amusedI found the community from customers_suck and have been lurking for a while. Allow me to say that I enjoy reading every day because almost all entries here are well-written and on-point.
But I digress... from about a week ago.
I pop into Borders and pick up a nice, shiny new book. (This Borders is now my favorite, since one of the local bookslaves, a guy my age, has recently 'adopted' me. That is, he has a crush on me,always has new recommendations and so forth, and remembers my name--he's become my own personal Brad! Hey--it's flattering. What can I say?
Then, I head over to a nearby favorite restaurant of mine to grab a bite to eat and dive into my new book.
I asked for my usual booth in the smoking section, because even though I've quit, it's quieter back there. I sit, and since I already know what I want, I pick up my book. Ten or fifteen pages in (and I do read fairly fast), and no one has been by to my table. Several employees and the Bartender are goofing around at the bar, looking my way on occasion, and a couple who came in for carryout right behind me has placed their order. No big deal, right? I'm not in any hurry tonight, and I understand that each server has a section.
After another two pages, I start timing it.
8 minutes...10 minutes...12 minutes...15 minutes...A server comes out. YES!
Server (we'll call him Nose Ring) delivers food to the only other table in smoking, looks my way...
uh-huh, that's right, me, over here, I'm a big tipper!
And he leaves! Wanders away to the back.
I start shooting surreptitious looks at any employee who appears to be in the same zip code as me. Nothing.
Finally, I get up with my purse and my book and walk over to the Bartender, who's been there at the bar the whole time.
ME: "Excuse me, is there a server in this section?"
SHE: "Oh! Hasn't anyone come over?"
ME: ::sags, dispirited, and weakly requests a drink::
To be fair, she got me a drink right away and dragged Nose Ring out of the kitchen. He did apologize in a mumble, and after I ate I calmed down enough that I didn't demand to see the manager, but this is the third time I've had the same sort of problem at the place. It's starting to drive me crazy. I don't want to wait 20 minutes after I walk in to be greeted. I just know, when I was a server, if I didn't greet a table within two minutes at the least, someone was gonna be MAD. Anyhow, I don't think I'll be going back very often, if at all. I get too worked up by it. Next time, I'll leave.
I hope this isn't too long...I'm easily irritated so look for more soon.