I had to get my own drinks last night
By reinydawn
@reinydawn (11643)
United States
January 4, 2009 10:29am CST
(Late) Last night we had dinner at a buffet in Atlantic City. We were almost done eating when I got tired of waiting for someone to get me an iced tea or soda - or even a water. I was parched! I had been drinking white wine most of the day and I needed something wet! My husband saw where they were getting the drinks from and since no one was coming over to get us any I went and got my own. I walked right back into the service area, grabbed 2 clean glasses and started making my drinks. A manager-type-person came up to me and told me someone would get those for me and I just kept doing what I was doing and told him "We've been waiting, we're dying of thirst, I can get my own" and walked out with my full sodas. About 2 seconds later our waitress comes over all apologetic and everything and doesn't even bother to take our empty plates. They weren't that busy, and I've worked in plenty of restaurants so I know this shouldn't happen. I mean if the manager could notice that I walked back to get my own drinks you think he could have noticed that I didn't have any to start with!
I know waitstaff work hard - been there done that - but there does come a point when it's just poor service. My husband didn't want to leave a tip, but I can't do that unless it's just nasty service. We left a dollar.
Would you have gotten your own, or would you have found an employee to get it for you? I think the fact that I'd had quite a few glasses of wine during the day had a bit to do with my decision...
6 people like this
13 responses
@ersmommy1 (12588)
• United States
4 Jan 09
I didn't get up and get my own. But I was out with a friend of mine who is a waitress. And SHE got up and got our drinks. I guess it happens alot more than we think. And we did not leave a tip. Sorry, got to agree with you hubby here.
It might get the attention of the wait staff and keep them from doing the same thing to someone else. I'd feel bad if it happened to say an elderly couple.
It might get the attention of the wait staff and keep them from doing the same thing to someone else. I'd feel bad if it happened to say an elderly couple.3 people like this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
5 Jan 09
I know it would get their attention if I left no tip, but I'm usually a somewhat generous tipper and feel bad not leaving a tip at all. Had we not been on a winning streak it would have been different!
@poppoppop111 (5731)
• Canada
4 Jan 09
i went out to a buffet one day. there was only one other couple there. so two table in the entire place. the guy told us to go sit at a table and asked if we just wanted water. we said yes. anyway he stood at the counter staring at us for a while and then starring into space. we never got water. the guy at the table beside us overheard me and shared his pitcher of water. the guy working there was watching this yet still never brought us water. we didn't have enough forks or napiks so i had to steal from the table beside us since the workers weren't doing a thing. i got so frustrated
2 people like this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
5 Jan 09
Oh, now that would have been horrible. That is just totally uncalled for - to blatantly ignore you like that. I hope you don't go back there any more.
@creativedreamweaver (7297)
• United States
4 Jan 09
I've been in your postition before. And yes, I have gotten my own drinks. You are right, it is poor service on the part of your server, and then not to clear away the dirty dishes...that is just lazy. You were right not to leave no tip and a dollar should wake up the shabby server, but it probably won't. What gets me is that when a restaurant is the least busy, that is when you tend to get the worst service.
2 people like this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
4 Jan 09
It's like they're taking a break from when it was busy. Only bad thing is that the current customers suffer...
1 person likes this
@Sissygrl (10912)
• Canada
4 Jan 09
I think i would have done the same thing.. and you would think they would be trained to get you as much soda as possible so you'd drink that and fill up so you didn't eat as much food. lol isn't that how those resteraunts work!!?? lol idiots.
Maybe your waitress was either having a bad day, or she was new .. I think i would have left a penny. that's pretty insulting.
2 people like this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
4 Jan 09
Usually I'm pretty patient, but I was so thirsty and I didn't see any waitstaff around us.
@teapotmommommerced (10359)
• United States
5 Jan 09
Yes, I have gotten my own drinks in restaurants and I will again if I do not get service. If I do not have enough to drink when I eat I get sick and vomit. I have done that since I was a child.
Now I would not have given her a tip. I have been a waitress and to me the tip is extra for doing a good job so I do not think she deserved it unless she did not wait on you because she was running her legs off and then I will give her a bigger tip because it is not her fault they are under staffed.
1 person likes this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
5 Jan 09
I could have understood and been a bit more patiend (maybe) if it was busy, but there was hardly anyone in there. We're not eating there again I can tell you that! (Even if it was May)
1 person likes this
@teapotmommommerced (10359)
• United States
5 Jan 09
Hahahahah You brought it up.
1 person likes this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
5 Jan 09
This waitress wasn't that busy - even if she was serving everyone in there. The place was almost empty. We had never been to that buffet and probably wont go to it in the future.
