I, at that point, would have walked out. If you don't care about me, I don't care if you lose money. I have done that... a stoned waitor took our order and came back 20 minutes later with the waters which he literally threw across the table. We left.

To be honest, I doubt I would have sat down in the first place. I probably would have just gone someplace else.

I always make sure to report an employee like that...we all don't want to be "tattletales", but honestly, if I were the owner, I would want to know one of my employees was turning away business!

I'm with Syako on this one, if it was that packed and she acted like this towards me in the begining I would have just left. No ill-will towards her, she was probably super swamped or having a bad day. Whatever. I would have just gone somewhere else.

But since you didn't, I don't think you overreacted at all. You found a way to enjoy your salad and didn't leave a big tip. Seems very reasonable to me.

well since it's a neighborhood place rather than a franchise/chain - you're kind of stuck with how to go about it. i think that you did the mature thing, which is pretty rare these days. i might have looked for a manager and mention something that way, noting that i do realize that the restaurant was busy but that you still have certain expectations of a dining experience. if it were a place that had a website where you could leave comments/complain, that would have been my plan of action. i've done that in the past and although you usually don't expect a response, it's sometimes the best thing to do. (and more often than not, i've received gift cards as a way to get me to come back)

I'm with Smacks and Syako - I would've left and come back another time when (hopefully) someone else would be more willing to wait on me. But, you didn't overreact at all, the exact opposite really.

I wouldn't have sat at a dirty table, you must have been really hungry!

I would of left the minute I was asked to sit with strangers. I'm never THAT hungry. Weird...

I would have ordered a pizza and ate it at home.

i also wouldn't have stayed to eat but in terms of your reaction, you 100% didn't overreact
i would have also gotten up and left at that point, if i had sat down

You totally didn't overreact! I wouldn't have sat down in the first place, there are other pizza places to go to. And if I had sat, I would have just walked out. And I probably wouldn't go back, if the owners hire stoners that don't care about me, then why would I want to patronize their business. No pizza is that good!

I wouldn't have stayed at all, wouldn't have waited for a table, I'd have just found somewhere else to eat.

If anything, I think you UNDERreacted. I understand that food service is a tough business and can be crazy when it's really busy, but as customers we expect a certain level of service. Small, local businesses, especially, rely on their reputations to get and keep customers. I would have found a manager/owner immediately and complained. You probably would have gotten your meal comped or a gift cert to return, and the employee would have been handled.

I don't think you overacted at all. In fact, I think you played it cool. I like to think I could do the same thing.

Lol, i'm with Tidal. I would've ordered something to go and enjoyed it somewhere much more pleasant.

Hm.. as far as the hostess situation.. that was unprofessional on her side..

sounds like the salad situation is your dramatizing of a situation because you were already mad.

(: just my opinion!

As a server, I think that was pretty rude of you. Your waitress probably didn't plate the salad (and likely still had to tip out the person who did, regardless of how little you tipped her) and you didn't even give her a chance to correct the situation!

If somebody was unhappy with a serving dish in my restaurant I'd gladly exchange it for a bigger one, but they'd have to let me know... I don't go around asking all my tables if they'd like bigger plates, but if a customer finds a problem I do whatever I can to fix it. You should have given that girl the opportunity, she may have surprised you and earned a better tip.

why did you sit at a table with random people anyways? San Fran has TONS of restaurants...

(Because "motioning" can be missed by even an attentive server in a packed place, within reason of course)

I think the best thing to do is just take your bad experience to yelp and give em a 1 star and comment on the poor service. If that was an "off-day" then your review will get lost amongst praises, it it was a typical day, then many reviewers are likely to mention the poor service.

I wouldn't have sat down in the first place.

You didn't overreact. If anything, you underracted. I would not have been so nice. I would have asked to see a manager.

I can't say that i agree with most of you... you definitely over reacted. Learn how to eat a salad properly without having it spill over... I mean c'mon, how could u have possibly eaten that salad to make it spill over THAT much?

I agree with Weffie....that server definitely shouldnt' have ben burned with that tip. it wasn't her fault.. and you "motioning" her is RUDE (I've been a server before).. Servers are humans too and shouldnt' be treated liek that. If you want to be heard, then say it and tell them like a human being. They're not mind readers.

If having "too much" salad was a problem, you shouldve got up and asked for an empty larger bowl then.

agychan; the waitress has to come to you, not you to the waitress......

I never eat in a dirty place- unless I am eating at a bar and I am so drunk I wouldn't know any better.

I wouldn't have been comfortable sitting at a table with strangers.

Count me in with everyone who said they wouldn't sit down at all. If a restaurant doesn't care about my business, I'll be damned if I'm going to give it to them.

Seriously, did you -have- to eat there, on -that- day?

Opisnowpro, Of course I think the waitress should cometo you,... it all depends on what she meant by "motioning" her... if she did something to catch her attention liek RAISE A HAND or call her over with a simpel "excuse me" then that's purely the waitress's fault.

Also in the story, the resturant was really busy.... so if she just expected her to come over, then sorry, i don't think thats reasonable. Again, it all depends on how she "motioned" the waitress over.

A lot of people said they wouldn't have sat down.. I totally agree, i dont think i wouldve sat down either and wouldve went some place else (unless this place was known for their pizzas or something). I also would not have shared a table with others... It happens a lot in chinese resturnats when they are busy....I think it's so awkward. However, we're dealing with what happened and how she went about dealing with the situation.

