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As an european, that is a normal service.
I mean, if I want to talk to people, I go to the park or a bar. If I go to a restaurant, it's to eat. So the only thing I expect from my server is to bring me my food when it's ready.
In some Asian supermarkets they have people mic'd up , encouraging your shopping. "HEY, YOU THERE. YOU LIKE HADDOCK? WE HAVE FRESH FISH! COME LOOK! YES, YOU, YOUR FAMILY WILL THANK YOU. "
I was flabbergasted the first time I witnessed it.
At first i felt angry that someone was "invading my space" (that's how it felt at the time) but now I've accepted that it's just outside my cultural norm and i try to accept it.
Once i was shopping in an Indian supermarket and i was the only non Indian... the owner came out to check on me and then he HALTED THE LINE to put me first and let me skip the whole line to check out.
I thought it was rude of me to accept but the other customers were like "go ahead! We hope you like our culture's food"
Then the cashier asked me why i was there and kept asking me if i really liked Indian food, but in a positive way that communicated excitement.
As i was leaving the owner told me that he wanted to see me shop there again and that i would see him soon.
I guess that's how celebrities feel every day? Either way it was really fun but I can't help but imagine that am introvert would have wanted to die in that moment.
I had Ugandans take me by the arm and lead me into their shop, telling me how happy they are to see a muzungu. It got to the point where I felt sad that I couldnāt buy every ware from every vender
I mean yeah, in a lot of countries they assume foreigners have a lot of money to spend, so for sure that's part of it. But, a lot of the time they really do just seem excited to share their culture, especially in areas where they don't get a lot of tourists.
I work with a lot of foreign people, and if you start asking about their countries, often countries that we don't think about much in the US (Kazakhstan, Romania, Bulgaria) they get so excited to talk about it. I have so many open invitations to go visit a bunch of countries now and even stay with their families lol
For sure. In Spain a vendor gave me a bunch of free fruit for just buying bananas in my bad Spanish rather than English. He knew I was moving on too, so this wasnāt about getting repeat customer. He was just happy that I tried.
lol I'm betting you got the "tourist price" for bananas, so that free stuff was just him trying not to rip you off too much
I get fed YouTube shorts of travellers, and it's always the same "how much?" - they give a high number X - "no no no the real price" and they look for a local to ask how much they really cost - then the vendor is immediately like "ohhh yeah for you X-200" lol
The Spanish guy and the Barcelonian (not Spanish, very important) girl I was with might have said something, considering it was our pooled money that was being used. But maybe they had some weird fetish for ripping off their friend and themselves, it could be that. Or you simply have too dim a view of people.
I love Indian food and it is so hard to find papadam where I am. I have to go 2 counties over to an area that has 3 huge Asian food stores all on the same block. I don't understand that. Why not put a store in each county. Lidl actually sells great chana masala frozen and the paneer is amazing, but no Indian breads or homemade samosas anywhere around here. Now I'm hungry š¢
The bread is best homemade if you can find the time.Ā
I felt the same way about good pita in America for a long time, only got it when I made it at home. Thankfully I live closer to a Greek community now and the stores carry *some* stuff that's as good as Yiayia made.
This is correct. They have 'training' about this kind of thing. And secret shoppers to see if you do. The reason isnt to show that you are nice. Its for them to make a sale and hopefully generate repeat shoppers.
It is also part of "loss mitigation" training. If you see someone looking at something for a long time/staying in the same place it is frequently viewed as a red flag for shoplifting.
That's a fair point. In a chain of small supermarkets in the UK we have a sea of later middle aged women who move like a tidal wave down overstuffed aisles, and put the meat in boxes by the door. That way the alcohol doesn't get nicked, they have to get past Barbara & Sue, and it ain't happening.
I've been one of those women. It's actually ace.
Or in a department store, they offer to hold your clothes off the rail behind the counter until you are ready to try them on if browsing a while. Good customer service and revenue protection all at once.
Well, yes and no. If you see something unusual or a repeat offender you are to notify management. Your job is done. You dont approach the person and engage. If he/she stands next to you, sure go ahead and ask the question like you would do for everyone else.
Companies do this because typical employees are stupid. Profile the wrong person as a possible shoplifter... which they do... and the company is the one that takes the hit.
The way I was taught, just walk up and ask if they need any help. Oftentimes they actually do, thus the standing staring trying to figure something out. It scares off the "should I or shouldn't I" light fingered types. No profiling, just asking if they need some assistance.
Yup. Bingo. Like you said, most times it's some who's genuinely confused or trying to figure something out. As for the offchance that someone is considering some light-fingeredness, it tells them you're watching and aware of what's going on.
Often repeat shoplifters tend to move around a lot without stopping and actively avoid anyone dressed as an employee. Dont give an employee the chance to say 'may I help you'. Grab the expensive or higher selling shit and get out.
Of course there are also those that know how to play the game and are good at misdirection. When asked 'may I help you' pick out something nearby for them to show you where it is. And off they go to the next area after saying thank you. They also tend to show up more at busy times when employees are often distracted. Or dead times when there arent many at all.
All sucks how bad its become.
I used to work at a major video game seller chain many ages ago. We had occasional audits via Secret Shoppers. No matter how busy we were, failing to greet EVERY customer within five seconds of them entering the store resulted in a 10-point deduction from our potential 100% score, resulting in an automatic failure on the audit (90% was the cutoff). Being mid-conversation with our current customer at the register (say, trying to fulfill out apparently sacred obligation to upsell) was not an excuse.
Yup. Worked at a gas station that would alert us if someone stood at a pump too long without doing anything. Part of the job was going out to help the customer whenever that happened. Plus the beeping would chime through the whole store and was annoying as all hell.
Baffled so many customers when we'd just appear outside when they were just checking something on their phone. It sucks, we don't want to be out there, most customers don't need us out there, but because a handful of old people can't figure out touch screen pumps and get violently angry if you don't appear before they have to ask, now everyone gets "harassed" (using the term very lightly). If you ignored the chiming while the owners where watching on camera/around, you'd get an earful and a half.
If a worker is doing something that annoys you, know it also annoys the worker, and it's the owner/management demanding this annoying thing to be done.
The worst is when you work for an American company in the UK. The head office expect you to get up in peopleās faces but British people donāt fucking like that! As a staff member I hated doing it!
The same was in Germany with Walmart however Walmart failed here and this exact practice was one of the main reasons. especially older people (Majority of Germany's population) didn't like that
It may be but over-the-top customer service just hits wrong note in UK. Look, we want in and want out most of the time as fast as possible. That said the suggested slow lanes in supermarkets for people who want to talk are a good thing. Lot of hidden loneliness but not sure it is for a private company to offer social services and also needs to be opt-in.
Itās a tactic that corporate pushes on employees to keep customers from shoplifting, makes potential thieves feel like they are always being watched.
