Quote:
Originally Posted by Maritime Q-Scout
1. Be polite to wait staff, even when they make mistakes. You state that you are nice and polite. I will take you at your word. I mention this here only because the best thing that anyone can do to get good customer service is to be a good customer.
|
I am nice. Now, a few times(not many like probably 3 times) throughout my entire life, I have lost my cool because I could tell the server wasn't trying their best and it was a lot of mistakes like they could care less about what they were serving me and then it HURTS my feelings, so then I want to get them back kind of thing, because it's not a mistake if you have like 5 things that are OBVIOUS wrong on the plate from your own server or even if another server if the order was put in correctly. I mean come on now, if you don't care about what you are bringing me, that's NOT NICE. So they weren't nice FIRST. Do you understand where I am coming from?
IT HURTS my feelings when people are like that. Most of the time, I just tell them nicely about the problems and STILL say "thank you" even though I don't hear them say they are sorry.
I had one waitress that wasn't our waitress tell me when I did have 3 DUH mistakes(one was missing bacon that was extra crispy on a open-faced burger) when I wasn't that nice about the mistakes since you could easily tell they didn't verify ONE THING she said to me that PROVED 100% she didn't that she said "I'M NOT YOUR SERVER!!" Well, you know what, she was MEAN first by not CARING about WHAT she was bringing to the table. THAT IS MEAN within itself. So she shouldn't care about the food being correct? I doubt very seriously that my waitress messed up 3 items (ranch, pickles on the side of the plate that I ordered NO pickles, and the missing extra crispy bacon) when putting in the order. So I was going by how this waitress wasn't nice to me FIRST. I treated her the way she treated my food, like it meant NOTHING to her. So I treated her badly back and she did deserve it because by saying that she wasn't our server has ZERO to do with ANYTHING. There's a ticket at this restaurant(yes I have seen the tickets another time I had gone there even after that as another server was delivering food to another table) and that's the way the kitchen staff knows how to fix it, DUHH!! I told her after she said that to me, READ THE TICKET as she walked off. She deserved it for being mean FIRST. Do you get that I was right about her being MEAN? She was MEAN to NOT CHECK OVER MY FOOD WITH THE TICKET. THAT IS PERSONAL! THAT IS MEAN!! A manager ended up bringing out my food and the bacon wasn't crispy, so I said you didn't read the ticket either. He said, which is very believable they had thrown the ticket away by the time all of that occurred which made sense since the food left the kitchen already. So it's really aggravating to see someone that doesn't ***********CARE************* about YOU as a person. You say that servers aren't robots, SO AREN'T WE! It GOES
BOTH WAYS! Don't treat our food like it's NOTHING.
That waitress admitted that she didn't read the ticket to say that. She wouldn't have said she wasn't my server. It hurt to see that I could see 3 things that were wrong that there was NO WAY she took the *EFFORT* to LOOK at my food even to make sure it had the correct items. NO CARING and then expect someone not to be mad their time was wasted? This wasn't mistakes, this was done INTENTIONALLY to be LAZY and that waitress just didn't care.
What hurts is instead of a "SORRY", she BITCHED BACK AT ME and that REALLY TO THIS DAY(I think this happened in 2010 or 2011), I am STILL PISSED about this. WHY? Because she was mean first to not ************CARE************* about what she was bringing us. Admitting it shows I had EVERY RIGHT to bitch at her, because she was a bitch to me first by not checking anything. It doesn't matter if you weren't my server, because they have a way to make it right in the kitchen somehow unless my server put in the order wrong, but for her to say that shows that it wasn't the case or that at least she couldn't tell me that, because she had NO CLUE since she didn't "READ THE TICKET." She didn't care.
You telling me that servers are human beings not robots, well what about those a$$hole jerks that are servers treating us like non-human beings? You aren't getting that a lot of them are mean. You just don't get it?
Now should have I handled it that way? Probably not. I was back then on the BC pills, so may have been due to that possibly why I reacted bitchy. The thing is, she deserved it. She was mean first. She showed she didn't act like she was serving real people with real feelings and time getting altered, did she? I was floored when she said "I'M NOT YOUR SERVER", really floored. I reported her. I wish he would have fired her for being sassy to me. That's wrong. It doesn't matter if you aren't my server. You are serving me, therefore, you are ONE of the servers in my service that COUNTS in the tip. YES it counted in the tip what that waitress did. I am not going to pay well to get treated like crap like that. If our waitress would have paid her a buck or two to read the ticket, that wouldn't have happened more than likely, so I do blame the original waitress that was too selfish to share her tips with her helpers.
