Why?

Why do people do the things they do? Like...why does this couple come into the restaurant, walk rudely past me to a table I remember them sitting at before, stand at the table, snap their drink and salad order at me as if I'm in the wrong for not knowing what they want before they say it? Why do they stare at me when I'm asking about their meal as if I shouldn't speak unless spoken to...then when they speak to me seem upset that I didn't anticipate their need? They treat me as if I was created to serve them...and it is an angering thing to realize that. If I didn't know that I was of value, regardless of my occupation, they would make me feel like a second-class citizen for being a waitress.

And why...do two young women order $30 worth of food, which we all know they'll never be able to eat it all...and then leave a tip of $2? You can't tell me they don't know the custom of tipping 10-20%.

Why...do people blame me for the policies put in place by the company I work for? It's not my fault extra cheese is $2 more...or that ranch dressing is 50Cents(even when purchased with wings)...or that Stuffed Crust is ALWAYS $2 more...or that a certain pizza was discontinued...or that the coupons only save you 50 cents? On that last note, if you were willing to pay 15.99 for a large pizza and wings when you had the coupon, then why do you get upset that the day you decide to order it...the wings are on sale making your meal cheaper than expected?...oh, and then you decide to not buy the wings because you can't use your coupon?! Why can't you order the cheaper meal today...and save the coupon for another day!?

And why do people cut you off in the middle of the greeting that you HAVE to say...immediately begin ordering...and then get upset when you ask them to repeat their order after you tell them you have to take their name and phone number before placing an order?

And why do people get upset when you say their name wrong?...It's not my fault someone else entered your name in as Dee in stead of Bea.

Why are people so ridiculously crazy?...Why do I think you'll have an answer? Why won't I just stop writing this post so I can get enough rest to deal with the whys that I'll be asking myself tomorrow when some more customers do strange things?

Pocketful of Change

So, today, I made a big decision on how I'm going to start saving up some of my tips so that I don't have all of it so readily available to spend. So, what's an inconvenient form of money? Coins, of course. Actually, one of the girls I work with gave me the idea of saving all of my change...she said she would do that if she were a waitress, and I started wondering if that wouldn't be a good way for me to save a bunch of money really fast! So, yes, as of today...I will be saving all my change. But, of course, today was also the day someone tipped me $3 in coins! The disadvantage of not exchanging coins for dollars is that coins weigh an apron down sooo much...and then your pocket starts a rendition of "jingle bells" every time you walk! Oh, and I also wanted to discuss the idea of leaving cents as part of a tip. My boyfriend believes it's offensive to leave change, but as a waitress I think it's pretty awesome when people leave dollars and then whatever pocket change they have or even when they pay with their credit cards and round off the charge to even dollars by leaving you cents. Jon's logic is that when you leave change you're insulting their quality of service. My logic is, at the end of day, you are going to have a few extra bucks in your pocket...if a bunch of people leave you a few coins...and the more money the better! In conclusion, a pocketful of change is a wonderful thing!

I have to rant about something ridiculous now. What makes a person think that because they are 30 minutes late to pick up their pizza that we are responsible for it and have to make them a new pizza?! Yes, somebody actually convinced themselves that we were at fault for trying to give them a 30 minute old pizza-thirty minutes after we told them it would be ready. The conversation went like this:

Me: That'll be $12.72, please.
Him: Is the pizza cold?
Me: Umm, no, we've kept it in the warmer for you.
Her: What do you mean you've kept it in the warmer? I know that that pizza has been sitting for thirty minutes. I wanna see it before we pay for it.
(At this point I think I raised my eyebrows really high in a "Seriously?" kind of way. But, of course I show them the pizza...she reaches across him to feel the pizza...decides it's not good enough...even though it is still warm! And demands I make her a new one.)
Me:Okay, ma'am, but it will be a little while until we can have another one.
Her:Yah, ten minutes right?
Me:Ten minutes at least...
Her:That's fine. We'll wait.

