A picture of the dish of Eggs Florentine Benedict I was served. I ordered one egg, on top of the lovely Florentine, and the other half of the English muffin, nicely buttered, lying to the left. The right would have been acceptable; I could turn the plate around.
The plate arrived, carrying the eggs in the oval serving platter, with an enormous pile of hash browns obscuring the view. I was so startled at the disagreeable presentation, I turned on the waitress. I only ordered one egg; where is the other half muffin; what is this pile of offal?
I believe any restaurant that serves hash browns only does so because they cannot make decent home fries.
She explained I would not be charged any less for only one egg, and she would take the eggs away and scrape off the offending egg. I said her obligation was to bring a new, correct order. She simply whipped out the plate of hash browns and left.
The eggs were delicious, and Lynn gave me half a toast to mop up the yolk and sauce. The waitress came back to find my plate cleared save the extra egg, and smugly said she knew I'd eat most of it. I take patronizing poorly; nevertheless, I did not pronounce her doom aloud. But, I did do something I have not failed to do in fifty odd years. I did not tip her.
I hope when we go back, we have the same server. I'll see if she has learned to listen.
Down in the studio, I finished clearing off the bobbins of colored thread. All are sitting empty, so I can fill forty bobbins of natural to commence winding onto the back beam. And not a minute too soon.
Today I received an invitation to participate in another open house, for two Thanksgiving weekends. After selling out my old stock in the summer, I have nothing to do to be ready except weave, weave, weave. I'll give you a progress report soon.
Good for you! And I tend to judge breakfast spots on whether they force hash browns on you, regardless of the dish. I hate getting them because I then eat at least half. My favorite places offer fruit as an alternative.
ReplyDeleteIt looks good, but that's not the sort of behaviour that impresses a customer.
ReplyDeleteTipping is not mandatory here (if a business is open and no-one turns up the staff are still paid). I do tip for exceptional service and would certainly not tip that woman. Which I hope she would take as a different kind of tip.
ReplyDeleteI guess you ordered À la cart, and they gave a menu dish.
ReplyDeleteI had my phone out because we were looking up something. I was speaking to it, rather than typing. I laid it on the table as I placed my order. I could have handled it much better, but I was so dismayed at the mountain of hash browns hiding my much anticipated egg, I sprang at her. She denied taking the order wrong. At that point we had discovered my recording of the order, and I snatched that phone up an hit play. She said she could scrape off the egg, I said she could replace the order. She snatched the hash browns and left. I couldn't believe it happened or that I was part of it. Actually, it was embarrassing.
DeleteReally bad service...and should be shaming for her not embarrassing for you
DeleteIt may not be the server's fault; a good many diners here have standard plating only and that may be the case for your breakfast place also. A smug attitude would not win a tip from me either, though.
ReplyDeleteif that was the case then the server should have told joanne that no changes were allowed.
DeleteThere is no excuse for service like that. You did the right thing. The waitress should be working in a bubble somewhere.
ReplyDeleteNot too many waitresses will argue with a customer in my experience. It would be a reason not to tip for sure!
ReplyDeleteI real like a good egg Benedict.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on
Joanne, I don’ t care for hash browns either... (love grits tho). No excuse for poor service... but possibly she was having a bad morning. No tip seems appropriate given the circumstances.
ReplyDeleteI always like the option of home fries if available over hash browns. I would have written a bad review on Yelp and gotten her name to include in the review. She was definitely in the wrong in how she treated your order.
ReplyDeletebetty
The customer is always right. You should have what you want not what they think you should have.
ReplyDeleteI am in agreement about hash browns - what is wrong with the good old fry - hash browns are just lazy I always think.
ReplyDeleteRather rude of that waitress, I'm glad you didn't tip her. I hate hash browns, always have. Why serve them when they haven't even been ordered?
ReplyDeleteIt's nice you have two more open houses to go to and your loom all set up ready to go.
I never argue with the waiter/waitress because I always wonder what they do to your food in the kitchen after they take it away. I visualise the Eminem video with him spitting into the woman's burger. :D
ReplyDeleteHah! I had to look up the difference. I guess I only get served home fries around here. But I'm pretty sure that I would like hash browns too.
ReplyDeleteBetter man than I Gunga Din! After eating what I wanted, I believe I'd have inquired about a manager, supervisor or better, owner/parent company and given them 14 kinds of hell about their waitstaff vs customer service.
ReplyDeleteam I the only one that likes, prefers hash browns to home fries? I gather the hash browns were on a separate plate since your eggs look undisturbed in the picture and she snatched them away. I was trying to think how she would snatch them off the plate with the eggs...with her fingers? tongs? fork? if no changes were allowed to the menu she should have told you when you ordered. if you get her again it will be interesting to see if she remembers you.
ReplyDeleteand I meant to say that getting busy in the studio is a sign of fall around here, when I realize the open house is coming up and I don't have anything new.
DeleteNot just lousy service...but attitude on top!
ReplyDeleteA bad server leaves an awful taste in one's mouth. Pardon the pun. You were very clear in your order but she knew better. Ha!
ReplyDeleteBack into the weaving fray. Winter chomps at our heels.
XO
WWW
There is no excuse for rudeness. And I loathe giant piles of any kind of food on a plate. It's not that difficult to make a meal look inviting. I will not tip for bad service - or attitude. I do tip if I think it's not the server's fault. However, this one needs a job she likes.
ReplyDeleteWhat restaurant was this?? That waitress needs re-training! Glad your daughter was there with the toast!! I would definitely write a letter to corporate (if it's a chain restaurant, or to the owner). No excuse for arguing with the customer. Apologize, remove the wrong order and return with the correct meal. Done!
ReplyDeleteThe only way folk learn is for you to be totally honest, this ‘Is everything okay for you?’ shouldn’t be asked if they don’t want to hear your reply. I applaud you Joanne!
ReplyDeleteLX
I would have given her a tip. Two cents. She has forgotten that the customer is always right and you would not have reacted as you did had she simply apologized and offered to get the correct order!
ReplyDeleteJust had breakfast out on Sunday and as the server put my husband's plate down the top late slid off and onto the table. We 3 stared at it for a few seconds and then the server ASKED do you want me to bring you another one? Did she even need to ask? 2 other things were wrong with that meal. We won't be going back. Have to say I love hash browns, tho.
ReplyDeleteJust had breakfast out on Sunday and as the server put my husband's plate down the top latke slid off and onto the table. We 3 stared at it for a few seconds and then the server ASKED: do you want me to bring you another one? Did she even need to ask? 2 other things were wrong with that meal. We won't be going back. Have to say I love hash browns, tho.
ReplyDelete