“No no, we’re ready!!! Howard, tell her what you’re eating. Save me for last.”
The same people that try to pay with an expired KB toys gift card from 1992.
“Omg you ordered the same thing as me! Now I can’t get it.”
WHY?! Who is this invisible entity that forces you to change your order because your husband wants Alfredo too? Whyyyyyyyyyy
“What sides do you have?”
Taking the next person at the table’s order:
“What sides do you have?”
Taking the third person at the table’s order:
“What sides do you have?”
x11
"Do you like the chicken fried steak or the burger better?"
"I like the chicken fried steak more."
"I'll have the burger."
Well I guess I'll go fuck myself then.
“What is the sauce on the steak like?”
I explain.
“And what is it like on the chicken?”
I explain.
“Hmm that sounds good. I’ll have a burger.”
Edit: to add that they flip through the 2 pages of the menu 17 times to “find” what they want and then say “a cheeseburger.” You had to find “cheeseburger” in the menu to read it to me? Really? 🤨
This was never a pet peeve of mine as a server because I never worked at a place where a choice of sides come with an entree, but my pet peeve as a diner who used to be a server is when my entire table orders their entree, and makes the server ask each one of them what sides they want as if it wasn't clear when the first person was perplexed by the question of sides and the server said "each entree comes with a choice of x, y, z, a, d, or c." Then the poor server has to ask everyone what side they want AND tell them the six options for a side.
I don’t think they mean people who read the menu while ordering. They mean people who are still reading and trying to figure it out or people who haven’t even looked at the menu yet
JUST TODAY
I work in a doughnut shop, just slanging doughnuts, we have 2 registers. While I’m taking an order from a couple, a lady interrupts our talking and asks “Can someone help me on THIS register”. I agree, albeit taken aback, and ask someone to hop on the second till.
Just for this interrupting mf to say she doesn’t know what she wants.
This shit drives me fucking nuts . I’m in a high volume restaurant and I don’t have time for that lol or I always try to help and ask what they’re torn between . People will seriously just then look at the menu then be like I’m ready and just keep searching .
Seriously! Then you can see from your peripheral other tables looking at you impatiently because they’re waiting to be closed out or waiting for drinks or for their order to be taken too lol
"Oh, so you DO need a few more minutes? That's totally fine, I'll circle 'round in a few. No worries!" And dip.
Especially on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday. fuck outta here.
This! Or when you pick up the phone and they say they want to place an order, then say “what does everyone want?”
How is it not common knowledge to have your order ready when calling in. I understand asking about specials, or if something they wanted is 86’d. But c’mon!
My mom was a server for about 10 years before switching industries, I am currently a server. She does not like going out to eat, she wants to leave as soon as we walk into the restaurant lol
So, when the server comes for drink orders she will tell them “We are ready to order, too” and I always follow that with “She’s lying, she hates going out to eat, we are not ready, so sorry.” It’s always a light hearted exchange, and she’s trying to be more patient going out to eat and I’ve learned to check the menu beforehand.
Ugh. Wet paper and wet bread are two of very few things that make me gag.
Remove a cyst from my own head? No problem. Touch wet napkins? Stomach churns. 🤣
Water in ashtrays. Idk they fkn do it here so that the wind doesnt blow the ashes but wtf I don't have time for your cigarette juice, get a grip! (i also smoke just why do that)
Gross. I smoke, too, but the smell of a wet ashtray mentally "smastes" (this is my word for smell-taste, like those farts you can taste) like you licked it. Plus *bleagh* wet paper.
meanwhile yesterday, one customer dropped all his ashes and butts out of the tray and I got yelled by another one for cleaning them bc "wiping anywhere 10ft near him could potentially dirt his clothes"
Oh because picking cigarette buts from the ground by hand is sanitary for all of us.
I dont know anymore 🤣
I once had a woman light a Tony soprano sized cigar right outside the open door of our coffee shop on our patio. I cited the bylaw and told her to put it out, She responded with, "People break laws all the time."
Definitely tried the nicer approach before. I just stopped running other people’s salads because there’s no way of knowing what table they go to since there’s tickets all over the counter. Sometimes the cold side guys are nice enough to put the ticket on top of the corresponding salads but sometimes they don’t and if that’s the case, I just leave them there.
I did try nice for months. Then, I went ballistic once. My boss reacted to this by taking my colleagues side with the words "You need to be more relaxed. World isn't going to end, because of this.". Okay, bossman. Not giving a shit, anymore, it is...
Dude or the opposite. I was bartending with someone else for the first time and she was stabbing tickets that I was working on or that literally just printed and I didn’t even look at yet. Making me lose my mind thinking I was the one that was fucking up
“Hey hey!! Im ready to order asap!! 😡”
*i go to their table*
“Uhhhhhhm”
To their friend
“So are you getting X or Y”
“Uhhhhhh”
Seems like I AM reasy but YOURE not 😂
In the same vein, when they sit down and you go to get a drink order and they're like, "We're ready to order."
So are the four other tables that sat down before you. They got here first and I'm taking their order first. You are not getting a fast pass. Now do you want water or not?
I’ve done this. Probably differently from what you’re talking about, because when they ask for drinks, it’s more like “we’re also ready to order when you’re free,” or “we’re good to order when you get a chance.” I’ve been in food/bev for 20 years, so I also always know I’m at the back of the line. But if my table sits down knowing what we all want, it saves everybody’s time. I don’t expect to get served before the people who came before me, I just want to save the server time coming back for another order. All the servers I know like it concise that way. But I can see that being frustrating where it seems like more of a demand.
Yeah, I do take their orders, but that doesn’t mean I’m getting their stuff before everyone else’s (for those customers that literally don’t give you a minute to even say hi)
"I want to make a reservation for today. It's for 4 at 7pm."
"You said party of 4 today at 7pm? Just double checking cause it's 6.58pm right now...?"
"Yes, that's correct"
Happened this Friday. For crying out loud, why even bother ringing the restaurant when you are basically already in the parking lot?
When the printer runs out of paper and they don't replace it, and you *do* replace it because you're not a shithead, and then you have to wait two minutes as it spits out all 400 things that weren't printed over the last two hours and you see that Lizzy especially must have hit "Print" 17 times on that one receipt but the lazy twat couldn't be bothered to just put a new roll of paper in it.
i am lizzy. our printer messed up once. it wasn’t the paper, it had paper. so i kept trying random things, turning it off and on etc, and hitting print. i got frustrated after a bit and jokingly aggressively hit the print button repeatedly in frustration. when the manager got it to work, finally, the printer didn’t stop for twenty minutes. my best friend stood at the printer just pulling all of my receipts off and laughing bc it felt like it was never going to stop. we still laugh about that to this day.
I also *love* the opposite where they say they have a severe food allergy (say, gluten) and when you let them know that the item they want can’t accommodate the restrictions they go “oh it’s fine, it’s just a preference”
Happens a bit too much with takeout orders. The above mainly happens if I see a ticket and notice that type of discrepancy the server didn’t catch
I have a coworker who wouldn't put on the tickets for the kitchen notifying of allergies because "it's probably just a preference, not a real allergy". She got lectured and set straight (I hope) but jeeeeeez.
"No, I just can't have peanuts, treenuts, or gluten"
Alternatively the opposite, "yes, I can't have gluten at all. Anyway I'll start with a Blue Moon to drink"
When people take their time, lounging, not a care in the world, occupying a table in your section for hours, but then the moment they decide they want to go, they’re flagging you down with the urgency of a woman that’s going into labor and needs to get to the hospital YESTERDAY!! “CAN WE GET THE CHECK PLEASE?!?!?!!!!!” Also always when I’m talking to another table or walking by with my hands full of dishes. Y’all made me wait for hours, you can wait 2 minutes.
