Campers

When servers are talking about campers, they are talking about the people who sit at the table long before the meal has been paid for.

I had a bad case last night of that. It was Friday night and we were at a 45 minute wait from all the people that were waiting to be seated. One of my tables decided to sit for about 30 minutes after I handed back their check. This becomes very frustrating. I wish people could understand how much money that is actually costing me. On Friday night I could have gotten at least one more table and made more money.

If you want to continue to drink alcoholic drinks or eat dessert that is acceptable. When guests are just sipping on sodas which have free refills, servers are losing money. Maybe these people could find coffee shop, or bar where they could sit and talk. I understand that people meet each other and they typically haven't seen each other in a while. I think servers would appreciate it if they would take up one of their tables somewhere else where it more acceptable to stay for long periods of time.

Reducing Waste

Check this article out: reducing waste.

I really enjoyed reading that article. I experience how much waste goes on in restaurants first hand. It gets pretty carried away. When I grew up my parents are stressed the importance of conserving things and making sure to recycle what was possible. At times it seems the principles in a restaurant are the exact opposite of that.

A lot of food gets wasted, there is no doubt about that, but I think paper needs to be reduced a lot as well.

Food can get wasted many ways. A server can ring in the wrong thing and usually the food is basically unusable after that. Also restaurants portions can be generously described as excessive. A lot of food that gets put in front of guests is pretty much impossible for one person to eat. At Red Lobster guests get salads and biscuits before their meal. I usually never pick up empty salad plates. Usually someone either doesn't eat all of their salad or else they leave the onion, cucumber, and/or tomatoes that come with the salad. Another main waste as far as food is concerned is the sides that Red Lobster provides along side the entrée. Examples of a side would be mashed potato, baked potato, french fries, rice pilaf, or broccoli. Usually a guest gets so full from eating the salad biscuits and their main dish that these sides get ignored. It would be interesting to see what impact composing food would have.

I believe that paper gets wasted more than food at Red Lobster. Everything that is done is pretty much written down. Obviously servers write down orders but paper is also used for many different things. Managers are constantly using paper to assign tables to servers or post messages. Schedules are always printed out and posted. Sales numbers and guests compliments are getting posted on paper. Receipts can be wasted a lot as well. Just a credit card payment alone the guest gets three copies of the receipt. Many mistakes can be made which requires receipts to get reprinted. Hosts are always using paper to write down what tables to be sat and what tables are full.

Some of these things I think would be hard to eliminate the use of paper. Going more electronic things would certainly help out but the main thing that should be done is recycling. Anything that is written on or else has paper involved should be recycled. Currently there is no paper recycling going on. The only thing that gets recycled is cardboard boxes. I am just giving an example of one restaurant in Cedar Rapids, IA. Thinking about the restaurants worldwide is kind of sickening thinking about all the waste.

Looong Weekend

The picture above is what my shift felt like on Saturday!!
Long work hours at during the weekend definitely make the weekends go by faster (like I needed help with that). This weekend I spent a total of 23 hours on the clock. 10 and half alone on Saturday. I think my tables could sense some fatigue setting in around the end of my shift on Sunday.

Overall it was a good weekend money wise. People seemed to be in good spirits and happy to be out to eat. That always helps work go by faster. Being able to have an engaging conversation with guests I think helps me to be a better server. Sometimes I need to be careful that I'm not spending too much time with a single table and make sure I pay attention to them all. Having a friendly conversation with your server, as opposed to just giving orders, makes their time and more than likely yours as a customer more worthwhile.

Body language when I first show up to a table usually signals me on how to treat them. Its kind of comical when you approach a table and can tell there is some tension in the air (usually siblings or middle aged couples). Being open to conversation will usually help you out to be able to effectively communicate to your server what you want. I guess the number one excuse I could give to a customer is to lighten up and your dining experience will be more enjoyable for yourself and your server.

Lobsterfest!

I am sure many people have been annoyed with the Red Lobster commercials recently but yes it has been Lobsterfest for almost a month now. This is by far the busiest promotion of the year. It is no coincidence that corporate has scheduled this promotion to be active during lent.

