Waiting on White Women
Hello Everyone -
This is my first official blog and I will most likely be writing about my daily shifts in the restaurant business and my continuing efforts to get a job in my field of training and education. Interesting stuff, right? I don't know if I am doing this out of boredom, entertainment, or just a way to vent my frustrations. Either way, I hope that if you are reading this, you either find some entertainment value or have suggestions or advice for me.
Today was actually my day off for the week so I will discuss one general issue that frustrates me while waiting tables.
White Women!
I absoluely can't figure out why they even go out to eat at restaurants when they clearly HATE everything on the menu. For the most part, they tend to modify every single menu item to the point that they have created a totally new item. The way they speak with hissing the letter "S" is like nails on a chalkboard. When they ask for water with "Lotsssssssss and lotssssss of lemonssssssss" sends me through the roof in the first 30 seconds of our relationship. You know that when they are at home, they don't carve up two lemons for every glass of water they drink. They run you ragged for "exxxxxtra thissssssss" and "exxxxxxxxxxtra that". At lunch, they typically come in groups and its like a competition as to which one can alter the menu the most, use the most lemons, wear the most bling, fake the best laugh, and leave the worst tip. What kills me the most is that they come in to the restaurant with a designer outfit, fabulous coat, $800.00 Jimmy Choo's and a 1000.00 bag, but when it comes time to pay, they all need separate checks. They whip out the Blackberry to calculate a tip down to the penny. You never hear men ask for separate checks or leave a tip of 2.37. Do you? I don't get it. These white women also have no respect for how long they take your table at lunch. They always ask for a booth and will sit and talk for three hours and never give consideration that they have taken your table for the entire lunch rush. Typically they order only water with lemonssssssssss to drink (FREE) and an appetizer as their meal so the other ladies don't think they really eat. So even a party of 5 women can eat lunch for 40 bucks.
Yesterday there was a party of three white women who came in at lunch and before the female server could give them a proper greeting, they asked to see the manager. They told him that they didn't like her walk and that she had a "childlike sway" that irritated them and they would prefer another server. I had to finish out her other tables because they didn't want to even see her anymore. REALLY?
And the cackle of their laughs. I can't even describe it. One of them will tell some stupid story about something "ssssssoooooo hysssssssssterical" that their two year old did and they all bust out in forced laughter that rings through my ears for the rest of the shift.
Then there is the professional woman who is at a business lunch with a group of male coworkers. She thinks she has something to prove and tends to take charge of the ordering. She is ALWAYS rude to the server and treats us like we are beneath her. I don't know if that makes her feel important or powerful, but it really just makes her look like a bitch. She is a very meticulous woman who orders everything on the side and makes a point to tell you that if it isn't 100% correct, "I will SEND it BACK!" She will sometimes venture away from the water with lemonsssssssss and actually have some hot tea. "CCCCCCCCCCCCCCitrusssssssssss SSSSSSSSSSSSpiccccccccccce" to be specific. And she needs "SSSSSSSSSSSSSplenda". And the tea will never ever be hot enough. She tips a little better, but I think that's because the company is paying.
Finally, there are the mother's who come in with their children and allow them to do whatever they please. I don't particularly care for children, but I LOATHE parents. When I was a kid, about 100 years ago, my mother never let us behave inappropriately in public. The screaming, using silverware as drumsticks, throwing food on the floor etc, was NOT an option for us. Last week a group of mom's came in with their children. It was a party of twelve and included six moms and six kids that I would estimate to all be under the age of eight. Rather than sit together, they asked that the kids be placed at a different table. Immediately as you can imagine the kids began banging silverware, jumping on the booth seats and climbing the wall behind the curved booth. The mothers seemed to be completely unaware of what they were doing and totally ignored the fact that the kids were affecting the dining experience of the other tables nearby. The poor server had to babysit for 2.13/hr. Since they had to be on separate checks, the server had to keep track of which child was with each mother. Finally after complaints from neighboring guests, the manager had to ask the mothers to take control of the children. At the end, the floor and the booth was so disgusting that it would have been easier for the server to use a snow shovel to clean up. You know this doesn't happen at home. Additionally these women don't take the clean up of the disaster into consideration at tip time. In fact, they didn't even tip the server on the kid's food. I am not saying which restaurant I work for, but please understand that it is "casual plus" which means not fine dining, but not casual either. It is somewhere in between.
Now I know it isn't all white women that act this way and not all mothers ignore their children in restaurants, but it seems to be an increasing trend. I haven't waited tables in almost ten years and comparing today to ten years ago, it has really gotten a lot worse.
If you are reading this and you ARE one of these hissssssssing, rude, women or unattentive mothers (and you know if you are) please treat your servers like human beings or at least compensate them at tip time. Additionally, if you are going to need separate checks, tell the server as soon as you sit down to avoid a mess at the end. And remember, treating the server like a second class citizen doesn't make you look cool in front of others. In fact, in time, you will find that the people you are trying to impress won't join you for a meal in the future.
That's it until tomorrow. Be prepared.... I am working a double!
