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NewslettersDiners like servers to dish up respect
Tue, 2008-07-15 10:57 — Anonymous
I recently came to Beaufort for the first time. We stayed in an absolutely lovely home and enjoyed getting to know this quaint city by land and sea. Read the story here.
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And yet another walking advertisement AGAINST Beaufort tourism. I am forever amazed at "business" people who will spend a ton of money on TV ads, printed PR materials, etc. to promote Beaufort, and then dismiss customers/visitors and the impressions that they leave with. Those people are walking and talking sources of information for others.
Businesses still don't understand that tourists are not "captives" like the members of the military.....they are free to go elsewhere. That seems to support the suggestions of the past that the tourists in Beaufort are mostly Parris Island graduation families.
Please don't be alarmed, they treat us locals the same way or worse. That's the charm you've read about,lol. Seriously, you might have had a bad night, but most here are wonderful. Don't judge Beaufort by one experience, we can all have a bad moment. Beaufort is a unique and wonderful place, please try it again.
As you skillfully pointed out this was not an isolated incident. It takes us back to the attitude: "if you don't like the way that we do things here, then leave." The "natural beauty" of the area will only go so far in terms of appeal to outsiders.
There are many places in this country that have natural beauty of varying types and in many cases their prices as well as what they have to offer are much better than those in Beaufort. The shocking thing to most tourists from up North is that they expect the Southern Hospitality that they have read about and heard about, to be real. They don't usually visit the houses of locals and are therefore very limited in what they see. But when they are paying high prices, they should be able to expect and get high quality.
Of course one of the reasons for some of the bad attitudes and poor quality goods and services is ignorance. Some of the people involved in providing goods and services have never been any place outside of Beaufort County to sample goods and services. They have only "heard" about the "expensive" prices up North. If so, it might be worth their while to travel to Floridan (a place in the South) and start in The Villages in central Florida.....a retirement community of more than 100,000 people. The offerings and prices may shock many of the business people in Beaufort.
Next, travel up the East Coast and sample what is available on the way back to Beaufort. Another trip might be to Alabama and the gulf coast on the way to New Orleans.....the world is a lot different outside of Beaufort.... even in the South.
It's always really surprising to me when waiters or waitresses are rude for no apparent reason. When I waited tables I tried to be nice to everyone since a) everyone deserves to be treated with respect and b) I was trying to make tips. Now, if someone was rude to me upfront, my attitude got worse as their meal went on.
Mary Attaway-
We as Beaufortonians enjoy people,like yourself,from different places visiting our quaint hamlet. Frankly, I think you are being a bit paranoid. How a server would automatically know you were an outsider, is beyond me. Despite what you and others may think, we don't all know each other, and our barber is not named Floyd (it's Ray and Johnny).
There is a slower pace here, and we have come to love that. I don't know how much you travel, but some of the worst service I have ever had, has been in some of the most beautiful places. There is somewhat of a "manana" attitude here, similar to what one might find in the Caribbean, Central or South America.
Come back and see us again when you have time to slow down and enjoy yourself.
I also have a tip for you...the best way to enjoy a place is to leave only your foot prints, not your negativity.
Next time I am in your home town,Atlanta, I will do exactly that. Leave only my footprints.
Thanks.
With all due respect to the letter writer and commenter’s, you would have to agree that there are good and bad servers everywhere. I have eaten at many restaurants in Atlanta (where the letter writer is from) and know people who live in Atlanta and I can assure you that good and bad dining experiences are not exclusive to Beaufort SC. And, to suggest that restaurant servers have some bias against non-locals is ridiculous. My goodness, how would they even know?
No one likes a disrespectful server, no matter what part of the country the restaurant is located. Instead of implicitly condemning every restaurant in Beaufort or even Beaufort itself, next time you are confronted by a discourteous or unpleasant server, immediately ask for the manager and politely request a different server. Most everyone has a bad day, but you, the paying customer, should not have to suffer the consequences.
Ms. Attaway, I graciously accept your tip. Here is one for you! Based on my personal experience and observation, you will usually have a much more pleasant dining experience when you as the customer take the initiative to be pleasant, if not friendly to the server. I always make an effort to make my server smile and enjoy serving my table and friends. I especially find this beneficial when traveling to other areas of the country. So often the server will ask, where are you from? I am proud to say - Beaufort, SC.
