Community Chat

[inallsincerity]

On 3/14/2014 maddiecat said:

I agree with many of these pet peeves.

However, I'd like to bring up something that has impressed me time and time again. At the Chick Fil A near me, the employees are trained to sincerely say "My pleasure" anytime they are thanked.

For example:

I ask for a tea refill. Employee gives it to me. I say, "Thank you." The employee responds, "My pleasure."

It is such a courteous response these days. Usually when I say "Thank you," I get "No problem" in response!

I admit, I am awful with that! I don't always give the "no problem" response, but I do use it. It is a bad habit to break. I guess, when I say it, I'm sort of thinking, "No thanks are necessary, it is part of my job". It probably comes off as, "No problem, I don't mind doing you this favor." That is certainly not my intent. On the bright side, I don't say "you guys"

[colliegirls]

On 3/13/2014 inallsincerity said:

Tip to germaphobes. When you order your beverages, also ask for hot water with lemon. Rest your utensils in the hot water for a few minutes. Hot water for tea is hot enough to sanitize flatware.

OMG, my mother has done this all her life and it makes me crazy. If you are that afraid of germs, bring your own silverware or stay home!

[inallsincerity]

On 3/14/2014 colliegirls said:

On 3/13/2014 inallsincerity said:

Tip to germaphobes. When you order your beverages, also ask for hot water with lemon. Rest your utensils in the hot water for a few minutes. Hot water for tea is hot enough to sanitize flatware.

OMG, my mother has done this all her life and it makes me crazy. If you are that afraid of germs, bring your own silverware or stay home!

Yes, it bothers a lot of servers too. I never minded it. My opinion is that you have to be comfortable with whatever you are putting in your body. If that's what it takes for somebody to enjoy a meal, I'm okay with that.

[hckynut]

Restaurant CUSTOMERS are my pet peeve.

For me it is people that complain about many things but never want to do it to someone at a restaurant that can do something about it. I am not talking about a waitress or service, but about something to do with the food and or the way a restaurant is run.

I worked way too many years in restaurants, both drive-in and sit down, and I know the amount of work is involved in many aspects of working there as also being a manager of a drive-in restaurant.

[Irshgrl31201]

On 3/14/2014 maddiecat said:

I agree with many of these pet peeves.

However, I'd like to bring up something that has impressed me time and time again. At the Chick Fil A near me, the employees are trained to sincerely say "My pleasure" anytime they are thanked.

For example:

I ask for a tea refill. Employee gives it to me. I say, "Thank you." The employee responds, "My pleasure."

It is such a courteous response these days. Usually when I say "Thank you," I get "No problem" in response!

My daughter pointed this out to me one day when she went through the drive though. She said watch how they say my pleasure. It was funny. They do have very polite workers.

[mistriTsquirrel]

On 3/13/2014 VCamp2748 said:

Dirty restroom, especially if there's water on the floor. If they can't keep the restroom clean, what happens in the kitchen? Ugh

In many restaurants, the job of keeping the restroom clean during the course of a day is given to a 17-year-old hostess.

Keeping the kitchen clean is taken much more seriously. Health inspectors show up at scheduled times or randomly. As far as I know, they do not inspect the bathrooms unless a violation has been reported to the health department.

Managers at our store routinely check food storage temps, labels, and sanitization in the kitchen. The grills, exhaust hoods, cutting surfaces, prep surfaces, soup kettles, cutlery, floors, etc. are sanitized at least once daily.

I do not believe that the state of the bathroom is indicative of the general cleanliness of the restaurant, because I see how much time is spent cleaning and sterilizing things in the kitchen...and how often the rule of the hostess checking the bathroom every 15 minutes is overlooked.

[mistriTsquirrel]

On 3/13/2014 Opurrra said: Waitress using a wet rag to wipe down seats and table. Gross.

What should the waitress use to wipe down the seats and table?

