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what is the worst thing a server can do to make you mad?

#1
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7/31/09 at 6:30am
  • Joined: July 2008
  • Post Count: 116
just thought I'd share my pet peeves that will net a bad tip or a sour taste in my mouth...

1. Asking me how my food is more than once
2. Asking me how my food is while it's quite obviously in my mouth and I can't answer
3. Not refilling my drink
and 4. when more than one server or food runner takes care of my table so I ultimately don't know who to tip when leaving.
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#2
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7/31/09 at 7:13am
  • Joined: April 2001
  • Location: South Carolina
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#2 - I swear, sometimes they're just standing in a corner and waiting til I have that forkful in my mouth, then run over to ask how everything is!!!

__________________
"Like water for chocolate"

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#3
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7/31/09 at 7:31am
  • Joined: February 2009
  • Location: Pacific Northwest
  • Post Count: 326
Pulling up a chair and taking my order, like i'm buying a used car.
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#4
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7/31/09 at 8:24am
  • Joined: May 2006
  • Location: PALM BEACH FLORIDA
  • Post Count: 2,552
Walking around useing cellphone.
Avoiding eye contact
Asking me 5 times ''Everything ok here""if it wasn't I would call you!
When you pay check asking "do you want change"?
Always having to ask for ketchup, A1 or steak sauce, syrup for pancakes ,all the condiments that should go with things, and then having to wait while food gets cold,to get them.
Taking plate away before I am done.
Not refilling h20 glasses .:beer:

CHEFED

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#5
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7/31/09 at 8:40am
  • Joined: February 2007
  • Location: Nova Scotia
  • Post Count: 183
I once gave a server $60 for a $42 dollar restaurant bill because that was all I had on me and she kept the change! That aggravated me...if I was a server I would bring the bill and the change back in that little leather pouch thing and leave it on the table discreetly and give the GUEST the option of leaving me the change as a tip.

Even worse I actually WORKED at this restaurat....nothing like a co-worker stealing your hard earned money from you.....
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#6
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7/31/09 at 12:52pm
  • Joined: January 2009
  • Post Count: 135
Ditto what everyone else has said, and add:

Failure to disclose the price of verbally described specials. Spare me the phony snob appeal, how much is it?
poorly timed courses. If I want my salad with my dinner I'll let you know.
rushing the check and just as bad, disappearing when I want my check.

I know this is house related and the server can't do anything about it, but I absolutely DETEST having someone put pepper on my salad with one of those ridiculous 3 foot long grinders. It's pepper for god's sake, not gold. I hated doing this 100 years ago when I was a waiter. Nothing made me feel more foolish. Put little grinders on every table and I'll eat with you forever.
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#7
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7/31/09 at 2:28pm
  • Joined: August 2007
  • Location: Scotland
  • Post Count: 1,334

Can't understand why you let her keep ur money???

Never met a waiter/waitress i didnt get on with. Truly. Guess i'm just lucky. Only time i worried was EVERY TIME We've been at Bubba gumps and dreaded the "How well do you know the movie quiz" Quiz. I loved the movie, but deny all knowledge when asked

"If we're not supposed to eat animals, why are they made of meat?" Jo Brand

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#8
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7/31/09 at 3:25pm
  • Joined: September 2008
  • Location: Los Angeles, CA
  • Post Count: 612
What really, really aggravates me the MOST is when a waiter brings the hot food and then starts talking to us while the food on our plates go cold. "Are you guys French? (both me and my wife have a pretty thick French accent) Oh sooo exciiiting! I learned French when I was in high school.. but now I forgot everything.. so are you guys visiting? No? You live heeeeere? Great! So what do you do? Computer programming? Greaaaaat! I knew a guy who's cousin was selling computers. His name was Derreck. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blaaaaaaah."

What are we supposed to do? Eat while she talks? Or wait and eat our food cold? :mad:

Worse: the other day at a nicer restaurant, the sommelier started talking to my wife and I in French - problem was, we were with two other friends who don't speak a word of French. And THEY were inviting us. I was so embarassed... every 5mn the sommelier would come back and explain to us, in French, which wine was what and why it was paired with certain food or whatnot. At the end I was kinda ignoring the poor guy to give him a clue, but he was just standing there while we were eating, it was just silly. The worse part is that the guy was extremely knowledgeable, and at another time I would probably have PAID for him to give me a lesson on food/wine pairing. But not when I'm having dinner with my friends!
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#9
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8/2/09 at 4:27pm
  • Joined: February 2007
  • Location: Melbourne, Vic, Australia
  • Post Count: 2,057
French Fries - what an awkward situation with the sommelier.

