shore thing episode 2: self seaters (long)

[Mottom24]

there is a little rule when it comes to most restaurants, that a hostess has to seat you. this is true in the place I used to work at on the shore, but we had a problem... we had several enterances and only one hostess desk in the place near the front. we had two enterances in the front, one on the side, and the back is wide open to the beach with many tables on our deck for fancy umbrella eatin' (this is where most of the self seaters come from, but its understandable considering how open it is).

On a slow day, we don't mind self seaters, because the servers tend to take turns for each person coming in. but when we are busy and have a wait, the servers have specific sections and self seaters cannot be tolerated. but none of the servers want to risk getting a low tip incase they decide to wait. this is where I come in

here are a few short stories of self seaters I had to shoo away.

no no and no

on a not so busy day, but busy enough to have sections, 6 guys came off the beach and sat at an umbrella table. those tables only seat 4, so they took 2 chairs from a different section and added them to their table. the server figured they may want to order, so she sent me in to make sure.

Me= me obviously
SC= the alpha of the pack

Me: hey guys, these seats are for people who are eating only, are you going to be ordering anything?
SC: what? oh... well uh I guess we'll just get some drinks then.
me: no food?
SC: nah, we're ok.
me: sorry, the bars are for that, only people who order meals can sit here (note... we have 6 bars in our place... 6!!!)
SC: what? oh ok... well lemmy see a menu.

*I hand them 6 menus but only he opens one*

SC: ok we'll just get the nachos then.
me: sorry it has to be 6 dollars minimum.. *cuts me off*
SC: but they are 8 bucks!
me: ... per person.
SC: WHAT!? what a rip off, fuck this place! lets go to burger king instead!
me: ok, well have a nice day.

*note (again) the cheapest thing is 6.50 and its a kids meal, the burger king across the way is more pricer because its on the beach, and a value meal costs... about 6 bucks.

dirty seats are ok

I see a couple at a table with plates all over with food all about. I get a bit flustered at myself because I am usually really on top of things, so I rush over and apologize for leaving it there.

Me= meeeee
SC= not so sucky, but odd husband with his wife.

Me: hey guys, sorry about that, lemmy take care of this for you
SC: may we see a menu please?
Me: wha?... this isn't your food?
SC: no
Me: you just sat here... at a table with food and plates all over it?
SC: yea... were we not suppose to?
Me: uh.. no not really. you can get seated properly by a host up there....

who sits at a dirty table!!!??

Party hard

We were having a regular day, but the rush was not yet here for lunch, so everyone was getting prepared for the suck fest about to happen. Then we hear the horrible noise we all dread... tables scraping up against the floor... people were moving tables. I go over to see what's going on

Me= take a guess
SC= the alpha of the group
SC2= younger friend or daughter of SC1
M: my manager

Me: hey guys... did a hostess seat you?
SC: what? what hostess?
Me: that one over there
SC: no, we came from the beach.

it's then I notice its 2 families (maybe 3...) with tons of beach going stuff, 2 coolers, and all are half wet trailing water and sand into the main section the the resturaunt.

Me: oh.. ok... will you be ordering anything from the menu today?
SC: huh? no we have our own food. can't we just sit here?
Me: no, this is a resturaunt, we need these tables for customers only.
SC: well you don't seem that busy! I don't see why we can't stay here!
me: it's 11:30 ma'am, the lunch rush should be coming in soon, and our band will bring even more people in when they start, we really need these tables.
SC: we're not in the way! why can't we just sit here!?
me: I just said we need them ma'am, you've taken one of our servers section... almost completly up.
SC: so?
me: .... (really!?) sooo... she kind of wants to make money at her job.
SC: give her those tables!
me: those are another servers sections... ma'am please, you can all hang out at the bars, the one on the deck is completly empty.
SC2: I'm not going to have my kids sit at a bar!
SC: yea, that's not right, and we have our stuff here already anyway.
me:.... ma'am... we need... these tables... please... if you aren't going to order anything... I have to ask you to move your things and sit at a bar, or go back on the beach.
SC: no
me: what?
SC: no, we are already here and comfortable.
me: ok then.

*I then get the manager, who I love so much, and tell her the deal. she is in no mood for this customer (or noncustomers) bullshit, so this won't take long*


M: hey I was told none of you will be eating here today?
SC: no, we have our own food (good for you)
M: then I'm going to have to ask you to leave
SC: but we are already set up
M: too bad, please leave
SC: but we have all our things...
M: please leave
SC2: you're being very rude!
M: you're taking one of my girls sections completly, she won't make any money today if you continue to sit here, she has college to pay for... and I'm rude?
SC: listen we are already...
M: no, I heard it already, get out or I'm calling the police
SC: what,... I
M: NOW!

they leave in a huff, cursing and yelling crap. we ignore them... and I clean up their terrible mess they left behind (wet sand is the worst to sweep up on a wood floor). but she got her section back and our lunch rush was a good one! if I was 20 years older, I would fall head over heels for that manager, she was like Xena... but with customers instead of raiders... or demons... or something.

