Waiter Extraordinaire

The Weekly Quiz

steve@stevetalks.ca (Waiter Extraordinaire) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:05:00 +0000

It is Thursday already. This week just flew by. I will post the answers in 24 hours instead of tonight to give all the world a chance to post their answers. Ha. Good luck!

1. A Scotch Broth soup is nearly always prepared with this type of grain? What is it?

2. Sobressada is a charcuterie specialty which consists of a fat stuffing with small pieces of meat inside of it in all within an unsmoked spreading sausage. It is highly seasoned and coloured with sweet pepper. What country is this charcuterie found and protected so no imitations can be made?

3. Give me the name of an Indian cheese made from buffaloes' milk that takes it's name from the town in which it is manufactured?

4. The original name give to this spirit by the natives of the French West Indies is Tafia? What spirit are we speaking of?

5. Oolong is what kind of beverage that comes from Taiwan?

Don't forget this is for your entertainment only and there are no winners or losers. Don't take this too seriously folks.

Tonight I will post my first assignment on my writing course where I have to describe someone I knew or know. It is story that has to be descriptive and interesting. You can read it later and tell me if you thought the story kept your interest at all.

Have a good day everyone.

Can You Watch My Table For Me?

steve@stevetalks.ca (Waiter Extraordinaire) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:04:00 +0000

Often when I am closing a waiter will come up and ask me to watch a table for them that has paid and are camping out. The waiter just wants to go home so I say sure I will watch it for you. In our restaurant we are allowed to pass off a table to someone else if they have settled their bill especially when the waiter has been waiting for them to leave for a long time. As long as the waiter taking over the watching has been introduced to them. Usually this is enough to get them out of here but in case they decide to hang around further I try these methods.

Last week I totally cleared everything off their table except their water glasses without saying a word which prompted them to remark they will be leaving shortly.

Another method I use is politely walk by them and fill up the salt and pepper shakers in that area and take theirs' as well to fill it up without saying anything. This action implies I am doing my closing duties.

One action I took last night was to walk by a table quickly making eye contact with the guest and putting on a faint smile indicating it is nice of you to come but I would really like you to leave now. The two ladies got up shortly afterwards.

The best story I have though is when I worked in this restaurant and I was the last one there and did all my closing duties. I was responsible for closing and setting the alarm. If a table was still there I would put my jacket on and jingle my car keys and walk over to the table and in a happy merry voice state we are closing in a few minutes. The appearance of me in a coat pretty much gave that impression.

One thing I have noticed though is when I have taken care of other tables the server has left a lot of used items on the table. For instance the other day there were some bread baskets and butter ramekins still on the table when they should have been long gone. Some servers when they leave stuff that should be taken away on the table might give the guests the feeling of sitting at home at their kitchen table where conversations can go on for hours on end. You know when you sit at home after dinner not much of a fuss is made about properly clearing the dinner table.

My suggestions maybe are not new to anyone but worth remembering. The last point is important though and that is rid the table of everything you possibly can. Even the coffee cups that have long since been drinken out of. Leave the water glasses with some water still in them but I would take the empty ones away.

Your goal is to get them out of there.

The Most Important Thing

steve@stevetalks.ca (Waiter Extraordinaire) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:32:00 +0000

Fighting this cough and sore chest on my day off I will always say that the most important thing is spending time with loved ones. Being home with my wife and two boys tonight always makes me thankful that I have them. I could be sick , have a lousy shift , but when I am home I forget about everything else.

Loneliness can be a terrible thing. Pick up the phone and call someone who may want to hear from you or you may want to talk to. In today's world we gotta stick together.

We all need one another at some time.

Working Through Sickness

steve@stevetalks.ca (Waiter Extraordinaire) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:11:00 +0000

The last couple of days my body has been battling all the flu going around. Trying to get some decent rest with my youngest going through the stomach flu right now only a couple of weeks after my oldest had the same thing has been difficult. Then at work you get some sniffling and colds going around and what about the guests in the restaurant? Who knows what they are spreading around. So this weekend was tiring for me.

But if you want to know when I had to work when I was really sick I will tell you of this one story. The cruise ship I was working on had just completed a cross Atlantic voyage from Martinique in the Caribbean to Madeira and on to where we were to take on our first passengers in Europe in Las Palmas located in the Canary Islands.

