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April 2014 Moms
Luckie519
member
Do you complain?
Luckie519
member
All throughout high school and college, I was a hostess, waitress or involved the restaurant industry in some way. I've worked for little breakfast places and to high end steakhouses. I've actually been hit in the face as a waitress also, so I rarely complain. DH, who is also pretty easy going and tends to calm me down (not that I get too worked up) even said had I not complained, he would have. I just learned early on, you don't mess with people who mess with your food. I've seen "Waiting" a couple times. FWIW, we have had horrible service at several places. I have even had a tray full of dirty dished dropped on and I DID NOT complain then. I think the part that also made this so bad, is a waitress telling us she was the manager, when we knew she wasn't and the fact that she laughed and made a joke out of everything. She NEVER once apologized either.
So, my question is - do you complain? How bad does it have to be until you complain?
So, my question is - do you complain? How bad does it have to be until you complain?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Do you complain?
I work for a restaurant company. I will let them know if something is wrong with my order and I have said something when the food wasn't prepared properly, but I do it so they can fix it, I don't elevate it to a manager.
I have written two emails of complaint to starbuck's corporate for really bad experiences from rude employees though. I don't know why I see that as different but for some reason I do.
I always compliment fabulous servers AND fabulous chefs. When someone BOH works hard to accommodate things for us, I make it known that it was appreciated. We're also large tippers unless it was subpar service.
It always bothers me when people take their opinion of the food out on the server. Server = service. Chef = quality of food.
BFP: 7/5/10 EDD: 3/13/11 Miscarriage 8/1/10 at 8 weeks
BFP: 10/30/10 EDD: 7/7/11 Born 7/11//11 7lb12oz, 20 in.
BFP: 7/30/13 EDD: 4/9/14 Born right on time on his due date! 8lb10oz, 21.5 in.
Awesome prophetic fortune cookie: Love is a present that can be given every single day you live
October 30, 2011
October 30, 2011
I have never asked for a manager but I have tipped poorly on occasion....not for messed up food, but for poor service or if the situation was handled badly. I usually tip 20% but have had a few times where I have tipped much less and wrote a note explaining why. Things are different here in Seattle though because waitstaff gets minimum wage ($9.20/hr) plus tips so tips are not as important as they are in other places where that is the bulk of their income. Service here is the consistently the worst I've experienced out of anywhere I've lived partially probably because tips don't matter as much but also because restaurants under staff since the cost of wait staff is so high.
I can kind of understand you complaining less because of your experience as a waitress. I always put the clothing properly back on the hangers and take it out of the dressing room instead of leaving it wadded up on the floor, because I worked retail for many years. At the same time because I worked a service job, I do expect good service, after all, it is part of the job description. I hate being ignored in a store when I obviously am looking for assistance.
However I still think its ok to complain at a restaurant, it's more about how you go about it and whether or not your request and expectations are reasonable or not.
Messed up food though is usually MOST of the time your server's fault or another server's fault, which *IS* the service. Forgotten items, wrong items, obviously wrongly prepared food such as ribs have bbq sauce but you ordered them with none, etc.
If you still give 20% or more for server errors you are hurting yourself as well as other customers. Unless the server is apologizing and/or comp, they won't get at least 20%. The tip will be lowered depending on the mistake, how long did they take to correct it(such as when I told them, did they go to 3 other tables without being called over and buss a table before getting my situation fixed(in other words something they can CONTROL or if it's a condiment that they take 10 minutes to get it or just a minute or so.
Why do you feel messed up food in most cases isn't a service issue? Your server isn't BLIND OR ILLITERATE if *THEY* bring you your food. Even if they don't, that other server is part of YOUR SERVICE that you tip for. Also, any condiments can be brought out ahead of time. So can something like if someone wanted extra pickles or onions on the side, that can be brought out ahead of time as well.
And for: spano41 "but I have tipped poorly on occasion....not for messed up food, but for poor service"
Hate to break it to you both, but the MAJORITY of the things ARE.
90% of the time it’s the SERVER’S FAULT:
1. They can put in the order wrong into the computer or if it’s a written ticket they submit, they could have written something down wrong or hard to read.
2. They could have forgotten to put in the order in the first place.
3. Servers can also misunderstand what the customer is saying such as 2 times when I ordered 2 sides of bbq sauce and the stupid idiot servers thought I didn’t want bbq sauce on my ribs when I NEVER ONCE SAID I didn’t and I didn’t say “ON THE SIDE”, I SAID SIDES, which means extra. One of those times I said extra even.
