r/Serverlife

I work at a brunch spot, and at least once a week I get a table that seems to believe their hot drink should never go cold from sitting out. You order a hot drink such as coffee, matcha etc…..you let it sit out on your table for more than ten minutes in a restaurant blasting AC because it is 100° outside…..it will turn cold. No, I did not serve you a cold drink ten minutes ago. It turned cold because it is physics. No, I can’t stop your drink from getting cold after sitting at your table talking, not touching your drink. I can always offer it in a to go cup with a stopper, but if you order it for “here” it comes in a cute little mug where it is more exposed to the blasting AC. This is legitimately the most annoying complaint I receive working in breakfast. I cannot. Change. Physics. There is no need to be rude or accusatory also, I have no problem going to heat it up or serving you some fresh coffee. The utter lack of critical thinking skills and manners…

Today I had a family who insisted on having the women and kids at one table while the guys were at a different table. Weirdest shit I’ve ever seen.

As short shift or partial availability? I was recently diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and I've realized I can no longer work 7- 8hour shifts but even the part-time positions seem to require long shifts even when its less days.. Has anyone been in a similar situation? What kind of places have you found that offer shorter shifts like 4-5hours? I'd really appreciate any ideas or advice. Thank you!

I assumed we were going to be slow since it's the day after the 4th, but we had some 7 tops and one 12 top. Today I work a double so it's not too bad if it's slow the whole day, I'll at least make as much as a busy lunch.

I’m about to come up on my second year working for a huge chain restaurant, but I don’t think I can put up with this place much longer. It’s my first serving job, so I have no idea what other places are like. I just put in a few applications for smaller restaurants in my area, so hopefully I’ll be able to leave this place soon.

Just had a rough shift and I can’t stop thinking about it.

A technical issue happened at work during opening with our food-delivery system, and a customer ended up coming in for an order we never actually received on our end. I explained the situation, apologized, and offered the only solutions I had (refund or remake). They were already frustrated and didn’t want to wait, which I understand, so I processed the refund.

Later, I found out they left a long (4 fat paragraph) negative review specifically mentioning me and saying I handled it poorly…

I also feel really bad because I work at a small restaurant, we barely get reviews, and this was basically the first one in a while and it wasn’t good.

I’m not even sure what I could’ve done differently, I just feel stuck on it. How do you guys like deal with getting a bad review that feels personal like this?

Upscale dining is the worst on holidays. It draws in all the people that normally wouldn't eat there (too expensive) but want to spend every penny they got to celebrate regardless.

Last night I had a 4 top. From the start, they were very rude, inconsiderate to other tables, abnoxious and just exhausting. It all started with their drink order. For reference at my restaurant 90% of customers need a few minutes to look at the drink menu because ours is so extensive, pages of drinks, pages of wine, liquors, etc. So I do my greeting with these scumbags, the intro, the whole thing we're supposed to do, and then I tell them "I'll let you all look at the drink menu and I'll be back in a moment." Main scumbag stops me. "Actually we want to get drinks now." No problem. I pull out my book, and look at the main scumbag to take his order. He goes "oh not me, I'm last, I need to look first." LONG STORY SHORT, NO ONE WAS READY, and when I tried to excuse myself again they literally would not let me leave.

Meanwhile one of my other tables who is a regular but loves server tea, was watching this whole exchange, literally looking at them like this 🤨. My regular even tried to save me by waving and gesturing me over, but the main scumbag was all like "We're ALMOST done!" Meanwhile they haven't even ordered their first drink. It took 15 minutes to get their drink order. I cash out my regular and apologize and he says "Good luck, you're going to need it." AND GOD WAS HE RIGHT.

They get drinks, they're so loud one of my other tables complains, manager tells them to keep it down, no avail. The goal now changes to "just try to get them TF out of here as quick as you can." Everything goes smoothly, apps dinners, no problems, they manage to rack up an almost $600 check. After they get entrees, I check on them a total of 3 times(not counting walk bys.) Every time they said everything was great, they didn't need anything, etc. At this time I only had 2 other tables, I wasn't busy at all (This is relevant.)

Time comes to prebus, and then start working on dropping that check, AND BEHOLD PROBLEMS ARISE. The main scumbag's wife tells me her steak wasn't cooked properly, she wanted med rare. I look at the steak, all that is left is literally ONE bite.