[JoitheArtist]

SC: give her those tables!
me: those are another servers sections... ma'am please, you can all hang out at the bars, the one on the deck is completly empty.
SC2: I'm not going to have my kids sit at a bar!
SC: yea, that's not right, and we have our stuff here already anyway.
me:.... ma'am... we need... these tables... please... if you aren't going to order anything... I have to ask you to move your things and sit at a bar, or go back on the beach.
SC: no
me: what?
SC: no, we are already here and comfortable.
me: ok then.

What the crap is wrong with people??

[PepperElf]

yeesh. what jerks.

and as a side note... im sick. i read the title as "self eaters" at first

[Dreamstalker]

My dad and I will sometimes sit down at a yet-to-be-cleaned table, but only at a popular (and small) seat-yourself place which fills up VERY quickly at lunch (the general "rule" is that if you want to eat there and see a free table grab it immediately). When that happens we tip very generously.

[blas]

That was one of my biggest peeves as a host at both restaurants.

Although it was way worse at the Norwegian restaurant. Nearly all of the clintel were elderly, and their attempts at getting past me and sitting wherever they wanted were so in vein, it was laughable. Looky here, Mr and Mrs Poopypants Legally Deceased.....do you really think you are faster than a 15 year old girl? I highly doubt it.

They would usually walk in (and it took them nearly 20 minutes to get out of their car and walk in to the restauarant alone) and if I wasn't directly at the host station, they'd just walk in and sit wherever they wanted. But most of the time, I heard the door dinger and I'd chase them down.

[mikoyan29]

Who the hell brings their own food into a restaurant?

[RestaurantDude]

Ugh... i HATE self seaters.

Ugh... i hate self seaters. Where i work, we have a sign as you walk in, by the host desk, that clearly reads "Please Wait To Be Seated". And yet, there is always the one person who decides that the rules don't apply to them. Hellooooo! We have that sign there for a reason! If you seat yourself:

1) we (servers) don't always see you come in
2) you may be sitting at reserved table
3) you may be sitting in a section that has no server
4) you may be sitting in a section that has an overloaded server
etc...


DO NOT SELF SEAT!

Had to get that out.

[Mottom24]

What the crap is wrong with people??

I really don't know. it amazed me that very few people know how much servers get paid (they got paid less than me at 2.50 an hour while I got 4) but this place was so amazing with tips that it made up for it. but they looked like they were in it for the whole day, so it would have taken 200 bucks or more off her day. I can understand not knowing how a resturaunt works and all, with assigned sections and such, but we explained it to them, and she still didn't care.

[TonyDonuts]

"who sits at a dirty table!!!??"

At my first job we had a couple of regulars who did that.

The way it worked was customers would walk in, come to the counter, order their food, and then go sit down. When their food was done one of us would bring it out to them, offering drink refills and whatever at the same time.

This couple would order their food, and then always sit down at a dirty table.

Always. Always. ALWAYS!

It didn't matter if there were twelve clean and one dirty table in the smoking section, it didn't matter how dirty the table was, that was where they would sit.

My boss asked them about it once. The wife explained that they didn't want to "bother" us by sitting at a clean table, because the dirty table was already dirty, therefore it was "easier" for us.

And no amount of "You know, cleaning a dirty table is much easier with nobody sitting at it" could sway her from her course. Damn you and your "logic" and "reason" I'm trying to help you folks! Seemed to be the attitude.

I saw them once a week for seven years. Same deal, every time.

[slavetotheman]

The wife explained that they didn't want to "bother" us by sitting at a clean table, because the dirty table was already dirty, therefore it was "easier" for us.

I would have pointedly placed their food on an adjacent (clean) table every time until they got the hint. But then I'm sassy like that

[Mr Hero]

The last story reminds me of what my dad did a while back.

My family went for a ski vacation for a few days. We took a break for lunch. We always take a lunch since meals there are expensive. There are two seating areas. The indoor area is for cafeteria food only, and the outdoor area is for either.

My dad, not having known the rules until it was too late was approached by one of the staff and explained to him the rules. He started speaking to her in fluent Spanish. We're all white, but my dad and my oldest brother could pass off as a Hispanic. The worker didn't seem to believe we all spoke Spanish, but didn't do anything beyond that. My brothers and I stayed silent for the whole thing.

The next day we obeyed the rules. I don't remember if we bought lunch inside or ate our packed lunch outside.