Annoying Restaurant Trends

2-01-2008 @4:50PM Stacy said... As a customer, my biggest peeve is being rushed off and out. Look, I understand the service side of the business, and I know that time is money in every venue but come on! If I have traveled an hour and a half to get to the place and we spend more than three hundred dollars on the tab let us visit until we are done. I understand the wait staff is at work, but I'm not. I can cook anything on the menu for a fraction of the cost; I am out to eat to enjoy. Don't ruin it by acting like now that you have my money, I'm a nuisance.
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2-01-2008 @3:08PM kirsten said... i HATE it when i go to a table after dropping off their food and i go get them the sauce they wanted .. then when i come back they ask for a refil... then i get that and come back and then the other 3 people want a refil now too.. then i come back and they're out of A1 so they need me to go back AGAIN to get that.... it's like "CAN I GET YOU ANYTHING ELSE WHILE I"M BACK THERE!!!!???" AHHH... it drives me crazy.
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2-06-2008 @2:44PM Belle said... I feel it is extremely unprofessional for a server to ask if his/her customers need change. Yes you have to go to the bar/register and make change but that is your job! With my husband having two culinary arts degrees, we tip very well when we dine out, both realizing that the livelihood of servers depends on the customers tips. However, if a server asks us if we need change I will cut the tip in half due to how rude I feel it is to ask that question.
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2-01-2008 @3:09PM NANCY said... There was a time when you went into a nice restaurant the hostess would seat you in an area they thought would please you. Now, as elderly people, we seem to always be seated next to screaming,kicking children. The parents don't seem to notice as they probably hear it all day. I don't appreciate spending $60. for dinner and be seated near young children. In NY there are restaurants that do not permit children. Think what you like but I would prefer this type of restaurant since it seems parents today allow their children to do what ever they wants
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2-01-2008 @3:39PM Angela said... A little advice for those who work in the resturant business, like my self. Why is it when you go to a high scale resturant they never offer extra napkins, are they that expensive. Also when your first placing your order, an appitizer and drinks., they come back with your drinks then 20 minutes later your appitizer then another 20 minutes later your diner and by the time you got your dinner your drink is gone and they almost never ask you if you'd like another drink, why is that. Also no matter where we go out to eat cassual dinning or high scale you always find your dishes and/or silverware to be spotty, thats just nasty. I always make them replace then, can't they just make sure everything is clean when they set the tables up for service, or is it too much to ask for clean dishes/silverware. All of the above plus food quaility is what I base how much to tip the waitor, and I make sure I have enough on me to tip at least 20 %.
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2-01-2008 @3:13PM mike said... ohhhh boo freaking hooo... cater to me and stop complaining or find another line of work!!!
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2-01-2008 @3:16PM Kristen said... I have been a server for 10 years off and on now. I did not see my biggest pet peeve in today's article. This would be what I call "verbal tippers." Those people, even regular customers, who compliment you to the point of embarrassment, only to leave a 10-15% tip. If you take the time to let me know what a wonderful job I did, I appreciate it, but back it up! I know I look young, but like most servers, I am supporting a family, and I am not working just for fun! I do a great job, and when rewarded properly, I make great money. But trust me, your "great job sweetie" comment might make me feel good, but it doesn't pay my bills! :)