Lobsterfest is basically a big celebration of lobster throughout the menu. One of the big selling points for servers is the Lobster Lover's Dream that is on the promotional menu. The picture to left is the Lobster Lover's Dream that is featured. One of the reasons I usually point it out to guests is because it cost approximately $30 for the dish. It actually is a really good deal considering we are in the Midwest, not an ideal location to get seafood delivered to.

Lobsterfest also features many different dishes paired with lobster. There is snow crab legs with lobster and shrimp, also an entrée that features grilled lobster with two skewers of grilled shrimp. Guests can also choose from dishes of lobster paired with a sirloin, or else stuffed Tilapia with lobster in a cheese sauce poured over top.

If you have never experience Lobsterfest or Red Lobster in general this is a great time to come and try it. Red Lobster also features a grill that actually burns Oak wood. I would encourage anyone to try some grilled food at Red Lobster. I actually enjoy the steaks there more than I do at Texas Roadhouse, the wood fire grill makes all the difference. Hurry and try it out before Lobsterfest ends on April 26th. Also ask for the best server this side of the Mississippi!

Child served alcohol in Michigan brings up a funny memory

Over the weekend a child in Michigan was served alcohol at an Applebee's. Read the story here. This story is very surprising to me. I don't know the way Applebee's operates but at Red Lobster there is no way this could accidentally happen. It sounds like at the Applebee's they had a different way of operating. The containers are very clear as to what is in them. Different liquids have different colors (that clearly stick out from one another). Most of the juices that we have on hand are in the container they come in. So cranberry juice for example is in a typical cranberry juice container you would see at a store.

I have seen this story on various news sites which makes me believe that this doesn't happen very often. I am surprised that simple mistakes like this aren't more common. I'm sure the fact that Applebee's is a corporate restaurant that is popular around the country is one of the reasons it is making national news. It would be interesting to know what kind of consequences resulted from this happening. If a table told me I sold their child alcohol I think I would laugh at them. This just seems pretty ridiculous.

My sophomore year of high school my family went to Seattle for my cousin's wedding. Oddly enough this sort of thing happened to me. I ordered a root beer and the server accidentally brought me out a beer. My parents politely alerted the server the mistake he had made and he got me a root beer. This mistake is a little more understandable. Most restaurants only carry root beer in the bottle, which tend to look very similar. If I can remember correctly this restaurant in Seattle took pride in brewing its own root beer. They must have made the mistake of creating a very similar bottle to their beer. This was obviously a mistake by the server that is understandable. He doesn't have control over what the bottles look like. As more details emerge from this incident in Michigan it will be interesting to see who was at fault.

An End to Servers!?

I was shocked when one of my friends said that automated servers existed. I had to go online and find for myself if one actually existed. There were many different examples of restaurants that had made the switch to computers serving customers.

I don't really know what to think about robots as being servers. I'm not really surprised at the idea considering these days everything gets changed to a computerized or more efficient version. Thinking of all the running around I do especially on busy nights; I'm sure the robots could serve a lot more efficiently than I could.

I am skeptical if this could ever actually work. Guests are always going to want to complain or have some sort of interaction with staff at the restaurant. Also refills of drinks or any other condiments would have to be taken into account. Also boxing up food could be an issue. As the world continues to find new technology you can expect this to become more and more popular!

Here is another example from Asia:

Experiences at the lob: 4/7

Since some classmates of mine suggested I make posts about actual experiences at work here is my first one. Tonight was a pretty slow night at Red Lobster. I started my shift at 5:45 and waited probably 10-15 minutes to get my first table. My first two tables (were only allowed to have 3 tables at a time) were sat pretty close to the same time so I got pretty occupied in trying to get to their needs in a timely manner. While I was tending to these tables I noticed the hosts were setting up a "large party". At Red Lobster this means a table that is going to have 8 or more people sitting at it. Corporate only allows for one server to be responsible for 7 guests at one table at a time. That is why a table with 8 or more guests at it is considered to be a "large party".

