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My Archives: September 2005

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

I recently submitted this to http://www.bitterwaitress.com/.

My wife and I have both spent over 18 years in the restaurant business and we could write enough stories to max out the space on this server. Because of our time in the business we are both very understanding of the servers and their needs.

For some of my time in the business I worked in a restaurant called Poor Richards back in the mid 80's. It was a very nice restaurant that did a very good business. I enjoyed working there. The one story I remember very well was I was serving one gentleman and at the end of the meal. He explained that he was a maker of adult films and felt I should give the adult industry a try. I was kinda aghast at this man and then he put $1000.00 on the table. I explained that I was flattered, but I was not going to make a career change. He took the turn down very well. He still came into the restaurant about once a month after that but never made the offer again. He still would tip at least 15%.

On the flip side, there was what my wife and I refer to as the 2 week period of hell. There was a two week period where we had been doing some traveling and just about every restaurant we went to screwed up. One of my pet peeves is when they bring me the appetizer and 30 seconds later bring me the main meal. I had this happen at a Shells restaurant we were having dinner at. We were at a restaurant in Key West , I don't remember the name but we asked the waitress for some mayo to go with the meal we were eating, then we asked again, and then again, after that I got up went to the kitchen and got my own mayo. The waitress gave me a dirty look. I gave her a nickel tip.However one of the best was an incident at a restaurant called The Cove. We went and had dinner. I went up to use the restroom. There was a gentlemen in the stall when he came out he just left. I realized he worked in the restaurant and hadn't washed his hands. I went back to my wife and explained that I was living a Seinfeld episode and that this would be the guy to bring our food. My wife and I both laughed, until he brought our food. I got up went to the management and explained what happened. They could have cared less. I said thank you my wife and I are leaving.Without touching our food we left. It is the only time I have ever stiffed a restaurant.

I no longer dine at any TGIF restaurant, due to a stupid management policy they have. If they screw up instead of offering to properly deal with the situation they they try to pass the responsibility of making the decision on to the customer. To the corporate head honchos at TGIF, get a clue, if you screw up a meal don't charge for it and offer another. Don't say to the customer, "What would you like us to do about it?" They may have changed this policy but it has been over two years since I have set foot in one and is likely to be a lot longer before I go back.

Posted by understudy @ 10:53 AM EST [Link]

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