the table to ask how things are WAY to early. so maybe the waiters/waitresses in this thread that are saying "speak up about your food" might be jumping the gun on asking how things are?

honestly, i am amazed that the servers in this thread have never seen anything happen to anyones food after it was sent back. i guess i watch too many of those "shocking video" shows and even though it may not happen at the places you work at, it does still happen and that is what sticks in the back of everyones mind when they think about complaining.

I worked in a restaurant 2 years and never once even heard of anyone fucking with anybody's food.

decides2dream

if my food is not right, whether cooked improperly or not as i ordered, i always let the waitstaff know....politely. sometimes i don't send it back, i just let them know - especially if it's a place we frequent often.....but if i am truly unhappy with it, you bet, i let the kitchen correct it. my husband NEVEr complains or sends anything back, and it annoys me. i too think, you are paying for it, you should get what you want. he too has that 'worry' that they'll violate his food or something. :? whatever. to me, as long as you are always polite and respectful, you get treated in kind.

haffajappa

meh... i too think there is a line drawn between just dealing with your food and eating it, and sending it back if its bad enough...

its nice that you're caring and patient enough to want an honest opinion, but there's always that sense of worry that the waiter/waitress won't be i think...

and about cooks doing stuff to food, i've worked in a restaurant where a cook dropped a steak on the floor and put it on the plate...HAHA... whos to say they wouldnt do something to it! haha

mrvedderson

for the most part, i cant even cook good enough to satisfy my tastebuds, so i figure it would be kinda hard for someone else to. but i will never complain about a meal i asked someone to prepare and did not do it for myself,

EquallyWorthless

Kel Varnsen wrote:

Maybe it is because in a lot of places people think if you send something back, the cook is going to do something bad to your food.

Ok that never really happens, unless your the only white guy in Asian place or something.. It is that most people just dont want to complain or "cause trouble"

_Crazy_Mary_

Ok, for me it's not so much that you should complain if it's not perfect but that you shouldn't give off the attitude that you dislike your meal but still tell me 'it's ok.' It's one thing to eat the meal anyway even if you're not satisfied, but don't be a dick about it when I've already asked you how it is and you lied & said it's ok. Does that make any sense.
After reading this thread I do understand why a person may be intimidated into not complaining, but if that's the case, then lie to me & tell me it's great & leave happy. haha

Kel Varnsen

EquallyWorthless wrote:

Kel Varnsen wrote:

Maybe it is because in a lot of places people think if you send something back, the cook is going to do something bad to your food.

Ok that never really happens, unless your the only white guy in Asian place or something.. It is that most people just dont want to complain or "cause trouble"

It might never or almost never really happen, but for a lot of people the small chance that it might happen is not worth the risk. I mean lots of people are afraid of things that most likely will never really happen to them. I mean how many people are afraid of getting on a plane, when the odds of being in a plane crash are almost zero?

Flagg

Depends on the problem. If I ask for no cheese or no sour cream or whatever and it comes back with it on there anyway, I don't complain. Just scrape it off and move on.

About the only thing I will complain about is temperature. If something is cold when it isn't supposed to be, then I'll say something.

Last month we went out and the waiter took our drink orders as soon as we sat down. Before there was even any water. Water never came and waiter didn't come back for awhile. Had to get up and go to the bar to get water. Waiter came back and took the food order. We still had not received the beers we ordered. Told the waiter and he left. 10 minutes later the food arrives. We tell the guy serving us that we still have not recveived the beers. So he went to find the waiter. By this time we were laughing. Waiter comes back and asks how it is going. Still no beers. We told him and he apologized and ran off. Then a manager comes as asks how is it going. I say "Fine. I've just never been anywhere where the food comes out before the drinks. Usually it is the other way around." He apologized and then left and I could see him bitching out the waiter across the room. Waiter came back and told us the meal was free and that he was sorry.

I tipped him 25% of what the bill was supposed to be anyway. He had a bad day. Really didn't mean for him to get yelled out. He wasn't doing anything out of anger or anything so why ruin his day?

We never raised our voices or called him names or bitched at the manager, just calmly explained what was going on and even laughed about it. Felt bad that the manager let him have it.

joint in a tree

dunkman wrote:

i've been told about 1894 times on this forum that if i dont tip then the chef will spit into my food next time and all that shit..

that's one reason i wouldnt complain.


the other is that some waitresses/waiters usually have the facial expression of a warthog licking piss off a cactus... so i feel like i'm inconveniencing them... which is why i dont tip them.