Wow, now the customer is supposed to make an effort to be especially nice to the servers? Who is paying who? Why is it necessary to have a relationship with the server in order to get good service? What are customers expected to do..... inquire about the health and welfare of the server's family or maybe tell the server a good joke?
As far as the servers being the same all over......of course there are rude servers elsewhere....does that make it OK for Beaufort? Is the worst that is found elsewhere what one should expect in Beaufort? How about the best? This particular justification for bad service and/or business practices in Beaufort is getting pretty old.
Beaufort restaurants don't charge "discount" prices, so the consumers should not be expected to settle for poor service......carry out/fast food restaurants don't charge premium prices for that reason....also no service..no tip expected. If anything it would be wise for servers and businesses to be more polite to tourists/visitors than to locals if they have to decide who to treat politely. No wonder there is little tourism beyond the "captive" military families.
About talking to management if service is bad.... People don't go to a restaurant to get involved in such conflicts or to give management a lesson in management. A good manager knows what is going on in his or her business and shouldn't have to be told by customers. If customers are expected to complain in order to get management's attention, perhaps the problems are more than just with the servers. Believe it or not people are supposed to have a good time spending their money. No wonder Beaufort has to protect their businesses from "outside" competition.
While I've had my share of rude servers, I've also had my share of friendly servers in Beaufort. The restaurant manager should be held responsible for rude servers.
But...
If you're looking for good food, nice atmosphere and FRIENDLY servers....
check out the STARVING ARTIST CAFE(yes, this is a shameful plug lol)
We're located right next door to the New Visitor's Center across from the government complex (courthouse) on Boundary Street.
We serve All-Day breakfast, lunch, dinner starts at 5pm
Opened Mon-Sat 7am-9pm and Sunday 7am - 3pm
You bring up a good point. I must say that I have had a lot of very pleasant "servers" in area restaurants. Unfortunately many of them didn't know what they were doing, but they were very pleasant people. When businesses hire inexperienced labor in order to save money, that's what happens.
I do not believe that businesses hire inexperienced servers to save money. I believe that they hire inexperienced servers because they are the only ones applying! It cost more money to hire inexpereinced servers because of the training costs that you have.
Also, it's not always the inexperience that is the problem. The generation coming up today has not been taught respect, pride, customer service and a lot of other items needed for working with the public. My husband and I went to a fast food window last night to get milk shakes for the kids. After paying at the window, receiving his change and then receiving the milk shakes, my husband says thank you to the young lady at the window. She looks him in the eye and nods her head like we owed her the thank you instead of the other way around!
I had a running joke with someone in the office about a year ago when I was counting the number of consecutive times I had gone to a local restaurant and the server or cashier didn't say thank you after I paid for my food. The total finally reached 13 before one of the polite kids at Chick-fil-A broke the streak. I honestly don't think they're being intentionally disrespectful; I just think it never occurs to them that saying "thank you" is the proper thing to do. Upbringing has a lot to do with that.
Chick Filet is a fast food restaurant and should probably not be in the same category as servers. However, as I have posted before and all those that know me...knows that I am a frequent Chick Filet guest. The only place in town that you get good morning/afternoon/evening, how may I help you, I look forward to serving you at the window, thank you and have a good morning/day/evening! EVERYTIME!
90% of the time, I drive across town just to buy my 240th diet coke for the day because I know that when I leave not only will I have my diet coke fix but that I will smile because someone was nice when they received my business and my hard earned money!
If someone is taking my money in exchange for their food, whether it's a fast-food restaurant or a nicer, sit-down establishment, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a "thank you." It might be unlikely, but I don't think it's unreasonable.
I agree with you Mr. Blust. A long time ago, I worked in a couple of different fast food restaurants. One of the first things I was told during training was that I should ALWAYS smile and greet the customer, and ALWAYS say thank you after taking their money. I was also told that "the customer is always right", and that I should never argue with a customer over anything. Whatever happened to simple manners and common courtesy?
My son worked at Chick Fil A for a few years. It was great that they made him say "my pleasure" when someone said thank you. I really loved it when I would say thank you to him and he would accidentally say "my pleasure" Good manners are a great thing!!