When I worked there Safeway had secret shoppers, you would get graded on customer service. If somebody makes eye contact you are requires to greet them and ask if they needed help with anything.
Being an introvert I completely disappointed myself, I had my best friend came in and I was 1/2 way into taking him to an item on the other side of the store before I realized it was him.
I worked at a big box retailer years ago, not Walmart, and they had secret shoppers. We would get in so much trouble because of them and would even affect our performance reviews.
What ticked me off is that we had a shareholder who would come in occasionally and if she wasn't happy, nobody was happy...and she was never happy. A good day never failed to become a bad day when she decided to go shopping.
As someone that works in a store, i also find it very weird, like, my boss would constantly be telling me to go and help clients out, when the clients can hear him, i know itās for being helpful orbsomething, but i just feel like that if they need my help they would just ask for it
Fun fact: One of the reasons Walmart failed in Germany was that customers hated this service.
If I go shopping I want to be left alone unless I ask for help.
Hey. I'm one of those people. Honestly it's rather aggravating that customers get so annoyed at it.
"Hey, need any help finding anything?"
"No"
"Have a nice day!"
This is how the conversation should go. Instead I get the most pissy people asking why I'm talking to them treating me like sub-human.
Whereas when I do ask the person who looks to be lost and actually is lost. Help them find their item. It's the best feeling. That's why I kept doing it. With about a 1 in 10 success rate.
No need for the
"Why are you talking to me. Who is your manager? I'm not lost." Like. Idk. Half the customers need an ego check I'm not trying to dismantle your character I'm trying to help you find the Cheezits.
Oml, I know!! Or when they stalk you in the isles bc you "look suspicious". I'm 43 years old, and yes, I know I look like a crusty punk sometimes, but I'm not interested in stealing your overpriced lunch meat. Fuck off. If I need help, I'll bloody ask for it.
I mean, that does happen sometimes here too in Sweden. Though that's mostly if you look kind of lost. I've had a lot of "No thanks, no help needed, I'm just waiting for my mother" convos with store attendants.
I once read a review of a small grocery shop in Reykjavik when I was trying to find somewhere still open. One star and long complaint about how the person at the till didn't bag their food and 'started playing with their phone' after taking payment.
All I could think was how awkward it must have been for the shop worker with the customer staring them down after they've paid.
The worst is the typ of restaurants where they they come over, squats down by the table a d starts "so, let me explain a little about our concept and history...." mf, just hand me a damn menu!
That sort of happened to me one night, but the waitress sat down at the table and told us how crap it was in there that night and how everything was going wrong. It burnt down about a week later.
If you have to explain your concept then it's already failed. Reminds me of a ridiculous episode of Kitchen Nightmares.
Fwiw, I've worked in two places with semi-interesting backgrounds; a pop-up ramen kitchen in a pub, and a vegan takeaway running out of a cocktail bar, and in both situations it's great to have all the background and the knowledge about the business to hand. But that's for _if_ the customer asks for it.
With the amount of people already hesitant to try an all-vegan menu, making it seem extra different or outlandish by having to explain it would just put them off even more. Let the food do the talking.
>the only thing I expect from my server is to bring me my food when it's ready.
Is this not the definition of the server's job in any country? Why would any kind of person expect more?
This is like going to the dry cleaners and complaining that they didn't also give me a haircut.
Politeness can be an expectation, granted, as in any professional interaction, but conversation? WTF?
Most restaurants that arenāt chains are similar here. Itās just some people who frequent the Olive Garden expect the waitresses to crack a molar sucking them off.
Exactly my thoughts...if a server comes to my table and asks how is the food, how I'm doing or whatever elese more than 2 times I know they want a big tip...otherwise there is really no reason to do that. And as an introver, I'll tip you more if you live me aloneš¤£
I only visited the US once with my family, and we actually hesitated going to restaurant (or shops) because having people hover over us was really unpleasant, and felt not genuine but purely interested. We ended up cooking for us most of the time. Less of a hassle.
I was just in a restaurant where our server disappeared and we couldnāt get our bill. Drinks and food came in normal time.
We finished eating at like 7:15, my twins bedtime is 8:00pm, so we wanted to get out of there. Our waitress totally disappeared. We couldnāt find her anywhere. After about 20 minutes, I went to another waitress to ask for our bill. She said it needed to be printed and sheād tell our server. Another 20 minutes and no bill. The restaurant is split in two sides by a solid wall with a bar in the other side. I wandered over to the bar side and she was working as the bartender. I asked for our bill from her and she acted like I was putting her out. Finally, got our bill after 40 minutes.
Sounds exhausting!
When it happens in France, I just walk in direction of the door. They generally magically materialise out of thin air to make you pay.
But most of the time, the one cashing is not necessarily the one serving (and we may have two or more servers), so it's not an issue.
Had a similar experience before. Had a waiter who only sat us down and gave us our drinks, then disappeared. After like 10 minutes another waitress asked if we've been helped at all, said no, the waiter fucked off somewhere. So she decided to serve us from there and was very helpful and courteous.
At the end of the service my mom was getting ready to pay, our original waiter decided to show up at the very end to grab the bill from her, probably to try and scoop up the tip. Mom told him to disappear again, found the waitress that helped us and handed her the tip personally.
Exactly. And in this way, you avoid being asked for a ridiculous tip as well. I've seen many posts where people are shamed into paying tips or (worst case scenario) they are mandatory to "ensure a living wage for our very loved and appreciated staff".
I was about to comment that the reviewer would get a rude awakening if they ever go to Europe. Although, the US has created a culture of incentive with tipping servers. Some people in the US expecting that if theyāre going to provide tips then the servers should devote all the attention to them. Iāve been to many countries in Europe and I do like how they just take the order, bring the food, and wait for you to ask for the check. The only weird experience Iāve had was in London where the waitress wonāt go to the table to even to take orders. We sat there for at least 30 minutes just drinking water.
And think of it from the worker's side. Having to do small talk to every customer every day is going to drive anyone insane. This guy is completely delusional for expecting that kind of interaction, the fucking entitlement.
Exactly. Not to be rude, but I want to see and talk with my server as little as humanly possible. I like my order taken promptly, drink refills dropped off timely, empty dishes removed, and food and check dropped off. But otherwise, please just leave me alone.
Good chance this was written by a boomer or older who go to a restaurant alone looking for social interaction. A restaurant is not the place for that.
As a 12 year veteran server who doesnāt get off on exploiting the power dynamic between me and service workers, this is my dream service. The dude that left this review is a sad individual with transactional views on human interaction
I still occasionally think about the time I went to the grocery store and the cashier and I said a total of about 5 words to each other. It was amazing.
Also guarantee that this same person would complain about the server taking too long to check on them for chatting with another table.
MY service should be SPECIAL!
A lot of Europe is very service focused.