In this same experience, the appetizer came from an uncaring waiter that didn't have the ranches and instead of saying he was sorry, he said "Your server will get them for you" and didn't even go get them or anything. Same crap. Uncaring and meanness, No teamwork, no caring. The tip was 8%. First off, condiments can be brought out ahead of time, so there's no excuse to wait for another server to get that right. Secondly, why pay her a lot when she didn't even bring out any of our food, not any of it? She didn't do most of the job and the jobs that were done with the food were horrible. If she would have been willing to share the tip with these other servers they would have probably tried to check the food for accuracy. You don't say that "Your server will get that for you." You just don't. That's not teamwork. That's just being a lazy worker.
So do you understand WHY I did what I did? I had just got so sick of it and with the appetizer servers attitude of he won't work as a team, it was just was getting to me the crappy service. While the waitress that brought out our meals wasn't her fault what the waiter had done, it was her fault she didn't read the ticket. As I said, our waitress didn't bring one food order to the table.
Do you understand that it's not about being mean that it's about that I was hurt that these people weren't nice and weren't caring people? That they were being mean, so it hurt and I hurt them back. Do you see that EVERYTHING IS PERSONAL when it comes to service? I am not trying to be mean. I am very nice. I expect them to be nice first though by even if they aren't my server that they have checked things over before they left or if they did miss something that they apologize and fix the problem. Most other servers that run the food don't do either one of those things. Most don't care, because it's not their tip, they don't care. No one cares. That's the problem. I see servers going to completely wrong tables to bring food. I mean really, did you really read the ticket if you are on the completely opposite side of the restaurant that you don't know where table 33 is for example? I guess what I am saying is it hurts is all and that's why you feel I was mean, but it's about that they were mean to me. Why should they have a right to be mean, but I can't be back? That's unfair. Usually as I said, I am not mean back and say "Thank you", but that time I just lost it because a lot of bad service and saw how crappy it was at the beginning. Then when I saw THREE things before she put it on my table, especially the missing extra crispy bacon on a open-faced burger, there's no way you would miss that, come on now if you really checked it. It bothers me that that person treated what she was bringing me like she could care less. Then you tell me about them not being robots, well look at how they are treating us. A robot wouldn't care, but a human being would if their food was correct or not.
Quote:
|
2. If you notice the wait staff is over worked, has to deal with more tables that they should be (perhaps they're short staffed, perhaps there's an unusual amount of customers for that time of day, perhaps management is too cheap to properly staff the dining room). Take one second, smile at the server when they come to wait on you, and say "you look stressed, take a deep breath, how are you feeling?" Servers are people too and by taking those 2 seconds you're not only putting an overworked employee at ease, but your service will get better with the added benefit of everyone else around you getting better service as well.
|
I always consider that. If I see my server trying their best and look like they are busting their butt, I take A LOT of consideration in their tip.
Quote:
|
3. Don't sweat the small stuff. If you get free refills and the wait staff refills your drink but you wanted to switch from Coke to Dr. Pepper or what have you, simply ask them when they hand you the refill.
|
I already do that already. That means they should be APOLOGIZING for getting my order wrong, which is wasting my time. It's mean to control someone else's service without their permission or consent. All they had to do was ask at the greeting if I wanted that type of service. A lot of servers don't do this. I am not going to take up my tip money time to tell them everything I don't want. That would be wasting my time and other customer's time, because I would be trying to ONE-UP their assumptions ahead of time that they just MIGHT NOT DO.
Someone on one of my blogs mentioned I should "thank" them. I was so pissed, because I am not going to thank someone for controlling my service and wasting my time, are you crazy? They should be apologizing, because now I have to wait LONGER for my refill because they were in the kitchen or soda station getting a glass and filling it with soft drink for NOTHING when they could have been going to the soda station instead of my table with the wrong item they could at that moment be fixing what I DO want or if I don't want a refill but the check, that they are taking up a lot more of my time and other customer's time as well as their time.
I remember this Red Lobster waiter decided to get refills for me and my husband, which I asked him nicely I said "Can I get a coke this time", which he had brought me a dr. pepper. He LOOKED PISSED OFF. Instead of saying he was sorry, he didn't. WHAT A JERK. I did take off the tip for him NOT APOLOGIZING MOST OF ALL. HE GOT MY ORDER WRONG BECAUSE HE WANTED TO *ORDER* FOR ME CONTROLLING MY DINING EXPERIENCE. It's NOT UP TO *HIM* WHAT ******I******** WANT FOR *********MY TIP MONEY******. You don't understand how I despise control. Even when I want the refill, I am pissed that they made a decision for me without my consent. Especially if they take my glass, that really pisses me off. It's not their service, not their decision.
