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For those of you who don't like tipping, the answer is simple. Don't go to an establishment that has waiters.
Go to a fast food place, or a buffet...or even 7-11 for a pre-made, 3 day old sandwich or heating lamp envoked piece of pizza. problem solved.
Or a restaurant like the one mentioned in the OP
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Originally Posted by some1livesinamerica
i was eating dinner in a restaurant w/ my wife earlier this evening. On our dinning table, there was a device similar to an ipad that allows customer to play games, pay bill and look thru the menu.
while i was playing on the device, i started thinking would it be nice if restaurants can start offering customers the option of not having a waitress/waiter to serve the food. After customers have walked into a restaurant and sat down, we can just use the electronic device to order whatever we want to eat/drink. Once our drink/food is ready, the ipad can send us a note, and we can either go pick up the food ourselves or have someone from the restaurant bring it to us.
Just because you paid a lot of $ for this food doesn't mean you can't get equal (or better) food somewhere else for a lot less $. Paying a lot of $ doesn't mean that you'll get decent food and/or good service. I know, since I've eaten at both a non-sit down place where the prices have been reasonable & I've gotten great food; and, a sit-down place where the food sucked but I had to pay through the nose for what I was eating.
And, your last comment goes both ways, too. I.e., the more people who go to sit-down restaurants & don't mind wasting their entire evening waiting to be seated, waiting to be served, etc. free up the other food places for people who don't want the sit-down experience.
Exactly!
Mr. Lebowski,
Actually, you do receive much higher quality food the more you pay for it, 99 percent of the time.
The higher end restaurants have made a name for themselves for a reason. You should ask for a tour of the kitchen (and the Walk-In) in one of these places, it might surprize you.
Last edited by TerraDown; 11-05-2016 at 04:12 PM..
You want to judge me by my screen name?! Fine. It's a joke.
In my younger years, I ate at more sit-down restaurants than I can count - so, yes, I can speak with authority on the necessity - or non-necessity - of servers. I have also worked in an upscale restaurant (years ago) so have more knowledge about this industry that those who have never worked in places like this. And, the upscale restaurant where I worked was very expensive, despite the fact that the food was awful.
I don't eat at sit-down restaurants anymore if I don't have to, but if I'm out with others I sometimes have to - though it's not my choice. La Madeline has very good quality food - and they're not a sit-down restaurant.
If you want to pay to eat overpriced swill & then be forced to tip on top of that, more power to you.
Maybe your poor experience has overly shaped your opinions...if I have a bad experience I don't keep going there....working there is another issue entirely.
In our wonderful country, fortunately, there are many dining choices. Those who wish for a server-free dining experience have options. Sometimes that's what I'm in the mood for. You get your own food and utensils, then bring your tray to a Central Dump Station or something, and head out.
Other times, it's nice to be greeted by a smiling server who will bring you what you want. You get to sit with friend/s or book, enjoy the atmosphere and leave when you are ready.
In our wonderful country, fortunately, there are many dining choices. Those who wish for a server-free dining experience have options. Sometimes that's what I'm in the mood for. You get your own food and utensils, then bring your tray to a Central Dump Station or something, and head out.
Other times, it's nice to be greeted by a smiling server who will bring you what you want. You get to sit with friend/s or book, enjoy the atmosphere and leave when you are ready.
"Those folks" are ****PAYING YOU****, so why would YOU not do what ****THEY**** want? I mean it's their money paying for the service, so why should you get what you want out of it? You sound like you want control.
You may see it as RUDE(which it's just being very hungry and thirsty is all, not being mean as you somehow see it) , but you don't see what ***YOU**** are doing is RUDE, VERY INCONSIDERATE, and ***VERY CONTROLLING**** by making the service "YOUR" way instead of the PAYING CUSTOMER'S way.
Why should a customer have to ****DELAY**** their ordering process to get their drinks and food just so they can answer a question you don't really care about anyway and doesn't matter? No one has to answer how they are doing. They want to ******ORDER**********, NOT talk to you about BS. You don't care about how I am doing, you just want our tip, so WHY act like you care when you don't anyway and waste MORE TIME? You are taking up more time that other people can't sit. You may say "It's only 3 seconds", but that's not your 3 seconds you are paying for or own to tell us how to talk. Every customer should always be nice and polite with a "thank you" and asking nicely for things. They should never yell or be mean to you, but the same goes for the servers too. The servers should be saying they are sorry when they mess up something just as the customers should apologize too if they forget to ask for something making the server make another trip. It's a TWO-WAY STREET.
