I promised myself that I wouldn't post any bitchy blogs, especially about my work and now I'm about to break all promises. Below reads a blog of restaurant bitchings. Disc golf ramblings and pics will resume.

When I first went to work today at the grill, there was an older couple that came in. They ordered some basic stuff, and I gave their order to the cooks. A few minutes later another man came in a joined them. He ordered water (can you really order water or is that just a request?) and then ordered a burger. I took out the first people’s food first and the second person’s food second. Standard protocol. The burger man requested some special items: onions, some mayo; which he received. The next time I checked on them they seemed irate and asked for the check. I thought this was interesting as most people come into the restaurant irate and then settle down once they are filled with food. Not so in this case—the food seemed to have made them angry. Not a good sign. I gave them change for their check, they walked to the front seating area and proceeded to tell the hostess what terrible service they received. From what I understand they peppered their complaint with a few explicative.
Now I am lost. I’m not sure what happened to set these people off that way, just as they couldn’t understand how I could do (or not do) whatever it was (or wasn’t) that I did (or didn’t do). Yes, confusing. It didn’t help either that the hostess decided to relate the comment to me when I was in the vincenty of the owners of the restaurant. It’s kind of what you call a bad night.
But this whole serving thing has me wondering as of late. If these people could be offended by something that I don’t even know what it was, well then how many people have been offended by the service I’ve given them? I’ve always thought of myself as a good waiter, but then maybe I’m not. Maybe I’m just average, or worse, sub-par. My saving grace is that these people swore at the hostess. That takes away a few points for accountability on their side.
It’s strange though, this whole restaurant game. I’ve been at it ten plus years and still don’t understand a lot of it. It’s mind reading in a basic sense, but what if you have a customer that’s insane? How do attempt to read their mind? Example: I had this woman ask me the other day which item I preferred on the menu: the turkey melt or the chicken wrap. I replied turkey melt (I just felt like turkey that day). She asked for the turkey but then said, “I don’t want the sauce, leave off the coleslaw and do you have a different cheese?” I want to tell her “If it sucks it’s your fault.” Yesterday a man whistled at me like you would for dog and then yelled across the restaurant that they were ready to order. I approached the table, took the man’s order and his wife replied, “I don’t know honey, can I have some of yours?” I believe the operative word in this man’s oration was “ready”.
But here’s where I’ll backpedal and say most customers are nice, and if they are curt or dismissive or just rude it’s because they’re hungry and once you get some food in them they soften up. It’s the 7.5% that make the job tough and give you a tough time. This is a rationality I don’t understand: Be rude to the person that controls your meal. Rethink that one, and no, I’ve never done anything underhanded to a dish; however, I have slowed up on a table. Once a tip is lost, it’s gone. No reason to dish out the service to a lost table when it can be expended on the winers and the diners. Screw it maybe I am a bad server. Depends on what kind of customer you are.
I’ll end on an anecdote. Another server, Susan, received a party of women and one of those women at that party had been served by Susan before and was not impressed by the service. She thought that she would humiliate Susan in front of all her friends and so said, “Oh, I remember you. You’re the server who wouldn’t take the cake off our ticket when we didn’t like it.” Susan replied, “I remember you too. You’re the person who ate all the cake.” Eat up and tip well.