Archive for the ‘Funny E-mails’ Category

This is to Sara who thinks waiter and waitress don’t work hard and are uneducated, “She likes to sling mud”. I would also like her home address:) Dearest Sara, Per your e-mail ” you are probably waiting tables because you don’t know how to work hard. If you did, you would have studied hard in school so you wouldn’t be waiting tables the rest of your life” Well, lets see. I am a waitress because it is the only job that I can make my own schedule while I am getting my Master, then my PhD. Do you know what that is, Sara? I am paying for my own school, not having mommy and daddy do everything for me. Speaking of mommy, I pay for her too. After 4 heart attacks and a stroke, she can no longer work. And what kind of “hard work” do you do, Sara? Maybe sit behind a desk and answer phones, or just sit at home while someone else is paying for you snotty little butt!! Just remember, Sara, many of those waiter and waitress that you are so obviously rude to, may one day be the ones deciding rather or not you get a job!! Thank you and come again!!

Like your rules for customers. have been a waitress for 15 years and could add at least a dozen more do’s and don’ts. 1. If your daughter just turned 21, but didn’t bring her I.D., No, I am not going to serve her alcohol, I don’t care if it’s Christmas. The laws are the same for holidays and I can still lose my job, get fined and go to jail!! 2. If you have an allergy, ask before you eat anything. Don’t eat something, then ask and yell at me because you are allergic to it. 3. When I greet your table and ask you if I can get you a drink, don’t act like I am intruding and completely ignore me. You came out to have someone wait on you and bring you what you want. I am sorry that I must ask you a question, but I am not a mind reader. 4. Don’t bring your own hot tea bags. Tea service is enough of a hassle. I will charge you for the hot water I’m bringing you. 5. I you must ask for separate checks, don’t tell me your in a hurry. Separate checks take time and rushing me will only make it take longer. 6. “You get more bees with honey”. If you are nasty and demand a special request, chanced are it’s not happening. If you are nice, I will bend over backwards to get you what you want. I have more, just let me know if your interested. Daria

The waiter (and waitress as well, but for convenience we are lumping everyone into one term) are the face of any food and beverage establishment.  These men and women are on the front line any restaurant and the services they offer.  One could argue that the services of a waiter are even more important (or at least as important) as the food that is served.  As such, it the success of any food and beverage establishment is dependent on the quality services that its waiters provide.

Because waiters are an integral facet of the business operation of a food and beverage establishment, there duties in regards to guest service should be thoroughly detailed in a restaurant SOP (service operating policy).  The restaurant SOP should cover the following points and much more.

A Successful Waiter Will…

• Be confident and friendly.  Smile at guests and engage in useful conversation.  Avoid personal talk, as guests are there to enjoy themselves and not help you through personal problems.

• Be accurate.  Make sure you repeat everyone’s order back to them to ensure that you have it right.  Nothing frustrates a guest more than to have their order messed up and the delays that result.

• Ensure guest satisfaction.  After you deliver food to guests, take a few moments before leaving to make sure that everything is to the guest’s satisfaction.  If drinks need to be refilled this is a good opportunity to do so.  Also, check back in periodically to make sure that the guests have everything that they need.

• Not hover.  While you want to make yourself available if the guest requires your services, once you have checked on them and they have everything they need, allow them to enjoy their meal.

• Keep an eye on guests.  In connection with the last point, while you don’t want to hover over guests, you do want to be within eye contact so that if they signal you or otherwise want to get your attention, you will be able to respond quickly.

• Rush guests.  Do not give the impression that you are rushing guests by asking if they are ready of their check or asking if they are finished eating.  Instead, allow guests to signal when they are done and ready to pay for their meal.

• In addition to following the above duties, waiters should have a few common characteristics that allow for consistent success:

Attributes of a Good Waiter

• A good waiter is tactful.
• A good waiter is responsible.
• A good waiter possesses round knowledge of an establishment’s services and products.
• A good waiter pays attention to details.
• A good waiter is well dressed.

