There are times when people have legitimate complaints about things in restaurants. If you order a steak well done and it comes out rare, that’s a legitimate complaint….or vice versa….you order it rare and it comes out well done. We don’t like when this happens, but it is a situation that is easily remedied…..we cook you a new one. If something isn’t as hot as it should be, we can heat it up. But if you eat everything, and damn near lick the plate….don’t tell us after the fact, that there was something wrong, and expect to get it for free. There is no honor in trying to scam your way to a free meal. Take a little responsibility for your own actions…you ate everything. You accepted the meal as was.
In the same vein…..we had a group of 14 the other night. They were all paying separately. The server offered to split up the checks for everyone, but they said that wasn’t necessary….they would all just chip in what they owed…..they could figure it out.
At this point in time, the group accepted the responsibility for payment in this method. When all the cash was gathered, it was handed over to the server, and told her it was all set, no change was needed. Done deal.
When payment is made in this method, oftentimes people will throw in a few dollars for extra gratuity. We are grateful for this, and thank you.
So how is it, you have the nerve to call back three days later and tell us you overpaid by $40.00? If this had been a charged transaction, it could be easily traced. If all had written checks, again it could be easily traced. But everyone threw in some cash. If you didn’t count every dime before you handed it over, then that’s your fault. The responsibility falls on you. How did you come up with this figure of $40.00? Did you call the other 13 people 3 days later and ask them exactly what they threw in? And if they added some extra gratuity, did you take it upon yourself to decide this wasn’t necessary? Are you going to split it evenly and give everyone $2.85 back? Or is it going into your own pocket?
So, whoever you are, you got $40.00 back. I don’t know where it’s going….(maybe no one else in your group knows about this)….but I know where the $40.00 came from…it came out of the pockets of the servers. The three of us that worked our asses off that night, ( also had a party of 8, a party of 9, and a dining room full of people) had to pay it back, so essentially we worked your party for nothing.
There are times when it is very hard not to be cynical…..but we must always remember, what goes around comes around.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
A wide variety of topics for a slow night.....
Sometimes you have to just enjoy the slow nights and take them for what they are.
First Deb, the singer dropped in. We put out all of our table tents for our next Double Take Impersonators Show. She told me about a possible addition to our show, and the people she could impersonate. She also told me about a woman she ran into who owns a golf club, and is interested in having us do our show there. Very exciting stuff for us! So we had some soup, sat at the empty bar and talked. If it was busy, we would not have had this opportunity.
Shortly after she left, a couple I knew from the restaurant I worked at for 25 years stopped in. He was a customer there, she was one of the wait staff. I always enjoy their company, we always have a ton of things to talk about. They have an interesting story…they were both in unhappy marriages for well over 20 years….discovered each other…and although it was a slow road…they are now together, and their happiness is palpable. What a joy to be around!
Considering the overall slowness of the night, I figured that was it for the evening…and then about 15 minutes another couple came in. I have only seen them once before, don’t even know their names. A show came on the television about the royal wedding that is to take place tomorrow. They were watching it…..I started watching it with them. The gentleman commented that perhaps they should take the money being spent on this wedding, and use it for a good cause.
We were wondering just how much money was being spent. We learned that security alone, would cost 32 million dollars. Incredible! We watched and learned….we saw how much pomp and pageantry this would involve…how much tradition went into these events. They could probably wipe out hunger in a third world nation for the amount of money being spent so two people could get married on the world stage.
Oh, and then I learned a little about large parrots. (I got curious when they mentioned their doggie bag of leftovers was for the parrot.)
So, a slow night indeed…..but salvaged by conversation…..on a number of topics I never would have expected to talk about.
First Deb, the singer dropped in. We put out all of our table tents for our next Double Take Impersonators Show. She told me about a possible addition to our show, and the people she could impersonate. She also told me about a woman she ran into who owns a golf club, and is interested in having us do our show there. Very exciting stuff for us! So we had some soup, sat at the empty bar and talked. If it was busy, we would not have had this opportunity.
Shortly after she left, a couple I knew from the restaurant I worked at for 25 years stopped in. He was a customer there, she was one of the wait staff. I always enjoy their company, we always have a ton of things to talk about. They have an interesting story…they were both in unhappy marriages for well over 20 years….discovered each other…and although it was a slow road…they are now together, and their happiness is palpable. What a joy to be around!
