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Clearly posted business hours.
The hours of operation are CLEARLY posted on the front door.
On Tuesday nights, we close, at 10:00 pm. At 9:55 pm, a man (60-70) walks into an EMPTY restaurant. Sits down. I bring a menu, and silverware: "Good Evening, my name is Laura, and I will be taking care of you tonight. I want to let you know that the kitchen will be closing in 5 minuets BUT the good news is, all of my appetizers are 50% off! My drink special tonight is _______. Can I get you a cocktail, glass of wine or beer to start?" He looks at me, and says in a crappy tone of voice "Should I go somewhere else? You seem in a rush?" ((IN MY HEAD)) I wanted to say Um yeah toad, we close in 5 min, so yeah, there is a little rush IF YOU WANT TO EAT. On the outside I said "You are fine. I will go grab your wine and a glass of water while you look at the menu". I come back.........and ask if he has any questions, or he's ready to order. He says "I will need a minute" ((IN MY HEAD)) I wanted to say "um, you were given 5, and you have burned 4 farting around, giddy up" On the outside I said "No problem, I will go let the kitchen know you are looking at the menu. I gave him FOUR MORE MINUETS (NOW AT TOTAL OF 10) which is 5 more than I told him when he sat down at 9:55pm. He orders a burger. Seriously. 200 drive thru's in the city open 24/7 It took him more time to decide than it did to get his meal ready. AND IT TOOK HIM 45 MIN TO EAT A FREAKIN' HAMBURGER. He left, 55 min later. Ever watch a passive aggressive person in action? You know the kind that derives ENORMOUS pleasure from pushing other people to their limits? The kind that finds deep satisfaction being a P.I.T.A.????? Then they tip 12%? Right. Um, yeah, check the business hours before you go into a restaurant. What a toad. |
You never know, he might have been a "secret shopper", and you passed with flying colors.
But he's probably just a jerk. |
When I was a waitress we were actually scheduled for one hour after the official closing time, we often had people who would come in just before closing- sometimes the restaurant was full at that time.
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I had 2 kids walk in 20 min before we closed and they said "we will hurry". I told them "don't you dare, you take your time and enjoy your meal!" They 'understood'. They came in, had a meal, and left by 10:10. I think everyone should have to wait tables for 6 months. It just might give them a totally different perspective of the world, and the people in it!! |
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There have been nights when I have had 10-25 people in the bar past closing....and once one table gets up and leaves....the other usually follow suit in short time. It's the people that KNOW they are there way past closing AND they are the ONLY ones in the restaurant that make me shake my head!! I have loooooooong patience for a table....one couple had been packing and moving all day and lost track of time. This was their first chance to sit down and eat. Fabulous tip. One group of 3 just got back from the airport (after their honeymoon) and their dad wanted to spend time with them before they moved out west. Fabulous tip. I had two ladies, that were discussing serious family issues. Normal 20% tip. I do have empathy for people. However, this jack-wagon last night? He was the exception to the rule. You get those every now and again. It's the nature of the beast!!:smack |
I am learning that in business, nothing is clear. Everything is negotiated. Nothing is black and white. I would not do what this man did, but I would treat him as you did. He may have needed something other than a hamburger and you provided understanding and compassion while helping your business too. Good work.
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You handled the situation professionally, as should be expected. But, I don't think it would have hurt to say that you're closing up, or the kitchen is closed as soon as he walked through the door. I, personally, would have not offered him the menu. Especially if you're by your self (no other staff) it could be really dangerous to just let the guy stay there after hours. Thank goodness this wasn't the case, but what if he was a lunatic that though "the door is still unlocked, there's only one staff member left, no one around". A lot of companies make the last person in the shop, carry the day's earnings to the bank. What if he thought this was the situation? Don't know, maybe I am wrong, but who really thinks they're going to be served a meal at a sit-down dinner restaurant 5 minutes to closing. Besides, his watch could have very well have been 5 minutes slow.
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Laura
Having run and owned restaurants for well over half my life, you allow guests to walk in right up until closing and then give them however much time they want. I commend you for being cool on the outside, but let go of it on the inside or get out of the business, you'll drive yourself nuts. I had a five minute rule in my restaurants - we opened 5 minutes before the posted time and didn't lock the doors until 5 minutes after the posted time because everyone's clock is off by a few minutes. |
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One restaurant where I worked had a closing time listed as well as hours of service. We stopped taking orders 45 minutes before we closed. The chef was even annoyed about that as he was "not a short order fry cook!". We all knew that if people were still dining at closing time we were still going to be serving them and with a smile. We always assumed that we would not be finishing at closing time.
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I gather that there were at least two people on staff in these cases? Entering just before closing time is an old trick for strong-arm robbery. No other customers to see the perp. and the day's receipts may still be sitting around.
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Yeah, no one else has to work late or has difficult clients. I wouldn't do what he did but I find your reaction absurd. HAVE to wait tables? Is this China ? 12 percent tip? That's not the end of the world since tips are essentially gifts....... Sent from my C811 4G using Tapatalk 2 |
Usually one waitress was the closer and had to stay until everyone was gone and the work was completed. Everyone else did have a set time, but if you still had a table you had to wait anyways. I never expected to get out at any certain time, just the nature of the job.
