Where's your party meeting?

I sometimes wonder what is wrong with the people in today's world, When they enter a restaurant, I just keep singing "If YOU only had a brain..." Don't you..?.Servers? Few in far between there is a day...during a season...where you have a party... that you expect to be perfect... and make boat loads of money...

 I had a server the ready to take a party of 20 in the BAR AREA (some of you may want to call it a lounge). Which means there are segregated tables where guests, such as yourself, can order food and drinks (even just drinks) but ... a server will serve you.

The guests decided to not go to the table from the start, while it was ready and so was the server. Each person, ONE-BY-ONE went to the bar then to the table. Completely depriving the server of any alcoholic drinks on their check except food. Which we all know is shared or not eaten.

I'll give you another scenario. Many times in this "BAR" area guests who get drinks at the bar will take up a table. As much as this annoys the server, because it is their assigned section (not just open tables) they are okay with the fact more-so because they don't need to worry about you. "You didn't want table service or a server? You can go to the bar! So...F*ck off when you want a re-fill".

People I've experienced are 1. Pretty Cheap 2. Fake 3. Get a clue. 4. Tip your damn server!!! 5. You are awesome! 6. Thank You for understanding!

Teachers...I can love them...or... I can hate them!

This post is dedicated to OPRAH!

I learned early on in life that teachers are amazing. They are basically your moms while you are in school. These people are with you all day or for a full hour or so everyday. I mastered the teacher's pet definition when I was in school, before ONLINE-College.

Oprah re-assured me that teacher's were God's gift to earth. It reminded me that they were a select awesome group of people.

I became a server... I began serving groups of teachers at a Tavern in Nashua, NH.

I now know the following:
1. If a group of teachers are getting together, make a a note of who is getting what. They will always ask for the check to be split. They are going to claim they are the lowest paid profession. (I know a couple teachers making 70k or more)

2. Know what you are charging for and the pricing. They will make sure they know what price the menu says or any discrepancies) and how to tip 20% or less and nothing more than 15%.

If there is a grammatical error in your menu or speech, they win the case. No, you aren't in court or dealing with a lawyer, a teacher called you out and they taught you...YOU LOSE.

Overall, just be prepared for these guests, who love and raise our "Children of the future" to certainly be ready for a good time but to also be as critical of the service they get as they are about every book report or math test that comes across their desks. Today's lesson....be PREPARED!

It’s Closing Time...

It’s Closing Time

This has not happened to me in a while...BUT it does happen. (Read link above NOW!). I feel for the servers and I feel bad for managers who really have to endure the servers who ACTUALLY have to respond to the person who decides to stay at 9:58pm when a restaurant is set to close at 10pm. The guests tend to stay usually about an extra hour. Oh! and when the restaurant is corporate/chain/private group...etc... you must serve them with a smile. Your job may be on the line.

You will get a corporate person calling you first thing in the morning if you don't serve that guest...OR an Immediate e-mail to contact that horrible customer and apologize to them for being a douche.

Lunch Tippers!

I have not served in about a year, but do manage and see that whether you are a on lunch or visit a restaurant during "lunch time", guests think that it's ok to TIP less.

Let me explain what happens in most restaurants during lunch time...

Most restaurants do their best, because management knows you have 30 minutes to an hour until you have to get back to work.

You are getting the same quality of service, while servers and especially cooks are supposed to be busting their ass to make sure you eat and get out in time.

I must say, there are times a ticket is missed or something may take longer (well done burger). Most of the time if this happens you get a comped meal.

Back to the subject, I don't understand why it's ok for guests to tip their server less than 20% just because it's lunch. Just my observation and opinion. 

On that same note, many restaurants have specials for lunch. For Example; 1/2 price burgers or just reduced prices on something on a certain day of the week. Many servers will put the original receipt in the check presenter to show the guests "what their bill should have been". Many guests tend to just tip on the discounted amount. 

I'd like the opinion of guests on what they think when they go out to eat and how they base what they are going to tip. 

Self Seaters

Ever have those guests who have never worked in a restaurant, who seat themselves?

Have you ever had those guests that walk up past the host stand and ask you if they should just seat themselves?

Question to them...When was the last time you went to a restaurant?

Essentially, every restaurant in 2014 now has a host stand and preaches guest service. This is to again essentially try to give you a "Disney World" experience. This is because of horrible websites like Yelp.

So, back to self seaters...

I had these ladies walk back up to the host stand and ask me if I'm the manager. They then go on to tell me that they sat down at a table where they did not have a server approach their table. The server got a drink order at the table next to them and brought that table drinks. Yet, hadnt gotten to them. "This is what you would call bad service", they said.

I apologized and asked them if they would stay and i'd take care of them (nothing free, of course) by giving them a better experience. They denied the offer.

I asked the 3 hosts to tell me where any of them could have been seated... not one specifically sat them. I had a couple servers that were too busy to notice and no clue what server wasn't watching their section.

So, out of 3 hosts and servers who had that section do not know where these women sat. Everyone did remember 2 african American women passing them or in the restaurant stopping to talk to me.

I guess a quick solve to all of this would be if people when they enter a restaurant find the host stand and kindly wait to be seated. Don't be stupid.