The crew was all happy we had no storms on our crossing and figured we were home free as far as hitting any big ones. Well we all had a few drinks ashore and we were heading back to the ship for dinner service when we were told to close our porthole cause we were heading out to rough waters that evening.

Well no sooner did dinner start when we heard a loud bang which we knew were the waves crashing against the ship. Our side stand where we placed our trays full of dinner plates had to be watered down to prevent the whole tray from sliding right off the stand and breaking dishes into small pieces on the floor. People started puking at the table. We would go back for 8 salads and when we brought them out the table was empty. People were scattering for their rooms.

But to feed the experienced who were used to rough seas the waiters had to steady themselves and work through the bobbing and weaving of the floor we walked upon. It was as crazy as those rooms at the fairground that go to and fro and have you fall all over the place forward , sideways , and backward.

Well my story is I used to get seasick and I was pretty green that night so when I carried the dirty dishes to the dish pit I would puke up in the garbage can and wipe my mouth and have a drink of water and head back out to the dining room to serve more food. I would do this till the end of service or I literally couldn't work any longer. Usually in cases like this I would work till the finish of service and then do my side job the next morning.

Well this particular cruise this storm was so bad we had it for 5 straight days and when the cruise ended we actually began seeing people we didn't even know were on the ship because they couldn't venture out of their room to eat. We only hit one port the whole week. We were always behind schedule.

It was so bad that even when you slept in your bed you would slide in it when the ship leaned. I was never so seasick in my life.

There is nothing worse than being seasick but having to work as a waiter in this situation , all I can say is keep a garbage can nearby the dish pit cause I am going to need it sooner or later!

I Don't Mind Helping But.......

steve@stevetalks.ca (Waiter Extraordinaire) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:25:00 +0000

Don't ask me when I am carrying dirty plates back to the kitchen and my hands are full and you have one empty beer bottle in your hand and ask me to take it back for you. Especially when you work at the bar and there are empty beer boxes you can just take it to and deposit.

Another thing is when there are 5 servers all having a chit chat and the expo sees me and ask , Steve can you run this food? What? Was the food going to sit there until I came along to run it out or were you a bit too afraid to ask the gang of five if any of them wanted to run the food?

C'mon give me a break!!

The November Swoon

steve@stevetalks.ca (Waiter Extraordinaire) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:15:00 +0000

I was the closer for the second time this week and made $72 and that was about the same I made two days ago. Fourteen people tonight and about the same two nights ago. Absolutely brutal.

I have a feeling November will not go so well and that is a bit of a shame since October was so darn good. Christmas rush bah humbug!! It is going to be two weeks in December and that is it.

What with people not spending as much and the paranoia of H1N1 out there I think it business is going to take a hit this month. People are stressed are out there. They don't know what to do and I am finding lately when they do come out they are acting a bit weird.

Hope I am wrong , it is early in the month yet. We'll see.

Answers to Today's Quiz

steve@stevetalks.ca (Waiter Extraordinaire) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:00:00 +0000

Here you go! How did you do this time?

1. The rump is the part of the calf I was looking for.

2. Rolimop is herring.

3. Poulpe is octopus.

4. That grape variety that comes from Sicily is Nero d'Avola.

5. I better be right on this for those of you in Australia. The valleys I mentioned have a climate that is good for that classical grape variety known as Riesling.

Remember each Thursday there is a quiz. So stay tuned for next week. Meanwhile keep checking back as the busy holiday season approaches. I hope......

The Thursday Quiz

steve@stevetalks.ca (Waiter Extraordinaire) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:01:00 +0000

Welcome back! The weeks are rolling by aren't they with November and then December and 2010 coming up. Okay let's not get ahead of ourselves.

1. The french word quasi began to appear in culinary vocabulary as far back as the 18th century. This cut of meat is lean and slightly tough so it is better to lard it before cooking it. Roasting it is the preferred version. Can you tell me from what part of the calf this cut is taken from?

2. A rolimop is a cold hors d'oeuvre served with parsley and onion rings and quite common in northern European countries such as Germany and Denmark. Marinated in spiced vinegar , a rolimop is a boned fillet of what fish?

3. Poulpe in French is what in English?

4. What is Sicily's grape variety of which it is known most for?

5. The Clare and Eden Valley in Australia are known for growing this classical grape variety the most? Which one is it?

Answers later.