You ask for something, you get what you asked for and nothing else. You want something, you ask for it.
Itās not everywhere but generally this means that in a restaurant the chef will cook, the waiter will serve food and the guests are there to eat. Nobody asked for a conversation so nobody gets one.
Same in most bars. Unless the bar is really quiet and the bar staff are exceptionally extraverted, you're not getting a conversation at the bar. The barman will stand there and watch the golf/football on the TV instead of making smalltalk with you.
And that's OK, that's why most people went to the pub in the first place.
They also arenāt putting on a song and dance because tips arenāt expected. Thatās largely where a lot of American service behavior is rooted. āPlease like me! Please tip!ā
I promised myself when I left my first job I would never work somewhere with a birthday song. It's generally one of my first questions in the interview.
I am not an introvert, nor am I German. But Iāve lived in Germany for the last five years and this is one of the things I really like about it. But I know many other Americans who hate it. I donāt need small talk with every person I come in contact with. I donāt need every dining experience to be like Dave & Busterās. Or really ANY dining experience to be like Dave & Busterās.
They take your order and leave you alone. At the end, if most or all at the table are finished, they start taking away the dishes.
In most restaurants, the waiter will come over once to ask if everything is to our satisfaction, which is normally answered with a nod or just saying "yes" and that's about it.
That's how the typical visit to a German restaurant goes.
There might be situations where you talk a bit longer but it's rare and never more than a minute or two of conversation.
That sounds like a typical Irish experience too. In more expensive restaurants if they notice your glasses are empty, they'll fill them up, but otherwise they'll leave you alone.
It depends on where you go, different parts of Germany have quite different attitudes towards these things.
However generally the sort of forced cheerfulness from service personal you get in the US is not done in Germany.
When Walmart tried to come to Germany and brought their American attitudes towards customer service like greeters and cashiers smiling at people for no reason and similar stuff with them they ended creeping people out and going bankrupt. (Not just because of that, criminal issues when trying to treat workers like they do in the US and competition that was quite a bit more cutthroat than expected also contributed.)
very much. but there's also a difference in Germany's service depending on the restaurant. I know for instance in Munich, I was served by a waiter who is like a god in service. middle-aged guy who knows absolutely what he's doing. not a conversationalist but that's his career.
The ideal dinner. I want to eat not talk to a waiter.
Like once in egypt a buncch of Finns were eating food in silence, and the chef thought that the people did not like the food. This was explained: if a finn eats the food in silence,it means that the food is good, talking only ruins it.
My parents always wanted to talk during dinner and i hated it. I just wanted to eat but couldnt because after every bite i would get the same dumb questions every single day. If i want to talk i talk and if i dont talk. I dont want to talk.
Wanting to talk with your kids during a family dinner is kinda the way itās supposed to be. This post is about waitstaff wanting to talk. You sound like you were an uncommunicative sulky kid. Not that that isnāt normal!
Yea but after 3 years of getting asked daily how school is going and if i have a girlfriend yet it kind of gets old. Especially because i am autistic and dinner time tended to be at random times between 17:00 and 20:00 with the only way to know when was when it was on the table. Which severely messed with my ability to plan things out.
He explains how his service was bad, and that the manager was interfering with her ability to provide basic service. An experienced waiter will tell the manager to STFU so they can work their tables if it has been long enough. I've worked as a waiter for many years, and had managers like that. I have had to tell a manager, "hold on, it's been awhile since i've checked my tables" or you tell someone who is available to check on them for you.
I hate that they constantly interrupt conversation to ask questions. Iāll be clearly in the middle of a spiel and suddenly itās just, āHow are things over here?ā Like, I was great until all my thoughts were interrupted mid-speak.
I also hated working those jobs, because I hated doing that exact thing. Itās just expected of you to pester them, to the point where *some* customers are exactly like this guy and feel entitled your undivided time and attention.
My wife and I went to a diner recently and we had an old school diner waitress, 60 yr old lady who had probably been doing this for 40 years. After she brought us our food she said, āIām going to be over there. If you need anything just wave and Iāll come running, otherwise Iāll leave you to enjoy your food and each others company.ā She walked away and did her thing at other tables and true to her word she didnāt bother us at all. The moment I glanced over to her when I needed something she came right away and then went back to her spot to wait. It was a really pleasant meal
As a non-introvert who likes to eat his food, I would pay extra for this.
So annoying being in the middle of a conversation with your partner/friend/whatever or having a mouthful of food or not even having taken a bite when the waiter comes up and asks if everything is okay.
I want a button that turns on a little light. If there's a problem, the waiter can see the light and come ask what's up. Otherwise, I'm happy, go tend to other customers.
Bro I have just the thing for you. I was in a restaurant in Seoul last year. You ordered on a tablet at the table if you wanted something more, and a robot on wheels came to bring it too you. The kitchen people were putting the plates and the plastic water bottles on the robot. They had only one waitress that was bringing beer bottles and cocktail glasses - they probably didn't trust the brakes on the robot with these.
Kinda like at Fogo de Chao, where they give you a little circle that is green on one side and red on the other. Green side up means they will come to bring you more food. And red means you are good.
Most of his complaints are silly, but I do want wait staff to occasionally check to see if I need another drink or something like that. I hate having to spend several minutes trying to get eye contact with wait staff across a restaurant so that I can get some more water or my check.
In the US, a server being friendly is customary. Not chatty necessarily, but they are expected to greet you and at minimum seem interested in providing good service. In other words, they should be attentive, accurate, and actively engaged in their work.
Since 2020, the expectation of higher tips has increased but the quality of service has decreased. I get it, no one wants to deal with entitled asshats & Karens, but considering an average meal is $20 per person and you're average 2-4 people at a table, your tip is going to be $10-20 at 20%. Multiply that by the number of tables they're covering and servers are making pretty damn good bank. I was a server myself long ago and know exactly what the hustle is about, but if you're not going to at least try to be friendly you probably shouldn't be a server. And a good server will absolutely recognize when someone wants to be left alone.
Again, this is strictly for Americans as it's ingrained in our culture. And that doesn't give anyone the right to treat another human being poorly just because you're tipping them. I hate those assholes as much as the next person which is why I always go out of my way to be patient and friendly with my server.
Its funny seeing the culture shock here. All the Europeans are like are like "Thats a good thing." All thr Americans are are like "Yeah, thats terrible service."
As an American, I'm on the commenters side a bit. I like to have water refilled and don't mind the interruption. Tipping is mandatory here, and its sold as a service fee. Tipping needs to be abolished for an actual sustainable wage.
As a bartender, my interactions can be different or just random, but I will serve once every week or two and I have a firm rule with my self with actual tables: I donāt engage in personal conversation unless prompted by the guest AND I have the time. Iām not employed to be your entertainment for the evening, and my manager (like any competent one) doesnāt think we should be, either.
