STOP TALKING ON YOUR CELLPHONE WHILE YOU ORDER YOUR FOOD!!!

[Deactivated member 42515]

so.... my parents own a restaurant and I help them there by serving.

This has happened many times before but its just getting to the point where I wanna grab their phones and keep it behind the counter till they are done eating.

I think its ok to use your phone during dinner if the person ur with doesn''t mind, but please turn it off when you''re ordering food.

Incident 1:
woman by herself, I got over to greet her, she has her bluetooth in her ear covered by hair and I say HI. Her finger goes up in my face to shoosh me and laughs hysterically at whatever the person in the phone said... her phonecall wasnt even important. she was talking to her girlfriend about something stupid. And then when i say ok i will be back, she says nuh uh, and points at waht she wants and i ask her a question about the meal she picks and she shooshes me again! what sucks is i have to be nice cuz 1) its my parents business/life and 2) i want a taip

Incident 2:
i go to greet a couple and they are NOT on their phone. Mid ordering, the phone starts to ring VERY loudly. Instead of silencing it, the guy gets the phone and is like "WAASSSSUUUPPPPPPPPPPP!!!! nono, I can talk. We are just having dinner. blah blah..." well, u would be having dinner if you would finish ordering so I can go put your order in!!!

Incident 3:
Another couple, i go greet, I didnt know the guy was on his phone. Usually I do wait to greet someone until they are done cuz the phone call could be important. But this time I didnt see that he was holding the phone. So i say hello and i ask how they are and the lady just gives me a blank stare. and now its awkward so i ask if they want anything to drink and she ignores me... so i ask again thinking she didnt hear me and she says "cant you see he in on the phone? come back later!"
so i did, wayyyyyyy later.

Incident 4:
SPEAKER PHONE... this isnt just about me now... its about everyone in the restaurant. This group of 3 were done eating, and so they called their friend on SPEAKER PHONE, put the phone in the middle of the table and starting singing karoake with the guy on the phone.... we are not a bar by the way,nor do we serve alcohol... so no they WERE NOT DRUNK.

Incident 5:
This was a coworkers table... they were in the middle of eating when they got a phone call. They were already loud to begin with and I actually had 2 of my tables ask to be moved to the other side of the restaurant far away from them. So phone call....

"what up motherf***er!!!!
"Haha you''re so f***ing hilarious!"

And the conversation goes on with every other word being every single intense swear word there is. and then he hears something he doesn''t like so he starts to get angry and is now yelling the f word and saying hes gonna go kill a motherf***er and bust a cap in their f***ing a**. and a bunch other other things that I dont wanna say....

Incident 6:
texting has become a problem too, people dont even look up at me anymore. THey are too busy texting so they have their face in their phone and their fingers are going like 100 mph... dont get me wrong, i text like a maniac too but there are times that you are supposed to put the phone down...(ie driving! ordering food! paying! having a conversation with people!) even for 2 minutes to order

anyway... sorry for the rant... Im just getting tired of the people that have no common courtesy to treat me like a human being...

 

[Haven]

Wow.
That is ridiculous.

I''ve actually never seen anyone on a cell phone while we were dining out. Maybe in a Chipotle or something, but I don''t recall ever seeing that in a real restaurant. Unbelievable.

I find it very rude when people even keep their cell phones out on the table so they can check them throughout dinner, let alone when they actually pick them up. I''ve told one friend that I won''t go out to dinner with her anymore if she won''t put her cell phone away. It''s rude, and it''s embarrassing. (We''ve been friends since childhood, so we have a sisterly relationship that can handle that type of bluntness.)

 

[Smurfysmiles]

Well I don''t think they are doing it on purpose to treat you un-human like...
I know I have gotten phone calls that were VERY important and had to shush people at a restaurant(fyi it was regarding the death of a family member, at that point I really didn''t care who I offended, but I wasn''t purposefully trying to offend people).

I''ve had many people come through my line when I worked at the grocery store who did the same thing but I think cell phones and their usage have just gotten to the point where you have to suck it up and deal with the cons of your job or tell your parents you are ready to find a different one because of how it makes you feel. I''m sure they will understand...they are your parents.