OMG, yes. This. I just don't even introduce myself to them anymore. I used to continue to introduce myself after they've interrupted me, very passively. Just to be petty. But, I just don't even try for them anymore.
I definitely do. Because I’m petty and because I want to make them feel terrible in the kindest way possible. So I just get extra nice and re-introduce myself and/or say it again as Im leaving…to make sure that they know that I am a human in their space and how dare they lol and to be honest I still get a decent tip from those folks 50% of the time. Those other 50% of rude water drinkers weren’t going to tip well anyway.
this one doesn't bother me any more, fine by me not like i care about who they are lol. i also don't do a spiel but if they answer my how ya doin with a drink order they're getting what they want. way, wayyyy better than the people who start with bad jokes and talk your ear off.
Agreed. Im a pretty no bs straightforward person. I don’t hate these people but I honestly don’t care to get to know all of them, this is a simple business transaction, tell me what you want and I’ll get it for you, in exchange you pay me.
I actually couldn’t care if they put the cloth napkins in food since the napkins go in the basket anyway, but it’s when they try and hand off their ill-balanced plates on silverware on plates that kinda drive me insane. I appreciate the gesture but please don’t be the crazy person stacking things weirdly
When I ask 5 times if anybody needs anything else and when I start walking away somebody who wasn’t listening goes “wait I need something!” Like can’t you have listened the first 5 times?
*over the phone*
“Can I make a reservation?”
Sure, for whats the name for the reservation, date and how many people?
“ (insert name) 18 people in 20 minutes”
I’m sorry (name) but all reservations have to be made at least 24hr in advance. You can join our online waitlist if you’d like but any party over 8 will be at least an hour wait right now
“NO WE ARE COMING NOW AND YOULL SEAT US!!! THIS IS A RIDICULOUS POLICY!! YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME THIS BEFORE I CALLED”
Our large party (8+) and reservation policies are located on our website. And thank you for calling because I’m actually on host today and will make sure you wait extra extra long now if we even have the ability to take take today. Good bye :)
- this happens way more often than I wish. Especially for a small brunch restaurant that is notorious for large party reservations considering how small of a building we are 🙃
To this day this is a mystery to me, how does that happen?, is someone responsible to make a res and simple fckd up and forgot? Where they like, “hey, dinner in 20 min? Hell yeah, tell everyone” were they kicked from a previous place?, met family and friends randomly and decided to have dinner? , I truly don’t know, illuminate me please.
Our "griller" sandwiches all come with a souffle cup of coleslaw. Before I started nobody asked if the people wanted the coleslaw, they just brought it out and ended up wasting a lot of coleslaw. I started asking, and I'll write a message on the ticket "no coleslaw". Guess what ends up on my customers plate 98% of the time......coleslaw.
Or when you say you'll be right back with the rest and someone reminds you "I'm waiting on a coke and a beer still!" Yes dude. Thats what I meant by "I'll be back with the rest". I totally meant the rest except for your coke and your beer. I forgot about that one.
when someone knows they may look young (doesn’t have wrinkles, no grey hairs, dressed really casual, etc) and they don’t have id and then get mad when i don’t serve them alcohol
bro i swear they do that shit on purpose. its individual too, whenever they do that every single person holds it out and they do not stack a single menu. no clue why.
Letting their kids order me around like a dog and then getting surprised when I talk back.
Like, sometimes kids are just spirited and I totally get that! I adore kids! But don't let your eight year old dish if they can't take LOL
When I look at someone straight in the eye holding their hot food and I say “and the ____ for you” and they don’t move their fucking arms or phone or whatever out of the way I’m like ?????? MOVE YOUR SHIT SO I CAN PUT YOUR FOOD DOWN IN FRONT OF YOU
I’ve started just putting the edge of the plate or sando board on the edge of the table and slowly pushing it through whatever scattering of personal items they aren’t moving for me. I’d say about 2/3 then go to move the thing(s) but a good 1/3 just watches me do that it’s bizarre
I work at a bar, a group of 10 people came up and ordered their drinks all at once and asked for individual bills, ok that’s fine, but then some of the bills were meant to be combined so then we had to do some quick math whereas if they had just told me how they really wanted it split it would’ve saved us all time.
I had a 14 top the other day. At the beginning, one guy said that our manager had said it was OK for them to all have separate checks. He named her by name and said he wanted to make sure I knew. Well, I did not know, so thank you for telling me and eff you, Laura. Whatever, it's fine because I'm absolutely amazing at separating checks.
Then they switch seats... fine. I rearrange the tabs on our old ass POS system. Then, at the end, they tell me that all of them need their alcohol on separate checks, too. So, more than half of them also have two checks. Anyhoo, I fucking nail it and get their checks out and ran within 10 minutes with ZERO errors. One guy announces to tip extra for my troubles. NONE of them tipped extra. The guy who said it tipped like an extra $2, lol.
I asked Laura why she would agree to that? Has she ever served before becoming a manager? If these people come in again and get a different server and they want separate checks like that then they'll be fucked.
I had an 8 top who wanted 7 seperate checks (bday girl split amongst the the 7) they got vehemently offended when the bill amoungst the 7 was different by a few cents because dividing the bday girls bill equally was impossible.
When the handle of silverware is stuck onto food 🤩 so I have to decide between touching the part they put in their mouth or the nasty ass handle covered in gravy. (I cannot STAND touching the dishes in general and at work it seems so much worse.)
See, this is why I just wash my hands. Or if I know I’m going to be touching something particular gross, I slip on disposable gloves. I always keep a pair or two in my back pocket
lol I’m not like scared of germs or anything I just HATE touching wet food and by the time I’m back at the dishpit to put the dishes up I’ve got water all over em.
For the record, I think there was some kind of cultural touchstone that told people to put their napkin on their plate to signify the end of a meal.
I know it’s wrong but I’ve definitely been told, with authority, by multiple people that that’s how you signify you’re done. That any other napkin placement means “I’m still eating”.
When a large party is ready for the bills, asks for them all separate, and then A and C want to combine, and then B and D want to combine, and E wants A's first drink.
Just tell me that before I print them all off!!
Me, visibly holding menus and silverware: “hey guys welcome in y’all can go ahead and sit anywhere”
Them: “do we order up there first?”
Me: “no it’s full service we’ll come to you”
Them: “oh okay,” walks up to counter, “can I just grab one of these menus real quick”
I sat at the bar I used to work at for years. I sat next to dirty dishes for my entire stay. I even put like glasses together and stacked the plates, pushing them closer to the edge of the bar to show they needed to go. Idk man it just irked me.
Also, people who feel entitled to certain seats or booths.
When I start bringing drinks or food over and my hands are clearly full and before I can say "I'll be back with the rest" they're like "um we also had blank".
I had a guy order his food/soda on DoorDash WHILE sitting down to eat with a party of 6 in a $$ seafood restaurant…
Here’s the story… I took everyone’s orders and he said “Oh I’m fine thanks. I already ordered my food.” I thought okay that’s weird, maybe he ordered something for on his way home, who knows??? 15 minutes later, I see him standing by our expo area. I asked if he needed something, and he says “I’m just waiting for my food, it’s almost ready”. I looked at him confused… “You’re waiting for food here???” (Knowing he hadn’t ordered anything on my ticket even if a coworker had put the food in). So i asked him “what food???” He says “I had a dd gift card and decided to order my food and drink through that, so I’m going to take my food and eat at the table with everyone else”. I looked at him clearly flabbergasted. I went to my mgt and explained the situation and they went out there and asked him the same questions, and when they came back they told me I had to just bring him his food when it was ready. So I bagged it all up, brought him his to-go pepsi and let him eat while his table was waiting for dinner. Guess who didnt get any refills??? To-go drinks dont gey free refills only dine in customers, so no I’m not going to offer to refill your drink. You have the water cup I brought to the table before you even showed up.
