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Judging by all the whiners in here we will only have cafeteria style restaurants, buffets, and high end places. Most restaurants will disappear in America because they won't be able to compete with franchises and customer expectations.
Mom&Pop places can't compete because they can't afford to pay waiters when people don't tip enough and they can't charge enough to cover their costs.
The reason why food quality is getting worse across franchise places because price of food is going up but they can't pass the cost too quickly or face customer alienation. So something has to give.
I think the reason food quality is getting worse is because people (the unwashed masses, at least) have no clue how good food is supposed to taste. They're so wholly ruined by the dollar menu and Hot Pockets that if presented with good food, they'd reject it and go eat at KFC.
Otherwise, I agree with your predictions about the future of restaurants.
1. Ask if you have been there before? (Especially if you have, it's irritating and a time waster). They want to know if their first impressions made you come back.
2. Make comments about what you order whether good or bad, by basically putting their opinion into what you are ordering. It's not your business and it's not nice, so don't go there unless specifically asked to. Even if it's a positive thing, you aren't acting as if that were you being hungry and thirsty by delaying the customer from ordering their food. “That’s my favorite” doesn’t mean anything to me since we all like different things. I don’t care if it’s your favorite, goodie for you it’s your favorite, that doesn’t mean it’s mine. Especially if I have had it a zillion times, do I care about what *YOU* think of it, HELL NO I don’t! I have had servers point me in a different direction. If they know a dish isn't well received, it is in their best interest to serve you something else.
3. Take your glass instead of get you a new one for a refill.(That means I am left without anything to drink for that time period, especially if I have food in front of me.) I agree with this one.
4. If you are sitting at the bar or table that the bartender or server refills your ice melted glass without dumping out the old watery ice in the glass first.(Common sense I don't want watery coke or iced tea for example.) In the picture below, would *YOU* really want your server or bartender to pour on top of that watery ice HONESTLY? To avoid this, they should just refill sooner.
5. Refills your glass of tea at the table. It would be nice to not have a watery glass of tea and a nice, clean glass.(Common sense again.) I don't mind a refill in a tea glass, but then again I like weak tea.
6. Gives you your check when they didn't ask if you wanted it. It is all about turning tables. I would rather they have to reopen my tab for dessert than leave me waiting for my tab.
7. Wastes time writing their name and "thank you" on the check or even draws stuff. What a waste of time. It's THEIR time, not your that is being wasted. If you don't like it, don't read it.
8. Gets your dirty dishes or any objects first before going to get what you asked for such as your check when you want your check. Common sense I want to leave, so get what I do want before worrying about clean-up work. If it's a refill, common sense I am thirsty, duh, get me my refill first. Why are servers so uncaring about customer's time they'd rather favor objects over people? Don't you think your tip will be altered when the customer waits longer for what they asked for?
I hate bumping against dirty plates. Please take my plates first. If they are already standing there there for me to ask for something, they might as well take the plate. Common sense.
9. Servers that put lemon in your water or tea rather than on the rim of the glass or on the side due to that seeds can get into your drink and/or you just may not even want lemon. I agree with this one. But it would make more sense to just ask, "Lemon?"
10. Auctioning off drinks and/or food when your server is the one that took the order. The servers should be going down the line from a starting point and make sure the food goes in front of the correct person. The only way the server has a good excuse to mess up on this is if the customers switched spots, because then I could see not knowing, but most servers are too lazy today to compare their written orders to what is in their hands, the plates of food or glasses of drinks. Once, I had a waitress in a party of 4 auction off drinks. I was like, how stupid and lazy can she be? 4 drinks, when she wrote them down even as to how lazy she was to make us state who had what drink. That's not our job, that's our server's job.
I would rather my food/drink be auctioned off than given to the wrong person. This is fine at a Chile's, but not at a nicer place.
11. Servers that ask you to remind them when you have modifications like adding some condiments. NO, you remind yourself by your written order. Those servers didn't even want to write the stuff down they were so lazy. I have had 4 servers over the years ask me that.
Servers do NOT KEEP the order slip. It goes to the chef.
12. Servers that assume things like you want your check just because you ask for a box or assume you want another refill or assume you are going to always share appetizers, etc. +
First you whine because they keep talking to you, then you whine because they don't talk to you and make assumptions.
13. Servers that assume change is theirs when the customer never told them to keep it. This is wrong. They should always say, I'll bring your change.
14. Servers that you don't know start trying to make a conversation with you before you get to place your order. Common sense would be we are hungry and thirsty, please let us order! I'm out for a night of food and pleasant conversation. I enjoy small talk. If I'm than darn hungry, I'll go drive-thru.
15. Servers that don't apologize when a mistake happens that are theirs. I agree.
16. Servers that blame someone or something else for their mistake. I agree.
17. Servers that walk away too quickly when they come to see how you are doing that you can't ask them for everything you need.
18. Servers that only ask 1 person if they need anything, but not anyone else at the table. I agree. They need to make eye contact with each person at the table.
19. Servers that don't write down orders. At finer restaurants, they may not be allowed to write down the order.
20. Servers that don't write down parts of orders, only some, but not all. I agree.
21. Servers that assume things such as bringing a ketchup bottle when you didn't ask for one that everyone likes ketchup when they could have just simply asked you when they took your order. See #12
22. Servers that bring out obvious mistakes when they don't compare their written orders or tickets to the food. See #11
23. Servers that don't go in order in which requests came in so you sit wait 5 minutes for your check when they voluntarily decided to check on other tables or even worse, gone to buss an empty table with lots of dirty dishes. I agree. But you whined about getting the check too early before. Also, if they were allowed to clear dirty dishes as they went, there would not be a whole table of dirty dishes.
