Any Waiter/Waitress Experiences Lately?

Yacht Club = great venue = bad food = EPIC FAIL

I’ve had some excellent food and service at restaurants here in Canberra. On occasion I have had a ordinary experience however this is not the norm.

I am polite to the service staff and on most occasions find them to return the courtesy in spades. Yes I do tip excellent service as I want to encourage this.

I go out to dinner to relax and unwind – looking to find fault in the food and / or service just detracts from the purpose of being there. Relax and enjoy, life is too short to waste your energy… have another glass of wine. If its that bad, go somewhere else next time.

I’m just about ready to give up on eating out in Canberra; I find it incredibly frustrating to be consistently overcharged for bad to mediocre food and surly or slapdash service. I’m a pretty decent cook, which makes going out for food and getting shafted even worse.

Recently I paid $25 for a plate of pasta at Verve in Manuka — pasta with chorizo and prawns, in a light cream and tomato sauce. Sounds like a winning combination, and yet somehow the kitchen managed to turn it into bland pasty stodge (how on earth they managed to make chorizo bland is beyond me). The dish was not worth complaining about — it wasn’t bad, just barely even mediocre. I can cook a better plate of pasta, in less than ten minutes, from fifty cents worth of ingredients. My friend’s chicken was very dry. To top it off, service was almost rude; the waitstaff conveyed an attitude that we were a bother. This was a Thursday night, the restaurant was busy but not at capacity. With drinks, the bill came to about $85.

My friends and I tend to eat in rather than going out now. We’re all pretty passionate about food, and would jump at the chance to eat better food than we can cook for ourselves. Sadly, unless it’s a special occasion place like Anise, Aubergine, Courgette, etc, that just isn’t going to happen in Canberra. We don’t even have decent yum cha here!

Maybe the upcoming economic downturn will force Canberra to realise that the market will not continue to bear charging $30 a plate for indifferent cafe food and crap service.

Two years on, I still can’t go near Pangaea in Manuka, after I was served by a waitress exhibiting fully two centimetres of bum crack as she left my table.

johnboy said :

There’s also a minor matter that some arthritis sufferers find life easier with a steak knife, and if a place is serving steak it’s not unreasonable to ask for a knife.

Of course not.

I do find it hard to believe though that an establishment particularly in that area, which serves steak, wouldn’t have steak knives.

I think that it is likely that the attitude that the OP displayed towards the waitress (not a personal attack, taken from the original post!) caused her to become uninterested in providing a further level of service.

I always order my steak done medium-rare, tossed in the Magimix and reduced to a puree. I also ask for a silver straw to drink it through.

Kingsleys never make the grade.

There’s also a minor matter that some arthritis sufferers find life easier with a steak knife, and if a place is serving steak it’s not unreasonable to ask for a knife.

How soft a steak is depends (among other things) on the breed; how it was raised and finished; how it was transported and killed; how the meat was aged; what cut it is; how it was prepared; how it was cooked; and whether any has happened to it since. All else being equal, the softest steak will not be the most flavourful. Many people prefer both the taste and texture of ‘stronger’ steak, to the melt-in-the-mouth steak that is relatively less tasty. Some of these require a steak knife to eat when cooked perfectly.

However, I’m not actually sure whether people here are actually talking about a butter knife; (or here ) ; or a dinner knife .

If it really was a butter knife, that’s pretty lame. But most dinner knives these days have some serrations and are more than adequate for most steak. And if you were at a fancy restaurant, then setting appropriate cutlery (even if not strictly needed) would usually be part of the image-setting.

I think I’m with piratemonkey here: the kind and level of service is part of the personality of an establishment. Generally, I would expect that a place charging more would also increase the level of service they are pitching for; but by no means is there a cause and effect relationship. Eg, 2 Yummy and Jimmy’s Place are both inexpensive, but I’ve usually had excellent service there. And many places fail, even if this is their goal — that’s why we look at reviews. Sometimes it might be one bad night or a particular staff member, but its often the whole atmosphere the manager has created or allowed.

