Oh the spirit of Christmas is upon us.

[SeaCat]

The Malls and stores are packed to the gills with people who are all in a hurry to do their shopping at the last minute. My wife and I walked to the nearby mall and just sat there drinking coffee and watching them. The new spirit of Christmas was certainly evident there as I watched people arguing and fighting about trivial shit. The whining kids and screaming adults, (or was that screaming kids and whining adults?) soon gave both of us headaches so we finished our coffee's and left. (Only to be followed through the parking lot by people looking for spots to park.)

This afternoon we went for a drive wwe went to the beach for a nice relaxing stroll. On the way home I was passed by Santa. That's right as I was driving home I heard a rumble behind me and when I looked here was a guy on a Harley. Dressed in Red with his black boots on the Highway pegs and his beard flapping in the breeze he went past. (Yes he did have a red tasseled cap on, but it was under a black Beanie Helmet and his eyes were covered with wrap around shades.) I was laughing so hard I had to pull over, and I had a smile on my face for the rest of the drive home.

Cat

 

[rgraham666]

There's always someone who gets the real meaning of Christmas.

 

[slyc_willie]

I've been getting almost overloaded with Christmas spirit myself, tending to harried shoppers, whining kids, and impatient businesspeople who don't understand why it takes our kitchen fifteen minutes to get their pasta out.

Um, excuse me? Didn't you see how busy we are? And, no, we will not be able to have you in and out of the restaurant in half an hour, not with all the large parties we have to accommodate. You want fast food, there's McDonald's, Burger King, and Taco Bell just a block up the street. Bring a little common sense with you when you go out to eat. It helps.

And then there's the tips. Thank you, sir, for that $5 on a $43 tab. And you, ma'am, for $6 off of $71. And the $3 from $36 was especially touching.

And especially Mrs. Frank, for rounding up your $91 and change to a nice, even $100. Thanks for the mess your kids left, too, which I had to clean up, and thank you, especially, for the constant, high-pitched screeching of the Little One, which you consistently ignored, except when you put your hand over his mouth. The rest of the diners, I'm sure, thank you as well for that highlight to their day.

But really, Mr. Frank, a true and hearty thank you for recognizing that my job, while simple in practice, is often stressful. Thank you for recognizing the extra attention I paid to your children, how I accommodated your special instructions without batting an eye.

And thank you, most of all, for shaking my hand, wishing me a Merry Christmas (not Happy Holidays) as you slipped me that twenty-dollar bill. I guess you knew your wife was going to be as cheap as she was.

"It's the most frustrating time of the year . . ."

 

[SeaCat]

I've been getting almost overloaded with Christmas spirit myself, tending to harried shoppers, whining kids, and impatient businesspeople who don't understand why it takes our kitchen fifteen minutes to get their pasta out.

Um, excuse me? Didn't you see how busy we are? And, no, we will not be able to have you in and out of the restaurant in half an hour, not with all the large parties we have to accommodate. You want fast food, there's McDonald's, Burger King, and Taco Bell just a block up the street. Bring a little common sense with you when you go out to eat. It helps.

And then there's the tips. Thank you, sir, for that $5 on a $43 tab. And you, ma'am, for $6 off of $71. And the $3 from $36 was especially touching.

And especially Mrs. Frank, for rounding up your $91 and change to a nice, even $100. Thanks for the mess your kids left, too, which I had to clean up, and thank you, especially, for the constant, high-pitched screeching of the Little One, which you consistently ignored, except when you put your hand over his mouth. The rest of the diners, I'm sure, thank you as well for that highlight to their day.

But really, Mr. Frank, a true and hearty thank you for recognizing that my job, while simple in practice, is often stressful. Thank you for recognizing the extra attention I paid to your children, how I accommodated your special instructions without batting an eye.

And thank you, most of all, for shaking my hand, wishing me a Merry Christmas (not Happy Holidays) as you slipped me that twenty-dollar bill. I guess you knew your wife was going to be as cheap as she was.

"It's the most frustrating time of the year . . ."

Hey Slyc,

I honestly feel for you. I bussed tables for a summer once on Cape Cod. The place I worked in was a Sea Food place right on the docks and had a reputation so we got a lot of customers from the city. At first their demands were kind of funny for someone who grew up eating seafood, but they quickly got old. (How exactly does one open a Lobster without touching it with their hands?) As for the tips, well you know the story there.

I only did that for a single summer then I went back to working on the Draggers. For me the fishing boats were easier.

Oh and I am one of the heavy tippers.

Cat

 

[slyc_willie]

Hey Slyc,

I honestly feel for you. I bussed tables for a summer once on Cape Cod. The place I worked in was a Sea Food place right on the docks and had a reputation so we got a lot of customers from the city. At first their demands were kind of funny for someone who grew up eating seafood, but they quickly got old. (How exactly does one open a Lobster without touching it with their hands?) As for the tips, well you know the story there.

