..you're job is greeting customers at your post as soon as they arrive, and seat them.

You're not paid to text on your phone, talk with bartender, the bus boy, the cook or other customers while new customers wait for you to get your lazy fat ass in gear.

You saw us there, waiting for you and after about 10 minutes we left.

I phoned your manager last night to complain about you.

You may not a job tomorrow.

I wonder what they would do if you seated yourselves. Probably have conniptions.

I have had that happen. One of the things that irks me is that they perceive their job as telling YOU where to sit, not where YOU would like to sit. The table facing the restaurant kitchen and restrooms is not favorite spot. Oh and please sit me next to the family with screaming kids.

quote:

I wonder what they would do if you seated yourselves. Probably have conniptions.

I have done that numerous times, but not in high class establishments that have a maître d'.

I rather like some of the hostesses around here, but I see what you mean.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
I have had that happen. One of the things that irks me is that they perceive their job as telling YOU where to sit, not where YOU would like to sit. The table facing the restaurant kitchen and restrooms is not favorite spot. Oh and please sit me next to the family with screaming kids.

V-Tail (who is old enough not to give a shit any more): "I would prefer that table, over there."

I never had a problem with that. Well, once, the hostess started to say something, I gave her "the look," and we sat at our preferred table.

I had a friend who worked at ruby tuesdays in my 20's. I would go in and hit on on all the chicks that worked there. Set up party plans for the evening, get free drinks and salad bar, anything that didn't have to go down on an order slip was mine.

Waitresses would come sit with me and hangout instead of checking on customers. The big joke for them was they only needed to unbutton one button on their shirt and get a better tip regardless of their service. "A wink was worth a twenty" they would say. I was the one distracting them for hours a night. Often times right in front of the people waiting inline to be seated.

Yeah it was great times, chicks showering me with drinks then sex after partying all night long. The best part about it was they paid for everything. I was making 13 bucks an hour back in 90, they were making 150+ a night cash tax free in 6 hours.

I love Yelp.

I can leave a shit review as the waitress watches me when she brings the check.

Lately it's waitresses with the personality of a wet sock..

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
V-Tail (who is old enough not to give a shit any more): "I would prefer that table, over there."

I never had a problem with that. Well, once, the hostess started to say something, I gave her "the look," and we sat at our preferred table.

I went out with a girl who was a hostess. One of the few bits of leverage she had was to favor certain servers by seating more people in their areas over servers she didn't like. Some servers would also basically bribe her by sharing their tips. Apparently she was supposed to spread guests out equally as possible, but the rules got bent. So one of those things might have played a factor.

There were also servers who would give her cash if she could avoid seating, ah, "guests of color" in their sections if possible. It wasn't overtly racist so much as economical from what I could tell.

On Monday evenings we go to a little tavern here in town. We go early because that's when we eat supper. They have a new hostess, Hanna. Really pretty. But I have a problem, I only want my waitress. I'll stand and wait until I'm sure she's who will be serving me. Once she was caught in traffic. I told the hostess I'd wait. Its nice to have the best waitress in the place as your "captive". Yes, I tip well or think I do.

I let them guide me, but choose the seat I want if I can.
Seat me next to loud drunks or screaming kids when other tables away from them are open?
No tip!

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:

No tip!

Wow, that's harsh. Punish the waitress for something the hostess did? You realize the hostess gets at least minimum wage, but the server only gets $2.13 plus tips?

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
I have had that happen. One of the things that irks me is that they perceive their job as telling YOU where to sit, not where YOU would like to sit. The table facing the restaurant kitchen and restrooms is not favorite spot. Oh and please sit me next to the family with screaming kids.

You got that right.

Worst host ever for me was at the Ritz Carlton in San Juan Puerto Rico. His name was Angel and I can promise you he is not a host there anymore.

He was absolutely the worst most unpleasant person you would want greeting your customers in the morning for breakfast especially at a place known for outstanding service.
I understand sometime folks have bad days so I gave him the benefit of the doubt the first 2 days. The 3rd morning he was just as miserable. No good morning, no would you like to sit on the patio no nothing. As you approached the hostess stand he looked at you with a blank expression and huffed "room number" and before you could even answer he was half way across the dining room without even the slightest indication for you to follow him. He then tossed the the menus on the table and I was still not even close to the table and he hightailed it back to the stand.
No pulling out chairs no nothing.

I utilized the comment card not only to express my frustration with Angel but also to ring praise to Dave the omelette cook who was very personable and made a great omelette.

I received a call not even 20 minutes after leaving breakfast and on my way to the airport by someone in Customer Service who said the problem had been taken care of and I would be compensated for my 3 days at the resort.

quote:

Originally posted by billr:

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
V-Tail (who is old enough not to give a shit any more): "I would prefer that table, over there."

I never had a problem with that. Well, once, the hostess started to say something, I gave her "the look," and we sat at our preferred table.

I went out with a girl who was a hostess. One of the few bits of leverage she had was to favor certain servers by seating more people in their areas over servers she didn't like. Some servers would also basically bribe her by sharing their tips. Apparently she was supposed to spread guests out equally as possible, but the rules got bent. So one of those things might have played a factor.

There were also servers who would give her cash if she could avoid seating, ah, "guests of color" in their sections if possible. It wasn't overtly racist so much as economical from what I could tell.

There is a bar/restaurant in Chicago that all the Chicago Bulls players would go to after a game. Most of them never tipped the waitress or bartender. One guy was so bad that the staff referred to him as "no tippin Pippen". The only color that mattered to the wait staff was the color green. And when the Bulls players came in, the wait staff knew they were not going to see that color that night.

This discussion, and of course the food, is why I don't go to restaurants except when away from home.

I've had very few reallly negative experiences with hostesses, but they certainly can ruin an experience.
Here's a simple tip: if you can't seat someone right away, send them to the bar, give them a menu to peruse the offerings, offer to bring them a beer/wine to tide them over..
It takes so little, but means worlds of difference with reviews. Think about it.

Irreverent's suggestion is good but that would require management to actually do some training.

quote:

I utilized the comment card not only to express my frustration with Angel but also to ring praise to Dave the omelette cook who was very personable and made a great omelette.

I received a call not even 20 minutes after leaving breakfast and on my way to the airport by someone in Customer Service who said the problem had been taken care of and I would be compensated for my 3 days at the resort.

High class establishments do that sort of thing frequently. LOL

It also happens in the Casino industry. They spend time training their hotel/wait staff and will frequently comp meals, lodging and the like. Of course they are always monitoring your play.

In the casino business there are two factors that determine compensation. They are length of play and amount wagered. It does not matter if you have won or lost, because the casino will always win in the end.