I'm typing my frustration instead of eating, but maybe this will save someone else some points. Of course, I'm not talking about all waitresses, but just people in general who don't "hear" what you're saying. I guess I'm just a little more sensitive about it because I'm in sales and I was taught to listen to what the customer is REALLY saying. It's the only way to properly help.
This morning I ordered potato pancakes with specific instructions as to "use as little oil as possible, even if that means that the potato pancakes stick and burn a little." (Potato pancakes are usually made on a griddle.)
The waitress brought me my pancakes and left and I noticed they were DEEP FRIED (I've never seen this!) and oozing with oil! Figuring I could still do OK with points for the day and she didn't know about the cooking, I ate the pancakes. I said something to her later about the pancakes being deep fried (figuring she didn't know), she commented "we always deep fry them." HELLO? Couldn't she deduce I didn't want OIL?!!!
Well, I counted them at 15 points for breakfast (5 points per pancake) and will be eating light for the rest of the day. I'm not so mad at me for eating them (I can make up for it), but for the fact that she didn't HEAR me and that cost me extra points for breakfast.
You can be sure next time I order potato pancakes (NOT from this restaurant), I'll be asking how they're cooked. They'll probably look at me funny and say "why, on a griddle, of course."
Mistake made, lesson learned, move on! Thanks for listening.
I hate making special requests at restaraunts. I'm always afraid that they won't get it right(or even care to). When its a noticable mistake I could send it back, but alot of times when I ask for less oil or something, I can't really tell. A friend worked at a restaraunt when she was younger and told me all kinds of horror stories. I think thats why I'm a little paranoid. I still do it, I don't eat out often enough for it to make a big diff erence anyway. It's just the point that you should be able to request certain things without any problem!
Congrats for not losing it on her! I would have not been happy. Today we went to wendy's for lunch and I got a grilled chicken. I specifically asked for NO mayo and no honey sauce......well it arrives WITH mayo....HELLO??? was I talking to myself?
So, I march back up to the counter, say can I please have a grilled chicken PLAIN....(very sweetly of course)
Then I go back to my table and there I look at the side salad.....GRRRRR I asked them to take off the cheese!! But did they...nooooo. So, I asked my hubby to go up...which he did and got a side salad (0 points btw) and exchanged the ranch dressing for Italian (which is another thing they got wrong)
But after compaining I ended up with a 7 point lunch.
(hugs)
Angie
p.s I wouldn't go back to that resteraunt....I know I will steer clear of this wendy's
I also get so ticked when you ask for something and they get it wrong. Grrr! I am so nice though if I need to send it back because who knows what they will do to your food. I have heard horror stories.
Actually, on a happy note... I was at the Mexican joint today and ask for them to go really light on the oil on my veggie fajitas. The last time I had the fajitas there they were soaking in oil! I had to explain in several different ways because I don't think the waiter quite understood. I figured that he wouldn't get it right... but to my surprise they came as asked. Yum
This is a huge pet peeve of mine also. Before I even order I plan ahead what I am going to say to make it as easy as possible, and even still it comes to the table wrong many times.
You would think that in today's health conscience society restaurants would want to cater to light eaters. I know for me it makes a world of difference if I go back. If I get good service where they are willing to accomodate me I always return. It's funny how some of my "old" favorite restaurants now I stay clear. They were good enough to get me fat, just won't help get me lean.
Hey, I just wanted to add my bit to the topic...
sometimes, I wonder if the waitresses just lie? For example, if I ask if the fish is grilled with butter, or if there is butter in the veggies...or if it's lite mayo...geez, it just irks me. I love to eat out and feel that I deserve it if I can
lose weight while I do and make sensible choices, but it's so hard!
Anyway..sorry...I'm outta here again. Good job to you, REC, for typing instead of eating!!!
I'm a waitress and also a weight watcher having lost 120 lbs. and I see alot of things that are not right when someone comes in to eat at our place and it pisses me off that some of these cooks also don't care about pleasing the customer, for example, when you order something dry like eggwhites I tell him to add no oil or butter on the grill and he says it won't come out right that you need some oil,not true and he still adds oil,or i've seen them make a veggie burger and they deep fry it first than grill it, just think of all the points in these foods once they add the oil,you just have to lie to them and tell them you are allergic to oil and butter and that you will have a seizure if it's in your food,I hate to say that but thats the only way to not get my food swimming in oil or butter, please don't think all waitress are alike, some of us do care about our customers like I do, and some of theses waitress don't, have a great day to all....
I agree, there are some places that just will not listen. I went to a little cafe and asked for the Caesar Salad w/Chicken. I know that at this cafe the give you a big piece of grilled garlic bread on the side of the plate so I said to the waitress "Please don't put bread on my plate" She said "Well, if I ask the chef he'll just put it there anyway since you're paying for it - you can just leave it there" I said "I really don't want the bread though" She said " well, it'll be on the plate anyway" I gave up, got the bread - and just left it. Grrrrrr....