Considering the overall slowness of the night, I figured that was it for the evening…and then about 15 minutes another couple came in. I have only seen them once before, don’t even know their names. A show came on the television about the royal wedding that is to take place tomorrow. They were watching it…..I started watching it with them. The gentleman commented that perhaps they should take the money being spent on this wedding, and use it for a good cause.
We were wondering just how much money was being spent. We learned that security alone, would cost 32 million dollars. Incredible! We watched and learned….we saw how much pomp and pageantry this would involve…how much tradition went into these events. They could probably wipe out hunger in a third world nation for the amount of money being spent so two people could get married on the world stage.
Oh, and then I learned a little about large parrots. (I got curious when they mentioned their doggie bag of leftovers was for the parrot.)
So, a slow night indeed…..but salvaged by conversation…..on a number of topics I never would have expected to talk about.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
The "Eds"
This is an excerpt from my book, “The Bar Wench From Hell”…….
Although Ed is not as popular a name as Bob, we have several examples. We have Brain Dead Ed, Good Looking Ed, Polack Eddie and Ed the Talking Horse. Good Looking Ed and Polack Eddie are self-explanatory. Let me tell you about the other Eds.
Brain Dead Ed was also known as Up-Side-the-Head Ed, when we were in a bowling league. Up-Side-the-Head Ed used to wear his hair in a “Fro” so every time someone got a strike, we hit Ed up-side the head. That name died out with the bowling league, and shortly thereafter he received his new moniker, Brain Dead Ed. For some reason this particular one stuck.
Brain dead Ed got that handle when he was having a discussion with one of the the waitresses one night, about nursing, of all things. The waitress he was debating with was a nursing student at the time, and Ed was not. It would appear to the trained observer, or any moron passing by, that they were not in agreement on a certain medical issue. I would definitely give the nursing student the upper hand, having immersed herself in the subject day after day for a few years. But Ed was more stubborn and didn’t feel that any classes or training gave ANYONE more knowledge, about anything, when he was certain he was right.
Sensing that the discussion was pointless, the waitress/nursing student proclaimed Ed to be brain dead, and hence, the name Brain Dead Ed stuck. You would not believe how quickly it caught on.
Unlike Brain Dead Ed, we did not refer to Ed the Talking Horse as such, when he was in the room. It started out as “Mr. Ed,” the name given to a certain talking television horse, but anyone younger that us might not know who we were talking about, so we became more descriptive (and we didn’t want to insult the real Mr. Ed) Ed became Ed the Talking Horse. It fit. He would sort of bob his head when was talking and say “Wweeelllllll nnnooooooowwwwww,” (whinny it like a horse). Although if I remember correctly, to his credit, he did not snort.
Several people also likened him to the other end of the horse.
Although Ed is not as popular a name as Bob, we have several examples. We have Brain Dead Ed, Good Looking Ed, Polack Eddie and Ed the Talking Horse. Good Looking Ed and Polack Eddie are self-explanatory. Let me tell you about the other Eds.
Brain Dead Ed was also known as Up-Side-the-Head Ed, when we were in a bowling league. Up-Side-the-Head Ed used to wear his hair in a “Fro” so every time someone got a strike, we hit Ed up-side the head. That name died out with the bowling league, and shortly thereafter he received his new moniker, Brain Dead Ed. For some reason this particular one stuck.
Brain dead Ed got that handle when he was having a discussion with one of the the waitresses one night, about nursing, of all things. The waitress he was debating with was a nursing student at the time, and Ed was not. It would appear to the trained observer, or any moron passing by, that they were not in agreement on a certain medical issue. I would definitely give the nursing student the upper hand, having immersed herself in the subject day after day for a few years. But Ed was more stubborn and didn’t feel that any classes or training gave ANYONE more knowledge, about anything, when he was certain he was right.
Sensing that the discussion was pointless, the waitress/nursing student proclaimed Ed to be brain dead, and hence, the name Brain Dead Ed stuck. You would not believe how quickly it caught on.