You Sir Are a Wimp!

steve@stevetalks.ca (Waiter Extraordinaire) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:11:00 +0000

You know there is one thing that I do not like and that is when there is a guy and a girl sitting at a table and the guy is listening to the girl letting her tell him what he should eat. She begins by asking him do you want this or this or would you like that or maybe you don't like that , oh you like this though and it goes on and on and on...

All he says is yeah sure do you want that too? I don't care I will take that or this it doesn't matter I am fine with that.

So tonight that happens and the guy says he wants a steak pointing at the steak that comes with a salad. I say to him do you want the salad and he says no I don't want a salad and so I order him the same steak that doesn't come with the salad. The girl ask are you sure you do not want a salad and he says no I don't want a salad.

They get their meal and the girl calls me over and ask does it come with a salad and I say but he didn't want a salad and she says to him do you want a salad and he says well and I say but I asked you if you wanted a salad and he says I know but the girl says yeah but you want a salad and he says okay I will have the salad.

I say no worries I will get you a salad asshole.

Buddy become a man one day , remove the soother , and start zipping up your pants in the front instead of the back you big wuss!! Begin in life by ordering the food you want and not what your girl thinks you should eat. It is your appetite.

By the way she paid.. No surprise there.

What Every Waiter Should Do In Order To Make More Money

steve@stevetalks.ca (Waiter Extraordinaire) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:30:00 +0000

I know the title sounds like if everyone does this their chances of garnering a bigger tip will occur 100% of the time and I admit that would be a tad pretentious , but I am convinced that your success ratio will improve greatly if you did this one thing.

What I have noticed from viewing waiters that make more money from those who don't is that they speak a bit louder when they are greeting the guest than most others. Now I am not saying that they are shouting or you can hear them all over the restaurant but when they go up to the guest and say hello and mention the features , there is that sound of enthusiasm coming from their voice mixed with the positive expectation that their meal is going to be fantastic with him or her serving them.

I have even noticed with myself that my really great nights come from those times when I went into work knowing that what I had to offer was the very best decision a restaurant goer could have made that evening. The pitch of my voice was perfect and my rambling off of the features was akin to listening to someone read a poetic masterpiece. My enthusiasm and conviction at the outset laid the foundation for a truly positive dining experience for the guest.

Think about when you received outstanding service and tipped accordingly the last time and it probably had a lot to do with not just the service and food , but the sound of your waiter's voice that had you expecting something great was going to take place right from the beginning.

So remember when you start your next shift in the restaurant make sure the guest can hear a strong , direct , air of conviction in your voice and you may make more money and hear far less complaints. Be consciously aware of your voice projection when at a table and note if there is a difference when you are up or when you are down in your take home pay.

I know I am trying all the time to speak a bit stronger and affirmative. More than I would in casual conversation.

Hope this helps you make more money out there!

Stay Home and Be Grumpy!

steve@stevetalks.ca (Waiter Extraordinaire) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:51:00 +0000

A couple of days ago I did a post on the guest's state of mind and how depending on how they come in will determine what kind of meal they will have and tip you receive.

Well I get this couple last night and right away as they order their steak she says I want it medium rare and not blue. I say it should come out medium rare if that is the way you want it and I go and describe how medium rare should look like. She says yeah but I have had mine blue here plenty of times. Okay well...

The guy orders his and gets his Bloody Caesar cocktail and after a sip says this doesn't taste right. I know it taste like the others cause I just served a couple not a couple of minutes ago. The juice is fine. So now he wants a rye and coke. Fine and we delete the caesar.

The steak comes out and his steak is cooked just as he wants it but it is tough. Hers' thankfully was fine.

I figure may as well get the floor walker over to talk with them and after we buy him the steak. They leave me a $7 tip.

With some people you can't win , all you can do is just pass it on to the floor walker and let them handle it. I don't get involved anymore. They want something free , fine.

Why do people go out if they just expect the worst before eating anything. Stay home and be grumpy!

Happy Halloween

steve@stevetalks.ca (Waiter Extraordinaire) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 03:03:00 +0000

It was an excellent month. With all the stuff we are doing we took home over $200 a day this month. We bought the washer and dryer and I was off for Halloween tonight taking the kids out. I really don't have much to complain about. Looking forward to November now.

I am also taking a correspondance writing course so that I can develop my writing skills better. I want to pursue that avenue but I need some guidance.

