JLenart wrote:

Ram4 wrote:So here's what I intend to do from now on. If they take my order like this, I'll say "If you don't want to write down my order, fine. But if anything is wrong on this order, I'm not paying for the meal. I'm sure you are a smart person, but I'm not gambling on your brain's memory capacity at my expense."

Surely, you're not serious?

I am serious. And don't call me Shirley.

Of course I'm serious! Maybe I wouldn't say the last line quite like I did. Are you one of those people that allows a restaurant to screw you over, ruin your meal/experience, and walk out with you head hanging low and tail between your legs?

It's a simple request. You have to write down the order. Let's say for the sake of this topic that the server doesn't write down the order and one of the items is requested with sauce on the side. If the sauce comes on the food it will be unedible to the customer. Wouldn't that mess up the meal? What if it were a food item that took 20-30 minutes to make and it was ruined because the server forgot something. Now the customer has to wait 20 minutes for a new one because of this? Hell no. Unacceptable. Write it down!

Ram4 wrote:It's a simple request. You have to write down the order. Write it down!

HaHa!
I made an almost identical series
of posts several weeks ago on this
same topic! Can't recall the thread
though. I'm absolutely with you -
I'm not impressed.

Ram4 wrote:

JLenart wrote:

Ram4 wrote:So here's what I intend to do from now on. If they take my order like this, I'll say "If you don't want to write down my order, fine. But if anything is wrong on this order, I'm not paying for the meal. I'm sure you are a smart person, but I'm not gambling on your brain's memory capacity at my expense."

Surely, you're not serious?

I am serious. And don't call me Shirley.

Of course I'm serious! Maybe I wouldn't say the last line quite like I did. Are you one of those people that allows a restaurant to screw you over, ruin your meal/experience, and walk out with you head hanging low and tail between your legs?

It's a simple request. You have to write down the order. Let's say for the sake of this topic that the server doesn't write down the order and one of the items is requested with sauce on the side. If the sauce comes on the food it will be unedible to the customer. Wouldn't that mess up the meal? What if it were a food item that took 20-30 minutes to make and it was ruined because the server forgot something. Now the customer has to wait 20 minutes for a new one because of this? Hell no. Unacceptable. Write it down!

Id say, you were dining at Alinea and had a special request about a given course or two which the waiter didn't write down would you really say that?

SCUBAchef wrote:

Ram4 wrote:It's a simple request. You have to write down the order. Write it down!

HaHa!
I made an almost identical series
of posts several weeks ago on this
same topic! Can't recall the thread
though. I'm absolutely with you -
I'm not impressed.

But I'm sure there would be a more polite way of expressing concern than simply threatening not to pay for a meal.

We're civilized humans, we ought to act as such.

Ram4 wrote:

JLenart wrote:

Ram4 wrote: Are you one of those people that allows a restaurant to screw you over, ruin your meal/experience, and walk out with you head hanging low and tail between your legs?
!

Absolutely not. But I put a level of trust into a server and if something goes wrong not only will the server know it but so will the manager et. al.

Threating not to pay for a meal prior to even before receiving it is like saying "Since you're likely incompetant you should know that I have no trust that you can maintain a few simple facts in your pea brain."

It's just kind of rude.

If you're so concerend a waiter won't recall your order in the steps to the kitchen/POS system I'm certain there is a more polite way to request he/she writes the order down instead of what I'd view as an impolite threat.

JLenart wrote:Threating not to pay for a meal prior to even before receiving it is like saying "Since you're likely incompetant you should now that I have no trust that you can maintain a few simple facts in your pea brain."

It's just kind of rude.

I agree. And starting a meal by being rude to a server increases the likelihood of poor service and an overall unpleasant experience.

JLenart wrote:We're civilized humans, we ought to act as such.

Agreed. And one of the hallmarks
of a civilized society, is use of
the written word.

Interesting thread.

A recent experience comes to mind. Dining at a well-regarded North Side bistro, my friend and I experienced the waitress as perfectly charming, with a light touch of humor, somewhat businesslike yet warm, and non-intrusive, i.e. sensitive to the flow of the conversation between us.

Though I noted many subtleties of the service, I cannot tell you whether or not she wrote down our orders.

JLenart wrote:

Ram4 wrote:

JLenart wrote:

Ram4 wrote: Are you one of those people that allows a restaurant to screw you over, ruin your meal/experience, and walk out with you head hanging low and tail between your legs?
!

Absolutely not. But I put a level of trust into a server and if something goes wrong not only will the server know it but so will the manager et. al.

Threating not to pay for a meal prior to even before receiving it is like saying "Since you're likely incompetant you should know that I have no trust that you can maintain a few simple facts in your pea brain."

It's just kind of rude.

If you're so concerend a waiter won't recall your order in the steps to the kitchen/POS system I'm certain there is a more polite way to request he/she writes the order down instead of what I'd view as an impolite threat.

Fair enough, and maybe I come across a bit rude here. Many things are lost in translation and I have a way with words that can be misunderstood. No, I wouldn't be that harsh in person, but I would still make a comment about it. My sister IS that rude in person, and it makes me cringe. God help the server that messes her order up. She's the type that will not forgive a restaurant for anything they might do wrong. I work in restaurants, so I know what they might be going through. I KNOW I'm nicer than many people to servers, I'm way too big of a tipper, and I even tip busboys! But, I admit I am wary of the young kids who serve me. They tend to let me down. So I have my defenses up with them, especially if they try the not writing down the order trick. An adult server at a nice restaurant I'll tend to trust, but even then - they've let me down too.

What was wrong with the one server (supported by busboys and a sommelier) model anyway? I did it myself in college without runners or other support at a relatively high end restaurant without any trouble. I took all the orders (wrote it down BTW), asked and refilled cocktail orders, presented and poured wine, delivered all the food, and checked with the diners throughout the experience. The busboys handled clearing, water, bread&butter, coffee, etc. But the busboys also knew how the event was supposed to play out in detail and if they saw anything potentially going wrong, they would find me immediately or act (with my gratitude) if they were comfortable doing so. It was a team of two, but we both knew exactly what the diners should expect from start to finish. I'm sure there's a good reason the big team approach has taken over, I just don't know what it is...

The runners that come out with two plates and ask 'who had the lobster?' will reduce my tip for sure unless I'm at a TGIFriday's or the like. The high end version is they come out and sort of motion a dish at my wife without asking and wait for her to nod approval or wave them off - more subtle, just as unprofessional. I don't get mad (life's too short), and unless it's a place where I've typically had good experiences, I don't seek to tell anyone either. If they ask me, I tell them what I didn't care for without emotion. If they try to comp me, I refuse --- too many people seem to create complaints with the purpose of being comped (unfortunately my brother-in-law who I refuse to eat in a restaurant with, for one). There are plenty of good restaurants to choose from, I simply go elsewhere.