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Was bored at work and had one table of four. So I was joking with them. When they were done with there dinner. I asked them if they wanted dessert and they told me no. I kept pressing of the subject in a joking manor. The two couples came clean and said they were going home and making homemade apple tart. I said thanks for the invite. The little old man asked when do I get off work? I told him most likely ten o clock. He told me that is way to late and they will be in bed. I laugh and brought them there check. He tipped 20% and left. No joke and hour and a half later this little old man came back in and handed me apple tart. Can you believe that my table made and brought me dessert. Got to love those who still have hearts. Crazy... Thank you!
When you get a bad tip you have to consider why. Could it be from sucking? Could it be from people who just don't no how to tip. Could it be some problem that deals with the cook.
My cooks went on STRIKE this past weekend. Well that is the way they acted. Sales go down in the summer so they had to cut back on all of our shifts. The cooks decide they need to come to work with an attitude. Dude, It is not my fault. Don't come to work with the sour mouth.
Lets define a cooks job. Webster defines a cook as: 1 : a person who prepares food for eating2 : a technical or industrial process comparable to cooking food; also : a substance so processed.
Thank you Webster!
I believe there job is tough I am not suggesting otherwise. If you do good I will praise you. Success is what brings back business.
So back to crazy strike this past weekend. Every tables food is going past 15mins. You may think that is acceptable but it is not. When people wait at the door to get a table they expect that when they sit down everything will be okay from then on out.
One of my tables I noticed half there food was bumped. (Bumped meaning ready) So I looked at what need to be finished. A Cheese burger cooked Med is all I needed. I asked the cook, "How much longer on that cheeseburger"? She told me I am cleaning. What does that mean to me. I need that burger and where no where near closing time. I asked another cook if they have my burger working? No answer. I mumbled under my breath that I need to get a manager involved. They all told me to have the manager to cook it. REALLY. Are you looking to get in trouble. I totally knocked on the managers door and told her I have a eighteen minute cheeseburger and the cooks decide you are the one that is going to cook it. Once my manager cooked the burger I ran it out. It took 27 minutes for this table to get there food. Make me look like a bad server. That maybe I forgot to ring in there food. To make matters worse I had to send there food out with out french fries. That took another five minutes to cook. We took the cheese burger off there bill. I still only got a two dollar tip. If that table would have gotten there food all together and in a timely matter I could have made more money.
I should not have to ask a cook to cook my food. What is the point of being a cook if you can't do your main job. What are you trying to prove making the manager cook it. Do you call the job security?
They next night I have food running on twenty minutes. When the food was put out I asked them if they had french fries working. They said, :Nobody asked for them". Whats the point in ringing in orders if I need to ask for everything to be cooked. Please place meat on the grill. Please make me more fries. Don't have time to do that.
When my food takes a long time to get out to the table, my wallet suffers. Customers think I did not ring there food in on time. Customers think I cook there food. I am given the punishment for the cooks stupidity. Just do your job, and I will do mine. If you need help ask for it. Don't be so proud it just lets everybody down.
Sorry it has been awhile since I have wrote. I was just waiting for my food to be cooked so I could get back out here to serve you.
Your Server
Christine
When I was a little squirt going out to eat was a privileged. Most likely some celebration of something. Hell it is the same way to this day for me. I never understood why kids thought a restaurant was another playground. Why do parents even bother taking there kids out to eat. Very expensive and the child barely eats anyways. I just have so many thoughts when it comes to kids eating out. Please tell me if I am wrong in anyway. I am just your server. Here to take orders. ;)
We should start from the second you walk into a restaurant. While you wait for a table you should be watching your child. Why do parents find it adorable to let the little one run around. Do you realize your precious is two feet tall. Me coming around the corner with a heavy tray I don't tend to look down and, it can be difficult for me to stop fast. Almost dropped a tray on a cute little two year old girl. She ran right in front of me without looking. Not her fault I believe her mother or father should have had her hand and, not put her in that situation. Luckily I was able to stop. Did I get an apology from the guardian? Nope I got a laugh instead. How cute! Not in a busy work place. Try the park for running. When I was young and waiting for our table my little brother and I had to five up our seats to the adults. We held the door open for everyone. Respect is what we were taught.