To some people, politeness seems antiquated since they were never taught it. Heck, only old people say yes Ma'am and yes Sir, right Meghan? And thus they do not expect politeness nor do they offer it. Some parents are too busy trying to be their children's friends to teach them respect. Some young people no longer see adults as authority figures who deserve respect. They see them as equals. This is a disease running rampant in our very own Beaufort, and once again, poor parenting is to blame.
How many times have you gotten a dirty look from the young man or woman at the fast food place for daring to come in while they were busy or 5 minutes before closing time? How many times have you gotten a dirty look from the group of young boys walking in the middle of the street because you dared to drive your vehicle where they wish to walk?
I pride myself in teaching my children manners. I teach my children to respect their elders and to say yes and no ma'am and sir. I'm 39 years old and I still do it to everyone who asks me a question. I teach my kids how to ask for people on the phone and I find myself teaching their friends how to politely ask for someone over the phone when they call my house. I get great satisfaction as a parent when a stranger comments on how polite my children are. Obviously, this is now the exception rather than the norm.
Since people willing to work hard these days are so rare, businesses are left with the people they hire now. Kuddos to Chick-fil-a though for requiring their employees treat customers with respect. It makes you forget that you're paying a little extra for that sandwich.
Ok, is it just me, or is the LI DQ one of the least friendly places in town? I've gotten a friendlier reception from sleepy desk clerks at motels in the middle of nowhere than at our own locally owned and southern-fried DQ . . .
Perhaps we need to put another rating in the restaurant guides publishing in Low Country Weekly - smiles and frowns . . . .
I'll start:
DQ - frown
Barbara Jeans - 1 smile - but they seem corporate
San Jose: si - 1 smile
McPhearsons - 1/2 smile
I could add a lot more - but its up to you. . .
My MAIN question deals with how many times do you have go to a restaurant before they kind of know you? When I was here alone for a couple days last week I went to San Jose every day, earlier in the month I was there 3 times in 8 days, when I was in town earlier and then several times. I would kind of figure than 10-15 times in a year, somebody should recognize a regular . . . heck - they know me at Palm and Moon and I go there alot less often. . .
Kenn & Jodie (owners of Palm & Moon) are that kind...outgoing and enjoy people. And they are very likable. I'm sure that rubs off on their employees.
My sister works there too. She is pretty nice unless you wake her up too early!!
the people to get experience? someone has to hire inexperienced people, or how else would they become experienced? if everyone hired only experienced employees, eventually we would have nobody working. just a point.
Where do people get experience? Does that question suggest that a server without experience should be employed in an expensive restaurant as a server and should be trained or gain "experience" at the expense of the paying public? I don't think so.
What ever happen to working your way up to the job that you wanted? Starting out in a fast food restaurant might familiarize one with many aspects of the food service business. Then there is also the possibility of working as a bus boy or kitchen help. After that perhaps the restaurant could use an extensive training program where the inexperienced server is accompanied and supervised/tutored by a more experienced server. Some restaurants have developed such programs.
There is a number of ways to get the needed experience.
It is important to remember who is paying who.
but to get experience you must start somewhere. so therefore you must start as an inexperienced server. yes those restaurants that do as you pointed out are great. but not every eating establishment can do it. but my point was not just directed at servers but as a workers in general. to get experience you must start somewhere regardless of the job.
How much experience do you need to say with a smile Hi, may I help you... thank you, it's my pleasure??? Is there a training program required for that?? If you can't do that much, you shouldn't be in the hospitality business.
commenting on those that seem to need no reason to be rude. just the comment about inexperienced labor. there is no reason to not have basic manners ALL the time, regardless of your profession. some people just get off on being rude i think. i do happen to be a server, and there are times i may mess up. but i do say hello, how are you, enjoy your meal, have a nice day , come back and see us and thank you. i even apologize when i do make a mistake. but guess what? i do that all the time anyway, not just at work.
About 3 weeks ago, my husband and I were out in town and decided to go to lunch. We agreed that we didn't want to go to the same old restaurants we always go to. We wanted to try something new. We drove around Beaufort for about 20 minutes looking for a restaurant we had never been to in the 2 years we have lived here.
The sign for the Starving Artist Cafe peaked our interest as we passed it. So, my husband turned around and pulled into the parking lot. Upon entering the cafe, we could both sense right away it was a friendly place. We were greeted immediately by at least 5 employees with very welcoming "Hellos."
