Restaurant Server Pet Peeves

I’m sure you all have some. One of mine resurfaced last night

I hate when I pay the bill and the server asks “Do you need change?”

Open the freaking folder and count the money. If there is more in there than the bottom line of the invoice just make change and STFU. You’ll just have to make one more trip to pick up your tip.

Last night he bill was $106.94 and there were 2 $100 bills in the folder.

Rant over.

What are some of yours?

“Are you still working?”

I’m eating, not working.

Don’t disappear on me. Other than that, I generally don’t care.

“no problem”

Use of the term server.

You prefer serveur?

‘Cause they keep them in labor camps?

That one is near the top of my list. Someone needs to train them to just say “I’ll be right back with your change,” giving the diner an opportunity to let them know that no change is required but not being presumptuous.

There was a post on the WaPo live chat with their restaurant critic where someone complained that servers weren’t bringing coin change basically just rounding the bill up to the nearest dollar. No one has yet done that to me, but if they do I hope they are happy with that amount as their tip.

My biggest peeve is servers who can’t keep drink glasses full. In college, when I was much closer to my own brief sojourns in the restaurant industry and more intolerant of service issues that were clearly under the server’s control, I had a rule where the base tip went down 1% for each minute my iced tea or soft drink glass sat empty. If the server was clearly in the weeds because of a challenging table, getting multiple tables within a short window, or similar issues, I’d waive the “rule” of course.

A final peeve (for now) is servers who clear dishes before everyone has finished their course. I think it comes from inadequate training, correctly emphasizing prebussing tables without explaining what that really means.

Maybe he prefers waitron?

“If it was work, I wouldn’t still be eating it.”

Here I dislike the repetition back of the order, casual places do it all the time. Though admittedly they get it wrong reasonably often.

It’s becme a bit of a joke, at one place a group of three colleagues and I visit weekly they do t despite the fact that we have all ordered the same thing for almost three years.

“Are you familiar with our concept?”

Think how wrong the orders would be if they didn’t read it back.

Just curious , what are the standard orders for you folks ?

“Is everything ok” asked exactly 0.01 seconds after I have put food in my mouth.

Being asked if we want dessert while still eating our entrees. This happens mainly in less expensive restaurants (chains)but our last visit at a high-end local one we had the same thing happen. I know they are trying to move us on and sit someone else but at least let us finish the main course before asking if we want more.

Cheers,
Curt

Come around the table to serve me - don’t reach across the table to serve or remove dishes. I think the old rule is serve from the left and take from the right. Neither of those includes you reaching across my table.

That happened last weekend. I told the server (!) “Check back in 5 minutes to see if I’m dead.”

Double stacking your meal, you are still finishing your appetizer or salad, then your main comes out.

JvsWibR_nsk

Indeed I rather dislike the regimented way this is ‘trained’ in the UK. Much better to my mind are:

• The eagle-eyed maitre d, who has an eye cast over ever table, who with just a slight twist of the head or raised eyebrow, has the nearest waiter/waitress scurrying over to address any problem the instant they see it in the customer’s eyes. The French seem especially good at this, and a place in Julienas (Le Coq et Le Rose) is pictured in my mind as I type. Honourable mention to Kasbah in Lipari (Sicily), where the staff were barely seen unless you needed something, and then they were already on their way over before you started to look around for them. 'Trying a bit too hard to The Grand Hotel in Brighton, where a friend was having a business meal and the conversation got onto vegetarianism and a waiter scuttled over asking if they wanted a vegetarian menu. Hint: business people feel uncomfortable if they feel their conversation is being eavesdropped.
• Try to vary it. Maybe say to customer that you’ll be interested in their opinion in a particular dish, then use that as a way to pop over and seek their opinion. Because of the way it’s phrased, they’ll be more likely to say more openly and fully what they think. Now you can ask the others and they should be similarly forthcoming. Normally us Brits just say ‘Everything is fine’, even when the potatoes are burnt and the chicken is still raw inside
• Although it’s ‘after the event’, I find the conversation easier if they come over at the end of the meal and ask how it was. They’re not disrupting my eating and it gives the sense that there is no rush, so we can have a good chat. This often works best when one of the chefs does it, but I see no reason why the front of house people can’t do it. I hate the insincerity of the usual discussion.

I certainly do dislike the term server, and to extend that I absolutely hate fawning service. I’m a human, they’re a human. I am not their superior because I’m paying them to feed me, and I don’t expect, nor want, such treatment. Saying that, I’d also rail against a projection of ‘chumminess’, as that also comes across as false. Friendly is cool, and if they get the vibes back that a group enjoy it, a little banter can be very good at relaxing everyone.