And I also agree that the attitude of the diner can tip the balance towards good or bad service.

But I, like the original poster, am intrigued as to why it seems that Canberra in particular has comparatively few places that do good service, and many expensive places that do poor service.

Maybe we just have too many overpriced places….

johnboy said :

stirred21 said :

PsydFX said :

Hey Stirred21, has anyone ever told you that you have exactly the same writing style and sentence structures as “Food Critic”? Weird!

Food critic obviously graduated year 10 English.. Congrats!

And that’s you on a final warning as well stirred.

Sorry johnboy – i wasnt trying to insult anyone just make a point that food critic and i arent one and the same.

A favourite calendar quote from some years ago said something along the lines of, ‘A person who is rude to waiters/waitresses is not a nice person’. A tad simplistic, but boy did I find out about that one in spades when I was keeping close company with someone for some time who was appallingly rude to every waiter/waitress, irrespective of the service.

I’ve not seen her in a month of Sundays, but I’d like to think she’s still dining out and about, being her same old self, and routinely picking the pubic hair and other foreign matter from her veal cordon bleuch or risotto del funghi. Or not!

As for generalisations on Canberra wait staff or Melbourne wait staff or anywhere else for that matter, I reckon you’re on a hiding to nothing. It all comes down to the attitudes of the individuals which in turn may be dictated or affected by the owners, managers and clientele.

I’ve had brilliant service in Canberra eateries and cr#p service in others. Or a mixture of both in the same establishment depending on the time, day, and which way the planets are lined up or the wind is blowing.

And recently, I had breakfast in a funky little lane near Flinders Street Station in Melbourne which is allegedly the duck’s n#ts for foodies (and I don’t class myself as one — foodie or duck’s n#t), and in the space of the 30-45 minutes I was there, I’d mentally noted about 10-12 customer service sins, starting with bored and unengaged staff. (I grabbed a business card on the way out, but chagrined by my mate’s stink eye and murderous enquiry as to my intent, I declined the opportunity to catalogue them on email for the manager at a later date.)

P.S. Until recently, I used to breakfast once a week at Silo, and apart from the fact their croissants were always late (for a mate, not me) and they didn’t automatically serve my butter-eating friends their butter unless asked, I didn’t have anything to fault them on.

VY – restaurant owners would obviously prefer not to hire plonkers with multiple piercings, but when it’s that, or not enough staff to keep your door open, the choice is pretty obvious. Also, the profit margins in most restaurants are so razor thin that it’s very difficult to offer much in the way of financial incentives.

stirred21 said :

PsydFX said :

Hey Stirred21, has anyone ever told you that you have exactly the same writing style and sentence structures as “Food Critic”? Weird!

Food critic obviously graduated year 10 English.. Congrats!

And that’s you on a final warning as well stirred.

No Problem Johnboy clearly understand.

PsydFX said :

Hey Stirred21, has anyone ever told you that you have exactly the same writing style and sentence structures as “Food Critic”? Weird!

Food critic obviously graduated year 10 English.. Congrats!

FC, having asked others not to abuse you personally I’m going to have to ask you to extend the same courtesy to them.

LoL- WoW it’s a remake of dumb and dumber! The two pile of regulars I have pissed off. Stupid for the record I said *its a good steak and a great example its a club with good food and service. PsydFX/Jim Jones Yawwwwwwwwnnnnnnn

So sorry for pissing off the regulars that understand not so sorry for the regulars that don’t. Also a big sorry to the good waiters especially the ones that try to do there best and smile even though they are not having a good day at work.

