What Every Server Should Know

ssslllllluuuurrrrpppslllluurrgggg.....the sounds of me needing a refill.

It's the international sign of the desperate cries of a guest who is in need of a refill - now. Every server should know this. If you are sucking on ice with your straw at the bottom of the glass it makes an irritating sound. If it works properly, every server in the restaurant's ears should perk up and listen intently.

If your server is doing their job they will give you a refill promptly. My server didn't.

Yesterday at First Watch we got seated and our server walked up to our table and without saying anything else she asked if we were ready to order. Ok fine fine, we come in twice a week and yes I already know what's on the menu but let us at least sit down and chit chat for 2 minutes before ordering our food! I told her no and that we wanted drinks first.

If I am paying $2.29 for an iced tea I want at least 4-5 teas and one to go. So after about 1 minute of dropping our drinks off, my straw ice sucking began. I was already annoyed that she was trying to get us to order too quickly so I made sure my deliberate outbreaks of suction were loud and clear....sslllluurrrrgggllleessslluuurggggeeee.

She didn't catch on. Only after taking our order it occurred to her that I needed a refill.

As you all know, I am an avid First Watch guest. I believe they offer the best food at a reasonable price and the service is usually outstanding. Here is my problem - my wife's food always comes out wrong. I think in the past 6 months her food has come out wrong at least 5 times. Yesterday was no exception. Not only did it come out wrong it was something she didn't even order. Instead of a three cheese omelet, we had a cheese,bacon, hot pepper omelet.

If the service wasn't already so poor I don't think I would have been so annoyed. Our server notices after my verbal outbreak that the food is wrong. Over on my side of the table my straw sucking continues and by the time her food came back out I was half way done with my french toast. On all of the occasions that it's been incorrect there has never been a discount or free meal.

Once my wife was half way done with her meal, our server drops the check, doesn't take any plates and before she gets too far away I quickly requested drinks to go and I sucked until she got back with a refill and our drinks to go.

Upon paying for the food I started chatting with other servers asking what the policy is in offering comped food. The two that I spoke with told me that comps are server decisions. They also told me that our server was a "bad server".

I already know that First Watch has good servers and bad servers but when it was acknowledged by the own staff it sealed the deal. I wasted $20 on bad service. This is the fundamental problem with all restaurants. If the food is horrible - but the service is amazing. I'm ok with it. If the service is awful but the food is amazing. I'm annoyed. If all I wanted was good food I would go to the grocery store and buy some - and I could get my own refills.

There is one test to measure if you're getting good service: you should never have to make sllllurrrsssggggsllpeeee sounds with your straw