So...yes, I go tell my manager what had happened...she was very upset that a customer was so ignorant as to think we were responsible for the state of their pizza...when they were the ones 30 minutes late! And demanded that when they came back, that she speak with them. Well, anyways...these people seriously wanted to take us for everything we had. The lady came inside the store the next time to pick up their pizza...and begins to complain to my manager about the state of the pizza we tried to give her... saying that she was told it would be ready at 12:30, when in fact my manger was the one who told her 12:15..and still they didn't show up until 12:45...not to mention, the lady herself told me that "she knew the pizza had been sitting for 30 minutes. Well, anyways...I'll let you come to your own conclusion when I share these facts: The lady took her new pizza, 2 crayon packets, a huge huge huge pile of napkins, 2 doggie boxes...supposedly because we didn't have plates...and then had the nerve to ask "What are you guys goin to do with that other pizza?" My manager responds "We'll donate it to a charity like we do with all of our pizzas." Obviously, the lady wanted a 2 for one special...People are crazy!

Speaking of crazy: I had a table of two guys...and they were strange. I went to get their order, while one guy ended up being in the restroom. So the other guy orders, but couldn't tell me the answer as to which kind of wing the other guy wanted...so he jumps up and heads towards the restrooms and begins to shout into the men's room the question. No response. He then realizes his friend had ended up in the ladies' room! So he starts laughing, shouts through the door the same question...and beings to make a huge scene about the guy being in the wrong bathroom. I was standing at their table watching it all happen...and my face turned red for their embarrassment! I was just glad there weren't any ladies in the restroom when that man went in there. Crazy people!

And the results are.....

I walked 183,486 steps in 1 month at work...that's equivalent to about 70 miles that I walked inside of that restaurant! I think that's pretty crazy, personally.  So, yes, thanks to everyone who voted...and I shall have to think about what to make my next poll...any suggestions? 

What Most People Fail to Realize (Part 2)

Welcome to Part 2 of what "What Most People Fail to Realize!" The topic I chose for this continuing series is "The little things mean the most." A few days ago, the boyfriend of one of the girls I work with brought her flowers at work sparking a conversation about how guys usually just don't realize how the little things mean so much.  Well, I gotta say that in most relationships the little gestures and words spoken mean everything to the receiver, and I've been learning how it's true when I do little things extra to make my customers feel like they're really getting great service.  Where I work it's not required by the management for the servers to do certain things like box the leftover pizza, serve the first slice of pizza, offer to take the checks up to the register or offer lids for sauce containers etc...but I always try to show that I care by doing those things and anything else I see may make my guests feel taken care of.  Even though many times they don't want me to serve their first slice of pizza or any of the other things I offer, I like surprising them with the courtesy of offering.  And, in return, I find that my customers return the favors like: thanking me for great service, complimenting my personality, leaving me thank-you notes or from my younger guests-coloring pages, and, of course, leaving bigger tips! Sometimes, I even gain their loyalty and friendship! I've been to a few restaurants, where the servers just do their minimal job requirements expecting to get the coveted 20% tips, but I find that restaurant's guests look to the little extra things to decide if their dining experience was good or not...like having the server engage them in entertaining conversation if appropriate. So, yes, I've come to realize that the  relationship between a server and their customer is very similar to a romantic relationship...it's a wooing process. And, sometimes, the wooing takes several different encounters before the customer expresses fondness, then there are times when the sparks fly from the very first! So, remember, the little things count in every relationship!


Also, I'm still counting down the days to the final count of my steps taken! I'm actually mildly surprised at what the results are so far, but there's one more week left in the poll so I'll keep any more comments to myself.  Well, except for this: Only three people have voted? According to the visit counter there are a lot more people paying attention to my Serving Tales than just three...so vote, please! All this talking about counting has me wanting to count my tip money...Hahaha, I think I've been a waitress for tooooo long.

So unexpected...

Okay, this isn't going to be a long post, but I had to tell this short story from today.  I got sat with a table of 5, set of parents and their 3 kids.  Their youngest was a boy of about 3 years of age, and he was throwing fits over soo many things, but he also said the cutest darn things! Like when I introduced myself "Hi, everyone. My name's Kate I'll be your server tonight, can i start everyone off with your drinks?" The boy's answer was: "No thanks, bye bye." And I was immediately dismissed by the child! Then when I brought out their pizzas, the boy dives into his to steal the sausage off of it...and I had to warn him "Careful, buddy, it's hot!" He says "You shouldn't make them hot, you should make them warm!" Hahaha! To a three-year old boy's logic, it seems very illogical to make cold food so hot that you have to let it get cool again to eat!

