[food serv indus & complaining] are you scurred up in hurr?

That's a new one for the board...

 

I think DT has mentioned this before.

 

I thought he was joking. That sounds like a movie quote or something. Maybe not?

 

How in the HELL could he do this without either the manager or the frat boys seeing this?

Never complain about food to fast food kids before they serve or re-serve it back to you. You can't account for stupidity, and you're probably going to ingest something you don't want to. When in doubt, get some credit like Christopher, and go somewhere else. I also try to remember the names of the people taking the orders over the phone. If a "Josh" takes my order, messes it up, and I call back to Josh to complain -- when I call back in a week later to use my "oops" coupon, if a "Josh" answers the phone, I'll hang up and try again another day.

For a lot of these fast food workers, this is the only time in their entire lives where they're in charge of -- and in control of -- you. You're at their mercy whether or not they want to act like eight year olds, and because most of them could barely finish 6th grade, they'll usually take advantage of what they perceive to be your d!ckishness.

I don't mean to impugn all fast food workers, obviously, because I'd bet 75 percent of the people on the BBS (myself included) have worked fast food at some point. It's the ones that don't move on that you have to look out for ...

 

This is so key. Be knowledgable about the restaurant industry and food in general, know what's the waiter's fault & what's the kitchen's fault, say "please" and "thank you". Don't shaft a waiter for something that was out of his control.

 

And if it is his fault, wait for him in the parking lot.

 

I feel I am fairly restaurant savvy and I definitely know food. I feel I tip VERY well when I get good service. On the other hand, if I do not, you will know about it. I dont feel that is asking too much.

 

You know who I have heard the most food service complaints from: waiters. Servers are b****ing all over the internet about how people tip. Shut the fark up. Any server that mishandles someone's food should be fired and possibly be brought up on charges. Nearly every job makes you deal with idiots, but somehow food servers are so much better than everyone else that they feel the need to take revenge. *** servers (and I am a good tipper).

 

That wasn't so much directed at you as just general advice. And there's nothing wrong with letting waiter/manager know if there's a problem. They do actually want that kind of feedback. Just don't be a dick, is alls I was sayin. Rude people suck. General courtesy & tact is one of the many things that's so great about Houston, and Texas in general.

 

when i worked in catering, we'd have to cater to weddings sometimes, preparing the food in the back and then bringing it out. on these types of days(and remember, i'm still in high school), i would go to school until 3:30, then go straight to work, then work until the wedding was over at 2AM at least, and then clean up. i would usually get home around five in the morning. the fact that in high school, i'm up and working a 22 hour day overall is ridiculous. that's actually why i quit catering.

so anyways, on these certain weddings, youd be carrying like three or four boxes of stuff, then set up and serve it. so im trying to do all this, im trying to keep a smile on and be nice to everyone, when i discover that people don't know what it is to wait. you need to hold on a second, i don't have forty arms. of course, they start giving me a hard time about it and saying theyll notify my manager because theyve been standing in line for five minutes while the person in front of them chooses which of the 20 combinations of food they want. meanwhile, the person helping me at my table is in back dealing with a broken plate crisis, as an employee i have to smile and nod while these people treat me like scum. i couldn't really spit in their food or do anything, but god did i hate that job.

i guess the moral of the story is, if you are gonna be a jerk to the people serving you food, make sure that it really is their fault that your food is late or whatever. because most of the time, it isnt.

another thing i want to b**** about: that same night, i'm carrying like eight boxes of food from the truck into the building. the stack is so high, that i can't even see over it so i have to walk sideways. there's people from the party that stepped out to have a smoke, and i figured theyd get the door for me, as is common courtesy. they look at me, then walk inside without holding the door open. people are real jerks when youre working, so just remember be nice to the kids working....it's the little things that matter.

 

As soon as I saw this thread I new MB would be here. Trust me the boy can b**** like no one's business. He wasn't lying when he said we ate free for a week, I think he even had a better personal string of not paying for his own meals for longer than that. I'll admit that I havn't always agreed with him about what is bad food, but I've never had him steer me wrong on what is good. His tastes are a bit more refined than mine I guess. He is also a good tipper when it is warented and I have heard him b**** at people for being cheep with tips. Oh, and he can cook to. If he offers, don't miss it.

 

I bartended for a few years back in the 90's. Word of advice- tip nicely for your mixed drinks and DON'T TALK DOWN TO US WHILE TRYING TO IMPRESS YOUR DATE! If you do, expect some hawkers, armpit rubs around the lip of the drinking glass, snot rockets, a few loose pubies and whatever else I/we can find on the floor/in the trash to be stirred or shaken with your drink when you take your table.

Trust me. It happens all the time, and I enjoyed it.

 

People that do the pubes etc make the rest of us afraid to complain about ****ty tasting food. I hate that. It saddens me that I should be afraid to complain. Of course, I usually cannot afford to eat out

 

I bartended in the 90's, as well. We never did anything even remotely similar where I worked. If you were rude or obnoxious, we'd ignore you. You were always last in line.

But now that you've told me that people who bartend at restaurants do this, I'll be sure to wipe my ass with their tip, next time. What's good for the goose, and all that.

 

Believe it or not, the manager of the place I worked at taught and encouraged the bartenders to do this.

Of course, this same manager found a way to make our drawer short on our register every friggin' day to support his cocaine habit (this I found out later) and the owner has since gone bankrupt. Karma?

PS- I will admit to enjoying the "mixers" I made every weekend for the rude as hell "family money, nose in the air" ass who routinely put us down in front of his numerous dates to inflate his delicate ego. I stirred each and every hawker with care. For the majority of the rude people, they just received close to virgin drinks and sloooooow service. We weren't total blowhards.

And I was 21. Maturity rulz.

 

I frequent quite a few bars and I never thought about this subject. I am going to keep my eyes open from now on.

 

Same here. I bartended from 2001-2004 at a bunch of clubs and theatres in Chicago, and I never remember having the TIME to do horrible things to people's drinks. I didn't have time to get pissed off at customers for more than a second and a half, much less divise a plan to "get back" at them.

Believe it or not, there are bartenders out there who have lives and who boast integrity, and they don't clutter their minds with ways about getting back at paying customers.

 

Damn, some of these things are just plain gross. It's too bad people do this sort of stuff. I guess I haven't been pushed to the edge like some of you here. I had my first serving job this summer at Los Cucos and even though some customers acted like asses, I just couldn't do anything to their food. Not in my nature.

 

Two questions.

First, if you or anyone you know has every actually messed with customers, why? It's stupid. And it obviously just perpetuates the issue, meaning you are likely to have been messed with many a time in your past.

Second, who cares? If you eat/drink something without knowing, as long as there are absolutely no health implications, and it tastes good, etc. at the end of the day it doesn't really matter that you're drink has someone's spit in it. It is certainly disgusting to think about, but unless you are told it was done, you don't really know...and if you are told, frankly, you may be in line for a nice payday from the resulting lawsuit.