:P

Firstly, the chef/cook does not care if you tip or not. He gets paid the same either way.

There is a family of non-tippers that frequents my restaurant. I would never taint their food because it is unethical and just plain wrong. Also, if caught, i would lose my job or worse. The first 2x I waited on them, I gave them my usual good service. No tip. Now when they come in, they are my last priority. Unless all my other tables need absolutely nothing, I don't care if they need drink refills or whatever. I don't care if the cooks try to pass off old fries or overcooked meat. (Normally, in my restaurant, i can tell the cooks if i don't like how something looks before it leaves the kitchen, and they have to fix it) I don't care if they get their food at the same time as their apps and salad--my main goal is to get them in and out, and free up my table. They never complain, but they never tip either (not just me--we've all waited on them) Why should i go out of my way, when i know it's only gonna cost me a buck or 2 in tipout? I'd rather write it off and focus on my other tables, who will tip for my good service.

And don't tell me maybe i suck or whatever, because I know I am a good waitress. some people just don't tip, and they get treated accordingly. Also, Karma's a bitch--you don't need me spittin in your food or whatever. It'll come around.

libragirl

Kel Varnsen wrote:

_Crazy_Mary_ wrote:

This is just a quick rant that I have to get off my chest and maybe it'll enlighten those of you who do this:

When you go out to eat and you're not satisfied with your meal, speak up when the waiter asks you how your meal is! You're paying for this dish and it better be exactly how you like it!

On Friday night, I talked this young mother into ordering the flatiron. Then when I asked her how her steak was, she just looked at me, did a little shrug and nod and said, "it's ok." I could tell from her body language that it wasn't "ok." This response pisses me off like nothing else! Tell me if you have a problem with your fucking meal! This is your chance to fix it, that's why I'm asking!
So, I pushed and finally got it out of her that it was underdone, but she didn't want to send it back, she said she'd just eat around the rare parts and take the rest home. Whatever. She still tipped me 20% and I am there to make money, so it all worked out.

Maybe it is because in a lot of places people think if you send something back, the cook is going to do something bad to your food.

That's what i worry about. I hate when I go out to eat with someone who is a picky eater and has all kinds of "special requests" and you can see that the waitress/waiter is annoyed. I always think they are so gonna spit in our food..lol.

dunkman

joint in a tree wrote:

And don't tell me maybe i suck or whatever, because I know I am a good waitress. some people just don't tip, and they get treated accordingly. Also, Karma's a bitch--you don't need me spittin in your food or whatever. It'll come around.

we dont tip over here in the uk... if we do the person deserved it.

i'd hate to be on that knife edge of thankfulness if i were a waiter over there... basically being super nice to people in the hope that they stuff $5 into my tip pot... i'd feel like a stripper to be honest.. a performing seal... kowtowing to the customer so they can pay my wages.

the US tipping system is completely nonsensical to me... i know y'all love it and shit... but to the other 94% of people around the globe it just seems dumb.

ZiggyStar

dunkman wrote:

we dont tip over here in the uk... if we do the person deserved it.

i'd hate to be on that knife edge of thankfulness if i were a waiter over there... basically being super nice to people in the hope that they stuff $5 into my tip pot... i'd feel like a stripper to be honest.. a performing seal... kowtowing to the customer so they can pay my wages.

the US tipping system is completely nonsensical to me... i know y'all love it and shit... but to the other 94% of people around the globe it just seems dumb.

I 100% agree, Dunk! I'd like to go the US soonish and the whole tipping thing freaks me out!!!! Fucking stupid idea!

pjfan31

Yeah, I don't like the idea of tipping.

I used to work in a supermarket here in Australia for 6 years. I could say I got tipped maybe 3 times. Each time I tried to refuse it.

My point is, here in Australia me and the waiter down the road get paid about the same basic wage approx$20 per hour. Yet there is this preconceived idea that for bringing my plate of food to me, that I should tip? I can't and do not agree with this. This is why I try not to tip. Not because I am a prick, but if tipping was standard across all industries then that might change my schema.

Unless the waitress was hot of course.

South of Seattle

pjfan31 wrote:

Yeah, I don't like the idea of tipping.

I used to work in a supermarket here in Australia for 6 years. I could say I got tipped maybe 3 times. Each time I tried to refuse it.

