Restaurant Annoyances

[Anonymous]

Just a vent.

I really wish restaurant establishments in general would train their staff to make sure a customers
drink is always kept filled.

It's my one annoyance that dictates if a server is doing their most basic job.

I should never have to ask for a refill when getting to 1/4 on soda, ice tea, etc
And I shouldn't have to wait and look around for you the waiter hoping you might
stop back over so I can get a refill, to then continue to enjoy my meal.

Same if your having coffee. You should come past with a hot pot, or pitcher after a few minutes and
top off like a Diner does for their patrons. Don't ask me if I want more, you offer to top off.

I wish they would train the waiters to circle their tables, as soon as they see a drink getting
low they should bring a refill. All too often the wait staff seems to have "d"ucked off to who knows where.

They also need to train the staff that you keep an eye on every table you walk past to help
your fellow servers. If you see a drink low, ask if they need a refill and take care of it. Wait staff
never seem to provide any eye contact to other tables or check in as they walk past guests to
make sure they are good.

Houston's in Rockville used to train their staff to always do this. To visually check all tables as you move from your section
to help. Be it drinks, taking the check payment, etc. They were team wait staff. Same for diners.

Actually in a larger restaurant they should hire a dedicated teen or person at a real non-tipped wage and make them the drink person.
You circle all night with a pitcher of tea, water, coke, etc and you refill as needed. That would be a service I
actually would appreciate.

Just a vent - that it seems so hard for service staff to actually do the most basic things.

Vent over.

[Anonymous]

Never had this problem. Actually, my annoyance is when they automatically drop a full second glass of soda for my kids when I’ve allowed them one as a treat when we go out. That’s too much.

[Anonymous]

I think the problem is you’re going to lowbrow restaurants if you’re expecting free soda refills. No nice place does this anymore. Also, you don’t need more soda. Drink water.

[Anonymous]

I am the person who walks around and makes sure everyone is happy. We used to not need such a person until about 2023, and I have been in the business nearly 30 years.
The quality of hires has gone down. The resumes we get are horrific. We call back one person out of 10.
The new hires are often worse than the ones we are trying to replace. They are very good during the interview and then it's down the hill. 3 out of 5 hires have a close relative die within days of being hired. If you know, you know.
We got busy the other day inside and within 8 minutes of me not checking outside tables, we got a complaint.
Our servers make $25 to $45 an hour and we cannot find workers. We need someone who cares and doesn't disappear. They don't care.
The payroll is out of control. We need 7 people doing the job of what used to be 5. The hourly is now $10 in DC, but used to be $2.77. I get paid a lot more for walking around. Got to be more than a server, right, or I would be serving.
It's not even that they don't do half the things they are supposed to do, but they add things that make working with them harder like being loud and obnoxious, being on the phone, horsing around, disappearing, cursing, being annoyed at the customer and the manager.
I'm collecting excuses right now why they didn't do something.
This is not just our restaurant. My friend was asked to come back to her former restaurant to help out after her day job. I'm being asked to help out at friend's restaurant constantly.
We don't get the workers from abroad anymore. Locals don't cut it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the problem is you’re going to lowbrow restaurants if you’re expecting free soda refills. No nice place does this anymore. Also, you don’t need more soda. Drink water.

To the OP’s point, many restaurants (to include “high brow” ones) fail to refill water in a timely manner.

[Anonymous]

Refilling water after 1 sip is such a waste of resources. It's super annoying and wasteful when a while game gets up and their waters are all full. You're supposed to dfink a drink.

It's obviously a drop in the bucket for wasting natural resources, but it reflects a tasteless disregard.

