100 things restaurant staffers should never do - Merged

You may disagree with one or two of these, but - in my opinion - a restaurant that followed all of these suggestions would provide a more pleasant experience for every one of its customers.

http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/29/one-hundred-things-restaurant-staffers-should-never-do-part-one/?em&apage=46#comments

My personal hot buttons: 17 and 41

18 for me.

41 for me as well.

Just as useful would be a list/cheat sheet of this sort for restaurant patrons to carry around. And I’m only half kidding.

reading the comments 17 was a hot button for a LOT of people. The funny thing is, it doesn’t faze me. I should sit there with a dirty plate because someone else is a v slow eater? The one that kills me is when a server asks “How is everything” either right after I’ve gotten the dish or when I’m obviously chewing the damn food.

It does amuse me a bit that we all have along list of how servers should act when they get crap wages and the only reason it’s a decent job at all are the tips. Honestly? It’s a bit rich for a restaurateur who pays people min wage to have a 100 item list of must do items.

Most of these are nice to haves - very few of them alone annoy me. But a place that violates a lot of them will piss me off. And, of course, the commenters that note there should be a list like this for customers are correct too.

I am an incredibly slow eater — I like to taste, and savor, my food. Still, 17 doesn’t bother me. What does bother me, however, is bringing out desert menus while I’m still eating my main course. At that point, I feel like the establishment is trying to hurry me along, which, quite frankly, is exactly the opposite experience of what I am paying for.

It’s not on the list, but it bugs the living shit out of me when the server brings the menus and returns in about 90 seconds - especially when it’s obvious you’re talking and the menus haven’t moved - and asks, “Are you ready to order?”

I agree with this, to a point; I really don’t think a list like this should be applied to places like Applebees or McDonalds. It should, however, apply to restaurants that are holding themselves out as “nicer” dining establishments. Sure, a 100 item list might be “long,” but it’s all common sense. It’s not like items on this list are asking servers to perform brain surgery, rocket science, or world-class gymnastics. It’s all pretty simple, really.

Yeah. My hot button is waiting forever to pay. I’m done. I want to give you money… and you refuse to drop the check off. Close behind that is “I’ve paid, but you won’t bring the damn check and credit card back.”

Pretty much all of this boils down to “Be personable and professional” and “Treat the customers the way you’d expect to be treated.” Don’t ask me how the meal is when I’m obviously eating a bite, don’t ask me if I want to order 90seconds after sitting down, don’t give me dirty silverware etc, don’t rush me out, don’t make me wait for the check or the change. Greet me, know your stuff, be pleasant and efficient but not pushy and we’re fine.

On our side (diners that is) I think we need to treat servers as people and professionals and don’t wig out about small crap.

I had the opposite experience in the US, I usually had to say “I’m not done” three times per meal or half of my plate would disappear. Basically if my plate doesn’t look like it was when the guy took it out of the dishwasher, either I’m not done or the chef sucks.

I also think it’s poor form to have people wait for other to finish without a plate in front of them.

It does amuse me a bit that we all have along list of how servers should act when they get crap wages and the only reason it’s a decent job at all are the tips. Honestly? It’s a bit rich for a restaurateur who pays people min wage to have a 100 item list of must do items.

Then again in some countries waitstaff isn’t only composed of students but also… gasp… professionals. Incredible!

I don’t buy for a minute the argument that since restaurant workers make shitty money they are entitled to do a shitty job. That’s ridiculous. I expect - and pay for - lame service at a chain restaurant staffed by minimum-wage drones and high school students. But that shouldn’t be the case in a restaurant that wants to be taken seriously. Many of the items on this list are clearly aimed at the “fine dining” experience. Staff in such places are (or should be) professionals who take pride in doing their work well.

I don’t think it’s at all unreasonable for a restaurateur in such an establishment to have specific performance expectations for his/her staff. On the contrary, I think making such expectations explicit is a positive thing. We’re not talking about making restaurant staff into automatons - ask Melissa about how I quietly seethe every time I hear blatant upsell pitches (“Want some artichoke dip to start? How 'bout some strawberry lemonade? Did you save room for our molten lava cake?”) in chain restaurants. But reminding restaurant employees that they’re in a service business isn’t inappropriate, in my opinion.

What I got from the totality of that list was an emphasis on simply making restaurant dining as pleasant an experience as possible for every customer, and I think that’s a commendable goal. Many of the items on that list are things which are - as Brian termed it - common sense. They’re things that, upon examination, seem simple and obvious - yet which are too often missing from the dining experience.

And where did I say it was OK for them to do a shitty job? I get so fricking tired of people putting words in my mouth and then arguing with stuff I never said. Read the effing post before you hit Reply next time.

I said that it was ironic to see such a long, specific list of rules when the guy pays min. wage. At some point, if you want professionals who will stay with you a long time and do an excellent job you need to treat and pay them as such. Also read my followup post where I make the same basic point as you do - that this long list boils down to a few simple things that can be summarized as “Do a good job.”

Guillaume - agreed that it’s different outside the US. In the US too - I know several places where the servers have been around for years. However, they make good money because of the tips, not the wages. As to the taking of plates while someone is still eating… it’s just not a hot button for me and I found it interesting how many people did consider it one. If someone’s really behind, I actually don’t like have a dirty play in front of me. But then, I’m almost never the slow eater

By FAR, this is my number one issue. I’m done, bring the check and I will decide when I want to pay…which is usually when I’m done. But I hate to wait for my check. And why would you piss of someone, just when they are about to pay and figure out the TIP.

Rick. I think we’re in violent agreement here. Relax.

No no, you don’t understand. I AGREE!!

Sorry, just had a spate of people taking things out of context recently (on other boards too), so I’m a bit touchy about it.

One more: The server should never bring a tray with plastic replicas of the desserts. I had that happen on my one and only trip to Red Lobster. That alone was enough to make me never go back.

And another: When you ask the server to decant your wine because it might have some sediment (it was a 14-year-old Hermitage and you’d previously warned the restaurant you were bringing it), he/she should probably not simply upend the bottle and dump it into the decanter. This at a restaurant that’s very serious about their wine program.

Just to belabor this painfully further, common sense goes out the window often when you have four tables ready to order and the 5th is complaining that there are tomatoes in their salad. The dynamics of a restaurant from the inside are very different than people want to believe when they go to one. And yes I do believe fine dining establishments should be held to a higher standard but even then you are dealing with constantly shifting and changing employment. Just stop and think about how many restaurants are out there and how many possible waiters they may employ. And then think about how many of those people can and will apply themselves to a job to get them from here to there because that’s what the job means to most people. Lists like the one above(which comes off as INCREDIBLY snotty and whiney to me before we get to unrealistic) ignore those realities and only serve to fluff up an already large sense of entitlement many people have rather than explaining the restaurant atmosphere so people will understand why they may need to wait that extra minute to see their waiter.

I can tell Mike Scioscia how to run the Angels until I’m blue in the face. It doesn’t mean I should be or that he should listen.

The taking away of plates too soon is one I’ve heard from others but have nearly never seen. I’m wondering what signals wait staff are picking up on for someone to want to do that so often to certain individuals? Not accusing but seriously its common to watch and see for things that might indicate one is done even if the plate is not clear.

Oh and take my empty plate. Ridiculous to sit with a dirty plate in front of me if you have time to take it. My friends can eat off their own plates just fine.

Cris,

you’ve been living in CA for too long. only in CA is laziness and sub-standard customer service not only expected, but also defended.

I’ve been to the midwest. Hustle and bustle is NOT what the minimum wage employees do there.