Whenever a little toddler is put into a highchair I freak a little. Would hate for a kid to get hurt. Putting the highchair at the end of the booth is a little dangerous. Think about it. Most things the go on the table have to go over there head before it reaches you. I always seem to notice if there is a highchair there is usually someone sitting right next to them who is going to order fajita's. Of course they taste bomb but, don't you worry about the sizzling hot skillet crossing over your child's head. Our you worried your little one will be tempted to touch the skillet. Worry a little that is all I ask.
Love when a parent ask me for a child sized cup. I honestly can say, I have never been anywhere were the don't have kid's cups. Please, if you know a place that doesn't please post it. When your kid is under the age of ten be aware that I will give them a kid's cup. Also if your child is in a highchair watch there hands they are very tempted to reach into my apron. Thought it was funny the first seven hundred times. ;)
Swear kids are afraid of me. Must be a scary monster. When I was a young my parents made me order my own food. Will make your kids a promise right here, right now. I Christine promise never to bite a little kid. There you have it folks my word.
What should your kid be drinking? I served a family this weekend and they order a diet cook for there two year old. Really! You are going to start the addiction at two. Good jobs guys. Why do parents let there kids have lemonade? There is not one percent of juice in our lemonade. Maybe your passing on the caffeine but, I promise your not passing on the sugar. Why does parent careless how many refills there child is drinking. Hello! Sugar intake. Filling up on sugar and not there dinner. I have once given a kid eight refills. Kinda hoped the kid wet the bed to teach there parents a lesson. I am a horrible person! One who will limit there kid from drinking horrible sugary drinks.
I served an over sized family last night and, that just makes me sad. Not saying that I am a guru for the skinny's. I just wished kids were given healthy options. Have you ever looked at the kids menu, ninety percent of it is fried food. Most parent when I ask them to choose there child's side the just shout out fries. Little kids love fruits. Why not order them apples or oranges? Well with that over sized family they let there little "Big" girls eat fried chicken fingers with ranch and french fries. When the girls finished they both polished off there own chocolaty adult sized dessert. Just makes me sad. Have healthy desserts or the whole family share one. Take in consideration your kid's health. You could be hurting them by giving into them.
Entertainment for your child is a must. Give them a toy or a coloring book or a game on your new iphone. Pretty pretty please don't give them the sugar caddie.
I don't find it cute when little sticky fingers throw the sugars on the ground. The caddie never looks the way it did when the came in. Same with all the other things on the table. A parent handed me a bottle of full ketchup and told me they needed a new one. There child was licking it. GROSS. You think they would have stopped that one. Nope. You think they would not be grossed out by there own child and use the ketchup. They waited till I brought them a new one. What a waste of company money. Good one. Is it to hard to bring your child a toy. If you really are struggling take your child to a fast food joint and let them play in the balls. Or pay your little next door neighbor $20 to babysit.
All problems have solutions. Sorry if I offended you repeat offenders. Do your job and watch your kids. I love kids. I love them more when they are tamed in a public place. Don't let your kid control you. You make the rules. Enforce them. You make the rules. Let them be healthy by eating healthy. Let them learn from you.
You been served!
Christine
Double Dates = Death of a Server
The next exciting moment in our life is when you leave. I have such a bitter taste in my mouth when two couples sit down in my booth. When two couples sit down they think they own the night. Maybe they do, for all I know the had a horrible day and found some fourteen year old girl to watch they five kids for twenty dollars. Might have had the worst week on the job and just need to let a little steam off. At this point I really don't care.
Double Daters + Four Waters = Exercise
I find when the whole table orders water, you are in big trouble. BIG TROUBLE. Its almost as if they decided to wait all day to have a sip of anything. Then once that water hits the table it is fair game. Really you needed me to fill you water up 10 times in an hour period! Man I hope you wet the bed! Your game to see if I will get to your table on time to fill your glass up is a little pathetic. That couple looks happy but you know she probably needed a bunch of refills in her glass. I find it funny when they ask for a bunch of lemons on the side. If I watch you squeeze them all in and go for a packet of sugar I am charging you for a lemonade. What the heck do you think you are doing. Honestly making your own lemonade. Are you five. Set up a stand outside your house and make lemonade. Don't come to my job and make a mess all over my table. Someone had to cut all those lemons so you can make your own drink. Okay, so I won't charge you. They won't let me, but I promise I will fill your cup up every chance I get to ruin your dream drink. I will call it your dream drink since it was FREE. Moo Haaa haaa I am mean oh well I make $2 an hour.
Today this lady asked me for a glass of iced tea. Sweet I work in Utah right now and to find anyone who enjoys a nice glass of iced tea could be a friend of mine. ;) A few minutes later I went to "retrieve" the order. She had to complain about or freshly brewed tea. "This taste Watery". Not sure that is even a word. I told her, "I am so sorry, It might taste that way because it is freshly brewed and the tea is supper hot and I had to add a lot of ice. Ice melts and they could be your problem. Is there anything else you would like that would taste better to you, and not so watery." Then with a bit of an attitude she pushed the iced tea and said YES a water. Now I was trying not to laugh but I did spit out, " Water is a bit Watery is that okay". The whole table had quite a laugh. Honestly I will be the nicest person to you just treat me like I am human. All I ask. Oh and a great tip :).
Friday night I got this one group of double daters/Water drinkers and one of them had to be difficult. My girlfriend would love some cucumber in her water. I looked at him with a little strange look. I am not ragging on the taste of cucumber in water. If you go to any spa I would be surprised not to see it. A chain restaurant is another story. Sir we just have diced cucumber is that okay. "I guess that will have to do". Sorry dude. Lemons, limes, oranges, cherries, and now cucumbers. When I brought the three waters with lemons and the one with cucumber I got another weird glance. The girlfriend said, "What is this floating in my water"? She was in the bathroom for the whole drink order. I told her," Its your cucumber water". She laughed and switched glasses with her boyfriend. Dude, if you wanted the fruity water just ask for it. You just looked stupid!
Double Daters give 10 - 15% When I give 100%
It is crazy but, I still strive for good tips. Here are a few helpful hints. Ladies, I hope you see that ring on my finger. I am taken and promise your man is your man. Try to look the women in the eyes first. That makes them feel in control. If you master that you may have a chance. Always assume they are separate checks even if its family. They will never tell you it is separate until you bring the the one check. When taking the order ask if they would like ranch of anything extra so you can prepare. Nothing sucks more when it is one trip after another for mustard then napkins then another soda. They love to watch you run. Never forget.
Why is it that couples seem to forget how to tip there server. I bagged your food! I refilled you ten drinks! I laughed at your stupid jokes! Why is it okay to leave me a two dollar tip on twenty-five. WHY!
When a table is ready to cash out I grab there checks and tell them I will be right back, even if I hear them say "keep the change". So if there bill is $23.79 and they hand me $25 I make sure to write in felt pin $1.21. I want the other couple to feel awkward to see how bad of a tip you left me. I want your wife to be embarrassed she married you. She should be! It is a rare occasion you get a 20% on the entire bill. Is it really that hard to figure out. Most cell phones have a tip calculator.
Just remember running me around and around is temporary. You still have to go back to your crummy life. All the servers will get a heads up on how bad you are treating us. I will remember your face to welcome you back the next time you dine and if you really make me angry I will come home from a long day and blog about you. Karma! Learn and love it. Everything gets passed around.
Tip Twenty next time you go out! Have a wonderful Night
- Your Server
When people go out to eat they go out for a couple of different reasons. One is to obviously eat food. Second is they want to watch you run. I come to the realization that people get off on the control. They control how many times I run and they control how much I make.