Really? Reeeeeallly? Seriously?!

One of my worst fears happened tonight...it was a very very(yes, I felt the need to bolden, italicize, underline and repeat the word in order to emphasize my point) slow night, and finally it was 15 minutes until close, and I was finishing up my last big task of the night: vacuuming, when...(insert drum roll here) a table walks in! (Gasp!) Our delivery driver walks over to me and says "Kate! Guess what?! Remember all those times you took a delivery for me late at night? Well...I got you a table! Have fun!" ::sigh:: Okay, so after some thought, I decide "No Big Deal" and reconciled myself to staying a little later than I thought I would. But, yah,  a table of three guys...They'll eat quick, not be complicated, and possibly tip well(because, guys generally do tip female servers well in my experience...regardless of whether we flirt or not!) I'll have them out in 30 minutes, and I'll be out 15 minutes later.  All of which, happened according to plan...except for the $1.77 tip? Yah, that wasn't part of the plan.  Seriously, you're going to come in, sit down, keep me, the manager, and two other guys past close, and then leave me not even enough to buy my own soda? I don't get it. So, yes see the title of this post to see where my thoughts were when I found out what they left for me.

Thoughts and Such...

I have not posted in a while, because there really hasn't been too much interesting or entertaining happening in the restaurant business as of late. I mean there was one frustrating moment on Friday, because of inappropriateness from one of my customers, but I really don't want to go into detail of that because it's not what I wanted to hear or what I want to have others hear from me. 

And...please, remember to vote on the poll on this blog! It just takes a moment, and my record-keeping of my steps is coming along quite nicely! I think you all will be intrigued to know the results.

Oh I just remembered a cute instance that I must share...I had a table of four on Monday, a mother with her two young sons (ages 8 and 10?) and another boy with an apparent mental handicap (age 16-17?) Well, I greet everyone with my normal "Hey everyone, how are ya'll doing tonight?" And the oldest boy immediately says "You're pretty." I smile and say "thank you." then before I can continue with the specials of the day, the other two boys chime in "He's looking for a girlfriend!" and "I agree with him, you're pretty!" Well, I immediately assure them all that I have a boyfriend, but I definitely appreciate the compliments...well, to make a long story short...the boys were more interested in me than in their food! Every visit to the table became ridiculous with comments of "You're a nice lady." "Do you have a facebook?" "You're so beautiful." "Does Pizza Hut have a facebook page?" And a hundred other things were said that I can't remember...it became a little embarrassing after a while.  The two younger boys were just obvious instigators...keeping themselves entertained with how I would respond to everything. The older boy was sincerely just trying to find true love! You could see the boy had an innocent and sweet heart. Seriously, though there was a refreshing bluntness and niceness about the boy...soo much that when he's walking out the door he tells me "My name is ______ ______ . Find me on facebook okay?" "Ummm...okay, I will." What was I supposed to say? I already told him I had a boyfriend, and I didn't think I should say "No, I don't really know you and I'm not going to look you up on facebook, because I don't want to give you false hope of a relationship."  Or should I have? I really didn't like the fact that I lied to him.

Also today there was an older man in his fifties with a mental handicap...I believe he was there with his caretaker who looked so similar to him that I believe it must've been his brother.  The man immediately offers me his hand and says "Hello, nice to meet you. " I smile and shake his hand and respond to the greeting in kind. There was such a sweet spirit about this man as well, that I started to think about how if only everyone was so friendly and genuine, the world would truly be a kinder place.  I also started to think about how there was a day where people with mental handicaps would've been rejected and treated as second-class humans...But I believe there truly is something to be treasured in these people...they have such innocence and genuine caring for other people, that it makes me think of Jesus saying these words "And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3

So, yes, these are the thoughts that I have been thinking and pondering...and wanted to share with you.

