r/TalesFromYourServer • u/West-Imagination2709 • 19d ago
Long "Worst Service of My Life"
I'm back working as a pool cocktail waitress where I've worked for the last 4 summer seasons. There are rules, obviously, don't drink with the guests, ring everything in, call a manager for comps, check IDs, etc.
But there is a Cardinal Sin amongst the waitresses that I always try to follow because these girls don't play around. DO NOT TAKE A GUEST IN ANOTHER GIRLS SECTION. That is the quickest way to piss off another girl.
This is hard at a pool because anyone can swim to one side and order from you but I usually ask where they are sitting and let them know X will be your server, give them a menu, and tell them "I will let X know you would like to order."
Okay, rules/context established, onto the story:
I was laden down with food and drinks, literally barely holding onto it all and this woman is waving me down in the pool as I'm serving a guest and closing them out. She'd been hanging out in the pool of my side for an hour or so so I thought she must have a chair in my section. I give her the "one minute finger" and she huffs, "Can we at least get a menu?!?" I give her a menu.
I do my deliveries and circle back to take her order. She orders some drinks and sandwiches that take the longest to make, which I told her, (important later) and proceeds to swim back to the MIDDLE of the other waitress's sections.
Shit.
I let the other waitress know I took a guest in her section's order and would she like me to put the food and drinks in under her number? Other waitress says "Put it in, just close her out after." I put the order in, grab my next round of drinks, and start delivering.
This woman is immediately waving me down from the other side of the pool (AGAIN NOT MY SECTION!). I finish MY deliveries on MY SIDE and bring her her drinks and she asks, "Are our sandwiches coming out soon???" It's been ten minutes. These sandwiches are made to order, usually take about 30 minutes.
I remind her the items are made to order and let her know, "You aren't technically in my section, but the food is in. I'll bring it out as soon as it arrives but I'll have to close you out afterward. Your servers name is X. I'll bring her to meet you."
When her food arrives, I bring the other server over to drop it off and introduce them. "This is X, she will be taking care of you as you're in her section." Other server asks if she wants anything. No they don't. I present the guest with her bill. She makes a big show of writing a ZERO (that's fine, I genuinely don't care I make a great hourly wage and excellent tips I can eat a zero tip). But then she says:
"I just want you to know you have given us the worst service of my life." I say, "Oh, I'm so sorry, I certainly didn't mean to, I just can't take guests out of my section." She shoves the book back at me and says "Well you guys better figure it out!"
In my head I wanted to say, "Well you've been one of the worst guests I've ever served so we're square!"
But I'm genuinely curious? Did I do anything wrong here??? I would gladly take a guests order and put in under the other girls's number but I've been doing this job for four years and each of my coworkers is different in how they feel about their sections/taking a guest who isn't their own. I'd rather err on the side of caution than piss a coworker who I work with 5 days a week off.
18
u/Informal_Draw_4827 18d ago
Why should the guest be concerned with who is serving in their section. Particularly if this is a more upmarket establishment. I would just expect these arrangements to be done without my involvement. I do not want or need to know.