People aren't not answering the question to be rude. They just want their damn food and drinks. That's it. As the OP is saying, to them, it's FASTER(more efficient) to order from a machine. See, I like personalized service with a server, but at I do like it when servers just cut the chase when it comes to getting your order. Taking up your time to ask you if you have been there before or how you are doing is a TIME WASTER. You are MAKING the food and drinks take longer by PURPOSELY NOT TAKING OUR ORDER. Take our order if we are ready. All you have to do is ask and if we aren't ready, we will TELL YOU.
I like the servers that ask you if you want any appetizers when they greet you. It speeds up the process of getting our food faster to us. Sometimes my husband and I have wanted to order an appetizer when greeted, but the servers walked away.
Have you ever waited an hour or more for a table? If not, no wonder why you don't understand. If you have, then you never waited ALL DAY to eat as I have, then you'd understand.
Be **CONSIDERATE**** of customer's feelings and TIME, HUNGER, AND THIRST!
So are you, morally if we receive good or decent service, but not by LAW customers aren't(unless automatic gratuity is on the menu or using a coupon that requires it.)
You enter an agreement by if you receive PROPER service to receive the PROPER tip "TO INSURE PROPER SERVICE" (TIPS).
By LAW WE HAVE ***NO*** choice. You are comparing oranges to apples here. If you don't do what WE want, why should you get what you want a 20% or higher tip? It's only fair.
Good high tips are for ***GOOD**** service so even if you do what you are supposed to do it has to be in a timely fair manner without rudeness and CORRECT as far as what you or someone else in the service can control.
So what you got me and my husband refills when we waited 25 minutes for them you know? It has happened to us before where our waiter thought someone else got our drinks and NEVER CHECKED ON US OUR ENTIRE TIME WE WERE EATING. My husband had nothing but ICE to eat his food with. Our waiter catered to the larger table. Also, when we had originally asked for refills, he went the 100% TOTAL OPPOSITE way of the kitchen to a table that DID NOT CALL him over. I reported that crap. He seemed good at the very start and then just catered to the larger table and never came by. A good server doesn't depend on other servers completely to make their tip for them. They check up on if they helped out or not and also the other servers should tip them out something a buck or two if you want that other server to help your tip out. I mean it is only fair.
It depends on *****HOW**** our server treats us if we tip well or not or at all. We have tipped 25%-30% and more even as well as everything in between.
I do agree with the OP some in that we have been to some restaurants where we ordered at the counter and they brought the food to you, so you go to get your refills yourself. In some ways it is kind of cool that you don't have to *WAIT* for your refills 5-10 or more minutes you can just get it yourself. I actually wish *ALL* restaurants we like that instead of seeing a server cut turns and you also see them get 2 other table's drinks and hand them out in the wrong order so you get yours last when you ordered first. So I am honestly hoping that the restaurant industry goes to not as much personal service and it's not about saving money on tipping, it's TRULY about not ******WAITING********** for things WAITING TO ORDER, WAITING to get your check, WAITING to PAY(cause there's been times we waited close to 20 minutes to pay and leave places at times. Waiting for your refills, waiting for that missing condiment 5-10 minutes. Asking for something 2-3 times. I actually don't mind getting up, because it's FASTER, however not many restaurants have it like that, that aren't fast food. Some are counter places, but most aren't and so it's really not about not tipping, but more about that I just HATE WAITING. Some people say "Go to McDonalds's" the thing is, they don't serve the food I want there, so that's why I can't just go just there.
Also, I am hating some fast food restaurants now having the coke machines that you pick and choose the flavors, because it was SOOO MUCH MORE EFFICIENT BEFORE(it still is the old style at our McDonald's in our area), but a lot of other places like Wendy's have one machine, then you have to wait for one person to taste one flavor, throw it out then another, it's AGGRAVATING. Also, it's MUCH MORE GERMY with EVERYONE touching that screen unlike when you could just go get your soft drink(I used to work when I was younger at a donut shop/diner and I was able to fill 2 drinks like if someone wanted root beer and another person ordered a coke, I could fill both at the same time and not lose time. You can't do that with these coke screen machines and the only way you can is if the restaurant has 2, some Wendy's have just one.
