How did you handle bad restaurant service?

[siberian khatru]

I came across this anecdote on a blog:

My senior year we had dinner at Ambrosia, a Very High End 4 star resturant on Balboa, near the bridge to Lido. Dressed to the 9's. The service was AWFUL. We were put right next to the kitchen door, which actually banged into my date's chair each time it opened. We didn't buy any wine (drinking age in CA was 21) but were charged $20 for it ANYWAY, because it was "policy."

After I paid the check I asked the waiter to bring over the captain and matre'de. I told them that for a meal like that (nearly $100 in pre-inflation money) I'd expect to leave a $20 tip. The service had been horrid and I would not leave a tip, but I didn't want them to believe it was because I was a cheap teenage that they could treat like crap. So I folded a $20 and put it in the ashtray and set it on fire.

I thought the matre'de was going to have a stroke. 6 months later they were closed.

http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/...ves/005618.php

I thought that was terrific.

Anybody else have a good story like that? (I don't.)

[CosmicPal]

I leave two pennies on the table and say nothing.

That's my two cents any time I ever get bad service. It's rare that I'll ever do it, but I've had to do it a couple of times in the recent past.

The way I look at it- they know they're providing poor service and when they return to get their tip and they only see two pennies on the table, I hope they think about the consequences of providing poor service 'cause after all- they are primarily living off of these tips.

I save myself the embarrassment of arguing with managers in front of others and I just walk out quietly into the night knowing that I evened it up.

[Rain Man]

Even when I try to be nice, they sometimes pour hot espresso on me. No telling what would happen if I complained.

[NewChief]

Originally Posted by Saggysack

I come back a second time with a big bag of crickets from the pet store.

Nothing clears and kills out a eatery faster than 20,000 bugs crawling and jumping all over the place.

No, I've never done that. Have thought about it though. It would be funny as hell seeing the mass exodus of those that didn't have a chance to pay their bill.

That was our senior prank when I was in high school. Everyone met up at the bait shop in the morning and bought a bag of crickets, which we let out in the school first period. It was awesome, though the halls soon looked pretty nasty from all the people stepping on the crickets.

[|Zach|]

I remember reading a blog based on a book called "Manhattan Waiter" Based on a series of interviews of people who waited tables in NYC. Always foind some interesting stuff...a perspective from the other side of the table...

Some funny stuff...interesting stuff.

http://blogs.salon.com/0003612/2004/04/30.html

There is probably nothing quite as controversial as tipping. Some people do it, and some don't. Well, what I mean is that some people do it properly, and some people don't.

And I guess that's where we get into all the tipping drama, by attempting to define a "proper" tip. Most sources will say 15% - 20%, but some people tip more, and many Europeans tip less.

So let's listen in on Blummy explaining his thoughts on tipping. If you're just stopping in, Blummy works at a two star restaurant in the teens.

And by the way, today is Friday, so for those of you who plan to eat out...please tip!

*************************

One thing I learned was never judge a book by it's cover. People are what they are. What are you gonna' do? Look at a guy and see if he's rich? Sometimes the wealthiest people are the cheapest bastards on Earth.

I find it's usually the blue collar people who tip the most 'cause they understand that you're breaking your back. However, depending on the restaurant...When working in higher scale restaurants, these clients are familiar with dining out on a current basis. They understand the role of etiquette, that you give at least 15-17, 20 percent. Some people just do 20 percent because they don't feel like doing the math. But some people...

And I always find it's the people you do extra for, that either tip you amazing, or tip you horrible. It's the average people that go undernoticed.

Tipping...I don't know. You win some; you lose some, but there's no way to go about it. You can't approach a table and pass judgement on them, because you just never know.

Sometimes the most demanding are the hardest to satisfy, so therefore, they are just never satisfied with you, no matter what you do, so they tip you less. It's usually the people who are demanding a lot from you, like up and out of the ordinary, if their friend who is eating with them pays for the check, and notices that their friend is being difficult and you are doing your best, then that person will tip you good. But the person making all these ****ing requests, they're just assholes. Ya know?

I don't know what's going on with them. Me myself, as a server, I sometimes find myself being nasty to waiters when I'm being served. Only when they make stupid mistakes, or if they underestimate that I know what's going on. And I see them trying to use, you know, some of that magic. That behind the scenes magic?

