5/29/11 - I have to write about my last table today, because it was legitimately a comedy of errors... Or something. I don't even know. But I have to post about this!!
I've been waiting tables almost two years now. I'm a certified trainer, and I feel like I'm pretty damn good at my job. But I feel like I have the worst luck when it comes to my last tables most nights. Any other servers out there feel this way?
My first two tables this morning were totally fine. No problems. Third, and final table, gets sat - and mind you, we were super slow today - and from the start, I knew this wasn't going to go well.
I greet them - "Hi, Welcome to __, my name's Doug and I'll be taking care of ya'll, how are you doing today?" The response - "Fine." Doesn't look at me, doesn't really acknowledge me. It's a man and a woman. They proceed to tell me how they come in all the time. I've been there for almost two years, I work 5-6 days a week, I've NEVER waited on these people or seen them in my store.
The woman orders a sweet tea/unsweet tea mix... We don't have sweet tea, but you come in "all the time"? Ok... So when I tell her we don't have sweet tea, she orders coffee.
Me: Ok, no problem!
Woman: Is it fresh?
Me: Yes, m'am.
Woman: How do you know?
Me: Well, we just brewed it.
Woman: I want it fresh.
So I go in the kitchen, pour the HOT HOT coffee over my finger to test it, and assume it's fine. Take it to the table... "This isn't fresh." Ok. Right. Did you want me to brew you coffee at the table? I mean, I didn't say that obviously. So she asks for a water.
As I'm getting their order, she reminds me that they come in all the time and that our kitchen "makes their salads special." They order all romaine lettuce (we usually serve a iceberg/romaine mix), no croutons, no cucumbers, extra cheese, extra tomatoes. And then they tell me not to ring in their entrees for "awhile after their salads." Now, in our computer system, we ring in salads as a side so they don't get charged extra for them, so unless I tell the cooks to delay their food, it's all going in at the same time. I try to explain this, and they just stare at me and sigh.
So my manager makes their salads "special" before I ring in their food, I take them out... The guy asks to see my manager and then complains that something is wrong with the dressing I brought him. My manager REMAKES his salad, then takes him the SAME DRESSING, and he loved it. Go figure.
In the meantime, I go to refill his tea from our tea pitcher and he tells me that he needs a fresh glass with fresh tea right from the brewing machine. ..... -_- Ok. Got it. Did that about four times.
Finally their food comes. They seem happy, but by no means nice. They're both almost done, so I ask them if they'd like to think about saving room for dessert, and the woman proceeds to snap at me and say that she's "TRYING TO FINISH HER MEAL." Ok, lady, calm down. I wasn't going to take your damn food from you, I was asking a yes or no question.
Needless to say when they left, it was a glorious moment. They tipped me decently. But whatever. I just hate feeling like I can't make a table happy. And don't tell me you come in all the time, when you don't. And even if you did, that doesn't give you a right to be nasty or act like you have any kind of entitlement. Because you don't.
And I totally understand pickiness. My fiancee, Amanda, has severe allergies to some food items, so we have to ask for special instructions sometimes as well... But there's a line between being PICKY, and just being demanding.