If the people that want refills without being asked, they need to *ORDER* in that manner asking their server "Can I get refills automatically without being asked throughout my service?" Not every server does it, in fact it's not as common as what you think. We go out every single weekend 2-3 times a weekend and we don't get servers doing this that often even at places we don't frequently go even.
Quote:
|
That request is uncommon, so don't blame them for being proactive in giving you something that is free.
|
Yes I blame them. It's not their right to ORDER for me. Where do you get a "STRANGER" has rights to order for someone else? I have NEVER heard of such a thing. The *SERVICE* isn't free, so just because the item itself is, the *SERVICE* isn't free. So stop mentioning it's free, when it's not. I would think most people if they have a lot of refills go beyond the 20% range because they got a lot for free. Free does play a huge part in the tip.
Proactive would have been to *ASK MY PERMISSION* to do that type of service. That's not your tip money, you have no say so.
Quote:
|
4. When wait staff do nice things be grateful, even if it's something you might not care for. You may not want a glass of water or a free appetizer but some restaurants do provide those things. If you don't want it you can politely decline.
|
That's fine, but that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it and it will count against their tip as it should. They should be polite enough to apologize for pushing something on us rather than *ASKING* first.
Quote:
|
5. For example, refilling drinks. If a server is waiting on 5 tables, they may do a loop with a pitcher of water for every table. That is far more efficient than having the server notice your glass is 3/4 empty, walking over, asking if you'd like more water and then going to get it. It's not dictating what you get, it's being proactive based on choices you already made.
|
I never said they'd have to walk back and forth. What they should do is have a pitcher of water in their hands and ask as they walk by each table. The not asking is not right. That's not your tip money paying for the service, so you have no right to dictate it.
Quote:
|
6. There are good servers and bad servers everywhere. Just as there are good employees and bad employees everywhere. Your focus is very much on the bad. May I suggest that you praise good service as much as you denounce poor service. People here seem to think that you'd be a horrible customer to wait on, perhaps you're not. Show that you are reasonable and praise good work (something that fails in comparison to your negative service rants).
|
I already do that A LOT already on online surveys and survey cards.
Quote:
|
7. Empathy. This is something we all can have more of. While servers are working for your tip, they are people too. Empathize with their situation, if they make a mistake, know it likely isn't personal. Yes sometimes the server can be rude, we have all experienced it. But the difference is we don't focus on that. A server can be apologetic without using the word "sorry".
|
I have empathy when I see the server that they have ****TRIED THEIR BEST***, NOT when they haven't and also not when they aren't nice. Everything about service is personal, EVERY SINGLE THING, EVERYTHING, because a tip is **********VOLUNTARY*********** in most cases, which in our cases it is since most of the time I don't go with a large enough party in general to have gratuity added.
Quote:
|
8. Dining is an experience. So if a server is being nice, makes small talk that's not wasting time that's adding to the comfort level of the restaurant. Servers aren't food bringing machines. They aren't supposed to be robotic and sterile. They are supposed to be friendly, nice and relaxed. That is part of the experience you are paying for. Be nice and respond accordingly. If you're starving because you starved yourself, that is your issue not theirs. You aren't supposed to starve yourself, it's unreasonable to assume people go the day without eating for the special at Chilis.
|
TIMING though is EVERYTHING! How would you like it if you haven't eaten all day and waited for a table for an hour that your server holds you up chit chatting? That's not *****************CONSIDERATE********************** . It's COMMON SENSE!
I love conversation with a NICE, HARD WORKING, AND CARING server, BUT to be considerate is to think about if that were *YOU* eating. Do you want your server to make you wait? The longer you wait to get my order, YOU are causing my delay, not the kitchen staff and not the bartender, *YOU*!
So when a waiter I have already talked about I am sure that he asked how was our Mardi Gras and did we go to any parades at Applebee's after waiting 15 minutes for a table already does that the first thing instead of thinking that GEE PEOPLE ARE THIRSTY, GET OUR DRINKS. That's MEAN, NOT NICE.