Things are exciting around the house that is for sure.

Good Times

steve@stevetalks.ca (Waiter Extraordinaire) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:45:00 +0000

Went in at 6:30 as the closer and served 5 tables the whole night before cashing out at 10:17 with $122 in my pocket after tip out.

I must say these days there is an early rush which if you are closing you miss anyway as by 9:00 on weekdays the place is dead. Now with Halloween this weekend which is traditionally dead I am looking forward to some real good evenings the next couple of months. At least I am off Saturday to enjoy it with the kids.

We really cannot complain at all what with the taking care of my younger son's friend during school days and winning a football pool at work , together with the fact my wife has been busy at her work due to the corporate business this month , this appears it is going to be the best month all year income wise and we still have today and tomorrow to go.

Now it looks like we can finally get that washer and dryer we need this coming week we have been saving up for.

The 5 Answers to Today's Quiz

steve@stevetalks.ca (Waiter Extraordinaire) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:30:00 +0000

Okay now that you have tried to answer some of this morning's quiz here they are.

1. The Negroni has gin in it as well. Sweet vermouth , campari , and the gin are served in equal amounts over ice and the garnish is with an orange.

2. Chasselas is the grape for making the wine called Crépy from the Haute Savoie region of France alongside Lake Geneva.

3. The cake named coque is made during the celebration of Easter in Southern France.

4. Charbonnée refers to food cooked over a charcoal grill.

5. That old fashion cocktail is topped up with club soda.

Till next week...

Thursday Quiz

steve@stevetalks.ca (Waiter Extraordinaire) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:31:00 +0000

Here you go for this week's quiz.

1. An Americano cocktail and a Negroni cocktail both have sweet vermouth and campari in them. What liquor does the Negroni have that the Americano does not?

2. Crépy is a light bodied white wine that can be made slightly sparkling coming from the slopes of the Haute Savoie region in France alongside Lake Geneva? What grape is used to make this wine?

3. A coque is a cake made in the south of France to celebrate this holiday. Which one am I referring to?

4. Charbonnée is a term to describe food cooked over what?

5. An old fashion cocktail starts off with a cube of sugar coated with angostura bitters , a shot of Canadian rye whiskey , add some shaved ice and garnish with slice of orange , wedge of lemon , and a cherry. What do you top up this cocktail with?

There you have it!

Why I Always Want to Work at Fullspeed

steve@stevetalks.ca (Waiter Extraordinaire) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:49:00 +0000

You know some people during service have to have their chit chat or their smoke break instead of moving that table of theirs' along so that they will get up and leave eventually.

There always is something you can do like clear the empty glass , get the person another drink , clear the plates , refill the coffees , help run food , start side jobs , etc. But having that break is not something I can do and you know why? Cause there has always been this motto getting in the way of taking a full scale laid back attitude and that is this thought.

When I go into work I think how can I get these people out as quick as I can so I can go home!

The State of Mind The Guest Is In Makes the Difference

steve@stevetalks.ca (Waiter Extraordinaire) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:28:00 +0000

I haven't posted lately so that I could catch up on some rest and do something else rather than plant myself in front of the computer. In fact it does one good to switch focus once in a while as family members have taken turns being sick in the house whereas I have so far managed to escape all that , touch wood.

But tonight's topic isn't so much about what has gone on the last few days but what I have been doing for quite a long time now and that is putting up with guest's special requests and general character. First of all there are more good people out there than bad ones. Let's be clear on that because if it was the other way around I don't think too many would be able to afford a living much less put up with the guests in the first place.

Which brings me up to the point of this post. You see I work with people half my age and I see them get a little flustered when they get treated shabbily by the guest. After a time they will either look for something else in another profession or get over it. It is that simple.

Now I confess a number of years ago when I first started out if someone did not leave much I sometimes felt a little bad for myself. It is normal. But then as time went on it became normal to find someone who would not leave much or they would sit there for countless hours before leaving and so on. It never changed. Someone would always complain about something even if it wasn't your fault but you had to fix it.

The difference was after a time these obstacles during service became normal. No matter what happens in the dining room a waiter has to acknowledge the fact that it is not an attack on him or herself personally.

It is , and get this , the state of mind the guests were in before they entered the restaurant.

What happens during the evening has nothing to do with you , the waiter! Understand that and you will go through each night smoothly.

