Metropolitan Grill - Quality: a problem, and a solution

[zastrazzi]

It's one thing to bitch about a problem, but I find it a lot more useful and rewarding if you can provide a solution to go with it. Below is an email I wrote to the Executive Chef, Andrew Gass, of the Metropolitan Grill on Stephen Avenue.

Hello Andrew,

I was a guest at the Metropolitan Grill on Stephen Avenue this evening, coming in for a quick

Comments

[zofia]

" The waitress should have realized that a patron actually asking how old the coffee was is a sure sign they're interested in it's quality. I'd have been willing to wait for a fresh pot."

The waitress earning minimum wage probably doesn't give a &^%* what you want, she wants to be anywhere else but there. Bringing it up in a letter to the management is a cheap shot at generally overworked and under appreciated service staff.

[zastrazzi]

If the waitress doesn't give a shit, she shouldn't be waiting tables.

I'm not sure I see how the letter is a cheap shot though, since I in no way identified my waitress (there were a few working). And while on average wait staff are over worked and underappreciated, it was before the dinner rush and I tipped well. She made $7 on top of her hourly wage to bring me a hamburger, some bad coffee, and not swear at me. I could have gotten the same general experience at Denny's.

Anyone else want to tell me why I shouldn't have been unhappy about being served shitty coffee with an expensive meal?

[zofia]

"If the waitress doesn't give a shit, she shouldn't be waiting tables."

Ah, yes, because nobody has ever had to work a shitty job to put themselves through school, debt, or to just get by in life. Spoken like a true Privileged White Dude™

You absolutely should be annoyed at being served bad coffee with an expensive meal, but that is a matter for management. Being disparaging toward the wait staff, mocking their intelligence (GOSH, how could she not see I wanted an orgasmic coffee experience at 6pm?), even if you don't name names, causes you come off in your letter as being extremely entitled.

Your letter was perfect barring that one act of pompousness.

[zastrazzi]

"If the waitress doesn't give a shit, she shouldn't be waiting tables."

Ah, yes, because nobody has ever had to work a shitty job to put themselves through school, debt, or to just get by in life. Spoken like a true Privileged White Dude™

Right, cuz Privileged White Dude never had to do an honest days work at a hard/shitty job in his life.... wait, what? Zofia, I've *worked* at Denny's, and McDonalds, and as a general labourer on the side of an Alberta highway. I have worked some truly shitty jobs. The difference is that I didn't think that being stuck with a shitty job was any kind of excuse or reason to do a job badly

[zofia]

"you really don't have the vaguest idea where I come from to have gotten where I am now

[ersatz_marduk]

What insult?

The coffee was subpar. A waitress' responsibilities include ensuring that she is not serving substandard fare. The matter has been addressed in a manner that allows her anonymity, by a customer who didn't stiff her on the tip.

Don't confuse thin skin for insult.

[zastrazzi]

Interesting. You somehow feel based on very little information that you get to label me. You've certainly never *asked* me about my life or life experiences, instead depending on a single fact with no context to make a value judgement. It might interest you to know that a good chunk of that money I so indiscriminately burned through was starting up my own company and employing Adam and a number of other friends who were good at what they did

[ersatz_marduk]

Well, I'm not sure how business appropriate the word "sucks" (end of second paragraph) is, and there's the matter of "its" belonging where "it's" was written (penultimate sentence in the third paragraph), but otherwise, it's quite constructive.

And yes, the waitress should know this. While it may be a bit much to expect her to know such things before she takes such employment, it is management's responsibility to make sure she learns this. That is why the matter was taken up with management, not her.

If she doesn't care, then she's not the person for that job. The fact that she's not qualified or able to find any other work is not an issue with which customers or management should concern themselves. If she needs the job, then she changes the one thing she can: her attitude. Otherwise, management changes her employment status.

If you saw that as insulting, it's because you're reading something other than stated or even implied.