Waitress was in a tizz.....

[ETsmokinandvapin]

I went to this funky eclectic restaurant last night with hubby. The analog smoke hits you in the face the moment you walk in, as the bar has no real seperation from the restaurant tables.

We were happily vaping when the waitress came up and said, I'm sorry, you can't smoke here, you have to walk over to the bar area (which was about ten feet away.....) Hubby replied, "this isn't smoke, it's vapor, are you familiar with e-cigs?" "Yes I am", she says with a sneer. "Well, if anyone complains I'll have to make you stop."

She proceeded to be the nastiest waitress to us for the rest of the meal, like she was some sort of personal smoke police. Nobody had even looked at us sideways.....so we figure it was her personal problem. We were busy eating, yet she made a point to block hubby from returning to our table after a pit stop. It was really annoying.

I wanted to ask her point blank had someone complained, but when I tried to ask her she blew me off. Yikes.....get a grip! The whole friggin' restaurant smells like an old ashtray.

On a happier note, a member of the band saw our vaping and asked about it, so did a bartender. Gave out the cards.......they'll be ordering soon I think!

 

[timothy]

yea i get that kinda attude from some at work wont let me smoke it in the building but on the flip side i have given out a lot of cards to others who are interested in switching

 

[nbourbaki]

She might have had a miserable day or customer before you sat down. People have been so sensitized over second hand smoke, they lose all perspective. Never let closed minded people ruin your perspective, everybody has a bad day once and a while

 

[Taryn]

I hope you didn't tip her and let her know why! She had no good reason to pull an attitude trip over it.

 

[Pawpaw]

Once upon a time, the worst insult you could give a waitress was to leave only a penny for a tip. If you left no tip, they would just think you either forgot or were too cheap to tip. The penny told them you hadn't forgotten, but they hadn't earned a tip.

Conversely, leaving a tip (bills) with a penny on top was the highest compliment.

I'm sure such subtlety would be lost on most people today. "Service with a smile" is a lost art.

 

[HzG8rGrl]

We have actually discussed putting the tip on the table to start, before ordering, and let the server know that this is the tip and it will digress as/if the service does. Dinner and the service just gets better and better by cooking at home.

 

[MacArthurBug]

Once upon a time, the worst insult you could give a waitress was to leave only a penny for a tip. If you left no tip, they would just think you either forgot or were too cheap to tip. The penny told them you hadn't forgotten, but they hadn't earned a tip.

Conversely, leaving a tip (bills) with a penny on top was the highest compliment.

I'm sure such subtlety would be lost on most people today. "Service with a smile" is a lost art.

as an ex waitress my biggest compliment was generally a little note or something left with the tip. even a little smilie written on the recipt. Since tips (where I worked) were shared a lack of tip sucked for everyone.

 

[Adrenalynn]

>> Since tips (where I worked) were shared a lack of tip sucked for everyone.

Which means that there was a substantial amount of peer-pressure to not under-perform... Alas, it also means over-performers weren't compensated. Regardless of how it's distributed - a "tip" is optional. A "required gratuity" is [a contradiction in terms] part of the bill.

I'm not sure why pushing the vaping thing where it's not welcome is necessary. I'd have chosen a different establishment after informing the management why I was doing so...

 

[ETsmokinandvapin]

>> Since tips (where I worked) were shared a lack of tip sucked for everyone.

Which means that there was a substantial amount of peer-pressure to not under-perform... Alas, it also means over-performers weren't compensated. Regardless of how it's distributed - a "tip" is optional. A "required gratuity" is [a contradiction in terms] part of the bill.

I'm not sure why pushing the vaping thing where it's not welcome is necessary. I'd have chosen a different establishment after informing the management why I was doing so...

ITA with you, we did not push the vaping, just wanted to understand where this was really coming from. We thought we were in a smoking section, or we would not have been so blatantly, happily vaping.

The attitude changed so drastically, from very nice to nasty. Now this is only one side, but I assure you we did not give her a hard time in the least.

It is a learning experience. We gave a lower tip than usual, but still a respectable one. Service from the other staff was fine.

 

[ETsmokinandvapin]

Oh forgot, we happen to know a friend of the owner we ran into and when we told her she was aghast at some of the specifics of the evening and told us she would inform the owner. Well, word will be getting out one way or another about the vaping experience!

