OT: Food Service Workers - Are You 'That Guy'?

20 Years ago, I used to work for a pizza shop, and ran pizza deliveries. Since we used our personal cars to make the deliveries, we were allowed tips...


During the winter, We risked our vehicles and our lives in the cold, driving on snow & ice, to deliver food... (I slid into a stop sign once during a delivery...)


Nothing was worse than this one house, that had wooden stars that was covered with ice. And you couldn't grab the handrail, while trying to carry (four large drinks, a few pizzas, breadsticks and some pasta and sandwiches) up those slick stairs... To add "insult to injury", they never tipped, and when they did, it was the traditional "Keep The change", concerning that single frickin' penny that was left over...

At least that customer didn't make me count back all of their change in the dark, when they didn't have their porch light on. (Whicht happened to me a few times with other customers.)


I may have been doing a "job", but the customers didn't need to be dicks about it.

ALL the drivers quickly knew who the good customers were, and who were not... We even had a short hand: "Those Wooden Stairs" was enough for use to know who the customer was.

For every delivery run, with two or more orders... someone has to be first, and someone has to be last... And So, the Good Tippers always had their food delivered before the bad tippers.


I never messed with the customer's food, but there were time that I sure wanted to! But that was me. I have no idea what the other drivers did...


I'm not saying that customers should bend over backwards and generously tip, but a little bit of consideration is greatly appreciated for ANY service employee that is having to do just a little bit more than most. At least salt your stairs, and turn on your porch lights (or whatever)...


Here is a hint for you all...

Show your appreciation for service employees during the holidays... Getting Two to Three dollar tips throughout the year was wonderful... But when "Santa Claus" would tip us $5.00 or or more, we all couldn't wait to be the driver that would bust our butts to deliver the freshest & hottest food to him.

I've never sent food back, not because I'm afraid of what workers will do to it, but simply because I've never gotten anything that was so bad, or so 'wrong', that I ever felt the need.

I consider myself a good, not great tipper (pretty much always 20% as long as the service wasn't bad (and if it was, I still always left a tip.....but then, probably only 10-15%), and if it was (truly) exceptional service, anywhere from 30-40%).

The one "bad" thing I do to restaurant servers, is CONSTANTLY get soda refills........I drink A LOT of soda when I'm out to eat (sometimes as many as 5 or 6), and it's the one thing I "expect" from my server, if they want a decent tip.  If they do a good job (always around, and 'willing' to get as many as I ask for over the course of the meal, I usually add an additional 10% to the tip......in fact, I've had a few servers who 'catch on', and automatically grab my glass as soon as it's empty, and refill it without my even having to ask.  The few times that has happened, I REALLY gave them a good tip!).

The only 'bad' experience I've ever had with asking for so many soda refills, happened only about a year ago at a popular restaurant here in the Milwaukee area.  After I had asked for my third refill, the waitress stopped, and actually said to me, "Okay, I'll get this last one.......but then I'm going to have to start charging you for each one after that!".  Now, if the place had been packed, and she was extremely busy, I MIGHT have accepted that.....but it wasn't.  She had MAYBE two or three other tables the entire time my son and I were there (probably a total of about an hour).  But, I didn't say anything then, just drank the last refill, and we left.  But, on my way out, before paying, I asked for the manager, and confirmed with her that refills were ALL free, and then told her what the waitress had told me when she decided she wasn't going to keep 'running' for me.....BUT, BEING VERY CAREFUL to make SURE the manager knew the waitress had done a good job otherwise.

As it was, the waitress got about a 15% tip, which for me isn't great, but not awful....  


SAVE  FERRIS

I must go to the restaurants you do. LOL!


I don't go to restaurants often, and haven't been to one for a while, but...

There have been times where I get servers that stop by every five minutes and ask if I need anything... I'll say, "I'm Fine", but I'll think: "Hey, I'm trying to eat, leave me alone."

Then I'll get over-service... I have had two sips from a tall glass in 30 minutes, and then I'll be asked if I need a refill... Sometimes, they don't even ask, and just top off my water or iced tea without asking me.... (What? Seriously, There are "starving people elsewhere in the world" you know... save it for them.)


I guess I have you to thank for that Over-Service. LOL!


It's hard to get a nice balance of service though. It's either over-service, or the waiter seems to have been "abducted by aliens" for 30 minutes or longer.

I'll send food back if it's grossly messed up. Onions or mustard when I specifically said "no mustard or onion". Hamburger undercooked, steak overcooked, etc. Shit to the point where I can't eat it. Even then, it won't affect my tip. Anyone can mess up. What will affect my tip is shitty service. Waitress disappearing. Or the hovering waitress. Usually, I'll tell a waitress, very nicely, when we need you, we will let you know. If she comes back two minutes later, interrupting my conversation, woe to her/him. And an attitude will make a tip, except the penny, disappear. The sigh is the big one. Ask a waiter/waitress to do something and you get "SIGH, yes Sir".

I've maybe sent back food three to six times in my life. I hate onions. I sent back a charred steak because I knew the guy that cooked it.

There was an urban myth (I hope) of a restaurant chain here where the waitresses saved used tampons to squeeze out on orders of "problem customers". Something that bizarre has to be an urban myth. Like finding a battered fried mouse in your bucket of KFC.

How's your appetite now?