Setanta wrote:Montana wrote:LOL!I've waitressed and bartended, so I know how important it is to provide good service. I'm natuarally friendly to everyone who is civil to me, so my job came pretty easy to me.
This is a salient point which cannot be overemphasized, as regards all of our relationships in public. I always try to be cheerful with folks, and i love flirting with waitresses in diners--and i always get good service, before they have any idea what sort of tip i will leave. It costs nothing to be friendly, and the dividends in good will, good service and good humor outweigh anything that your money will buy you . . .
I couldn't agree more ;-)
CodeBorg wrote:I admire your ability to speak with such outrage, without putting anyone on the defensive with name-calling, accusation and blaming. THAT's the way to rant!
thanks ... <blushes>
and a belated thanks to c.i., for an interesting link, as well.
Making good money in hospitality really does come down to your personal grit. There are those who come naturally to the job, able to work a room, keep everyone happy, the true diplomats. There are those who find it too tough. Personally, there is a reason I work in the kitchen, and not front of house, lol. When people come to me for service jobs, there are a few things I take into consideration. Number one, if I hear "Well, my passion is really for acting/theatre/writing, but I've worked at some great places" No. Also, if they cancel/ditch an interview, no. Rescheduling an interview is a maybe. If they show up, have a decent resume, and show an apptitude for getting along with people, they are so in, and believe me, they are hard to find. I am lucky to have a short list of folks, including a registered sommelier, who truly take the job seriously. They have, over the last few years, not only earned my respect, but my friendship as well. Perhaps ultimately, it comes down to the managers and owners to forge something of a family relationship in a restaurant or catering business, especially one that is high-end. If you make good people feel important in the success process, you really can't go wrong.
I don't mean to sound like snozzola, but I had apparently for some memorable moment in my past, an experience in which waiters just watched, and when you need something they were there. No big deal.
I think it happened in my youth many times, but I live in California, and hi I am "Suzie" happened a hundred times in between then and now.
I go to italy. All waiters act the professional way I am talking about, or at least all that I ran into. And yet I wasn't all so shut off from them. I exchanged addresses with a waiter in Rome, and had more than one conversation. But they weren't doing some first second and third act dance for tips as is so apparent in California in many places.
I'm with osso on this one...I should dig up those posts I have on service...here is the question: If you don't take pride in your job/profession, or love it, why are you doing it? You are doing both yourself and your clients a disservice, and this to me applies across the board from waitperson to CEO.
Oh, and in California, I only tip those annoying waitpeople if a monkey is involved in the act (or maybe some of that plate-spinning stuff)....
Thank you, Cav, I have been feeling like the horrible customer in person.
Hmmm, well, in italy there is, I think, a history of treating being a waiter as being a professional. It is a serious, indeed coveted, job. Plus, servizio is added on to start with, and if you tip past that, it is a nicety. And past that again, there is a certain cultural bella figura behavior, and hi I am suzie or roddie doesn't fit it. (always the proviso, in my experience).
Which brings up a favorite movie, Bread and Chocolate, with Nino Manfredi.
Yes indeedy, and it is probably PAID DECENTLY!
Am I getting boring?
What was the question again? I nodded off . . .
wasn't a question, so much, as a story...
My wife took me out to dinner on Saturday for father's day at a Italian bistro restaurant here in town. We've eaten there several times, because not only is the food good and plentiful, but the service is excellent. We even held our annual White Elephant Party dinner there, and everybody raved about the restaurant food and service. We will continue to be a patron. c.i.
I ate at home for fathers day...ambience, food, service, company......perfect.
I eat out more often than not - and I always make an effort to be nice and polite and at times flirty with the waiters. Most of them are pretty nice, but some of them are downright rude (in keeping with the british tradition of treating the customer as a minor inconvinience in an otherwise perfect life). At times I have encountered racism, as in being totally avoided, or my pronounciation being corrected in a very "patronizing" way. But I never show my anger by not leaving, or leaving a $0.01 tip. I always make a fuss, demands to see the manager, or scream at the top of my voice. However, if the sevrice is good (and there is no service charge, which seems to be a norm in most of the places I eat out in), the waiter is assured a generous tip. Which ensures even better service the next time I am there.
The included service charge is more of a European thing, but here, some of the hotels include it for banquets, weddings, etc. I would never tip over an included service charge. I don't care how fast the bunnies are hopping
Yeah, those bunnies would have to do more than 'hop' around my table.
c.i.
Gautam wrote:But I never show my anger by not leaving, or leaving a $0.01 tip. I always make a fuss, demands to see the manager, or scream at the top of my voice.
LMAO, Gautam! No passive-aggressive nonsense for you, huh?
I WANT TO SEE THE DAMN MANAGER, NOW!