When I take an order I watch for the signs of potential running. When they order Chicken Strips I ask what sauce they would like to dip them in. Therefore I can bring them two sauces the first time instead of running back in forth. If they order ribs make sure you bring fifty-three napkins. Trust me on that one. If they order anything with wing sauce on it make sure to double up on ranch or blue cheese. This is just helping yourself and saving a trip.
Now there are the camel drinkers. You understand what I mean when, you give them your drinks and a minute to decide what they want to eat. When you return they have sucked there drink till there is an air noise. Now they could have just been thirsty or they want to make the most of the two dollars they spent on it. I return with two the next round and tell them I don't want to take my chances on the dying with thirst. Hopefully at that point that they realize they just guzzled down 12ounces in less the 12 seconds.
You know last Saturday night I served two couples. They fun double daters. Blah ha ha, not so much. I believe double daters love to make you run. Makes them feel superior to me. Okay whatever guys, make me run all night long and pay with that almost maxed out credit card. Your real cool. So back to the couple I served. One of the guys order chips and salsa. So i think to myself four people and one bowl of salsa. Ya I will go above and beyond and bring the two bowls of salsa and a tower of chips. I drop off the appetizer and they guy looks at me and says, "I love candy". Honestly do I look like I care if you love candy. Then he continues, " I don't want to share my candy with anybody else". I give him my confused look and, the whole table starts laughing at me. " I would like my own candy and then points to the salsa". Told ya they like to make me run. I grab two more salsa's and run them back to the table. Now everyone has there own salsa aka candy. I tell them, " Now that you all have you own candy I don't want to see any fighting". Okay so I kind of treated them like kids.Who describes salsa as candy. That is so freaking stupid. Say it with me S-T-U-P-I-D. Lets say they are the perfect example of a horrible double date. They love to have separate checks that they don't mind to mention till the end of the date. There checks range anywhere from twenty five to forty. Always seem to tip you three dollars. What What Six dollars and an hour later I can not wait for them to leave. ;)
Little children also like to watch you run. They throw there crayons on the ground. To bad little kid pick it up yourself. When they guzzle down there little kid drinks and demand for more. I love to address there parents at this point. "Your child has finished there drink and it does come with a free refill. Would you like me to bring it now or when there meal arrives". Ha little kid I won. Pretty bad of me huh. Saves you a bunch of trips. Would not be surprised if a parent do not buy chocolate milk for at home. I could hook a kid up on a chocolate milk drip and they would still not get there fix. Crazy I know. Then parents are confused why there little ones did not even touch there dinner. Duh take there drink away from them.
They other day I got these two teenagers. I honestly want to cry when they land in my section. They order there own appetizers. They are the perfect definition of a Mod@fucker. They change everything so they time your done taking there order they made there own things up. We are not Burger King. You can not have things your way. Funny thing about me serving. I write down there order and repeat it back. Now every time I serve this terrible two they order there entrees. When I deliver them one of them always tells me that is not what I ordered. BS dude it is. Look at my script. They look at me with there dumb faces. I have to refire there new dinner which "they really did order" :) Yeah right but, at this point I don't care. When they go to pay with there split checks one leaves the table. I grabbed both checks. One of the guys bills is twenty-two dollars and he leaves me 7 two dollar bills. Not sure if this kid could do math but here owed me more of it. They second kid gives me forty on twenty something. I walk back out and asked if they were paying together because, his friend who just left shorted me money. He told me no and to give him a minute he be right back with more. When he returned with some more two dollar bills I chuckled inside. I brought him out his change as for his friend who shorted me I kept the dollar something. That guy told me how wonderful I was then left me thirty two cents. Piss off. I will refuse to serve them next time. Waste of my night.
When someone makes you run for your money just picture how horrible there life is. That always helps. I just think of them as a job they will never go forward with and a relationship that will not pan out. Makes my day easier.
love,
Your server
We have all thought about dinning and dashing but who really has the balls to actually do it. I have it happen to me twice. I would love to hear another servers story on the subject if it has happened to them also. I hate feeling like I am the failure if this happens. I should not feel that way. Chances are when they walk in they already have it in there head to commit the crime. That is actually what it is by the way. A CRIME. YOU ARE STEALING!!!
