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tazzygirl -> RE: How much do you tip your waitress? (6/5/2010 7:23:45 AM)
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~FR
I want to share this story, because its something im starting to see alot of.
Two women came in to dine... mother and daughter... both way above 21. The mother orders the same thing everytime... orange chicken... no spice please. easily done. (of course you know i got them this last time) The daughter orders the pad thai with chicken. Ours is more traditional, not as sweet and with fried tofu, as described on the menu.
They get their food, they have all they need, i check back in a few bites and ask how things are. They both say fine. I specifically ask the mother, who always complains at the previous times she was dining with us, if her dish was spiceless. She claimed yes stating it was very good.
Refills go without a hitch, I check back once more to see if anything is needed. At which time the daughter states the chicken was overcooked. What she was referring too was the tofu. I explained what it was. She asked for a recook.
Now, here is where the history of these two come into play. This isnt the first time they have done this. 6 times they have dined with us. 6 times they have complained, got food for free and recooks.
The cost of the pad thai was removed from the meal. The head chef took out the tofu (carefully with a fork while i watched) and boxed up the food for me to take back to the customer, with the explanation that it was not a recook, what he did and that no recook this time would be forth coming. If you have never worked in an asian restaurant, its good to note now that the head chef makes all the decisions based upon food in the kitchen. They do try to accomidate customers, but to repeatedly ask for recooks when the ingredients are known before being ordered, and the server made no mistake, is an insult to the chef.
At first they accused the Manager of lying to them about what the head chef said. They demanded to speak to the head chef who speaks very little english. Then they accused me of lying saying they didnt want a recook, they wanted a whole new meal. Next they refused to pay for what they ate, at which time the manager stated the cops would be brought in if that was their solution. they spoke to one of the owners who simply stated "we are behind our manager and his decisions". They tried the "we have only been here twice" routine and stated that two other servers were lying when it was brought up that this was how they acted at every dining experience and that, perhaps, we werent the best restaurant choice for them.
This exchange lasted an hour. They complained loudly and bitterly. Of course i got no tip from them... lol. Nor was i expecting one when they entered. I served them well out of respect for my manager (who is a living doll!) They left paying the bill and vowing to never return. At the bar, witnessing this exchange, was the owner of a french bistro from a few blocks away. She stated " They used to come into my place and do the exact same thing."
This has become the expected norm for diners, thanks to chains. If you complain enough, you get free food and a free meal on the next visit. At least that was my experience at the last chain i worked at with a name of a day of the week in its name. This didnt happen in this case. The looks of astonishment on their faces was priceless and more than worth the tip i didnt get.
I adore my job, and this is one of the reasons. a small restaurant, locally owned, has the power to decline whom they serve. A big bonus over the chain stores.
The customer is right... to a point. These are just some of the issues faced by servers all the time. And we smile, take everything in stride, and go about our business. Apparently these women made the comment that they were not tipping me to the dining room. Three of my other tables stated they tipped me more to make up for the "assholes".
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