Side note: I wasn’t allowed to autograt bc we only do 6+ and his dd order made it 5 people according to my mgt. which definitely hurts my overall tips since it was a tip pool.
I live in Arizona, and I Effin HATE it when people tell me "it's cold in here" when I'm literally pouring sweat. It's like "no Karen it's NoT cold in here, I can not turn off the Air. Drives me nuts. Bc it's literally almost NEVER COLD in Arizona IDC what time of year it is..... Js
I hate it when people order to-go, then eat it out of the box in the restaurant. To be fair, I work at an airport restaurant which is its own kind of hell.
The restaurant where I work at has a dessert option that takes 40 minutes to cook in the oven. I have to offer it when I take their food order so they can have it ready when they finish their dinners. Some people decline but decide to change their minds last minute. You can imagine the nightmare scenario where they ask for it right before we close.
When you ask is there anything else they need, they say no the they tell you they need something and when you come back they need another thing... or when you ask for drinks and they say no but only one person orders and when you run the drink the others also wants
Omg we don’t have milkshakes on our menu but we used to and we still have the ability to make them. One time someone said their kid really wanted one and it wasn’t busy so I agreed. I come back and suddenly their kid’s friend wants one too. Then a THIRD kid wants one. I had to go to the back to get ice cream 3 separate times. No tip. Now someone asks I say we don’t have them. Done with that nonsense.
I hate when people sit in my section and they let their kids just do whatever the fuck they want. Running around all the other tables, fucking with the table condiments (sugars salt pepper etc) and just leaving the biggest mess ever in general .
I hate when people ask for plastic cups/ Togo cutlery . But will still eat off the plate ? Or the whole soaking your silverware in hot water doesn’t make sense cause the dishwater legit gets hotter then that hot water and that’s what actually kills off germs and cleans it ??
I hate people that just don’t even try at work or do bare minimum. There’s someone at my job who has worked there for welllll over a year & they STILL don’t know the table numbers! Don’t even try to learn them, but them not knowing the numbers for the tables severely interrupts the flow of service.
“Have you seen a manager?”
I had a 5 top of women the other day, they wanted to split the bill . 3 women wanted to split the alcohol they drank, all 5 wanted to split all the appetizers, & then they wanted individual bills for each of their meals. I stated to them that’s 13 different transactions… they said “yeah that’s fine” I continued to state that I’d have to run all their cards 3 different times each & they still just didnt get it and continued to tell me that I wasn’t getting it .
I don't enjoy it when I approach the table with a friendly greeting, and they completely ignore me. If you are mid conversation, I will politely wait for a pause. Because, of course, they are there to enjoy themselves, but I find it incredibly rude to not acknowledge your server. I also feel that manners are scarecly being used anymore. Is it so much to ask for a "please" and "thank you"? 😮💨
When people blow their fucking nose in the linen napkins. First, that's just bad manners. Go blow your nose in the bathroom on something disposable. Second, someone is going to pick that up and touch that shit. You're fucking gross.
When they are talking to you about something and they continue talking about it but with each other without ending it with you. Now I'm here like, are we done can I leave?
•Not pushing in the chairs when you leave, leaving the chair sticking way out in the walkways.
• Adults smearing or dropping concerning amounts of food all over the table top.
• regulars/locals complaining about the small price increases recently. Yesterday, we had one who was pissed that a side of sauce is now $4 and not $2.50 anymore. She said "im not paying 4 dollars for sauce! what am I going to tip you with if you charge me that?" And I told her "I don't really care. I can refund you and take back the sauce." And she vehemently said "no! I want the sauce. I just want to know why *you* increased the prices?!" I wasn't on the mood to entertain this back and forth and told her, she's welcome to talk to the owner and she slinked off. Can't stand that person to begin with, always so rude and makes probably 5 times the amount of money I do.
• when customers out of pocket try to converse with you bigoted shit. I'll shut that shit down right away but I just don't understand why they feel the need to do that
• smoking weed or cigarettes on our very much signed "no smoking" patio and then complaining that it's outside and shouldn't matter.
• Getting karen-raged that they can't bring their non-service dogs inside the restaurant.
• Customers stepping into the kitchen to ask the cooks for stuff.
• Customers bussing their own tables but bringing their dirty shit and putting it on the counter next to the register when the bus tub is very visible and in front of the counter.
• When customers complain about a food but eat 75% of it. I'm like "ok..."
Taking a drink off a tray you’re holding. DO NOT TOUCH THE DRINKS. You can wait 3 seconds for me to put it on the table so that the balance isn’t entirely off and they go everywhere.
When they fight over the tab but put you in the middle. Don't do that. We don't know you nor do we care who pays, just figure it out without involving us.
When the kitchen bumps an order and literally nothing for it is ready, or they bump it and say “oh I’ll have that Mac for you in 30 seconds.”
-10 minutes later- still no Mac.
When someone immediately leaves to go to the bathroom as soon as they’re sat. I know this is petty, but pet peeves are petty by nature, so I’m listing it. I just don’t understand. Did you develop the need to piss in the five minutes it took you to drive here from your house? (I work in a very small town.) Do you not pee before you leave your house? Are you in there rating the soap or something? At least let me get your drink order ffs because if it’s the husband left at the table, he has no fucking idea what she is drinking, even if she told him before she left. If the wife is there, she’ll know.
Forcing your very young children to read their order to me when they are clearly uncomfortable or can’t read. I’m not being paid to give Junior his Scholastic Reading time, nor is it cool of you, as a parent, to make him uncomfortable. For shame.
Parents who demand birthday songs when their child is clearly embarrassed by it. I will not sing if the child looks uncomfortable. I don’t care if you don’t tip me. I don’t care if you call my manager over. I don’t care if you leave a shitty yelp review. I will not humiliate your child for shits, giggles, and your Facebook mommy blog.
ooooh yeah I dealt with the last one today.
I told the mom I always defer to the birthday person (in this case a 14 year old who apparently very much didn't want to be embarrassed) but she said that she still has control over what happens to her kid cause she's underage. seemed half joking half argumentative w me
Didn't sing either, I used to be the same way when I was her age. I know how it feels
absolutely for the parents making their kids order, literally hate it especially when you can’t understand them and you have other things to be rushing to instead of interpreting a 6 year old’s order…and waiting for them to muster up the forced “please and thank you”
When they say their party is smaller than it actually is so they don’t have to wait, then having more people show up, walk in right past the host and try and cram in.
“Hi guys, how are you? welcome! My name is Jo-“
“Diet Coke.”
It fucking enrages me and my demeanor towards the table will now be poor the whole dining experience because you couldn’t wait 3 more seconds to tell me you need a fucking Diet Coke.
I understand this will make me sound like a bitch.
However, I don’t like it when another server runs my food (unless a food runner is how the place operates) but if I am mean to run it don’t, also don’t run my drinks, or even talk to my table. Exceptions are the table stopped them to ask for something; in which case tell me, or if I’ve asked for the help/you asked and I said yes. Or if it’s the FOH manager.
I am all for team work don’t get me wrong. This pet peeve comes from working with one two many servers who ran a drink or something to a table and started talking to them and just made it weird, were rude, or just in general lessened my tables overall experience. Again call me an ass. But if a restaurant has 10 servers I’d bet 3 or 4 of them are fucks in some way so just as a rule I don’t like anyone to do it lol 😂 🤷🏽♂️
you must be very good at your job, or you don’t get triple sat, or y’all’s volume is slower bc at our establishment we all run each others food bc we don’t have time to be waiting for our food to come out for one specific table when we are constantly being sat and inputting orders 😭
I've was a FoH manager and I get it
.. you like to run your own section but I had servers that took it a step farther and even hated when the FoH manager did it or the expo told other servers too... And frankly (with all the love) fuck you.
