tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20025896.post5717593816317989786..comments2023-12-25T18:26:54.150-06:00Comments on <center>Red Lobster Blog</center>: You know you are a server when...Lobster Boyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12915814696810767679noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20025896.post-48237172576759100542008-06-16T23:32:00.000-05:002008-06-16T23:32:00.000-05:00#13: "Do not grab me"I loved it when people did th...#13: "Do not grab me"<BR/><BR/>I loved it when people did this while I had a tray full of food in my hands. The geniuses would just happen to grab the arm I had the tray in, and it would just happen to tip in their direction. Oops. My bad, dumbass.Voidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01598346609714935651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20025896.post-40587547465680598012007-11-26T19:28:00.000-06:002007-11-26T19:28:00.000-06:00I was going to leave a 20% tip when i realized the...I was going to leave a 20% tip when i realized the server had added a 15% tip automatically to our bill. There were 3 of us in the party. Why?? Cos i had an 'accent'. Even though i'd lived in Canada for 6 years they assumed us Brits don't tip. I, of course, told her and let her have the 15% and kept the remaining 5%.<BR/><BR/>I agree there is no excuse for tipping below 10% but WE'RE NOT ALL MADE OF MONEY, in my books 20% is for above average service (i usually tip 25% in those cases), for 'average' service it's 15%. Canada or US. If you don't like that fact, find another job.Neilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14702891845954286135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20025896.post-67629627477380192462007-11-14T11:27:00.000-06:002007-11-14T11:27:00.000-06:00Christopher, It is because most Canadians are poo...Christopher,<BR/> It is because most Canadians are poor tippers when they are here in the USA. Especially a few years ago when the exchange rate was so bad (for Canadians). If you don't know what an appropriate tip is, ask another table or a server other than your own. <BR/><BR/>Lobster BoyLobster Boyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12915814696810767679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20025896.post-56582264577346563452007-11-14T10:09:00.000-06:002007-11-14T10:09:00.000-06:00Just curious about the second point, way up at the...Just curious about the second point, way up at the top. Why are Canadians grouped with other people to hate? I'm thinking it's because waitstaff up here are paid a fairly decent wage, and we're a little more used to tipping closer to 10% (or less). But I just wanted to make sure. :) Since reading all these waiter blogs, I now tip 20% all the time, Canada or US. Karma.christopherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00292280935590540619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20025896.post-42211689197484952632007-11-14T00:38:00.000-06:002007-11-14T00:38:00.000-06:00i agree with what The Brother Hammer said about se...i agree with what The Brother Hammer said about seeting<BR/>i understand that people want to sit down when they get there but if they sit in the lobby for three minutes they might be annoyed. if they sit at a table and sit for four minutes before someone gets there they are pissed. I want to give my customers great service, but when i get triple sat i can't do that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20025896.post-44803586983207873842007-11-11T19:25:00.000-06:002007-11-11T19:25:00.000-06:00Been reading you, wanted to let you know I've link...Been reading you, wanted to let you know I've linked you in my blog roll. Visit me sometimes!!! :)<BR/><BR/>http://thenononsense.blogspot.comAddicted to crafting https://www.blogger.com/profile/01940862289214782332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20025896.post-81347661504131976252007-11-11T19:16:00.000-06:002007-11-11T19:16:00.000-06:00I've seen this before some where but being a serve...I've seen this before some where but being a server at red lobster i have taken the liberty to print and hang these out side of our store. Hopefully it will catch on.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20025896.post-45168090646187004162007-11-09T22:09:00.000-06:002007-11-09T22:09:00.000-06:00Idiots at workToday, I was sent home because I com...Idiots at work<BR/>Today, I was sent home because I complained, to a manager, about getting triple seated within the first ten minutes of my shift. I realize that it was busy, but I feel that it is inappropriate for the asshole hosts to seat me three times in a row at any time. And yes, there were other tables available.<BR/><BR/>I refuse to lower my standards with my customers just because it is the policy of the Darden corporation to treat their guests like herd of cattle and have their hosts move them into a section blindly and without communicating with the server.<BR/><BR/>I have never had a complaint and will take time to meet and greet the guests and not be rushed by idiot teenagers who care more about Zwinkys and their ipod then about work.<BR/><BR/>Maybe, it is time to move on.Brother Hammerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17085432420019492621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20025896.post-56065053333224698272007-11-09T08:41:00.000-06:002007-11-09T08:41:00.000-06:00Great post...and very entertaining blog. I began m...Great post...and very entertaining blog. I began my serving "career" at a Red Lobster here in Michigan, moved on to a bit more upscale seafood restaurant and, when I stopped waiting tables, launched a satire publication for restaurant employees called Don't Tip the Waiter, often referred to as "The Onion meets the restaurant industry."