Anyway, my point is, I don't want to wait and that's my issue. I don't mind waiting my turn, but when it is my turn, I don't want it to get cut in front of and that happens at times in regular non-fast food restaurant service. Your server gets double sat, they get the other table's drinks and yours when you were only 2 people(you were FIRST), the other table was 6 people, so you had to wait ALL of that time for your server to fill 6 glasses with ice and drink(maybe even change the syrup) and actually hand them theirs first even. Even if they handed ours first since we were first, it still UNFAIR for 6 people to get to cut not only filling the glasses, but taking the AMOUNT OF TIME to get their drink orders even as well as any appetizer orders or they could be ready to fully order(doubtful with 6 people, but you never know). The first table that just had 2 people gets to wait 5-10 minutes for 2 soft drinks or iced teas and that doesn't make ANY LOGICAL SENSE NOR FAIRNESS. If the table of 6 was after us, a good server would just get us our 2 drinks so we could at the very least have SOMETHING to drink. Usually a large party doesn't know what food they want to order quickly anyway usually chit chatting about BS not even reading the menu even. Now if it's the other way around, then it would not be fair to get our 2 soft drinks first, but it wouldn't be as long of a wait for their turn since we only have 2 people if the server were to do that though, but I still wouldn't do it no matter what, because it's not fair nor morally right.
I am just tired of servers on the internet complaining about if customers don't answer "How you are doing", yet they want our money? Obviously, if we are running the show to tell you how to get the good tip, don't you think you ought to just get our drink order and do what we ask? It's OUR MONEY, OUR WAY, NOT ANYONE ELSE'S WAY BUT THE PERSON ******PAYING********* for the service. You don't get to control how to spend someone else's money. If you want someone's money, you do what THEY WANT, NOT what you want.
It sounds like all of your issues can be taken care of by simply going to a fast food restaurant. =)
Also...YES, we get offended if you just shout your order at us...because we are people.
I realize you're "gracing" us with your presence, but at the same time, we have families, kids, brothers...etc. We are there to help make your dining experience enjoyable.
With that said...when someone greets me with "Coke"...I realize that table doesn't want to talk, so I shut up and serve.
Once...I had a customer say, "How could a waitress possibly be capable of intelligent conversation?"
THAT sort of thing is what servers deal with on a daily basis...the assumption that we're idiots.
So yes...if you go to McDonalds and the cashier says "How are you today?"....please don't yell "Coke please".
Because that person is being polite to you. As a human...be polite back, for crying out loud.
i was eating dinner in a restaurant w/ my wife earlier this evening. On our dinning table, there was a device similar to an ipad that allows customer to play games, pay bill and look thru the menu.
while i was playing on the device, i started thinking would it be nice if restaurants can start offering customers the option of not having a waitress/waiter to serve the food. After customers have walked into a restaurant and sat down, we can just use the electronic device to order whatever we want to eat/drink. Once our drink/food is ready, the ipad can send us a note, and we can either go pick up the food ourselves or have someone from the restaurant bring it to us.
currently, once we sat down at a table, we have to wait for the waitress/waiter to come and ask us what we like to drink, and then wait for the drink to be brought to us. to order the actual food, we need to communicate with the waitress/waiter, which kind of make things a little inefficient. Also, once we are done eating, b/c the waitress/waiter actually served us, we are kind of obligated to give a tip.
by using the electronic device instead of an actual person
1. it makes the dinning experience to be much more efficient
2. the restaurants can hire less people, which means less expenses
3. customers have save money on tipping
of course, the only downside will be unemployed servers. but i mean as our society and civilization progresses, inevitably, certain types of jobs will be eliminated and new types of jobs will also be created, it is just the way it is.
It was my college thesis back in the 90's. Unless you have a very standard option selection, people get confused. Too many mistakes puts doubts in the system and people give up. There are a few applications where it is useful, and I'm surprised we haven't seen more attempts.
It sounds like all of your issues can be taken care of by simply going to a fast food restaurant. =)
No, because I want better food than that and different food than fast food.
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Also...YES, we get offended if you just shout your order at us.
WHO said **********ANYTHING************* about "SHOUTING", huh? I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFETIME yelled at a server or shouted or anything like that. That is just mean to do that to someone.