I only did that for a single summer then I went back to working on the Draggers. For me the fishing boats were easier.

Oh and I am one of the heavy tippers.

Cat

The holidays are a dichotomy of the best and worst. Sales are up, business is good, the people I work with are in a festive mood . . . .

But we get an awful lot of people who only dine out a few times a year. They're the same ones who come out for Valentine's and Mother's Days. A good percentage of them have no clue how to tip, but the ones who do make up for it.

Still, it's damn frustrating at times. Thank God for my regulars.

 

[SeaCat]

The holidays are a dichotomy of the best and worst. Sales are up, business is good, the people I work with are in a festive mood . . . .

But we get an awful lot of people who only dine out a few times a year. They're the same ones who come out for Valentine's and Mother's Days. A good percentage of them have no clue how to tip, but the ones who do make up for it.

Still, it's damn frustrating at times. Thank God for my regulars.

There are two places I frequent.

One is a tiny little Italian place across the street from where I live. They have enough seating for maybe ten people and make some of the best food around. Most of the time I call in my order, wait a few minutes and walk across the street to pick it up. Whenever I do I drop a ten spot in their tips jar. (They know me by name and have often offered to deliver but what the hell, if I can't walk across the street to pick up dinner I'm in a bad way.)

The other place, well when my wife and I walk in we're greeted by name. Our connection to this place started several years ago when they had just opened. My wife and I had eaten there once and liked the food. we stopped in a second time and had just ordered our meal when I watched one of the waitresses come back inside in tears. I waved the manager over and asked what was going on. He informed me that her car wouldn't start and she had to get to school for a major test. As he arranged a ride for her I talked her out of her keys, promising they would be left with the manager. I went out and fixed her damned car in the parking lot. (It was just a loose wire.) I returned the keys to the manager and then refused his offer to give us our meal for free. Not only did I leave our waitress a large tip, (50%) but I also wrote a nice letter to the parent company about the staff and the manager. The waitresses there love to see my wife and I because we always treat them with respect. (Not to mention I always leave a large tip.)

This year the manager remembered that my wife and I had Birthdays near the end of November. He looked in the phone book and called my wife to ask if we were going to be in near the end of the month. She told him we would be, but she wasn't sure when. He asked her to call him on his personal cell phone and let him now a day or two before, which she did. Well we showed up and were greeted with their normal enthusiasm. When we were done with our meal the manager made it nown and the next thing we new the entire staff, (including the grill staff,) were at our table singing "Happy Birthday" and presenting us with a large cake. (It's kind of funny, every time I show up at this place I end up having some squirmy young thing sitting in my lap.) I also now have a bit of a tradition with this place. They serve a lot of Chicken and Burgers. They don't serve a lot of things like Ribs. For the last two years I showed up at their back door with several Hot packs filled with Ribs for the staff on New Years Day. This year will be no different, I have already ordered the Ribs and have the Smoker prepped.)

Cat

 

[SensualCealy]

I dont know if Im just getting old or if Im just not in the mood for Christmas this year but I can not tolerate the whining kids and the RUDE people when Im out shopping.
I was picking out Christmas cards, one for Hubbys parents, one for my parents and one for Hubby when this chick decided I wasnt looking fast enough and pulled my cart away from the area I was standing mean while Im hanging on to it! I politely moved my cart over to the opposite side and waited for her to finish, obviously she was in much more of a hurry than I was.

Then as I reached the toy section of Wally World the noise became louder and louder, why on earth do people take their little ones out shopping this close to Christmas? Walmart is open 24 hours for the holidays, could you not wait until the kids were asleep and escape without them knowing (making sure they were home with a adult of course)?

Now for the restaurants, like SeaCat I always pay at least 20%, sometimes higher if the waiter or waitress is making an effort to make sure we are in need of nothing and completely content to eat at our own speed. Hubby and I have been going on date nights for about a month and a half now so the one night our waitress was perfect, she came by and asked us for our drink order, then came back and asked for our appetizer order, we ordered both our appetizers and main course at the same time. Out came our first course, then our second, and being too stuffed to have dessert we asked for the bill.
Now not having alot of extra cash we tossed it on the credit card, wasnt a big bill but made it easier for us at the time. I was in charge of signing so the bill that was $65 was made out on the Visa for $85, why? because she had the decency to let us sit and talk without rushing us out the door, asked about our christmas shopping and told us a bit about herself and her little ones, nothing too personal but enough to know she was hurting a bit more than ourselves.

