Check it out, guys: The Top 5 restaurant gripes

[guyver01]

#1 pet-peeve is Disappearing waiter/waitress ... you can't even ask 'em for the check!


Two weeks ago, my GF & I went out to dinner at a nice restaurant.. service was fine, right up until the point where we got our entree. After that.. never saw the waiter. 20min after we finished eating, our waiter still hadn't shown up, so i went to the hostess. I asked her "where do we pay" .. she said "you pay your waiter" .. i told her that i dont even know if i have one anymore, as its been over 40min since i've seen him. 5min later, the manager delivered our check, with a nice 50% discount off both entrees for poor service.

Of course, i left no tip... since the waiter was obviously not interested in one.

 

[shortylickens]

#1 pet-peeve is Disappearing waiter/waitress ... you can't even ask 'em for the check!


Two weeks ago, my GF & I went out to dinner at a nice restaurant.. service was fine, right up until the point where we got our entree. After that.. never saw the waiter. 20min after we finished eating, our waiter still hadn't shown up, so i went to the hostess. I asked her "where do we pay" .. she said "you pay your waiter" .. i told her that i dont even know if i have one anymore, as its been over 40min since i've seen him. 5min later, the manager delivered our check, with a nice 50% discount off both entrees for poor service.

Of course, i left no tip... since the waiter was obviously not interested in one.

Yur a nicer guy than I am.
I would have left. If they dont try to collect payment, obviously they dont want it.

 

[TallBill]

Yur a nicer guy than I am.
I would have left. If they dont try to collect payment, obviously they dont want it.

Which, like it or not, is theft of services.


Anyways, the poll sucks, they have 20+ different responses from a barely 100 person poll. Any results are statistically terrible.

 

[Slew Foot]

Douchey waiters who think they are entitled to a 15% tip for simply breathing

 

[PingSpike]

Waiting, waiting, waiting for the check after you've already finished, told the server no dessert, and that you'd like the check. The tip drops by the minute.

Absolutely this. From this list apparently not forcing me to sit in the chair fuming for an extra 20 minutes is a grave offense however. Once I'm done eating I want to get the fuck out of there.

The only thing on this list I agree with is noisy kids running all over the place.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

That sucks.
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.

It used to be that people thought of the act of dining out as entertainment.

 

[GeekDrew]

It used to be that people thought of the act of dining out as entertainment.

Oh. Sorry, to you and your industry. :-\

 

[Leros]

Things that bother me the most:

1) Removing my plate before I'm done. There is still food on my plate, don't take it away. I was either going to eat it or take it to go.

2) Bringing the check before I ask. I was gonna order something else... nevermind.

3) Being sat down and waiting 10+ minutes for a waitress to show up. I either ask a manager to sit up with another waitress or I just leave. This happens to me about once or twice a year.

 

[tyler811]

Things that bother me the most:

1) Removing my plate before I'm done. There is still food on my plate, don't take it away. I was either going to eat it or take it to go.

2) Bringing the check before I ask. I was gonna order something else... nevermind.

3) Being sat down and waiting 10+ minutes for a waitress to show up. I either ask a manager to sit up with another waitress or I just leave. This happens to me about once or twice a year.

:thumbsup:

 

[PingSpike]

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.

Having your check come early and leaving later are not mutually exclusive to one another. You act like the waiter just blasted you with a cattle prod.

 

[dank69]

I am not tipping the OP because he called me a 'guy'

 

[nageov3t]

Having your check come early and leaving later are not mutually exclusive to one another. You act like the waiter just blasted your with a cattle prod.

intentional or not, dropping the check off is the waiter's unspoken way of telling you to gtfo and it's basically just robbing the restaurant of dessert sales.

assuming I'm not in a time crunch, I'll just about always get coffee and a dessert when I'm out at a restaurant. I don't keep sweets in the house, so it's a nice occasional indulgence. when the waiter drops the check off unprompted, though, it makes me feel like I'm putting him out by making him go back and start up a second receipt.

 

[silverpig]

#1 for me is the loud music. It seems every place I go these days for a late meal with friends is one of those trendy places which cranks the music up. It gets so bad that the only person you can talk to is the one right beside you, and after 40 minutes my throat is sore from yelling.

#2 is a check brought too quickly. The people in this thread who like a fast check seem to be eating at places with refills. This is more like a diner where you run in, sit down, get your food brought to you, wolf down your burger and two cokes, leave some cash and run out. Sure, in that case you want the check right away, but if you're going out for dinner with your wife to a place with a waiter, it's a lot different. You have a drink, appetizer, dinner, dessert with coffee, wine with dinner. To bring the check with the first thing you order...