<BR/><BR/>I recently started a blog along the same lines as my publication, and I'd love some feedback if you get a chance. Keep up the great job!<BR/><BR/>- Dennis<BR/>www.donttipthewaiter.blogspot.comGODhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13142285993824656408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20025896.post-84917491834723576052007-11-08T23:29:00.000-06:002007-11-08T23:29:00.000-06:00Great list of "You know you're a server when" I lo...Great list of "You know you're a server when" I love Lobster, but would never ever eat at Red Lobster again - <A HREF="http://www.mainecoastlobster.com" REL="nofollow" TITLE="Maine Coast Lobster">Maine Coast Lobster</A> is worth the price you have to pay to have it shipped in.Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03939849621591189018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20025896.post-85838822819838248952007-11-05T01:25:00.000-06:002007-11-05T01:25:00.000-06:00I think having to remember my waiter's name is bor...I think having to remember my waiter's name is bordering on excessive. If I forget the name but am polite, surely that's still acceptable. Is miss, ma'am or sir an insult?<BR/><BR/>Should the waiter remember 'my goddamn name too' if I tell him/her what it is?! I don't expect that.<BR/><BR/>As for waving, that's something we all do in these parts, that and imitating the movement of a pen for the bill to come. When I wave or make that motion, I'm not asking the wait staff to drop everything and leg it over to take care of me, but am merely indicating when they have a moment, I need something extra. A nod in my direction is more than enough to let me know they'll be over when they have a moment. In a busy restaurant, if the waiter doesn't have time to check up on me every 10 minutes, how do I get something I need, otherwise?<BR/><BR/>Waiters wait, customers get served. Especially if this 20% monetary transaction is expected ;)Fionahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00727596416170770024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20025896.post-86856056368724962652007-11-02T15:41:00.000-05:002007-11-02T15:41:00.000-05:00Re: #1, every time I hear the "we're not your baby...Re: #1, every time I hear the "we're not your babysitter" comment, I'm reminded of a table I had a couple years ago (I'm not waitressing any more, though it would pay better than what I do here).<BR/><BR/>The mother sat down with the two pre-teen kids, then told me she was meeting a party on the other side of the restaurant and to let them order what they wanted. I actually was, effectively, baby-sitting, keeping an eye on the kids while I took care of my other tables. I had to hunt her down to bring her the bill. She complained about what they ordered even though they both had burgers, I think one of them off the kids' menu. Even so, she tipped something like 80% for the extra trouble. Note to non-servers: this made the difference between a very amusing anecdote about the Many Hats of a Server and feeling utterly taken advantage of (which a 15-20% tip would have done in this case).Crickethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09135785344487907518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20025896.post-70031605806800908652007-11-02T15:14:00.000-05:002007-11-02T15:14:00.000-05:00jo meder: in germany, your servers are paid by the...jo meder: in germany, your servers are paid by the restaurant PER HOUR, their tips are a little bit on the top to reward for good service. it doesn't matter to anyone how long you sit there, because the servers make the same amount if you sit for 3 hours or 30 minutes. i'd also like to say that you wouldn't enjoy service in a tip-free situation...your water would take plenty of time to show up because there is no incentive to bring it too quickly. i've eaten abroad, and the service is, at best, shitty.<BR/><BR/>katet: there is an issue here with "tip creep."<BR/><BR/>the issue is that in 1960, the server minimum wage not only covered taxes paid on tips, but also sent a little money on toward the server. i suppose that by your comment you haven't waited tables in the past few years, but the minimum wage for tipped employees hasn't gone up with inflation. the minimum wage for servers in my state has not changed since 1968, and you'd better believe that the restaurants around here all pay exactly that wage...$2.33/hr<BR/><BR/>So, while 15% on the bill in 1960 was completely reasonable, as the wages paid by the restaurant "covered" the extra 3% (or so), that is no longer the case. Every single one of my paychecks are made out for less than a dollar. LESS THAN A DOLLAR. and frankly, I'm lucky if they are made out for anything at all- because you ought to know that when you have a paycheck for no money, that signifies a larger tax bill in a little while.<BR/><BR/>6th floor blog: i agree, a lot of "bad" customer habits are forced by shitty servers. been to denny's lately? let's just say you better pray they made your food right the first time because that waitress is NOT coming back until she's got the check in hand. however, i work in a fine-dining restaurant and i am not a denny's server. all the little shit that other servers do that keeps them busy like polishing silver and making desserts? i don't do that shit. i have nothing to do but pay attention to you...and you'd better bet your ass that i do a damn fine job, too. i walk out of my restaurant after tip out with 20% as a testament to my ability to bring shit to your table and remember what you wanted. when i get shitty and/or rude customer behavior, it is rarely due to a fault of my own...more likely it's a grabby dirty old man or a woman who was on her cell phone while i took the drink order for the table. <BR/><BR/>also, yes, everyone hates their jobs. but, next time you're at a restaurant, look at the average server age...it's probably 18-22...prime college age, right? you see, i turned to waiting tables when i started school; i was super poor and also not lazy and/or a trust fund brat. in order to avoid large amounts of debt, i turned toward an industry that will allow me to take my classes due to an appropriate and "off-hours" schedule. probably, when i graduate, i will find myself continuing to wait tables on the weekends to make ends meet.