Unlike Brain Dead Ed, we did not refer to Ed the Talking Horse as such, when he was in the room. It started out as “Mr. Ed,” the name given to a certain talking television horse, but anyone younger that us might not know who we were talking about, so we became more descriptive (and we didn’t want to insult the real Mr. Ed) Ed became Ed the Talking Horse. It fit. He would sort of bob his head when was talking and say “Wweeelllllll nnnooooooowwwwww,” (whinny it like a horse). Although if I remember correctly, to his credit, he did not snort.
Several people also likened him to the other end of the horse.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
A Murphy's Law Monday..........
I had to work Monday lunch (I’m usually off on Monday’s) so I asked to be scheduled as the opener, so I could be first off after the lunch rush was over. Ahhh…..the best laid plans…..can get so totally screwed up by Murphy’s Law.
Before I even left for work I got a text from the other server who was working lunch, she felt like crap and wanted to know if she could be first off. Okay, it’s horrible to have to work when you’re sick. Along with the two of us, there were also three other servers scheduled to work a memorial luncheon. So I popped off a text to one of them, asking if they would cover the last couple of hours in the dining room. No answer. Okay, I’ll just talk to him when I get there.
As I’m driving to work, I get another text from the server who’s sick saying, “Never mind, too sick, called off.” Uh-oh, that limits my choices. Annnnd….upon arrival, I find out the reason I never got an answer to my text from the server working the luncheon, is that he too, called off. Salvaging the better part of my Monday is looking bleak.
If you have 10 people working, and 2 call off, the rest can pick up the slack. When there are only 5, and 2 call off, it’s crunch time. But it went okay, the dining room wasn’t too busy, and the number of people at the luncheon was smaller than they told us it would be.
I had glanced at the reservation book for the evening, expecting to see nothing. Wrong! I looked at the schedule…..the first server who called off sick was scheduled for the evening shift. Now this is really looking bleak! Of the 3 of us, one was already working a double, so of the two of us left, someone had to work tonight. In order to still salvage a couple of hours to run some quick errands, I played “Let’s make a Deal.” “I’m gonna blast off for 3 hours, you two figure out who’s gonna stay and cover the dining room, I’ll be back for the evening shift.” All agreed.
As soon as I walked in the door…..the rush began. Who knew a Monday could be so busy! Three hours went by like 15 minutes. Not such a bad day after all!
Before I even left for work I got a text from the other server who was working lunch, she felt like crap and wanted to know if she could be first off. Okay, it’s horrible to have to work when you’re sick. Along with the two of us, there were also three other servers scheduled to work a memorial luncheon. So I popped off a text to one of them, asking if they would cover the last couple of hours in the dining room. No answer. Okay, I’ll just talk to him when I get there.
As I’m driving to work, I get another text from the server who’s sick saying, “Never mind, too sick, called off.” Uh-oh, that limits my choices. Annnnd….upon arrival, I find out the reason I never got an answer to my text from the server working the luncheon, is that he too, called off. Salvaging the better part of my Monday is looking bleak.
If you have 10 people working, and 2 call off, the rest can pick up the slack. When there are only 5, and 2 call off, it’s crunch time. But it went okay, the dining room wasn’t too busy, and the number of people at the luncheon was smaller than they told us it would be.
I had glanced at the reservation book for the evening, expecting to see nothing. Wrong! I looked at the schedule…..the first server who called off sick was scheduled for the evening shift. Now this is really looking bleak! Of the 3 of us, one was already working a double, so of the two of us left, someone had to work tonight. In order to still salvage a couple of hours to run some quick errands, I played “Let’s make a Deal.” “I’m gonna blast off for 3 hours, you two figure out who’s gonna stay and cover the dining room, I’ll be back for the evening shift.” All agreed.
As soon as I walked in the door…..the rush began. Who knew a Monday could be so busy! Three hours went by like 15 minutes. Not such a bad day after all!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Working yet another holiday.......
I remember when I was a kid….pretty much every place was closed on Easter. What was the point in being open? Everyone was getting together with family and friends to share a big meal. But things certainly have changed. Many don’t have time to put a big holiday gathering together…or simply don’t want to. So, they go out to eat their feast. They come in two’s, four’s, eight’s, groups of fourteen etc.
Everyone seems to be in a jubilant mood….even the staff. We look at the reservation list, and know we are going to be busy. It’s one of those days where we know we will all make some money, and we should, we had to give up our holiday so those dining with us can enjoy theirs.
We are pretty much running from open to close….not to mention the additional time it took to prep for the day. We want everything to go as smoothly as possible.