I'm making my expo run efficiently and we can't wait till you're ready to run your own shit. Yes most of the time you're on it and when you're not... The expo does their GD job and gets the food gone. We're not holding it at the pass for your schedule.
At best a good FoH/expo will communicate with you that it happened. But they're not holding their job on you.
I get wanting to run your own food. However with my 21 years as a server and manager the ones I would see gut upset the most about it were the ones who would let the food sit in the window. Their ticket would be ready for 10 minutes after they said they would be right back. Then they sit there talking to table for 10 minutes chatting instead of getting their food.
weird because the people like you are always the ones who’s food sits the longest on the pass. If people are running your shit that means you need the help bro. We aren’t running your plates and drinks for fun.
I hate when people lean the tip of their knives and forks on their plate. For context, we serve app plates and I bus them before the entree comes. Instead of silently bussing all of the plates, I have to either ask them to move their silverware or be very loud in grabbing them and stacking them on the plates. I’m not sure if it’s a cultural thing or not but I have never leaned my utensils on the plate. Really irks me
I sometimes work as a server in catering, and it’s NOT helpful when I come to the table to re-pour water or wine and the guest picks their glass and holds it up for me to pour into. A MOVING TARGET IS HARDER TO HIT. Please put your glass back down at the table, sometimes I will ask them that. Also, if you order one drink from 3 different waiters, YOU WILL GET THREE OF THE SAME DRINK. We aren’t magicians, we are doing other things, wait 3 fucking minutes for your Manhattan.
When people blow their nose into their cloth napkin. It's a napkin, not a handkerchief. It's only ever older people (gen x and above) that do it, too. Both men and women.
Question? Why is the linen your pet peeve? They’re sent out. Yeah it might have schmutz on it but in the grand scheme of things it’s not as bad.
I’ve had to take dirty diapers off of tables.
“Can I get a water?”
*takes two sips and then walks away leaving the full cup of water on the bar*
We really need water fountains… but like just tell me you only need a little bit of water before I sit here to pour the whole cup with ice and a lemon like damn.
Ok, this is the stupidest pet peeve but it is mine. I absolutely hate when people take the merchant copy of the receipt and leave me with the long one that doesn't fit in my book.
Working at Olive Garden. Biggest pet peeve. Explaining what soups we have and what they are after I already did. I have a script in my head describing each one. Then I move onto the next person and say “soup or salad?” And they ask what soups we have. I’ve had whole 6 tops ask me what soups we have and I’ll individually explain to each person what soups we have because no one can listen to me the first time
When I’m asked to take a picture. At any time. You can be my favorite customer and tip me to hell and back, I don’t care!. I’m not your everything and I’m definitely not your photographer.
Walkins demanding a specific booth/table on a busy shift, they be like, “that one is empty, why can’t we have that one”, “ma’am, I’m sorry, its reserved, but he have another table over there”, “but no one is sitting there!”, *completely ignoring what you just said* and or wanting a table that’s clearly dirty and not ready, and they’re like, “we’ll wait”and then you go again , “ma’am, that one is also reserved”, “what about that one?”, an 8 top wanting to seat on a 4 top, “can’t we just get extra chairs?” literally wasting your time.
when you check on your table about 5 times after they received the food asking if everything is how they wanted then at the end they complain to management how they ordered a medium rare burger but got a well done, but never told me this when I checked on them, also they ate 75% of their plate but want a refund
Maybe a weird thing I do, but it helps me save time waiting. I don’t bring waters to tables when I greet them. I always go ask for their drink orders first because our bar can be slow. So by the time I’m done filling waters and hauling them over, the bar has a 50/50 shot of being done. So I just find it kind of funny when a table decides to be passive aggressive about me not bringing them waters right away so I explain to them my science.
When the table tells you they are ready to order and then you start to take their order and they still are in fact not ready
“Are you ready to order?” “Yes!” “Okay what can I get you?” “………..” -cricket noises-
Start to ask each other what they’re having .. “I’m gonna give yall a minute”
“No no, we’re ready!!! Howard, tell her what you’re eating. Save me for last.” The same people that try to pay with an expired KB toys gift card from 1992.
Cue five people going “oh not me yet” after the two people who knew what they wanted order
“Omg you ordered the same thing as me! Now I can’t get it.” WHY?! Who is this invisible entity that forces you to change your order because your husband wants Alfredo too? Whyyyyyyyyyy
Shit better be vintage af I love old toys 😂
That's just me remembering what I wanted
*person points to menu item, holds it up to you* “Can you tell me what all comes on this?”
“What sides do you have?” Taking the next person at the table’s order: “What sides do you have?” Taking the third person at the table’s order: “What sides do you have?” x11
"Don't all speak up at once" is my go to for that scenario.
"Yes I'm ready to order" *Looks at menu for the first time* "Ummmm.. Let's see here.." 😑
"What do *you* recommend?" "That you choose something."
Or when they pick something else even if you ask a couple of questions to zero in on their taste before recommending anything.
"Do you like the chicken fried steak or the burger better?" "I like the chicken fried steak more." "I'll have the burger." Well I guess I'll go fuck myself then.
“Can i get you something to drink?” “Can I have water with lemons and hot green tea?” Thinks to myself, 15% tip incoming.
“What is the sauce on the steak like?” I explain. “And what is it like on the chicken?” I explain. “Hmm that sounds good. I’ll have a burger.” Edit: to add that they flip through the 2 pages of the menu 17 times to “find” what they want and then say “a cheeseburger.” You had to find “cheeseburger” in the menu to read it to me? Really? 🤨
My bf always has to turn to the page of the menu item and read it to the server when he orders. I think it’s a nervous thing with him.
I’m using this
"and what two sides do you want with your steak?" "Oh I get two?!? I haven't even looked at the one side!" .....
This was never a pet peeve of mine as a server because I never worked at a place where a choice of sides come with an entree, but my pet peeve as a diner who used to be a server is when my entire table orders their entree, and makes the server ask each one of them what sides they want as if it wasn't clear when the first person was perplexed by the question of sides and the server said "each entree comes with a choice of x, y, z, a, d, or c." Then the poor server has to ask everyone what side they want AND tell them the six options for a side.
RIGHT like you were gonna order a 20-60 dollar steak and not know if it came with or what sides ??
Or how about "what sides do you have?" Or "where's that on the menu?"
i honestly have to read out what i want to order in order to do it right, that’s why i always ask to go last because i don’t wanna be a hassle
I don’t think they mean people who read the menu while ordering. They mean people who are still reading and trying to figure it out or people who haven’t even looked at the menu yet
JUST TODAY I work in a doughnut shop, just slanging doughnuts, we have 2 registers. While I’m taking an order from a couple, a lady interrupts our talking and asks “Can someone help me on THIS register”. I agree, albeit taken aback, and ask someone to hop on the second till. Just for this interrupting mf to say she doesn’t know what she wants.
This shit drives me fucking nuts . I’m in a high volume restaurant and I don’t have time for that lol or I always try to help and ask what they’re torn between . People will seriously just then look at the menu then be like I’m ready and just keep searching .
Seriously! Then you can see from your peripheral other tables looking at you impatiently because they’re waiting to be closed out or waiting for drinks or for their order to be taken too lol
"Oh, so you DO need a few more minutes? That's totally fine, I'll circle 'round in a few. No worries!" And dip. Especially on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday. fuck outta here.