The average sheep, restaurant patron doesn't know what goes on behind the scenes. I do and that gives me the ability to see in different dimensions, through walls. And when I see them trying to put one over on me, trying to use one of the tricks...I don't like that. Slacking off, or doing half ass work, or ignoring my table. Just doing little things. I'm very picky, but when I get service, I tip a hell of a lot. If I get mediocre service, I give them twenty percent.

If you're gonna' work at a diner, chances are you're gonna' get shitty tips all the time. I work at a good restaurant where the check average is $90 to $100 per person. So what's a bad tip? What if a guy orders $400 worth of food but a $900 bottle of wine? That's a $1300 check. You expect him to give $260 in gratuity just because you opened a bottle of wine?

Give me $100 for that and I'll be happy. 'Cause right next to that is a two top that's only a $120 check and I made $24 on a twenty percent tip. So it's all about how ridiculous your mind works. If your like, "Oh, I'm entitled!" You're not entitled to shit.

[Fire Me Boy!]

I was at Applebee's once, about 2 hours before close, and they were NOT busy, but not slow. My wife and I got there and it took about 15 minutes for someone to even ask us for our drink orders. When a waitress finally came over, she took our drink orders. Took a while to get those, then she left without taking our orders. Came back, took the orders, left. Didn't check on us until the food was ready (we had to ask another server for refills and silverware). When she brought my wife her riblets, she asked for extra napkins and another refill. The lady disappeared and came back about 5 minutes later to see how the food was. My wife, again asked for the refill and napkins, and the girls frowned, scoffed, and said... "I'm busy." Not a "sorry" or even a "sorry, I'm busy." Just a very rude "I'm busy." After already having a night of poor service, this pushed me over the edge.

When the check came, I paid with a credit card so they'd have to keep the receipt and a manager would see it. I left no tip, and wrote the following: "If you too busy to do your job get out. I was going to leave a tip, but I lost it. I was too busy to look for it."

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!

When the check came, I paid with a credit card so they'd have to keep the receipt and a manager would see it. I left no tip, and wrote the following: "If you too busy to do your job get out. I was going to leave a tip, but I lost it. I was too busy to look for it."

I liked that.



My wife and I walked out of a restaurant a while back because we sat and sat and no one would wait on us. We made sure to inform the two other couples who were walking in as we walked out. One extra server, and our profit would've covered half of their labor cost for the night. What a shame.

[PastorMikH]

Wow! Nobody puts a tip in a drink then turn the glass holding the drink upside down? Works great with clear liquids where they can see the tip but can't get it without making a mess.



Actually, I had such a bad experience at the Ryans in Joplin Mo that I won't go back to ANY Ryans Steakhouse. The service was so bad that after 20 minutes, I got up, when to the soda fountains behind the counter and got our drinks. When I was asked what I was doing, I told them (as politely as I could at that point) that we'd been waiting for 20 minutes on drinks and I thought I'd help them out. Incedentally, our table was located between the drink counter and the rest of the restuaraunt so EVERY waitress had walked by us numerous times. Add in that the food on the bar was either cold, stale, or both AND the fact that if we had came in less than 5 minutes later the kids would have eaten for free but the cashier charged us anyway, I was extremely disgusted.

Even sent an email to the corporate office about my experience. Never heard a word back.

[Seek]

I haven't done anything like that except leave a bad tip. I did have an ex girlfriends father, do the Here is your base tip. For everything you do that I don't like, I will take a dollar away. If you do something good, I will add that dollar back.

This was at Olive Garden in KC. He was visiting his daughter and lived in Las Vegas. So I am just assuming it must be a different life style because he bitched about everything. I couldn't believe it.

First he wanted Angel Hair, not spaghetti. I know the difference but Olive Garden got it wrong, so he took a dollar away. She took the order back and came out with Spaghetti again. Again he complained. This time the chef came out and said, this is Angel Hair, he continued to argue with them. By this time I was about done with my food. So was my Ex.

He ended up throwing such a fit he just looked at us in front of the manager, and said lets go. I am not paying them a damn thing. So we all walked out without even paying for our food.

I never felt so uncomfortable in my life.

