Darling, I know being a waitress is a hard job, that it is both physically and mentally exhausting. I know that when your co-workers don’t show up on a busy Saturday morning, and you are the only one working, that it can be hectic. But you know what? I really don’t want to hear how stressed you are. When you are taking my order, I am the ONLY customer you need to worry about at that exact moment.
Sweetheart,when you have customers who ask you questions about how the foods are prepared, you should pay attention. If you hear us ask if there is any wheat in a particular dish, it is NOT because we are testing you, or trying to make your life miserable. We ask those questions because we NEED to know. We shouldn’t have to tell you that if we eat even a few crumbs of wheat that we’ll have explosive diarrhea for three days, that all of our joints will ache and hurt for a week, that we’ll have a headache worse than your last hangover. All you need to know is that we asked that question, all the rest of it is TMI.
Honey, when you take my order, I would appreciate it very much if you would actually write down that I requested NO BUN on my hamburger. When you bring said hamburger to me, and it is sitting there all nice and pretty on that delicious looking bun, don’t give me any flack about asking you to bring me another one BECAUSE I CAN’T EAT WHEAT. Oh, and that thing you said to me about it being a POTATO roll? Read the ingredients label, sweetie. It still has WHEAT in it. And don’t look at ME like I’m stupid when I say that, because I HAVE BEEN READING LABELS FOR MORE YEARS THAN YOU HAVE EXISTED ON THIS PLANET!!!
And, Cutie, most of all, don’t be surprised when your tip is the bare minimum. Part of what I determine to be good service includes whether or not you actually listen to what I ask for. And part of it has to do with whether or not I can actually eat the food you set before me. I’m not talking about how the cook did his job, either. I get just as tired of telling you what I can’t eat as you are of hearing me say it.
Babydoll, I know you think that it is not your job to keep me from getting gluten on my plate, and I agree, it is not. That is MY responsibility. But since I have done the studying, and have educated myself, and know what I can and can not eat, when I relay that information to you by ordering my meal with no bread, you could at least give me the courtesy of paying attention. While my gluten intolerance is not life threatening, some food allergies can be. So, next time you get a customer who is asking lots of questions about food ingredients, pay attention. Please.
Amen and amen! Well written, very well written. I hope that babydoll reads this.
A-men! I gather you had a poor waitress!
Maybe you should print this and send it to the resturant.
I’m guessing you won’t go back again.
Totally get what you are saying. I once asked about something having wheat in it and she said no because she thought wheat only meant “whole wheat”. I have also had people say “you should be okay, it is a corn muffin.” Unfortunately corn is only one ingredient and wheat is another.
I ordered a salad that said ‘feta cheese crumble’, so I said no cheese on my salad please, I can’t have dairy. The salad comes, and it is covered in grated cheddar. The waitress said she thought only the feta had dairy in it, as that is what I asked NOT to have. The menu didn’t say anything about the cheddar, I guess it was a “surprise” ingrediant, lol. I did speak to the manager about the menu not being clear on the salad, as it also had seeds and nuts on it. I love my seeds and nuts, but really, how many people have those allergies too and they think they are in the clear until it arrives before them?
Oh, Karen, I get so tired of asking specific questions, for a specific reason, and being ignored, too.
Some folks just don’t get it!
Or can’t be bothered.
Happy Trails, Penny, TX
I loathe the ‘oh, don’t worry, it’s white bread’ answer. How dumb do you have to be…?!
Luckily, most of the places I go around here, when I ask about wheat, they automatically ask if I’m worried about gluten, or they ask if I’m celiac – sooo very different from Virginia.
Well written. Send it to the restaurant. Do you have to give a minimum tip in US? I wouldn’t have given any tip. We only tip here if we get better than normal service.
Well written – good on ya!
Naw, I wouldn’t have left a tip either. It can get so frustrating. We have been places that are fantastic and allow substitutions and places that are terrible. Sometimes, I am not in the mood to try new places and just go for the tried and true.
I had someone try to feed me bread, then when I told her again, “No wheat” she said but it’s White Bread! Gotta love em’!
Jessie
Good post and a well-written one. And I take it that she must have called you “Sweetheart”, “Honey” or some other name. That’s a pet peeve of mine.
baby doll needs more training! Great post.
Karen: Very well-written post. Even here in ultra-aware Seattle, we have our fair share of the same kind of server.