"Life gives you lemons..."

"...then just eat them!" Haha, that was what a father learned from his one-year old son tonight.  This little boy was munching down on a slice of lemon as if it was a piece of chocolate! Silly boy...but, hey, I liked the moral behind it....who needs lemonade anyways? 

So, I've been thinking about this...does corny/cheesy sell? Back when I first started waitressing my manager had a series of "server" meetings, encouraging us to learn all aspects of our job to please customers. Well, one of the things she stressed was "be corny, people love it"...and I'm coming to think that it does sell very well.  I see other waitresses be entirely too silly and outgoing and crazy compared to what I'm comfortable with being...I mean, I like to talk, but I don't like to be outrageous or feel like a fool.  So what has me thinking that cheesy sells is that I felt like a complete idiot today with one of my tables...and I was sure I had annoyed them to no end with a rambling story about offering to serve the first slice of pizza, but they tipped me really well! So...maybe corny does sell?

Okay, so on to the business at hand. The poll you find on the left hand side of this blog...well it has less than 30 minutes left.  So my plan is this: for the next 4 weeks vote on how many steps you think I've taken.  Now I'm going to break it down for you: my week starts Tuesday and ends Monday. I am scheduled for 36.5 hours a week, and sometimes end up working more or less.  I will only be wearing my pedometer at work, so this won't include my personal time and days off... Also, to give you somewhere to start off with, my busiest night is Friday and on a Friday that wasn't too busy I walked 10,000 steps in 7 hours. So, I'm going to crunch some numbers and get my own estimate so that I can set up the poll. I think the amount of steps I take is going to be pretty crazy!

Money Origami

One of my favorite things that a customer can do for me is leave me an interestingly designed and cleverly folded tip...Origami Money is one of the coolest things! Yesterday I was given a piece of origami money, and I couldn't figure out what it was supposed to be! I was sooo upset, because it was obviously something, but what it was was not obvious to me! Anyways, I showed my boyfriend's brother the creation shown below, and he knew what it was.  See if you can figure it out before you read on. 

Did you figure it out? It's a boat! Okay, so the top part is a boat, I determined that the bottom is its display stand, but that can be seen (with a little imagination) as a wave that the boat is sitting on. I was pretty ecstatic to find this on my table where a friendly older couple had eaten their dinner.

Now receiving that boat wasn't enough for me to post about origami money, but lo and behold I received another piece of origami today as well...and decided I couldn't resist sharing.  My other item of money origami was a little more obvious with its identity. Check it out below. :-)

Yup, it's a bowtie! And, though, I thoroughly love and appreciate the bowtie and boat (they're so much fun to show off) my favorite origami piece I ever received was a ring! I unfortunately didn't think to save the ring, or even a picture of it, but a long time ago a grandfather made a $5 ring and gave it to his grandson to give to me.  It fit my hand perfectly and was definitely some cool bling(though you shouldn't wash your hands while wearing it...lol) Here's a pic of what they look like that I took off the internet.

So, yes....tonight, I did a Google search for money origami and there are some VERY impressive pieces out there...which I can only hope one day someone will make them for me. But, if you're interested, as I was, do your own Google search and see some of the really creative money origamis out there, and if you're really intrigued go ahead and learn how to make one and give it to a server next time you eat out...they'll appreciate the time put into the making of it more than the actual money! Maybe you can come visit me at work...I would, personally, love a rose made of money...hint, hint. 

Farewell for now,

Kate Lynn 

Don't touch my apron!

Ugh, I'm going to start this post off with a rant. Don't ever touch a server's apron! Seriously, you wouldn't touch someone's purse or wallet right? (I hope not, anyways.) Well, my apron has the same function...and it's strapped to my waist. It's very close to my person, and I don't want you touching my hard-earned money or my person.  I don't know what this customer was thinking...trying to be helpful? Maybe. But I had just filled both my hands and arms with plates and bowls from their table when he tries to hand me the the check folder to cash out for him...and then realizing my hands were full, he says "Oh, I'll just slide it into your pocket..." And starts to reach for the middle pocket of my apron. Fortunately, I have good balancing skills and immediately stacked the dishes on my arm higher freeing up one of my hands and avoided that scenario. It was just annoying...I'm a very private person and I don't like anyone touching me or my personal belongings, and I don't think I should have to deal with that from customers, who may be innocently trying to help but who knows what's really going through their heads? They are, in the end, strangers. End of rant.