Story one-
Two young girls come into my lunch shift and sit at a four table booth. They are about 17. One girl is big boned and wearing a shirt tight so you focus on her chest area and for that we will call her Brenda. The second girl is lanky and wearing really cool red eyeglass wear and her new name is Lisa. So Brenda and Lisa order two sodas from me and ask for a few minutes to look at the menu. Cool cool I grab there sodas and give them a few. When I return Brenda orders Chicken Tenders and, Lisa orders Chicken Alfredo. Waiting for the food to come out I refill there beverages a couple of times. They made the comment how focused I was to not let them go dry. I thought it was a bit strange but, took the compliment any ways. There food comes out they take a couple of bites. I see they need another refill and I told them I would be right back. I turned the corner when my server friend Samantha ask me if my table has paid. I looked at her funny and she said they left in a hurry.
Now wait you think the story is over. No I do something I should never do. I broke the server cardinal rule. DO NOT CHASE AFTER ANYONE. So I ran out the door furious. I caught one of the girls backing her car up while the other one is about to hop in. I asked Brenda "Hey was your food okay?" Okay weird question I know but it got the point across. Brenda followed up as, "Oh wonderful we were just moving the car and grabbing some cash. Good I replied because, I know you two are not about to leave this wonderful meal and service. Brenda followed me back into the resturant. She sat at her table with a wad of cash by her. She asked for boxes. I responded and said I will be right back. I told Samantha she was right on the money and to watch her. I grabbed two boxes and she know needed the bill meanwhile, Lisa is parked right out front. When I went to print off the check Samantha told me Brenda ran out with her boxed food. By this point my manager ripped the check out of my hand a ran out to the car to give the girls there bill. Can you freaking believe they had it in them to leave twice. They girls handed my manager $30 and asked for change. DO WE LOOK LIKE A DRIVE THOUGH. ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME. YOU TRY TO RUN OUT ON YOUR BILL TWICE AND WANT CHANGE. GET OUT OF TOWN. NO CHANGE FOR YOU TWO. So they dinned and dashed and we still made them pay. Ha ha jokes on you.
Story two-
This older man about 65years old well call him Mark. When Mark sat down by himself he had two extra menus. He told me his wife and daughter were joining him shortly after. He ordered his diet beverage with no lime and started watching the basketball game on the television. After about twenty minutes he asked if I minded him ordering before they arrive. Do I mind serving you food. Please it is only my job DUH. So I put his avocado burger add mushroom no bun in and went on serving all my other tables. He polishes off his burger in fries like he has not eaten all week. Should have known this is probably the case now :). I take away his plate and bring him a refill. He watches the rest of the game and I chat with him in intervals when I am not needed running food and payments. He is a nice old man. Then his phone rings while I am there and he raises his finger to motion me over to him. He tells me they are around the corner and if I could bring them a water and diet over now. I am overjoyed. This guy has been camping forever and I would love to make some more money. I snag the drinks and run back to the table. HE IS GONE. HE MADE ME GET DRINKS FOR NO ONE. HE WATCHED A GAME AND ATE FOR FREE. Man I thought he would come back like he forgot or that he was in the bathroom. I even told the busser to leave his table alone. It sat vacant for a half hour. DANG. I was so enraged. I was fooled by an old man. I will remember this guy if he ever decides to sit in my section again. My words will come out like this. Hey I remember you, you ate that avocado burger add mushroom no bun and waited for your family and watched that basketball game. YOU OWE ME $9.29 thanks.
_I just can't get over what goes through there heads right before the get up and run out. It really upsets me. Like I said before I feel like I failed. Can't believe that old man ran out on me. That flight or fight mode would give me a heart attack. Just saying. So does anyone have a dine and dash story?
-Ur Server