Just think of it for a second , when something is not going right in someone's life they look to pass blame on someone or something and who better than the restaurant they are eating in and the server who is serving them.

Sure anyone can make a mistake but it is the guest's reaction that explains a lot about that person. Why do some think a mistake is no big deal and others make it like it is their biggest ordeal?

It is not you , it is them and what was going on in their heads before they arrived. I cannot solve their personal problems of which I know nothing of.

The only thing I can do is welcome them , take the order , give good service and bill them. That is it. I can make them feel better than they had felt before they came in but if they cannot generously tip me at the conclusion of their meal that is their fault and not mine.

This is why you see lousier waiters make more money than others sometimes simply because they had happier people sit in their section that evening. They could make mistake after mistake or neglect to do the table maintenance etc. and still be left a good tip.

In conclusion , the tip you will receive will depend on the customer's state of mind before they came in. If they were in a bad mood at all upon their arrival , whether you get a good tip or not will depend on their acceptance of your good service and overcoming their negative state of mind at the beginning.

If you take anything away from this post and it helps you deal with the public better let me know. I am always open for discussion.

I Think Some People Live Under a Rock

steve@stevetalks.ca (Waiter Extraordinaire) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:32:00 +0000

It was dead again last night but I got the star table of the night. This young couple in the early twenties comes in and you can tell they might have been dating for the first time cause when it came to pay the bill they went half.

Anyway they come in with two Starbuck's Coffee in paper cups and I am figuring this is not good like can't you just not walk into a restaurant without bringing anything else in that you may be eating or drinking from somewhere else.

So she orders a Tequila Sunrise and I am getting ready to ask for her order. She says I will have the Filet. I reply back asking her how she would like it cooked. Then she kinds of looks weird and says , I don't know however you cook it , just regular I guess...?

I say will it is a meat and I need to know how you like it cooked , like what temperature....

Oh she says , looking rather dumb , it is a meat?? Where is your fish on the menu???

Alrighty so she orders the salmon.. But I was thinking afterwards of when she was finished how I could have really played with her mind and asked her how she enjoyed the filet?? Think of next time if she came in the waiter would be taking an order for filet and deliver it and she would be expecting a salmon.

The best one I heard was last week this person came in and wanted to order a steak. The girl ask what steak do you want and she points at the part of the menu that explains the colours for the different temperatures of meat and puts her finger on the descriptor that says a cut above.

I cracked up , imagine ordering a steak by the name of a cut above. Put that along with mine tonight and you get a steak called a cut above cooked regular!

All I can say is , Holy Mackeral!

How Did You Do?

steve@stevetalks.ca (Waiter Extraordinaire) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

The answers to today's quiz are the following.

1. Sbrinz comes from Switzerland.

2. Palombe is what a wood pigeon is called in Southwestern France.

3. Grape varietals are only found on French wines coming from the region of Alsace.

4. That orange - red fruit the size of a cherry is the rowanberry.

5. Sauce Bercy is commonly referred to as shallot butter. The answer was shallot.

Till next time.....

The Thursday Quiz

steve@stevetalks.ca (Waiter Extraordinaire) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:36:00 +0000

Here is the weekly quiz. Good luck.

1. Sbrinz is a cheese. From what country does Sbrinz come from?

2. In English what is the species of bird known as palombe coming from southwestern France?

3. What is the only wine region in France that has the grape varietal right on the label?

4. Give me the name of an orange-red berry the size of a small cherry which comes from the mountain ash tree? When really ripe it can make a nice accompaniment as a jam or jelly to a venison dish. In French it is known as Alise.

5. Beurre Bercy has what vegetable that is related to the onion in it? It is between an onion and garlic in flavour.

Answers later in the day.

When Does Your Christmas Business Begin?

steve@stevetalks.ca (Waiter Extraordinaire) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:28:00 +0000

I had 4 tables last night and could have finished as a closer in the restaurant at 9:15 but it was obligatory that I remain in the restaurant on the chance that someone may actually pass up the bar and want to eat in the dining room.

Wow was it slow. I made a whopping $62. Seems like people are dining out on the weekends and that is about it until the Christmas rush. Also , it seems to be starting later and later as the years go by. It is like the two weeks before Christmas now compared to revving up the third week of November and full speed ahead from there as it used to be.

When do you expect your Christmas rush to commence this year? Much like mine or beginning in November?

