Saturday's are usually really steady during the mid-shift so cuts are not put up. They may cut doubles and let them get a break, but that depends on the flow. It was pretty full when I arrived. My section was nearly full (I had one open table), and the lunch staff was still finishing up their tables, so they hadn't really started any side work. (And, it annoys me that no one can "stock as they go." It makes no sense to me why you wouldn't just grab ONE bucket of ice instead of running to the other wait station in the back of restaurant! Ahhhhhhh!)
So, the place looked like shit. I started cleaning and stocking--"success" still a strong motivator. I get sat at my only open table--yay! I greet them and get their drinks, but then I notice the new stupid hostess girl seating a table in a section that doesn't have a server yet (the server didn't come in until 5). I go up to her and tell her that the server will be in at 5, and she should not seat that section, but I'll take the table (cha-ching!). Then the SAME fucking girl, seats ANOTHER table in that section! So, I greeted that table too, since the hosts weren't going to any measures to find someone else to take the table. Well, as soon as I turn around, they are seating my second table in my section--four tables in about a seven minute span got me off to a weeded start, and it didn't end for a VERY long time. It was soooo frustrating. I KNOW I was a bad waitress to some tables tonight, but it happens sometimes--It's inevitable and uncontrollable.
Soon after the relatively, quadruple seat, I was sat the other two tables in my section.
Perhaps my getting weeded was Karma's way of telling me that I was being greedy by not finding someone else to take that second table. Oh well.
The Most Fucked-Up Table of The Night award goes to:
Family of Four, The "I hate everything on the menu" Lady.
What a fucking looney toon! I greet the table with big smiles--mother, father, daughter, and daughter's boyfriend. Daughter and BF I've seen before, so I welcome them back, and I offer them drinks. The mother is studying the menu, "I can't believe my family made me come here! They know I hate spicy food." Without missing a beat, I reply, "That's not a problem, we have several items on the menu that aren't spicy, and some of the items that are spicy, we can remove--here, let me show you..." I proceed to give her some ideas, burgers, salads, this and that, and she is completely closed off to everything--and of course, the only thing she's showing ANY interest in is the hottest stuff on the menu--and it's listed as such. When I showed her the burgers, "Uck, I don't want a burger!" So, I showed her the salads, "Oh, no, I don't want a salad." She was being impossible, so at that, I just said, "Okay," and walked away to get their drinks.
I went back to that table four times before she decided on what to get. I brought her samples of shit. I offered to remove things, substitute this for this. We have four side items to choose from, two are spicy, and then we have a sauteed vegetable medley and fries. Well, when I tried to tell this woman about our delicious medley, she gave me a disgusted look, "I guess I'll just have the fries."
Her daughter apologized for her! That is sad. You're a mother for crying out loud--I know people are picky, but in our restaurant, it's so easy to modify shit if you just open your mind.
(I know people who modify shit are sometimes a pain in the ass, but I'd rather just take the time to get guests what the really want, rather than listen to them bitch--besides, you get them what they want, they'll get you what you want ($$$$)...most of the time.)
I even told her that a lot of our regulars don't care for spicy things. She scoffed at me. What a bitch. Then, they left me a whopping 18%...Happy Holidays!
Sales: $566
Liquor sales: $85
Tip-Out: $27 (Bar = $5; Food Runner = $12; Busser = $10)
Tips: $92 (Boo.)
5 comments:
Sometimes it makes you wonder why some people even go out to restaurants. My guess is to make everyone as miserable as them.
It's funny. You go by "bitchy waitress," yet you seem anything BUT bitchy.
I wish there were a few of you at my former restaurant.
Well, thank you...I guess I was thinking "bitchy" in terms of my bitching a lot (Bitching Waitress??)...although, I do have my moments as that bitchy waitress (especially when I'm weeded with impatient tables). AND, I absolutely HATE when people start asking for stuff before I've finished dropping the tray--it's stuff like that when I have to make a snide comment...
Sounds to me you had good tips even after tip-out. Your sales were just low. Especially for a week night. That's why I love breakfast. We average about 35%. The turnover is quick, always busy, never a moment when a whining bastards toast should've been dry, or the eggs are too snotty. Late shifters have to rely on check sizes rather than turnovers. Us breakfast servers just greet them, feed them, and get them the hell outta there.
Upset Waitress: My restaurant relies on table-turnover more than check-size as well. Our entrees generally take 6 to 8 min to cook (except for two 20 min entrees), and we offer NO dessert. Crazy. But, there are ALWAYS those campers who pitch a tent right in the middle of my section, start a fire, and bust out the marshmallows. Bastards.
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