It is too much to ask for people to do their jobs? If you hate what you are doing, than why do it? I am tired of poor service from people in the service industry.
I have worked waiting tables and I know it is not an easy job. I encountered many rude people and out of control children. I even witnessed my share of “domestics.” But through it all I continued to work. I pasted on my customer service smile and endeavored to survive until closing.
Lately, I have been sorely disappointed at the level of service I have received when eating at restaurants. Whether it is the local pizza parlor, a common franchise or an upscale restaurant that bills itself as fine dining, the problem persists.
Let me give you a few examples of what really annoys me and drove me to this rant.
Wait staff that do not know the menu. If a customer asks if they can substitute a potato for a vegetable or if the meal comes with bread, they either say “ummmm, I’m not sure, I guess so” as they read the same menu you just did and the meal arrives incorrectly or sansbread or run off to ask, leaving a table waiting to order. It is rude either way.
Forgetting the steak sauce, lemon wedge, extra napkins, etc. Is it me or did they not just write it down? Why bother to make copious notes of my order if you do not bother to read them?
Bringing out the food at the wrong time. You love to get your cold plate of onion rings after you have almost finished your burger. How about your salad at the same time as your entrée? You have to eat the entrée first, while it is hot. So the salad becomes dessert.
I will cite a real example, this occurred last year. I went out with some friends. There were 8 of us. We placed our order and made sure to stress that we wanted the appetizers for the whole table, extra plates, extra napkins. The waitress proceeded to bring out our drinks and an entrée for one of the people. A few minutes later the appetizers arrived without extra plates.
Now the person whose entrée had come out first is uncomfortable. He was done eating and the rest of us were just getting our appetizers. Next came the children’s entrees. A full 10 minutes went by before the rest of the entrees came out. By now the children were done eating and the waitress had disappeared.
The adults could not eat in peace. You know how children act after dinner when they are bored. Sitting still was not happening. Our waitress was MIA. We finally flagged her down and asked her to box up some of the food to go. She proceeded to bring some Styrofoam containers to the table and drop them, and the check, in the middle of the table. “There ya’ go,” I believe was her witty comment.
Which brings me to the next item that irks me. How exactly are people supposed to put the food in the containers? There is never any room on the table. Customers only have small utensils. You try spooning a plate of penne alfredo into a to go box with a fork. The containers are almost always smaller than the plates, so you can not just slide it in.
What about pizza. The waiter brings out a pizza box and puts it down on the table next to yours because you know a pizza and a pizza box can not fit on the same table side by side. He does not bring a peal {giant pizza spatula}. So now you, the customer, is left to pick up each piece by hand and put it in the box.
Not only did you just germ-up every slice, but you probably dropped one or got sauce on your shirt. Would it not have been easier for him to take your pizza to the counter and slide the whole thing into the box for you? Wait staff are supposed to box the leftover food for the customer. What restaurant would have a box it yourself policy?
Disappearing. I never know if my waitress has gone on a cigarette break or to Tibet. I have seen people get so frustrated that they get up and leave before their food arrives.
If you try flag down another server, they ignore you because it’s not their table. By the time your waitress comes back the fries you wanted ketchup for are cold, so what is the point. You tell her “never mind, can we just get the check” and she has the gall to look perturbed.
If it was the occasional mistake I would not be irritated. But it happens every time and not just to me.
Here is another example. My co-worker and I go to the same pizza place for lunch three or four days per week. We have been going to the same place for almost five years. We always get bottles of iced tea or soda and ask for glasses with ice. That way we can bring the soft drink container back to the office because we aren’t there long enough to finish it.
There is only one waiter working each day we are there. It is a small place. He forgets the glasses. Virtually every time! He acts like he is surprised when we remind him. “What? Oh, ok I’ll get them.” Every day. And he usually forgets after being reminded.
Everyone says the same thing when you ask, “hey, do you know the pizza place on Park Street?” The reply is “yeah, with the idiot waiter.” We have complained to the owner. He doesn’t seem to care. He says the reason he has not hired another wait person for lunch is because the one kid doesn’t make very much, so a second person would divide the tips and they would quit. Well I hate to break it to you like this but... No one tips him because he sucks.
Important points to remember if you are a waitress, waiter, server, whatever:
Know the Menu
Be Attentive
Write It Down
Read It Back To Yourself
Bring the Food Out in Order: Drinks, Appetizers & Salads, Entrees, Coffee & Dessert
Check on Customers {during entree}
Do Not Disappear
Box Up the Take-Home Items
Bring the Check and Explain Payment Procedure {bring to cashier, etc}
Is it too much to ask that people perform the duties for which they were hired? I do not care if you are a nurse, garbage collector or cashier. What I do care about is that you actually do the job to the best of your ability.
Everyone has an off day now and again but the sheer volume of people who think carelessness and mediocrity are acceptable, astounds me. What happened to doing your best and taking pride in your work? Please do everyone a favor and change professions.
I think it comes down to laziness. Well guess what, if you are too lazy to do your job, I will be too lazy to tip you.
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You must have a lot of time on your hands
That's all I have to say. Serving humans is the hardest job in the world. Most people I know try to do the best they can, being that the business they ...