Guess I would have replied in English and ignored the french portion of the conversation. Or said in french to him, as the others wouldn't have understood, "An Anglais, s'il vous plais" (sp?). The guy was showing off I'm sure, and had you been just there as a couple, as you say, it would have been good.
"Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what's for lunch." Orson Wells
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#10
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8/3/09 at 3:03pm
  • Joined: August 2009
  • Location: Pacific Northwest WA
  • Post Count: 10
Huge serrated steak knives.....:mad:
Being treated like I'm cheap and won't tip well because I'm 19. Just because I'm a kid does not mean I'm an idiot. I always tip very well.
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#11
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8/4/09 at 6:47am
  • Joined: April 2007
  • Location: Halifax
  • Post Count: 268
The worst --hitting on your date /spouse. What do you think you are, a bartender?

--Al
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#12
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8/4/09 at 7:07am
  • Joined: October 2007
  • Location: Eureka, CA
  • Post Count: 1,018
Correct my pronunciation.
If I want to say "a-niece", don't reply "an-iss".
Same goes for "broo-skett-uh" & "broo-shettuh", or anything else.
I'm there to enjoy a meal, not take a test.

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

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#13
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8/4/09 at 4:20pm
  • Joined: July 2006
  • Post Count: 675
Shoving his ticket folder inside the back of his pants, where it comes into close proximity with his sweaty butt cheeks [or his underwear at the very least]. The idea that he serves food with the same hands that touch that folder, sickens me.
"The pressure's on...let's cook something!"
Social Group: "Pressure Cooker Enthusiasts"...everyone's welcome.
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#14
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8/5/09 at 6:03pm
  • Joined: July 2009
  • Location: Chicago
  • Post Count: 223

Exactly...And not refilling your drink.

It took sooo long one time I was at a restaurant to get our order out. We ordered sandwiches, mind you, nothing had to be cooked. So what to do while waiting.....order more drinks, drive up the bill. Clearly our food was ready, they just wanted us to drink more.
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#15
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9/6/09 at 7:00am
  • Joined: July 2009
  • Location: PA
  • Post Count: 33
I dont know if this has ever happened to anyone but it happens to me quite a lot when I get lucky enough to go out on a busy night if I'm not in my kitchen...

but have you ever been somewhere where they're a bit busy and have the server or food runner ask you how everything was when you didnt even get your food yet? I swear it has happened to me over half a dozen times and my answer is the same every time... "I'm sure it will be great"

You have eyes, cant you see my silverware is still rolled and there isnt a crumb on the table?!
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#16
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9/7/09 at 2:06pm
  • Joined: April 2009
  • Location: Seattle, WA
  • Post Count: 55
Once a friend and I went to a nice well known restaurant on the east side of Seattle and the waitress came around and asked if we would like to start with an appetizer which we ordered and she also asked what would we like for the main course which we told her what we wanted not knowing or expecting to get the appetizer and main course served at the same time!


Now whenever I go out to eat I order appetizer and only when I am done with the appetizer I will order the main course, I hope that does not make the waiter/waitress mad.
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#17
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9/7/09 at 8:40pm
  • Joined: October 2008
  • Location: Quincy, MA -- and unfortunately not Kyoto
  • Post Count: 752
There is an old Jack Ziegler cartoon for the New Yorker, entitled "Munch in Manhattan." If you've got a way to view that -- the online cartoonbank thing doesn't let you see it large enough to read the words -- it's about the funniest thing I've ever seen on infuriatingly pretentious-awful service.
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#18
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9/8/09 at 4:31am
  • Joined: February 2007
  • Location: Melbourne, Vic, Australia
  • Post Count: 2,057
Hey Chris,
Tried to look at that too, link is:
Jack Ziegler : Munch in Manhattan - Cartoonbank.com

But yeah. It is unreadable at that size and it can't be made bigger to read.

Ah well :)
"Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what's for lunch." Orson Wells
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#19
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9/8/09 at 9:13am
  • Joined: August 2009
  • Location: Montreal Canada
  • Post Count: 806
I ate at the Red Lobster on saturday and the waitress asked if the food was ok, before I could tell her that my trout was dry as the sahara, she blurts out " Oh , I am glad HON, just enjoy your meal" !
I wanted to yell so badly.
This woman did not have the courtesy to wait to see my answer then she calls me HON.
I am not her Honey ! Where do waitresses get off calling their customers pet names ? Last I checked, we were not together.............

Petals
Creme tangerine and Montélimar
A ginger sling with a pineapple heart....after the "Savoy Truffle".

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#20
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9/8/09 at 11:52am
  • Joined: February 2007
  • Location: Melbourne, Vic, Australia
  • Post Count: 2,057
Petals, I don't like the "pet" names people use here either...."Darl"..."Luv"...."Hon"...uggh
Have never come across it anywhere except here - have learnt to turn a deaf ear to it, but it still grates after 6 years in this state.