The Big Difference Between Serving Average Joes to High Falutin' Fine Dining Stuffy People

steve@stevetalks.ca (Waiter Extraordinaire) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:46:00 +0000

Tonight I am back to work after a couple days off. If I was going back to an ultra fine dining place I would have to make sure that I was ready to deal with high classy friends of the owner , special requests out of the kitchen , the owner reiterating the fact that I must really take good care of these people then he later would turn around comp everything anyway. Tables will come in and sit for 2 1/2 hours then sometimes in some places the owner sits down and chats with them and buys a round while you just stand around waiting to go home. You are tired cause you had to get up early this morning early to get the kids to school and you just want to get out of there.

But what is nice where I work is I could go 10 days without sleep and my first table will be Joe Schmoe with his wife and two kids who has just had as tiring a day and just wants to eat and get out. Or a kid and his girlfriend. You can crack a joke like the other night two guys order a Bud so I bring it to their table and I say you guys must be real buddies. They go what do you mean and I say well you ordered two Buds! I know that the only thing that will be on anyone's mind tonight is who won the football pool this week and what will we pick next week. It will be the jokes being bandied about amongst the staff. No pressure , just take the order make sure everything is okay and collect your money and go home. That is it! Really what waitering should be about , pure and simple without all the frills. Like the place in the Rockies where I worked where there was nothing but tourists. You could have thrown their eggs at them and they wouldn't have cared.

After all these years I can just simply wait on tables again without all the other baloney. The way it was meant to be. Sauce on the side is about as big a request I get from anyone. Simple stuff.

A Never Explained Method of Upselling That May Come in Handy Sometime

steve@stevetalks.ca (Waiter Extraordinaire) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:32:00 +0000

I work in a steakhouse with different size steaks so I often get a question like this one.

Question : What is the difference between an 8 oz sirloin and a 12 oz sirloin?

My Reply : 4 oz.

Their reply back : Yes okay but is it this big , making a C shape with their forefinger and thumb.

My Reply : Yes about that , making another C shape with my forefinger and thumb.

Their final reply : Ah maybe I will stick with the 8 oz sirloin......

You see the reason I didn't sell them the 12 oz is I have very large hands so my 12 oz looks bigger than their C shape formation. So always remember if the person looks small in stature always try to make the shape you make smaller than normal and if it is a hefty big person make the shape a bit bigger. This way you can always up sell to the larger steak.

For larger steaks like the strip loin use two hands and apply the same methodology.

I hope this helps anyone out there when it comes to up selling to a larger size steak or whatever it is that comes in a bigger portion.

This tip is brought to you by largehands inc. a subsidiary of waiterextraordinaire.

I wish you all a good day.

I Think He is Bullshitting , What Do You Think?

steve@stevetalks.ca (Waiter Extraordinaire) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 05:10:00 +0000

This waiter comes up to a few of us after doing his cash out tonight and he says he made $340 and that was after tipping out $71. That means he made $411 in tips on just a little over $1400 in sales. That means about 30% in tips.

First of all there is no way he tips out $71 on his gross sales when you add the taxes on to the $1400. Maybe about $1700 gross and a tip out of about $51 , not $71 and if that is not right then for sure he is telling a big doozy as far as his $340 in tips.

I made $156 fair and square. He might have made more based on his sales , but $340 c'mon give me a break!

I apparently wasn't the only non-believer tonight listening to this one.

Where's My Dinner?

steve@stevetalks.ca (Waiter Extraordinaire) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:31:00 +0000

Not that I am totally jealous or upset about this but a waiter came up to me last night and mentioned that this table he was serving had asked to speak to the manager. Not quite sure what to expect he was pleasantly taken aback when the guest commented on what an excellent waiter he is and how he explained the features and wines and carried out the service.

But what surprised me was when the supervisor came back to him and said he was getting dinner and a drink on him tonight for the good comment.

Well I had someone call last week to the restaurant to say what great service they got the previous night by me , and then last night upon leaving my last table commented on the professionalism I exhibited throughout their dining experience to the host. I asked the host to pass it along to the supervisor but alas I believe she just went home when it was time to go. The supervisors were busy doing something else.

Now I am not expecting dinners and drinks but when does one get dinner and a drink , and the other good comments that someone else may get warrant nothing?

Doesn't seem right does it?