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by Seek

I haven't done anything like that except leave a bad tip. I did have an ex girlfriends father, do the Here is your base tip. For everything you do that I don't like, I will take a dollar away. If you do something good, I will add that dollar back.

This was at Olive Garden in KC. He was visiting his daughter and lived in Las Vegas. So I am just assuming it must be a different life style because he bitched about everything. I couldn't believe it.

First he wanted Angel Hair, not spaghetti. I know the difference but Olive Garden got it wrong, so he took a dollar away. She took the order back and came out with Spaghetti again. Again he complained. This time the chef came out and said, this is Angel Hair, he continued to argue with them. By this time I was about done with my food. So was my Ex.

He ended up throwing such a fit he just looked at us in front of the manager, and said lets go. I am not paying them a damn thing. So we all walked out without even paying for our food.

I never felt so uncomfortable in my life.

What a dick.

[Otter]

I worked my way through college bartending and waitering. The worst possible insult you can give to a waiter is to kindly ask the manager to be seated in another waiters/waitress area then have everything go well and leave a big tip.

Don't take bad cooking out on the waiter/waitress however.

Bartending is much easier to make people happy. Don't like your drink? Pour it out and make another one. Busy? Get the bar back in there and start serving beers. Don't like the fact I don't want to listen to your sob story for another hour? Go tell my manager, I'm busy.

Moral of story: bartend if you have to go that route

[Spicy McHaggis]

Originally Posted by Seek

I haven't done anything like that except leave a bad tip. I did have an ex girlfriends father, do the Here is your base tip. For everything you do that I don't like, I will take a dollar away. If you do something good, I will add that dollar back.

This was at Olive Garden in KC. He was visiting his daughter and lived in Las Vegas. So I am just assuming it must be a different life style because he bitched about everything. I couldn't believe it.

First he wanted Angel Hair, not spaghetti. I know the difference but Olive Garden got it wrong, so he took a dollar away. She took the order back and came out with Spaghetti again. Again he complained. This time the chef came out and said, this is Angel Hair, he continued to argue with them. By this time I was about done with my food. So was my Ex.

He ended up throwing such a fit he just looked at us in front of the manager, and said lets go. I am not paying them a damn thing. So we all walked out without even paying for our food.

I never felt so uncomfortable in my life.

Hey at least be glad you didn't marry into that.

[Swanman]

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!

When the check came, I paid with a credit card so they'd have to keep the receipt and a manager would see it. I left no tip, and wrote the following: "If you too busy to do your job get out. I was going to leave a tip, but I lost it. I was too busy to look for it."

I've left notes on receipts before. It's a good way to vent if you don't want the confrontation part of it.

The guy who runs Zug.com got horrible service and tried to leave a negative tip, but he was still charged the full amount. But that is a novel idea.

[Simplex3]

Originally Posted by NewChief

That was our senior prank when I was in high school. Everyone met up at the bait shop in the morning and bought a bag of crickets, which we let out in the school first period. It was awesome, though the halls soon looked pretty nasty from all the people stepping on the crickets.

Hehe. We did the same thing except we cleaned out all the local pet stores and we released them in the ceiling. My g/f at the time was a year behind me and said they were dropping onto desks and crap the next year.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Spicy McHaggis

Hey at least be glad you didn't marry into that.

Off topic, but back when I was a young buck I made a very bad girlfriend decision. When I met her family, it was like meeting a dysfunctional Addams family on drugs. From top to bottom, there wasn't a single person in that family that wasn't seriously screwed up in one way or the other.

The dad took the cake, though. He literally could not stop talking, ever. If you wanted peace and quiet, you just had to leave. I remember going to their house for Thanksgiving once, and there was a time when it was just me and the dad standing around outside. I kid you not, I stood there for probably close to an hour and never said a single word. The guy didn't stop talking the entire time, and never even tried to ask a question or have any kind of two-way conversation.

[Simplex3]

Originally Posted by Seek

I haven't done anything like that except leave a bad tip. I did have an ex girlfriends father, do the Here is your base tip. For everything you do that I don't like, I will take a dollar away. If you do something good, I will add that dollar back.

Hope you checked your food for extra ingredients. I saw that stunt pulled a couple of times in my food service days and both of them involved additional flavoring.