Yahoo! re-airing information from "WAITER RANT" .. .. my reactions in bold..
1. Avoid eating out on holidays and Saturday nights. The sheer volume of customers guarantees that most kitchens will be pushed beyond their ability to produce a high-quality dish.
I agree.. Mother's Day may be the worst.. but quality wise the food is at its worst, along with service. Even at the nicest places..
2. There are almost never any sick days in the restaurant business. A busboy with a kid to support isn't going to stay home and miss out on $100 because he's got strep throat. And these are the people handling your food.
Yep. I've seen it.. No sick pay within the industry .. therefore it's fair to see this is very true..
3. When customers' dissatisfaction devolves into personal attacks, adulterating food or drink is a convenient way for servers to exact covert vengeance. Some waiters can and do spit in people's food.
I guess so, but I actually think it's not as widespread as people think. I personally who have never seen it happen.
4. Never say "I'm friends with the owner." Restaurant owners don't have friends. This marks you as a clueless poseur the moment you walk in the door.
Ha! Yes.. Friends with the owner. Maybe the owners does know the person, but that will make the rest of the staff hate the customer even more..
5. Treat others as you want to be treated. (Yes, people need to be reminded of this.)
True.. But servers should remember that too. Too often they get overly judgemental of customers and aren't quiet about airing their complaints to fellow staff..
6. Don't snap your fingers to get our attention. Remember, we have shears that cut through bone in the kitchen.
Snapping fingers happens, but for one of two reasons: 1) It's older people that are used to doing it or 2) they are from 'the city'..
7. Don't order meals that aren't on the menu. You're forcing the chef to cook something he doesn't make on a regular basis. If he makes the same entrée 10,000 times a month, the odds are good that the dish will be a home run every time.
I disagree.. I think a chef feels a compliment when someone trusts him/her to make something new. I think a non-menu item could end up tremendously better.
8. Splitting entrées is okay, but don't ask for water, lemon, and sugar so you can make your own lemonade. What's next, grapes so you can press your own wine?
I don't get this one.. Economically the entree idea is good.. But isn't sugar normally on a table??
9. If you find a waiter you like, always ask to be seated in his or her section. Tell all your friends so they'll start asking for that server as well. You've just made that waiter look indispensable to the owner. The server will be grateful and take good care of you.
It has its limits. I don't think I'd tell friends, either.. then you either look stalkerish or gay, depending on your gender.
10. If you can't afford to leave a tip, you can't afford to eat in the restaurant. Servers could be giving 20 to 40 percent to the busboys, bartenders, maître d', or hostess.
I agree.. It's been a longstanding issue with this website.. I think people need to understand that most people working at restaurants are working it for extra cash. Typically it's a second job or a job while they're in school..
11. Always examine the check. Sometimes large parties are unaware that a gratuity has been added to the bill, so they tip on top of it. Waiters "facilitate" this error. It's dishonest, it's wrong-and I did it all the time.
Mostly happens with parties of 6 or more, but it could happen. I think examining the check for accuracy is even more important..
12. If you want to hang out, that's fine. But increase the tip to make up for money the server would have made if he or she had had another seating at that table.
Yep. I agree.. Some places make the 'hanging out time' completely unbearable.. So hang out if you must but also take a hint if you do.
13. Never, ever come in 15 minutes before closing time. The cooks are tired and will cook your dinner right away. So while you're chitchatting over salads, your entrées will be languishing under the heat lamp while the dishwasher is spraying industrial-strength, carcinogenic cleaning solvents in their immediate vicinity.
Ha, never thought of the cleaning solvents near food at the witching hour.. but it's true. I think even more is that customers need too maintain a certain etiquitte.. Clearly coming in to a restaurant at 9:55 when it closes at 10 is a little rude. But the restaurant should also be smart about it. For example, "kitchen closes at 9:30" is a smart rule.. That way, coming at 9:25 is a little better than 9:55..