Okay, so update on the pedometer: I'm kind of disappointed, because I haven't worked a really busy day since I've been wearing it. So, yes, the numbers are a little lower than I expected. I walked 9,000 steps 9:30-8 on Monday and about the same today from 11:30-8. That's about 4.5 miles a day...inside of a very tiny restaurant. I also wore the pedometer on my days off...Sunday: 6,000 steps. Tuesday: 2,000 steps. Like I said...I'm kind of disappointed. I bet I walk about 20,000 steps on some of my busiest days. I still find these numbers to be really interesting...I love these kinds of facts, and I think I'm going to make it the topic of my next quiz question, which is located on the left of this blog and ends in just 12 days! 

Until next time.

Kate Lynn

So many steps to take...

Step 1: Continue reading this post.
Step 2: Forgive me ahead of time for shortness of post
Step 3: Follow the first two steps and repeat if necessary.

There are soooo many steps to take for a waitress. So many in fact that I began to be curious about how many steps I actually take in a day. And I don't like to let my questions go unanswered, so I did the logical thing and bought a pedometer. It's a handy little gadget that records my steps taken, distance walked, calories and fat burned, and also "aerobic steps." I haven't figured out what aerobic steps are yet, but I do know that I haven't taken any today as my pedometer informed me. Maybe, I've never taken an "aerobic step"? I must look into that as well. So I wore my pedometer for a 6 1/2 hour shift today and traveled a whole 4.5 miles with 9100 steps. Please, keep in mind that today was actually not very busy...I was quite stationary for a majority of the day.  Today was kind of a test run with my pedometer, and I really can't wait to see what the distance and steps are at the end of my day on Monday which will be my 9:30AM-8PM shift...working alone for most of the day.  BTW, if anyone ever wants to get me a really kind gift I would take a foot bath/massager any day!

Hiiiiiii! Hiiiiiiii! Hiiiiii!

"Hiiiiii! Hiiii! Hiiiiiiiiiiii!" cries this little boy from across the room relentlessly until I respond. Oh, my goodness was he loud! And relentless....he would yell "Hi." For as long as it took to get my attention every time I was in the dining room. All I gotta say is thank God that most men mature out of that...can you imagine if they didn't? Haha, it's an entertaining thought.

Now, most have heard of the rule of most restaurants, "No Shoes, No shirts, No service." But is that rule only applicable until you've sat at your table? This older gentleman seemed to think that it was perfectly okay to take his shoes off once he was sat at the table...I'm not so certain that is true.  But then again, I had already served their pizza so maybe he thought that he had worn his shoes for as long as he needed to in order to get service...He held up his end of the deal, and I did mine; however, I'm still not certain my mom would approve of lounging in socks in a restaurant. What do you think?

Oops moment: I forgot to enter in a pizza order today.  I knew the order in my head, got them their appetizer, but never put the order in the computer system. Oops, my bad! 25 minute wait for a pizza that should take 10? Not terrible....right?

Oh, and what are the chances that two tables of two walk into the restaurant at the same time, order two sodas, and order nothing but exactly the same "meat lovers" pizza...and then I take a carryout order for yet another a "meat lovers" pizza...all within 5 minutes of each other? The probability of that circumstance and the actuality of it happening today was kind of ridiculous....

Also, I'd like to take a moment to say that not all teenagers are predictable...I had a table of 8 young teens today, and when one gets a table of teenagers you expect these things: 1. Everyone to order waters 2. Loud and obnoxious conversation 3. No tip But, I really do applaud this group of teenagers, because though 6 of 8 did order waters and were somewhat loud, they actually tipped me an almost 20%. I was very grateful and glad to say that not all teenagers are irresponsible, but some actually embrace the idea of responsibility...It was refreshing to see!

That's all for today...thanks for reading my blog! And, please, consider actually joining blogger and following my blog. It's free, and maybe you can start your own blog that I can read as well! Thanks a billion. Kate Lynn

Today's Honorable Mentions!

Today's customers were worth mentioning! But before I do, I must say I don't like the word "customer" when referring to those people who become more like friends or family(though some are more like the one relative you wish you didn't have to claim as blood relation let alone by any kind of association) who are visiting for some kind of special event! Okay so after a brief consultation with thesaurus.com, I have decided from here-on out I shall call them patrons. Patron is defined as a "person who supports a cause," and I believe that it fits them as they support my cause! Hehe, okay...now onto the Honorable Mentions among the rest of my mediocre patrons of the day. 

I hosted a "party" today during the lunch hour. Fortunately, Monday lunches are very rarely busy, so throwing a party wasn't terribly difficult. I had 12 patrons...ages 19-21? At any point, they were out of high school...the majority was female, and they were loud.   I gave them the whole half of the restaurant(being the only waitress means I have the whole restaurant to give and take as I please) Even with their being loud and, obviously, not having a lot of money to buy food let alone tip, they were quite pleasant...well, they left me a 10% tip and this note :) 

How sweet! I love when people leave me simple thank you notes :) And just as an FYI, they left the note to me in pristine condition...but the paper towel then entered the battle zone of my apron pocket. 

My next Honorable Mention is a group of 3 patrons. Young men, in their 20s. They were extremely polite.  Their bill totaled around $30...they left me a $25 tip! And I promise you, I did not flirt! Not a one left a phone number for me, and I accepted the money with a clean conscience. What a blessing from God!

My last Honorable Mention was an older couple of patrons. They were fun to banter with right off the bat, right from the get go, from the moment they walked in...etc. And they were my last table of the night, keeping me and talking about the economy, finances, and just plain being smart with money for about 15 minutes after I offered to take their check to the counter for them.  I love chatty people, they make me feel like I'm a human not a robot servant. :)

So, yes, Mondays are my longest days beginning at 9:30 in the morning and ending at 8 that night, but today was definitely the kind of Monday I look forward to. 

Customers are: Fine and Kind!

I had a full day of fun customers today.  

So first fun customers of the day were two guys.  They ate, paid, and were leaving when the younger guy went to hand me the check folder(as said in a previous post, most people like to hand tips directly to the server.) Unfortunately, he tried to pass it to me quickly while my hands were full. :-/ That doesn't work too well, and when he realized his mistake he was immediately apologetic. "Oh, I'm sorry!" I laugh and say, "Oh, you're fine!" free my hands and accept the folder with a "Thank you, thank you very much" reminiscent of Elvis Presley. So the older man(his father) starts laughing and comments in a suggestive way, "She said you were fine." Awkward turtle. It caught me so off guard, what is one supposed to say to that? I don't know what the average waitress would feel with that being said to her, but I honestly love love love plays on words like that so I laughed and admitted, "Yah, you're right. I did say that didn't I?" Hehe, it's even funnier because neither one of the men were "fine" in the physical sense of the word, but they were definitely fine in their sense of humor. :D

So my first set of real "regulars" is an older couple probably in their 60s. They come every Wednesday night, I brew fresh coffee for her...pour a diet soda for him...place the same order every week, and we usually chat for as long as I can spare.  Tonight's conversation went towards their beach home which they rent out to their friends and family. They were talking about it in detail, beautiful scenery, she's a tasteful decorator (her husband was so sweet to say so about her!) he remodeled the kitchen, etc etc.  And I made the comment, "Well, now I know who to contact for a place to stay for my honeymoon!" (I'm not engaged, but a girl thinks about these things.) And then after a little bit more conversation, the gentleman offers in an entirely serious and sincere way, "Well, when you do get married and set the date, just let us know and we'll let you have the house for a week for free." Holy smokes! I'm just a little bit less than a complete stranger and these people are so kind and sweet! I don't know of many people so generous and kind.  I felt so loved and cared for. It's the reality of how Jesus grew in favor with God and man, and how I grow that way too! Oh, how I love that couple! 

So in conclusion some customers are fine and others are kind...which one are you?

