Pretty Good.....

If I ask someone how their meal is, and they say "Pretty Good", I can almost guarantee something is wrong.

Here's the thing, sometimes I'm in the mood to go above and beyond and PRY it out of them, but other times I'm not. If your meal is only "Pretty Good" then you need to help me out a little. Since I can't read your mind, please tell me EXACTLY what is wrong so I can fix it. If it is something I can't fix, I'll let you know, but most problems can be fixed pretty quickly.

Last night I had a customer with a "Pretty Good" meal. I really wasn't in the mood to pry, but it was a slow night and I had to make the most of every tip.

So I asked the obvious, "Only Pretty Good?" With that cheezy little smile on my face...

"Well, this is a really big salad, and you only gave me a little bit of dressing...."

Oh poor you!! Don't whine about it!! Just ask for more!!!

I deal with preschoolers all day, I don't want to deal with them all night, too!
It is company policy to give only one side of dressing, but if you ask for more in a nice voice and say "please" and "thank you" I would be glad to get you more!

Snotty Tissues On the Table?!?!?

WHAT WOULD YOUR MOTHER SAY?!?

Leaving your snotty tissues on the table for me to pick up is gross!!
Leaving your child's snotty tissues on the table for me to pick up is just gross, too!!

I know this is the season for colds and germs and all that grossness, but I don't want to get sick from you!!!

Do you really want me serving your food to you when you come in next week if I have the cold you gave me tonight???

The Educated Waitress

Another one of my pet peeves is when people assume that I am a waitress because I chose to do nothing with my life. Since I am in a position that requires little education, I must be uneducated.

"I don't mean to be confusing, but could I have the baked potato instead of the fries?"

We get comments like this all the time. Each waitress has her own reasons for choosing this profession, and many waitresses are either in school or have already been to school. In the restaurant I currently work at, almost half have a college degree or some college education. Many of us are mothers who have chosen to work evenings so we can be home with our little ones during the day.

I fall into this category. I have a Bachelor's in education and am a certified teacher. I taught junior high for several years before giving it up to become a stay at home mom. Needing to get out of the house and earn a little spending money, I started waitressing part time.

Waitressing is a good fall back career. It's good money, and there are always restaurant jobs around. I have waitressed on and off since I was 15. What other career would give me the opportunity to work less than 20 hours a week and still bring home over $500? Not only is the money great, I also have the freedom I need to be at home during the day with my children. If I need a night off, I simply get another waitress to cover my shift. No questions asked.

So, the next time a waitress arrives at your table, dispel all those stereotypical assumptions and get ready for an encounter with an Educated Waitress.

Where is our food?

Hmmmmm - let me think about this one...
If your food was ready, I would have brought it out. If I am too busy to bring it out, someone I work with will bring it out.
Believe it or not, I don't cook the food. I have no control over how long it takes.

I actually had a customer ask me how much longer her food would be. I gave my usual response. "Not too much longer." And she responded by saying - "5 minutes? 10 minutes? HOW much longer."
Well, Honey, if I knew the answer to that one, I would have bought lottery tickets with winning numbers yesterday! I can not predict the future. (In case you were wondering, I quoted 10 minutes, and the food came out in less than 5.)

And I know where your food is. - It's in the kitchen.

Pet Peeves

I have a few pet peeves. Imagine that. These are things that people do over and over, and they somehow seem to irritate me more and more every time.

I know they are completely petty, and a little silly. However, it will be nice to get them out in the open.

Enjoy!

We need more silverware!

There is an order to how I do things. Don't mess with the order. When I come to your table all nice and smiley, I want to get you drinks. DRINKS. Don't ask for silverware unless you intend to cut the lemon in your water. I know you need silverware and I will make sure that you all are fully equipped when your meal arrives.

Don't worry - I can handle it.