So glad she listened to your complaint! :rolleyes:
"Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what's for lunch." Orson Wells
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#21
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9/8/09 at 1:40pm
  • Joined: August 2009
  • Location: Montreal Canada
  • Post Count: 806
DC,

Yes, I was so pleased with the whole dining experience. But like you said, pet names are something that should never be said to a customer, no matter how friendly someone is.
I was at the Outback on sunday (last day of a long weekend) and the waiter came to my table and started pouring a beer, and blurts out, " I just know your going to enjoy this one as well". He looks down at me and says, " Uh, I got the wrong table ". Why not look at me first to see if they have the right table before they pour or serve ? Does that not make more sense ?
In the meantime I was sipping a margarita.....:beer:

Petals

Petals
Creme tangerine and Montélimar
A ginger sling with a pineapple heart....after the "Savoy Truffle".

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#22
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9/23/09 at 5:53pm
  • Joined: September 2009
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@ ToKEN

I actually have one worse than that I was brought my check and asked how everything was before I got my food, or a refill on my coffee now that I think back. However, thats what you get at IHOP at 4am when you've been out drinking I guess. Not to one up you, but I haven't ever heard of that other than the night it happened to me.
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#23
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9/25/09 at 5:35pm
  • Joined: July 2009
  • Location: Chicago
  • Post Count: 223
I completely agree with you. The concept of an appetizer is a before the meal 'munchie.' It's something to hold you over until the main event. That's happened to me a couple of times. I'm not one to cause a scene but it does get under my skin. Good advice is to order appetizer, make sure it comes to your table and then order what you want for the meal.
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#24
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9/27/09 at 8:41pm
  • Joined: February 2007
  • Location: Melbourne, Vic, Australia
  • Post Count: 2,057
Lol Petals, that is pathetic, mmmm Marguerita with a beer chaser? Did you get the free beer and enjoy it? :)

A thing I don't like is at some up market restaurants, where the food, atmosphere, service etc etc is great....why do they have the servers standing around like funeral directors waiting for you to say farewell to the mortal world? It can't be fun for the server, and it is not fun for the diner.

Just as an aside to that, where I am there is a meat company called Lethborg who make great sausages. But, there's also a nearby funeral director under the name of Lethborg....I don't enjoy those sausages so much anymore...wondering about where they come from :D
"Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what's for lunch." Orson Wells
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#25
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9/28/09 at 10:49am
  • Joined: October 2001
  • Location: Fond du Lac, WI
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The other night I was at a place and ordered a Black and Tan. What came was a Black and Blue (Guinness and Blue Moon). I told the server that it was wrong to which she replied, and I quote, "I ordered a Black and Tan so that must be it." I said no, it wasn't to which the reply was, "Well can't you drink that?" I told her no and made her get me the proper drink. When she came back she apologized and said that the bartender made the wrong drink-translation-she grabbed the wrong drink as she didn't have a clue.

From Man's sweat and God's love, beer came into the World-Saint Arnoldus
http://www.onceachef.com/

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#26
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9/28/09 at 11:58am
  • Joined: June 2007
  • Location: Corvallis, Oregon
  • Post Count: 1,730
I agree, Pete . . . not being knowledgeable of what he/she is serving, and acting like the customer is wrong--definitely one of the worst things!
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#27
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9/28/09 at 2:34pm
  • Joined: September 2009
  • Location: 20 miles from the nearest tsunami
  • Post Count: 30
A couple of things that bug me are a server arguing with you when you get something you didn't order like it's your fault that the wrong dish came. Also when a server has taken an order and disappears like being abducted by aliens, until the check arrives and the gratituity is forthcoming.
Something on which to speculate...is there a server "black hole" that swallows them up and then spews them out when it's "tip time"!
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#28
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10/1/09 at 8:00pm
  • Joined: September 2009
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Well most of those are not big deals to me but my pet peeves are:

when the waitor waits 20 minutes before returning to your table

refilling drinks quick enough

when they are rude to you
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#29
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10/1/09 at 9:14pm
  • Joined: December 2001
  • Location: San Francisco
  • Post Count: 1,265
I hate being ignored. I've walked out of a restaurant from being ignored too long.
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#30
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10/1/09 at 9:40pm
  • Joined: September 2008
  • Location: Los Angeles, CA
  • Post Count: 612
Definitely. Same here.

The other day, my wife and I walk into a classy Japanese restaurant. The hostess seats us, gives us menus, and says the waitress is going to be right with us. We wait a few minutes, then see the hostess show another couple to the table next to us. Within seconds, a bus boy brings them hot towels. Hmmm.... we didn't get hot towels? Nevermind. Meanwhile, my wife is starving, and still no sign of a waitress.

A few minutes later, the waitress comes, and goes to take THEIR order! I thought we were going to leave - but finally we talked to the waitress and she promptly brought us hot towels and took our order.

Of course, the other table still got their food first. What are we... invisible? :confused:
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