Mallory has gone down hill fast, service and food as well. Marked them off our list.

Just in general and to no one in particular: I am guessing people do not realize how it sounds "I want a booth. I want a window seat. I want outside. I will leave if I don't get what I want." Or some feel that staff should be treated as if they are uneducated twits that work there because that's all they know how to do. The food tastes no different in different seats. There is no guarantee an experience will be any more pleasant outside or in or from a booth or table. A bad experience will be a bad experience and a good one, good. There are several people that visit the establishment and other reservations that need attention besides them. A restaurant may not appear busy but people are not aware of what goes on behind the scenes or what other situations may be coming up. To explain it all to a guest would be time consuming and they won't care anyway. They feel they are the only ones that need attention. I would like to see some of the more demanding guests work for a week in the shoes of the employees to see what it is like. To them it all seems so simple from the perspective of sitting in a chair in a waiting area (that table is empty. you can take that table apart. you can put those tables together.) or from the entrance (it isn't busy. they have nothing to do. it isn't hard work.) There is no reason for a person to make a job which is in fact difficult, even more difficult. People think a service provider means they should have everything they want and no one else matters. Yes, staff should be courteous. Yes, good service should be expected. Yes, good food should be expected. But being demanding and expecting more than a business can offer is not fair. Manners are for everyone. Not just the employees but for the guests, too.

I agree!! Also it can be very unfair to the servers. Going to another area may overload one server while another server only has a few tables in her area so she/he loses out on making money.

I agree with about 98% of your post. But I'm not sure how "I'd like a booth if available" sounds like anything other than a polite, reasonable request to the hostess.

Could not agree with you more, some people do NOT realize how they come off to the staff. NO the customer is NOT always right. My parents owned a restaurant, most difficult work I ever did in my life. When I become PRESIDENT, my 1st EO will be everyone in the US has to work 1 HOLIDAY SEASON in RETAIL and 1 restaurant season for SNOW FLAKES!

:gc:

Thanks for your courteous response. :thumbup:

Some restaurants can do it because all the wait staff have to split the tips among themselves. Where each waiter/waitress gets to keep their own tips, it is only fair to distribute the customers among them.

If done politely, I agree. Demanding is quite another.

Sometimes tables are empty and it appears ridiculous to the customer to have to wait. There could be many reasons for that, with one being that the kitchen already is processing as many orders as it can handle at the time. There is only so much cook top space and if it is all in use, then the customers may be waiting anyway. Sometimes, if the customers are seated anyway, then they begin to complain that everything is just too slow.

Unless you KNOW what is happening behind the scenes, cut those in service to you a little slack. There is probably no one on here that would have worked (not CEO, etc.) for their living and put up with constant complaints from those who know nothing about the job or company policy. This is why when everything is satisfactory or exceptional, I always make a note saying so on my bill and mention it if paying as I/we leave. They get plenty of complaints and seldom get commendation for a job well done or going above and beyond.

First Ones There.
 

First ones there seems to be the important claim.

There are many situations in which the concerns of the staff are important but yours does not sound like one. Maybe, the receptionist is very low on the totem pole and just follows the instructions given her by her superiors. But still I do not understand how they could not swift your group of 12 to outside.

I go to Mallory most Mondays with my girl friends. Never had a problem. We are not very demanding. Just girls having fun. These folks work hard. I tip very well. They deserve it. I am happy and luckier than some.

Dilly, excellent post. :agree: Please cut those in service to you a little slack.