Do conversations like that ***********AFTER************ we have ordered our food, this way it doesn't HOLD UP OUR FOOD ANY! Do you have consideration for people's feelings and time? I DO. I think about every second. For example, when I worked at the donut shop/diner, a customer would walk in as I would be restocking something, I would STOP ******IMMEDIATELY************ to ask "May I help you." I wouldn't continue to do what I was doing. Some customers knew what they wanted already. Not everyone needed to think about what they wanted. In traffic, it bothers me when a person doesn't move up while you are in a u-turn as the car just left, because those seconds you aren't going up, that's more seconds I can't move up that I could have maybe gone too, now I am stuck the entire next red light, because people have blocked it. Understand I am always trying to be considerate. I have my credit card out or cash ready to pay with any coupons or ads BEFORE I get in a line at the store. I don't park over the yellow line in a parking lot. I stay on the side of the isle at a store not to block someone else from being able to go by me unlike others. Understand that I am CONSIDERATE, I expect others that want your money that if they want us to consider ($2.13/hr they only make), they need to be CONSIDERATE of OUR TIME in our service that we are PAYING for not to get wasted.
Some servers I sure the hell wouldn't want to be their friend, because they sucked. They may not have been mean verbally with words, but do things that hurt my feelings like walk away so quickly I can't say all the things I need to ask for. It pisses me off that they want that good tip, expect it and then don't even *TRY* their best. Why would I want someone that could care less about what I was going to ask for or my time that now I have to wait until they come back to ask for what I was going to ask for, because they left so quickly? That's not nice, is it?
You say it's not personal, it's ********ALL PERSONAL********, ALL OF IT! Every single solitary thing is personal no matter what it is.
Quote:
|
9. When a special is recommended, they are letting you know what is on special and may not be on the menu. They aren't dictating what you should order, they are letting you know there is another option. Being upset that the server tells you the daily special is akin to being upset that the server gave you a menu. It's just am option.
|
I am not upset, I know they are required to do that, but they aren't if the customer says they are ready to order when greeted. I have had servers shut up when we said we were ready to order.
Quote:
|
10. Relax. If you relax you'll enjoy yourself more.
|
It's hard to relax if my server doesn't write down my order. That's nerve racking.
Quote:
|
So, let's try #6. Can you respond to this post but only use positive examples, where you were satisfied?
|
Lots of times. Some of the servers even made some mistakes, but were NICE about them, not jerks like most of them are.
A positive example is a kind of major mistake, but tipped 16% BEFORE the $5 discount. What happened was a waiter me and my husband had admitted he forgot to put our appetizer order into the computer. We had ordered it when we were greeted along with our drinks. Instead of the waiter being mean like most of them are today, he said "I'm SO SORRY" TWICE. He offered some chips n' salsa(which aren't free at this restaurant) and I had told him I'd rather have something off the bill since we had ordered a lot of food already(I also didn't mention I didn't care for their chips and salsa either, but anyway, he got $5 off our bill). At first he had came back to say he couldn't get the appetizer taken off and I had told him even if it's just a coke, I am fine with that. That's when he got the $5 off. The thing is I remembered why it happened. I saw he went to HUG someone he knew. So he was playing around instead of doing his job. His job is to SERVE, NOT to hug people. That's why it happened. He got DISTRACTED from doing his JOB. As I said, we tipped 16% BEFORE the discount, ****BECAUSE HE WAS SOOOO NICE ABOUT IT******.
There are no servers today that would do that basically. Most don't even say ONE "SORRY", much less "SO SORRY" and then twice even. Most don't offer free anything either. Most aren't nice. So because he was *NICE* he got a decent tip(this was back in 2006 or 2007). Now if he would have act liked like he could have cared less like said no sorry or comp, he would have gotten stiffed.
I go by HOW things are handled, NOT just what happened. If you aren't nice, WHY should I **CARE ABOUT YOUR TIP***? If you care about me, I will care about you. EQUAL/EQUAL!
I didn't tip 20%, because I saw WHY it happened. See, I didn't know that was going on at the time, but I had remembered it after when he told us he forgot to put the appetizer order in. So it wasn't like I was watching the waiter. I just happened to remember seeing him hug someone. He won't learn if I don't take off SOME for it.
If I would have seen him work hard and bust his butt, that would have been a TOTALLY different situation, but he didn't. Also, my mayos weren't filled I had to ask for more, which he brought out ahead of time as I had asked. I shouldn't have to ask for that though.
Quote:
|
If you're starving because you starved yourself, that is your issue not theirs.
|
No, it is their issue, because they should act like if *THEY* would be not eating a long time how *THEY'D* feel, then serve in that manner. It's called being *********CONSIDERATE********! You act like the servers feelings are only important. It is not my issue, because they want MY MONEY, so it IS their issue if they want MY MONEY.