What Most People Fail to Realize (Part 1)

So, I plan on posting occasionally on "What Most People Fail To Realize" And this will be part one of that series.

What most people fail to realize is...that server's require food and drink, bathroom breaks, social interaction, and the occasional nose scratch...  You see being a server most of the time requires you to forgo many of those basic needs.  Because while a server serves food all through the dinner rush they never get to eat food themselves until way past a normal person's dinner time. And though going to the bathroom may seem like a good excuse to stop working for 5 minutes, the noisy customer swirling the ice in his empty cup is not so understanding.(We develop steel bladders after about one night)   And, yes, social interaction may not be a high priority, but after weekend after weekend of forgoing social event after social event...a server can become quite depressed and lonely.  (I always find it ironic that I have to work so that others can go out to eat and relax)  And finally, the nose-scratching...please, don't think I'm being rude when I'm at your table and I suddenly have to scratch my nose...I know you wouldn't feel bad about scratching your nose if you had to while talking to me.  Now I know I'm supposed to be mechanically professional at all times, but the reality is that I'm a human as well...and my nose sometimes itches! I promise I will wash my hands before I get you drinks or food or anything...maybe.  lol

In conclusion, what most people fail to realize is that servers are humans too. Don't be one of the uninformed, please, take a stand against ignorance by committing the above facts to memory and being kind the next time you're at a restaurant and your server sneezes into his/her arm...If you are indeed human as well, I would dare to bet my next tip on the fact that you've sneezed at an inappropriate time as well.

Are they bringing out more pizza?

Questions and Answers:

 Are they bringing out more pizza? Really? Why would you ask that question in the middle of a PIZZA LUNCH BUFFET? Okay, so the pizza bar is empty...yes, we are going to refill it.... When will the dessert pie be out? I have 15 tables right now...Do you really think I know where the dessert pie is in the oven or even if there's one made or not? ? Would you mind getting my salad now? Why, yes..I would love to after I get 20 drinks/refills for my other tables, get salads for the 2 tables sat before you, seat 2 more tables, and then answer 10 other customer's equally ridiculous questions.  Really, why does everyone have to converge on the local pizza buffet on President's Day? Are you really the waitress on today? Yes, I am...now don't you feel bad for me? Actually, most everyone did feel bad for me today. A waitress' consolation prize for running her butt off for 3 hours straight is the most appreciated gift of "pity tips." For those of you who don't know, a pity tip is an overly generous monetary compensation given to a server who wasn't able to give quality service because of the high-demand of his/her services.  Oh, and my favorite question of the day. Is your supervisor who scheduled you here today here as well? No, she's not. Aww, I would've liked to speak to her about this. Oh, don't worry, kind older gentleman, she'll be hearing about today.  Oh, I hope you give it to her good!  LOL Thank you, Sir, for your comedy relief! But, yes, I must've looked really pitiful today, because after I thought I had recovered from the lunch rush, I got a tip at the counter for no reason at all! I quickly determined the weariness and stress was still apparent on my face.

Okay,  I'm going to make myself move past the crazy lunch rush now and onto this:  So, I very rarely get stiffed by tables...(I didn't get stiffed by a single table earlier when I really would've understood if it had happened!) But tonight I thought that this woman with her two sons had decided to do just that! Getting stiffed upsets me so much(I can't help but take it personally) that I don't even want to go near the table to clean it because I feel so insulted.  Then when I finally bused my table, I lifted one of the plates and felt something crunchy and papery underneath. The woman had hid my tip under the plate. I'm assuming so that no one would steal the money? It was a kind thought she had....many people are concerned about theft of tips(myself as well), but I find that most people choose to hand the money directly to the server to prevent theft not hide it under a dirty plate. ::shrugs:: It's a unique anti-theft system, and I'm just glad I didn't get stiffed!

Eventful Day

To quote one of my favorite tv show hosts, "Oh my goodness, Oh my goodness." Pretty much describes the day I had today.  By the way, that's a quote from the Travel Channel's Man v Food's Adam.