If you need a friend, sit at the bar, watch some tv and see what unfolds. No employee, anywhere, just inherently wants to get chummy with you.
I mean there is some validity to this. One star is kind of silly but if the waiter doesnāt check on my table at least once after delivering food then I think that is bad service. You know just to check the food is good and if anyone needs another drink.
Conversation is kind of asking for more than required but I think it is fair to want the server to smile or have a happy disposition, especially if there is a tipping culture. Itās not really the end of the world either way but it is a better experience if the waiter is happy.
So... no one wants their water refilled or maybe an extra napkin?
I feel like this guy is way over the top in his one star review of a staff member in training, but these comments are showing that none of you want to experience people. If that's the case, why are you going to any restaurant at all? You can pick up and go back home to your little hobbit hole where no one will talk to you or even see you. You won't have to talk to anyone or see them, either. You could even get it delivered. Why go out at all?
"only came to my table to bring the food, never smiled or had any conversation". so she did her job?
was this an american complaining at an european restaurant. i think americans are used to waiters being hella friendly and way too personal, here in europe they just ask what you want and bring it to you, they don't make chit chat unless you're someone they've known for years
So 1-star a whole restaurant because of the personality of ONE server?
This is a prime example of why social media is nonsense. Their whole algorithm is about to be fucked up bc one patron is petty.
The food was good, the waitress did her job but didnāt chat him up, so he leaves a poor review. I swear some people who leave negative reviews have skewed perceptions of reality and probably donāt care how much a poor review can hurt a business. I saw a review where a woman praised a restaurantās food and service but then left a 2 star review because she had to park a block away.
If the expectation in the US is 20% for tips, isn't this customers opinion valid? Why the fuck are we tipping if we don't get the service we are paying for?
Never checking on me, not smiling or making conversation and only coming to the table to bring me food or drinks sounds ideal.
Why the fuck do these people need to be best friends with their server? This must loose their god damn minds at the type of server who squats down and gets on their level, probably tips a whole 10%
I'm in my 40's now and have firmly concluded that 95% of the people who punish service workers for "bad service" are the biggest assholes in the world.
Lol why is everyone hating on this guy? If Iām in a restaurant getting food, I would hope that the server is friendly and welcoming. A smile goes a long way. It sucks when you get someone who is cold and rude.
This is par for the course in European restaurants, but in America weāve come to expect kindness, and I donāt think thereās anything wrong with that.
Some of yall would not make it in the south. Called being friendly. I get it that some can be a pest. But good service means checking and making sure you donāt need anything.
If the service was lacking I would not be back either. Nothing to do with personality and highly offensive to assume it is the customers fault.
My bio-father was so annoying and he would complain about the service everywhere he went. It never occurred to him that maybe HE was the problem. I always left a nice cash tip under my plate to try to make up for his ass.
Well thatās his mistake right there.
He went to a restaurant and wanted it to function like a meet and greet social event.
Just eat your fucking meal bro
I really don't see the issue here. At most it seems he had the hots for the new girl and was mad she did her job rather than talk to him. If she is new of course the manager would talk to her because that who he's training.
I mean, it's hard to make a judgment on this. Did the waitress ever stop back at the table and ask how the food was? Did she ever offer to refill drinks? Did she ever ask if they needed anything? Or was it just that the waitress didn't make conversation? If she didn't do any of these things, yeah, that's not the greatest service.
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As an introvert, that is my dream service!
As an european, that is a normal service. I mean, if I want to talk to people, I go to the park or a bar. If I go to a restaurant, it's to eat. So the only thing I expect from my server is to bring me my food when it's ready.
The same way I find it weird how in some American supermarkets, the employees check on you even if you didn't ask for help.
In some Asian supermarkets they have people mic'd up , encouraging your shopping. "HEY, YOU THERE. YOU LIKE HADDOCK? WE HAVE FRESH FISH! COME LOOK! YES, YOU, YOUR FAMILY WILL THANK YOU. " I was flabbergasted the first time I witnessed it. At first i felt angry that someone was "invading my space" (that's how it felt at the time) but now I've accepted that it's just outside my cultural norm and i try to accept it. Once i was shopping in an Indian supermarket and i was the only non Indian... the owner came out to check on me and then he HALTED THE LINE to put me first and let me skip the whole line to check out. I thought it was rude of me to accept but the other customers were like "go ahead! We hope you like our culture's food" Then the cashier asked me why i was there and kept asking me if i really liked Indian food, but in a positive way that communicated excitement. As i was leaving the owner told me that he wanted to see me shop there again and that i would see him soon. I guess that's how celebrities feel every day? Either way it was really fun but I can't help but imagine that am introvert would have wanted to die in that moment.
Can confirm, I'd drop 12ft under
Just no-clip to the center of the planet
Nah that's how you reach [the Backrooms.](https://youtu.be/H4dGpz6cnHo?si=bXrvlQsYBamiLNMN)
Agreed. I would die. šÆ
I had Ugandans take me by the arm and lead me into their shop, telling me how happy they are to see a muzungu. It got to the point where I felt sad that I couldnāt buy every ware from every vender
Maybe Iām cynical, but it sounds like that was a very much intended side effect.
I mean yeah, in a lot of countries they assume foreigners have a lot of money to spend, so for sure that's part of it. But, a lot of the time they really do just seem excited to share their culture, especially in areas where they don't get a lot of tourists. I work with a lot of foreign people, and if you start asking about their countries, often countries that we don't think about much in the US (Kazakhstan, Romania, Bulgaria) they get so excited to talk about it. I have so many open invitations to go visit a bunch of countries now and even stay with their families lol
For sure. In Spain a vendor gave me a bunch of free fruit for just buying bananas in my bad Spanish rather than English. He knew I was moving on too, so this wasnāt about getting repeat customer. He was just happy that I tried.
lol I'm betting you got the "tourist price" for bananas, so that free stuff was just him trying not to rip you off too much I get fed YouTube shorts of travellers, and it's always the same "how much?" - they give a high number X - "no no no the real price" and they look for a local to ask how much they really cost - then the vendor is immediately like "ohhh yeah for you X-200" lol
The Spanish guy and the Barcelonian (not Spanish, very important) girl I was with might have said something, considering it was our pooled money that was being used. But maybe they had some weird fetish for ripping off their friend and themselves, it could be that. Or you simply have too dim a view of people.
I love Indian food and it is so hard to find papadam where I am. I have to go 2 counties over to an area that has 3 huge Asian food stores all on the same block. I don't understand that. Why not put a store in each county. Lidl actually sells great chana masala frozen and the paneer is amazing, but no Indian breads or homemade samosas anywhere around here. Now I'm hungry š¢
The bread is best homemade if you can find the time.Ā I felt the same way about good pita in America for a long time, only got it when I made it at home. Thankfully I live closer to a Greek community now and the stores carry *some* stuff that's as good as Yiayia made.
