Меню, телефон, два пустых стакана
You know, I used to be a waitress during university days. I worked at both Olive Garden and Ruby Tuesday's. If you live in, or have visited the USA, you will recognize them because they are chain restaurants, located in most States. Back then, I embraced my feminine charms on an entirely different level. This meant getting dressed up as a doll almost every shift, wearing cleavage exposing tops, and other things that I don't do now. The reason? Of course, it led to better tips. :)
In the U.S., we have a service focused culture. We expect good, friendly and efficient service, and it's most often received. But last night I became enraged when I went with my friend to a local joint for dinner. It was early, and we were the only customers in the dining room. The waitress came to our table with a shitty attitude, brought menus, took our order, and then immediately delivered drinks and free bread. Then, we never saw her again!?! Another person brought our food to the table, our drink glasses remained empty, and meanwhile the waitress stood chatting on the phone for at least 45 minutes in some type of argument with her boyfriend or husband. I could hear the whole conversation and all the drama.
So, how do you react in such situations? Or, you just accept bad service with no complaints?
When I got home, I sent an email to the manager informing him about the situation. I understand service can be slow if the restaurant is packed with people, or there's a delay in the kitchen, but this could not be the case last night when the restaurant was almost empty at 4:30pm. I remember when I first traveled to Russia, I couldn't believe how slow everything is with service in restaurants and other places. I vividly recall in Peter when we walked to our parking lot to get the car on a brutally cold morning. The attendant was cozy in his warm hut, and literally took at least five minutes to come to us for payment. Then, when we rolled down the window, he just stared at us, and said absolutely nothing. No "good morning," no "hello", just blank, cold stare. :))) Culture shock! :) Btw, I'll give you a quick lesson about the word "joint."
When I first began traveling with macos several years ago, I constantly used slang words he didn't know, despite his very high level of English proficiency. One of them was "joint." The term has multiple slang meanings in English. Perhaps you already know them, but if not, I'll share:
(1) Hand-rolled cigarette stuffed with marijuana. "Let's roll or smoke a joint."
Btw, I'm old. :)) I'm certain the newer generation has plenty of updated and creative slang words for marijuana, especially since recreational use is now legal in a few States, and will likely be legal nationwide in the next five years.
(2) A local diner, restaurant, bar or gathering place. "Let's go to that new joint down the street for a bite to eat."
Did you know both slang meanings? :) How do you handle bad service? I'm very demanding in this regard, because if you're hired for a job, you should do it. No constant complaints, slacking off, or whining. It doesn't matter if you're in a cheap, moderately priced, or luxury restaurant. If you don't like it, find another way to earn a living...