 

[Taryn]

I've waited many tables myself in my day, and I know the low pay. I'd still not leave a tip if I get attitude and bad service, but I tip very generously for good service.

 

[Mary Kay]

ET I am sorry you got such a bad waitress! I would have asked to be seated elsewhere.
Rant to begin!
But I have to say as a former waitress myself, I wish they would do away with the tipping crap all together. The only one it benifits is the owner. The restaurant is allowed to pay only a fraction of mininum wage..because they believe that tips will make up the difference. In a big restaurant that is the case..but in a small restaurant sometimes it's not. But you pay tax on the full amount , no matter what.
Tips are also a way for people to really behave badly! In what other business do you get to pay what you decide the service is worth..Penny's? Sears? Home Depot? Nope..they would just laugh at you. I have seen people leave notes I wouldn't post on a .......... I have had tips that I thought were left by accident..too much money. I didn't cook the food, I didn't forget to start the steak..I didn't decide on the price and I didn't tell you to bringg your relatives who are jerks. So who do you get to punish? The waitress! End Rant

 

[AJMoore]

ET I am sorry you got such a bad waitress! I would have asked to be seated elsewhere.
Rant to begin!
But I have to say as a former waitress myself, I wish they would do away with the tipping crap all together. The only one it benifits is the owner. The restaurant is allowed to pay only a fraction of mininum wage..because they believe that tips will make up the difference. In a big restaurant that is the case..but in a small restaurant sometimes it's not. But you pay tax on the full amount , no matter what.
Tips are also a way for people to really behave badly! In what other business do you gety to pay what you decide the service is worth..Penny's? Sears? Home Depot? Nope..they would just laugh at you. I have seen people leave notes I wouldn't post on a .......... I have had tips that I thought were left by accident..too much money. I didn't cook the food, I didn't forget to start the steak..I didn't decide on the price and I didn't tell you to bringg your relatives who are jerks. So who do you get to punish? The waitress! End Rant

Fair and honest rant. In the UK they don't get tips, very civilized. I too used to bartend, know the ropes. You're right, only the owner benefits.

 

[kristin]

After working in the restaurant/bar industry for 13 years, I'm surprised a server would risk her tip. She must like working for $2.35 an hour.

 

[AJMoore]

After working in the restaurant/bar industry for 13 years, I'm surprised a server would risk her tip. She must like working for $2.35 an hour.

I know, what's up with her????? The people seated in front of her are #1. You can learn to smile and nod to anyone if your livleyhood depends on it.

 

[cyberwolfrob]

Crappy service=no tip

Excellent service=Excellent tip

Plain and simple. You get what you earned. No more and no less.

 

[kristin]

Crappy service=no tip

Excellent service=Excellent tip

Plain and simple. You get what you earned. No more and no less.

If only that were true. Too often "excellent service=no tip." Especially when you get those consciencious objectors who say "Why should I tip? The owner should pay their staff better." Of course, they would complain when the price of their steak doubled.

 

[sawlight]

I don't play their games anymore. Bad service, I have a manager or just move myself to another area. I've had some of the worst service known! I went so far as to pay for two meals I hadn't even been served yet then all but walk over the top of the manager while leaving a Cheddars once. I was comped four free meals and still won't go back in. I gave the comps away!
When I get good service, I pay for it, I average 20-30% tips. If I am a regular, which I was for a long time at a bar, I tip 30% plus $20 for birthdays and $50 for Christmas. I spent four hours one day sitting at the bar, waiting for the rain to pass, my tab was $1.25, I left a $5 tip. It was only fair, I never got more than one cig .... in the ashtray, never had more than a half empty glass of tea and felt well taken care of.
I don't get out much anymore, but when I do, I take care of good service, I've even gone so far as to grab the manager when I had GREAT service and complemented them for the service I got!
But God help you if I get crappy service!

 

[AJMoore]

But back to ETSmokinandVapin, the waitstaff should have had YOUR interest at heart. She could be a vegan but still served you steak, she could be in AA and still served you wine, she could be an EX smoker but still made you feel at ease. All would go a great distance to her monetary advancement.

 

[NightNurse]

I hope you didn't tip her and let her know why! She had no good reason to pull an attitude trip over it.

What Taryn said.