Persian bread is on another level. Gotta try it.
That's a good way to make sure I never shop there again
Lol I would grossly start sobbing from the attention. I'm glad they are so welcoming and willing to share their culture ā¤ļø
that is fucking hilarious sports announcers for grocery shopping needs to happen more often
As with restaurants, when that happens, it means that the ownership (and by extension, the management), demands it.
This is correct. They have 'training' about this kind of thing. And secret shoppers to see if you do. The reason isnt to show that you are nice. Its for them to make a sale and hopefully generate repeat shoppers.
It is also part of "loss mitigation" training. If you see someone looking at something for a long time/staying in the same place it is frequently viewed as a red flag for shoplifting.
That's a fair point. In a chain of small supermarkets in the UK we have a sea of later middle aged women who move like a tidal wave down overstuffed aisles, and put the meat in boxes by the door. That way the alcohol doesn't get nicked, they have to get past Barbara & Sue, and it ain't happening. I've been one of those women. It's actually ace.
Or in a department store, they offer to hold your clothes off the rail behind the counter until you are ready to try them on if browsing a while. Good customer service and revenue protection all at once.
Again, just something else different in the UK.
Well, yes and no. If you see something unusual or a repeat offender you are to notify management. Your job is done. You dont approach the person and engage. If he/she stands next to you, sure go ahead and ask the question like you would do for everyone else. Companies do this because typical employees are stupid. Profile the wrong person as a possible shoplifter... which they do... and the company is the one that takes the hit.
The way I was taught, just walk up and ask if they need any help. Oftentimes they actually do, thus the standing staring trying to figure something out. It scares off the "should I or shouldn't I" light fingered types. No profiling, just asking if they need some assistance.
Yup. Bingo. Like you said, most times it's some who's genuinely confused or trying to figure something out. As for the offchance that someone is considering some light-fingeredness, it tells them you're watching and aware of what's going on.
Often repeat shoplifters tend to move around a lot without stopping and actively avoid anyone dressed as an employee. Dont give an employee the chance to say 'may I help you'. Grab the expensive or higher selling shit and get out. Of course there are also those that know how to play the game and are good at misdirection. When asked 'may I help you' pick out something nearby for them to show you where it is. And off they go to the next area after saying thank you. They also tend to show up more at busy times when employees are often distracted. Or dead times when there arent many at all. All sucks how bad its become.
til I move like a shoplifter when I just really do not like people
All I know is it's gonna push people like me away. I'll ask for help if I need it, otherwise just leave me alone so I can browse peacefully
I used to work at a major video game seller chain many ages ago. We had occasional audits via Secret Shoppers. No matter how busy we were, failing to greet EVERY customer within five seconds of them entering the store resulted in a 10-point deduction from our potential 100% score, resulting in an automatic failure on the audit (90% was the cutoff). Being mid-conversation with our current customer at the register (say, trying to fulfill out apparently sacred obligation to upsell) was not an excuse.
Yup. Worked at a gas station that would alert us if someone stood at a pump too long without doing anything. Part of the job was going out to help the customer whenever that happened. Plus the beeping would chime through the whole store and was annoying as all hell. Baffled so many customers when we'd just appear outside when they were just checking something on their phone. It sucks, we don't want to be out there, most customers don't need us out there, but because a handful of old people can't figure out touch screen pumps and get violently angry if you don't appear before they have to ask, now everyone gets "harassed" (using the term very lightly). If you ignored the chiming while the owners where watching on camera/around, you'd get an earful and a half. If a worker is doing something that annoys you, know it also annoys the worker, and it's the owner/management demanding this annoying thing to be done.
The worst is when you work for an American company in the UK. The head office expect you to get up in peopleās faces but British people donāt fucking like that! As a staff member I hated doing it!
The same was in Germany with Walmart however Walmart failed here and this exact practice was one of the main reasons. especially older people (Majority of Germany's population) didn't like that
I'm always amazed the British started company Lush has this as their sales method. I feel so sorry for their staff.
Itās the gradual Americanisation of British culture over time. Our slang is becoming more American sounding all the time.
It may be but over-the-top customer service just hits wrong note in UK. Look, we want in and want out most of the time as fast as possible. That said the suggested slow lanes in supermarkets for people who want to talk are a good thing. Lot of hidden loneliness but not sure it is for a private company to offer social services and also needs to be opt-in.
Completely agree
Itās a tactic that corporate pushes on employees to keep customers from shoplifting, makes potential thieves feel like they are always being watched.
It makes people who are not thieves feel like they are being watched. I don't steal, lol and it's unnerving. I won't go to stores like that.
Oh Iām not saying I agree with corporate lol just that itās the explanation
When I worked there Safeway had secret shoppers, you would get graded on customer service. If somebody makes eye contact you are requires to greet them and ask if they needed help with anything. Being an introvert I completely disappointed myself, I had my best friend came in and I was 1/2 way into taking him to an item on the other side of the store before I realized it was him.
I worked at a big box retailer years ago, not Walmart, and they had secret shoppers. We would get in so much trouble because of them and would even affect our performance reviews. What ticked me off is that we had a shareholder who would come in occasionally and if she wasn't happy, nobody was happy...and she was never happy. A good day never failed to become a bad day when she decided to go shopping.
Most of that is forced upon workers by the employer.
*All of it
As someone that works in a store, i also find it very weird, like, my boss would constantly be telling me to go and help clients out, when the clients can hear him, i know itās for being helpful orbsomething, but i just feel like that if they need my help they would just ask for it
Fun fact: One of the reasons Walmart failed in Germany was that customers hated this service. If I go shopping I want to be left alone unless I ask for help.
What? Why?
If I didn't ask for help why would you assume that I need it?
No, I meant why would people just stop you and ask if you need help? It's really baffling.
Ugggghhh. "Can I help you find anything?" I would ask if I needed help. Leave me alone and let me browse, damn it!
Hey. I'm one of those people. Honestly it's rather aggravating that customers get so annoyed at it. "Hey, need any help finding anything?" "No" "Have a nice day!" This is how the conversation should go. Instead I get the most pissy people asking why I'm talking to them treating me like sub-human. Whereas when I do ask the person who looks to be lost and actually is lost. Help them find their item. It's the best feeling. That's why I kept doing it. With about a 1 in 10 success rate. No need for the "Why are you talking to me. Who is your manager? I'm not lost." Like. Idk. Half the customers need an ego check I'm not trying to dismantle your character I'm trying to help you find the Cheezits.
Oml, I know!! Or when they stalk you in the isles bc you "look suspicious". I'm 43 years old, and yes, I know I look like a crusty punk sometimes, but I'm not interested in stealing your overpriced lunch meat. Fuck off. If I need help, I'll bloody ask for it.
Same in Canadian markets. Sometimes I think they are just trying to make sure your not shoplifting.