BTW - Standard tipping starts at 15% and goes up based on the level of service. 20% is now the accepted tip for great service and more for excellent service! If you are in a party of 8 or more, we might get 18% gratuity automatically. However, you can still tip above that if we did a really great job (and remember, parties are a lot of work!)
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2-01-2008 @3:11PM Steve said... My wife and I go out to restaurants all the time. We always tip the waiter or waitress 20% or sometimes even more if the service that they provided us with was good or exceptional. Even when the food is average or marginal!!
Yes, there some issues on both sides to be worked out, whether it is over attentiveness by our server; who is really just trying to do their job and make our experience a little more enjoyable. Yes, I agree your job is not any easy one and you have to hussle in order to make a fairly decent wage in this business. I ask that you folks out there in the restaurant world would do one thing, and that is simply to address your customers properly. We are not how you say, what would you "GUYS" like tonight. I know one thing is certain my wife doesn't look like any guy that I know at all. Unless, I made a big mistake in marrying him / her??
A simple , yes sir ,or yes ma'm or what would you "folks" like to have today?? will be more than sufficient. As I said above we always tip our servers well, we know that you do not cook the food, and if there was any problem with the food we would bring it to either your's or the manager's attention. Just remember this all works both ways too, and if you remember this piece of advce; you will always be great at what you do for the general public!!
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2-01-2008 @3:12PM Bill said... Thank you AOL for the piece on servers responses. I have always done my best to be considerate towards waitstaff, knowing the job they do is not easy. It doesn't take much to say "thank you," or to just make eye contact with the person who is taking your order, and bringing you , your food. I also learned some things from those responses. I didn't know that servers pay tax on MY food, I think that's outrageous! Oh, and one last thing, I'm also irate with people who can't control their children, and let them go hog wild in resturants. I still remember "the LOOK" from my mom, and the consequences I'd pay for bad behavior in public.
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2-01-2008 @3:30PM bohemian server said... Look here is my thing..i will tip nicely if you dont act the a snob and hate your job because heres the thing i didnt put you there or make you work there its called a choice and happened to be your choice. I once tipped someone $20.00 because the lady was so nice to be and said oh trust me i love ranch to and then let me and my friend talk and then left us alone for a while checked on us and all that..and the bill was only 10.00 yeah i think to myself if i have enough money to give i will. and please dont be the person that comes to the table every five minutes.. i put my drink or plate to the side so you know when i am done or what a re-fill because i am focused on the conversation at hand. I know you might be thinking i dont know what i am talking abt but you could be right im only 17.
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2-01-2008 @3:24PM mike said... boo hoo... do your job.. you cjose the profession...now shut up and get me some ketchup.
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2-01-2008 @3:15PM Dan said... servers at some places now have to pay for there tips if you pay with a credit card so if your tip is 100.00 I have to pay 3% for the credit charge so 97.00 is the tip then we pay 40% to the bar tender, busser, ect. so your tip is really 58.20 and we pay this no matter what you tip so if you cant tip stay out!!!!!
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2-01-2008 @3:17PM ana said... my daughters both work as greeters (hostess) at a very nice restaurant. one of them went to remove the sugar holder from a table because a child was playing with the sugar packets and making a mess- At this restaurant the greeters at the ones that set up the tables. The father didn't like that the greeter was taking away the sugar holder and voiced his displeasure not only to her but to management. Well, my daughter was suspended, without pay, for one week. I have a completely different understanding of restaurants now and the people who work there. obviously, not all are the same.
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2-01-2008 @3:13PM Melanie said... I used to be a server, now I'm a bartender. What tee's me off is when a group of people come in and they send you back and forth because they each order one drink at a time and wait for me to bring back the drink and then the next person orders. Making me do 12 trips when I could easily have brought back 12 drinks at once and charged everyone separtley. It's not rocket science but I can remember more than one drink order at a time.
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2-01-2008 @3:14PM chris said... Please remember, that buffets are buffets to eat AT the restraunt, do not ask for a to go box. Also if you don't like what's on the buffett, don't get it and then ask for something certain to be put out on it!

Also remember, tips are based on the ticket price BEFORE coupons. I have had customers who will order $35.00 worth of food, have $20.00 worth of coupons and leave a $1.50 tip. If you are that broke, keep the tip.
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2-01-2008 @3:16PM tim Gaines said... I eat out every day at least twice a DAY and have found how unprofessional some waiters and waitresses are in the urban area I live in. You can tell when the restaurant business has TOO MANY CUSTOMERS when the irrelevance of the customers are shown in the employees that work there and is carried over in the manner which they serve their customer. I just wish there was a way to penalize those restaurants for the bad behavior without others having to go thru the same pain the first time. The massive customer base gives poor customer service businesses the ability to stay in business without giving the service the customer is paying for.
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2-01-2008 @3:14PM joanna said... How about some gripes from the Back of the House about the servers. If I were a customer and saw what the servers do at the restaurant I work for I wouldn't eat there. They like to handle money which the germs are worse than a toilet, and then go into the kitchen and handle the food like, cheese, lettuce and croutons etc. without washing their hands or using gloves. And when you let management know what they are doing, they just blow it off and are more concerned that you are complaining about it. But if back of the house were to do the same thing they would threaten to write them up or fire them.
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2-01-2008 @3:15PM Larry said... Servers have continually been pushing for an upgrade for tips. In most places tips are greater for bar servers than restaurant servers. However, tips are not supposed to be figured on sales tax. Twenty percent of an extra 7 or 8 percent is an extra 1.4 to 1.6 percent. Usually people calculate 15% and round things up. The extra 1 or 2% and rounding up mentally results in an average of 18% which is considered the going rate in most places with 20% being reserved for mixed drinks. Also, when restaurant prices go up as they have been doing, the server gets an increase in pay from tips.
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2-01-2008 @3:17PM Larry said... Servers have continually been pushing for an upgrade for tips. In most places tips are greater for bar servers than restaurant servers. However, tips are not supposed to be figured on sales tax. Twenty percent of an extra 7 or 8 percent is an extra 1.4 to 1.6 percent. Usually people calculate 15% and round things up. The extra 1 or 2% and rounding up mentally results in an average of 18% which is considered the going rate in most places with 20% being reserved for mixed drinks. Also, when restaurant prices go up as they have been doing, the server gets an increase in pay from tips.
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