|
|
| 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1) (517951) | |
 |
|
| Home > OTChat | |
[ Post a New Response | Return to the Index ]
|
| (517951) | |
100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1) |
|
|
Posted by SMAZ on Mon Nov 2 02:13:26 2009 From the New York TimesOne Hundred Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1) By Bruce Buschel Herewith is a modest list of dos and don’ts for servers at the seafood restaurant I am building. Veteran waiters, moonlighting actresses, libertarians and baristas will no doubt protest some or most of what follows. They will claim it homogenizes them or stifles their true nature. And yet, if 100 different actors play Hamlet, hitting all the same marks, reciting all the same lines, cannot each one bring something unique to that role? 1. Do not let anyone enter the restaurant without a warm greeting. 2. Do not make a singleton feel bad. Do not say, “Are you waiting for someone?” Ask for a reservation. Ask if he or she would like to sit at the bar. 3. Never refuse to seat three guests because a fourth has not yet arrived. 4. If a table is not ready within a reasonable length of time, offer a free drink and/or amuse-bouche. The guests may be tired and hungry and thirsty, and they did everything right. 5. Tables should be level without anyone asking. Fix it before guests are seated. 6. Do not lead the witness with, “Bottled water or just tap?” Both are fine. Remain neutral. 7. Do not announce your name. No jokes, no flirting, no cuteness. 8. Do not interrupt a conversation. For any reason. Especially not to recite specials. Wait for the right moment. 9. Do not recite the specials too fast or robotically or dramatically. It is not a soliloquy. This is not an audition. 10. Do not inject your personal favorites when explaining the specials. 11. Do not hustle the lobsters. That is, do not say, “We only have two lobsters left.” Even if there are only two lobsters left. 12. Do not touch the rim of a water glass. Or any other glass. 13. Handle wine glasses by their stems and silverware by the handles. 14. When you ask, “How’s everything?” or “How was the meal?” listen to the answer and fix whatever is not right. 15. Never say “I don’t know” to any question without following with, “I’ll find out.” 16. If someone requests more sauce or gravy or cheese, bring a side dish of same. No pouring. Let them help themselves. 17. Do not take an empty plate from one guest while others are still eating the same course. Wait, wait, wait. 18. Know before approaching a table who has ordered what. Do not ask, “Who’s having the shrimp?” 19. Offer guests butter and/or olive oil with their bread. 20. Never refuse to substitute one vegetable for another. 21. Never serve anything that looks creepy or runny or wrong. 22. If someone is unsure about a wine choice, help him. That might mean sending someone else to the table or offering a taste or two. 23. If someone likes a wine, steam the label off the bottle and give it to the guest with the bill. It has the year, the vintner, the importer, etc. 24. Never use the same glass for a second drink. 25. Make sure the glasses are clean. Inspect them before placing them on the table. 26. Never assume people want their white wine in an ice bucket. Inquire. 27. For red wine, ask if the guests want to pour their own or prefer the waiter to pour. 28. Do not put your hands all over the spout of a wine bottle while removing the cork. 29. Do not pop a champagne cork. Remove it quietly, gracefully. The less noise the better. 30. Never let the wine bottle touch the glass into which you are pouring. No one wants to drink the dust or dirt from the bottle. 31. Never remove a plate full of food without asking what went wrong. Obviously, something went wrong. 32. Never touch a customer. No excuses. Do not do it. Do not brush them, move them, wipe them or dust them. 33. Do not bang into chairs or tables when passing by. 34. Do not have a personal conversation with another server within earshot of customers. 35. Do not eat or drink in plain view of guests. 36. Never reek from perfume or cigarettes. People want to smell the food and beverage. 37. Do not drink alcohol on the job, even if invited by the guests. “Not when I’m on duty” will suffice. 38.Do not call a guy a “dude.” 39. Do not call a woman “lady.” 40. Never say, “Good choice,” implying that other choices are bad. 41. Saying, “No problem” is a problem. It has a tone of insincerity or sarcasm. “My pleasure” or “You’re welcome” will do. 42. Do not compliment a guest’s attire or hairdo or makeup. You are insulting someone else. 43. Never mention what your favorite dessert is. It’s irrelevant. 44. Do not discuss your own eating habits, be you vegan or lactose intolerant or diabetic. 45. Do not curse, no matter how young or hip the guests. 46. Never acknowledge any one guest over and above any other. All guests are equal. 47. Do not gossip about co-workers or guests within earshot of guests. 48. Do not ask what someone is eating or drinking when they ask for more; remember or consult the order. 49. Never mention the tip, unless asked. 50. Do not turn on the charm when it’s tip time. Be consistent throughout. Next week: 51-100. |