This is only a small sample of what the attributes and traits that comprise a good waiter or waitress that should be found in a restaurant SOP.  For a restaurant manager, having personnel with these skills and characteristics is paramount for success.  Much of this can be instilled with proper training.  In addition to a restaurant SOP, every establishment should have a restaurant training guide that outlines procedures that allows food and beverage management to impart needed skills to personnel.  Our ebooks, are terrific resources for establishing your own restaurant SOP and training procedures.

http://www.endtime.com/video-viewer?ID=ETA-UTE-0102B-01

New World Order is World Government Part B

86BadTips,

Lady,

Jason

Here she goes again,

86BadTips,

Your opinions are based on your assumptions and not facts. Emily Post, thenation’s foremost authority on etiquette has stated it is unnecessary to tip oncarryout orders. What’s next, are you going to put the burden of tipping on us for payingthe hostesses to seat us. What’s that worth…10% for walking us 10 feet to atable? I’m guessing you will say yes

Lady,

I have been in this business for a long time. No assumption what so ever here. Emily Post is Wrong……..Oh, by the way, we do have to tip out the host, bartenders, bus boys and sometimes food runners already, 3%-5% of our total sales regardless of what we are tipped. So If you decide not to tip, we pay to wait on you. This stuff should be illegal. Come on its like you want to argue all day so you can get out of paying a few bucks to someone who is working very hard for you. You don’t want to be educated you want to justify your poor behavior.

Jason

Dear servers,

This is all a nice wish list on your part but… not reality.”Tips are all your server sees.”This statement is false in most parts of the USA. (Sorry, for you, if it is true where you live.) Most servers supplement a base salary or hourly pay with tips. And many get benefits. So, the tips are an incentive to do a quality job. Usually, the better the job; the better the tip.Most parts of the world don’t recognize or expect tipping. I’ve been there.Remember this; the customer makes the rules, not the server.Today, ten years ago or 100 years ago, a gratuity (tip) is something given voluntarily or beyond obligation.The customer is under NO obligation to GIVE you anything.The obligation is whatever you contract with your management.If that is not what you require, contract differently with your current or another employer.And before you dismiss me as just one more bad tipper. I’ve server drinks and food. I’ve owned a restaurant, a bar and a lounge. I’ve retired three times, from the Marine Corps, as an engineer and as a fine art dealer.If all you are doing is begging for tips and pretending they are your right, grow up and get an education.BTW, I am usually a good tipper but I don’t give it away. I expect YOU to earn it.I expect the table, chair, floor, windows, silverware, tableware, menus and all else to be clean.I expect the food order to be correct and timely.I expect you to be cordial and the atmosphere pleasant.I don’t want to hear excuses. You are there to take care of ME and make my dinner a pleasant experience.I am human. I understand things don’t always go perfectly.The responsibility to fix any of these potential problems is yours.I am and will be polite to you. Do the same for me.Don’t interrupt me if I am in the middle of a conversation. Be Considerate and wait a moment! I don’t owe you 20% of anything.Good luck, I wish you well. The Customer P.S. I bet you don’t have the fortitude to post this on your web site.

Customer,

“Tips are all your server sees.”This statement is false in most parts of the USA. (Sorry, for you, if it is true where you live.) Most servers supplement a base salary or hourly pay with tips. And many get benefits. So, the tips are an incentive to do a quality job.

Wrong you! Your servers check is usually $20 or less for a two week pay period. They make $2-$3 per hour on average. Don’t believe me? Get in your car right now, drive to the nearest Chilies and ask the servers. They most likely have a current check in their wait book right then. Now in California servers do make $6.75 I believe, but even that means nothing when taxes come out.

Most parts of the world don’t recognize or expect tipping. I’ve been there.

You are right. Only difference is they get paid a competitive salary. Oh yeah, we are not in “Most parts of the world”. We are in the USA.

Today, ten years ago or 100 years ago, a gratuity (tip) is something given voluntarily or beyond obligation.

You are correct again, If you speaking about the definition of the word.

The customer is under NO obligation to GIVE you anything.

Trust me, they are earned. It’s not a give. Tips are in fact “owed”. It is part of it. If you do not tip your server, you are legally stealing from them. Don’t worry; we are taking matters into our own hands. You can no longer be trusted. You have proven it time and time again.

