Slow Service at Applebee's

I'm surprized no one has addressed the fact that these people are in
their TWENTIES and going to see a Jonas Brother's concert ... that
should explain a lot.

There seems to be some confusion on the OP's use of the word "dinner".
Where I live, in the South, it's very common for people to refer to
lunch or a midafternoon meal as dinner, and what everyone else would
onsider dinner (as an evening meal) is referred to as "supper". I had
never heard it before I came to the South, and it confused me several
times. I hear it every day and sometimes use it myself now just to
prevent confusion in other people. This incident happened in NJ, but
there is no reason that pockets of this dialect wouldn't exist
elsewhere.

Just throwing that out there.

heard anyone refer to a meal at "2-3ish" in the afternoon as being
"dinner."

I see nothing in your description that indicates that any of this had
to do with your age - unless it means that your immaturity and lack of
empathy caused you to be unnecessarily impatient and demanding, having
unrealistic expectations and basically behaving like spoiled brats!

Your response in the thread below speaks volumes to your mentality if
you honestly think a server making $2 something an hour plus your
paltry little tip needs to give excuses to make herself "look good."

I tip accordingly also. All servers understand (or should) that their
tip depends on the service they give their customer(s). While a server
should be nice and pleasant, they also have to be efficient and make
sure their customers needs are served in a timely manner. If this
cannot be done, then explain to the customer why it cannot...waiting
15 minutes for a milkshake that takes 3 mins or less to make, or
waiting a long time for condiments is ridiculous especially if the
server was seen standing around talking.

As for this manager...you should have reminded him that there was no
charge for the milkshake anyway and ask if he would please compensate
you with a discount on your bill instead.

"Needless to say, the waitress had gotten a very low tip"
Since you work in a restaurant you should know that servers make only
half the minimum wage. Did you consider that the waitress may have a
family to take care of? Dont get me wrong there is no excuse for slow
service, but dont take it out on the waitress, perhaps the bartender
of drink maker was a bit backed up on orders. Things happen

Just a little information for you.....

The milkshakes at applebee's are not made by the servers or the
kitchen. They are made by the bartenders, who usually only have 2
blenders available for frozen drinks. Since you've stated that all of
you at the table had worked in restaurants, picture yourself behind a
busy bar, trying to make 2 daquiris, 4 different frozen margaritas,
and a milkshake. keep in mind that the other bartender is responsible
for the actual bar patrons, and you are the only one on "service bar"
(common restaurant term for station handling drink orders put in by
servers).

Yes, a milkshake can take a little longer than you'd like, but blaming
the server for this is a mistake. You really have no idea how many
drinks were back there to be made. They do prepare them in the order
they come in, but who says you were first?

Giving the server a "very low" tip based on the milkshake was
completely wrong. By the way, I know what I have presented about the
bar is correct because I worked for this chain in the past as server
and cook.

cookgirl

Agree with everyone here. You should be ashamed BDJ.

So, I guess you know what it's like to get stiffed on your tip and
felt justified doing the same. From what I've read often on here,
former/current servers are usually above average tippers because they
understand what it's like to work long hours for low pay.

Shame on you.

I hope you return or continue to work in a restaurant, and someone
gives you a low tip for the wrong reason.

The first several lines of your letter are completely irrelevant.
Nobody cares where you are going or who you are going to see. Then
the next several lines are pretty much extraneous as well. You
weren't ready to order, it took a few more minutes, blah blah blah.
This is all NORMAL, the sever did their job and you should have tipped
them for it.

OK, now that the reader is completely asleep, you make a separate TO
GO order. There is a backup in the kitchen (which of course you young
people understand because you have worked in food service - uh huh!)
And so you stiff the server on the tip. NICE!

And finally you have the nerve to blame them for inattention because
you are young. Amazing. Truly amazing.

"we ... told her we needed a few minutes to decide on what to eat.
Well that took a few minutes for her to come back to have us order our
food."

So you asked for a few minutes to decide what to order, and she gave
you a few minutes. What's your complaint? That it took two minutes
longer for her to return to your table than you would have liked?

You're punishing her for doing what you asked?

Maybe your waitress was new. Maybe she had many tables. Maybe she
really is just slow. Maybe your sense of what to expect isn't
appropraite. Next time, do the adult thing and speak with a manager.

The milkshake was free, even though it was consumed. It sounds as
though the manager was trying to resolve the situation by giving it to
you for free


You expressed yoru concerns to not one, but two managers before you
left. yet, you still come here to write.

I dont see where being young had anything to do with it. Applebee's
is filled with folks your age most of the time. At least around here,
they are.

What else is it you want from Applebees??

Are you 100% certain that it was because you were young that you got
poor service? Can you pinpoint it as the valid excuse?

You come across as a very impatient youth. I think you need to learn
patience first of all. All your complaints are petty and if you had to
wait for things, then that's the least of your problems.

Leaving a small tip because you didn't get your items lightning fast
is no excuse. Shame on you.

What did the manager say when you complained to him? I'd really like
to know.

I've read this thing several times and I still don't see the problem.
This took a few minutes, that took a few minutes, we asked for
condiments and she brought them, we asked for a milkshake and she
brought it...
Have you ever eaten a sitdown restaurant before? I know you say that
everyone in your party has restaurant experience, but I have to wonder
if you all work/worked at McDonald's, which is a totally different
thing.

You say that you were on your way to a concert. Perhaps you were
running late and all of your wait times were drawn out in your mind?
I've seen many complaints from people who are on their way to concerts
(or this event or that event), and they choose a sitdown restaurant to
patronize beforehand with only so much time factored in for eating,
payying, and going. If this is the case with you, Applebee's is a poor
choice for people in a hurry; perhaps you would have been better
served by a fast food establishment instead?

I think you owe your server an apology for stiffing her on the tip. I
really do.

This was in the afternoon around 2-3ish.

Our waitress was just very slow at her job in serving us and it wasnt
right.

She deserved the tip she got. Anyone can make up an excuse for not
having a desert ready just to make them self look good.

On a Saturday night, restaurants are busy and kitchens get backed up.
You understand this, because all of you have worked in restaurants.
15 minutes waiting for a frozen dessert is not unreasonable,
especially with the explanation that were other orders before that
one. It actually sounds like Kelly P comped you it anyway, which was
pretty nice of her. But you decided to punish her on the tip anyway.
You are assuming that because you are young, you were somehow
disrespected and subjected to a 15 minute wait. That's a bit of a
leap.
I hope you can think back to this evening the next time some jerk
stiffs you on a tip.

That is the worst excuse I have ever heard for not leaving a decent
tip. Shame on you.