Poor Service.....Do it yourself?

[emma'smom]

I have two small children and I have recently found myself just doing things myself if we run into poor service. We wait a reasonable amount of time for the wait staff to address our needs, but if the server has disappeared, I take matters within my own hands (within reason- I don't go into the kitchen). However, we were seated at a restaurant the other day and they were supposed to give us a high chair. The hostess seemed to have forgotten this detail and left us standing there holding our one year old while she proceeded to seat other customers. So, since no other wait staff was around, I went to the front of the restaurant and carried a high chair back to our table myself. The manager came by later and apologized saying he saw me carrying the high chair and addressed it with the hostess.

So, this has me thinking- Is it ok to get an extra napkin/spoon/etc. if they are visible at a nearby wait station? What about refilling coffee or water glasses if the pitchers are visible? Now, I only mean if the wait sataff has disappeared/isn't helpful after a reasonable amount of time- not just to help oneself whenever. With two young children, our window of good behavior is limited and I don't want to waste it waiting for the extra spoon to arrive!

 

[LoriZH]

Let me tell you, I am no stranger from stealing silverware off the set table next to me if my meal is sitting in front of me and I am still silverwareless! No, I think you should take matters into your own hands, I do it all the time. I'm not mad at the waitress/waiter, but I'm not going to sit around waiting for my dinner to get cold (or my arm to go numb while I'm holding a 1 y.o.) to spare their feelings either.

 

[Alan the Foodie]

I actually have gone into the kitchens of some restaurants, but I haven't done it a Disney. I say Do what you have to, it's their fault!

Alan

 

[2nd childhood]

I have in the past had to "help myself" at some restaurants too. I don't think there is anything wrong with it. I don't want to get the waitstaff in trouble, but sometimes they do forget about you (so at least it seems). My husband just melts in his chair when I do things like this, but he does enjoy the benefits.

 

[shellybaxter]

I might take silverware off of another table if its set but no one is sitting there but I would never "help myself" off of a wait station. That just seems so forward and I would imagine that would be in vioation of health code regulations. I would much rather flag someone down and ask for my waitperson or just ask for what I need. I'm not above going to the hostess and telling them we need additional service either.

 

[Luvamouse]

I will always get an additional napkin or replacement piece of silverware at a restaurant if it is either 1) Very close to us and the waitress is busy or 2) I have asked and one person is unable to continue their meal due to lack of silverware. (I have no concerns over the health code issue of doing this since if it is in the public area, it cannot be that strict an issue, right?) That having been said, I am not going to rummage around looking for it, nor would I personally ever refill my own coffee or water. Mind you I take into consideration the level of the restaurant we are at when I get up also. Casual dining makes me more likely to get something that isn't forthcoming. I really think it is a personal choice whether you feel comfortable with doing it and how you handle doing it.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I agree. I would obtain "thing" myself - such as silverware, napkin, glass; but I would not get my own food or drink, except from a buffet.

 

[eeyore45]

Yep that's me!! Its usually refilling water glasses, and its usually at mid price restaurants... and I've even refilled other diner water glasses too (I dont drink coffee, but I seem to recall refilling someone's at our table...)

and the worst feeling I have was at a HUGE "Family" show and all you can eat buffet (it was $35 a ticket) we were seated at the last table (the buffet was set up in the other room) and it was a "champagne" meal, all you can drink - "Roget" champagne, $3.00 a bottle, but it makes great Mimosas!! So we got lost, got there 15 min late, and try as we might the waiter wouldnt fill our glasses - mind you the rest of the table had been served, and the bottle was kept right behind our table.... between our table and another... and I asked, and saw him helping and filling other glasses (I think he was in charge of 4 - 6 tables) well finally I "got attitude" and said, FINE, and got up went to the champagne (behind our table, seriously next to another family) and filled our glasses... and I felt horrified when I looked up and about 3 waiters were watching me!!

I thought for sure a manager would come out and escort me "off property" I started thinking 'what if these were union people...

nope, nobody came, but he onlly filled our glasses one other time, (we werent driving btw!)

 

[MichelleChell]

I would have filled my wine glass too.

I having been a waitress will tell you. Taking silverware is ok refilling your tea or water is okay. Those things should reflect in there tip. Since they are not doing there job or others are not helping.

Getting things from the wait staff area and refilling sodas there is a NO NO. There a health code reasons behind that. Some people just don't know about.

 

[The Sweetness]

If I were a server, and my customers had to *help themselves* to anything and I *caught* them doing it... Napkins etc... I would be the one ashamed, of not taking care off it for them.

 

[emma'smom]

See...my take on waiters watching me...is they should be and they should be reminded that they have a job to do..and do it! As for violating health codes, I guess I wouldn't worry too much about it since I wouldn't be violating them if the wait staff were doing their jobs. Let them get cited...they should have been on the ball in the first place (again, I wouldn't stick my hands in ice or something that would obviously spread germs)....but to get extra creams from the wait station...I have no problem with this!

 

[limabeanmom2003]

I do this too! In fact, just last week we were at a restaurant with our 2 little ones and the high chair that they brought had a broken seat belt. So, I took it back to the front and got another one. One of the waitresses stopped me and asked me if she could help me, but I just said no thanks, I got it. Things get done faster when I do them myself. I hate to wait, and as someone said, the time limit you have when you are dining with little ones is small.

 

[lclark0621]

I never used to help myself. But I got sick of flagging other servers down (because ours' had vanished into thin air) & asking simple requests like a napkin or silverware, and being told I was not in their section, or they were to busy. I mean it is like they are so annoyed that someone who isn't going to leave THEM a tip dared to ask for a clean fork!

So I started getting up & getting what I needed. If it was more napkins or whatever. I never got my own refills. If it was that bad, I would get up & walk to the front of the resturant to tell the host or manager.

If I ask for a refill, and I have waited more then 15 minutes, your darn skippy, someone is finding out. It is unacceptable to have to sit for 15-20 minutes just because you want another water or coke or something.

I should add, this has NEVER happened at a Disney resturant. 9.99999 times out of 10, it is always very good service at Disney.