Check it out, guys: The Top 5 restaurant gripes

[3chordcharlie]

General advice to servers:

keep my fscking coffee full, and we're good.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

""I am not a guy!" wrote Bert Schwab of Canton."

Yeah, that's a stupid complaint.

The only one of the top 5 that even registers to me is the loud music, and that's pretty much only ever a problem at Mexican restaurants around here. As for the check being brought too early, I want the thing with my dinner. I'm not at the restaurant to just hang out.

#6 should be #1. Hell, the bottom 5 are all bigger annoyances than the top 5.

Then eat fast food. The proper way to present the check is to wait for the customer to ask for it. Then, the server should present it without having to go back to their terminal to print it out. I think that is what most people have a problem with, the fact that too many restaurants change their practices to keep the POS software happy.

 

[Chaotic42]

Then eat fast food. The proper way to present the check is to wait for the customer to ask for it. Then, the server should present it without having to go back to their terminal to print it out. I think that is what most people have a problem with, the fact that too many restaurants change their practices to keep the POS software happy.

Why is that the proper way?

 

[nageov3t]

Why is that the proper way?

most people go to restaurants to enjoy a nice relaxing meal with friends or family. that typically involves sitting around and talking with eachother, not scarfing your food down and taking off as soon as your fork hit the plate.

 

[GeekDrew]

I'll respond line-by-line.

1. Being addressed as "you guys".

Non-issue.

2. Servers asking if you need change.

Doesn't really bother me... I don't expect them to have any idea what the total of my check was, that's what the point of sale system is for.

3. Checks brought too soon.

Bring me the damned check *with* the food. Allow me to pay immediately, if not sooner. Don't hang on to the check until you think I might be finished eating and conversing.

4. Wiping down tabletops and chairs with dirty rags.

Just gross, I completely agree.

5. Music that's too loud.

This would be my #1 annoyance. I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to leave a restaurant upon entrance, because of the loud music. It's almost always Mexican places.

6. parents who allow children to run loose, shriek, make a mess or act out

My #2 annoyance. If the kids are loud for more than 1 minute total, throw the brats out on the street. Good riddance.

7. overly familiar servers who squat down or sit beside customers

I don't care at all, either way, about this.

8. clearing dishes while some guests at the table are still eating

Why the hell do they think this is an issue? Get the dishes out of the way! Even if my party does plan on hanging around a few minutes to chat, or if 1 person in the party is still eating, that doesn't mean that everyone has to sit there with dirty dishes in the way.

9. being seated in an obviously undesirable location for no apparent reason

I don't think I've experienced this; if I have, I haven't noticed or cared.

10. courses that arrive too quickly

I'll agree with this in that there should be at least a few minutes between the appetizer and the main course being served.

 

[3chordcharlie]

Why is that the proper way?

Because the table is yours, in a sense, and at a sit down restaurant, hurrying you out the door isn't really part of the service. On the other hand, you should be able to ask for your check and be on your way in a reasonable period of time (ideally less than 5 minutes from 'check please' to *door closes behind you*).

You're paying more for food, and tipping for service than you would at a cafeteria or fast-food place; you should have fast, efficient service, and really shouldn't have to put in any effort beyond telling your server what you want.

 

[Bill Brasky]

Terrible list is terrible.

 

[GeekDrew]

Then eat fast food. The proper way to present the check is to wait for the customer to ask for it. Then, the server should present it without having to go back to their terminal to print it out. I think that is what most people have a problem with, the fact that too many restaurants change their practices to keep the POS software happy.

Keeping the POS software happy is a complete bullshit excuse. They can find another way, if their true goal is to not present the check until the customer asks for it.

most people go to restaurants to enjoy a nice relaxing meal with friends or family. that typically involves sitting around and talking with eachother, not scarfing your food down and taking off as soon as your fork hit the plate.

I agree that this was the way things worked 15+ years ago, but I disagree that "most" people still follow that guidance (many, yes). I still don't see why the check can't be brought out immediately. They aren't forcing you to pay when the check is delivered.

 

[nageov3t]

I agree that this was the way things worked 15+ years ago, but I disagree that "most" people still follow that guidance (many, yes). I still don't see why the check can't be brought out immediately. They aren't forcing you to pay when the check is delivered.

to me, dropping off the check unprompted is the waiter's unspoken way of saying gtfo so we can turn your table around and it makes it feel like you're being a pain if you have to give the check back so he can add coffee/dessert onto it.

imo, the proper course would be that the waiter asks if you'd care for coffee, tea, or dessert as he's clearing away the dinner plates. if no, return with the check; if yes, drop the check off a couple minutes after bringing out the desserts.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

ALL hospitality organized operations are a 'dance' of custom, tradition and, practicality. I chose the word dance because both the customer and operator must contribute those things to a successful event.

Customers have a responsibility to provide feedback whether positive or negative to their hosts. I say 'responsibility' because I assume customers would rather have an enjoyable meal than not. How can operators make changes or continue good service if they don't know how you feel? Hosts have the responsibility to honor those customs, traditions and service which promote an enjoyable event. This also has the benefit of ritualizing the process to make new customers feel more confident in their choices.

