Cheap piece of sh*t



Ring the bells! We have a winner! My girlfriend sent this image to me via Twitter and I laughed and laughed and laughed. Needless to say, if this was protocol and customers did in fact have to tell you prior to you serving them that they are a cheap piece of sh*t they would not get a menu. Actually, the only service they would get would be shown where the door is so they can get the heck out. Hahaha...

You can't win them all

There are a handful of people that no matter what you do you will never be able to satisfy. Customers like this actually make me feel better about myself because really who the heck is so unfulfilled in their life that they have to make a total stranger's temporarily aggravating?

It's not hard to identify these people. They are the ones that give you the cold shoulder the moment they walk in. You greet them, they ignore you, then they're offended that when they were ready to speak up that you may or may not have been intentionally not available to listen. These are also the people who don't make eye contact with you but will glare at you from across the restaurant. Take note that no matter what you do or say it will never be satisfactory for them. Do not go above and beyond for these people because it just adds insult to injury. Here's an example of a group of 4, one being a small child, that I dealt with not too long ago:

This group walked in, gave typical attitude when my cheery self asked them for how many and directed them to take a seat anywhere they like as I grabbed a highchair for the little one. I started off by attempting to make a connection with them. The one man was cool with it and seemed pleasant until his girlfriend wasn't impressed. I guess being nice is rude?? Confusing. I grabbed their drink orders and the lady did ask for Sprite and 99% of the time I verify that 7up is okay with them. They just happened to be the 1% that I didn't ask. So, I bring the drinks over and as I'm placing it in front of the lady I say " And here's your 7up." She asked why it was 7up I explained and I offered to get her another beverage if she preferred something else. Her response was no. Now, as I was walking away she starts talking trash to her girlfriend about "How rude it was for me not to tell her, blah, blah, blah, squawk, squawk. I turned around and went back and said, "I asked you if it was okay and offered something else, would you like something different?" She said no. She ordered a certain type of ribs that we were out of so I gave her the more expensive ones that the same price. Bonus! Most people would be happy, but not Negative Nancy. I brought them out and they were so big they were falling off of the plate. I would be thrilled that I had a snack for later on, but not Negative Nancy. No she actually complained that they were too big! Too Big? Seriously? I jokingly responded, "I can take some back if it's too much." Negative Nancy had nothing to say. I walk away and see her taking pictures of the ribs, yes like one of those people who Instagram every meal they eat. After waiting on them and smiling the entire time when all I wanted to do was choke her out I brought them the bill. Needless to say she never tipped and took home half a rack of ribs. Your welcome.

You can't win them all.



LISTEN UP! To This Day Project - Shane Koyczan

This video, titled "To This Day Project", moves mountains. It is not really related to my blog, but it is related to life. Please watch and listen with care. Pass it on!

 

 

 

 

Visit http://www.shanekoyczan.com/

Superbowl and the Morality of Tipping

Superbowl has come to an end with the Ravens beating the 49ers. Did you go out to your neighbourhood bar to watch the big game? If you did, did you second guess your tipping approach or did you tip like you normally would?

Superbowl is the biggest day for takeout for many bars and restaurants such as the one I work for. The bar did get full but it was not as exciting as a Hockey Night in Canada evening. Disappointing? Yes. The common misconception is that waitresses make a TON of money on Superbowl. There is very little truth to that. Once you take everything into consideration you will actually be able to understand that we sometimes end up making less money than we would on a typical evening.

Here are a few reasons why:

• Customers come in and sit for the entire 4-5 hours. This means no turnover. No turnover in the type of restaurant I work in means no money, unless they are drinking and eating heavily.
• People do not drink as much because cops are in full effect. I would much rather people be safe than make money at the end of the day, but this does affect the amount of consumption.
• Customers do not take into account that you have been serving them for the entire night, therefore do not compensate you for it. If I have been refilling your $2.99 pop or better yet your free water for 4 hours why do you still tip 10% at the end of the night. Haven't I done more than a normal night out where you only spend an hour at a restaurant?
• The customer demographic is different on these nights. Your regulars may have all gone to a Superbowl party. This makes a HUGE difference on how you will be compensated.

I worked a 12 hour shift yesterday and my partner in crime worked 14 hours! We decided at the beginning of the day that we would pool our tips together so our customers will get better service and it will be easier to close out at the end of the night. Some people even decided not to tip at all and when asked, in a polite manner, if anything was wrong with the service, they said no. Hmm... strange that people feel they can sit for 5 hours and get served somewhere and not tip at all. On top of it the woman was offended that she was asked and said it was "begging for tips." I say it was making sure everything was alright and bringing to your attention in the most tactful way that you were not compensated for your work that evening. At the end of it all we ended up making less than we would in a 5 hour shift. Was the juice worth the squeeze? Nope. Would I do it all over again? Now, where did I leave my shotgun? All kidding aside, I probably would only because I love what I do and you got to get through the bad to understand what the good really is.

Calling people out on their sh*t: Priceless

This is a quick one!

