When diners & servers collide

Monello

Smarter than the average bear
PREMO Member
A recent movie made me think of this.

Why do some people treat restaurant servers so ####ty? The one's that talk down to them right from the start. Most chain restaurants have servers in their early 20s that are either going to school or working to get some decent cash until something else comes along. Some diners think they have a licence to act all superior when dealing with them. Now there are going to be a few wait staff that probably should be doing something better suited to their particular 'talents' but that's no excuse for poor behavior.

My niece was relating a story about a large party that had 2 tables and several children. The diners had her running all over the place with lots of requests. The restaurant had just recently removed their auto-tip for large parties. They left her $3.
 

lucky_bee

RBF expert
Sometimes the nicer the establishment, the worse they act. I served for a couple high-end resorts' restaurants. That's where some of my worst customers came from. I could write a book about all the crap I've had flung at me.
 

libertytyranny

Dream Stealer
I'm always polite to servers and further, expect anyone with me to be as well. Unless there is just plain, awful service (which I don't have high expectations so ive only really had true awful once or twice) then you should be polite, kind and tip appropriately. I get annoyed with diners who think that in order to earn a full and reasonable tip their server must bend over backwards and be a servant.

That said, in the last couple months I've had two absolutely awesome servers that I can think of..that we tipped 40% or better because they stood out as really spectacular without being fake or obnoxious. One at Chevys in brandywine and one at TGI FRidays in waldorf, both males. Fridays as a matter of fact had a great staff the night we went, all were exceedingly polite, personable, knowledgeable about the menu and not a one got on my nerves with tip fishing.
 

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
The only bad server I've had in a really long time was that terrible girl at the BBQ place in Myrtle Beach. She seriously needs to explore other career opportunities because she megasucks at waiting tables. Hate her. That's the second time in my life that I've complained to a manager about a server.

Anyway, there are just some crappy people in the world and they eat at restaurants. With their obnoxious children. And their ticky special requests. And their bitching. And their non-tipping. Most customers are great or at least reasonable, but the ones who are bad are typically very very bad. I used to marvel about how much it must suck to be them, if they act like to complete strangers.
 
My niece was relating a story about a large party that had 2 tables and several children. The diners had her running all over the place with lots of requests. The restaurant had just recently removed their auto-tip for large parties. They left her $3.
It sounds to me like this could very well have been a case of the party thinking the tip was still included. I know that it isn't uncommon for some to leave extra cash on the table even when they know the total bill has the tip built in. I'm thinking that's what the $3 was... I can even picture Uncle Ralph nonchalantly throwing the bucks on the table as he got up to leave.
 
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