"I don't expect the steak to be taken off but I want you to make sure your chef knows this wasn't med rare." She said with a pissy attitude. I told her I'd talk to my manager and see what I can do. At this point, I know 100% I'm not getting a dime from this table. So I tell my manager, manager says just offer dessert since they ate pretty much the whole damn thing. I go back to the table, I apologize and offer dessert and the whole table gets offended.

"ReAlLy JUST A dEsSeRt?!" Literally how she said it. I go back to find my manager again and let her know this is not going well, the main scumbag follows me out of the dining area and he's all like "NO I want to talk to your manager." Sure. Anyways I couldn't find my manager, so I have to go to the next best thing I got, my chef.

I fill my chef in on this is what is happening and this is where we're at can you talk to him. He says sure. "Good because he's right outside the door waiting for you." We look at each other like this O.O.

Anyways he talks to the guy, tell the man he's not taking off the steak when she ate it. The man actually shuts up and listens to the chef, goes back to his table. Chef tells me just have the manager take off an app, we're not taking off the steak.

Anyways my manager comes back, she goes to the table where they proceeded to lie their asses off. They try again to get the steak off the bill, my manager says we can't do that, and when they persist she asks why they didn't say anything to me regarding the steak sooner so it could be corrected and why TF did you eat it?

Main scumbag answers how I was way too busy and how I never checked on them. And if all they were going to take off was an app then it better be the $40 app. She comps the expensive app. I hand out checks and they demand military discount, which we do not have. I tell them we don't. They pay the bill and it was as I expected, I got absolutely nothing. I'm not even mad about that, I'm pissed that they lied about not getting checked on and bad service.

What if they did that and someone was a new server and got fired for that shit? Find another scapegoat, don't use your fucking server. Sorry this came out so long, definitely a frustrating night last night.

I was scheduled for a double today, but I was late due to not feeling well and my manager told me I could stay home since it was incredibly slow. There were also 5 people including me for evening shift, but we’re a Chinese restaurant so I think it’s safe to say I’m not missing any money today. 😅

hey yall, i have a bartender interview next week and im looking for some advice!

ive been a server/bartender for almost 10 years so im prepared for the interview overall, but i quit my last restaurant (lets call it bar 1) back in february and i know the new place (bar 2) is likely going to want to know why i left. long story short, i had been dating a regular from bar 1 who passed away and i quit because it messed with my head being at bar 1 without him there.

if bar 2 asks why i quit, should i tell them straight up? or is there a better way i can phrase it that doesn't make me have to trauma dump on the poor interviewer? or should i say i left for a different reason?

So I'm at work, it's kinda dead. Two guys come in, very foreign, acting weird. They seat themselves in my section

They tell me they want their burritos on a mocha and I tell them the mocha is too small for the burritos (our mocha's are for dips). They were upset about it, so I told them we do have plates. They agreed

They get their food and find the smallest hair in it. They ask to have it remade, and then they cancel it. Guy tells me he isn't paying for it, my manager tells me they have to pay for what they ate (they ate two tacos and dips prior to this with two drinks). I tell the "customers" what my manager commanded of me.... they get mad. Manager then comes out to the table to talk with them and claims that they said I laughed in their face, which I didn't. They told my manager to go fuck off and that they are leaving a review

These guys are literal Liars. My Agm told me he would have my back. My GM hates me so there's that

Will I be okay? I have been here three years and have gotten all great reviews, not a bad one yet

EDITED: We just call them mocha's at my place. It's a black little bowl that you would put queso or salsa in.

Hello yall! I’m really wanting to take 2 weeks break because I’ve been feeling so burnt out. I’m a part time bartender (2 days a week) at a restaurant and wanting to take 2 weeks break but the day I wanna start my break is in roughly 14 days (today is the 5th, and I wanna take a break starting 17th) I’m wondering if it’ll be okay.. or accepted!

I wonder how long in advance you guys put in your break!

I’m also wondering if me asking for 2 weeks off when it’s not 2 weeks in advance notice is okay.

I’d love to know what you think!! Thanks Reddit <3

I came in 15 minutes earlier than the bartender. She's a 20-year-old girl, very controlling, obsessive, etc. I don't try to fight with her because she has issues and her clique here at the restaurant. Anyway, she sat herself with the first table, and my manager saw it and said, "Doesn't the first table go to the employee that gets here first?