Besides, how many millions of people have cell phones? It''ll be pretty hard to make everyone change their ways...there''s always going to be someone who will bug you.

As for loud customers...well, it''s the holidays and I think a lot of times that brings out the rowdy/jolly side of people. This time of year it''s not quite unusual to hear people breaking out in song.

Just my 2 cents. Take it or leave it.

 

[steph72276]

I totally agree with you...I HATE when people are rude and are talking on the phone when ordering their food or paying for groceries and shush the poor waitress/cashier. If the phone call is REALLY important, I will take it and step outside or over to a corner out of the way. And I hate it when people have their speaker phones on so the whole place can hear your conversation...I was in a Chick-fil-a and this dude had his kids there and was on a conference call with work...sorry, but I didn't pay $15 for 2 chicken sandwiches to hear your work issues, so rude!!!

 

[Smurfysmiles]

Date: 12/17/2009 3:30:27 PM
Author: steph72276
I totally agree with you...I HATE when people are rude and are talking on the phone when ordering their food or paying for groceries and shush the poor waitress/cashier. If the phone call is REALLY important, I will take it and step outside or over to a corner out of the way. And I hate it when people have their speaker phones on so the whole place can hear your conversation...I was in a Chick-fil-a and this dude had his kids there and was on a conference call with work...sorry, but I didn''t pay $15 for 2 chicken sandwiches to hear your work issues, so rude!!!

Chick-fil-a is fast food though...i mean maybe he had to work from home that day for some reason and had a business call he couldn''t ignore?
wow, am i the only one here that isn''t bothered by this? lol

 

[Loves Vintage]

At several local shops in my area, there are nice little hand-written signs that instruct customers they cannot be on their phone while ordering. I think it is beyond rude and annoying. If you HAVE to take a call, then excuse yourself from the line and go talk away, outside.

I can''t believe people would do this from the table, though! That is CRAZY! It must be a fairly casual restaurant (yes?), but STILL!!! I feel your pain!

 

[steph72276]

Date: 12/17/2009 3:28:05 PM
Author: Smurfyimproved
Well I don''t think they are doing it on purpose to treat you un-human like...

I know I have gotten phone calls that were VERY important and had to shush people at a restaurant(fyi it was regarding the death of a family member, at that point I really didn''t care who I offended, but I wasn''t purposefully trying to offend people).


I''ve had many people come through my line when I worked at the grocery store who did the same thing but I think cell phones and their usage have just gotten to the point where you have to suck it up and deal with the cons of your job or tell your parents you are ready to find a different one because of how it makes you feel. I''m sure they will understand...they are your parents.


Besides, how many millions of people have cell phones? It''ll be pretty hard to make everyone change their ways...there''s always going to be someone who will bug you.


As for loud customers...well, it''s the holidays and I think a lot of times that brings out the rowdy/jolly side of people. This time of year it''s not quite unusual to hear people breaking out in song.


Just my 2 cents. Take it or leave it.

Sorry, but I don''t ever think it''s appropriate to shush people. Why couldn''t you walk outside?

 

[steph72276]

Date: 12/17/2009 3:32:40 PM
Author: Smurfyimproved

Date: 12/17/2009 3:30:27 PM

Author: steph72276

I totally agree with you...I HATE when people are rude and are talking on the phone when ordering their food or paying for groceries and shush the poor waitress/cashier. If the phone call is REALLY important, I will take it and step outside or over to a corner out of the way. And I hate it when people have their speaker phones on so the whole place can hear your conversation...I was in a Chick-fil-a and this dude had his kids there and was on a conference call with work...sorry, but I didn't pay $15 for 2 chicken sandwiches to hear your work issues, so rude!!!

Chick-fil-a is fast food though...i mean maybe he had to work from home that day for some reason and had a business call he couldn't ignore?


wow, am i the only one here that isn't bothered by this? lol

Then he should have stayed at home to have a PB&J! It still bothered me to have to listen to his conversation for MY entire meal! BTW, the call lasted at least 30 minutes....Yes, I think it's rude!