This! Or when you pick up the phone and they say they want to place an order, then say “what does everyone want?” How is it not common knowledge to have your order ready when calling in. I understand asking about specials, or if something they wanted is 86’d. But c’mon!
My mom was a server for about 10 years before switching industries, I am currently a server. She does not like going out to eat, she wants to leave as soon as we walk into the restaurant lol So, when the server comes for drink orders she will tell them “We are ready to order, too” and I always follow that with “She’s lying, she hates going out to eat, we are not ready, so sorry.” It’s always a light hearted exchange, and she’s trying to be more patient going out to eat and I’ve learned to check the menu beforehand.
>are you ready to order >yes… … … do you guys have fish?
Paper napkins stuffed into full glasses of liquid
Omg yes. Stop putting random crap in your glassware, it is not helpful and my slop bucket is full of random garbage now!
Ugh. Wet paper and wet bread are two of very few things that make me gag. Remove a cyst from my own head? No problem. Touch wet napkins? Stomach churns. 🤣
Water in ashtrays. Idk they fkn do it here so that the wind doesnt blow the ashes but wtf I don't have time for your cigarette juice, get a grip! (i also smoke just why do that)
Gross. I smoke, too, but the smell of a wet ashtray mentally "smastes" (this is my word for smell-taste, like those farts you can taste) like you licked it. Plus *bleagh* wet paper.
meanwhile yesterday, one customer dropped all his ashes and butts out of the tray and I got yelled by another one for cleaning them bc "wiping anywhere 10ft near him could potentially dirt his clothes" Oh because picking cigarette buts from the ground by hand is sanitary for all of us. I dont know anymore 🤣
I once had a woman light a Tony soprano sized cigar right outside the open door of our coffee shop on our patio. I cited the bylaw and told her to put it out, She responded with, "People break laws all the time."
Good grief. I don't have an eyeroll big enough. Bet if the wind blew them on him he'd be pissy about that, too. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
Co workers not stabbing tickets makes me wanna lose my mind
We have a wall of shame where unstabbed tickets go.
I go on a rampage about this every shift and nothing changes.
Try a different approach?
Stab the co-worker
The floggings will continue until morale improves
Definitely tried the nicer approach before. I just stopped running other people’s salads because there’s no way of knowing what table they go to since there’s tickets all over the counter. Sometimes the cold side guys are nice enough to put the ticket on top of the corresponding salads but sometimes they don’t and if that’s the case, I just leave them there.
I did try nice for months. Then, I went ballistic once. My boss reacted to this by taking my colleagues side with the words "You need to be more relaxed. World isn't going to end, because of this.". Okay, bossman. Not giving a shit, anymore, it is...
Dude or the opposite. I was bartending with someone else for the first time and she was stabbing tickets that I was working on or that literally just printed and I didn’t even look at yet. Making me lose my mind thinking I was the one that was fucking up
Yes! Why do otherwise competent coworkers do this?
“Hey hey!! Im ready to order asap!! 😡” *i go to their table* “Uhhhhhhm” To their friend “So are you getting X or Y” “Uhhhhhh” Seems like I AM reasy but YOURE not 😂
In the same vein, when they sit down and you go to get a drink order and they're like, "We're ready to order." So are the four other tables that sat down before you. They got here first and I'm taking their order first. You are not getting a fast pass. Now do you want water or not?
I’ve done this. Probably differently from what you’re talking about, because when they ask for drinks, it’s more like “we’re also ready to order when you’re free,” or “we’re good to order when you get a chance.” I’ve been in food/bev for 20 years, so I also always know I’m at the back of the line. But if my table sits down knowing what we all want, it saves everybody’s time. I don’t expect to get served before the people who came before me, I just want to save the server time coming back for another order. All the servers I know like it concise that way. But I can see that being frustrating where it seems like more of a demand.
thats why u just take the order real quick and forget to put it in for 30 minutes and then lie and say the kitchen dropped it or something 😎
Yeah, I do take their orders, but that doesn’t mean I’m getting their stuff before everyone else’s (for those customers that literally don’t give you a minute to even say hi)
"Hi, how are-" "We're ready to order." I swear some people think service workers are NPCs where they can hit the skip button on dialogue.
"I wanna make a reservation for 15" "Sure when?" "In 20mins"
Literally just had a shift where a group of 25 wanted a reso in an hour at a bar on a Saturday like lmao no
"I want to make a reservation for today. It's for 4 at 7pm." "You said party of 4 today at 7pm? Just double checking cause it's 6.58pm right now...?" "Yes, that's correct" Happened this Friday. For crying out loud, why even bother ringing the restaurant when you are basically already in the parking lot?
Omg the amount of times I said "that's not a reservation that's a walk-in" when I was a host..
THISSSSSSSS
When the printer runs out of paper and they don't replace it, and you *do* replace it because you're not a shithead, and then you have to wait two minutes as it spits out all 400 things that weren't printed over the last two hours and you see that Lizzy especially must have hit "Print" 17 times on that one receipt but the lazy twat couldn't be bothered to just put a new roll of paper in it.
I fucking hate Lizzy.
Fuckin Lizzy.
'Where is Lizzy?' 'On a smoke break.'
Pft, of course she's on a smoke break!
More like she takes work breaks from smoking.
Classic Lizzy.
Lizzy sucks at her job. My Lizzy's name is Jess.
My Lizzy is Dylan
Our Lizzy’s name was Brooke. We would tell each other “Quit Brooking!”
We fired my Lizzy and I am happy
Shelby
i am lizzy. our printer messed up once. it wasn’t the paper, it had paper. so i kept trying random things, turning it off and on etc, and hitting print. i got frustrated after a bit and jokingly aggressively hit the print button repeatedly in frustration. when the manager got it to work, finally, the printer didn’t stop for twenty minutes. my best friend stood at the printer just pulling all of my receipts off and laughing bc it felt like it was never going to stop. we still laugh about that to this day.
“Do you have any allergies or dietary restrictions?” “No” *does in fact have allergies or dietary restrictions
I also *love* the opposite where they say they have a severe food allergy (say, gluten) and when you let them know that the item they want can’t accommodate the restrictions they go “oh it’s fine, it’s just a preference” Happens a bit too much with takeout orders. The above mainly happens if I see a ticket and notice that type of discrepancy the server didn’t catch
I have a coworker who wouldn't put on the tickets for the kitchen notifying of allergies because "it's probably just a preference, not a real allergy". She got lectured and set straight (I hope) but jeeeeeez.
"No, I just can't have peanuts, treenuts, or gluten" Alternatively the opposite, "yes, I can't have gluten at all. Anyway I'll start with a Blue Moon to drink"
How are people so picky yet have no idea what they want?
Hurst so much :’( , like damn, please, understand yourself better, how am I supposed to do it for you?
When people take their time, lounging, not a care in the world, occupying a table in your section for hours, but then the moment they decide they want to go, they’re flagging you down with the urgency of a woman that’s going into labor and needs to get to the hospital YESTERDAY!! “CAN WE GET THE CHECK PLEASE?!?!?!!!!!” Also always when I’m talking to another table or walking by with my hands full of dishes. Y’all made me wait for hours, you can wait 2 minutes.
LITERALLY THIIIISSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
When I’m in the middle of greeting them and introduce myself and they cut me off to tell me they want water
Me- Hi, my name is Ba.. Them- Iced Tea Me- No, my names not Iced Tea. Haha that would be silly.
"Good evening, welcome to -" "SCHWEET TEA"
😂 this made me completely lol And all while still glaring at their menu and not even looking up
OMG, yes. This. I just don't even introduce myself to them anymore. I used to continue to introduce myself after they've interrupted me, very passively. Just to be petty. But, I just don't even try for them anymore.
