Backlogged

Argh! So I've been backlogged the last week or so and this is coming off the Memorial Day weekend.

So as the holiday weekend is drawing to a close I'd like to thank all of the regulars that came in for all the fun that they provided, and the pay of course.

As far as the regulars mentioned, I don't mean the ones I greet with a smile and the anticipation of a fun table.

I mean the ones that make every waiter in the joint groan as they enter the door, the ones that we pray to the almighty we won't wind up with in our section.

Gone are the days of playful banter, flirting with the "still got it" middle aged ladies and the drink of preference waiting on the bar for a grateful patron.

Hello to "We know the owner" and are entitled to make your shift as difficult as possible with the constant threat that "you'll be reported"

So it was a difficult night to say the least.

And I had the pleasure of waiting on this guy...

http://allprowaiter.blogspot.com/2005/08/doctors-education.html

He was a joy to say the least, since that tale has occurred he's decided to become a regular and he and his family have been a constant thorn in my side for the last six months.

Every time they order they take an item on the menu and change every possible ingredient.

They want the fettucini pasta, but with no tomatoes or onions, penne for the pasta and substitute chicken for shrimp.

Shit like that.

IT ISN'T ON THE MENU!!!

Naturally they then complain that "it isn't what I expected"

What did you expect, play chef and this is what you get, crap.

Then they come in a week later, and play the same game.

I'll never understand the regulars like this, they complain about the food, service or drinks and still show up the next week and repeat.

Why would you regularly go anywhere if it isn't up to your standards?

My guess is that they just like to have their ass kissed and to push people around.

Me?

I'll just be sure to be a little more surely their next visit, maybe they'll go down the street instead.

And thus the rest of the night went, we didn't get busy until about an hour before close and of course we were short staffed being as every server had off for the holiday.

I had a huge section, nine tables, which is very large for dinner and it was kind of hard to jump start into that type of rush after sitting around with nothing to do for the first three hours of the shift.

I pleaded with the host to hold off on more tables but apparently management was more concerned with getting people a table than ensuring good service.

People were lined up at the front like cattle through a chute, middle aged women outraged that we couldn't accommodate their walk in twelve top were crying like a kid with a case of the terrible two's.

I managed though, through the quarduple seatings, tables that should have received better service were waylaid for middle aged women whining about their salad dressings and wanting three, and only three, ice cubes in their white zin.

And the late diners arrived right on time, ten after close.

They were seated anyways, so much for the holiday party I was chomping at the bit to get to.

I was stuck there right on to eleven, two hours after close.

But enough of the poor me, check out the anti-tipping site below, a nice compliment to the bitterwaitress boards.

There's another question, what do you think of servers putting real names along with the amounts that they tipped on the internet?

Also here's a link to Buon Appetito, checked him out on Waiter-Rant and thought he was very well written with a lot of worthwhile tales...

http://seatmytable.blogspot.com/