24. Servers that don't take "no" for an answer trying to convince you to get a dessert for example. That's aggravating. Servers are salesmen. Up-sells may be a requirement of their job. Don't blame the server.
25. Servers that don't know the menu, that you even know more about the menu than they do. I agree.
26. Servers that bring you what they want when they are out of something instead of asking you first. I agree.
27. Servers that just don't know how to take an order such as you say you only want cheddar cheese, lettuce, and onions only on a chicken sandwich that comes with on the menu lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and mixed cheese, but they actually ring it in as extra cheese(adding cheese) when you were just substituting cheese, not saying you wanted extra cheese, which means they put in the order wrong as well as overcharged you. Some servers are too stupid to know how to taken an order. A person doesn't have to say "substitute" if they are already stating they only want one type of cheese. Some servers just don't have common sense, it's true. They aren't listening or reading the menu to know what they are serving you all because they are too lazy to do so and they just don't care, but yet, they want that money at the end.
I agree. But they would listen better if you treated them better.
28. Servers that don't write down requests such as a box, a bag, the check, a refill, etc. They are just too lazy and don't care if they remember what you said.
I agree.
29. Auctioning off food if you aren't the server that took the orders as far as what table you are going to. There should be a table number on the ticket and some diagram of the restaurant. Don't be so lazy as to not make sure you are taking the food to the correct table to not interrupt other tables as well as you may end up giving the wrong table food first that was not first and/or made the wrong way, which it's very possible a person that has a food related allergy is served the wrong one, that can mean something serious for that customer, so think if that were you.
Didn't we visit this before with the drink?
30. Servers that don't give you the amount of condiments you asked for. In that picture below, the ranch should be FILLED THE THE VERY TOP as ORDERED! A side is a side, not 1/4 of a side. The container is a side is what the customer is ordering.
Just ask for another one, it won't kill you.
31. Servers that don't notice you don't have any utensils or even napkins even.
Just ask for it, it won't kill you.
32. Servers that order for you without your consent or permission to such as bringing you a refill without you ordering it or being asked for it or even getting you a glass of water you didn't order without asking first. Maybe that is what they are required to do. Better to be proactive.
33. Servers that when you ask for your check and a dessert, they wait until the dessert arrives or even after to give you your check when they were fully in control of giving you your check that you did ask for when you ordered your dessert which is well before the dessert arrived.
Maybe they are just trying to torture you.
34. Servers that don't ask you if you want your side salad before the appetizer arrives when side salads do take much less time to prepare than appetizers do. Tell them when you want it.
35. Servers that serve you food that don't try their best to make sure an obvious errors aren't on the plate or even servers that don't even know what table they are giving food to, especially when it's the server that took the order. Some servers are too lazy to verify anything. IT was there when they picked it up, but removed it just to torture you.
36. Servers that just don't have common sense such as you have an empty glass and don't even bother to ask if you need anything to even offer even. Fill it, don't fill it, replace it, take it a way, WHAT DO YOU WANT???
37. Servers that don't give you a straw or extra napkins. Are they supposed to assume you use a straw like a barbarian and are a slob? But wait, you don't like assumptions.
38. Servers that ask one person that is a fast eater if they want dessert that is finished their entrée when you are still eating your entrée. The server should just ask if they want anything else, NOT a dessert, because that makes the other person feel like a slow eater and they would have to rush to finish. Quit monopolizing the conversation. Shut up and eat.
39. Servers that don't bring out appetizer plates out BEFORE the appetizer comes out so then you have to wait to get them, sometimes several minutes. Once again, they already know what a jerk you are and are trying to make you miserable.
40. Servers that tell you instead of *ASK* you if you want a refill by saying “I’ll get you another coke” rather than asking you. It’s not their call to make. I almost want to say “NO, you won’t get me another coke, you ask if it’s OK with me to get me another coke.” I don’t say that, but sure do want to. What's what the CONTROL issues?
Seriously. Some of these things reek of someone that always needs to feel like they are in control...
I do sympathize with some people that work in the food industry. A lot of Americans expects to be treated like royalty and they don't tip well.
They go to any restaurants and look for faults to pin point in hopes to gain freebies or threaten to post negative reviews on Yelps if they don't get what they want.
Especially those that only eat when there's a groupon. I've seen a couple demands to split the bill into two in order to use 2 groupons and leaves no tip. Yes, the waiter told me they were pita and left no tip.
My only very slight irritation is when a manager zips over to ask if everything is okay. This always seems to be when I'm taking my first bite of the food and my mouth is completely full. Give me a few minutes will ya!
Otherwise, I'm a pretty relaxed customer. Biggest beef is when service is exceptionally slow and the server is no where to be found. Always seems to happen when the restaurant isn't full too.
My only very slight irritation is when a manager zips over to ask if everything is okay. This always seems to be when I'm taking my first bite of the food and my mouth is completely full. Give me a few minutes will ya! .
YES! This is aggravating to us mainly because we like to be left alone and if we aren't happy with something we will most definitely let someone know. In the meantime, leave us alone.
I understand the owner/manager walking around and asking every single table if everything is ok but it feels forced and awkward 90% of the time. Maybe a manager should just greet as you come in or as you leave?
Mostly I'm fine with restaurant/server performance, my few complaints are more like this:
- Too often adding extra butter in dishes to make it tastier but less healthy.
- Servers or owners who try too hard to be your friend. Especially to the owners: get lost, you are not important, let us eat in peace. We also don't care about your investment.
- Grimaces on servers when you don't order drinks or desserts.
- Menus that are too big, no way all those entrees are good.
- Menus that are too small, give us some options please.
- Calling hot food spicy (common in Asian restaurants)- spice takes many different forms and tastes.
- Bar or waiting areas that are too tight (granted, they usually can do nothing about this).
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