Disappearing Waitress Disses Diners

June 27, 2016

in Server Stories

My boyfriend’s mother took us, her other kids and their significant others, and her boyfriend (8 people) to lunch as a celebration of us all being in town. She chose a large, notoriously busy, and pricey Italian place. We were all excited for some good quality food.

Our first issue was being seated at a table that was suited for a party smaller than ours. Our chairs were literally touching, the already set-out plates and glasses were extremely cramped, and we kept elbowing each other. But, whatever, we all get along and this place is PACKED. We were just glad that our reservation allowed us to sit down right away.

A few minutes after being seated, our waitress comes by and takes our drink orders. She brings one basket of bread with her and leaves it on the table. She disappears for at least 30 minutes. There was not enough bread to go around, of course, and we did not have anything to drink. Eventually she returns with the drinks and asks if we are ready to order. We are, and do so, as well as ask for another basket of bread. Now that she brought quickly, but then disappeared again.

When I say this place was packed I mean it. It was 1pm on a Sunday and every table was full. We were prepared to wait for our food. In the next hour and a half we waited for it; we had to ask another server who was passing by to refill our drinks. When our food arrived, it was another different server who brought it. A third unfamiliar face asked us a while later if everything was okay – which it was, although nothing was piping hot when it was delivered to us. Fine, whatever, they are busy. We were chatting and eating happily.

Once we are all finished eating our plates are cleared by a couple of different people; not sure if they had been to our table before. Twenty minutes later, my boyfriend’s mom sees our original waitress for the first time in nearly two hours and asks for the check. She says she will be right back… well, another 20 minutes later, she comes back with it, and of course she is given a credit card immediately. She does come back with the card quickly this time, but proceeds to hover over the table. We ask for to-go bags.

At this point we have been seated for nearly four hours, the majority of it spent with no food/drinks or waiting for the check. We have seen our original waitress twice. My boyfriend’s mom is a little frustrated, but hey we ate our food, even if it took a long time. She tips somewhere around 18%; I’m not sure exactly, but I know it was about a $35 tip. Pretty good for our original waitress considering she didn’t do much if you ask me. Thirty-five dollars was more than I’d make in a 6 hour shift working retail at that time.

This is where we all got mad. This waitress is still hovering close to the table and snatches up the folder as soon as my boyfriend’s mom puts it down. She OPENS IT and looks at her tip while standing behind his mom and says, very loudly, “Are you f***ing kidding me!!!” and stomps off to go talk loudly about how cheap we are to some of her coworkers. She brings the to-go bags back and literally throws them on the table, telling us to have a “nice f***ing day.”

So, we did. We had a lovely rest of the evening playing board games back at the house. I called the manager the next day and explained the situation. He sent $50 in gift cards to both me and my boyfriend’s mother – she did not feel comfortable calling him herself, but I did not feel comfortable doing nothing. We have yet to go back since this place is a bit off the beaten path for us, but hopefully when we do go again, our waitress won’t be there.

{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }

Sharon June 28, 2016 at 10:41 am

Wow, she's was ungrateful. She's lucky she got that much considering she didn't do much of the work. Glad the manager took care of you.

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theblonde June 28, 2016 at 1:26 pm

I have a hard time believing the end of this story! Food runners and different faces are common in chain places (I don't like it either, but it happens), but did she honestly curse at you seeing at 18% tip?! That's crazy! I really hope you had her name and she was fired because that's just giving servers a bad name.

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Emma June 29, 2016 at 9:48 am

We had a hard time believing it too! Maybe it wasn't the tip she was used to in such a "fancy" place, but we definitely didn't stiff her. We did have her name but I have no idea what happened to her.

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