|
|
| (517952) | |
Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1) |
|
|
Posted by SelkirkTMO on Mon Nov 2 02:32:32 2009, in response to 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1), posted by SMAZ on Mon Nov 2 02:13:26 2009. I'm surprised someone actually had to compose the list. Here's hoping that 51-100 includes:XX. Do not ask the guest if everything is alright while they are chewing, and refrain from asking again for at least two whole minutes. :) |
|
|
| (517985) | |
Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1) |
|
|
Posted by Peter Rosa on Mon Nov 2 09:38:57 2009, in response to 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1), posted by SMAZ on Mon Nov 2 02:13:26 2009. Never serve anything that looks creepy or runny or wrong.Unless they order casu marzu. My LIRR/NYCT blog |
|
|
| (517991) | |
Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1) |
|
|
Posted by Easy on Mon Nov 2 09:52:16 2009, in response to Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1), posted by Peter Rosa on Mon Nov 2 09:38:57 2009. That's nasty! |
|
|
| (518010) | |
Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1) |
|
|
Posted by daDouce Man on Mon Nov 2 11:00:24 2009, in response to Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1), posted by Peter Rosa on Mon Nov 2 09:38:57 2009. #51 of the top 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Do or Say is inform the customer that creepy or runny or wrong things like casu marzu is not available this evening. Especially if the customer ordering it seems to have no idea what it is. |
|
|
| (518132) | |
Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1) |
|
|
Posted by SMAZ on Mon Nov 2 20:34:07 2009, in response to Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1), posted by Peter Rosa on Mon Nov 2 09:38:57 2009. Man...Sardinians are crazy! |
|
|
| (518133) | |
Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1) |
|
|
Posted by SMAZ on Mon Nov 2 20:35:35 2009, in response to Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1), posted by SelkirkTMO on Mon Nov 2 02:32:32 2009. Agreed. I wonder what will be on the next 50. He seems to have covered a lot of ground. |
|
|
| (518171) | |
Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1) |
|
|
Posted by SelkirkTMO on Mon Nov 2 22:31:58 2009, in response to Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1), posted by SMAZ on Mon Nov 2 20:35:35 2009. It might turn out to be useful to younger wait staff perhaps ... what amuses me is that so many of the first fifty weren't already obvious. :) |
|
|
| (518181) | |
Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1) |
|
|
Posted by SMAZ on Mon Nov 2 22:37:28 2009, in response to Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1), posted by SelkirkTMO on Mon Nov 2 22:31:58 2009. Those rules get violated on a regular basis. Yeah, they should be obvious but it's bad out there. |
|
|
| (518182) | |
Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1) |
|
|
Posted by Grand Concourse on Mon Nov 2 22:39:09 2009, in response to Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1), posted by Peter Rosa on Mon Nov 2 09:38:57 2009. ewww.. |
|
|
| (518183) | |
Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1) |
|
|
Posted by GP38/R42 Chris on Mon Nov 2 22:40:17 2009, in response to Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1), posted by SMAZ on Mon Nov 2 22:37:28 2009. Yeah, I can think of most of them happening to me at one time or another....all the time, even at the best of places. |
|
|
| (518185) | |
Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1) |
|
|
Posted by SelkirkTMO on Mon Nov 2 22:43:26 2009, in response to Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1), posted by SMAZ on Mon Nov 2 22:37:28 2009. Amusing. Yeah, I've seen a little of it in the chain joints, but the local sit down restaurants here generally follow the rules. Must be a city thing. :) |
|
|
| (518187) | |
Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1) |
|
|
Posted by SMAZ on Mon Nov 2 22:47:56 2009, in response to Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1), posted by GP38/R42 Chris on Mon Nov 2 22:40:17 2009. Violations of #2,4,5,7,8,9,13,16,17,18,24,33,44 are so routine that they have become standard practice.I disagree with #41. I don't find a waiter/waitress saying "no problem" to be problematic. |
