Restaurant Server Pet Peeves

1. Servers that don't write down your orders or request, then forget.

2. Servers that blame someone else for their mistake or mistakes.

3. Servers that auction off drinks or food such as "Who had the whatever" when THEY are your server that took your order.

4. Servers that didn't write down your order, come back to ask you what you just said to repeat it interrupting your conversation.

5. Servers that don't APOLOGIZE for their mistakes.

6. Servers that don't try their best such as not checking over WHAT they hand you with the written order or ticket.

7. Servers that don't give back ALL YOUR change, includes ANY COINS.

8. Servers that give you refills without asking you or you asking them.(without your permission do something that you are supposed to get to have a say in.)

9. Servers that ASSUME things such as you ask for a box, that means you are too full for dessert even when in fact, many of times, decided to box my food just so I could get dessert.

10. Servers that waste time writing "Thank you" or doodle their name or whatever on your check.

11. Servers that put THEIR OPINIONS in your order when you haven't asked for their opinion such as a couple of times servers said to me “You know it’s not a big salad”, which one of them I told them what I wanted the 4 sides of ranch for, which was not all for the side salad and the other server I just told our waitress that I liked a lot of ranch. I find it was a big salad both times and I feel it was out of LAZINESS that they didn’t want to have to get all of that for me, NOT because they cared and it doesn’t make sense anyway considering ranch is ON THE SIDE therefore, if it gets wasted, it’s no problem for the customer except for the little bit of room it takes on their table, but otherwise, it didn’t affect the food, so WHY bother telling me that?

12. Servers that don't know the menu.

13. Servers that aren't observant such as an empty glass or no utensils.

14. Servers not taking "NO" for an answer.

15. Servers that forget things due to not trying their best by not verifying anything they are giving you.

16. Servers not giving you the AMOUNT you asked for such as saying you want a side of mayo, they give you less than half a side.

17. Servers that don't bring you a NEW glass each refill.

18. Servers that TAKE your glass so you have NOTHING to drink while they get you your refill.

19. Servers that overcharge you don't try to catch it, possibly blame someone else, and don't apologize for it.

20. Servers that bring you what *THEY* assume you want instead of what you ordered. They were out of raspberry topping for a cheesecake, the waitress without ASKING me and my husband decided to bring us strawberry. We sent it back and got chocolate instead. Not everyone wants the next closest thing.

21. Servers that aren't your server that deliver your food don't apologize for an obvious mistake, don't fix the mistake, don't ask if you need anything, don't compare the ticket to the food for obvious errors, etc. Basically, not working as a TEAM.

22. Servers that make remarks or comments about WHAT you order. Once, a waitress said to me "ARE YOU TASTE TESTING" just because I changed margaritas. I think that's mean. I just told her I like both. What business is it of hers if I was trying drinks anyways? I have had both before and just like BOTH, what's wrong with that? WHY make people feel like oddballs? What a waste of time when she could have been putting that order into the computer instead of being mean like that.

23. Servers not going in the order in which requests came in. Once, my husband and I waited around 45-50 minutes for our entrées, our waitress had our 2 entrées on the tray as well as 2 side salads for a couple that wasn't even there when we placed our order. She hands them their side salads first before HOT FOOD. What kind of person would do such a thing? That's just plain mean to CUT.


24. Servers that bring out bar drinks WITH soft drinks, tea, water, etc. instead of BEFOREHAND.


25. Servers that ask what something is for such as a condiment as if it’s any of their business, basically nosy servers.


26. Servers that worry about dirty dishes or restocking ahead of your order or requests.


27. Servers that sit at your table when you don’t know them.


28. Servers that delay you from ordering when greeted that you don’t know personally to ask personal questions.


29. Servers that don’t give you a straw.


30. Servers that are inconsiderate such as not telling you when they greet you just about immediately they are out of something.


31. Servers that argue with you whether you are right or wrong, but especially when you are right.


32. Servers that don’t consider OTHERS at the table as well such as only asking ONE person at the table if they need anything, but what about the other people?


33. Servers that don’t look at a CLEAR glass and can’t tell if a soft drink looks watery which means the syrup is low as far as any dark soft drink is concerned. There have been times I can tell right away the syrup was low, WHY couldn’t they?


34. Servers that don’t have common sense such as there have been a couple of times at least where I put a condiment or plate by the window of a 4-seater booth meaning the opposite end of where the server would stand and one waitress tried to reach across to take a condiment one time. I was surprised that not only did she not at least ask, but is she really that stupid? I mean, I am PURPOSELY leaving something on the opposite end, well DUH, I moved it from the middle, to the other end that isn’t closest to the server, WHY would I want you to take it, DUHHHH? Another time, a manager asked if I wanted the plates taken. HOW STUPID CAN PEOPLE BE that I moved it PUROSELY to the OTHER WAY that isn’t closest to the server, WHY would I want you to take my plates, huh? STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!!


35. Servers that tell you their opinion about what you are ordering such as them telling you it’s their favorite when you have ordered that item lots of times or even if you just are trying it, if you don’t know the person well personally, then WHY would we want their opinion. I HATE when servers say “GOOD CHOICE” when you order something.