Restaurants are as much about socializing as they are food. To those who are simply interested in food and getting out the door, I say eat at McD's or, stay at home and take the blue pill.

 

[GeekDrew]

Perhaps the industry should develop a kind of card that one person per party could present to the waiter upon being seated. The card would contain common attributes such as "You'd damn well better bring me the check at the same time as the food" or "Please give us a few moments after we seem to have stopped eating, and ask how we're doing"... and stuff like that. The card could be titled "How to get a non-zero tip."

And, for clarification, I don't necessarily want to be rushed out the door. I do sometimes (perhaps often) stick around for a few minutes and chat. On the flip side, there are also a lot of times when I want to eat and then be on my way - kids screaming, poor service otherwise, other patrons being a nuisance, etc. I just want the ability to pay at the very fucking second I want to leave. I don't want to have to wait on someone to stroll by a few minutes later.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Keeping the POS software happy is a complete bullshit excuse. They can find another way, if their true goal is to not present the check until the customer asks for it.



I agree that this was the way things worked 15+ years ago, but I disagree that "most" people still follow that guidance (many, yes). I still don't see why the check can't be brought out immediately. They aren't forcing you to pay when the check is delivered.

I think you misunderstood. I'm saying that the check should be presented when the guest asks for it. The reason why it often is not is because too many places require the waiter to print out your check from their terminal. The problem is that if you order anything else AFTER the check has been closed out, they must open a new tab and present you with a second check. There is no way to combine those checks in the system. That is why I said they change their business practices to keep the POS software happy. Unfortunately, this type of inflexibility is endemic to almost ALL POS software. From the operators viewpoint, giving a customer two checks is bad service and opens the door for fraud.

Whether or not "They aren't forcing you to pay when the check is delivered" the the majority of customers still feel that way. I can say this with certainty because of my 35+ years in the industry.

 

[DrPizza]

Weird list. #1: misbehaving children. #2: food is too salty. I'll add my own extra salt, thanks. #3: waiters/waitresses who disappear. I can't count the number of times I had something to do after eating & had to wait 5 minutes before we saw our waiter/waitress to ask them for our check - this long after we've had dessert & coffee, during which time, we never saw the waiter either. #4: Too fricken loud. I hate having to shout in order to have a conversation with the people at my table.


Re: some of the things on that list - at a nice restaurant, I fully expect that plate to be out of my way, unobtrusively, the moment I take the last bite. An excellent waiter doesn't have to ask "are you done with that?" - they know when you're done. And, your next course isn't brought out until you are done.

edit: oh, and having worked at a pizza restaurant for many years, I'm very aware of all the gross things that shouldn't be done. i.e. the one mentioned - wiping down tables and chairs. Screw that! You should NOT be wiping the chairs off, then back to the tables with the same cloth. You should NOT be holding my plate in one hand with your finger against the top of my plate. etc.

 

[GeekDrew]

I think you misunderstood. I'm saying that the check should be presented when the guest asks for it. The reason why it often is not is because too many places require the waiter to print out your check from their terminal. The problem is that if you order anything else AFTER the check has been closed out, they must open a new tab and present you with a second check. There is no way to combine those checks in the system. That is why I said they change their business practices to keep the POS software happy. Unfortunately, this type of inflexibility is endemic to almost ALL POS software. From the operators viewpoint, giving a customer two checks is bad service and opens the door for fraud.

Whether or not "They aren't forcing you to pay when the check is delivered" the the majority of customers still feel that way. I can say this with certainty because of my 35+ years in the industry.

Yes, I suppose I did misunderstand. I failed to even remotely imagine that any restaurant would be so idiotic as to implement POS software that prohibits modification to a check after it has been printed. I completely understand why they wouldn't want to present two checks. If that were the case, and I realized it while I was at the restaurant, I'd just sit there and stew about it for a while. I'd pay however many checks that were corrected presented to me, but you'd bet that I'd be silently hoping that the restaurant loses millions in revenue because they selected a shitty POS system.

I also agree with you that customers feel that they're being rushed when checks are delivered before they ask for them. I do not think that they would feel rushed - at all - if the checks were delivered *at the exact same time* as the food. I do feel rushed if my food is served, and I unexpectedly receive the check a few minutes later, while I'm in the middle of eating. I have, however, been to restaurants that present the check with the food, and I haven't felt rushed at all. Ironically, I think that the times I've experienced that, the restaurant fully intended to rush the customers out the door.

 

[Anubis]

lol my number 1 isnt even on that list.

the thing that pisses me off the most is when the server comes and starts clearing plates before everyone at the table is finished

 

[tyler811]

lol my number 1 isnt even on that list.
the thing that pisses me off the most is when the server comes and starts clearing plates before everyone at the table is finished

Ummm

Rounding out the Top 10, in roughly this order would be: (6) parents who allow children to run loose, shriek, make a mess or act out; (7) overly familiar servers who squat down or sit beside customers; (8) clearing dishes while some guests at the table are still eating; (9) being seated in an obviously undesirable location for no apparent reason, and (10) courses that arrive too quickly.