Our server was very nice as well. We explained it was our first time there and asked her about certain items on the menu. She explained everything to us. After we ordered, it was only about 7 minutes before our food was brought out to us.
We loved everything about the Starving Artist Cafe. While waiting for our food, I walked around viewing the beautiful artwork for sale on the walls. I wanted many of them but the prices were too high. Nonetheless, I enjoyed looking at them.
The atmosphere was was relaxed. The food on the menu was wasn't the same items being served in every other restaurant. It was as if we were eating home cooked meals. The meatloaf and mashed potatoes were wonderful!
All around our experience was great. We enjoyed it so much, we decided that once a week, we would have a meal there. I think everyone should try this restarant at least once, especially if you are tired of eating at the same old fast food restaurants like we were.
Thanks; I had been thinking about trying this.
We stopped in on a Sunday, approximately a month ago, and it looked like it would be a nice local place. We were greeted, and seated fairly quickly, and given time to look over the menu.
And some more time to look over the menu, and yet some more time. After 15 mins, and no one stopping by for even a "hey we're a little backed up, be right there", I happened to catch eye contact with another patron. He looked over and said "yeah their slow, but the food is pretty good". So we decided to wait it out.
After 20 mins, someone stopped by and asked if anyone had helped us. I said "Nope" and she offered to get us some drinks, and send the server over. Eventually, our waitress made it to us. She told us she had a large table of guests, and accidently forgot about us. We ordered, and ate. Order wasn't correct, but at that point what should we have expected.
I will guess that this person, #1 forgot we were there (as we were told), and #2 was fairly new to waiting tables.
So, please be aware that it's still Beaufort service.
I do applaud Chik Filet also, but I do believe the staff is drilled about smiles, and happiness.
Not to single out Starvin' Artist......Everyone can have a bad day, it's how you make it right to the customer.
Applebee's = will not go back
McPhearson's (Port Royal) = Will NEVER go back
Dockside = haven't been back in over 4 years
Fuji's = usually good, although very busy
House of Tokyo = same as Fuji's
San Jose = have had good and bad
Golden Corral = usually has pleasant staff
La Hacienda (Cross Creek) = 1 bad experience in over 2 years
La Nopalera = always good over 5 years
There are others, but the owners/managers aren't here to read it.
I had a very good lunch and very poor service at Starving Artist Cafe.
However, it won't keep me from going back. New businesses frequently experience "growing pains". I am confident that they will work out the "kinks" and will be very successful. Lunches will have to be served quickly in order to attract working people on their lunch hours. Fortunately, we were in no hurry and enjoyed ourselves and our meal.
How about if Beaufort restaurants adopt a new policy. Any time one of the servers or cooks is having a bad day and the service or food are not what they should be, the customer gets at least a 30 percent discount on his or her bill?
Anyone can have a bad day, but someone else should not have to pay for it.
I used to get really upset about poor customer service in restaurants until my boyfriend worked as a server. He started out being extremely friendly in hopes of getting decent tips but he learned quickly that he was going to get crappy tips no matter what. It seems that as gas prices are rising people are tipping less and less. Seriously, he'd work 6 hours and come home with a mere $25-30. Anyone who's ever served before knows that it's an extremely taxing job and worth well more than that. After each shift he'd come home with stories about tables racking up a $90 bill and then tipping a lousy $4. And he wasn't working at a cheap restaurant! I was always taught that the lowest you should EVER tip is 15%, and, despite how hard he tried to please the customers he hardly ever managed to get even that. So when you go out to a restaurant, remember that the server has to fill his gas tank, too! It's a vicious cycle: the wait staff begins expecting little to no tips and stops caring about performance. Imagine working your butt off for measly $5.00 (and then of course you have to tip out!) I bet you'd lose your charm as well. I know this won't necessarily work for tourists, but I've found that I get extremely good service at all my normal eateries because the wait staff knows they'll get a good tip out of me. And it's not like I have a whole lot of money to spare, I just don't eat out unless I know I have enough money to include a 15-30% tip. I think if we want our tourists to have a better eating experience we need to help insure that our waiters are getting paid a decent wage!