36. Servers that don't LISTEN to WHAT you said. If you said 2 sides of bbq sauce that doesn't mean NO bbq sauce on the item if the item COMES with bbq sauce. THAT MEANS EXTRA. If the customer says they want it "ON THE SIDE" or they say they don't want the sauce on the food itself, then that's when they mean they don't want the sauce on the food, NOT because they order some EXTRA condiments. Another thing is, you eliminate items such as a couple of times at Red Lobster, I said "no tomatoes or cucumbers" in their side salad, they come to the table without onions. Especially, when they gave me the ranch on the side and that the MANAGER told me the servers make the side salads. If onions comes with the item and I NEVER said I didn't the onions, WHY are you assuming that I mean just lettuce and croutons? DID I SAY "NO ONIONS?" NO, I DIDN'T, LISTEN to WHAT I SAID!!

Some separate paragraphs about ASSUMPTIONS:

I HATE when a waiter once ASSUMED I wanted my appetizer with my meal just because me and my husband had ordered 2 appetizers and 2 entrees. We figured we'd take the rest home. I didn't want what my husband wanted and he didn't want what I wanted, so we got 2. That didn't mean I wanted mine with my meal, because I NEVER ONCE SAID I DID. I went according to the MENU that it was labeled "APPETIZER", so if I would have wanted that as my meal, I would have said so, but I NEVER said that.

I HATE when servers assume coin change is theirs. They deserve a stiff for that since they STOLE without permission to keep part of the CUSTOMER'S MONEY, which at that point it is if the customer never said it was ok to keep the change or left the restaurant.

I HATE when servers assume you want a refill. I have change drinks before, so has my husband.

I HATE when servers assume just because you ordered a margarita the first time, that automatically means you want the same thing again. 2 times this has happened. Once, my husband had told a server I wanted another drink since she was handing us the check before I could say something and she assumed I wanted the same drink, which I wanted a white russian instead of a long island iced tea.

Another time, I had told my husband I was going to get another drink somewhere else, then changed my mind. Our waitress came by, so I said to my husband "Can I get another drink" while IN FRONT of our waitress asked him this and before I could PLACE MY ORDER(I WAS MAD that she did what she did) she was getting ready to walk off without giving me a CHANCE to place my order. I had ordered a margarita at first, then I wanted a dessert drink, which is usually my white russian. Some people get coffee for dessert, I get a COFFEE flavored alcoholic drink, that's really not that unusual if you think about it.

I HATE when servers assume when you ask for a box, that automatically means CHECK TIME. LOTS of times we asked for a box to MAKE ROOM for dessert and save the leftovers for the next day. To not even offer us dessert is just stupid on their part, because the more they sell to increase the check, the higher the tip can be. It's to their advantage to at least OFFER the dessert as long as I didn't ask for the check of course.

I HATE when servers assume you don't want the condiment the food comes with when you order an extra condiment with the food. If I order bbq sauce with chicken tenders that ON THE MENU state the chicken tenders come with honey mustard, I am ALREADY PAYING for that honey mustard in the price of the item, so unless I substitute bbq sauce for the honey mustard or say I don't want the honey mustard, there's NEVER a reason to assume I don't want the condiment the item comes with. It's an addition if the customer doesn't state they are substituting or they don't want it. Also, a lot of restaurants don't even charge for extra condiments, so does it matter if you give the person the bbq sauce and the honey mustard. If the restaurant does require to charge for extra, that's ONLY when you'd ask "Did you want both sauces?" You would also tell the customer you are required to charge for extra condiments so they won't be mad when bill time comes.

I HATE when servers assume when you want your side salad or soup when you also order an appetizer. Once, I had a waiter assume I wanted my side salad AFTER the appetizer, which I would have wanted it before or at least with the appetizer, because my husband was eating 98% of the appetizer, I wasn't. This was at Outback. He could have ASKED which one I wanted first. I automatically thought since I had salads very quickly there before and the side salads need NO COOKING, that mine would be out first. Especially since, I have been to a restaurant after that(Macaroni Grill) and had my side salad right away without the waiter asking or me telling him when I wanted my side salad when my husband ordered an appetizer as well. In the Outback situation, the other server that ran my food told me I would have had to tell my server when I wanted it. I was like "WHAT, that makes no sense?" I feel it's the SERVER'S RESPONSIBILITY to find out WHEN someone wants what, because it was a natural assumption when at another restaurant I got my side salad before the appetizer and most importantly, that side salads need NO COOKING TIME, which my husband ordered the bloomin' onion which DOES require cooking at Outback. Anyway, I don't think I was wrong in thinking that I'd get my side salad first WITHOUT having to tell him. I think it should be common sense people want their food as SOON as they can have it and if they want it later, THAT'S when the customer should speak up when they want their food. I don't feel it was MY responsibility to tell my server when I wanted it. I don't get WHY 2 different restaurants, same scenario, different outcomes? I was at another restaurant once, the side salads came AFTER the appetizer. It understand why they do that in case you are still eating your side salad when the food is hot and ready that they won't have to let your food get cold or sit under a heat lamp until you are finished your salads, but how come Macaroni Grill didn't do things that way? I finished my side salad WAYYYY BEFORE my husband's appetizer came at Macaroni Grill. I have had a time I wanted a side salad with my meal, but I TOLD my server that since side salads are served at appetizer times and get this: THAT WAITRESS ACTUALLY HAD COMMON SENSE TO ASK FIRST BEFORE I had told her that I wanted my side salad with my meal!!

My point of ASSUMPTIONS is that we are ALL DIFFERENT, so we should ALL get treated as we are DIFFERENT. Just because table 6 wants their check after their entrees doesn't mean table 7 does.