Sanitizer must be changed out regularly throughout the day in order to keep it at the temperature that ensures it is most effective. If you put it in a spray bottle, it becomes cold quickly. When I first started working for the company I work for, we used spray bottles to apply sanitizer, but the health department put a stop to it.

Not only that, but if you use a rag that isn't wet enough, you will not be able to get all of the junk off of a table. Spray cleaner and paper towels aren't enough to get rid of stuck on food residue...believe me, I've used both methods, and a rag that is wet with sanitizer does a much better job of cleaning surfaces than a spray bottle and a rag/paper towel.

Also, our company has cut out the busser position to save money...so the waitresses have to clean their own tables. We have no choice in the matter.

[mistriTsquirrel]

On 3/13/2014 Jannabelle said:

Employees who put their hands on items, like utensils, rim of glasses, plates,etc.

How can an employee hand you your food if they aren't supposed to touch your plate?

[mistriTsquirrel]

On 3/13/2014 PurpleBunny said: When they sweep or vacuum when I'm eating. All that krap goes in the air near my food - yuck.

I get what you're saying...however...

I have to sweep my section before I can clock out and leave. And I have to have my work checked before I leave. And, if I don't have my work finished in a timely manner, the manager on duty begins to stalk me and ask me if I'm done yet, or what's taking so long...because the managers are required to keep labor costs down in order to keep their jobs.

If it makes you feel any better, those carpets are vacuumed daily...so there isn't a lot of dust in them that can fly up into your food.

I try to avoid getting too close to tables with customers while I sweep, but I am required to do some sweeping.

[mistriTsquirrel]

On 3/13/2014 Irshgrl31201 said:

On 3/13/2014 muttmom said:

On 3/13/2014 Irshgrl31201 said:

That bugs me too. I also can't stand it when parent let their children run around a restaurant. So dangerous for the kids and the servers.

Dirty silverware and glasses is gross. I won't eat at places with them or dirty bathrooms though. When I go into a new restaurant, I go right into the bathroom first and if it is dirty we leave. If a restaurant doesn't keep the bathroom clean that the public sees then you know their kitchen is a hot mess.

Seriously when you go to a new restaurant you check out the ladies' room before you order?

If it isn't a new restaurant, what do you do if you discover the rest room is dirty after you order?

I absolutely do. I worked in restaurants for years while in high school, in college and after college and if a place does not keep their restaurants clean in my experience, then it only gets worse from there. BTW, I am very easy going when going out to eat but I know with all the experience I have from working in restaurants if they aren't concerned with what the public thinks about a dirty bathroom then their kitchen, pantry and coolers are probably a hot mess as well.

I will leave the restaurant if the bathroom is dirty. If it is a restaurant I have been to and it is uncharacteristically dirty, I just tell the staff. I haven't had that happen though where a restaurant I frequent has a dirty bathroom. Most restaurants have someone there do a bathroom check every 15 or 30 minutes so it really should never be an issue.

That has not been my experience where I work. Kitchen cleanliness is taken way more seriously than bathroom cleanliness...and the people who are supposed to do the restroom checks are the hostesses, who may be too busy seating people and answering phones to check the restroom, or they may just be irresponsible.

Part of the problem is that restaurants are no longer willing to keep people on the clock long enough to do thorough FOH cleaning, and they oftentimes do not employ specific cleaning people to clean restrooms and other places. Those jobs are left to hostesses, servers, etc. who are urged to "hurry up" and not run up the labor percentage.

When your boss is continually urging you to "hurry up," you tend to do a less thorough job than you would if you didn't have someone riding your a55. They expect you to be a server, a janitor, an expo, a busser, to take and prepare carryout orders once the carryout person has gone home, to be a hostess when the hostess has been sent home, and wash dishes when there is no dishwasher scheduled for that shift.

These days, you are expected to do the work of 3-5 people and then clock out ASAP to reduce labor costs. OTOH, when it comes to health department inspections, management is willing to let you work an extra few hours for half of minimum wage if it keeps the kitchen clean.