This is not a direct attack at any person(s) but more let’s get our service in Canberra back up. I love Canberra born here defend it all the way! I love food love dinning love enjoy trying new places and love good service. It’s about the service. Service should be with passion. Go to places like Gus’s, Cream, Moorish on Moore, Tosolini’s, Italian Kitchen, La Bella Vista, Sabayon , how can I forget Sammy’s, and Timmy’s you visit anyone of these and the service and the food is brilliant and as a must try is Elements and Sage. Sorry if I missed in other venues out it’s not because of your service it’s just I got to jet to the gym, and maybe head to the ‘Hellenic Club for a Steak’

johnboy said :

PsydFX said :

Hey Stirred21, has anyone ever told you that you have exactly the same writing style and sentence structures as “Food Critic”? Weird!

Last warning for you PsydFX

Noted.
In all fairness though, I hadn’t seen the first warning when I sent the last comment – You, GB and I all posted in the same mintute.

PsydFX said :

Hey Stirred21, has anyone ever told you that you have exactly the same writing style and sentence structures as “Food Critic”? Weird!

Last warning for you PsydFX

Hey Stirred21, has anyone ever told you that you have exactly the same writing style and sentence structures as “Food Critic”? Weird!

Food Critic said :

… you don’t see many happy faces on many of the waiters anymore. I don’t know about anyone else maybe it’s just me. When I am out for dinner service comes first it makes a big difference. Its part of the reason you go out? Isn’t it to get served?

Well… it depends. I appreciate good service, which includes getting the feeling that all the staff actually want me to enjoy my time there. And it takes away considerably when the service is ‘bad’ — which for me includes snooty, too intrusive, or too fussy; as well the other end of the spectrum. But it not a big reason for why I go out.

Whereas, for Mrs GB, it all hangs on the service. If a place does it well, we’ll be back as long as the food and value is acceptable. If its bad enough, we won’t be back even if the food is fabulous.

Also, horses for courses: I don’t expect the same kind or degree of service from a pub food place as I do from an expensive restaurant. That said, I’ve had excellent service at Edgars, and pretty marginal service at some expensive places.

Its great when you can see (and feel) that the owners or managers are making serious effort to select, inspire, train and reward their staff to create that magical dining experience. But many just don’t bother. And some have just got burnt out training people who leave after a couple of months.

Some of the best service I have had has come from the young and enthusiastic; but for consistency, there’s a lot to be said for older people who have actually made a career of it. Eg there’s a guy at Canberra Theatre front of house who is always a great host – even when he’s just pouring a beer. And another one who always seems to be serving at South American embassy things.

Maybe if we reward it well enough – including getting rid of the us-and-them thing – then people might make a career of it?

But it does seem to be true that in some other places in Australia and overseas, the base level is much higher. If market forces are working properly, I guess that means we (collectively) just don’t care enough.

I suggest some of you lay of the personal abuse.

I had lunch today at “My Coffee Cup” in Braddon. The staff are wonderful, knowlegeable and the food is fast, fresh and FANTASTIC.

So, to add a positive note, head down to Braddon.
Delissio is also good, and they’re giving away free tapas 4-6pm Mon-Fri with any drink purchase (just pick up an “olive hour” card, free of charge until the first batch runs out and they start selling them)

stirred21 said :

I agree with food critic that there aren’t many people do eat a steak with a butter knife.

Of course not, but the point is a good steak doesn’t require anymore than a butter knife to cut it – as every Food Critic should already know.

Before i get attacked my apologies for stressing that i worked in hospitality for 3 years

I agree with food critic that there aren’t many people do eat a steak with a butter knife.

I also worked for 3 years in a Manuka restaurant for 3 years whilst I was studying. I too was subjected to the “Public Service mentality” and even had a woman be so rude as to ask what I would know as I was just a waitress, when I commented on the weather! I was extremely polite to her even though i was think what a F*!king B!%$h.. I found that this tactic works better than being rude and it doesn’t give you employers a bad reputation. There are some absolutely brilliant people that work in the hospitality industry dues to convenient hours ie; children.

In saying this there are people in the industry who are rude and arrogant and I dont need their attitude with my meal!