My point is, here in Australia me and the waiter down the road get paid about the same basic wage approx$20 per hour. Yet there is this preconceived idea that for bringing my plate of food to me, that I should tip? I can't and do not agree with this. This is why I try not to tip. Not because I am a prick, but if tipping was standard across all industries then that might change my schema.

Unless the waitress was hot of course.

The problem is waiters make about $4.50 an hour in the US and if you work at a supermarket you get about $9.00 an hour and people at the market don't get tipped.

pjfan31

South of Seattle wrote:

pjfan31 wrote:

Yeah, I don't like the idea of tipping.

I used to work in a supermarket here in Australia for 6 years. I could say I got tipped maybe 3 times. Each time I tried to refuse it.

My point is, here in Australia me and the waiter down the road get paid about the same basic wage approx$20 per hour. Yet there is this preconceived idea that for bringing my plate of food to me, that I should tip? I can't and do not agree with this. This is why I try not to tip. Not because I am a prick, but if tipping was standard across all industries then that might change my schema.

Unless the waitress was hot of course.

The problem is waiters make about $4.50 an hour in the US and if you work at a supermarket you get about $9.00 an hour and people at the market don't get tipped.

I understand that. But not here in Aust. It is just a tradition that has spilled over from the states I think.

South of Seattle

pjfan31 wrote:

South of Seattle wrote:

pjfan31 wrote:

Yeah, I don't like the idea of tipping.

I used to work in a supermarket here in Australia for 6 years. I could say I got tipped maybe 3 times. Each time I tried to refuse it.

My point is, here in Australia me and the waiter down the road get paid about the same basic wage approx$20 per hour. Yet there is this preconceived idea that for bringing my plate of food to me, that I should tip? I can't and do not agree with this. This is why I try not to tip. Not because I am a prick, but if tipping was standard across all industries then that might change my schema.

Unless the waitress was hot of course.

The problem is waiters make about $4.50 an hour in the US and if you work at a supermarket you get about $9.00 an hour and people at the market don't get tipped.

I understand that. But not here in Aust. It is just a tradition that has spilled over from the states I think.

Trust me I hate tipping too

I usually tend to tip more than I should, usually only when I'm drinking though. Here you'll find tipping the bartender more will result in a drink with twice as much liquor

dunkman

South of Seattle wrote:

pjfan31 wrote:

Yeah, I don't like the idea of tipping.

I used to work in a supermarket here in Australia for 6 years. I could say I got tipped maybe 3 times. Each time I tried to refuse it.

My point is, here in Australia me and the waiter down the road get paid about the same basic wage approx$20 per hour. Yet there is this preconceived idea that for bringing my plate of food to me, that I should tip? I can't and do not agree with this. This is why I try not to tip. Not because I am a prick, but if tipping was standard across all industries then that might change my schema.

Unless the waitress was hot of course.

The problem is waiters make about $4.50 an hour in the US and if you work at a supermarket you get about $9.00 an hour and people at the market don't get tipped.

that is the problem... why do restaurant customers get the raw deal just because you havent heard of the invention of the 'minimum wage'

Thoughts_Arrive

Lucky she didn't go all Gordon Ramsay on you!

Kel Varnsen

dunkman wrote:

South of Seattle wrote:

pjfan31 wrote:

Yeah, I don't like the idea of tipping.

I used to work in a supermarket here in Australia for 6 years. I could say I got tipped maybe 3 times. Each time I tried to refuse it.

My point is, here in Australia me and the waiter down the road get paid about the same basic wage approx$20 per hour. Yet there is this preconceived idea that for bringing my plate of food to me, that I should tip? I can't and do not agree with this. This is why I try not to tip. Not because I am a prick, but if tipping was standard across all industries then that might change my schema.

Unless the waitress was hot of course.

The problem is waiters make about $4.50 an hour in the US and if you work at a supermarket you get about $9.00 an hour and people at the market don't get tipped.

that is the problem... why do restaurant customers get the raw deal just because you havent heard of the invention of the 'minimum wage'

I don't think customers are getting the raw deal, I think they are getting the opposite. I mean lower wages for servers, means that prices at restaurants can be lower. If you have a good experience you can leave a good tip, and the waiter makes more money. If you have bad service you don't leave a very good tip and your dinner is not as expensive. It is like the restaurant version of natural selection. The opposite would be to have no tipping, pay every waiter the same higher wage and have meal and drink prices be higher (even if you get crap service).