If you are a customer in a restaurant..

So.. here is my little work vents.. I love my job.. I love most of my coworkers.. but seriously.. some of the things customers do amaze me..

1. When I ask you if you would like Fries or Coleslaw with your sandwich.. an appropriate response is not "UGH!" as though you are disgusted at the thought of eating either fries or coleslaw. You see.. Normal people like french fries.. And..up until about 3 or 4 years ago at this eating establishment... you didn't get a choice.. I would have just brought you fries and you would have liked it.. When I give you a choice of these two things.. please choose one.. or if you really would prefer something else, i will likely oblige you.. if you ask nicely.. and don't act offended at my offer of French Fries.. Also.. if you had read your menu ahead of time.. you would have known this choice was coming.. and might have thought of an alternate choice.

2. Just because the sign says "Please Seat Yourself".. this does not give you permission to come in and start moving tables around anyway that you see fit.. I would not come into your living room and start moving your furniture around.. See.. we have certain tables that seat certain amounts of people.. More than likely.. we have one already arranged that can fit your group.. If not.. again.. if you ask nicely.. one of us would be happy to arrange a table for you that doesn't screw up the flow of the entire restaurant.

3. NEVER.. and I mean NEVER EVER.. wave your hand at, raise your hand or YELL at your server while she is in another part of the restaurant.. This is ESPECIALLY true if she is currently waiting on another customer..

4. If you happen to be from Canada.. this is not an excuse to Tip 10%. I have the internet.. I have actually worked in (not as a server.. but with servers) in a restaurant in Canada.. I know that you tip there..While it is a stereotype that Canadians tip poorly.. some of them tip quite well.. So I really believe that the ones who don't are just cheap and using their Canadian-ness as an excuse.. If you honestly DON'T KNOW.. 15-20% is good guideline.. here in Erie County.. the tax rate is 8.75%.. so if you double that.. it will give you a nice 17.5% tip.. right in the middle of the 15-20% range..

5. If you hated the food the last time you were here.. There is really NOTHING i can do about it now.. All this is doing my informing me of this is making my wonder why you are back.. and wonder what sort of complaints you're going to pull out of your a$$ to try to get free food this time.

6. Oh yes.. and my favorite.. If your food seems to be taking a long time.. 95% of the time this is NOT MY FAULT.. The EASIEST part of my job is putting the order in to the computer.. I very rarely neglect to do this..If it is my fault.. I'll admit it.. But in most cases..its because the kitchen is very busy, or the cooks are slacking, or they just are generally screwing up the order of doing things so some orders are coming out faster than others.. Or.. also occassionaly another server will have taken part of your order accidentally.. and they are having to remake something.. All of these scenarios are FAR more likely than me forgetting to put your order in.. When your food takes a long time, it is THE most stressful part of my job.. because i have no control over it and I know that you are going to be mad at ME about it.. so i don't like it anymore than you do..