This is a major pet peeve for my wife and me. At one resturant we go to once in a while, there’s a bus boy that seems fixated on keeping as many plates as possible in the kitchen. It’s almost like he’s getting a commission based on the average number of plates (clean or dirty) back in the kitchen during the course of a day. Maybe they do an hourly count. At times (and this next part is no joke), I’ve felt like if I turned away to look out the window for a minute, my food might be gone – poof! One other time, I felt like asking him if he wanted to fight me for the food; he kept circling the area and I knew good and well what he was after – and I wasn’t about to let him have it! Arrrgh!
The issue of the waiter/waitress that keeps re-filling your drink is weird too. I don’t like wasting stuff and at some places it seems like if your glass is at less than 1/2 they just HAVE to fill it up. What do they want us to do – keep drinking until we bust a gut? How much iced tea/soda/whatever do they think one person can drink anyway? I like it when they ask “Would you like a re-fill?” but to just keep re-filling it…I feel like I’m under pressure to keep drinking.
One other pet peeve about restaurants – they’re all over you during the first few minutes asking if you want this or that and is everything OK but then, when you’re done and ready for the bill, the wait staff is nowhere to be found. Is it a test to see how many people will bolt without paying the bill? Many times we’re just sitting there with our arms folded, obviously ready to go, and no one seems to notice. Where the !*%$ did they go?
In general, customer service in this country is not what it used to be, restaurants included. But, I NEVER complain about anything, at least until my food is on the table, and I NEVER send food back to the kitchen for any reason. As Bush Sr. would say, “it wouldn’t be prudent”.