 

[Smurfysmiles]

If you got a call from your parents saying your grandparents were calling and the waitress walks over to take our order in a very annoying loud way (you know those happy go lucky mr. magoo type waiters you get every so often?) and i didn''t necessarily shush her but i asked her in a shaky voice if she could come back and she just kept on talking

i guess i am biased because of that incident. if i''m clearly upset all of a sudden i don''t need you pushing the mozzarella special at me.

 

[Ara Ann]

Sorry...it is rude to shush anyone that is there to serve you. The customer CHOSE to come into a restaurant and be seated and be greeted and waited on by a PERSON..if they don''t want any human interaction, they could drive through McD''s and talk on their phone all they want.

If they had an important call, they could take said call BEFORE coming into a restaurant...if they get an emergency call, like a death in the family, that is one thing...but then they may not stick around to order dinner in that case.

If I call my mom and can tell she''s in a restaurant, I end the call, because IMO it is rude to others in the restaurant and I don''t want a bunch of strangers being privy to a private conversation...and frankly I don''t like to hear ''eating sounds'' from the other end of the phone.

People had lives BEFORE cell phones/texting existed...people were friendly and TALKED to each other, yes even made small talk with strangers, before cell phones. People shared experiences, yes, something as simple as eating in the same place...I hate what cell phones have done to human interaction and face to face communication.

 

[Smurfysmiles]

Date: 12/17/2009 3:35:12 PM
Author: steph72276

Date: 12/17/2009 3:32:40 PM

Author: Smurfyimproved

Date: 12/17/2009 3:30:27 PM


Author: steph72276


I totally agree with you...I HATE when people are rude and are talking on the phone when ordering their food or paying for groceries and shush the poor waitress/cashier. If the phone call is REALLY important, I will take it and step outside or over to a corner out of the way. And I hate it when people have their speaker phones on so the whole place can hear your conversation...I was in a Chick-fil-a and this dude had his kids there and was on a conference call with work...sorry, but I didn''t pay $15 for 2 chicken sandwiches to hear your work issues, so rude!!!

Chick-fil-a is fast food though...i mean maybe he had to work from home that day for some reason and had a business call he couldn''t ignore?



wow, am i the only one here that isn''t bothered by this? lol

Then he should have stayed at home to have a PB&J! It still bothered me to have to listen to his conversation for MY entire meal! Yes, I think it''s rude! You''re probably not bothered by it because you do it

As someone who does have to take business calls regardless of where I am because my job depends on it and in this economy, I''d rather interrupt someone at the next table at a fast food joint (which are generally noisy anyways) than lose my job.

 

[steph72276]

Date: 12/17/2009 3:37:57 PM
Author: Smurfyimproved

Date: 12/17/2009 3:35:12 PM

Author: steph72276

Date: 12/17/2009 3:32:40 PM


Author: Smurfyimproved

Date: 12/17/2009 3:30:27 PM



Author: steph72276



I totally agree with you...I HATE when people are rude and are talking on the phone when ordering their food or paying for groceries and shush the poor waitress/cashier. If the phone call is REALLY important, I will take it and step outside or over to a corner out of the way. And I hate it when people have their speaker phones on so the whole place can hear your conversation...I was in a Chick-fil-a and this dude had his kids there and was on a conference call with work...sorry, but I didn''t pay $15 for 2 chicken sandwiches to hear your work issues, so rude!!!

Chick-fil-a is fast food though...i mean maybe he had to work from home that day for some reason and had a business call he couldn''t ignore?




wow, am i the only one here that isn''t bothered by this? lol

Then he should have stayed at home to have a PB&J! It still bothered me to have to listen to his conversation for MY entire meal! Yes, I think it''s rude! You''re probably not bothered by it because you do it

As someone who does have to take business calls regardless of where I am because my job depends on it and in this economy, I''d rather interrupt someone at the next table at a fast food joint (which are generally noisy anyways) than lose my job.