Four guys walk into the bar, order a bunch of wings and 2 pitchers of premium beer. They eat and drink everything. When the bill comes they say "Wow, why is it so much?" Just on a side note here: their bill was $65 this included, once again, 2 pitchers of beer which accounted for at least $35 of that and 4 and a 1/5 pounds of wings with fries. Personally, I think that's a good deal for four guys to go out and eat and drink. Their server just didn't understand the discrepancy and neither did I. I took it upon myself to actually find out what the issue was before discounting their bill. The conversation went something like this:

Me: Could you please tell me exactly what is wrong with your bill because we're having a hard time understanding what the discrepancy is?

Cheapo: Yeah, it's too expensive. We actually wanted the smaller pitcher for our second round.

Me: But you drank the large one, yes?

Cheapo: Yes.

Me: So, why didn't you tell your waitress that it was not what you wanted when she brought it over?

Cheapo: Well... umm.. studder studder... I don't know the difference in size between the big one and the small one.

Me: sigh. You got the large pitcher first so you knew when you saw the second one that it was clearly not the small one but you drank it anyway. Pause. Thanks just wanted to clarify that.

Their bill was discounted and they actually tipped her very well. I guess it was just to prove that they are not in fact the cheapos they painted themselves out to be.

This is a good example of "The Customer is Always Right" is wrong theory.

Pay it forward

It's Saturday night, the first Leafs hockey game of the season is about to come on and they're playing the Canadiens. We have quite a few reservations set up and people are pouring in. Now, one thing I dislike is turning customers away because we are full. One thing I dislike more than that is customers failing to understand that there is no room for them to sit and no guarantee, especially during the season opening games. A couple customers did not understand the concept of 'there is no room.' My recommendation: If you plan on going out to a smaller restaurant on a Saturday night and you have 8 other people with you, please do us and yourselves a favour and just call ahead.

So, in walks a lady with her two tween daughters, immediately I say "We're terribly sorry, but as you can see we are full right now and the game is about to start." Apparently she didn't comprehend what I was relaying to her. She simply refused and went on to tell me that she was invited by the owner and drove over 100 km to get there to eat. If you work in the industry you very well know that everyone knows the owner. People try to threaten you with it while others steer toward a discount. I don't buy it.

Three seats opened up at the bar so I had them sit there and have a drink while they wait for a table to clear, which wasn't going to happen for at least 2 hours. A few young guys sitting in the dining room heard what had happened at the front door and told me they would give their table to the lady and her two children. What nice guys! I find simple acts of kindness to be rewarding for all people involved. I tell the lady, who by the way at this time has been dubbed a b*tch by the staff because of her complete apathy to our situation, that there is a table and the guys were personally giving it to her. Turns out she gives them a $50 gift card for their kind gesture! The lady who we all thought was a witch was suddenly this really kind appreciative lady who may have had a bout of frustration upon arrival.

I was the lucky one who served her table and when I say lucky what I actually mean is unlucky. She was nothing short of picky, particular, meticulous, and the list goes on. But I knew I had to smile through it because deep down inside that cold outer shell she had a heart and she showed it by paying it forward to those nice guys who gave her place to sit.

Lesson of the day: You can simultaneously be a b*tch and a nice person.

Half price nights S.U.C.K

The restaurant I work at offers half price wings on certain nights of the week. It is typically standard procedure: you get in, you bust your ass, you get out. Sound simple, right? Nope! Sometimes they throw on a newbie just for shits and giggles. Anyone who works in the industry knows that when it is busy you need a team on that works well together and gets shit done. Throwing someone new on just impedes service. They become a liability. These nights are typically really busy with people waiting to be seated at the door and people cramped into ever nook and crevice in the place. Needless to say, the cheapest people come in on these days. Making money can be difficult because the substantial discount their getting and their desire to tip 10%. GREEEEEAAAAAT. So, us girls require quick turnover to make a buck. Get the customers in, feed them, take the money, and escort them out. Not so easy when you are working with someone who doesn't understand the concept of 'Hurry the eff up.' Not to blame them, I was once in that position where everyone would become aggravated and mad with me because I just didn't understand the pace. We bus our own tables, play hostess, and run our own food and drinks so you must be able to be efficient.

A few tips to create efficiency on nights like these:

• Do not fill the pop glass with a ton of ice. You're just gonna have to refill it that much sooner.
• Take as many drink and food orders at once. This will ensure you make less trips behind the bar and to the computer to punch in the order.
• Always set up your tables once the order is taken. That means plates, condiments, cutlery, etc. There is nothing worse than running someone elses food and having to go back to the kitchen to grab supplies.
• Cleaning a table should be done in one trip. Bring the spray bottle, a tray, and a menu and clear all that crap off quick.
• If you need help, ask one of your co-workers. Hopefully they're not all witches and will take the time to help you.
• NEVER freak out! One very important piece of advice, once you panic everything falls apart!

If there is anything I overlooked or you would suggest feel free to comment!