"Ma'am?"
"We are not 'guys'. Do not refer to us that way. Either say 'ladies' or say 'y'all'."
"Yes, ma'am!"
That was one of my first exchanges when I waited tables. Do NOT refer to a group of elderly southern women as 'guys'. Not eve when you're asking if you can get them a beverage.
I had other mishaps. I once spilled four glasses of iced tea into an older gentleman's lap. I then shrieked, dropped to my knees & frantically started dabbing at his crotch with my side towel. He & his family were not too pleased.
Good service in a restaurant can change the whole experience. Bad food can always be redeemed by an excellent waiter or waitress. A shitty server can ruin an entire evening, regardless of the quality of the food.
I went out with a friend tonight & we ended up with the best of all scenarios. Excellent company (thanks, Jen!), delicious food, reasonable prices & quality service. Our waiter was clearly delighted to be serving the food. He was knowledgeable, attentive & charming.
I wondered how I would have handled our table. I probably would have smiled too much, acted too enthusiastic, put a weird strain on the interaction. It's not knocking my old waitressing style, it's just how I rolled.
When I didn't smile, I looked like I was pouting. Best to compensate with a jack-o-lantern grin at all times. Slightly off putting, but I kept those iced teas filled, so there wasn't a lot my tables had to complain about.
Unless the iced tea went flying. Sorry, guys!!
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