The Case of the Missing Servers

I am not intending to cause a dust-up here, but there's a growing trend in recent months that's starting to basically aggravate me to no end. I'm not going to out the perpetrators in this forum though.

This trend is the missing server. No matter if I go out to eat alone or with friends (smaller groups with 6 or fewer people), we'll find ourselves seated by FOH quickly, only to find ourselves glancing at our watches, fiddling with menus, and watching other people who came in after us have their orders taken (and sometimes even served!) before anyone asks us so much as what we'd like to drink.

This hasn't just happened at chains. It's happened at locally owned establishments. None of these have been truly "upscale," however it has happened in mid-price range restaurants where one would expect better than to be virtually ignored for 30 minutes.

When I'm by myself, I'm not reluctant to call attention to a lack of service, but I have, shall we say, a few more reticent friends who don't like to complain. It got so bad a couple weeks ago, a very shy, reticent friend went off on the waitstaff because everyone at surrounding tables had food while we never even were given menus (I grabbed those myself) or asked what we wanted to drink. The waitstaff were in the back frantically wrapping utensils in napkins like there was nothing else in the world to do. Well, hello! If customers walk out, said utensils will not be needed.

In summary, this has happened all over town, in almost every price range except $$$. What gives? Inadequately trained waitstaff? Lazy waitstaff? (How many times does one have to walk past a table that is obviously unattended to ask if we've been served?) Host/hostesses not making it clear who is covering a given section?

Thoughts?

[Robin Garr]

Terri, I'm sorry you had a bad experience. Nicely reported post, though!

The only think I can think of right off - and I have often wondered about this - is that we've added so many good new restaurants in Louisville in the past year or three that I wonder if they are drawing from a diminishing pool of servers, sort of like an over-fished pond.

Or as the recession goes on for the 98 percent, people in relatively low wage jobs are getting sick of it and burning out?

Or maybe it was just a bad night?

I've had pretty good service in general lately, even at places where I don't think I've been recognized, but this kind of thing happens often enough that Mary has a code: She'll say "check your watch," meaning it's time to start timing the gap between server visits or between order and delivery.

I'll be interested to hear what others have to say about this and if there's a consensus that it's a problem.

We've had it happen a little too frequently. When one of us has gone up to the FOH and asked, the response has been (without exception) that there was a miscommunication, with the FOH not telling the server that we were in his/her station.

I had always thought that this was done at the beginning of the shift, so I wonder if it's just a lack of training?

BTW, it seems to happen more in locals than chains, which makes me wonder if a chain covers it in the "manual" while for locals it may be skipped if they are busy?

No problems here.

Over the past 2 weeks we've been to Milkwood, Sidebar, Manny and Merle, Coals, Silver Dollar, Hilltop Tavern, Cumberland, River City Drafthouse, and Holy Grale.

There really is no excuse for this- it's easy enough for any server to see if a table is waiting, whether in their station or not and at least say hello.

Justin- we miss you!

I'd say that we're 80-20 leaning to the good side of service when we've been out lately. But my standards are pretty high. I don't get too hung up on much, as I have a "trained" eye for things that could be a problem, so to speak.


And I'm ready for another of our Afternoon Meetings Justin!

BTW, it seems to happen more in locals than chains, which makes me wonder if a chain covers it in the "manual" while for locals it may be skipped if they are busy?

As a former chain server I can assure you that this very topic is covered extensively. Darden recommended that you actually approach the table as the hostess is seating the guests so that there is NO wait time. (We wore pagers and were notified electronically when we were sat.) If you couldn't make it, you had 30 seconds to get there. Any later than 30 seconds and the unwritten rule was to approach the table with waters in hand and an apology. After that, the whole shebang was scripted - what drinks to suggest, substitutions to upsell, buzzwords to throw in, etc. I deviated from the script for some tables but, if you go to a place like "Disneyworld" you want, well, "The Disney Experience." (However cheesy it may be!)

I had never waited tables before so I knew nothing else. I made great money, worked really hard and, at the end of the day, felt pretty good about food I served and my level of service.

My expectations at local joints are different. However, I agree with the author of the original post that local service isn't as polished and is sometimes inexcusable. The food usually makes up for it. When it doesn't, I don't go back.

Funny this thread should come up because I have noticed it as well. Just being seated then forgotten. And at some of my formerly favorite haunts as well.
I have also noticed bartenders not picking up a $10 bill on my $6 tab. As if they expect me to leave a $4 tip on a simple well/water drink. Sorry. I just don't think pouring a well gin and tonic earns a $4 tip. (And I bartended for years.)
Maybe it's just me but lately servers have acted really "put upon" for simple table service. And I used to never complain.

We tend to visit the same few places and the servers know us, so if service is ever slow it's because they are slammed. My wife and I both worked in the industry so we tend to be understanding. The one new (for us) place we've visited is Silver Dollar and everything went smoothly, although it was pretty slow at the time.

This happened to me weekend before last at North End in the Highlands. We sat for 10 minutes after the hostess showed us to our table and had to flag down a server to let them know we were there. Not a huge deal but certainly irritating.

On topic:


I guess I have a different approach to dining out than Mr. Coomes, a little more laid back approach that is.