Anyways, once I got the first tables situated I looked into the party situation. 6 ladies were sitting at the table and my partner who was serving the table with me had already gotten them drinks. When I went over to introduce myself I asked how many more they were waiting on and they said only one more guest would be joining them. At that point my partner decided to take the party on their own since it was only going to be 7 people. These situations are actually pretty common. Hosts will set up a big party because a guests comes in and tells them a certain number of people will be joining them. This occupies two server's tables at the same time. When the guest number is reduced to allow one server to take the table; the other server who was planning on waiting on that table is out of a table for a certain period of time. The time I had to wait for a third table was half an hour from when my second table got sat. This is pretty frustrating because as a server you are hoping to constantly have three tables at time to hopefully maximize the tip money. The half hour I went without a table turned out to be the busiest part of the night so I unfortunately lost out on some money.

After the whole party situation got cleared up and I received a third table the night ran pretty smooth. It was an average weeknight at Red Lobster; not too slow or busy. I am not sure about other restaurant's policies on how many people can sit at a table before another server has to help out. Always be sure how many people will be joining you when going out to eat. Being 1 or 2 people off isn't usually too big of a deal, everyone understands it can happen.

More biscuits!!

Thought I would give viewers some insight into what servers at Red Lobster think about the famous biscuits. Employees at Red Lobster get unlimited access to them, so after a while employees tend to get tired of them.

One of the first things I hear from people when they find out I work at Red Lobster is they say "those biscuits are delicious!" It is also a common response from guests when I first approach a table. They usually ask when I will bring out the biscuits or if they can get some immediately. My managers suggest that we don't give out biscuits until we bring out the guest's salads. This way the restaurant is consistent with handing out the biscuits. The managers don't want people to get upset if their server doesn't bring out the biscuits immediately when they arrive. If servers wait until the salads are brought out then the guests will know what to expect.

These biscuits can also be a point of stress for servers. On a busy night when a server is very busy with their tables one of the most difficult things to keep up with is the biscuits. Especially when you get a table that continues eat the ones you put in front of them. Its understanding when the table finishes the first couple baskets, but when a table continues to demand them with their meal it can become difficult to keep up with. There are also times when the kitchen can't keep up with the biscuits. Some guests can become pretty upset with this but usually they are understanding.

Its kind of hard for employees to get too upset about customers demanding biscuits because they are one thing that always brings guests back into the restaurant. These biscuits can also make your meal at Red Lobster bad for you. There are great options for guests when talking about nutrition facts with our different fish preparations and salads. When guests pile 3 or more biscuits on to their meal, the meal can become bad for you.

Birthdays

One of the most consistent reasons for people coming out to eat is for a birthday. This can be a good time for a family to get together and celebrate that birthday. As a server, I usually like it when people at my tables are celebrating things. Usually that means the guests will be in a good mood, and they're ready to splurge or spend money. I can usually get them to buy drinks/appetizers/desserts. One thing that is always kind of a sore subject to me is when guests ask me to sing to them. First of all I'm not going to be singing to the table by myself. I have to find a way to gather servers that are very busy to take time to sing to the table. Also I don't know how others in the restaurant will respond to me singing to them. Some people do complain to management that we were singing to a table. They're argument is that they came to Red Lobster, is they wanted to hear people getting sang to they would've went to Chucky Cheese. When I find out one of my guests have a birthday I just wish them a happy birthday and move on with my job. The only time I sing to someone is when they request that I sing to the table. I would be curious as to what the majority out there think about singing happy birthday, like or dislike? Check out this opinion I found online: here

Crazy Weekends!

The weekend is always a crazy time at restaurants. At Red Lobster currently we get extremely busy on Fridays with it being Lent. This makes serving tables a pretty difficult job. There are many guests that you are responsible for taking care of. On top of that the other 20 servers in the restaurant are just as busy as you are. So running to the make to make 6 salads at a time could you a while. When you're stuck back in the kitchen for that long it is easy to get really stressed out. You are constantly thinking, trying to stay ahead of what your guests could possibly want. Usually when you're in the back for that long you come out to all of your table's drinks being empty, dirty dishes sitting on the table, guests wondering where you're at. These things all could effect the guests experience and therefore change your tip. Just remember when you are going out to eat on the weekends to be patient. This should make your dinner less stressful and more enjoyable!