Well, we can agree to disagree....I try to show courtesy to others as much as possible, but I know some people just don''t think or act like I do.

 

[Smurfysmiles]

Date: 12/17/2009 3:41:53 PM
Author: steph72276

Date: 12/17/2009 3:37:57 PM

Author: Smurfyimproved

Date: 12/17/2009 3:35:12 PM


Author: steph72276

Date: 12/17/2009 3:32:40 PM



Author: Smurfyimproved

Date: 12/17/2009 3:30:27 PM




Author: steph72276




I totally agree with you...I HATE when people are rude and are talking on the phone when ordering their food or paying for groceries and shush the poor waitress/cashier. If the phone call is REALLY important, I will take it and step outside or over to a corner out of the way. And I hate it when people have their speaker phones on so the whole place can hear your conversation...I was in a Chick-fil-a and this dude had his kids there and was on a conference call with work...sorry, but I didn''t pay $15 for 2 chicken sandwiches to hear your work issues, so rude!!!

Chick-fil-a is fast food though...i mean maybe he had to work from home that day for some reason and had a business call he couldn''t ignore?





wow, am i the only one here that isn''t bothered by this? lol

Then he should have stayed at home to have a PB&J! It still bothered me to have to listen to his conversation for MY entire meal! Yes, I think it''s rude! You''re probably not bothered by it because you do it

As someone who does have to take business calls regardless of where I am because my job depends on it and in this economy, I''d rather interrupt someone at the next table at a fast food joint (which are generally noisy anyways) than lose my job.

Well, we can agree to disagree....I try to show courtesy to others as much as possible, but I know some people just don''t think or act like I do.

ditto

 

[Deactivated member 42515]

Date: 12/17/2009 3:28:05 PM
Author: Smurfyimproved
Well I don''t think they are doing it on purpose to treat you un-human like...
I know I have gotten phone calls that were VERY important and had to shush people at a restaurant(fyi it was regarding the death of a family member, at that point I really didn''t care who I offended, but I wasn''t purposefully trying to offend people).

I''ve had many people come through my line when I worked at the grocery store who did the same thing but I think cell phones and their usage have just gotten to the point where you have to suck it up and deal with the cons of your job or tell your parents you are ready to find a different one because of how it makes you feel. I''m sure they will understand...they are your parents.

Besides, how many millions of people have cell phones? It''ll be pretty hard to make everyone change their ways...there''s always going to be someone who will bug you.

As for loud customers...well, it''s the holidays and I think a lot of times that brings out the rowdy/jolly side of people. This time of year it''s not quite unusual to hear people breaking out in song.

Just my 2 cents. Take it or leave it.

im not saying that every cell phone user is bad. I understand that there are imporant phone calls. And using your phone while eating, or while you''re doing whatever you are doing is fine. I''ve just been putting up with it for 8 years and it just gets frustrating at times. All im saying is show me the same courtesy i show you. Of course I cant change people and I dont want to change people. Thats not why i posted this. Im just frustrated at some of the situations that I encounter on the job.

And dont get me wrong, I have tried to quit, many times... i dont want to be helping my parents the rest of my life. Im sure that hating my job also has to do with the lack of patience for people. But I cant leave. My parents are guilt trip people and basically if i leave i am no longer their daughter... its a hard predicament. I love my parents but I disagree with how much they have stopped my brother and me from pursuing our own lives and our careers. anyway, im getting off topic.

I put up with a lot at my work. I encounter all different types of people. There are people that are the nicest people I have ever met and then there are those that I could live without. I''m just a person and I believe its ok for me to talk about how I feel about people treating me a certain way.

And the reason why I say i want to be treated like a human being is beacuse there ARE people that treat you like crap and think you''re stupid because you are just taking their food order. but what funny is that if they encounter me OUTSIDE of work, they are totally different people towards me.

 

[Lauren8211]

It bothers the crap out of me when people are that inconsiderate.