On the way out, she looked me straight in the eye and wished me a merry christmas and thanked us very much...it was so worth it!
C

 

[TheeGoatPig]

I'nly worked two Christmases for a retail store, but I loved both of them. Good memories there, even though I don't have any specific incidents. I just remember being the know-it-all of the store. Not in an egotistical way where I told everyone what was what, but in the "Hey Todd, where is this item?" - "Oh, that's over here in this isle on that shelf next to the other thing." way that I knew where almost everything in the store was, and I loved being able to help people find it. that was such a fun job when the place was in a rush.

 

[Just-Legal]

This will be the first year in... six! when I won't be working in the bar. I just can't do it any more - the staff are brilliant but I don't want another "present" like I usually get; thrown up on, punched, slapped, shoved, trodden on. One girl tried to put her steel stilleto heel through my boots last year, but the joke was on her - Steel toe caps.

Ok, so I have to work in the call centre. No one's gonna be calling, I'm almost certain, and we're going to the pub after shift on Christmas Eve, and probably New Years if I can sort out transport home

 

[Stella_Omega]

Oh and I am one of the heavy tippers.

Cat

All anyone has to do is wait tables for one week-- or have for instance, a step-daughter who put herself through school waiting tables-- and you're a heavy tipper for ever after.

I can't be mean to telemarketers, either.

 

[SlickTony]

And thank you, most of all, for shaking my hand, wishing me a Merry Christmas (not Happy Holidays) as you slipped me that twenty-dollar bill. I guess you knew your wife was going to be as cheap as she was

That reminds me of some of my ILs--my MIL and her sister, God rest 'em, I swear they started building a case for stiffing the waitstaff as soon as their butts hit the chair. And the aunt had the gall to suggest, one time when we were hard up because we were living in Lake Charles and not making enough money and I couldn't get a job there, that I try to get a job as a waitress.

My experience waiting tables was mercifully brief, but I did tend bar and that was enough. Every time the standard for a tip has gone up, I've gone up, too.

 

[slyc_willie]

Now not having alot of extra cash we tossed it on the credit card, wasnt a big bill but made it easier for us at the time. I was in charge of signing so the bill that was $65 was made out on the Visa for $85, why? because she had the decency to let us sit and talk without rushing us out the door, asked about our christmas shopping and told us a bit about herself and her little ones, nothing too personal but enough to know she was hurting a bit more than ourselves.

On the way out, she looked me straight in the eye and wished me a merry christmas and thanked us very much...it was so worth it!
C

Saturdays and Sundays are always my longest days. I get in at ten and almost never leave before 6 pm. That may not sound like a long day, but in a restaurant, it is.

This afternoon, I had a six-top -- three adults and three kids -- who were a pain in the ass right from the get-go. Now, I'm professional when at my job. I could have been told that my best friend just got hit by a car and was probably going to die in surgery, but you wouldn't know anything was wrong from my expression. The adults were rude, the kids loud and running around, but I remained polite.

Everyone finally calmed down once the food was delivered, and I brought them refills on their drinks before they asked for them. While taking care of four other tables, no less. The kids made a mess and almost tripped me more than a few times, but I assured the parents that their children were no problem.

After returning the credit card and receipts, the man who payed -- the father of the three kids -- gave me a sort of funny smile and said that I was 'the best waiter we ever had.'

Ah, the 'verbal tip.' I didn't show my cynicism, but I sure as hell felt it. I wasn't expecting more than ten percent.

Once they left, I bussed the table, tucking the check presenter in my apron. Din't look at it until I was ready. I was pleasantly surprised. Their bill had come out to $51 and change. The tip was twenty bucks. With a "Merry Christmas" written across the bottom.

I felt a little chastised for thinking the way I had been about the table. But at the same time . . . I damn well earned that tip.

That reminds me of some of my ILs--my MIL and her sister, God rest 'em, I swear they started building a case for stiffing the waitstaff as soon as their butts hit the chair. And the aunt had the gall to suggest, one time when we were hard up because we were living in Lake Charles and not making enough money and I couldn't get a job there, that I try to get a job as a waitress.

My experience waiting tables was mercifully brief, but I did tend bar and that was enough. Every time the standard for a tip has gone up, I've gone up, too.

I've had guests like that. I can usually tell, once they start complaining about where they were sat, the condition of the booth or table, the noise level, etc., thet I probably won't get much from them. That never changes how I serve them, though. Really, when it comes down to it, those people almost never come back, because they know they're cheap and they figure they'll never get good service if they return. So I don't worry about it. I leave them to the hours of bitching and complaining and general negativity they undoubtedly give themselves by way of rationalizing their rudeness and cheapness.

 

[Stella_Omega]

In my fantasy, I'm sitting down with my party, looking forward to a great menu- the kind where you can't decide between entrees so everyone has to pick one so everyone can share a taste... And we look up, and the most gorgeous man is standing there. He says "Hi, my name is Slyc-Willie, and I'll be attending you tonight" and everyone, male and female, just swoon.