No one can predict what menu item is going to sell more than another…..but we do our best to prepare for this…and if your reservation is at the end of the day, and you find we are out of something….well, life as we know it will not cease to exist. If you were dining at someone’s house, your choices would be severely limited compared to what we can offer. So if you find we are out of a couple things, and you decide to play stubborn child and tell us “Now, I don’t want anything!” Really?!? You can’t choose from the other 30 items that are offered?!? Did no one ever teach you that the universe does not revolve around you? (At this point I’m thinking whoever raised you should probably be slapped)
So go ahead, cut your nose off to spite your face…act like a child….you can decide to ruin your own day, but you’re not gonna ruin mine.
See, those of us who are working, are doing just that, WORKING! We accept the fact that we have to work holidays, we make our plans around them. You, on the other hand are sitting down with family and friends at a time you chose. So instead of acting like a stubborn child, you need to get over your own selfish wants, look at the big picture and appreciate the most important fact, that you are gathered with the people you love.
p.s. Once again, if some of the words are underlined, I do not know why, the computer seems to have a mind of it's own. I don't know why this is happeneing, nor in my limited computer skills, do I know how to fix it. (Maybe these are only showing up on my computer)
Everyone seems to be in a jubilant mood….even the staff. We look at the reservation list, and know we are going to be busy. It’s one of those days where we know we will all make some money, and we should, we had to give up our holiday so those dining with us can enjoy theirs.
We are pretty much running from open to close….not to mention the additional time it took to prep for the day. We want everything to go as smoothly as possible.
No one can predict what menu item is going to sell more than another…..but we do our best to prepare for this…and if your reservation is at the end of the day, and you find we are out of something….well, life as we know it will not cease to exist. If you were dining at someone’s house, your choices would be severely limited compared to what we can offer. So if you find we are out of a couple things, and you decide to play stubborn child and tell us “Now, I don’t want anything!” Really?!? You can’t choose from the other 30 items that are offered?!? Did no one ever teach you that the universe does not revolve around you? (At this point I’m thinking whoever raised you should probably be slapped)
So go ahead, cut your nose off to spite your face…act like a child….you can decide to ruin your own day, but you’re not gonna ruin mine.
See, those of us who are working, are doing just that, WORKING! We accept the fact that we have to work holidays, we make our plans around them. You, on the other hand are sitting down with family and friends at a time you chose. So instead of acting like a stubborn child, you need to get over your own selfish wants, look at the big picture and appreciate the most important fact, that you are gathered with the people you love.
p.s. Once again, if some of the words are underlined, I do not know why, the computer seems to have a mind of it's own. I don't know why this is happeneing, nor in my limited computer skills, do I know how to fix it. (Maybe these are only showing up on my computer)
Friday, April 22, 2011
No Need For Coffee!
I worked the lunch shift yesterday…busy enough to keep us moving for a couple of hours. Then I had a couple of hours off, and had to be back at 4:00 for my bartending shift. As I was driving back to work, just before 4:00, all I could think about was having a cup of coffee when I got there. I was feeling pretty sluggish. A couple of minutes after arriving, the host asked me if I would pick up a table. The guy that was supposed to be working was feeling really sick…one look at him and I knew he had to go home. So I took the table, not like there was really a choice, I was now the only server there, even though it was a bartending shift.
I figured that it would get me a few extra dollars, because the Thursday bar crowd is usually pretty sparse. Next thing I know, in comes a table of six, a table of two, a single diner, and then another table of two….all within a couple of minutes. I looked around, okay, time to go from low gear to high gear, and I’ve got about 15 seconds to do it.
I totally forgot about the coffee, because the adrenaline kicked in. Cool, all I’ve got to do is make it until 5:00, when the next server will arrive.
5:00 came and went, and no one showed up. Oh shit! Another table! Good thing the adrenaline is already flowing…gotta kick it up another notch!
Just as I was about to go into overload, the server scheduled for 6:00 showed up. Whew!
The manager was about to take a table of five. Even the busboy, who was already zooming around was ready to pick up a table.
So we powered through the night….as predicted, the bar crowd was small, I had time to take care of them also.