Tim
This is my first official blog and I will most likely be writing about my daily shifts in the restaurant business and my continuing efforts to get a job in my field of training and education. Interesting stuff, right? I don't know if I am doing this out of boredom, entertainment, or just a way to vent my frustrations. Either way, I hope that if you are reading this, you either find some entertainment value or have suggestions or advice for me.
Today was actually my day off for the week so I will discuss one general issue that frustrates me while waiting tables.
White Women!
I absoluely can't figure out why they even go out to eat at restaurants when they clearly HATE everything on the menu. For the most part, they tend to modify every single menu item to the point that they have created a totally new item. The way they speak with hissing the letter "S" is like nails on a chalkboard. When they ask for water with "Lotsssssssss and lotssssss of lemonssssssss" sends me through the roof in the first 30 seconds of our relationship. You know that when they are at home, they don't carve up two lemons for every glass of water they drink. They run you ragged for "exxxxxtra thissssssss" and "exxxxxxxxxxtra that". At lunch, they typically come in groups and its like a competition as to which one can alter the menu the most, use the most lemons, wear the most bling, fake the best laugh, and leave the worst tip. What kills me the most is that they come in to the restaurant with a designer outfit, fabulous coat, $800.00 Jimmy Choo's and a 1000.00 bag, but when it comes time to pay, they all need separate checks. They whip out the Blackberry to calculate a tip down to the penny. You never hear men ask for separate checks or leave a tip of 2.37. Do you? I don't get it. These white women also have no respect for how long they take your table at lunch. They always ask for a booth and will sit and talk for three hours and never give consideration that they have taken your table for the entire lunch rush. Typically they order only water with lemonssssssssss to drink (FREE) and an appetizer as their meal so the other ladies don't think they really eat. So even a party of 5 women can eat lunch for 40 bucks.
Yesterday there was a party of three white women who came in at lunch and before the female server could give them a proper greeting, they asked to see the manager. They told him that they didn't like her walk and that she had a "childlike sway" that irritated them and they would prefer another server. I had to finish out her other tables because they didn't want to even see her anymore. REALLY?
And the cackle of their laughs. I can't even describe it. One of them will tell some stupid story about something "ssssssoooooo hysssssssssterical" that their two year old did and they all bust out in forced laughter that rings through my ears for the rest of the shift.
Then there is the professional woman who is at a business lunch with a group of male coworkers. She thinks she has something to prove and tends to take charge of the ordering. She is ALWAYS rude to the server and treats us like we are beneath her. I don't know if that makes her feel important or powerful, but it really just makes her look like a bitch. She is a very meticulous woman who orders everything on the side and makes a point to tell you that if it isn't 100% correct, "I will SEND it BACK!" She will sometimes venture away from the water with lemonsssssssss and actually have some hot tea. "CCCCCCCCCCCCCCitrusssssssssss SSSSSSSSSSSSpiccccccccccce" to be specific. And she needs "SSSSSSSSSSSSSplenda". And the tea will never ever be hot enough. She tips a little better, but I think that's because the company is paying.
Finally, there are the mother's who come in with their children and allow them to do whatever they please. I don't particularly care for children, but I LOATHE parents. When I was a kid, about 100 years ago, my mother never let us behave inappropriately in public. The screaming, using silverware as drumsticks, throwing food on the floor etc, was NOT an option for us. Last week a group of mom's came in with their children. It was a party of twelve and included six moms and six kids that I would estimate to all be under the age of eight. Rather than sit together, they asked that the kids be placed at a different table. Immediately as you can imagine the kids began banging silverware, jumping on the booth seats and climbing the wall behind the curved booth. The mothers seemed to be completely unaware of what they were doing and totally ignored the fact that the kids were affecting the dining experience of the other tables nearby. The poor server had to babysit for 2.13/hr. Since they had to be on separate checks, the server had to keep track of which child was with each mother. Finally after complaints from neighboring guests, the manager had to ask the mothers to take control of the children. At the end, the floor and the booth was so disgusting that it would have been easier for the server to use a snow shovel to clean up. You know this doesn't happen at home. Additionally these women don't take the clean up of the disaster into consideration at tip time. In fact, they didn't even tip the server on the kid's food. I am not saying which restaurant I work for, but please understand that it is "casual plus" which means not fine dining, but not casual either. It is somewhere in between.
Now I know it isn't all white women that act this way and not all mothers ignore their children in restaurants, but it seems to be an increasing trend. I haven't waited tables in almost ten years and comparing today to ten years ago, it has really gotten a lot worse.
If you are reading this and you ARE one of these hissssssssing, rude, women or unattentive mothers (and you know if you are) please treat your servers like human beings or at least compensate them at tip time. Additionally, if you are going to need separate checks, tell the server as soon as you sit down to avoid a mess at the end. And remember, treating the server like a second class citizen doesn't make you look cool in front of others. In fact, in time, you will find that the people you are trying to impress won't join you for a meal in the future.
That's it until tomorrow. Be prepared.... I am working a double!
Tim
Comments
Post a Comment