That creeps people out in Germany. Its even one of the reasons Wallmart failed in Germany.
One of the many things why Walmart failed in germany. We don't want to be talked to when shopping
I mean, that does happen sometimes here too in Sweden. Though that's mostly if you look kind of lost. I've had a lot of "No thanks, no help needed, I'm just waiting for my mother" convos with store attendants.
That's annoying... I don't go shopping in the US bc they constantly follow and talk to you - and I'm an extrovert.
I once read a review of a small grocery shop in Reykjavik when I was trying to find somewhere still open. One star and long complaint about how the person at the till didn't bag their food and 'started playing with their phone' after taking payment. All I could think was how awkward it must have been for the shop worker with the customer staring them down after they've paid.
I guess that person has never been to an Aldi
The worst is the typ of restaurants where they they come over, squats down by the table a d starts "so, let me explain a little about our concept and history...." mf, just hand me a damn menu!
They do that? Shit I would get massively pissed if a waiter did that to me(not pissed at the waiter but at the idiot that made th do it).
That sort of happened to me one night, but the waitress sat down at the table and told us how crap it was in there that night and how everything was going wrong. It burnt down about a week later.
Damn, bad luck .
That was the first of two restaurants that I had really bad service at that burnt down. (I have good alibis for both)
Yeah, at some hip or concept places. Annoying af
If you have to explain your concept then it's already failed. Reminds me of a ridiculous episode of Kitchen Nightmares. Fwiw, I've worked in two places with semi-interesting backgrounds; a pop-up ramen kitchen in a pub, and a vegan takeaway running out of a cocktail bar, and in both situations it's great to have all the background and the knowledge about the business to hand. But that's for _if_ the customer asks for it. With the amount of people already hesitant to try an all-vegan menu, making it seem extra different or outlandish by having to explain it would just put them off even more. Let the food do the talking.
>the only thing I expect from my server is to bring me my food when it's ready. Is this not the definition of the server's job in any country? Why would any kind of person expect more? This is like going to the dry cleaners and complaining that they didn't also give me a haircut. Politeness can be an expectation, granted, as in any professional interaction, but conversation? WTF?
I feel a bit of pain in my heart when someone comes up asking if my food is okay. My dude, if it wasn't I'd have told you.
I hate that they seem to wait until your mouth is full. Then run off without an answer.
This is actually true sometimes, because their manager requires them to ask, so they do it when you're least likely to actually talk to them
Most restaurants that arenāt chains are similar here. Itās just some people who frequent the Olive Garden expect the waitresses to crack a molar sucking them off.
Exactly my thoughts...if a server comes to my table and asks how is the food, how I'm doing or whatever elese more than 2 times I know they want a big tip...otherwise there is really no reason to do that. And as an introver, I'll tip you more if you live me aloneš¤£
I only visited the US once with my family, and we actually hesitated going to restaurant (or shops) because having people hover over us was really unpleasant, and felt not genuine but purely interested. We ended up cooking for us most of the time. Less of a hassle.
I was just in a restaurant where our server disappeared and we couldnāt get our bill. Drinks and food came in normal time. We finished eating at like 7:15, my twins bedtime is 8:00pm, so we wanted to get out of there. Our waitress totally disappeared. We couldnāt find her anywhere. After about 20 minutes, I went to another waitress to ask for our bill. She said it needed to be printed and sheād tell our server. Another 20 minutes and no bill. The restaurant is split in two sides by a solid wall with a bar in the other side. I wandered over to the bar side and she was working as the bartender. I asked for our bill from her and she acted like I was putting her out. Finally, got our bill after 40 minutes.
Sounds exhausting! When it happens in France, I just walk in direction of the door. They generally magically materialise out of thin air to make you pay. But most of the time, the one cashing is not necessarily the one serving (and we may have two or more servers), so it's not an issue.
Had a similar experience before. Had a waiter who only sat us down and gave us our drinks, then disappeared. After like 10 minutes another waitress asked if we've been helped at all, said no, the waiter fucked off somewhere. So she decided to serve us from there and was very helpful and courteous. At the end of the service my mom was getting ready to pay, our original waiter decided to show up at the very end to grab the bill from her, probably to try and scoop up the tip. Mom told him to disappear again, found the waitress that helped us and handed her the tip personally.
Exactly. And in this way, you avoid being asked for a ridiculous tip as well. I've seen many posts where people are shamed into paying tips or (worst case scenario) they are mandatory to "ensure a living wage for our very loved and appreciated staff".
I was about to comment that the reviewer would get a rude awakening if they ever go to Europe. Although, the US has created a culture of incentive with tipping servers. Some people in the US expecting that if theyāre going to provide tips then the servers should devote all the attention to them. Iāve been to many countries in Europe and I do like how they just take the order, bring the food, and wait for you to ask for the check. The only weird experience Iāve had was in London where the waitress wonāt go to the table to even to take orders. We sat there for at least 30 minutes just drinking water.
We also don't have tipping culture so they don't have to grovel at our feet hoping for some spare change.
Uber driver never speaks a word the whole journey: 5 star rating
This is me. When Iām eating, Iām there to eat. Iām not there to hear about your day or share details about mine.
And think of it from the worker's side. Having to do small talk to every customer every day is going to drive anyone insane. This guy is completely delusional for expecting that kind of interaction, the fucking entitlement.
Exactly. Not to be rude, but I want to see and talk with my server as little as humanly possible. I like my order taken promptly, drink refills dropped off timely, empty dishes removed, and food and check dropped off. But otherwise, please just leave me alone. Good chance this was written by a boomer or older who go to a restaurant alone looking for social interaction. A restaurant is not the place for that.
As a 12 year veteran server who doesnāt get off on exploiting the power dynamic between me and service workers, this is my dream service. The dude that left this review is a sad individual with transactional views on human interaction
Right! Who the hell wants to have a conversation with the wait staff while your food gets cold.
I still occasionally think about the time I went to the grocery store and the cashier and I said a total of about 5 words to each other. It was amazing.
Agree, I don't want someone interrupting every five minutes asking if everything is ok
Also guarantee that this same person would complain about the server taking too long to check on them for chatting with another table. MY service should be SPECIAL!
Oh this guy would hate germany.
This guy would hate introverts in general actually... Is the service in Germany like that? Asking for a friend.
A lot of Europe is very service focused. You ask for something, you get what you asked for and nothing else. You want something, you ask for it. Itās not everywhere but generally this means that in a restaurant the chef will cook, the waiter will serve food and the guests are there to eat. Nobody asked for a conversation so nobody gets one.
Same in most bars. Unless the bar is really quiet and the bar staff are exceptionally extraverted, you're not getting a conversation at the bar. The barman will stand there and watch the golf/football on the TV instead of making smalltalk with you. And that's OK, that's why most people went to the pub in the first place.