Never shush another human being. At the very least, interrupt and say "I''m sorry, this is really important." Shushing is rude, and to be shushsed by another human being would infuriate me.

If you need to take a call, step away from the line/table/whatever. You can talk and walk at the same time.

If I received an emergency call, I''d answer, and immediately start walking to somewhere quiet and out of the way.

 

[meresal]

Business calls should be treated as personal calls, and most people will politely excuse themselves from a public area to take/or make a business call in a less populated area.

I have been on the phone when a waiter came up to the table before, but I politely told the person on the phone, "One second", then I ordered and went back to ending my call as quickly as possible. If I even have a call that I have to take in a public setting, I excuse myself from whoever I am with, and always go to the quietest place possible.

If I answer the phone, I figure I should give the person I''m on the phone with the courtesy of a polite converstaion, or I should have just ignored the call in the first place.

But that is getting into phone etiquette, which I think is the other half of this arguement.

I feel so sorry for people when I look over and see ALL 4 people sitting in a booth with bluetooths on. What does that say to the people you are with? "I''m not expecting a call, but you aren''t very important to me, so I want to be ready in case something better happens."
Haven I completely agree with you about cell phones at tables and answering calls at dinners or on dates. DH used to put his phone on the table, and I would immediately put it in my purse. Needless to say, it doesn''t leave his pocket very often anymore.

 

[Deactivated member 42515]

haha i feel like i have made a big argument.

Let me clarify. I think that I can tell if the phone call is important. If I notice someone is on the phone I usually say I will be back because it was obviously important enough to them to answer the phone. Im talking about the people that are RUDE. If someone is on a phone and tells me a shaky voice to come back, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND.

I got a phone call during dinner that my cousin had crashed his car and had died... at the point and time, I didnt care who was around me and who I upset or who i offended. waiter, other guests, i didnt care. So dont say I dont understand. I DO.

I''m just talking about the rude people that shoosh, that swear, and that yell. there is no need for that. period.

 

[Bia]

unless it''s an emergencia, don''t talk on the phone in a restaurant. or the movies. or at the register....

catch my drift?

 

[Smurfysmiles]

lol i will admit people who talk in movies bug the crap out of me though. especially if the person on the other end tells them how it ends and they say outloud "really?!?! bla bla dies at the end?!" lol thanks buddy

 

[Deactivated member 42515]

Date: 12/17/2009 3:36:19 PM
Author: Smurfyimproved
If you got a call from your parents saying your grandparents were calling and the waitress walks over to take our order in a very annoying loud way (you know those happy go lucky mr. magoo type waiters you get every so often?) and i didn''t necessarily shush her but i asked her in a shaky voice if she could come back and she just kept on talking

i guess i am biased because of that incident. if i''m clearly upset all of a sudden i don''t need you pushing the mozzarella special at me.

Im sorry, would you like a rude unhappy server instead of a happy one that comes and greets you?????? im sorry that the server YOU HAD (that was NOT me) was an idiotic BIMBO

and this mozzarella thing, its rude because I try very hard to read people and make sure that I am making them happy. YES, there are OBLIVIOUS servers out there that dont care if you look upset or not. BUT TO ME, if it LOOKS like you are upset, I AM NOT GOING TO PUSH MOZARELLA ON YOU.


so im sorry for the post brining up your hurtful incident, but dont be biased and attack me for something that a stupid BAD server did to you. I am not a bad server. I try soooo hard to make sure all of my guests are happy when they walk out the door.

I even make sure I dont bother couples that look like they are arguing and I give them their space. i dont think that they should have come out to eat if they are mad at eacohter, but i try to understand cuz maybe they argued on the way here or while they are looking at the menu... and so I try to be sympathetic.

 

[Smurfysmiles]

I wasn''t attacking you. I said I was biased because I had a bad experience. I''m sure you are a great server, I''m just trying to back up why I feel the way I do about it.