4. Most mistakes with food are visible:
A. Condiments of any kind regardless of who brings out the food can be brought out by the server ahead of time.
B. If someone orders extra crispy bacon with their pancakes, then the bacon looks limp, not stiff, and you can even see some white fat on it, guess what? MY SERVER COULD HAVE SEEN THAT TOO AND TOLD THE COOKS IT WASN’T CORRECT, TO RECOOK IT INSTEAD OF BRINGING IT TO ME WRONG IN THE FIRST PLACE!
C. Any wrong side dishes or entrees are the fault of the server if they bring out the food even if they put in the order right. You can tell the difference between a baked potato and mac n’ cheese, yet, a waiter at Logan’s Roadhouse was so stupid as to bring me mac n’ cheese when I ordered a baked potato. I noticed it within 5 seconds of the food hitting my table. Like DUH a baked potato looks completely different from mac n’ cheese.
D. Any MISSING side dishes, appetizers, condiments, or entrees ARE the server’s fault if they bring out the food as well. Have had that happen a few times or so. Our servers aren’t blind, so they can tell if something is missing or not.
E. I have seen a red steak delivered to someone before at Outback which means let’s say the customer ordered their steak well done, that the server could have noticed the color difference as in your example “Steak cooked rare instead of well done ? It’s not your server’s fault, they didn’t cook it, it’s the kitchen’s fault.”
F. If something LOOKS burnt such as a piece of bread with the food and the person didn’t order it burnt, my server is at fault for serving me that.
G. If my server forgets an item that an entree or appetizer comes with, that’s their fault if they brought me my food without the item such as a side dish or ranch.
H. I have ordered at Outback my fries “lightly cooked” “Not overdone and yellow not brown.” I have had their fries before cooked the way I like them before many of times before this time I am talking about. This stupid waitress decided to blame the kitchen staff for REALLY DARK BROWN FRIES as if she was blind or something and my husband even told me he could see that they were really dark. My husband may not agree with me on every subject of course, but with that, you could EASILY tell just by LOOKING that those fries were overdone and very dark. She said she put in the order correctly. I am thinking, SO? I wish I could have said “Are you blind?” That was HER FAULT she DECIDED TO SERVE ME THOSE FRIES THAT WEREN’T CORRECT. I noticed the mistake within 3 seconds of my food being placed in front of me.
My server’s job isn’t just to bring out what the kitchen staff gives them, it’s also getting the order OBVIOUSLY correct to the table as much as possible in order to get that good tip. As someone said on a blog or forum “They just want to be tipped well and will do pretty much anything reasonable to get your money”, which that IS VERY REASONABLE to think OUR SERVERS ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT THEIR TIP TO GET THINGS RIGHT TO HAVE A BETTER TIP!
You can tell in this picture above the bacon is very crispy just by simply LOOKING at it.
You can tell in this picture above the bacon is NOT CRISPY, just by simple LOOKING at the bacon.
While the server didn't "COOK" the bacon, it's obvious to the *SERVER'S* EYES that one batch of bacon is crispy and the other isn't to decide to BRING the food to the customer wrong or not. It's my server's fault if they decide to bring me the bacon that's like in picture 2 if I ordered it crispy that she or he didn't tell the cooks it was wrong and get them to cook the bacon more instead of SERVING it wrong. WHY bring it out only for the food to be sent back?
You can clearly see the fries are overdone in the picture above if the customer ordered them "NOT OVERDONE, lightly cooked."
In this picture above, you can see the fries don't appear overdone and the bacon is NOT CRISPY. If a customer asked for their bacon to be crispy, I would REFUSE to serve it and I would have enough CARING and COMMON SENSE to get that fixed **BEFORE** I brought it to the customer only to have the customer send it back or leave me a bad tip for not caring about their food.
You can notice a lot of things on her plate in the picture above like if the customer asked for no sour cream, well DUHH, it's STARING in your face. If the customer asked for a side of ranch(I would have), it's missing, DUHH!! If the customer substituted fries for rice, well DUHH, that's not on the plate.
You also can notice if someone has wing sauce “On the side” vs. “On the wings” themselves. This isn’t rocket science.
Most of the things that are wrong with the food can be caught by the server if they bring out the food, even if they didn’t cook it. If it’s another server, they can catch obvious errors on the ticket and menu(such as menu states the item comes with bbq sauce and the ticket doesn’t say “no bbq sauce”) if the ticket was correctly put in by the original server that took the order. Condiments(in bottles or on the side in containers) can always be offered to be brought out ahead of time REGARDLESS of WHO brings out the food to the table.