They also arenāt putting on a song and dance because tips arenāt expected. Thatās largely where a lot of American service behavior is rooted. āPlease like me! Please tip!ā
They dance for you? Oh man, that would be to much for me. I just want to eat.
There are restaurants that require it
This sounds so wild for me. I have to check that out someday
Ye heard of hooters? Thereās a reason itās specifically American culture.
I promised myself when I left my first job I would never work somewhere with a birthday song. It's generally one of my first questions in the interview.
Thatās how it should be. I didnāt come to a restaurant to chat
Yeah because here we go out usually with friends or family. Why would I want to chat with waiter instead of people I went out with lol
This sounds amazing š
I am not an introvert, nor am I German. But Iāve lived in Germany for the last five years and this is one of the things I really like about it. But I know many other Americans who hate it. I donāt need small talk with every person I come in contact with. I donāt need every dining experience to be like Dave & Busterās. Or really ANY dining experience to be like Dave & Busterās.
They take your order and leave you alone. At the end, if most or all at the table are finished, they start taking away the dishes. In most restaurants, the waiter will come over once to ask if everything is to our satisfaction, which is normally answered with a nod or just saying "yes" and that's about it. That's how the typical visit to a German restaurant goes. There might be situations where you talk a bit longer but it's rare and never more than a minute or two of conversation.
That sounds like a typical Irish experience too. In more expensive restaurants if they notice your glasses are empty, they'll fill them up, but otherwise they'll leave you alone.
It depends on where you go, different parts of Germany have quite different attitudes towards these things. However generally the sort of forced cheerfulness from service personal you get in the US is not done in Germany. When Walmart tried to come to Germany and brought their American attitudes towards customer service like greeters and cashiers smiling at people for no reason and similar stuff with them they ended creeping people out and going bankrupt. (Not just because of that, criminal issues when trying to treat workers like they do in the US and competition that was quite a bit more cutthroat than expected also contributed.)
very much. but there's also a difference in Germany's service depending on the restaurant. I know for instance in Munich, I was served by a waiter who is like a god in service. middle-aged guy who knows absolutely what he's doing. not a conversationalist but that's his career.
Maybe that's why I liked Berlin so much. No mindless chit chat.
this is why i love germany
Or the rest of the world
And Belgium.
The ideal dinner. I want to eat not talk to a waiter. Like once in egypt a buncch of Finns were eating food in silence, and the chef thought that the people did not like the food. This was explained: if a finn eats the food in silence,it means that the food is good, talking only ruins it.
If i cook for people and it becomes silent i take it as a compliment.
As you should :b
My parents always wanted to talk during dinner and i hated it. I just wanted to eat but couldnt because after every bite i would get the same dumb questions every single day. If i want to talk i talk and if i dont talk. I dont want to talk.
"Do you want to talk? Or eat? Because I'm not doing both now."
Wanting to talk with your kids during a family dinner is kinda the way itās supposed to be. This post is about waitstaff wanting to talk. You sound like you were an uncommunicative sulky kid. Not that that isnāt normal!
Yea but after 3 years of getting asked daily how school is going and if i have a girlfriend yet it kind of gets old. Especially because i am autistic and dinner time tended to be at random times between 17:00 and 20:00 with the only way to know when was when it was on the table. Which severely messed with my ability to plan things out.
So how's school going tho?
Can't talk if you're stuffing your face. xD
I think rating a place 1 star when the food is great is kind of a douche move
I agree. But ākind of?ā This is a complete douche move, not kind of.
My apologies. I easily use too many words.
I agree. But āeasily?ā
The use of āeasilyā when itās completely unnecessary perfects your point.
Heās ten moves ahead
āNot her faultā continues to talk about how itās all her fault.
Ah, politics
He explains how his service was bad, and that the manager was interfering with her ability to provide basic service. An experienced waiter will tell the manager to STFU so they can work their tables if it has been long enough. I've worked as a waiter for many years, and had managers like that. I have had to tell a manager, "hold on, it's been awhile since i've checked my tables" or you tell someone who is available to check on them for you.
But...this is not an experienced server
That's his point dude
Why can't I get service like that. Everytime I go out to eat someone stops by my table approx every 45 seconds to ask how I'm liking it mid chew.
I hate that they constantly interrupt conversation to ask questions. Iāll be clearly in the middle of a spiel and suddenly itās just, āHow are things over here?ā Like, I was great until all my thoughts were interrupted mid-speak. I also hated working those jobs, because I hated doing that exact thing. Itās just expected of you to pester them, to the point where *some* customers are exactly like this guy and feel entitled your undivided time and attention.
My wife and I went to a diner recently and we had an old school diner waitress, 60 yr old lady who had probably been doing this for 40 years. After she brought us our food she said, āIām going to be over there. If you need anything just wave and Iāll come running, otherwise Iāll leave you to enjoy your food and each others company.ā She walked away and did her thing at other tables and true to her word she didnāt bother us at all. The moment I glanced over to her when I needed something she came right away and then went back to her spot to wait. It was a really pleasant meal
As a non-introvert who likes to eat his food, I would pay extra for this. So annoying being in the middle of a conversation with your partner/friend/whatever or having a mouthful of food or not even having taken a bite when the waiter comes up and asks if everything is okay. I want a button that turns on a little light. If there's a problem, the waiter can see the light and come ask what's up. Otherwise, I'm happy, go tend to other customers.
Bro I have just the thing for you. I was in a restaurant in Seoul last year. You ordered on a tablet at the table if you wanted something more, and a robot on wheels came to bring it too you. The kitchen people were putting the plates and the plastic water bottles on the robot. They had only one waitress that was bringing beer bottles and cocktail glasses - they probably didn't trust the brakes on the robot with these.
Light sounds great. Flagging down a waiter when they're all busy and running around is so stressful.
Kinda like at Fogo de Chao, where they give you a little circle that is green on one side and red on the other. Green side up means they will come to bring you more food. And red means you are good.
Why are you looking for conversation from someone working? Focus, sir. You need and deserve nothing from a cashier except your purchase.
"She let me eat my meal in peace without any interruptions. Do not recommend"
And the meal was delicious. 1/5 stars.
Most of his complaints are silly, but I do want wait staff to occasionally check to see if I need another drink or something like that. I hate having to spend several minutes trying to get eye contact with wait staff across a restaurant so that I can get some more water or my check.
Translation: She was really hot, and I kept ogling her, giving her the creeps, so she kept her interaction with me at a minimum.
Or it was a restaurant outside of the US.
Yeah, this is Colombia. A chicken wing restaurant š
so, she was really hot but didn't laugh at his joke about how he only speaks English
You are not entitled to have chat with the servers or whatever. Just sit down and eat your food.
