Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do
I just read this excellent piece from Oct. 29's New York Times,100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do. What no-nos would you add to the list?
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10 Comments:
My link disappeared: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do
baboo at 5:24PM on 11/04/09
http://www.seriouseats.com/talk/2009/10/100-okay-50-things-restaurant-staffers-should-never-do.html
hmw0029 at 5:40PM on 11/04/09
Oh, dear. Sorry.
baboo at 9:13PM on 11/04/09
Well then let's talk about the next fifty:
http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/05/one-hundred-things-restaurant-staffers-should-never-do-part-2/
The author seems to have gone from "never give your opinion unasked" to "babysit your guests".
Also, I don't think a guest is going to care if they drop a menu--I would want it back, even if it fell on the floor. I am going to reach for it, and if the waiter isn't handing it to me, that is going to be an awkward situation.
Then again, Olive Garden is a splurge for me...
PrettyNicola at 9:43AM on 11/05/09
Ok - the last 50 were reasonable and what I do expect from my dining experience. Mainly because I do not deal with alcohol when I dine out, and the 1st 50 dabbled a bit more with that.
And dropped items really gross me out. I never place anything on the floor anywhere. Yeah, more disgusting things may happen in the kitchen, where my steak could have been stepped on after the person stepped in a festering wet rubbish puddle outside and off to the bathroom...but I didn't see it.
"Refrain from touching the wet spots on the guest." made me chuckle.
Cassaendra at 12:39PM on 11/05/09
90. If someone is getting agitated or effusive on a cellphone, politely suggest he keep it down or move away from other guests.
Bravo! Please don't punish the rest of the dinner crowd -- sound travels, and we can't stop ourselves from hearing.
avaryne at 1:19PM on 11/05/09
@PrettyNicola: Thanks. Good idea.
I applaud all of these. But this one made me downright giddy:
97. If a guest goes gaga over a particular dish, get the recipe for him or her.
Brilliant!
baboo at 1:52PM on 11/05/09
I would really appreciate a list of things customers shouldn't do. I always want to be a "good" customer, and I worry I try too hard.
Regarding number 100, I have heard from waiters, and I know from my stint in a sandwich shop, that comping items can get you into trouble, since sometimes people start to expect it. My first day I let someone in before we were really open, and after that I always had to let him in early to get his first cup of coffee.
PrettyNicola at 2:10PM on 11/05/09
@PrettyNicola: Note that he qualifies #100 with "...or something else management approves." I wouldn't say he's talking about comping. A glass of port or a plate of biscotti to show appreciation to a good table is, for the restaurant, a sound investment.
baboo at 8:48PM on 11/05/09
How about not criticizing what you order?
I like spicy food but I need water with my spicy food...I ordered buffalo wings once with extra sauce and the waitress was nowhere to be found. I requested water twice and she finally came around with a glass and I asked politely if I could have a pitcher so she didnt have to come around as much and she yelled at me and said "Maybe you shouldn't have ordered spicy wings!"...Um hello? Is that appropriate? I was PISSED.
Chew on That at 4:32PM on 11/08/09