 

[Anubis]

lol i didnt remember it being on the list when i read it yesterday

oops

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Yes, I suppose I did misunderstand. I failed to even remotely imagine that any restaurant would be so idiotic as to implement POS software that prohibits modification to a check after it has been printed. I completely understand why they wouldn't want to present two checks. If that were the case, and I realized it while I was at the restaurant, I'd just sit there and stew about it for a while. I'd pay however many checks that were corrected presented to me, but you'd bet that I'd be silently hoping that the restaurant loses millions in revenue because they selected a shitty POS system.

I also agree with you that customers feel that they're being rushed when checks are delivered before they ask for them. I do not think that they would feel rushed - at all - if the checks were delivered *at the exact same time* as the food. I do feel rushed if my food is served, and I unexpectedly receive the check a few minutes later, while I'm in the middle of eating. I have, however, been to restaurants that present the check with the food, and I haven't felt rushed at all. Ironically, I think that the times I've experienced that, the restaurant fully intended to rush the customers out the door.

The bad POS software is everywhere. Next to healthcare, hospitality software is the worst in the world. That is because corporations drive the companies that create and support the software and they are more interested in making life easier for the accountants than in customer service.

Training people for good service requires a great deal of skill, talent and, money. Too many establishments choose to invest in bad POS software to save themselves the effort and cost of training good service personnel.

Contrary to popular belief, not everyone can be a good waiter/bartender/cook/dishwasher/manager/buyer/cashier/host well, you get the idea. The push from corporations to 'dumb down' the intricacies of a successful food service operation to allow for the hiring of low paid untrained staff has contributed significantly to the loss of service in the industry.

Worse, going back to my comment about 'the responsibility to honor custom, tradition and service' they are training an entire new generation to view restaurants and dining as forgettable pre/postludes to "real" entertainment.

 

[Sumguy]

I've seen the wiping down of tables and seats with the same ratty looking cloth, too. Its pretty disgusting, whats even worse is when you are seated in an area that is still wet and/or has that odor that accompanies something cleaned with a rag and dirtyish water. Hard to explain but it reminds me of an old sponge. For me, that is the worst.

Two would be waiting too long to get the check, three is loud music. Nothing else bothers me too much, I've learned to have peoples loud children become part of the background noise I can easily ignore.

 

[Chaotic42]

to me, dropping off the check unprompted is the waiter's unspoken way of saying gtfo so we can turn your table around and it makes it feel like you're being a pain if you have to give the check back so he can add coffee/dessert onto it.

imo, the proper course would be that the waiter asks if you'd care for coffee, tea, or dessert as he's clearing away the dinner plates. if no, return with the check; if yes, drop the check off a couple minutes after bringing out the desserts.

That would be fine with me. I guess I've never been one to just hang out at restaurants, but I can see why people would feel rushed. I think I'm going to start asking for the check when I place my order.

I don't think I've ever ordered dessert at a "sit down" restauarant.

 

[GeekDrew]

The bad POS software is everywhere. Next to healthcare, hospitality software is the worst in the world. That is because corporations drive the companies that create and support the software and they are more interested in making life easier for the accountants than in customer service.

That sucks. I did know of some restaurants that can't adjust checks after they've been issued, but I figured that they were just higher up on the "we hate our customers" scale.

Contrary to popular belief, not everyone can be a good waiter/bartender/cook/dishwasher/manager/buyer/cashier/host well, you get the idea. The push from corporations to 'dumb down' the intricacies of a successful food service operation to allow for the hiring of low paid untrained staff has contributed significantly to the loss of service in the industry.

I totally agree... there's no way I could do it. Not even if it was the only chance I had at a job, not to save my life. I'd constantly be telling customers which fencepost they need to impale themselves on. I hate the general public.

Worse, going back to my comment about 'the responsibility to honor custom, tradition and service' they are training an entire new generation to view restaurants and dining as forgettable pre/postludes to "real" entertainment.

Must have succeeded in my case... I can't fathom a reason why one would want entertainment with their dinner. It's annoying to me to have entertainment with food. Heh. It's a restaurant.

 

[shortylickens]

Says a lot about American culture right there. Most of it was whiny little bitch shit, not serious problems.
My biggest issue would also be asshole children of asshole parents running around, practicing their asshole skills.
That is something the management could take care of, but they'd rather not, so it still happens.

 

[irishScott]

Lots of pretentious douchebags took that poll. Then again I guess they polled "restaurant goers", and anyone who describes themselves as such is probably little more than a wannabe food critic.

Anyone who takes offense at "you guys" and is paying less than $50 for their meal needs to take a stick out of their ass.

 

[Patranus]

From the comments I think I could accurately guess who are adults, "teen adults", and children.

 

[Chaotic42]

Says a lot about American culture right there. Most of it was whiny little bitch shit, not serious problems.
My biggest issue would also be asshole children of asshole parents running around, practicing their asshole skills.
That is something the management could take care of, but they'd rather not, so it still happens.

That one really gets me. When there are only like three tables being used in the restaurant and they sit me down next to the one with kids screaming... it does wonders for my impression of the restaurant. Obviously you can ask to move, but it just strikes me as odd.