Gotta love those nights when 3 hours have passed and it felt like 15 minutes! Who needs coffee? (Although I am drinking mass quantities of it right now)
I figured that it would get me a few extra dollars, because the Thursday bar crowd is usually pretty sparse. Next thing I know, in comes a table of six, a table of two, a single diner, and then another table of two….all within a couple of minutes. I looked around, okay, time to go from low gear to high gear, and I’ve got about 15 seconds to do it.
I totally forgot about the coffee, because the adrenaline kicked in. Cool, all I’ve got to do is make it until 5:00, when the next server will arrive.
5:00 came and went, and no one showed up. Oh shit! Another table! Good thing the adrenaline is already flowing…gotta kick it up another notch!
Just as I was about to go into overload, the server scheduled for 6:00 showed up. Whew!
The manager was about to take a table of five. Even the busboy, who was already zooming around was ready to pick up a table.
So we powered through the night….as predicted, the bar crowd was small, I had time to take care of them also.
Gotta love those nights when 3 hours have passed and it felt like 15 minutes! Who needs coffee? (Although I am drinking mass quantities of it right now)
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Coupon Scammers......
Have you ever noticed all the fine print that is on coupons nowadays? “No to be used with any other offer”……”One coupon per table”……“No split checks”…..”Not valid on holidays”……These are all printed on there for a reason……because many people are unreasonable.
We had a couple with their two kids come in the other night…..they asked the hostess if they could use two coupons, she didn’t think so, but wasn’t sure. This is NOT a yes. So at the end of their meal they presented the server with a $10.00 off coupon. Okay. Then after she took the $10.00 off, they magically found a $40.00 coupon and wanted to use that one also. NO!!!!! (Common sense would dictate that you use the $40.00 coupon.) Now all of a sudden they wanted to speak to the manager…..all of a sudden it was the worst service they’ve EVER had!
Good parenting job going on here…. Way to go….all you’re teaching your kids is how to try and scam someone…..and when you don’t get your own way you resort to lies about your server. There are only about 14 servers here, we all work closely together, and we all know what type of service everyone gives. If it had been a server who was new, I may be inclined to believe a small portion of what you claimed, but not with the one you had!
People try and pull coupon scams all the time…..they pretend it doesn’t say “No split checks”….before they even order they tell you they want separate checks….then, later in the meal, they pull out this coupon they “forgot” about…”Can I use this for my meal?” “Yes, but then I can’t give you separate checks.” “Why not?” “Because it says so on the coupon.” “Well I don’t see why you can’t.”
I know you don’t understand…..(and it’s not my fault that no one at your table seems to have the capability to do simple math.) So you push the issue….if you’re that afraid that you may pay a nickel more than someone else at your table, maybe you shouldn’t be dining out with them.
Oh, and for the parents who are teaching their kids to scam and lie…..you’re probably part of the gene pool that should never have been allowed to reproduce.
We had a couple with their two kids come in the other night…..they asked the hostess if they could use two coupons, she didn’t think so, but wasn’t sure. This is NOT a yes. So at the end of their meal they presented the server with a $10.00 off coupon. Okay. Then after she took the $10.00 off, they magically found a $40.00 coupon and wanted to use that one also. NO!!!!! (Common sense would dictate that you use the $40.00 coupon.) Now all of a sudden they wanted to speak to the manager…..all of a sudden it was the worst service they’ve EVER had!
Good parenting job going on here…. Way to go….all you’re teaching your kids is how to try and scam someone…..and when you don’t get your own way you resort to lies about your server. There are only about 14 servers here, we all work closely together, and we all know what type of service everyone gives. If it had been a server who was new, I may be inclined to believe a small portion of what you claimed, but not with the one you had!
People try and pull coupon scams all the time…..they pretend it doesn’t say “No split checks”….before they even order they tell you they want separate checks….then, later in the meal, they pull out this coupon they “forgot” about…”Can I use this for my meal?” “Yes, but then I can’t give you separate checks.” “Why not?” “Because it says so on the coupon.” “Well I don’t see why you can’t.”
I know you don’t understand…..(and it’s not my fault that no one at your table seems to have the capability to do simple math.) So you push the issue….if you’re that afraid that you may pay a nickel more than someone else at your table, maybe you shouldn’t be dining out with them.
Oh, and for the parents who are teaching their kids to scam and lie…..you’re probably part of the gene pool that should never have been allowed to reproduce.
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