Silo deserve a special mention in this thread.

Do they insist that ALL their staff get a lobotomy?

I don’t find wait staff in Canberra rude, more just plain stupid. Not being able to take an order properly, seeing food waiting to be brought out and dicking around, forgeting drinks, napkins, etc, not responding to requests for condiments, the list goes on. I know with low unemployment it’s harder to find staff, but the conduct of the human turnips I seem to get when eating out just beggars the imagination.

Oh, and restaurant owners, if you want decent wait staff, try to hire people who don’t have 18 piercings, messy hair and no personal hygiene. It might be cool to the moron crowd, but does nothing for the rest of us.

Ahh, that feels better!

Food Critic, nice double post, are you that new to the internet that you don’t understand that Post button, Back button, Post button doesn’t work?

I also like how you’re talking down Hellenic Club because you think Manuka restaurants are better? Hahaha EPIC FAIL, no sersiouly you f(_)cking suck Hahah!

Now, I probably should have spelt it out for you in my last comment, because obviously you are bit too f(_)cked in the head, but anyway, I am very aware Hellenic Club isn’t fine dining, but the point I was trying to make is that a $21 Steak from the Hellenic Club was cooked well enough that I could eat and enjoy it with a bread and butter knife.

This leads me to the conclusion that you are some pretentious little twat who obviously has no idea about good food.

You’re a truly awesome guy! With your first post, not only have you managed to paint yourself as an overweening wanker, but you’ve also pissed off a big pile of regulars.

What are you gonna do for an encore, threaten to rape puppies or something?

F(_)ck off back to Manuka, poser boy.

Jim Jones = tosser
Nothing is wrong with the Hellenic Club like i said earlier *a great example its a club with good food and service. No need to be upset sweet pea.

I do.

Mind you, I’m not a self-important jerkwad who p1sses on people for deigning to eat at … (gasp) … the Hellenic Club (oh deary me, I think I might faint at the very thought of it, or at very least clutch at my pearls and suffer from the vapours).

Actually how many people enjoy eating a steak with a butter knife?

Temper Temper… now now pettle. Its a wonder why your not in that industry anymore. Its a good thing your not cause if you were to say a comment like that I sure would have made sure you were out of a job. The food industry is not short on employment its short of good people to employ to provide the service.

PsydFX:
If there are many people with attitudes like you working in the service industru they should also quit. Now you said it yourself you went to the hellenic club “Hellenic Club” and you were forced? forced? who forced you? What did the person use they steak knife you never got? idiot if i went there i too would not expect a steak knife nor would i winge about anything considering the price you would pay there for a steak mind you its a good steak and a great example its a club with good food and service.

Thanks for your comment now stick to your steak at the Hellenic Club and sit down and enjoy it with your butter knife, now back in your little corner dear, nanna is going to have a nap

Food critic = fail

Temper Temper… now now pettle. Its a wonder why your not in that industry anymore. Its a good thing your not cause if you were to say a comment like that I sure would have made sure you were out of a job. The food industry is not short on employment its short of good people to employ to provide the service.

If there are many people with attitudes like you working in the service industru they should also quit. Now you said it yourself you went to the hellenic club “Hellenic Club” and you were forced? forced? who forced you? What did the person use they steak knife you never got? idiot if i went there i too would not expect a steak knife nor would i winge about anything considering the price you would pay there for a steak mind you its a good steak and a great example its a club with good food and service.

Thanks for your comment now stick to your steak at the Hellenic Club and sit down and enjoy it with your butter knife, now back in your little corner dear, nanna is going to have a nap.

As has been said before it is the current job market, if you want good service hit a quality resturant; courgette, watersedge, rubicon and the ottoman come to mind otherwise odds are you are getting a inexperienced student serving you who could get another job in a matter of hours if they get fired for being rude from their current position.