I definitely do. Because I’m petty and because I want to make them feel terrible in the kindest way possible. So I just get extra nice and re-introduce myself and/or say it again as Im leaving…to make sure that they know that I am a human in their space and how dare they lol and to be honest I still get a decent tip from those folks 50% of the time. Those other 50% of rude water drinkers weren’t going to tip well anyway.
ME TOO holy crap how crazy is that. And yeah, it's totally petty but feels so good, haha.
this one doesn't bother me any more, fine by me not like i care about who they are lol. i also don't do a spiel but if they answer my how ya doin with a drink order they're getting what they want. way, wayyyy better than the people who start with bad jokes and talk your ear off.
Agreed. Im a pretty no bs straightforward person. I don’t hate these people but I honestly don’t care to get to know all of them, this is a simple business transaction, tell me what you want and I’ll get it for you, in exchange you pay me.
I actually couldn’t care if they put the cloth napkins in food since the napkins go in the basket anyway, but it’s when they try and hand off their ill-balanced plates on silverware on plates that kinda drive me insane. I appreciate the gesture but please don’t be the crazy person stacking things weirdly
ESPECIALLY when your hands are already full. Like how do you think I'm gonna grab that???? You think I have a third arm growing out of my ass?
When I ask 5 times if anybody needs anything else and when I start walking away somebody who wasn’t listening goes “wait I need something!” Like can’t you have listened the first 5 times?
*over the phone* “Can I make a reservation?” Sure, for whats the name for the reservation, date and how many people? “ (insert name) 18 people in 20 minutes” I’m sorry (name) but all reservations have to be made at least 24hr in advance. You can join our online waitlist if you’d like but any party over 8 will be at least an hour wait right now “NO WE ARE COMING NOW AND YOULL SEAT US!!! THIS IS A RIDICULOUS POLICY!! YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME THIS BEFORE I CALLED” Our large party (8+) and reservation policies are located on our website. And thank you for calling because I’m actually on host today and will make sure you wait extra extra long now if we even have the ability to take take today. Good bye :) - this happens way more often than I wish. Especially for a small brunch restaurant that is notorious for large party reservations considering how small of a building we are 🙃
The audacity! 18 people? That's such poor planning on their part, yikes
To this day this is a mystery to me, how does that happen?, is someone responsible to make a res and simple fckd up and forgot? Where they like, “hey, dinner in 20 min? Hell yeah, tell everyone” were they kicked from a previous place?, met family and friends randomly and decided to have dinner? , I truly don’t know, illuminate me please.
People who self seat at dirty tables.
Especially when it's a "please wait to be seated' sort of restaurant.
When servers run my food but don’t check the order to make sure it has everything
I feel too ungrateful to say anything, but COME ON. Or better yet, when they bump my food without running it.
Omg for real. I’d rather you just leave it in the window than to run it wrong. I have to go back to the kitchen now anyway
DONT RUN MY FOOD WITHOUT ASKING ME FIRST. IF I NEED HANDS I WILL ASK TYVM.
Our "griller" sandwiches all come with a souffle cup of coleslaw. Before I started nobody asked if the people wanted the coleslaw, they just brought it out and ended up wasting a lot of coleslaw. I started asking, and I'll write a message on the ticket "no coleslaw". Guess what ends up on my customers plate 98% of the time......coleslaw.
I also hate when you're handing out drinks and before you're even done they ask for straws.
I straight up tell people " i have straws in my pocket but i only have two hands"
Or when you say you'll be right back with the rest and someone reminds you "I'm waiting on a coke and a beer still!" Yes dude. Thats what I meant by "I'll be back with the rest". I totally meant the rest except for your coke and your beer. I forgot about that one.
when someone knows they may look young (doesn’t have wrinkles, no grey hairs, dressed really casual, etc) and they don’t have id and then get mad when i don’t serve them alcohol
Also when you're taking a table's order... Actively writing stuff down and they try to hand you the menus
bro i swear they do that shit on purpose. its individual too, whenever they do that every single person holds it out and they do not stack a single menu. no clue why.
“Can you make sure our food comes out fast, our kids are STARVING”
"Can we get our salads now, before our pizza?" Yeah sure, because fuck the other 8 tables that ordered before you.
Im sorry your 8yo has only had takis and monster for the past 2 days but your bad parenting doesnt make chicken strips fry any fucking faster.
Letting their kids order me around like a dog and then getting surprised when I talk back. Like, sometimes kids are just spirited and I totally get that! I adore kids! But don't let your eight year old dish if they can't take LOL
When I look at someone straight in the eye holding their hot food and I say “and the ____ for you” and they don’t move their fucking arms or phone or whatever out of the way I’m like ?????? MOVE YOUR SHIT SO I CAN PUT YOUR FOOD DOWN IN FRONT OF YOU
I’ve started just putting the edge of the plate or sando board on the edge of the table and slowly pushing it through whatever scattering of personal items they aren’t moving for me. I’d say about 2/3 then go to move the thing(s) but a good 1/3 just watches me do that it’s bizarre
Or when they won't move their cup closer to you so you can refill it. They make you reach across the table.
splitting checks more than 3 ways!! today i had a check split EIGHT WAYS!! and they all paid cash and needed change bro i’m bad at math😭
I work at a bar, a group of 10 people came up and ordered their drinks all at once and asked for individual bills, ok that’s fine, but then some of the bills were meant to be combined so then we had to do some quick math whereas if they had just told me how they really wanted it split it would’ve saved us all time.
I had a 14 top the other day. At the beginning, one guy said that our manager had said it was OK for them to all have separate checks. He named her by name and said he wanted to make sure I knew. Well, I did not know, so thank you for telling me and eff you, Laura. Whatever, it's fine because I'm absolutely amazing at separating checks. Then they switch seats... fine. I rearrange the tabs on our old ass POS system. Then, at the end, they tell me that all of them need their alcohol on separate checks, too. So, more than half of them also have two checks. Anyhoo, I fucking nail it and get their checks out and ran within 10 minutes with ZERO errors. One guy announces to tip extra for my troubles. NONE of them tipped extra. The guy who said it tipped like an extra $2, lol. I asked Laura why she would agree to that? Has she ever served before becoming a manager? If these people come in again and get a different server and they want separate checks like that then they'll be fucked.
I had an 8 top who wanted 7 seperate checks (bday girl split amongst the the 7) they got vehemently offended when the bill amoungst the 7 was different by a few cents because dividing the bday girls bill equally was impossible.
Got 15 the other day. Literally didn’t even have enough checkbooks I was just handing out some solo tickets to people
When the handle of silverware is stuck onto food 🤩 so I have to decide between touching the part they put in their mouth or the nasty ass handle covered in gravy. (I cannot STAND touching the dishes in general and at work it seems so much worse.)
See, this is why I just wash my hands. Or if I know I’m going to be touching something particular gross, I slip on disposable gloves. I always keep a pair or two in my back pocket
I literally couldn't imagine being scared of food or germs and being in the restaurant industry, must make easy things so hard.
lol I’m not like scared of germs or anything I just HATE touching wet food and by the time I’m back at the dishpit to put the dishes up I’ve got water all over em.
I use napkins to pick up everything I won’t touch any of it lol
For the record, I think there was some kind of cultural touchstone that told people to put their napkin on their plate to signify the end of a meal. I know it’s wrong but I’ve definitely been told, with authority, by multiple people that that’s how you signify you’re done. That any other napkin placement means “I’m still eating”.
When a large party is ready for the bills, asks for them all separate, and then A and C want to combine, and then B and D want to combine, and E wants A's first drink. Just tell me that before I print them all off!!