WHY should you get offended if the customer wants to start their ordering process because they are very hungry and thirsty, huh? Have you ever waited a long time to eat like an entire day or had breakfast at 6a.m., but didn't eat until 8p.m. that night? Have you dieted(skipped meals)? I have. Maybe, just maybe, you'd understand after waiting for a table for 45 minutes to an hour how you'd feel. THEN just THEN, you'd shut your mouth about complaining about this. You have NO RIGHT to complain about someone being very hungry and thirsty that they want their ordering process started as *QUICKLY* as possible.
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.because we are people.
SO are we, so WHY should we not get what we want out of our tip money we are paying to have a ***********CONSIDERATE************* server that thinks about our FEELINGS and TIME that thinks about our HUNGER AND THIRST to think if that were **YOU***, how **YOU'D FEEL*** in that situation, huh?
We aren't doing it to be mean. We just want our food and drinks. HOW HORRIBLE is that to not want to have to endure 2-3 seconds MORE of agony of waiting to eat and drink, huh?
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I realize you're "gracing" us with your presence, but at the same time, we have families, kids, brothers...etc.
This has nothing to do with anything.
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We are there to help make your dining experience enjoyable.
HOW are you doing that if you are *********PURPOSELY DELAYING US FROM GETTING OUR FOOD**********? That's just MEAN and UNCARING of you. HOW INCONSIDERATE can you get?? It's not enjoyable if we have to endure MORE TIME that we have to wait to eat and drink. DUHH! EVERYONE HATES WAITING. I DON'T CARE (*(WHO*)) YOU ARE, EVEN YOU!
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With that said...when someone greets me with "Coke"...I realize that table doesn't want to talk, so I shut up and serve.
Well you are finally getting the picture that people want their Sh**. They want their stuff. I bet if you asked them how they were doing during their service, they wouldn't mind chit chatting(assuming that the people aren't in deep conversation or something. Be considerate to chit chat *AFTER* the customers place their orders. Although, as I said, some people may not want to talk to you at all. I like chatting with servers **AFTER** I order so I am just waiting for my food or bar drinks that it's not altering my time of waiting for my food or drinks.
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the assumption that we're idiots.
It's not an assumption though. You just have NO IDEA HOW MANY TIMES I have SHOWN ON THE MENU where something was that the server didn't know about the menu whether it was the food or pricing. Sometimes it was my first visit to the restaurant.
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So yes...if you go to McDonalds and the cashier says "How are you today?"....please don't yell "Coke please".Because that person is being polite to you. As a human...be polite back, for crying out loud.
First off, even more so because it's fast food, that's being very impolite to waste time(remember fast food you don't want to waste ONE SECOND worth). Secondly, NOBODY is YELLING at ANYBODY. So STOP with this yelling crap you keep claiming. Thirdly, it is very impolite to delay the customer. That's not being feeling or considerate of a human being's feelings of hunger and thirst or time.
It's not polite to ask that. Especially at fast food. When I worked at the donut shop/diner I used to work for as counter help back in 1998-2002 off and on a little over 2ys worth, I ONLY said "MAY I HELP YOU" THAT'S IT. I NEVER WASTED SOMEONE'S TIME LIKE THAT, EVER, because I know how I feel as a customer that I don't want my seconds wasted. My boss there at the time usually said the name of the company like "Welcome to such-n-such, may I take your order?" I always cut to the chase since it was drive-thru especially people are in a rush. I just said "May I take your order?" My boss never, NEVER once said what I was doing was wrong and I even got a few raises while I was there even. Lots of people were regulars that KNEW what they wanted. They didn't need time wasted telling them the name of the company or if it was someone inside how they were doing. The people inside that were regulars I always got their orders first before I asked them how they had been(assuming I had time for that if it wasn't busy).
You want control and how you want service. That's not how a lot of the world wants service. They want the most EFFICIENT way possible to get it the FASTEST WAY. I don't need you asking me how I am doing even at let's say Chili's or Applebee's. You don't need to know that. Just get my damn order. You are there to do a **JOB***. You are also there to be polite to me during my service that when I say "thank you" you should say you are sorry if you mess up something. It's a 2-way street.
The main reason why I don't like answering the how you are doing question is that I am FREAKING HUNGRY AND THIRSTY. The more time you take, the more time I wait and that is on *YOU*, NOT the kitchen staff or the bartender.
Someone else gets it!! Obviously I'm not the only one that has had bad experiences with wait staff in sit-down restaurants.
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