While people like to go on and on about hospitality being a service industry and that the service is included in the price, news flash it isn’t. The bare minimum is perhaps, but after that the level of service is merely a feature of the establishment like the decor and isn’t paid for it is simply a reason to go back or not. Don’t give the wait staff a hard time just because their boss refuses to train them properly.

Oh and to the apparent food critic OP, buddy if you are eating at a resturant that serves such bad quality steak to require a steak knife, of course the staff are going to be less then spectacular. People remember nine times out of ten you shouldn’t even need a steak knife and just because your are some fancy pompus puckwit of an APS4 doesn’t mean the wait staff is going to serve you like the god you believe you are.

As has been said by our humble ruler. These people have access to your food behind closed doors don’t piss them off. Oh and if things are like when i was in hospitality never ever send food back to a kitchen and eat what returns to you. Chefs are often vindictive people.

My final tip is simple if you want better service be friendly to the wait staff. If they like you they will do their best to look after you.

Oh and high 5 to PsydFX

PsydFX – well said,!!!

Seems like we know why the staff weren’t happy when a smarmy git who thinks he is a food critic was around.

Food Critic said :

PsydFX: are you sure you weren’t the waiter that day? If you’re happy to dine out and eat a steak with a butter knife you must be a typical fast food junkie use your butter knife on your Big Mac next time you dine at maccas. Or maybe serve yourself next time you dine.

For a start, I’m not in the service industry, haven’t been for a good 8 years, but if it had been me and you we’re being smug little f(_)ck, I would have politely told you to go f(_)ck yourself.

Secondly, here is a little story from last weekend:
I felt like steak, so went to the Hellenic Club ( as was recommended here http://the-riotact.com/?p=9736 ) and got myself a nice fat NY cut steak, and they didn’t even give me a steak knife which meant I was forced to use the bread and butter knife that was on the table. Now could have been wanker and complained to one of the staff doing the rounds, but instead I made do, and guess what, it took no more effort to cut my steak than it would have if I’d had a steak knife.

With the rate of unemployment in Canberra you’re lucky that they even had a waiter to serve you, these people are in low wage jobs and have enough to worry about without the likes of you.

And finally, if you like the service in Melbourne so much, why don’t you move there? I for one would be happy to see the back of you. Bitch!

Hello to all, my main post was in general to hear if anyone one else had any experiences in Canberra. It’s surprising to see a whole can of worms has opened up. I dine out in Canberra often and try café and restaurants in all areas I really have noticed that you don’t see many happy faces on many of the waiters anymore. I don’t know about anyone else maybe it’s just me. When I am out for dinner service comes first it makes a big difference. Its part of the reason you go out? Isn’t it to get served?

I understand owners may struggle to find staff and maybe some staff aren’t paid enough but no excuse. If your working in the food service industry and cant put on the happy face or be pleasant its time to find something else to do you enjoy and does make you happy. I agree it’s not nice to be rude but sarcasm is not rude bad service is rude considering the customer is contributing to your wages.

I always tip and it’s not a silver coin! I tip cause to me its appreciation of the food and service even if the food wasn’t the best but the service was pleasant I tip. Next time your out and paying see how much money is in the jar maybe it says something. Don’t get me wrong we do have good service in Canberra but visit out of Canberra and you will see what I mean.

PsydFX: are you sure you weren’t the waiter that day? If you’re happy to dine out and eat a steak with a butter knife you must be a typical fast food junkie use your butter knife on your Big Mac next time you dine at maccas. Or maybe serve yourself next time you dine.

Another reason to choose to work in the hospitality industry is that they are often much more willing to pay you ‘off the books’, which is why lots of students choose it. It’s much harder to get a cash job in retail, especially in more established and national shops.

The overwhelming thing I’ve noticed with most waiting staff is, they’re disconnected from the task at hand, they’re just not there. They’re not interested, not engaged.