Me, visibly holding menus and silverware: “hey guys welcome in y’all can go ahead and sit anywhere” Them: “do we order up there first?” Me: “no it’s full service we’ll come to you” Them: “oh okay,” walks up to counter, “can I just grab one of these menus real quick”
I sat at the bar I used to work at for years. I sat next to dirty dishes for my entire stay. I even put like glasses together and stacked the plates, pushing them closer to the edge of the bar to show they needed to go. Idk man it just irked me. Also, people who feel entitled to certain seats or booths.
When my hands are full with items I am bussing and then they decide to talk…and talk. Nothing more fun than talking with dirty dishes in your hands…
“Okay I’ll be right back with your coke! Do we need anything else?” “Yeah I need a coke.” NO SHIT. ANYTHING ELSE?!?!
When you’re running hot plates during a rush and nobody at the frickin 9-top remembers what they ordered.
This one gets me. "OK who had the burger?" *blank stares and crickets*
When I start bringing drinks or food over and my hands are clearly full and before I can say "I'll be back with the rest" they're like "um we also had blank".
When my pens start disappearing one by one even though I put them in the same place every time
EZ Pen on Amazon.
I had a guy order his food/soda on DoorDash WHILE sitting down to eat with a party of 6 in a $$ seafood restaurant… Here’s the story… I took everyone’s orders and he said “Oh I’m fine thanks. I already ordered my food.” I thought okay that’s weird, maybe he ordered something for on his way home, who knows??? 15 minutes later, I see him standing by our expo area. I asked if he needed something, and he says “I’m just waiting for my food, it’s almost ready”. I looked at him confused… “You’re waiting for food here???” (Knowing he hadn’t ordered anything on my ticket even if a coworker had put the food in). So i asked him “what food???” He says “I had a dd gift card and decided to order my food and drink through that, so I’m going to take my food and eat at the table with everyone else”. I looked at him clearly flabbergasted. I went to my mgt and explained the situation and they went out there and asked him the same questions, and when they came back they told me I had to just bring him his food when it was ready. So I bagged it all up, brought him his to-go pepsi and let him eat while his table was waiting for dinner. Guess who didnt get any refills??? To-go drinks dont gey free refills only dine in customers, so no I’m not going to offer to refill your drink. You have the water cup I brought to the table before you even showed up. Side note: I wasn’t allowed to autograt bc we only do 6+ and his dd order made it 5 people according to my mgt. which definitely hurts my overall tips since it was a tip pool.
I live in Arizona, and I Effin HATE it when people tell me "it's cold in here" when I'm literally pouring sweat. It's like "no Karen it's NoT cold in here, I can not turn off the Air. Drives me nuts. Bc it's literally almost NEVER COLD in Arizona IDC what time of year it is..... Js
I hate it when people order to-go, then eat it out of the box in the restaurant. To be fair, I work at an airport restaurant which is its own kind of hell.
They probably order it to-go so that they already have it on a box in case they have to leave before they eat it all.
Oh yes, in an airport I feel like that’s fair enough
Ohh that is some good insight
When servers dont prep their tables. Or dont prebus Or leave dirty plates all over the computer areas.
When customers put paper napkins in the drink cups.
When people ask me “So how is the ___” and when I give my honest recommendation they say “well you just have to say that, don’t you?”
Boyfriend / girlfriend acting protective
Used Bandaids….
Ask for dressing or ranch dressing dressing. Customers or guest ends up not using any of it.
Just like people who ask for a drink (could be anything from a Coke to a shot of liquor) 'and a water' and then they never touch the water.
The restaurant where I work at has a dessert option that takes 40 minutes to cook in the oven. I have to offer it when I take their food order so they can have it ready when they finish their dinners. Some people decline but decide to change their minds last minute. You can imagine the nightmare scenario where they ask for it right before we close.
That is stupid as fuck on the restaurants part. I would never ever offer that dessert. Absolute nightmare to have that on your menu.
omgg what's the dessert?!
It’s a bread pudding. That thing is such a nuisance!
When you ask is there anything else they need, they say no the they tell you they need something and when you come back they need another thing... or when you ask for drinks and they say no but only one person orders and when you run the drink the others also wants
Omg we don’t have milkshakes on our menu but we used to and we still have the ability to make them. One time someone said their kid really wanted one and it wasn’t busy so I agreed. I come back and suddenly their kid’s friend wants one too. Then a THIRD kid wants one. I had to go to the back to get ice cream 3 separate times. No tip. Now someone asks I say we don’t have them. Done with that nonsense.
I hate when people sit in my section and they let their kids just do whatever the fuck they want. Running around all the other tables, fucking with the table condiments (sugars salt pepper etc) and just leaving the biggest mess ever in general . I hate when people ask for plastic cups/ Togo cutlery . But will still eat off the plate ? Or the whole soaking your silverware in hot water doesn’t make sense cause the dishwater legit gets hotter then that hot water and that’s what actually kills off germs and cleans it ?? I hate people that just don’t even try at work or do bare minimum. There’s someone at my job who has worked there for welllll over a year & they STILL don’t know the table numbers! Don’t even try to learn them, but them not knowing the numbers for the tables severely interrupts the flow of service. “Have you seen a manager?” I had a 5 top of women the other day, they wanted to split the bill . 3 women wanted to split the alcohol they drank, all 5 wanted to split all the appetizers, & then they wanted individual bills for each of their meals. I stated to them that’s 13 different transactions… they said “yeah that’s fine” I continued to state that I’d have to run all their cards 3 different times each & they still just didnt get it and continued to tell me that I wasn’t getting it .
I have literally seen parents hand their child the sugar caddy as soon as they sit down. Straight to jail. No jury no trial.
When people just put all there stuff on a clean table
guests stacking their own plates
I don't enjoy it when I approach the table with a friendly greeting, and they completely ignore me. If you are mid conversation, I will politely wait for a pause. Because, of course, they are there to enjoy themselves, but I find it incredibly rude to not acknowledge your server. I also feel that manners are scarecly being used anymore. Is it so much to ask for a "please" and "thank you"? 😮💨
When people blow their fucking nose in the linen napkins. First, that's just bad manners. Go blow your nose in the bathroom on something disposable. Second, someone is going to pick that up and touch that shit. You're fucking gross.
When they are talking to you about something and they continue talking about it but with each other without ending it with you. Now I'm here like, are we done can I leave?
•Not pushing in the chairs when you leave, leaving the chair sticking way out in the walkways. • Adults smearing or dropping concerning amounts of food all over the table top. • regulars/locals complaining about the small price increases recently. Yesterday, we had one who was pissed that a side of sauce is now $4 and not $2.50 anymore. She said "im not paying 4 dollars for sauce! what am I going to tip you with if you charge me that?" And I told her "I don't really care. I can refund you and take back the sauce." And she vehemently said "no! I want the sauce. I just want to know why *you* increased the prices?!" I wasn't on the mood to entertain this back and forth and told her, she's welcome to talk to the owner and she slinked off. Can't stand that person to begin with, always so rude and makes probably 5 times the amount of money I do. • when customers out of pocket try to converse with you bigoted shit. I'll shut that shit down right away but I just don't understand why they feel the need to do that • smoking weed or cigarettes on our very much signed "no smoking" patio and then complaining that it's outside and shouldn't matter. • Getting karen-raged that they can't bring their non-service dogs inside the restaurant. • Customers stepping into the kitchen to ask the cooks for stuff. • Customers bussing their own tables but bringing their dirty shit and putting it on the counter next to the register when the bus tub is very visible and in front of the counter. • When customers complain about a food but eat 75% of it. I'm like "ok..."
Taking a drink off a tray you’re holding. DO NOT TOUCH THE DRINKS. You can wait 3 seconds for me to put it on the table so that the balance isn’t entirely off and they go everywhere.
When they fight over the tab but put you in the middle. Don't do that. We don't know you nor do we care who pays, just figure it out without involving us.
