Restaurant service

[Mark]

I guess it must be something they teach you at restaurant school.

No matter how attentive the service when you arrive, when you order and the bringing out your food, and then asking you 5 times while you're eating you food if it's any good. By the time you've finished and just want to pay and leave, you will *always* be ignored for ages and ages!

Now when I'm by myself I usually just get up and go and stand by the cash desk, they can't ignore you there, although they give it a good try sometimes.. Whereas my wife doesn't like to cause a fuss so invariably we end up sitting for 20 minutes trying to catch someones eye so we can pay them!

[Retro Formula 1]

I guess it must be something they teach you at restaurant school.

No matter how attentive the service when you arrive, when you order and the bringing out your food, and then asking you 5 times while you're eating you food if it's any good. By the time you've finished and just want to pay and leave, you will *always* be ignored for ages and ages!

Now when I'm by myself I usually just get up and go and stand by the cash desk, they can't ignore you there, although they give it a good try sometimes.. Whereas my wife doesn't like to cause a fuss so invariably we end up sitting for 20 minutes trying to catch someones eye so we can pay them!

Been to McDonalds again Mark?

[markabilly]

Been to McDonalds again Mark?
only for those occaisions when only the best will do......but they make u pay up front, otherwise after eating that crap, one might just leave

[Mark]

Been to McDonalds again Mark?

At McDonalds they make you pay up front, so when you're done you can run out of the door as fast as your legs will carry you!

[markabilly]

At McDonalds they make you pay up front, so when you're done you can run out of the door as fast as your legs will carry you!
then you should have no complaints about waiting to pay.
Problem solved.
That is what friends are for!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Hondo]

Ask for the check while they are still paying attention to you. If you order anything else, they can amend the check. Tell the wait staff up front that the speedy presentation of the check will have a positive impact on any tip you leave. Get up, go to the cash register and tell them what you ordered but you can't get anyone to bring you the check. Pay the bill, leave no tip and don't go back. Leave and you and the nice policeman can chat about the weather while they bring your change back out to the parking lot.

[Retro Formula 1]

At McDonalds they make you pay up front, so when you're done you can run out of the door as fast as your legs will carry you!

Well, there you go.

Do a runner after finishing you're meal like I do. No problem then :D

[Tazio]

I guess it must be something they teach you at restaurant school.

No matter how attentive the service when you arrive, when you order and the bringing out your food, and then asking you 5 times while you're eating you food if it's any good. By the time you've finished and just want to pay and leave, you will *always* be ignored for ages and ages!

Now when I'm by myself I usually just get up and go and stand by the cash desk, they can't ignore you there, although they give it a good try sometimes.. Whereas my wife doesn't like to cause a fuss so invariably we end up sitting for 20 minutes trying to catch someones eye so we can pay them!That is where The French, and to a lesser degree the Italians have gotten it right. As a general rule in a good French resturant the waiter will never come to the table unless taking your order, and delivering your order. They don't interupt you while you are eating but they will come to the table if you summon them.
Waiters that continually ask you if everything is ok are trying to get you to leave as fast as they can, a particular problem here in the U.S.

[Mark]

Waiters that continually ask you if everything is ok are trying to get you to leave as fast as they can, a particular problem here in the U.S.

I don't think they are trying to get you to leave tbh. I just think they are taught that it's the done thing to ask if you're enjoying your meal a few minutes after delivering it. It does give you the opportunity to complain, but more often than not it's not a welcome interruption.

[Tazio]

I don't think they are trying to get you to leave tbh. I just think they are taught that it's the done thing to ask if you're enjoying your meal a few minutes after delivering it. It does give you the opportunity to complain, but more often than not it's not a welcome interruption.It depends on how crowded the resturant is. When they come to the table and say "May I get your bread dish out of your way"?
What they are really saying is "Your eating too ****ing slow, would you like me to chew it for you"? :s mokin:

[Mark in Oshawa]

It seems to be a problem many places, trying to get the check at the end. When I have to wait like that I have a mental computer that adjusts the tip percentage in inverse proportion to the wait time. I've been known to leave a 1 cent tip just so they'll know I didn't forget. A word to the manager on the way out helps too.

I hate not having a tip left, I am a big softy I must admit. Anyone who is putting in any sort of effort will get a tip from me FOR THE MOST PART. The ones I will not tip are the ones that don't care, or care so much they annoy the hell out of you. Oh ya, if I get the sense they are trying to move me along, no tip. I eat fast enough, I don't need people handing me the coat and shoving me out the door.

For the most part, I am a decent enough tipper. If the waitress or waiter is putting the effort in, she/he gets a tip.

[schmenke]

The server is not reponsible for either the quality of the food, nor the time it takes to prepare it.
He/she is not necessarily responsible for the time to prepare the cheque. Often the restaurant is under-staffed and the server simply has too many tables to serve. If this appears to be the case, then a word with the manager would be a suggestion, and not a reason to deny a tip.

A good server should be knowledgable about the menu selection and be able to answer any questions, and take the orders accurately. Above all, he/she should be friendly and personable.

I'll typically tip 10 to 15%.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Agree, but "putting the effort in" doesn't stop just because the last of the food was delivered. For anything like reasonable service I usually tip 20%.

True. Most good servers usually know when to bring the check. It is VERY rare I have had to wait on it....

[Easy Drifter]

I like my single malt scotch. I if ask for one and the server does not know if they have one or the name of one I figure on poor service and am usually right.
One restaurant told me they did not have a single malt when I could see the Glenfiddich bottle on the back bar. We just left and found another place.
Ask for it straight up and it comes on the rocks or worse with water. Back it goes and I usually get up to make sure they do not just pour it into another glass if they served it with ice. I have left more than one place that tried that.

[markabilly]

well the elite places where i dine, they never present you with a check. You order, they wait hand and foot, and then when finished, they get your coat, help you put it on, open the door for you and the valet brings your car......

nothing so crass as to pay money in public for eating out.


Once a month, I think I get a tab, but my CPA handles all that with my personal banker

[schmenke]

Sounds dandy Mkbilly, but dining in such an elite establishment, I assume you don't have that woodchucker companion of yours in tow... :eek: :p :

[markabilly]

Sounds dandy Mkbilly, but dining in such an elite establishment, I assume you don't have that woodchucker companion of yours in tow... :eek: :p :
course not. I got her out making money to keep me in fine style

[Tazio]

course not. I got her out making money to keep me in fine styleAlthough I admit she is a great asset. What else are you slingin' out of that log cabin 'cross the tracks beside Donkey's old lady for you to be living so large? :confused: :s mokin:

[donKey jote]

that one was the eldest, she gets to wield the axe, but he also has 6 other little sisters :dozey: