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Objecting to Poor Service is not Rudeness.

October 16th, 2008 |

Author: Doug

It is a consumer’s right. Oprah’s program yesterday 10/15/08 was focused on rudeness. One of her guests was the Waiter from WaiterRant.net. I heard some some things from the Waiter that just did not ring true. After listening to the rant I was left with the distinct impression that he as a waiter wants control over the service experience when I visit for a meal at his restaurant. I will be rude if I make a special request, ask to see a manager, complain about food quality, ask for special seating, or just exercise my rights as a consumer.

Hogwash.

The quality of service I receive at a restaurant sets that restaurant apart from all the others. The waiter’s service determines whether or not my restaurant experience is a happy one just as the quality of the food does. The waiter that does his or her best to exceed my expectations makes me feel welcome and appreciated as a customer. After my visit to a good to exceptional restaurant I go out of my way to tell my friends. Exceptional service also encourages me to return.

A restaurant belongs to the restaurant owner. It does not belong to the waiter. When a waiter is unhappy about working conditions, the distribution of tips and wages then he or she has a decision to make about where he or she wants to work. That right is exercised just as the consumer exercises his or her right to object to poor service and perhaps never return to a bad restaurant.

As a consumer I am not responsible for your income even when you deliver shoddy service. It is not the customer’s responsibility to properly compensate the waiter. It shouldn’t be anyway. A restaurant owner should be worrying about the restaurant’s reputation and should compensate employees fairly. An employees contribution to the bottom line is reflected in good tips. Owners need to balance their need for survival while considering the need to attract good people to work in their restaurants. When an owner cannot attract good people because he insists that wait staff take all of their income from tips that owner probably shouldn’t be in business.

There is no question that some big shots walk into restaurants and retail establishments and treat service workers like dirt. These people are insensitive dolts. You generally do not want these customers to return. There is little if any merit to satisfying someone that can’t or won’t be satisfied. A restaurant owner and his service employees should want to know about poor service or food quality that drives good customers away however. The best waiters and restaurant owners can tell the difference between a good customer and a bad customer. Managers should deal personally with the bad customers and allow the wait staff to continue excelling with the good customers. Good managers do not run from any customer as one admitted to doing on the Oprah Show.

Good customers rarely have issues but most of us do have expectations that we assume good owners and good employees also have in mind. These are a few examples:

1. When I go to a steak restaurant the expectation is that the steak delivered to my table is cooked correctly the first time, not the second time.

2. When I go to any restaurant I expect it to be staffed appropriately so that the wait for service is reasonable and not excessive.

3. The final charge for the meal is consistent with the food quality and service delivered.

4. The restaurant is clean. Employees wash their hands and avoid personal behaviors that offend customers.

5. The wait staff are attentive to customer needs and do their very best to anticipate customer requirements.

6. The wait staff are happy to take a complaint to a manager or to respond appropriately to a complaint if already empowered to do so. Keep in mind not every good customer wants to complain. I think many good customers do not want a scene and avoid confrontation particularly if the behaviors encountered are really inappropriate. Good restaurant managers are on the floor watching for good service and poor service so that customers are not required to complain. I like to see a manager on the floor chatting with his or her customers.

7. Good restaurants have clean restrooms.

8. Good restaurants control the behavior of bad customers.

9. As a customer I should be able to ask for something special and expect a polite negotiation or a reasonable explanation if the service request cannot be met.

The last thing I want to see or hear is attitude from the wait staff directed at issues outside of my control as a consumer. When this happens it is an indication to me that the wait staff need to look for other occupations, a better restaurant to work for, or require service training.

Lastly when I do not leave a tip, it is because my experience in the restaurant was unacceptable It isn’t rude. The waiter may not like it, but it isn’t rude.

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