|
|
| (518191) | |
Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1) |
|
|
Posted by GP38/R42 Chris on Mon Nov 2 22:57:22 2009, in response to Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1), posted by SMAZ on Mon Nov 2 22:47:56 2009. Absolutely agreed. |
|
|
| (518194) | |
Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1) |
|
|
Posted by Peter Rosa on Mon Nov 2 23:08:51 2009, in response to Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1), posted by Easy on Mon Nov 2 09:52:16 2009. Living in a Connecticut city with a large Italian-American population, I heard the odd rumor or two about old Italian men who'd get "maggot cheese" from a local cheese shop. It was the sort of thing you'd have to know someone to be able to get, it wasn't publicly offered. I suspect it was nothing but a rumor. Casu Marzu is Sardinian, and there were very few if any immigrants from that region in town.My LIRR/NYCT blog |
|
|
| (518224) | |
Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1) |
|
|
Posted by R30A on Tue Nov 3 06:36:42 2009, in response to Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1), posted by SMAZ on Mon Nov 2 22:47:56 2009. 5 is not always doable. Customers have an amazing ability at destabilizing tables. I'll shim them up if I can between seatings, but such is not always possible. 7 is simply wrong. The closer you are to your tables, the bigger the tip. Customers complain when their servers aren't personable. 17 is a hard one. Some people hate having empty plates in front of them. Some people hate having empty plates taken from them while others are eating. Given how strongly many feel in either way, I usually ask. (Although some people don't seem to care, but hate being asked. You can't win.) 18 is a no brainer, although when there are large parties, it can be hard to keep track, especially if people move around. If you're at a table of 18, and you move without telling me, you're probably going to get whatever the person who was at your new seat ordered. 33 often will happen when people move their chairs. If I have a tray of food, and people at the tables to either side of me have rearranged the seats so that there is less than 6 inches between them, at least one of their chairs will be touched. I can't do anything about that. 44 is often violated, and for good reason. If somebody at one of my tables asks me what I like about a certain dish, I should know what it tastes like. If I don't I should have a reason why I do not know. 2, 8, 9, 13, 16, 24 are all obvious, and inexcusable if they aren't followed. |
|
|
| (518230) | |
Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1) |
|
|
Posted by Fred G on Tue Nov 3 06:51:23 2009, in response to Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1), posted by R30A on Tue Nov 3 06:36:42 2009. 7 is simply wrong. The closer you are to your tables, the bigger the tip. Customers complain when their servers aren't personable.I think an experienced waitperson knows how personable to be with a table based on initial signals. You'll know if a customer wants to be chummy or if they just want the bare service. I fall into the latter category sometimes, although not icily so. your pal, Fred |
|
|
| (518231) | |
Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1) |
|
|
Posted by R30A on Tue Nov 3 06:53:52 2009, in response to Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1), posted by Fred G on Tue Nov 3 06:51:23 2009. Such is certainly true.My point was that a blanket statement against such is simply wrong. |
|
|
| (518232) | |
Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1) |
|
|
Posted by Fred G on Tue Nov 3 06:55:59 2009, in response to Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1), posted by R30A on Tue Nov 3 06:53:52 2009. I follow ya.your pal, Fred |
|
|
| (518233) | |
Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1) |
|
|
Posted by Fred G on Tue Nov 3 06:57:12 2009, in response to Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1), posted by Peter Rosa on Mon Nov 2 23:08:51 2009. Living in a Connecticut city with a large Italian-American population...Oh? your pal, Fred |
|
|
| (518236) | |
Re: 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1) |
|
|
Posted by f179dj on Tue Nov 3 08:29:33 2009, in response to 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1), posted by SMAZ on Mon Nov 2 02:13:26 2009. "27. For red wine, ask if the guests want to pour their own or prefer the waiter to pour."Got my hand slapped in Ruth's Chris over this one. I went to pour the wine and the waiter rushed over and said that it was his job. OK. We let him do his job for the rest of the meal, and next time we were there, sat on our hands so the waiter could pour the wine. Bliss. |
|
|