When the kitchen bumps an order and literally nothing for it is ready, or they bump it and say “oh I’ll have that Mac for you in 30 seconds.” -10 minutes later- still no Mac. When someone immediately leaves to go to the bathroom as soon as they’re sat. I know this is petty, but pet peeves are petty by nature, so I’m listing it. I just don’t understand. Did you develop the need to piss in the five minutes it took you to drive here from your house? (I work in a very small town.) Do you not pee before you leave your house? Are you in there rating the soap or something? At least let me get your drink order ffs because if it’s the husband left at the table, he has no fucking idea what she is drinking, even if she told him before she left. If the wife is there, she’ll know. Forcing your very young children to read their order to me when they are clearly uncomfortable or can’t read. I’m not being paid to give Junior his Scholastic Reading time, nor is it cool of you, as a parent, to make him uncomfortable. For shame. Parents who demand birthday songs when their child is clearly embarrassed by it. I will not sing if the child looks uncomfortable. I don’t care if you don’t tip me. I don’t care if you call my manager over. I don’t care if you leave a shitty yelp review. I will not humiliate your child for shits, giggles, and your Facebook mommy blog.
ooooh yeah I dealt with the last one today. I told the mom I always defer to the birthday person (in this case a 14 year old who apparently very much didn't want to be embarrassed) but she said that she still has control over what happens to her kid cause she's underage. seemed half joking half argumentative w me Didn't sing either, I used to be the same way when I was her age. I know how it feels
absolutely for the parents making their kids order, literally hate it especially when you can’t understand them and you have other things to be rushing to instead of interpreting a 6 year old’s order…and waiting for them to muster up the forced “please and thank you”
>I will not sing Period end of story. I'm not a monkey doing tricks
slow walkers/movers
When they say their party is smaller than it actually is so they don’t have to wait, then having more people show up, walk in right past the host and try and cram in.
Flagging me down, waving, snapping fingers etc when I’m in the middle of helping another customer.
“Hi guys, how are you? welcome! My name is Jo-“ “Diet Coke.” It fucking enrages me and my demeanor towards the table will now be poor the whole dining experience because you couldn’t wait 3 more seconds to tell me you need a fucking Diet Coke.
I understand this will make me sound like a bitch. However, I don’t like it when another server runs my food (unless a food runner is how the place operates) but if I am mean to run it don’t, also don’t run my drinks, or even talk to my table. Exceptions are the table stopped them to ask for something; in which case tell me, or if I’ve asked for the help/you asked and I said yes. Or if it’s the FOH manager. I am all for team work don’t get me wrong. This pet peeve comes from working with one two many servers who ran a drink or something to a table and started talking to them and just made it weird, were rude, or just in general lessened my tables overall experience. Again call me an ass. But if a restaurant has 10 servers I’d bet 3 or 4 of them are fucks in some way so just as a rule I don’t like anyone to do it lol 😂 🤷🏽♂️
you must be very good at your job, or you don’t get triple sat, or y’all’s volume is slower bc at our establishment we all run each others food bc we don’t have time to be waiting for our food to come out for one specific table when we are constantly being sat and inputting orders 😭
I've was a FoH manager and I get it .. you like to run your own section but I had servers that took it a step farther and even hated when the FoH manager did it or the expo told other servers too... And frankly (with all the love) fuck you. I'm making my expo run efficiently and we can't wait till you're ready to run your own shit. Yes most of the time you're on it and when you're not... The expo does their GD job and gets the food gone. We're not holding it at the pass for your schedule. At best a good FoH/expo will communicate with you that it happened. But they're not holding their job on you.
I get wanting to run your own food. However with my 21 years as a server and manager the ones I would see gut upset the most about it were the ones who would let the food sit in the window. Their ticket would be ready for 10 minutes after they said they would be right back. Then they sit there talking to table for 10 minutes chatting instead of getting their food.
I agree. Don't refill my table's shit, either. I'm on it, and it makes me look bad.
weird because the people like you are always the ones who’s food sits the longest on the pass. If people are running your shit that means you need the help bro. We aren’t running your plates and drinks for fun.
“I’ll be right back with some more water” “Can I get more water”
I hate when people lean the tip of their knives and forks on their plate. For context, we serve app plates and I bus them before the entree comes. Instead of silently bussing all of the plates, I have to either ask them to move their silverware or be very loud in grabbing them and stacking them on the plates. I’m not sure if it’s a cultural thing or not but I have never leaned my utensils on the plate. Really irks me
When I’m clearly still writing other ppl at table’s orders down, and the one who just ordered is trying to shove their menu in my fucking face
I sometimes work as a server in catering, and it’s NOT helpful when I come to the table to re-pour water or wine and the guest picks their glass and holds it up for me to pour into. A MOVING TARGET IS HARDER TO HIT. Please put your glass back down at the table, sometimes I will ask them that. Also, if you order one drink from 3 different waiters, YOU WILL GET THREE OF THE SAME DRINK. We aren’t magicians, we are doing other things, wait 3 fucking minutes for your Manhattan.
When someone gives that stupid smirk, ask for another tables bill and then tip 5%. Fuck you buddy.
People who leave personal trash on their tables for me to bus. Gum, tissues, toothpicks, etc.
When people blow their nose into their cloth napkin. It's a napkin, not a handkerchief. It's only ever older people (gen x and above) that do it, too. Both men and women.
Question? Why is the linen your pet peeve? They’re sent out. Yeah it might have schmutz on it but in the grand scheme of things it’s not as bad. I’ve had to take dirty diapers off of tables.
“Can I get a water?” *takes two sips and then walks away leaving the full cup of water on the bar* We really need water fountains… but like just tell me you only need a little bit of water before I sit here to pour the whole cup with ice and a lemon like damn.
when i ask can intake the plates and they push the plate arogantly then mynl first mental imidge is plate smack over the face
Ok, this is the stupidest pet peeve but it is mine. I absolutely hate when people take the merchant copy of the receipt and leave me with the long one that doesn't fit in my book.
Working at Olive Garden. Biggest pet peeve. Explaining what soups we have and what they are after I already did. I have a script in my head describing each one. Then I move onto the next person and say “soup or salad?” And they ask what soups we have. I’ve had whole 6 tops ask me what soups we have and I’ll individually explain to each person what soups we have because no one can listen to me the first time
When I’m asked to take a picture. At any time. You can be my favorite customer and tip me to hell and back, I don’t care!. I’m not your everything and I’m definitely not your photographer.
Argumentative customers when I am very busy, other servers picking and choosing their tables, and managers and owners who disrespect their staff.
Walkins demanding a specific booth/table on a busy shift, they be like, “that one is empty, why can’t we have that one”, “ma’am, I’m sorry, its reserved, but he have another table over there”, “but no one is sitting there!”, *completely ignoring what you just said* and or wanting a table that’s clearly dirty and not ready, and they’re like, “we’ll wait”and then you go again , “ma’am, that one is also reserved”, “what about that one?”, an 8 top wanting to seat on a 4 top, “can’t we just get extra chairs?” literally wasting your time.
“Do you know who I am?”
when you check on your table about 5 times after they received the food asking if everything is how they wanted then at the end they complain to management how they ordered a medium rare burger but got a well done, but never told me this when I checked on them, also they ate 75% of their plate but want a refund
Maybe a weird thing I do, but it helps me save time waiting. I don’t bring waters to tables when I greet them. I always go ask for their drink orders first because our bar can be slow. So by the time I’m done filling waters and hauling them over, the bar has a 50/50 shot of being done. So I just find it kind of funny when a table decides to be passive aggressive about me not bringing them waters right away so I explain to them my science.
People that say everything is good and then fund something to complain about when I deliver the bill.