I'd like your thoughts on something.  I found a napkin left on one of my tables.  On it was an e-mail address hand written sloppily in pen. Now I remember the customer well.  A lone business man probably 20 years my senior. He took his time scarfing down food at our pizza lunch buffet(he was there about 45 minutes.) I didn't have a lot of interaction with him, though...Anyways, on to where I'd like to know your thoughts.  Did he leave his e-mail address for me to e-mail him? I think thoughts like this, "Maybe he's married and didn't want me calling him, because he doesn't want the chance of his wife finding out." But those thoughts just make me feel sick with cheapness...as if just because I'm a waitress that guys think I'm for sale.  It's disgusting to think about.

Best moment of the day: An older couple insisted I was their waitress tonight, even after I told them I was no longer waitressing for the night.  It feels soooo good when you go to your manager and co-workers and tell them that a table requested you by name, so you're sticking around for a little while longer.  

Worst moment of the day: Absolute chaos! Fundraiser night, huge table, disorganized, running kids, stayed for a whole 2.5 hours! Took up my whole section! Made my other tables angry with their rudeness...Seriously, my one customer came to the register to pay, complained about this table's antics, saying that one of the girls was standing and talking and pushing her butt up and onto their table! How awful to have butt in your face while you're trying to eat.  Also, they were blocking up all the aisles for walking...I had to walk to the other side of the restaurant and back every time I went to my section.  It made me soooooo aaarrrgh angry! So, please, remember, when in a public restaurant keep all hands, feet, and butts contained to your own table. Thank you, and have a pleasant evening.

Craziest Valentine's Day Customer Comment?

So I served a table on Monday night which was just a middle-aged couple out for pizza on Valentine's Day.  They seemed pretty normal compared to a lot of customers I've had, but the comment the woman gave me at the end of the meal was just (excuse the lack of a more politically correct word) crazy! Okay, so by now you're thinking "Come on...just tell me what she said." Well, okay then, I will. She said "This is the best Valentine's Day meal I've ever had! I really enjoyed it." Seriously, after over a half of a century of Valentine's Day dinners, we serve you pizza with fungus(mushrooms), olives, and diced tomatoes and you think it's the best Valentine's meal ever? All I could do was smile and say, "I'm glad you enjoyed it, Ma'am." But all the while she was complimenting the meal, I was standing in awe...I mean our pizza isn't even homemade...it's cookie-cutter pizza.  It's not made in a brick oven, or with homemade sauce, or with freshly grated mozzarella...it's really quite ordinary.  But as my Grandma would say, "To each their own." So to you, the older woman with low expectations, I say this: Keep your pizza with fungus, and I'll have my perfectly cooked steak with roasted vegetables and freshly baked rolls spread with cinnamon butter!

Serving it up!

Welcome to my newest and most entertaining blog yet! Please, follow along as I share the strange, funny, cute, and frustrating happenings in my life as a server.

Seriously, who ever thinks that life in a restaurant could be so dramatically hilarious? From crying old men to flirty little toddlers...and, yes, I did write that the way I wanted to...the unexpected happens all the time.

Oh, also...have you-as someone who has ever eaten in a restaurant- ever considered what is being said about you, the customer, among the entire staff and even to other customers? Hehe, well, I'm not going to go into detail about that, but, aren't you going to be more self-conscious the next time you go out to eat. I mean, seriously, if I have to wear dress pants to serve you, why can't you have the decency to wear something other than your over-sized(or even worse, your too tight::shudders::) flannel sleep pants?

Or,(and this one is for the guys) have you ever considered that a waitress is just being nice to you to get your money...not your phone number?  We're not all damsels in distress waiting for a knight to save us from our doomed lives as servants and in the process sweep us off our feet. So leave me as big of a tip as you want, but I'm not going to call you...even if you do say I "have a nice personality and pretty smile."

Okay, so not everything is as ridiculous as all of that.  There are the sweet old people who just want someone to listen, and I'm glad to do that! There are the middle-aged people who take you in as their adopted child.  There are those kind people who you bond with so quickly that they only come to the restaurant when they know you're working.  And there are jerks...but that's life.  So, please, follow me and I promise to tell the tales of being a server in today's restaurant business where-contrary to popular belief-the customer isn't always right!