I expect the table, chair, floor, windows, silverware, tableware, menus and all else to be clean.I expect the food order to be correct and timely.I expect you to be cordial and the atmosphere pleasant.

I agree with you. You do have the right to expect good friendly service. This site is not about a pity party for servers. We do not condone giving bad service and being paid for it.

The responsibility to fix any of these potential problems is yours.

Again, I could not agree more. This site is about uniting servers against the system and customers that have stolen from us for entirely too long. You would not believe how many people have the nerve to leave 10%-15% after you give them 25% service. It’s unbelievable. It happens entirely too much.

I don’t owe you 20% of anything

If you sit in my section and I give you great service, you do “owe” me 20%. Anything less, you are stealing.

P.S. I bet you don’t have the fortitude to post this on your web site.

I bet you don’t have the fortitude you truly try and educate yourself on what’s really going on. It’s easier to be cheap, make excuses, pass out insults, run from your responsibility and turn your head.

Jaso
www.86badtips.com

Jason and Amanda,

I get sick and tired of lazy waitresses that feel like they deserve a tip even when I did not like my food, the service or the experience in general. Why do you think I should tip in a situation like this?

Barbra /Flint, Michigan

Barbra,

This e-mail is so wrong on so many levels. First of all if your server (waiter/waitress) does their job and does not slap you, consider it a good experience. By the sound of your e-mail you are a royal pain to wait on. What exactly do you expect from your waitress? Do you expect her to sing and dance? Bottom line is if you sit in her section, she waits on you, she smiles at you and does a decent job, it is your responsibility to tip her. Please stop looking for reasons not to tip. The tip is part of the experience. Get used to it, or drive through.

Jason

Another problem that many consumers are not aware of is the miserable wage that the servers are paid because of the (hopefully) compensation with gratuity. Many don’t know that we have to pay taxes on what our sales were. I have had many paychecks that were “$0.00″. And if a customer failed to tip, that is money that I Have to pay out of my pocket, not only to taxes, but to tip my busser, food runner,bartender.This would be great as a blog setup for everyone to share stories, and perhaps gripe on those bad nights when they were “in the weeds” all night long.

Great idea! Done! What Else you want? We here at “Server Thoughts”, We serve servers!

Your website is quite frankly one of the most asinine I’ve ever come across. No, waiters are not entitled to 20% regardless of your service. You don’t pay my wages. I earn that money and I’m not going to waste it on self-absorbed and entitled individuals who no longer want to earn their tips. If you are receiving a poor tip, it’s likely you are terrible at your job and are unaware of it. If you want better tips then work harder. But then again, you are probably waiting tables because you don’t know how to work hard. If you did, you would have studied hard in school so you wouldn’t be waiting tables the rest of your life and creating pathetic websites like this. After reading this trash, I’m more than happy to leave a poor tip the next time I receiver service from incompetent individuals like yourself. Sara
————————————————————————————————
Sara,

Wow, sounds like we hit a nerve. Unfortunately you are misinformed on several issues. I’m not going to get into a mudslinging contest but I will say that waiting tables is one of the hardest jobs there is. I believe it is the second most stressful, just behind air traffic controllers. It requires a lot of Patience, communication skills, stamina, can do attitude and flexibility. You obviously are more interested in being mean and justifying your poor restaurant manners than you are about learning.

Jason

We are always talking about server being in the right, customers taking advantage of us, 20% service charge, and in general it is kind of one sided. I think that if we expect certain things, the customer should expect certain things as well. This is a two way street. Here is an E-Mail I received from a person. I think she makes a few good points (although most of them are obvious points). I would not say I agree with everything she says, in fact several of them I completely disagree with, but decided to share her comments with you.

