03.25.08
Restaurant Etiquette #3 – Listen. No, really.
This is pretty much the same lesson as #2, but it bears repeating. Listening to your server really will make your meal go more smoothly. I promise. Not to mention that you can be the nicest people in the world and still really screw over your server just by not paying attention. And that makes us very sad.
It’s Saturday dinner and we only have one fresh server on the floor, meaning at least one of us who’s been there all day will end up staying late. I say I don’t mind, cause heck, the raid doesn’t start until eleven and it’s not like I have anything interesting to do before then. So of course I end up with the last two tables to leave the restaurant, meaning I’m still waiting for them after the closer’s all done and packing up for home.
Both parties are nice enough. One has been sitting there with their check for an hour or so, but I’m not rushing them out because I’m waiting for the other one anyhow. They’re nice older ladies, enjoyed their wine and their meals and finished it off with a piece of chocolate cake that I made look pretty fantastic, if I do say so myself. They finish, I run their card and bring them the slip, and head back to the kitchen to continue my sidework. Through the door I can see them picking up to leave, and I head out to clear the table. There’s no credit card slip anywhere in sight. My pen’s there, right in the middle by its lonesome, but no slip. I check under the table and then head toward the lobby- they can’t have gotten far, as they were *just* getting up when I came out of the kitchen.
No ladies anywhere in sight in the lobby. There is, however, noise from the restroom, so I figure they’re in there and I’ll catch them when they come out. But while I’m waiting the other party finally gets out a card to pay, so I ask the host to watch the bathroom door while I run back to the credit card machine. Apparently party number two hears me say something to the host about getting stiffed and asks me about it, so I have to explain what happened and that no, I wasn’t worried about her. Then her friend comes out of the restroom, so I realize I’m out of luck for recovering any tip from the other table. It was a big check, too. Sucky.
“You know,” the remaining lady says as she signs her credit card slip, “you really should mention when bring back the card that you need one copy left on the table.”
“Oh, I do,” I assure her. I point out that I had only a minute ago said it to her as I set the pen down in front of her. “Trouble is people just don’t listen.”
“Wow,” she says. “Yeah, I didn’t hear you say that at all.” She leaves me 20 percent. At least I know she’ll never take both copies of the credit card slip with her. :-}