She tells him that it's always bar first. He was trying to tell her that doesn't make any sense, but we went along with it anyway. She said that's always how we have done it. I literally just want peace at this point because I work in a toxic atmosphere, you wouldn't believe some of the ridiculousness here

Whose in the right?

Been serving for about six years now and something hit me hard this week. Had this older couple that came in every Friday night without fail for the past two years. Same booth, same drinks, same appetizer. I knew their names, their kids' names, what they did before they retired, all of it. They were genuinely the best part of my Friday shifts.

Last Friday rolled around and they just never showed. Same thing the week before. No explanation, nothing. I know that sounds dramatic but I got in my car after my shift and felt this weird sad feeling I could not shake.

It made me realize how much of an emotional investment we make in our regulars without even thinking about it. They become part of your routine just as much as you become part of theirs. And when they vanish you get zero closure. They could have moved, gotten sick, passed away, or just found a new spot. You never know.

Does anyone else get weirdly attached to their regulars like this? How do you handle it when they just stop coming in? Has a regular ever disappeared and then randomly come back months later with an explanation that actually made sense?

Would love to hear some stories because I know I cannot be the only one who feels this way.

i’m burnt out so bad. i don’t think this job is for me anymore (at least at the place i work) i’ve been serving there for 3 years and i just feel done. it’s corporate and hell. the kitchen is 110 degrees right now. i don’t want to step one foot into that building. i can never make it to family gatherings, holidays, birthday parties. i know that’s what i signed up for but i feel DONE. the only problem is ive been there for so long i don’t know how to quit. i don’t know how to tell management i can’t do this anymore because i feel like ive completely lost myself. i don’t know what to do next. i feel stuck.

My restaurant sold boneless wings and we only had three flavors: bbq, mild, and hot.

I remember a 4-top ordering the a basket of bones less wings hot, saying our kind “had no kick”. I deliver their basket of wings, and 5 minutes later I get flagged down. The dad wanted me to take the wings away, complain g the wings nearly burnt his son’s tongue they were so hot.

Idiots.

Hello. For context, Im 18(M) and just graduated high school. I started at my job the summer between my sophomore and junior year, right after I turned 16, and have been busser/expo (but mainly busser) for 2 years now. The restaurant I work at isn’t really high end, but it’s relatively popular and high volume, so I can make decent money. we’re tipped out based on sales, and we usually make about $40-70 bucks on a slower shift and $90-150 on a busier day, plus minimum wage hourly (Which is good comparatively in California) that being said, I’m looking to leave my job and become a server elsewhere. although I’d ideally like to be Promoted at my current restaurant, because of the way management is and the underemployment in support staff roles, I as one of the longest standing and most competent support staff don’t think I’ll be able to promote at my current job. I also generally just don’t like working there, due to toxic management and the physical toll it’s starting to take on my body. I like being active, and have so many hobbies and interest, but after work I always feel too physically drained to do anything. on my days off I feel burnt out and just want to lay in bed all day. I feel like I work really hard and it goes unnoticed and unappreciated, so if my knowledge and experience is enough to land me a job where I can make the same as I do now, without having to work myself to exhaustion and not deal with a mentally-child manager, I would love to do so. However it’s hard to feel like I’m not just being soft. I make good money for my age, have a good relationship with pretty much all my coworkers and am settled in where I work, and am so young that even if it takes me 2 MORE years to promote, I’ll still be younger then a lot of the serving staff at my restaurant. I just feel like I need a bit more objective guidance while thinking about what my next move is, or if there is a next move at all. Any advice is appreciated!

Im moving up to a server position at a restaurant in Ontario Canada and I would like to start with at least a basic understanding of all the duties of a server in hospitality. I am confused about what it means to cash out and how to do it properly and efficiently. how do I make sure that I am cashing out effectively? what is the point of cashing out and do you have any tips and tricks to make it easier to understand? Thank you

Average age of the people that come to the place I work at is like over 50 and these mfs just don’t give a fuck. Here’s what’s happened just this month

Everyday someone will fill their water bottle or something at the server station. I’m not joking it happens at least once a day.

Someone walked into the kitchen to ask a server for more ranch

I walked into the bathroom to see a old guy at the urinal with his pants and under where down to his ankles. Just full man ass as soon as I walked in.

A guy lit a cigarette in the middle of the dining room and actually became argumentative when we said he can’t do that.