 

[Deactivated member 42515]

ok,well me saying you were attacking me was an accident. haha i got carried away. all im saying is that i understand why you are biased.

especially after the funeral... i felt like i had to get away and i went to red robin with my DH and he ordered and did everything for me becaue he knew that if I started to talk I would start to cry but this girl was not leaving me alone... just to let you know, i already had tear stains, my eyes were swollen and bloodshot, and we were both in TOTAL black. I would take a hint.

 

[radiantquest]

It is one thing if it is a very important call and you can tell when it is. Usually if I am out and my phone rings I say "Excuse me one second I have to take this." You then make it brief and let the person do their job.

I must say though I have gone into a convenience store to grab a drink on the the phone. I usually tell the person that I am on the phone with to hold on so that I can give the clerk my attention so that they can do their job properly.


The scenarios that you mentioned are seriously rude. Is this a college town where sometimes the people do not conduct themselves as adults? I am so sorry for you. It must be really hard to bite your tongue and keep on a smile.

 

[steph72276]

Also, if I were a boss, I wouldn''t want my company''s business (especially things like people being fired) overheard by others in a public setting even if it is at a fast food joint...you never know who is listening.

 

[Smurfysmiles]

Oh you could never know what I was talking about on my phone if it''s a business thing. It usually lasts 5 minutes at the most and goes along the lines of "did you get 6843 done?" "nope, i''m working on it" "when do you think that will be done, we need to get it on the server" "probably this afternoon"

Just thought I''d clear that up

 

[Deactivated member 42515]

Date: 12/17/2009 4:11:57 PM
Author: radiantquest
It is one thing if it is a very important call and you can tell when it is. Usually if I am out and my phone rings I say ''Excuse me one second I have to take this.'' You then make it brief and let the person do their job.

I must say though I have gone into a convenience store to grab a drink on the the phone. I usually tell the person that I am on the phone with to hold on so that I can give the clerk my attention so that they can do their job properly.


The scenarios that you mentioned are seriously rude. Is this a college town where sometimes the people do not conduct themselves as adults? I am so sorry for you. It must be really hard to bite your tongue and keep on a smile.

haha thats funny. You would think its a college town huh? NOPE. Most of all my guests are scientists, professors, ceo, career people. Not that I am saying that they are all bad. that just so happens to be the majority of our guests. But, what your career is doesnt make you who u are.

My coworker had this guest that was yelling at her. He was like standing up from his chair and had his face in her face and looking down at her (she is 5''2") and YELLING. And as the manager, and daugher of the owner, I was going to go say something but one of MY guests, he looked like a hells angels biker that didnt give a sh** about anything, he went over and very politely asked him to calm down and to stop yelling at the poor girl. Cuz she DID NOT do anything wrong. He just didnt like his food and decided that instead of sucking it up, he was gonna get mad at his waitress. anyway, this "hells angels biker guy" was sooooooo nice. He stood up for my coworker and it meant so much to her.

 

[meresal]

Date: 12/17/2009 4:18:02 PM
Author: steph72276
Also, if I were a boss, I wouldn''t want my company''s business (especially things like people being fired) overheard by others in a public setting even if it is at a fast food joint...you never know who is listening.

Trust me... there is no way you were the ONLY one that was irritated he was on a conference call in the middle of a fast food joint. My biggest pet peeve, is associates calling into conference calls on days off, from random locals, thinking that those of us sitting in our quiet office or a conference room, can''t tell they are out and about.

 

[Smurfysmiles]

Date: 12/17/2009 4:28:11 PM
Author: meresal

Date: 12/17/2009 4:18:02 PM

Author: steph72276

Also, if I were a boss, I wouldn''t want my company''s business (especially things like people being fired) overheard by others in a public setting even if it is at a fast food joint...you never know who is listening.

Trust me... there is no way you were the ONLY one that was irritated he was on a conference call in the middle of a fast food joint. My biggest pet peeve, is associates calling into conference calls on days off, from random locals, thinking that those of us sitting in our quiet office or a conference room, can''t tell they are out and about.

Really? Our boss encourages it so we stay in the loop.

 

[Deactivated member 42515]

ummm anyway...

 

[Smurfysmiles]

sorry about the threadjack