Seems pretty damn demanding to me and a bunch of little stuff to get your panties in a wad about. My thinking is that the restaurant/chef should write a menu, both food and drink, where little or no questions need to be ask. Yes, the server should have some menu knowledge, but give me and them a break.

I couldn't care less if a server reads me the specials or memorizes them. Amateur, really?

Holy shit, the server didn't know I ordered the ribs and my wife the chicken and waffles and so on with the other 18 guests. My night is ruined. I can't believe how "grossly unprofessional" he was.

Relax, enjoy, that is what dining out is about.



http://insiderlouisville.com/news/2013/ ... nterparts/


I also expect this:

• Menu knowledge: If you come to my table and you don’t know that menu backward and forward, you are either lazy or poorly trained. Servers are salespersons who should know exactly what they have to sell — all of it.

• Same for bar selections: You don’t have to have drunk everything behind the bar and know every nuance of every bourbon, but I expect a server to know what my options are when I asked questions.

• It takes just five minutes to memorize that evening’s specials, yet so few servers do it. Reading one’s notes off the back of the check book is a dead giveaway of an amateur at work. Most of the times they look like a great school are struggling to get through book report from the class. Professionals have the specials memorized and can answer questions.

• Approaching a table with food in hand but without knowing who gets what is grossly unprofessional. You took the order, you should know who gets what. Don’t make the guests do your job. Good training makes this easy to know, even when you have a table of 20.

On topic:


I guess I have a different approach to dining out than Mr. Coomes, a little more laid back approach that is.

Ehhhhhhh, I've always enjoyed Steve's articles and his "call it like I see it" approach...In this instance I kinda-sorta-pretty-much agree with most of what he said. In particular this statement more or less rang true:

..."A lot of blame for bad service is placed on younger generations’ bad manners and social detachment — which is the age-old complaint of every preceding generation … because it’s a fair one."...

We have only received "bad" service at three restaurants in town.

1. Java Brewing on Bardstown, where the wait staff were to preoccupied with their smart phones and facebook to notice me standing at the counter for 5+ mins. I finally flagged down an employee who wasnt even clocked in to make our drinks and crepes. And then they got the order all wrong. I gave them a second chance some months later and the second attempt was worse than the first. Will never go back.

2. Game. But that was around the first month or so of their opening. I am certainly hoping things have changed. We were ignored at first. Then the underage busboy started waiting our table but couldnt take our drink order due to his age or something. So then another server finally came over. And finally they delivered our entrees before our apps. Im a big fan of Hammerheads so I will give them another try sometime soon.

3. Recently at NABC in New Albany. Came in this past weekend on Sunday for our first time ever. Weather was amazing and we sat outside in this side covered patio area. Waitress approached and asked what we wanted to drink. We indicated we all wanted water but also wanted to do a beer flight to try the beers, before ordering pints, She asked us which ones, to which we asked for a beer list and descriptions. She pointed to a wall mounted chalkboard beer list, and said "there you go" before walking away.
We almost up and left right then. As the chalkboard beer list only gave names, weights and alcohol %. Nothing about the style or taste of each beer. Would you order a wine based on name and alcohol content alone? No.
Luckily the male host was paying attention and got us a printed beer menu, told us it was out of date, and filled us in on what was new. Had it not been for him we would have walked out. Even still Im not sure I would go back any time soon.
If you are going to hang your hat on being a brewery then for God's sake have a clearly printed beer list with clear descriptions of your house brewed beers available. Or put more on the board than just weight, alcohol and name.


To my knowledge thats about the only three bad service experiences we have had in the Louisville area.

Edit to add: You know who has had great service every single time I have been in? Banh Mi Hero.
I know, I know, its just a sandwich shop. And the wait staff and cooks are young and in some cases seem nervous. But each and every time I have been in they have been friendly and gone above and beyond in giving great service.
I went in last week while out running errands to grab a sandwich to go for lunch after picking up my daughter from day care. When we walked in, we were the only ones there and my daughter was asleep in my arms. The whole staff started whispering, in order not to wake her. I could have hugged them. Every parent knows how cranky a baby can be awoken early from their nap. LOL

Recently at NABC in New Albany. Came in this past weekend on Sunday for our first time ever. Weather was amazing and we sat outside in this side covered patio area. Waitress approached and asked what we wanted to drink. We indicated we all wanted water but also wanted to do a beer flight to try the beers, before ordering pints, She asked us which ones, to which we asked for a beer list and descriptions. She pointed to a wall mounted chalkboard beer list, and said "there you go" before walking away.

I had that same exact experience there about two years ago. I'd heard so much on LHB about the great beers I really wanted to see what it was all about. Never been back.

Reading these posts gave me pause to reflect...and I suppose yes, yes I have noted several instances of poor service lately, possibly even more so than in the past...Even to include a few of our old "go to" spots. That being said we have also had several instances of -outstanding- service. In particular I'll mention a recent trip to Captain's Quarters. It was a -beautiful- weeknight and the whole place was slammed yet our service was spot on in every way shape and form. Given the somewhat seasonal flow of business to the CQ, I don't know how Alan and his crew do it but they always seem to get the pick of the litter when they bring in a fresh crew for the summer months. So my hat's off to 'em. Another one I'll toss out there is Old Chicago in Springhurst...We're in there a couple of times a month (if for no other reason than they are the nearest place to our home with a decent beer selection)...Once again, our service (in the bar area) has always been spot on.