The worst waitress experience ever

[Lachesis00]

man... we went to lunch... a group of us (7 people total? First it was 6 but my old coworker Paz showed up). The gal didn't bring up menus for 10 minutes, didn't take our order for 20 minutes (after the menus, lunch took 30 minutes (the place was not even busy). She didn't bring any utensils or napkins, didn't offer to refill drinks or see if anyone needed anything. At one point she sat down for about 15 minutes chatting w/a customer.

The kicker was she never brought our bill... 1/2 my coworkers had to go....so everyone put $$ in a pile... around $70. She took the money, never brought us a bill or change. Even when we ASKED for the bill/total, she "couldn't find it" and said she thought it was around $54 with Mary's lunch (which she paid for separately so -$11 off of the total).
We figured it out, She got like a $40+ tip. Almost as much as the bill... we had 4 people at around $11 each. Debbie put in $25, Dan put in $25, Steph paid $11, Kim paid $11, Mary and Paz paid separately. Paz tipped her on top of what she got off our bill. Oh geez Debbie said she put another $10 in (meaning to take the $20 as Stephanie gave her the $20 and Deb gave her $10-$1's... Deb meant to put the $20 in her purse but didn't).

How the heck to approach someone who pulls something like this? No bill, no one said "keep the change"... and honestly no one was going to tip her (well she would get one but not much, not $30). That was THE worst service. And like I said it wasn't THAT busy that she couldn't have stopped by and asked if we needed anything.

Anyone have a good letter I could fire off?? How they just lost 7 customers. The more I think about it the madder I get

 

[buzzlady]

First you should have never let her take the money without the bill. Then you should have asked for the manager and complained right then and there.

 

[floridaminnie]

NO bill....thanks for picking up our tab.

 

[Lachesis00]

The money was on the table, she just picked it up and walked off with it. We asked 3x for a ticket or receipt and she blew 3 different people off. She verbally gave us a total of $59 but that included the 2 people who paid seperately.


No manager, no other waitress (I can understand being busy but this was unexscusable) only the cook was there and he was is not a manager. The owner owns another place out of town and we suspect he was there (he is the manager/owner).

 

[CEDmom]

That really stinks but I have to agree with buzzlady that you should have resolved this before leaving. I wouldn't have left $ w/o a bill.

 

[Deafmedic]

I'll bet you could've walked out without paying the bill and she wouldn't've noticed.

 

[jipsy]

I would have never eaten there in the first place. After waiting 10 minutes for a menu, and another 20 to get my order taken, I would have gotten up and walked out. Of course, I wouldn't have waited that long.

And I certainly wouldn't have walked out without getting a bill.

 

[Disney Doll]

If I had decided to wait 10 minutes for a menu and another 20 to take my order(which probably wouldn't have happened in the first place!), I would have said to the waitress "No bill, no money." Or I would have gotten a menu, added up what everyone got, and left her the exact cost of the food, and not a penny more.

You got duped, my friend!

 

[MeanLaureen]

I think it's a pretty good bet to say that all the money never made it to the cash register and stayed in her pocket

 

[Jeanny]

and the manager was where during all this??? I wouldn't have left the restaurant until the manager was called and would have TOLD the server "you're not getting a tip at all, never mind a $40 tip!!"

 

[gymnasticsmom68]

I can't believe you actually paid the bill without seeing it, that woman would have heard me laughing all the way out the door. Somehow I think if you would have gotten up to leave, she would have miraculously found the bill.

 

[princesstommi]

Sorry this happened to you.

I would never have whipped out any cash without a detailed bill. She had already shown she was a bad waitress, I would want to make sure I was charged correctly.

 

[kilee]

2 summer's ago my family had a very similar expierence only my aunt did ask for a manager-- the waitress said there wasn't one on duty and was really snotty about the whole thing. So my aunt refused to pay for the bill. She left her phone number and all of the information off her drivers liscence and said to have a manager call her the next day-- then she'd pay once she got a chance to complain to someone. Needless to say nobody ever called, nor did we ever pay.

 

[Pooh's Pal]

I work as a waitress and can't imagine treating ANY customer like this, let alone serving any food without a check?? She had to of had a check to get the food out of the kitchen(unless her and the cook are in cahoots!) And how could she "guesstimate" a total if she didn't have a bill? Something is defiantly not kosher there!!

I would keep calling all day today UNTIL I got a manager to speak with...also asking if there is another # to reach him. If that's not possible..write a short letter...be direct and to the point. Explain what happened...ask for an explanation. Explain that if you have not heard from someone in management within the next 7 days(taking mailing into consideration) you will write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper and in-turn the restaurant will not only lose 7 customers they will lose many, many more! This is unacceptable!
And make sure you proclaim that you DO NOT want a gift certificate from any of his restaurants to make up for your loss.....that you want to see a copy of the bill & be reimbursed for anything extra that was given, above and beyond the total of the bill, INSIST that you want this matter settled, and an apology from the server might be nice also!!!
(Restaurants are required to keep copies of checks....as far as I know...at least in Massachusetts they are, and I think it's a federal (IRS) type law, in case of an audit!)

I agree....You should of never payed a bill you didn't see OR You should of "guesstimated" the total, before throwing money in a pile like that! Good Luck to you!
sorry for the long post....PD