So most of the time when the food has something wrong with it, chances are, your server or another server could have caught the mistake before it got to you in most instances. I NEVER said ALL, but in most cases, it can be caught BEFORE bringing out the food(unless another server brings out the food with the ticket wrong), because then the original server that took the order is at fault for putting the order in incorrectly into the computer.
There are few rare cases where the food being wrong is the kitchen staff’s fault such as raw food(such as raw chicken), slightly undercooked or overcooked food that you’d have to CUT into to know if it was under or overcooked, or anything the server cannot see with their eyes unless they were to TOUCH the food. Things such as a pickle under a bun the server can’t notice unless they lift the bun, so unless they put the order in wrong, they wouldn’t be at fault, but in general most food mistakes can be caught BEFORE bringing the food to the table.
What I am saying is, MOST mistakes ARE PREVENTABLE by the SERVER if they bring your order to you that they can NOTICE things wrong by comparing those written orders to the plates of food.
Once a waiter at Chili’s said “The kitchen forgot” when I had ordered 2 sides of mayo and 1 side of mustard. The thing is, my waiter brought out the food, so NO, HE HE HE HE HE FORGOT, the kitchen staff didn’t step out the kitchen to bring me my food and forget obvious missing containers from my plate that aren’t covered up by anything. MY WAITER DID THOUGH!!
You walk in one room in your house with a plate of food, but forget the ranch. Even if your mom or significant other plated your food, which you even told her you wanted a side of ranch for your fries, but you bring it to another room. HOW IS THAT THEIR FAULT? It’s YOUR FAULT YOU LEFT THE ROOM WITHOUT THE RANCH AND DIDN’T NOTICE IT SINCE IT’S SOMETHING OBVIOUS YOU DON’T HAVE TO *TOUCH* TO NOTICE THE MISTAKE!!
We had a waiter once admitted he grabbed the wrong entrée from the kitchen. It was just my husband and I. This waiter not only admitted he didn’t compare the WRITTEN ORDER with the entrées he was bringing out, but also we saw he had other entrées for another table that he didn’t ONCE get his pad of paper out to see WHICH ENTRÉE WENT WITH WHICH TABLE!! So 2 times he could have caught his mistake, but didn’t *****TRY HIS BEST AS HE SHOULD HAVE, because that’s HIS JOB**!!
He admitted that he grabbed the wrong entrée from the kitchen. He brought my husband fried shrimp w/fries when he ordered crawfish au gratin w/baked potato. Those items look NOTHING A LIKE, but yet THAT WAITER WAS TOO LAZY AND UNCARING TO VERIFY *WHAT* HE WAS BRINGING US!! We still left him 17% BTW, just to let you know since he profusely apologized TWICE and FIXED THE SITUATION IMMEDIATELY just about. We honestly shouldn’t have though, because that really didn’t make him LEARN anything. If I had to do it all over again, I would have tipped 13%. It’s because since that happened(a number of years ago, maybe like 4), me and my husband have had some terrible experiences. We have had good ones too of course, but the servers need to LEARN that they can’t just hand you ANYTHING like McDonald’s cashiers do. They are there to EARN a tip, NOT to just hand you anything.
It’s very rare that it’s not the server’s fault. Things like if I order no pickles if you took my order and brought out my food, which there are some pickles under a bun that you’d have to lift it to see it, unless you admitted putting in the order wrong, I will assume it’s the kitchen staff that is at fault and probably is.
Things like raw chicken tenders aren’t the fault of the server unless they are pink or something.
A slightly over or undercooked steak if the order was put in correctly is not the server’s fault.
If another server brings out a wrong side dish or if they are missing items other than condiments, no it’s not the server’s fault if they put in the order correctly, but it still counts against the tip. It’s part of the service.
Why also is it when you say “no pickles” or “ONLY lettuce and onions”, they still have a pickle on the plate? WHY you servers can’t understand that if the customer states they don’t want pickles, that means on the plate, because otherwise, they’d specifically state they would have wanted it “ON THE SIDE.” Think about it. WHY do I keep having servers bring me some pickles on the plate when I ordered no pickles? NO SERVERS ARE BLIND OR ILLITERATE that they cannot determine any of the obvious errors that don’t have to be touched to notice the mistakes or mistake.
As far as bar drinks go, you can notice salt on a rim of a glass without any drink in it. You can notice if I have red in my drink or if it’s yellow or if I am being brought a white russian vs. a black russian, etc.
People are usually smart enough to know in MOST cases(I didn’t say all), WHO CAUSED the problem. When we have, it’s because another server in *OUR SERVICE* since that’s what the tip is based on, has not done a good job such as brought out obvious errors to the table even though our server put in the order correctly and especially then even when you nicely tell this other server, they don’t apologize and most don’t fix the problem even or also when you ask another server that runs your food to you for a refill or something else, they don’t get it or relay the message even or the other server is rude.