Weirdness your are 100% right. I should suck up to you and do everything perfect for a 5 dollar tip when you stayed for an hour at my table? How much is that an hour? 5 DOLLARS! Servers get paid $2.13 an hour and that ALL goes to taxes the average paycheck for a server for 2 weeks is $0-25. So when %20 percent is 3 or 4 or 7 dollars and you have been at your table for over an hour think again otherwise you WILL be known and that IS why you WILL get poor service. BTW servers generally do not have more than 4 table sections so dont try to use the excuse that it builds up, b/c it doesnt. I have tried pretty hard to avoid this subject, since you may already have guessed due to my screen name I am in the food and beverage industry. What am I supposed to do with $3 when I have to tip out around %3 of my total sales. If you dont tip well you deserve terrible service and BTW there should never be a tip in a sit in restuarant less than $5 unless it was truly truly truly horrible service. For those of you who leave 1 or 2 dollars regularly god knows what you have really eaten at the smaller and not well known/ not incorporated restaurants, or miss ran ones too! HAHA you deserve it.
If everyone that felt as though they weren't being adequately compensated for their job lowered their performance accordingly, our country would be in a mess!
You sound like one of those servers with a nasty attitude right off the bat. My husband and I tip very well, unless we are treated poorly or ignored by the wait staff. We do not hold the server responsible for mistakes of the kitchen staff or for slow food preparation. But we do hold them responsible for a nasty attitude or failure to do their job. And, if you think I'm going to pay $15.00 for a meal for myself and my husband, and then tip $5 or more simply because the kitchen was slow and we happened to be there for an hour through no fault of our own, then think again! That would be a 33% tip, and I don't do that unless the service is stellar.
I tip well, usually 20-25%, even if I am less than thrilled with the service, but servers who have attitudes will not only get a lousy tip from me, but will also cost their establishment my business. Look up the definition of the word tip...it's not a right, or a given, but something extra that is given by a customer who is impressed by the level of service.
I have always tipped based on service and keeping in mind the 15%. Only once have I tipped less and that was .1 years ago because of no service other than bringing the food. I wanted her to get the message.
Recently I treated my parents to lunch at Red Lobster when we were in Charleston. My son was in a grumpy mood and wouldn't order. The waitress tried cajoling him. The bill was $46 but I left a $10 tip because of her graciousness. Mother would have had a fit, but she had gone to the restroom. I told Dad that the waitress had worked her butt off and deserved it. On top of that she brought my son a takeout drink and bag of the cheddar biscuits to go...without being asked or charging us. I am very mindful of how hard servers have it if they are truly doing their job.
Didn't customer tipping expectations change after waiters and waitresses became included under our US Wage and Labor Law? With that change part of the earnings of those imdividuals also became the responsibility of the restaurant owner as well as the customer.
Didn't customer tipping expectations change after waiters and waitresses became included under our US Wage and Labor Law? With that change part of the earnings of those imdividuals also became the responsibility of the restaurant owner as well as the customer.
See www.charleston.net/news/2008/feb/18/credit_card_users_may_be_shortchanging_w30897/
So, what are the restaurant owners in Beaufort doing? Are they passing the credit card fees on to their employees?
Are our local Chamber of Commerce groups watching out for the meal servers as well as the restaurant owners? Doing some net research it seems that South Carolina has not passed any specific wage laws for waiters and waitresses as many other states have done. Beaufort is a tourist and military town, so it's very likely that some of the restaurant customers here are more accustomed to expectations for waitresses and waiters income to be based on other state standards.
Elida, in answer to your question about the Chamber of Commerce, most definitely YES, the Chamber is watching out for many of the meal servers all across this fine country of ours. They have supported illegal immigrants for some time now.
I have been told by some wait staff that I know, that they are being charged the credit card fees against the tips.
I think that's BS personally!!! They are working for next to nothing, and now they are being hit with 2% or more BECAUSE a customer paid via credit card??
Although I've been told gas stations locally are charging the fees to customers too.
It's probably still possible to get a good paying job in food management by starting out as a server, bus boy, or kitchen help and working up. It's most important though, to realize that an individual has many more job improvement possibilities if he or she starts out with a large food contract food company, or a major chain of restaurants. Don't begin with an individual restaurant owner type establishment.
A good place to begin in Beaufort might be with Sodexho. They have the contract with the Beaufort County School District and also with the Beaufort Hospital. They would have job opportunities in other areas besides Beaufort which could be applied for after getting some experience. Remember though, if you choose to work for a big company, do well, and they offer a transfer promotion on their own it is not advisable to refuse. Remember though, with food management comes responsibilities.