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
5 Jan 09
i had done that before as well when i am in a restaurant... i am so annoyed for waiting for so long just to get a glass of water and i am so thirsty until i almost choked myself... at the end, i ask my hubby to get me a glass of water from the counter himself... the waitress feels really bad to us and keeps on apologising after that... it is very unacceptable to give such a poor service especially if the restaurant is not busy... if it is busy, then it is another story... take care and have a nice day...
1 person likes this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
5 Jan 09
If they're really busy and I can see that they're working, I'll give them a little bit of slack. But there was no reason we shouldn't have had our drinks right away.
@GardenGerty (157555)
• United States
4 Jan 09
I probably would have gone to the place where the host or hostess was, and told them, once. I have been known, and so has hubby, to get our own refills. I would wait a long time before going back there again, that is for sure. If there is a corporate headquarters, I would also talk to them.
1 person likes this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
5 Jan 09
If it hadn't been so late and we were tired and getting ready to leave, then I would have stopped at the comps desk and told them what happened. I'll most likely e-mail them and let them know because I think that was really uncalled for.
@highflyingxangel (9225)
• United States
5 Jan 09
I'm not sure if I would have gotten my own drinks or not. I probably would have gotten up and found a waitress or found someone to get me the manager so I could complain about the service. Then, when the waitress didn't really treat us well or took even longer to get us drinks, they would not have gotten a tip. There isn't any excuse for that type of service if the place isn't that busy.
1 person likes this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
5 Jan 09
We had been looking around for any waitstaff/managers and saw none around us. It was much easier to walk to the beverages than walk all over the place looking for a person. We wont be going back there, that's for sure!
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
4 Jan 09
Hi reiny! I think that I would have done exactly what you did
and I believe that I have! If I was thirsty enough and no one
was paying attention to me and I had been waiting long enough
already I would have just gotten it myself! And I do agree with
your husband. I also would not have left a tip! If the service
is poor, and the help can't be bothered doing their job then
they don't get a tip! And as you said you worked doing that
type of job then you know that you did your job well and worked
for your tips. When I go out with my girlfriend who does do
waitressing she thinks the same way. But, I don't and I feel
that if you want the tip, then at least pay attention to the
customers!
1 person likes this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
5 Jan 09
Had I gotten decent service, I wouild have left about $5 for a buffet. The only reaon I left a tip at all is because we had been winning and were way ahead for the day.
@Shellyann36 (11385)
• United States
5 Jan 09
Years ago at one facility I worked at we had just a few options of places to eat. One of our favorite places was a small chinese buffet place. The food was decent and it was quick for us being buffet. The service was lousy. They gave you the initial drink and that was it. If you wanted a refill you literally had to go and find someone to give you a refill. Well once I got so pissed off because I got a bit choked. I really needed something to drink. I actually got up and went to the counter coughing off and on, finally when I was able to talk I told the dumb chic at the counter that if I happened to die of choking while at their restaurant I would probably haunt the place for not bringing me refills. Needless to say the table got the refills on the drinks and they fell all over us and gave us like 20% off of everyone's bill. The last time I ate there though. No tip was left. In my case, if I could have gotten my own, I would have. (the drinks were all behind the counter where the kitchen is). I think you were right in getting your own drinks. I would have demanded money off of the bill! I would not have left any tip what so ever. Just my opinion. Before I worked in the field I am in, I worked in the service industry. I know what it is like to wait on tables, be a hostess, cook the food and be a bar maid/bartender. It is all about the service. If you don't up to it you don't deserve it in my opinion.
1 person likes this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
5 Jan 09
I did go behind the service area to get my drinks and I know they were none to happy for me to be there! Since our meal was free to start with I really coudldn't get anything off. I surely wont be going back there on my next trip though!
@hildas (3031)
•
5 Jan 09
I do not think I would of been as brave as you to help myself to my own drinks but I really think you did well getting them.
I would of walked out of the restaurant though if I had waited so long as I hate this. Yes! I understand that places get busy sometimes but they should always bring you your drinks to pass your waiting time for you.
I would of walked out of the restaurant though if I had waited so long as I hate this. Yes! I understand that places get busy sometimes but they should always bring you your drinks to pass your waiting time for you.@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
5 Jan 09
I don't know what was wrong last night, but I can surely tell you we aren't going there to eat again.
@stardustw83 (435)
• United States
4 Jan 09
personally i would have gotten a manager and informed them of the horrible service i was provided and that my meal should be compt. My husband and i have only really ever had to complain at one resteraunt and we did get our meal compt for the horrible service ever since they have been sweet as pie to us =) And i wouldn't have left a tip at all the point of tip is to let the waiter or waitress know they did a great job and if they didn't do it i wouldn't leave one.
1 person likes this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
5 Jan 09
Our meals were already free from our day of gambling, so there wasn't much to do about that. I always eat for free when I go to Atlantic City.
And the manager was the one that walked into the room with the beverages to tell me someone could get those for me. He did nothing other than try to shoo me out of there.
We definitely wont eat there again, that's for sure!