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WHY should your expectation be higher at more expensive restaurants? The higher prices and nicer restaurant doesn't make the servers work *ANY* harder. My husband and I have had some bad experiences at fine dining restaurants personally.
My expectation is not lower at ANY restaurant, because ALL restaurants have bad servers, no matter WHERE you go! A lot servers today aren't hard workers and are very entitled rather than actually *EARNING* their pay. They ask if you want change, they make one person wait 10 minutes for a coke because the rest of the table gets bar drinks instead of making another trip, most are too lazy to verify the bill for overcharges(especially wrong prices(we have had lots of those), too lazy to even write your order down or request down, too lazy to compare your written order to the food for obvious errors, etc.
I will NEVER agree with your expectations. All workers should work *HARD* if they want a good tip. If they don't, their tip should show it. That's how they will LEARN. Tipping well no matter what CAUSES bad service, because if they don't get a good tip or a tip at all, they can't pay their bills, can they?
I am just tired of people not blaming the correct people for the issues they have.
"I disagree. Where I worked we had "runners" on the weekends when we were busy."
This has NOTHING to do with the tip though. If the runner brings out the wrong side dish, the server is STILL going to get a lowered tip. That person was part of my *SERVICE*, which is what I am tipping on. If the server wants them to work for their tip, they might want to consider paying a dollar for helping their tip out, otherwise, why would they read the ticket or computer screen order? What INCENTIVE would they have when it's not their money on the line, huh?
"This person was paid hourly and didn't get any percentage of our tips."
Doesn't matter. WHO CARES? That person was in my service. I don't care what they get paid. I care about having good *SERVICE*, NOT *WHO* in the service messed my stuff up.
Also, if it's condiments that are wrong or missing, that's 100% on the server, NOT the other server or food runner, because they can bring those out ahead of time.
"I think that sometimes it is the servers fault, but I don't think it is *most* of the time."
Did you even *READ* my examples? Most issues are VISIBLE TO THE EYES WITHOUT TOUCHING THE FOOD! If you are talking about that the server isn't at fault for if the server put in the order correctly, but the food runner/other server brought it out with obvious things wrong, while the server isn't at fault, the TIP WILL be altered in most cases, because the customers had bad service. So it truly doesn't matter if the other server brought out the wrong side dish for example if the server put in the order correctly, because for starters, the customer doesn't know if the order was put in correctly because they can even fix it before they print the check to cover their asses and also, it's part of their service.
Also, you said you had runners, A LOT of times even when it is busy we have had OUR OWN SERVER bring us our food.
Also, as I said before, I have the most issue with condiments missing. THAT is ALWAYS a server mistake, because they can be brought out ahead of time.
"Also a server isn't allowed to comp your food, a manager has too."
Not true since the server can pay for something themselves if they *CHOOSE* to. So this is VERY FALSE!
Look there is no reason at all to get so worked up about this! If you weren't SO busy writing a thesis on why you don't tip when you get bad service 100% of the time, you would have seen that I posted my comment before you gave your very long answers with your picture book attached, BUT yes I did read what you have to say. I didn't plan on attacking your opinion though.
Obviously we have different opinions and that's okay! It's not like I said I like to tie my children on top of my car to save money on car seats.
I like to tip, a lot. Tonight we gave our server $10 on $30 and that is just my beliefs. You can totally only tip as you see fit! Tipping isn't a law!
You really shouldn't get your blood pressure up over this, think of your baby and just chill out for a bit.
"I absolutely have different expectations when I'm spending $200 on dinner vs. $40. Every last thing about the experience is different. "
I disagree completely.
At BR Prime in Beau Rivage, me and my husband's bill was almost $300, our waiter forgot my margarita from the bar which he didn't say he was sorry for forgetting it, he made me wait for the first coke 8-10 mins, then same thing with the refill. You don't get, it's not about the place, it's about the *PERSON* that serves you.