Jason

1. Always provide water in addition to drinks. You shouldn’t expect the customer to ask for this
2. Bring extra napkins to the table.
3. If the kitchen is slow, apologize to the customer and update them. Don’t just leave them and arrive 45 min later blaming the kitchen. Provide additional bread or snacks in the meanwhile
4. Think about what customers want before they ask for it. Provide the pepper shaker, condiments, extra sauce, chips etc.
5. Don’t provide poor service because the customer split an item or ordered less. They may order more food next time or provide a good tip in addition to what they might owe
6. Don’t discriminate against customers based on past experience. If you treat them like they will tip poorly, they are GUARANTEED to do so!
7. Smile! You don’t have to be Jay Leno but be friendly. You don’t have a right to take out your frustration out on a customer. Wrong business pal!
8. Take the food to the back and package it. Don’t throw boxes on the table and expect the customers to do it. It’s your job, don’t be lazy
9. If someone is a vegetarian then start thinking about meat or animal products in various food items. Vegetarians don’t want that. Think about their needs instead of your next table
10. Check up on customers frequently so they don’t have to shout out your name,waive their hand or ask another server to track you down
11. If you mess up, simply say SORRY! Customers are forgiving but no one likes an arrogant and defensive waiter. We are human so level with us instead of acting like you are impervious to mistakes.
Anonymous.

My feet ache. It is not just the normal pain caused by standing or staying active. I can feel my pulse in my toes as I look down at the mess the family of four left behind. As I pick up the credit card slip I realize they left thirty minutes after we closed. Then it hits me, I have done the quick math in my head and I received less than ten percent as a tip from the customers I just worked so hard to please. I calm myself down by making excuses for them. Perhaps they were never taught the proper way to tip. There are times when it is appropriate to leave more than fifteen percent for your server, such as when there are children being served, when the group stays late or comes in late, or if your server just did an all out great job.

There are some things that people don’t quite understand when it comes to children. You should leave something extra for your server when a child is part of your dining group because children are messy, their food is much cheaper or even free, and your server will play partial babysitter to help you enjoy the meal. I cannot remember how many times I have put a sugar caddy back together after a child used one of my tables. Depending on age the food has probably gotten more onto the table and floor than in the kid’s mouth. Not to mention crayons, broken bits of crayon, and the wrappers that have to be picked up. On Kid’s Night, when children’s meals are free, parents often forget to think of what the total bill would have been when calculating how much to leave their server. This means I get paid less for working harder. When I have kids in my section of tables I make sure they stay occupied until the food comes and that the bill is not far behind after they receive the food. I have no children of my own, but I understand that once people have kids they don’t get to go out and have a nice dinner alone very often. I try to keep the child busy for an extra five minutes so Mom and Dad can have a moment, in hopes that they will notice and reward my efforts.

Timing is a big factor when it comes to waiting tables. When people camp out or come in less than thirty minutes until close they should leave extra money for the tip. Camping out is when a group stays for a great deal of time after the bill has been presented and paid. This would not be a big deal if perhaps the group orders desert, drinks, or coffee, but more than likely they already decided on the tips before they sat there for an extra forty-five minutes. This is inconvenient during busy times because the guests are taking up prime real estate where new paying customers could be sitting and wracking up a new bill. It takes much effort to close down a restaurant. When a group comes in late, meaning thirty minutes or less to close, this causes an inconvenience to everyone working. The cooks cannot close down the kitchen; the servers cannot do their closing procedures. There is also the factor that once this group leaves there is clean up and then putting the tables back correctly, and closing up the dining area, which cannot happen until every guest is gone.

Really great servers are hard to come by. I was once told, “The difference between a waitress and a server is the waitress asks and is told what the guest wants; a server anticipates what a guest wants or needs.” When a server goes the extra mile to make sure you have the best dining experience possible they deserve a better tip. The server might do this by being talkative and getting to know you with hopes that you will return and become one of their regular customers. When a table seems like they would like to be left alone, the server leaves them alone. Offering to box up leftover items for the guest is something more that I try to do for each of my tables. If your drink never goes empty, even during busy times, it is a sign that you are getting great service that should be rewarded.

I truly love my job. It is worth the aching feet, messes, and late nights to see the reward for my efforts. Providing great service is rewarded by smiling faces and return guests, but the prize I seek most is the money left behind for me. I go to work for the same reason as anyone else. I make the best of it by having a good time and insuring that my patrons do the same. It is a job though, and smiling faces and compliments about how great the service was will not pay my bills. The tips are important too.