What Can I Get You Folks? - Eating Out for Thanksgiving

11-23-2009 @3:48PM Beth said... "No matter. For restaurant servers on Thanksgiving, it's not just about the guests. And, for that, I am profoundly thankful."

For someone who hates restaurant patrons so much, you should really not be a waitress. I shudder to think what you've done to others' food, no matter how much you deny it. Nasty woman.

And I'm sorry, when did you ever work in an office? I've worked in many offices, and had good friends and a work "family" at all. For someone in such a lowly field of work, you love to put others down and try to make yourself seem like all that. Geez. Get a freaking life.
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11-23-2009 @4:10PM adam said... I'll be thankful when these posts return to insightful reports on the food industry for 'outsiders' instead of bitter venting of frustrations. I share because I care!
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11-23-2009 @4:39PM Alice said... Wow. This post is so ridiculous that I now believe that the whole series is a put-on. Write controversial insulting posts, get lots of comments. I notice that very few other posts on slashfood get comments anymore. Not exactly a thriving community, it it?

Guess it's time to move on and find a new blog for food news. Anyone have any suggestions?
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11-23-2009 @4:54PM Britt said... Wow, I can hardly believe how mean people are to this woman. Week after week the only comments I see on her page are vicious personal attacks. If you don't like what she has to say, don't read her posts! Although, admittedly, I have never worked in a restaurant, I have many, many years of customer service experience in retail stores. From my experience, I can tell you that Hanna seems to be spot on when it comes to describing typical customers. To be honest, I think she is being quite nice. It is no secret to most people who have worked in a service industry that people today are, for the most part, rude and obnoxious with SEVERE entitlement issues. No one seems to understand the value of a "thank you" anymore. Even now that I have moved on with that part of my life and became a teacher, all I see are rude people who think we somehow "owe" them something. I don't blame her, most customers in restaurants that I see are RUDE and I wish there was more of an emphasis on the way people treat those who service them rather then on how customers can get what they want simply by acting horrible.
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11-23-2009 @6:07PM sue said... Haha, I love these posts! I find them so much more entertaining than most other topics on this site, and they confirm much of what I always suspected of the restaurant industry. I think I especially love how they really get a rise out of people...Keep them coming!
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11-24-2009 @5:11AM STH said... I don't work in a restaurant, but I've worked in customer service off and on for many years, and I can tell you that there are many, many jerks out there who are rude, who like to put down the customer service peon, etc., etc. Just because Hanna points that out doesn't mean she hates customers or hates her job; she's just realistic about both. I'm always stunned at the nasty comments she gets for her columns, which I've always found to be very sensible and fair. Just because YOU are a considerate person doesn't mean everyone else is as well, as you find out immediately when you work in customer service.

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11-24-2009 @11:57PM Megan said... The reason you're not getting extra tips is because you're rude to customers. As for this:
"The only downside to Thanksgiving duty is the guests themselves, who tend to be bitter and rude -- which is probably why their families didn't invite them to dinner."

You know what ? My family usually eats at a restaurant for Thanksgiving. And it's not because we're bitter or not invited elsewhere. The assumptions you make blow my mind
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11-26-2009 @5:30AM BILL said... I HAVE BEEN ON BOTH SIDES OF THE SERVICE FIELD IN MY LIFE. I HAVE WORKED IN RESTAURANTS AND ALSO IN CUSTOMER SERVICE. I ALSO HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS THAT HAVE WORKED THEIR WHOLE LIVES IN WAITRESSING. WHAT I HAVE SEEN IS THAT MOST PATRONS WHETHER IN PERSON OR OVER THE PHONE GENERALLY REACT IN KIND TO THE PERSON SERVING THEM. MEANING THAT IF YOU FEEL THAT MOST OF THE ENCOUNTERS WILL BE FROM RUDE PEOPLE AND YOU REACT BACK WITH THAT ATTITUDE THEN YES WILL STAY RUDE ESPECIALLY AFTER BEING TOLD THEY HAVE TO PAY 18% GRATUITY WHETHER OR NOT THE SERVICE OR THE FOOD IS GREAT. BUT IF THE REACTION TO THE RUDENESS IS TO WORK TO GIVE THE CUSTOMER A REASON TO SMILE THEY WILL REACT IN KIND AS WELL. AS FOR TIPPING I RESENT BEING TOLD TO PAY A GRATUITY WHEN IT SHOULD BE MY CHOICE TO DO SO. I HAVE FOUND BETTER SERVICE IN MOST CASES AT RESTAURANTS NOT TACKING ON 18%. I HAVE SEEN BLATANT CASES OF BAD SERVICE AS WELL DUE TO FACT I AM NOT ONE OF THE PRETTY PEOPLE AND MAY NOT WEAR DESIGNER CLOTHES OR MIGHT EVEN BE A SEASON OR TWO BEHIND AND THE WAIT STAFF ASSUME I MAY NOT TIP AS WELL. FAR FROM THE TRUTH I HAVE GIVEN IN ONE INSTANCE A 25.00 TIP FOR A 5.00 TAB BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE PERSON PROVIDED SERVICE TO NOT JUST ME BUT TO ALL THE CUSTOMERS. I HAVE ALSO LEFT A 1.00 FOR A 20.00 TAB AS I CALL OVER THE MANAGER AND WAIT STAFF TO EXPLAIN AND OUTLINE THE LACK OF SERVICE PROVIDED ALONG WITH NOTICING CERTAIN OTHER CUSTOMERS RECIEVING BETTER SERVICE LIKE THE "REGULARS AND THOSE DRESSED A BIT FANCIER". DON'T ASSUME, GIVE ALL CUSTOMERS THE SAME LEVEL OF SERVICE YOU WOULD WANT, MAYBE A CUSTOMER'S "RUDENESS" OR "LACK OF INVITE" STEMS FROM DEATH OF FAMILY MEMBERS DUE TO CAR CRASH, CANCER, ETC....; AS SERVICE PROVIDER TAKE RESPONSIBILTY FOR THE SERVICE YOU PROVIDE AND DON'T GIVE NEGATIVE TO NEGATIVE BUT PUT YOURSELF ABOVE THAT.
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11-29-2009 @2:05PM lisathewaitress said... Pointing out that many guests are bitter when dining out on Thanksgiving does not make the writer a bad person, for the love of cranberry sauce.

I also work in the restaurant biz and have worked many Thanksgivings (not this year! woohoo!) I was always amazed by how horrible Thanksgiving guests were. They rarely would say things like "do you get to spend time with your family today?"

It's not about the tips (although good tips are nice, too); just having one person recognize that you are there to serve them at the expense of spending time with your family would be nice.

It's especially strange because people on Christmas Eve are incredibly nice, and are frequently amazingly generous. I've never been able to understand the difference between the two days.

Just for the record, any time I go anywhere on a holiday - gas station, coffee shop, grocery store - I always thank the person for working on a holiday. Yes, it's their job, but it is also nice to recognize their sacrificing time with family.
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11-30-2009 @6:28PM Steven Ruza said... I personally think that people do not take into consideration those who are working on the holidays. I personally think holidays, such as, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, etc. resturants should close early to give those with families a change to spend time with them. I have family that work in the customer service industry and its not like they can pick and choice their hours most of the time. Most people get stuck working these days. How much profit can a resturant possibly take in on a holiday. I doubt it even pays the waitstaffs hourly rate, plus utilities....give them a break! - Steven Ruza
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