Taht’s why I was so impressed to hear that Gus’s were offering to train people – plainly, they’re trying to break this cycle and get soem keen people. Not the bored, jaded and not very talented young folk currently parading around in black.

Of course there are exceptions. The people we got at Pangaea a month or so back (barring the smart alec who took over the bar late in the meal) were excellent and entertaining.

And the people at the Qbn Bowlo are great! Friendly, pro-active, really into it. I suspect they own the business (Nibblez on the Green).

years ago, it used to strike me as weird that the most superb service was to be had at cheap Chinese restaurants… there was one upstairs in Civic we used to go to, usually on big nights out, and the food would magically appear, the empty plates disappear. The service was fast, very discreet, and anticipatory, well-timed.

Actually, don’t watch the movie, just watch the below clip I’m refering to below.
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=AnfOnueJ8SQ

Everyone should go out and watch the movie “Waiting”, sure it’s a crappy teen flick, but it sure made think twice about being a smart arse and / or rude to people who handle my food.

My suggestion: if the kitchen’s too hot to handle, get the puck out!

Well put. and along that line I very rarely eat out in Canberra, because every time I do I am generally let down by the quality of the food that is served.

Now, before all the usual comment come I’d like to clarify that I have tried all kinds of places, food types, prices locations etc. It’s usually the quality of the food is not worth the money being paid, or more often, the food is just not that great of quality.

As for the italic’s statement above, and complaining about an industry you’re in – then yeah, go fold clothes and listen to shop music in a clothing store. I’ve also done that. I was much “happier” working up to 70 hours a week and barely scraping in $500 for doing a full 70 back then. But her, I accepted it, learned about what hard work is, good social and professional skills, which I still use and build on today.

Having worked previously in the hospitality industry I find that I am less tolerant of bad service than I was prior to working in Hospitality. Bad Services is NOT acceptable at any restaurant let alone in Manuka.. I too had an experience in Manuka restaurant just last night where a waitress had her child at work and he was running around making a racket and interrupting her whilst she was taking orders!

tylersmayhem said :

because working in clothing retail is as boring as bat s**t, particularly for people who actually like to do some hard work

That’s kinda my point. If it is made rewarding financially, but also made so that good work is rewarded, then employees will want to work with those employers. But if its a choice between boring as batsh*t or stressed and abused by management and customers alike, its easy to see why food service missses out.

Tips might help, but the situation with tips is so muddy in Oz that it becomes a very mushy tool. Personally, I only tip for exceptional service. Which means I don’t tip much in Canberra… But also if there is exceptional service., I make a point of telling them – and also telling someone other than the waiter involved, if possible.

And don’t be rude. Rudeness from either side destroys good service.

imagine what they’ll do behind closed doors.

If they do, they’d better not get caught. Or at least make it less obvious than poo in icecream

For a start, if you can’t eat a steak with a butter knife, there’s something wrong with the steak, or you’re having it cooked too long. Now given that you are a self proclaimed “Food Critic” I can only assume that it must be the former, because most “Food Critics” prefer their steak on the rarer side of the scale, as that’s where the optimum flavour and texture is.

>>there’s never an excuse for being a smart arse to a waiter
>There’s also never an excuse for being rudely spoken to.

Why am I getting my mum’s voice in my head…something about two wrongs not making a right…

Johnboy is right. If a waiter is unprofessional enough to be rude to your face, imagine what they’ll do behind closed doors.

I’ve generally found the service to be quite good as long as you’re nice to them. Could just be me though. I am generally one of those over the top friendly and cheerful ppl…

DON’T BE RUDE. FULL STOP 😀 works for me 🙂

Being rude to waiting staff just encourages them to pee in the soup [or equivalent].

By the time they realise you haven’t tipped, your long gone. They may still pee in the soup, but it won’t be YOUR soup.

Never be rude to the staff, they handle your food behind closed doors.

there’s never an excuse for being a smart arse to a waiter

There’s also never an excuse for being rudely spoken to.
So if being a smart arse might make her realise her flaw, rather than getting no tip which may just making her bitter and disgruntled, then a smart arse comment may achieve a milestone.