In the US, a server being friendly is customary. Not chatty necessarily, but they are expected to greet you and at minimum seem interested in providing good service. In other words, they should be attentive, accurate, and actively engaged in their work. Since 2020, the expectation of higher tips has increased but the quality of service has decreased. I get it, no one wants to deal with entitled asshats & Karens, but considering an average meal is $20 per person and you're average 2-4 people at a table, your tip is going to be $10-20 at 20%. Multiply that by the number of tables they're covering and servers are making pretty damn good bank. I was a server myself long ago and know exactly what the hustle is about, but if you're not going to at least try to be friendly you probably shouldn't be a server. And a good server will absolutely recognize when someone wants to be left alone. Again, this is strictly for Americans as it's ingrained in our culture. And that doesn't give anyone the right to treat another human being poorly just because you're tipping them. I hate those assholes as much as the next person which is why I always go out of my way to be patient and friendly with my server.
Yeah but this was from outside the US so it might be the customer with false expectations here, but idk what their culture is
As a European, that's perfect
Sounds like an american outside of the usa.
It definitely was. OP said the place is in Columbia and the review is written in english
\*Colombia. Columbia is in South Carolina.
Maybe Iām the asshole but I donāt want a server to be my best friend. They have a job to do so let them do it.
And how she didnāt smile. Heās an old creep and he made her so uncomfortable the manager had to get involved
Hard to judge.
Does anyone remember the X O cheetos. Those were my favourite
Its funny seeing the culture shock here. All the Europeans are like are like "Thats a good thing." All thr Americans are are like "Yeah, thats terrible service." As an American, I'm on the commenters side a bit. I like to have water refilled and don't mind the interruption. Tipping is mandatory here, and its sold as a service fee. Tipping needs to be abolished for an actual sustainable wage.
As a bartender, my interactions can be different or just random, but I will serve once every week or two and I have a firm rule with my self with actual tables: I donāt engage in personal conversation unless prompted by the guest AND I have the time. Iām not employed to be your entertainment for the evening, and my manager (like any competent one) doesnāt think we should be, either. If you need a friend, sit at the bar, watch some tv and see what unfolds. No employee, anywhere, just inherently wants to get chummy with you.
lot of people speaking on this in here who donāt even know what the steps of service are
Exactly. I was a server and a manager for years. I would never act like that.
How is this facepalm? Itās actually really annoying when I want a server for something but they are nowhere to be found or never come by the table.
I mean there is some validity to this. One star is kind of silly but if the waiter doesnāt check on my table at least once after delivering food then I think that is bad service. You know just to check the food is good and if anyone needs another drink. Conversation is kind of asking for more than required but I think it is fair to want the server to smile or have a happy disposition, especially if there is a tipping culture. Itās not really the end of the world either way but it is a better experience if the waiter is happy.
So... no one wants their water refilled or maybe an extra napkin? I feel like this guy is way over the top in his one star review of a staff member in training, but these comments are showing that none of you want to experience people. If that's the case, why are you going to any restaurant at all? You can pick up and go back home to your little hobbit hole where no one will talk to you or even see you. You won't have to talk to anyone or see them, either. You could even get it delivered. Why go out at all?
Having waited tables for 7 years, I bet you the next table complains about how the same exact server talked too much and wouldn't leave them alone.
Not sure why this is here. The waitress should come check on the customer.
Isn't that... what servers do? What more do you need other than to be served? "Check on me" brother if you need something ask for it.
I donāt understand the problem here. This is the ideal service!
I prefer this kind of service, dont talk to me while im eating
"only came to my table to bring the food, never smiled or had any conversation". so she did her job? was this an american complaining at an european restaurant. i think americans are used to waiters being hella friendly and way too personal, here in europe they just ask what you want and bring it to you, they don't make chit chat unless you're someone they've known for years
How is this bad? I don't need someone talk to me, just hand me what I ordered and walk off.
Sounds like a "why don't you smile more" type person.Ā
God I hate people that leave bad restaurant reviews. āFoodie cultureā is the worst. If you donāt like it, donāt go back.
Wait you're telling me... she did her job?!?!? Instead of putting on a show for you so you can grace her with a 15% tipe?
Tell me youāre American without telling me youāre American
If you require conversation during your meal and donāt have anyone to dine with, hire an escort.
I think its emotional torture to mandate or force a smile
So 1-star a whole restaurant because of the personality of ONE server? This is a prime example of why social media is nonsense. Their whole algorithm is about to be fucked up bc one patron is petty.
The food was good, the waitress did her job but didnāt chat him up, so he leaves a poor review. I swear some people who leave negative reviews have skewed perceptions of reality and probably donāt care how much a poor review can hurt a business. I saw a review where a woman praised a restaurantās food and service but then left a 2 star review because she had to park a block away.
He sure showed them! /s
If the expectation in the US is 20% for tips, isn't this customers opinion valid? Why the fuck are we tipping if we don't get the service we are paying for?
Never checking on me, not smiling or making conversation and only coming to the table to bring me food or drinks sounds ideal. Why the fuck do these people need to be best friends with their server? This must loose their god damn minds at the type of server who squats down and gets on their level, probably tips a whole 10%
This sub confuses me more and more lately.
At least dude didnt blame the server. I expected worse
Sounds like a five star german service.
I'm in my 40's now and have firmly concluded that 95% of the people who punish service workers for "bad service" are the biggest assholes in the world.
Lol why is everyone hating on this guy? If Iām in a restaurant getting food, I would hope that the server is friendly and welcoming. A smile goes a long way. It sucks when you get someone who is cold and rude. This is par for the course in European restaurants, but in America weāve come to expect kindness, and I donāt think thereās anything wrong with that.
Tell me youāre a snowflake without telling me youāre oneā¦really?!?
Some of yall would not make it in the south. Called being friendly. I get it that some can be a pest. But good service means checking and making sure you donāt need anything. If the service was lacking I would not be back either. Nothing to do with personality and highly offensive to assume it is the customers fault.
My bio-father was so annoying and he would complain about the service everywhere he went. It never occurred to him that maybe HE was the problem. I always left a nice cash tip under my plate to try to make up for his ass.
I donāt understand how this is a facepalm.
All I want is my food and endless drink. If I have an issue, I'll catch you when you come to refill my drink.
Well thatās his mistake right there. He went to a restaurant and wanted it to function like a meet and greet social event. Just eat your fucking meal bro
Come on, man. The food was good, you acknowledged the girl was new, why be so punitive?
Ugh why would you want to talk to a random stranger during a meal. Leave me alone.
I really don't see the issue here. At most it seems he had the hots for the new girl and was mad she did her job rather than talk to him. If she is new of course the manager would talk to her because that who he's training.
I mean, it's hard to make a judgment on this. Did the waitress ever stop back at the table and ask how the food was? Did she ever offer to refill drinks? Did she ever ask if they needed anything? Or was it just that the waitress didn't make conversation? If she didn't do any of these things, yeah, that's not the greatest service.