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I've been thinking abut this for awhile. I've never worked in a restaurant myself, so I'd appreciate input from people who know more about it than I do.
I went to a Hallowe'en party Saturday night and had lots of fun. As a result, I slept at the host's house (I had planned on this - I took a change of clothing!). The next morning, we all went off to breakfast. Instead of hitting a chain, we decided to give our custom to a local establishment. We numbered 12 in all.
They were fairly busy - about 80% full. We were content to wait for a table and made no fuss because not all our party had arrived. One member was working that day, so she ordered her meal at the counter to go as soon as she got there. The first thing that happened was that even though sufficient tables had cleared in a location favorable to do so, when the waitresses started to make one large table for us, another person came out of the kitchen and told her to split us up!
Half of us were relegated to a table halfway across the restaurant. We were cool about it - looking at each other and shrugging. We hadn't been loud. That was the first mystery. Then, about ten minutes after we were seated, they took our orders. Perhaps ten minutes after that, the waitress showed up with two pieces of coffee cake per table and forks for each of us, saying nothing. We hadn't ordered coffeecake, and a few people at the table were put off by communal eating. We had no napkins, plates, or other silverware. The water had long since run out.
Other patrons were coming in, being served and leaving. Many who arrived after us were served before we were. Our meals arrived about 45 minutes after we ordered them. Mine had uncooked (clear) eggs - others were burnt. The woman who had ordered the togo meal got hers just 5 minutes before we were served. She had ordered it 20 minutes before we had placed our orders.
Throughout this ordeal, there were three women behind the espresso bar standing and chatting and occasionally running the till.
Now I come to my quandary. I know restaurant work is tough. It's one of the only industries where the customer gets to grade you instantly with your compensation. The IRS thinks you make tips even if you don't. There was obviously something radically wrong with this place, and I will never go back there under that management. None of my friends left tips. But I left a token dollar tip so the waitress wasn't totally shafted. Was I right or wrong?
I went to a Hallowe'en party Saturday night and had lots of fun. As a result, I slept at the host's house (I had planned on this - I took a change of clothing!). The next morning, we all went off to breakfast. Instead of hitting a chain, we decided to give our custom to a local establishment. We numbered 12 in all.
They were fairly busy - about 80% full. We were content to wait for a table and made no fuss because not all our party had arrived. One member was working that day, so she ordered her meal at the counter to go as soon as she got there. The first thing that happened was that even though sufficient tables had cleared in a location favorable to do so, when the waitresses started to make one large table for us, another person came out of the kitchen and told her to split us up!
Half of us were relegated to a table halfway across the restaurant. We were cool about it - looking at each other and shrugging. We hadn't been loud. That was the first mystery. Then, about ten minutes after we were seated, they took our orders. Perhaps ten minutes after that, the waitress showed up with two pieces of coffee cake per table and forks for each of us, saying nothing. We hadn't ordered coffeecake, and a few people at the table were put off by communal eating. We had no napkins, plates, or other silverware. The water had long since run out.
Other patrons were coming in, being served and leaving. Many who arrived after us were served before we were. Our meals arrived about 45 minutes after we ordered them. Mine had uncooked (clear) eggs - others were burnt. The woman who had ordered the togo meal got hers just 5 minutes before we were served. She had ordered it 20 minutes before we had placed our orders.
Throughout this ordeal, there were three women behind the espresso bar standing and chatting and occasionally running the till.
Now I come to my quandary. I know restaurant work is tough. It's one of the only industries where the customer gets to grade you instantly with your compensation. The IRS thinks you make tips even if you don't. There was obviously something radically wrong with this place, and I will never go back there under that management. None of my friends left tips. But I left a token dollar tip so the waitress wasn't totally shafted. Was I right or wrong?