Beautifully said Mr Shab 🙂

I worked in the food industry in Canberra for close to 8 years. Not once did I enjoy my job, as the pay is so minimal, the boss is always worried about money/markups etc and the customers tended to be a little arrogant and obnoxious and there is little to no work satisfaction. THIS IS NOT ACCROSS THE BOARD – of course there is exceptions to this ‘rule’. But I can tell you, if you worked your ass off physically for close to 50 hours a week and only earned around $450 p/week as a result, eventually you would lose interest and the ‘customer experience’ really doesn’t come to mind one iota. This happened to me many times. I used to think that maybe it was the particular job and would move on; eventually I realised that Hospitality wasn’t for me.

But you cannot tell me that this problem doesn’t exist in other forms of customer service in Canberra; call centres, kiosks, clothing stores, departmental stores etc. And it doesn’t seem to matter the level of pay either.

Unfortunately there is a sense of “us” and “them” (Service providers, and Public Servants) in Canberra. 🙁

And this isn’t a new thing either, so don’t go pulling a “gen Y issue” on me here…

My suggestion: if the kitchen’s too hot to handle, get the puck out!

Why would people choose food service as a job when they can get the same money doing clothing retail which is much lower stress (generalisations here)?

uhhh, because working in clothing retail is as boring as bat s**t, particularly for people who actually like to do some hard work (generalisations here)?

Pay peanuts…Though with the margins in hospitality, it’s hard not to.

Service in Canberra is bad because of the low unemployment. I pity the cafe and restaurant owners who have to hire some of the borderline retards the job market throws up just to fill their rosters.

That said – there’s never an excuse for being a smart arse to a waiter. Just don’t tip. If it’s really bad, get up and walk out before you’ve ordered.

>I’m sorry we are out of steak knives, there isn’t anything I can do

Retort – I’m sorry, I’m all out of money for a tip for you. Tips in Australia are a privilege, not a given, and I ain’t givin’.

As a born and bred Canberran, I didn’t realise how bad service is in Canberra until I recently spent a weekend in Newcastle. Bit sad to think that I’m just used to it here.

Lack of quality service is manifest across Candberra and across industries.

But OT, Mezzalira – quite ordinary service for a place that prices itself as a silver service venue. Will get around to doing a review for you soon JB, with pictures. (PS: it was a gift voucher – not somewhere this bunny could afford to regularly patronise on our incomes…)

Sounds like a management problem, not a waiter/waitress one. Most people have a job so they can get money to buy stuff etc. Its up to management to try to buy what they need from their staff.

Customer service is not in our genes, you have to make people want to do it. And especially when employment rates are high, you’re going to have to pay for it — in wages, and in training and support. Why would people choose food service as a job when they can get the same money doing clothing retail which is much lower stress (generalisations here)?

Do you want it enough to pay the premium on your food? Or to choose only places that give good service to eat? Or just go with the flow with dodgy Australian service.

You have the power….

…is somewhat losing there touch
…Not only at Manuka across all of Canberra I’m noticing there is attitude in the Industry

@Food Critic: I’ll risk the abuse for this one. While my grasp of the English language is less that top notch, if you are wanting to tout yourself as a “food critic” (unless the username you’ve chosen for yourself is some kind of warped irony), perhaps do a little reading on the use of correct spelling and the use of commas.

But for now, please do us all a favour and name and shame this establishment. Part of contribting to RA is having the balls to name and shame in an effort to improve the experience that fellow RA’ers have.

I think that what people in this industry seem constantly to forget is that they are in a ‘service’ industry. It isn’t just a job that you do to get money to buy stuff etc. You are in a customer Service position and if you read carefully what I said, it is CUSTOMER service, I think I’ve made my point.

Sorry, Coffee hasn’t kicked in yet