Hi, Sally! Thanks for the input. I figured that sometimes the cooks do whatever they want and the waitresses have no say or don't know. In my case, she KNEW, which is why I was so mad. Luckily, I've seen more caring waitresses than bad ones.
I've used your GREAT suggestion about telling people I was allergic to items. I say I'm very allergic to butter and salt and I've had almost 100% luck in getting what I want. I'll have to add deep fried foods to my list!
REC, Your experience has started an interesting thread. It made me want to share some of my own "ordering stories." Some odds 'n ends: When a salad comes covered in dressing I used to think about how to handle it--then wait for the waitperson to reappear, etc. Now, before it leaves the person's hand, as it touches the table I gently take the bowl and ease it back into their hand and say "I'm sorry (although, I'm not) but I need the dressing on the side." Once when I did this, when the waitress (who really was very nice) came to clear the salad bowls, she looked at the container of dressing and said, "Oh, didn't you like the dressing?" That's how much difference it makes in the amount you eat--I had dipped my fork. It hardly
showed.
My husband made a suggestion that I have used. I think it is soooo neat that he doesn't care what people think about him as long as he gets what he wants.LOL
I place my order and then I say "Oh, did I say 'dressing on the side'?" even though I know I did.
We had THE most impressive waitress once. After ordering ....broiled without butter....whatever on the side...etc., etc. our salads arrived and the others had these awesome croutons. I thought that after not putting the dressing on my salad they had just forgotten the croutons. I asked the waitress and she said that they were soaked in butter! I thanked her. Wasn't that great? Talk about hidden calories!
One trick I learned from a co-worker a number of years ago (she was a psychologist who taught weight control) was that if you get something you didn't ask for (like the garlic bread) or that comes with the meal (like it or not) and you are afraid you will eat it and blow your food plan, dump your water on it or douse it in pepper (truly unscrew the cap on the pepper shaker and pour). This way you won't be tempted and therefore your food plan will be saved. Nora
In a previous lifetime I worked in the restaurant industry, and I can say without exception that any place I worked I would rather have a guest return something as many times as it took until we got it right and they were satisfied. I've never seen a cook do anything to an entree that was sent back, except to discard it and start over. A well-run restaurant (whether it be fast food or high priced gourmet) would rather find a way to satisfy their customers so that they'll come back or recommend them to others, than to have someone leave and be disappointed.
But I will say that for the most part, fast-food restaurants pre-make their salads in the morning, so I wouldn't blame them for not leaving off the cheese, as chances are they weren't responsible for putting it on in the first place. Unless you were there while the salad person was making the salads up, you're stuck getting their prescribed salad formula when you purchase it (which is why they always look the same!).
Ah, Pippin, I wish I'd worked in your restaurants! In my somewhat long and relatively happy chow-slinging days, I had managers ORDER me to pick dropped pizzas off the kitchen floor and re-serve them, mop oil from (and microwave) previously cooked fried eggs that had been sent back by customers for having been too greasy, literally water down (and stir) full-fat ice cream in an attempt to make it seem low-fat, and tell customers that "dressing on the Caesar salad couldn't be served on the side, because the chefs refuse to do it that way." When a customer told me, "Then the chefs can damn well pay the bill for MY Caesar salad," it was hard not to cheer!
I know that most servers go out of their way to make the customers happy. Most of them are true heroes. But I gotta disagree (from my own extensive experience, which certainly may not represent the majority of restaurants) with the idea that most places just want to make sure the customer's satisfied. The wise ones do, sure, but most places believe that it's cheaper to write off a few disgruntled clients than to overhaul their cooking methods.
It is right now, but y'all watch: in 10 years restaurants will be bowing to an ever-increasing sea of folks like us who demand low-fat and healthy cooking. I do believe it will happen...we're just not there yet.
Keep the faith, and hand back that dressing-soaked salad...
STH
Last edited by ShakeThoseHips; 04-15-2001 at 11:26 PM.
I think more and more restaurants are getting the message when it comes to how we want our food prepared. I mostly patronize larger chain restaurants, Olive Garden, etc that are up front with their nutrition information. The last time I was there and asked for an updated nutrition guide, they found one for me after a great deal of work, they were still packed in the basement.
My favorite restaurant tale is from a Mexican restaurant. I ordered cheese enchiladas and received ground beef enchiladas. I am not a vegetarian, but really didn't want any more meat that day. I mentioned the mistake to the waiter and he asked me if "I couldn't just eat them as the cook was having a bad day". I said no, that I wanted them the way I ordered them, thanks. He corrected the mistake.
I know there are times when speaking up may be difficult, but I have decided that unless the restaurant is giving me a free meal, I have the right to ask for reasonable accomodation.