 

[Mr Pickles]

Bathrooms, Bathrooms, Bathrooms.

 

[LittleNemoNES]

Huge pet peeve:

If I see the chef eating parts of what he's preparing: I once saw a Boston market emp cleaving chicken and then proceed to get a piece and put it in his mouth
BARF

 

[nageov3t]

Absolutely this. From this list apparently not forcing me to sit in the chair fuming for an extra 20 minutes is a grave offense however. Once I'm done eating I want to get the fuck out of there.

The only thing on this list I agree with is noisy kids running all over the place.

fuming? you sound like my dad... he's miserable to go to a restaurant with. my mom, my sister, and I will be sitting around relaxing and talking with eachother while he's grinding his teeth itching for the check.

if you're on a tight time table, ask for the check when the waiter arrives with your food.

 

[AMDZen]

I agree with the "dirty rag" argument. Check early, check late, for the most part those things don't bother me as I have a drink to finish or something.

But the "dirty rag" is something that turns me off a lot

 

[PingSpike]

intentional or not, dropping the check off is the waiter's unspoken way of telling you to gtfo and it's basically just robbing the restaurant of dessert sales.

assuming I'm not in a time crunch, I'll just about always get coffee and a dessert when I'm out at a restaurant. I don't keep sweets in the house, so it's a nice occasional indulgence. when the waiter drops the check off unprompted, though, it makes me feel like I'm putting him out by making him go back and start up a second receipt.

I just assumed that it was their unspoken way of giving me a choice about what I wanted to do.

I can't ever eat desert anyway...American portions are so fucking giant there's no room left for me to eat one. I usually feel like a fat shit before I've finished my main course.

Putting him out? Starting up a second receipt? I don't think the bill is closed until its paid, they can just add it on and toss some paper. Every thing that gets added to the bill ups the potential tip, and I'd have to say deserts are probably a lot harder to fuck up the delivery of the entrees.

In conclusion, I completely disagree!

 

[brblx]

Huge pet peeve:

If I see the chef eating parts of what he's preparing: I once saw a Boston market emp cleaving chicken and then proceed to get a piece and put it in his mouth
BARF

uh, as long as he's not licking the portion that he's serving you, how is that gross?

good chefs taste their food before serving it.

 

[silverpig]

uh, as long as he's not licking the portion that he's serving you, how is that gross?

good chefs taste their food before serving it.

This. Now, if it was indeed a piece of raw chicken, then yeah that's just nasty, but I'd be reassured that I'd be getting a good meal if I saw the chef sampling the soup/sauce he's working on.

 

[Deeko]

WTF - the number one is just a regional norm.

Yea, where I'm from "you guys" is the standard phrase for the plural you - the south has y'all, we have "you guys".

Then again, when you're in a service position, you have to be careful about regional things like that. I'm sure these places frequently get customers from out of the area that might be confused or offended by regional things like that.

 

[nageov3t]

I just assumed that it was their unspoken way of giving me a choice about what I wanted to do.

I can't ever eat desert anyway...American portions are so fucking giant there's no room left for me to eat one. I usually feel like a fat shit before I've finished my main course.

Putting him out? Starting up a second receipt? I don't think the bill is closed until its paid, they can just add it on and toss some paper. Every thing that gets added to the bill ups the potential tip, and I'd have to say deserts are probably a lot harder to fuck up the delivery of the entrees.

In conclusion, I completely disagree!

pro tip: just because it's on your plate doesn't mean you have to eat it

re: the check, it really depends on their POS system which seem to be more crappy and user unfriendly than not.

 

[PepePeru]

I have no qualms about requesting a different table if they put me / us in a spot I don't like.

If there's tables open in a corner or on the side of a room, why are you putting us in a table right in the middle of the room / right in front of the door, that annoys me to no end. I hate having people constantly walking by the table.

 

[Pegun]

I guess it's just a matter of opinion on most of these issues. I don't mind the server asking about "Change?" or sitting down next to me. I'd rather both because it shows the waiter is intuitive and friendly. Addressing us as "you guys" I'm usually pretty passive about but it also depends on the restaurant. Kids....oh god. I've been one to suggest to my gf that we should state "Discipline your kids before I do" on multiple occasions.

 

[Fritzo]

No. 3: Checks brought too soon irk many readers; most interpret it as a sign the restaurant wants them to leave quickly.

???????? My problem is if they don't bring the check soon enough! I hate waiting 20 minutes on the check. Who cares if they bring it early???