Table Introductions

At Red Lobster we are forced by corporate offices to do a certain introduction when we approach a table. This got me thinking, what do people prefer? Would they want us to do the things corporate requires us to say?

As a server at Red Lobster, you are required to say a certain set of things. First of all you are expected to make a 'guest connection'. This usually involves finding out the reason the guest came into the restaurant. If they say they don't have a reason I usually try and take it a step further and see if they have anything else going on for the evening. Another thing I usually do is if I see a sports team being worn by a guest I usually try to make a connection with that.

Another thing a server is required to do is use descriptive words to describe our promotional menu and fresh fish menu. This portion of the introduction usually brings out the annoyed looks from guests. Many of the guests that have been through Red Lobster are familiar enough with the menus that they don't care for us to go through the entire thing with them.

We are also required to introduce our partner for the evening. This is the server whose section is right next yours. We are required to take care of their tables too if anything is needed.

When going through the entire introduction I usually see the guests get pretty anxious to get their drinks ordered. There are also some guests who usually try to stay engaged with what you are saying and take some information from the introduction. This could be them just trying to be polite but I see guests act on both ends of the spectrum, some anxious and some listening.

I realize that it usually depends on the type of people at your table whether or not they prefer you to go through the entire required introduction. Being able to read a table is usually key in making them happy. There have been situations at Red Lobster where table hears the entire introduction and the server decides not to go through with it to the table right next them and that table complains to a manager that they did not get the same treatment.

I guess the purpose for this post is just to explain what servers are required to say. I do agree if the server communicates the introduction in a way that makes it seem 'fake' would be annoying. Sometimes people should just take time out to hear their server out and who knows maybe they will take something useful from an introduction or menu explanation.

Chuggers

I know what it feels like when going to restaurant and being extremely thirsty. The first and maybe second water usually go down pretty fast, but after that I slow down to be courteous to the server and also to save room for the food. It is baffling to me how some people treat servers in this regard. Yes I can see your drink is empty but did you want your entrée or another refill?

When you are out to eat and notice that you are quickly going through your beverage, be courteous to the server and slow down. If slowing down is somehow out of the question, at least aknowledge that your server is really working hard at getting your refills.

This could also tie into my previous post about tipping. If for some reason you are out to eat and find yourself running through your beverage, reward your server for grabbing your refills. If the server doesn't bring your refill immediately consider they could be busy. Keeping these tips in mind should keep your server happy with you.

Tipping

For my first blog post I want to address a topic that is always on the mind of customers... tipping. This subject is always debatable on what is an appropriate amount for a tip. I believe that if you are going to come out to eat at a restaurant you should be prepared to spend money. There are many factors that go can into the decision on making a tip.

First of all, was the service what you expected? If the server fails to meet your expectations than I think it is up to the customer on what the server deserves. No one should ever be stiffed ($0) but a server also has a job they need to do. That is to make the guests happy and make sure the dining experience goes smoothly.

If the server does meet your expectations then the minimum in this day and age should be 20%. Now I know many people believe 15% should be a good enough tip but the new 'standard' should be bumped up to 20%. Servers are not using their weekly paycheck to live off of, they're depending on tips. With the prices of everything rising, including food, the standard should be raised to 20%.

If the service goes above what you were expecting than the server should be rewarded. Not just with a compliment, which are always nice, but with a tip. If the service you received was more than you expected then that means the server worked very hard to make you happy. Since you came out to eat and are expecting to spend money, than reward your server.

I will have a post that goes into more depth about this next topic but, another factor that should be considered with your tip is night you are out to eat. It doesn't matter if the restaurant is busy or not but is your server busy or not. Even if you are one of 5 other tables in the restaurant, your server could be getting very busy by another guest they are dealing with, trying to make happy. If you can see your server is putting all their effort in trying to make their tables happy than be patient and know they're busy.

Remember when out to eat be patient and tip your server accordingly.