[Anonymous]

I've noticed this too, and I think the problem with the servers is now they "know" they are going to get the customary tip, which seems to have increased to 22%, so there is no reason to provide "excellent" or even "good" service. I used to be a mystery shopper for restaurants, and I was a server back in my college days, so I understand what good service is supposed to look like. We (I) worked for my tips. Now when I dine out, I start with a 15% tip in my mind, and they either go up or down. If I feel the need to give them less than 15%, I will ALWAYS speak to a manager and tell them why and I used to write a note on the receipt as to why they receive a less that standard tip, although now with that stupid machine they use, that is not so easy to do. I am an AA and part of the reason I explain and write a note for a small tip is to take away from the stereotype that AAs do not generally tip well. I need them to know, you received a poor tip because of your poor service and not because I am AA. I have plenty of money to eat out and I tip very well for excellent service. But to the OPs point, yes, keeping drinks filled is low bar and if they can't do that basic thing the tip will always reflect it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the problem is you’re going to lowbrow restaurants if you’re expecting free soda refills. No nice place does this anymore. Also, you don’t need more soda. Drink water.

To the OP’s point, many restaurants (to include “high brow” ones) fail to refill water in a timely manner.

I don’t find this to be the case at all. They fill my water glass too frequently. Like as I’m getting up to go, they still try to fill my glass. I’ve had to tell servers that I don’t need any more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the problem is you’re going to lowbrow restaurants if you’re expecting free soda refills. No nice place does this anymore. Also, you don’t need more soda. Drink water.

To the OP’s point, many restaurants (to include “high brow” ones) fail to refill water in a timely manner.

I don’t find this to be the case at all. They fill my water glass too frequently. Like as I’m getting up to go, they still try to fill my glass. I’ve had to tell servers that I don’t need any more.

What a hardship, I am so sorry. You had to tell them no thank you?

[Anonymous]

Are you the lady who needs something really delicious to wash your food down and cannot drink water at a dinner party?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the problem is you’re going to lowbrow restaurants if you’re expecting free soda refills. No nice place does this anymore. Also, you don’t need more soda. Drink water.

To the OP’s point, many restaurants (to include “high brow” ones) fail to refill water in a timely manner.

I don’t find this to be the case at all. They fill my water glass too frequently. Like as I’m getting up to go, they still try to fill my glass. I’ve had to tell servers that I don’t need any more.

What a hardship, I am so sorry. You had to tell them no thank you?

I didn't say it was a hardship, but I do think, as another PP pointed out, that it's wasteful. Also just dumb. If I'm standing up putting my coat on, why would you refill my glass?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you the lady who needs something really delicious to wash your food down and cannot drink water at a dinner party?

OMG, thank you! I loved that thread. "Water doesn't really quench my thirst."

[Anonymous]

I love restaurant who put the carafe of water on the table. Problem solved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you the lady who needs something really delicious to wash your food down and cannot drink water at a dinner party?

OMG, thank you! I loved that thread. "Water doesn't really quench my thirst."

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/715974.page

For your review! I have no idea why I loved that thread so much, but here we are 7 years later and it still brings me joy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the person who walks around and makes sure everyone is happy. We used to not need such a person until about 2023, and I have been in the business nearly 30 years.
The quality of hires has gone down. The resumes we get are horrific. We call back one person out of 10.
The new hires are often worse than the ones we are trying to replace. They are very good during the interview and then it's down the hill. 3 out of 5 hires have a close relative die within days of being hired. If you know, you know.
We got busy the other day inside and within 8 minutes of me not checking outside tables, we got a complaint.
Our servers make $25 to $45 an hour and we cannot find workers. We need someone who cares and doesn't disappear. They don't care.
The payroll is out of control. We need 7 people doing the job of what used to be 5. The hourly is now $10 in DC, but used to be $2.77. I get paid a lot more for walking around. Got to be more than a server, right, or I would be serving.
It's not even that they don't do half the things they are supposed to do, but they add things that make working with them harder like being loud and obnoxious, being on the phone, horsing around, disappearing, cursing, being annoyed at the customer and the manager.
I'm collecting excuses right now why they didn't do something.
This is not just our restaurant. My friend was asked to come back to her former restaurant to help out after her day job. I'm being asked to help out at friend's restaurant constantly.
We don't get the workers from abroad anymore. Locals don't cut it.

Are you the OP responding to yourself? Same paragraphs. Why did you start a thread if you own a restaurant and just want to sockpuppet?