I would have yelled "Chinese Fire Drill!" and ran a few laps around the table with my new dining companions. But that's just me.

Well I disagree with Weffie and Agychan - the salad should not have been served. If the plate/bowl is too small to hold the salad and you eat it(and yes, I know exactly what you are talking about) the SERVER should have told the kitchen to fix it. It doesn't matter how busy they are, that doesn't negate good service. You can see a problem like that and a good server would have known the difference.

BTW - sometimes sharing a table can be fun; we've done it on more than one occasion when our favorite neighborhood joints are crowded; you meet new people and usually it is a good time had by all.

And even when it is crowded our servers have never treated us like you described - so I say thumbs up to the smaller tip.

Party, I think you reacted just right - no big scene, but providing consequence for bad service. As for the couple of commentors who think Party overreacted...I'm getting SO tired of servers believing that other servers can do no wrong, no matter what the circumstance. Just because you are a great server doesn't mean every single person is. This is CLEARLY a case of crap service and there is nothing wrong reflecting it in the gratuity. And no, I'm not some cheapy who undertips - 20% standard, 25%+ for great service. But I also see no problem in leaving less than 20% when I have truly awful service. If servers are so concerned about all the other employees that have to be tipped out, then perhaps there wouldn't be incidences like this where the server clearly did a horrible job. Stop defending crappy servers!!!!!

I don't think you overreacted. I wouldn't feel comfortable sitting at a dirty table or sitting with strangers. If I was in your situation I certainly wouldn't be in a hurry to eat at the same place again.

Come on people, if she was in a packed restaurant which was OBVIOUSLY busy, and so busy she was asked to sit with another couple, do you seriously think the waitress has time to juggle her ridiculous complaint that "her bowl was too small"? When you have twenty or more people coming at you in your section and they all want refills, to order, something is overcooked, or they need you to flag down a manager about the wait on the food, or they are waiting for the bartender to hurry it up with their drinks, or anything else of the sort, I think it is absolutely absurd to think that you aren't capable of eating a salad without stirring and tossing the hell out of it so much that you spill it like a child. I wait on people like you all the time, and let me tell you, I make 2.13 an hour, and yes it is perfectly legal-it's server minimum wage. Don't waste my poorly paid time in my busy restaurant only to tip poorly when I can't possibly tend to your every whim. Find somewhere that has the time to deal with your oh so special requests, and leave a decent tip. It's how we pay our rent, or in my case, my mortgage. We're not all just idiot stoners without the skills to do a "real" job.

I think you underreacted!
That is not acceptable in a resteraunt!

i think you reacted properly. you didn't cause a scene and took action to make your meal more enjoyable. I agree with pinkunicorn who wrote "...I'm getting SO tired of servers believing that other servers can do no wrong, no matter what the circumstance" If you choose to work for tips, you should be doing the best job you can to earn the most money you can - its called customer service for a reason. a 15-20% tip is not required when people eat out (yeah i know, unless you are in a big group)

oh! and how was the pizza?

I've been a server also. Really, does there need to be that much of a rant about this? If you don't make your customers happy, you don't deserve the tip. If it's crowded and busy you're probably making good money anyway... but by no means are you entitled to 15-20% if you just take the order, set down plates and walk away.

The waitress should have noticed there was a problem anyway if she even glanced at your table.

If I was your waitress I would have laughed at you for being a piggy eater to everyone in the kitchen, but to your face I would have been so nice and got you a bigger bowl which I would have called your slop trough, also in the privacy of the kitchen. Then when I saw that you left a lousy tip I would have told all the other servers to get q good look at you so next time they wouldn't waste their time on you, when there are other people with legitimate issues. (undercooked chicken, empty soda glasses getting food to the tables.) Were servers not servants, if you don't like the bowls or plates then go somewhere else, we don't pick them out of the Sisco catalog. If the place was packed then other people must have liked it.

I think I probably would've left once she told me that the only available table was with random people. I don't like eating with strangers and that's a really weird thing to ask someone at a restaurant. But if I were served a salad in a too-small bowl, I would have tried my hardest to be neat and if some spilled, then I guess the busboy would have a little extra work to do.

I think I probably would've left once she told me that the only available table was with random people. I don't like eating with strangers and that's a really weird thing to ask someone at a restaurant. But if I were served a salad in a too-small bowl, I would have tried my hardest to be neat and if some spilled, then I guess the busboy would have a little extra work to do.

i would eat carefully i do this at home all the time, especially with mac and cheese and even though it's overflowing it never ends up on my table. i guess my hand just don't grow out of my rear.

Firstly I would have never sat with people I didn't know. I would have waited a bit more, or went somewhere else.
But if I HAD gotten into that situation. I honestly would have kept attempting to eat it really carefully. If I did need the waitress for something and she continued to ignore me through the end of the meal. I would have paid what my bill was and left the salad on the table for her to clean up. That's what happens when you can't do your job.
Just because you are busy is not an excuse. I understand how frantic it is when you're busy, but a good waitress can still do her job. She might have to multitask, and work a bit harder, but honestly when you do that the people eating can see you are making an effort. Most people would be understanding, and that's usually when they leave the best tips.