<BR/><BR/>so, get off your high-and-mighty horse, tip your waiter appropriately (and i don't mean tipping a bad waiter really well, nor to i mean ignoring great service because you're cheap) and act like you remember the lessons from pre-school.<BR/><BR/><BR/>jeebus...who knew that basic social and business interactions were this painful?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10600402596515020239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20025896.post-61475778000274990432007-11-02T14:57:00.000-05:002007-11-02T14:57:00.000-05:00*sigh* Ahhh the good ol' list of our pet peeves......*sigh* Ahhh the good ol' list of our pet peeves... these lists always get me riled.<BR/>I've been a server for a long while now and there's a certain point where you realize to bitch about these things is silly... they're never going to change...<BR/>Well... except for the screaming messy kid thing. I swear one of these days i'm going to kill some kid jumping in and out of his seat screaming like a monkey and spreading the salt and sugar packets all over creation. <BR/>One day there was a woman who's kid bolted out of the restaurant without her knowing, when she turned to look and realized this little brats screaming had stopped because he wasn't around anymore she was SOOOOOO angry at the host stand for not noticing if HER child had gone out the door or not! Sorry lady, we're not your restaurant full of babysitters. Watch your own damn little brat! She eventually found his dumb little ass and proceeded to have a word with the manager about the Host stands transgression.. OH PLEASE. Luckily the manager told her what was up ;-)TheLobstahWomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08835537773210578854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20025896.post-36872741868325673442007-11-02T10:18:00.000-05:002007-11-02T10:18:00.000-05:00yeah. I was going to point out what Katet mention...yeah. I was going to point out what Katet mentioned. There is no obligation to tip 20% or more. I get offended that servers want to try bump the tip up and up and up. Not everyone eating out is 'better off' than the server. I go into a restaurant expected to tip somewhere between ~12-20%. There is virtually nothing that will get me to deviate from that amount. So really, you're talking about working for about 2 or 3 dollars. <BR/><BR/>The problem with most of these items, is that it's assuming the server is faultless. See me waving? That's because you've ignored me for 20 minutes. Why am I still sitting here? Because you dropped off the check and forgot about us, despite the fact that we wanted to charge the meal. I find this happens way too often, to what would otherwise be great servers. After they check on us after the food is arrived, they pretty much disappear. There is nothing worse than waiting around after you've done what you came there to do(eat) because the waiter has mentally dismissed you.<BR/><BR/>And none of this 'waah wahh, we hate our jobs' News flash. Most of us hate your jobs. If you didn't want to be server/make the money you do in tips, you're just as capable of doing something else.6th Floor bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05778365407906872120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20025896.post-74012627641938018392007-11-02T07:58:00.000-05:002007-11-02T07:58:00.000-05:00From item number 5: "It is not 1960. Cost of livin...From item number 5: "It is not 1960. Cost of living has gone up dramatically since then. 18% is the MINIMUM amount of what you should be tipping your servers."<BR/><BR/>That is not how percentages work. It is nothing more than a greedy suggestion that one should tip <I>a higher percentage</I> than in the past due to inflation. 15% of an inflated number is itself an inflated number, so tipping automatically keeps pace with inflation.<BR/><BR/>There are lots of good reasons to tip more than 15%, but this isn't one of them.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02396507644811108723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20025896.post-84770195250663011432007-11-01T18:18:00.000-05:002007-11-01T18:18:00.000-05:00If this is, what it means to go to a restaurant in...If this is, what it means to go to a restaurant in the US, I'm really glad it won't happen any time soon.<BR/><BR/>So sorry to read that the fucked up economics in this business over there seem to lead to such a thoroughly unpleasant "dining experience" for both sides. By european (or at least german) standards almost all of these demands would be at least ridiculous. Except for the ones demanding to behave like a civilized human being, of course.<BR/><BR/>Just one example: if I go out eating, there's nothing I could care less for than how long I occupy a table. It takes however long it takes, none of the restaurants business. And I know, that this isn't any problem for the places I go to or for the servers working there.<BR/><BR/>Just glad to not live in the US now,<BR/><BR/>Jo.jadibdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11499827309731578839noreply@blogger.com