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I thought a closer was the one who took care of nasty customers. Or is that a cleaner?
Humor, not violence, intended. I killed any chance. |
.............Two big factors here , (1)You're a Professional , you have perfected the art of Sublimating your resentment towards customers who you feel are taking advantage of the closing time and you provide service regardless , of , HOW they come across ! (2)Had this older person had any sense , he would have acknowledged his expectation for service at the posted closing time , and asked you if he could still receive service ! By doing such , he gives YOU the choice of accepting or rejecting his request for service . You had the opportunity to tell him........NO , even though he expected you to say Yes . Your service to him at such a late hour should have been rewarded with an extra large tip........which would have solidified his intention to say... Thank YOU for serving ME ! , fordy
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When I waited tables (200 years ago) we had a closing time. We invited people to come in util that time and we served them. We certainly never expected our customers to be finished by closing time. It's all part of the job.
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.....................Since when do wait personnel set the hours of operation for a business ! She , is NOT in Mgt ! , fordy:rolleyes: |
Laura is allowed to be seething on the inside as long as she treated the customer as nicely as she did. She came here to vent the feelings she could not openly express. Cut her a break.
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Oh, I remember those days! :pound:
Awhile back, when I was still married to the last ex, we met some friends in a busy restaurant on a Friday night. We had a lot of catching up to do and ended up staying for most of the evening. Our exasperated server resorted to repeatedly bumping into the backs of our chairs, evidently hoping we'd take the hint and move along. No such luck (we left a nice tip, though!). :) |
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A lot of servers will 'quit filling the water glass' in hopes that when the guest runs out of water, they will leave...... I just can't do that. If they run out of water, I keep filling it, no matter how late they stay. The 'crux' of my whine was this: The guest got crappy with ME not the other way around. He knew, when he walked into a restaurant 5 min before closing, what he was doing. And it's the 'particular type of person' that he is that grinds my gears. The kind that goes out of their way, to get under people's skin, and that is how they derive pleasure; by being a PITArce. You see those types all the time, every where. It has nothing to do with business hours. It's the "type of person" I was dealing with, that was the crux of my whine. I had 2 come in last night just like him. HOURS before we closed. They were equally, annoying, and equally a PITArce, however, I still provided excellent service. I hope that better explains my whine. It's not the hours. It's the 'type' of person that I am whining about. |
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I worked as a waitress in a nice private club to pay for college. We closed at 11:00 but were expected to take care of everyone the same that came in even if it was 11:00 straight up. I get a little frustrated when a sign says it closes at 9:00 and we are excited because it is 8:45 and we made it in time and then feel rushed and pushed out the door or even worse they are sweeping and mopping around our table as we eat.
Heck, most of the best tips were the late evening customers in those days. I sometimes even took care of what they needed and was invited to sit and join them. I never had a problem with it at all. I do have to say though I had no children or husband at home to hurry for. Maybe I would have felt differently now. |
You did good Laura.
Ive worked restaurants on & off for years. I really think people with problems in life go to restaurants to take it out on the staff because they can. They can also treat staff the way they cant do to anyone else in their lives & you in return are supposed to be as polite as possible & they know that. |
That was the only nice thing about tending bar years ago..
By law last call for alcohol was 2 am and you had to leave the bar by 2:30 am. Those drunks that would order and pay for 5 beers only had a half hour to drink them.. Most of the time I would just end up pouring them down the drain. But that was their call.. That meant I could count on being home by 3:30 after cleaning up... |
Has anybody thought maybe why the man came in late? Maybe he just came from the hospital having left a critically family member or worse yet lost one.and the time wasn't foremost on his mind.there are many possibilities!!Calling him a toad wasn't called for even if it's only on your post.We know you are going through a difficult time,well could be, so is he.
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This does sound like a passive aggressive person you were dealing with. Sent from my GT-P3113 using Tapatalk 4 |
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The way I've seen some places deal w/this type of behavior is to have something on the menu or a posted sign that says something about when they will no longer take orders. That way, they don't have someone coming in late and expecting to get served.
That being said, I was in a diner years ago that had that policy. I made sure I got there well in advance. I was given the dinner menu (they also had a dessert menu that you got if you came in after a certain time), then sat and waited and waited and waited for the waitress. I probably waited for 20 minutes, if not longer. Finally about 5 minutes after you were no longer able to order off the dinner menu, she came over to take my order. And when I tried to order off the dinner menu, she said I couldn't. If I had gotten there too late to get the dinner menu, that would have been one thing. But, I had to wait for quite some time for her! I asked to see the manager. I got my dinner. |
I'm laughing because, just last night, we went out to eat. (No power)! Before going in the restaurant, we checked to see what their hours were to make certain we didn't detain the employees by ordering close to closing time!
They're tired too and want to go home! |
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I love the prodigal son story. I think it over and over. I see this story everyday in real life over and over. Sometimes daily. I see it differently from every angle.
I am each person at different times. I like this thread because it is a prodigal son story. This is not a simple thread. The feeling that you have and what you see keeps changing as you allow yourself to become the other. |
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