Menu? What menu?

Patience, patience and more patience is required to make a great server!  I like to think I've hit that mark, but every now and then on a rough day even I can be pushed over the edge....but wait...it wasn't ME that fell off the cliff into irateness....

I had a table of four older ladies, all probably in their late 60's. Fixed hair, makeup, jewelry on, pretty prim and proper. They all ordered martini's or fruity drinks so you know right off, it's a girls night out!  I'm a huge believer in silent service unless the customers want to talk, so I wasn't bothering them with chit-chat, they had their own thing going on.

After ordering drinks (THAT took a while, many questions), an appetizer (more questions), a demand to turn the sports channel onto Dancing with the Stars, (NOT a problem for me-hate sports!), it was time to order the main course........

Servers have a few pet peeves...one of them being...no one actually LISTENS when we talk!

Favorite case in point..

 Server "I'll be right back with some more tea for you, can I get you anything else?"

Customer in a snippy tone  "I NEED MORE TEA!"   

                                                        LOL  Ah well.....maybe next time....

Anyway, back to the real story! 

I started at pivot point 1, as required (yes, there's a system) got the first lady's order after many more questions....They get two sides with dinner...yes Mam this is the list right here....yes Mam I can tell you what they are...all l5 of them....

Second lady......

Yes mam, that's a fabulous dish...sides? They are right there Mam...of course I can tell you what they are Mam....all l5 of them....again....

Third lady...yes mam..which two sides would you like with that?

  Perfect, thank you.

Fourth and last lady....

What can I get for you Mam? Which two sides?  WHAT ARE THE SIDES?????????
REALLY???

Yes, at this point I am considering banging my head on the table!  

HOWEVER the most hysterical thing happened......the third lady looked at her and yelled.....

"READ THE DAMN MENU MYRTLE!!!!"

I couldn't help it, I had to sit down I was laughing so hard and so were they! 

So we laughed and watched Dancing with the Stars and they were one of the best tables I've ever had.

You never know what those little old ladies are going to say!  Made my day.

Funny you should ask...

I'm working on a tip list of how you can get excellent service wherever you go.....

(OK, yes I know, sometimes the server is just BAD, we'll talk about that in another post!)

Trust me, servers hate getting bad service just as much as you do!

First rule to getting great service at in a restaurant. 

PART ONE:

Communicate. Yep, talk to me. I know you've had a horrible day....

your daughter/son/ex/cousin ran over the neighbors dog...(the dog is fine, by the way)

Your boss/co-worker/teacher asked you for an unreasonable amount of work/meetings/affairs in 8 hours...

The husband/ex/wife/girlfriend/lover/boyfriend is cheating with your sister/boyfriend/girlfriend/ex....

You've got a headache and you just want something to drink and eat...

How HARD could that be????

LOL  Sometimes that seems impossible doesn't it?

So let's go back to when you sat down, your server (who has a 30 SECOND rule to greet the table or be reprimanded) is there already...OMG you just don't want to hear the spiel...

They say "Hello...my..." and never looking up you growl... "Water".

OK, we know right there you don't want to chat! Got it, not a problem, we have bad days too.

Of course, you could look up and tell us..."I've had a horrible day, could I please just have some water."

Same results, but the server instead of thinking "How RUDE" is thinking "Poor thing..I know how you feel!"

I'm gonna let you think that one through and tell me which scenario means you're going to get more attentive service!

Oh wow, I haven't even made it to the second course...but I have to go get someone some water!

Pass the salt please....

Considering how long I've been in food service, you'd think nothing could surprise me anymore!

And we'd all be wrong! :)  This little happening amused me, so it's going to be the first post on the new blog!

My restaurant has a full salad bar and of course that's one of the main attractions.  I had the section next to it Friday night, and I saw a guest leave the bar with a salad and go over to one of my tables (nope, I was NOT their server), climb over the booth, grabbed the salt shaker and salted their salad.

Always willing to help, I went over and apologized and asked him if I needed to bring a salt and pepper shaker to THEIR table...since obviously they seemed to be missing...why else would someone go to all that trouble?

They looked at me like I was the crazy one, and said.....

"I'm using yours because there's no salt on the SALAD BAR!!"

There was absolutely nothing to say to that! Seldom am I speechless. LOL