At Ruth's Chris, we were in a party of 7, the waitress forgot one of my refills of coke, she also got the dessert order wrong when I ordered blueberries on top my cheesecake, she brings me blueberry SAUCE THE MORON! Blueberries aren't sauce just like applesauce isn't an apple, DUH! She was retarded! I NEVER ONCE said I wanted sauce! That meal was really expensive since it was a large party and we weren't paying so I don't know exactly. Did the PRICES HELP THE SERVICE? NO, THEY DIDN'T
Another restaurant called Carnival De Brazil that was in IP Casino which was 39.95 a person, it was just me and my husband. We were charged for the Golden Margarita that had on the drink menu listed $10. I didn't change anything about it, ordered as it came. On our check was $12. Instead of the waiter being nice, he was an ASS blaming the menu that it was a misprint. He did apologize, but to say that is not apologizing. That "misprint" comment bothered me so much that when he came back with it fixed(NO COMP BTW which you should at a FINE DINING RESTAURANT for a large overcharge of $2 compared to most of the places that have overcharged us cents or a dollar at most usually on wrong prices) I told him "You do know we don't order from the computer right", which his asshole response was "I fixed it didn't I?" I wish to this day I would have stiffed him, but we left 11%, would have left 25% if this would not have happened. The way he handled it was mean, very selfish, etc.
See I would have said I was "SO SORRY" rather than just one sorry. I would have asked the manager to comp a coke off the bill for my customer's inconvenience. I would have said I was very sorry once I would have given them the bill. I wouldn't have done a SELFISH ACT like he did. I also would have to begin with would have compared the menu prices to the check prices so I wouldn't have overcharged the customer. He didn't, because he wouldn't have said "misprint" to me. While I know he can't fix the price in the computer, his manager COULD, but he should have done this *BEFORE* we got our check, NOT made US check every price, which wasn't a lot since there was just 2 glasses of wine for my husband and 2 desserts besides the $39.95 meals. That's not many prices to check.
So I am not too happy with fine dining. I don't agree with you at all.
"We all make mistakes."
The waiter at the Carnival De Brazil restaurant didn't. He didn't even *TRY* to get our bill correctly to us. So yeah, I am very pissed when servers are too lazy and selfish to TRY their best. Especially when you are PAYING a lot more money than your local Applebee's or Chili's.
"At fine dining establishments they are often career servers, it's completely different. "
No, I don't agree. It's not different. It depends on the *PERSON* that serves you! The prices mean nothing. The atmosphere means nothing to the service.
"I can't even remember what I ate for dinner last night let alone how a waiter messed up my order three years ago and my corresponding gratuity.
Are we being punked?"
No, I am a very sensitive person. I remember things from over 10yrs ago even. Anything that affects my feelings affects me as a person for life.
"You obviously should just eat at home."
No, you just don't like that the TRUTH HURTS, DOESN'T IT? Fine dining doesn't mean better service.
If you seriously get this upset over service, and so often apparently. I would eat at my home. Therefore I can enjoy dinner and not end up holding a grudge for the rest of my life about not getting crispy bacon and ranch.
*edit used wrong word
"Do you not realize how freaking ridiculous you sound? "
You don't see how ridiculous *YOU* sound when people have to tell you COMMON SENSE about what is the server's fault and was isn't? It's common sense. I don't sound ridiculous, because I am telling the TRUTH!
"please tell me why you only post on the bump when you've used google or board reader or whatever to find something about tipping & restaurants."
Because I am tired of bad service. I go out every single weekend in restaurants, so it's a HUGE PART OF MY LIFE!
"If not, it seems kind of pointless to try to debate w/ a random poster who likes screaming about tipping in restaurants. "
Well you are debating with me, so obviously you don't agree with that, do you?
"I respect your opinion, but I also disagree with your opinion! "
But they aren't "opinions" though, it's all ********FACTS***************!
No it's an opinion. But girlfriend you believe whatever you want! I'm still gonna tip awesome. I even extra extra tip if someone like you is near me in my servers section complaining about how they aren't going to tip! Woo! Please don't have a heart attack over this!
Happy and healthy pregnancy to you!
"No it's an opinion."
NO, you can't deny that it's the server's fault for obvious errors they bring out or if condiments are forgotten. Also, you can deny how we had bad service at these fine dining restaurants I mentioned. THOSE ARE *FACTS*, NOT opinions.
Name ONE thing that is an opinion. I bet you can't, can you?
"I even extra extra tip if someone like you is near me in my servers section complaining about how they aren't going to tip! "
All you are doing is *CAUSING* bad service to keep happening. I HOPE YOU GET BAD SERVICE! What a jerk you are!
"So this chick is real? AE? A crazy that shows up on Parenting now and then? "
Yes it's for real, why wouldn't it be? You obviously don't have as many problems as we have or maybe don't even know you have them like do you check every price against the menu when you go out to eat? I bet you don't, so you wouldn't KNOW if you were overcharged or not on a price.
I really don't care what you think. Attacking my character and calling me a jerk is immature. I've been nice an respected your opinion instead of calling you names. I have gotten bad service! My husband and I always still tip. We made a decision that we were going to tip regardless. It is really ok.
There is no convincing you and you are certainly not going to convince me. Just get on with your life!