Every restaurant owner needs to make their staff watch this video!

I cannot think of a case where giving unsolicited opinions and advice is considered helping anyone else. I see it as the writer's need to rant, which is fine. I rant myself on occasion, I just don't pretend its to "help other people".

Why would anyone need to boot you? Do you realize that the little "x" in the top right will take you out of the forum? I just call it like I see it.

Getting serious for a minute, reading your reviews is a pleasant experience until you start getting upset if someone doesn't agree with you. I would not enjoy seeing anyone leave the forum just because their opinions are negative, so long as they are honest and not libelous. I hope you continue to share your opinions.

 

I have run a business here for over 20 years and i tell you its not easy.. Constructive criticism is not taken lightly here and a lot of the locals take it the wrong way.. I have tried many times to get a waitress to be sure she asks the customer how he wants his eggs,, sunny side up,, over easy , scrambled or poached.. Most filipino"s don't eat fried eggs and if they do its sunny side up. So you get a wrong order and go thru the process again and the waitress gets upset and tomorrow doesn't show up for work,,, i have had this with waitress's, cooks, chamber maids etc..""This sure as hell isn't Kansas.

 

Some people just want to be pissed off and negative. They have a view of how life should be and part of their satisfaction in life is sharing that view with others. That is followed with frustration that people don't listen to that obviously good advice. Then comes the feeling that it must be everyone else that's crazy and you must be special snowflake.

Sometimes no means yes. Sometimes f*ck you means I love you. Sometimes 1 star is 5 stars. You have to let these people have their negative experience for them to be in their preferred state. Or don't let them in the door.

Duma Dining/bar critic - you didn't think I was talking about you here did you? I was describing myself.

 

I think you have reinforced the point others have made here: "service is bad for all ,not just foreigners the locals get bad service too ,my wife is one" Filipinos do not demand good service and they are majority of people getting served at most places by other Filipinos here in Dumaguete. So many servers just work within their own culture guidelines of acceptance for service. I think Cebu and Manila probably have a higher standard of service expectation, and a little more expensive to visit too.

When I came here I knew I had to make a decision: 'Either I try to change everyone here to my way of thinking or I modify my thinking to the typical thinking here, and accept what is here.' I chose to modify my thinking but I will be the first to admit it has been difficult to do. However I think it is easier than teaching millions of Filipinos who just make a small fraction of what the workers in other countries earn (refer to Thread Interesting facts about Filipino Culture...) , to start thinking my way... it is just is not going to happen. The first thing I learned was although I am opposed to some of the Filipino systems of behavior, the behaviors do work for them, and they are contented and sometimes even happy. The systems have been honed by decades of experience. That happy smile on their faces , whether motivated internally by the thoughts of going to friends birthday party or externally (alcohol fueled) is what brought me to this country. Now it is my job to keep a smile on my own face by my thoughts and behaviors.... I can control myself much better than the native population.

 

I want to comment on one specific problem that business managers aiming at the expat market will encounter. We are, for the most part, crotchety old men from a variety of backgrounds with a variety of expectations and you cannot please everyone. Those who are not pleased in a restaurant that is obviously busy should just move on to the next restaurant as the customers already there are surely pleased.

This was made clear to me recently when a number of fellow expats that I have breakfast with were fine with food taking an hour to get to the table and then showing up cold and not what was ordered. BUT those same guys don't like to go to a place with good food, low prices, great service etc when that place insists on putting everyone on one bill when they sit at the same table.

Go figure.

 

It will go on forever, " If things don't change they will stay as they are" and in the main, apart from in the minds of Grouches, it ain't Broke, so why try and Fix it. The Situation has been like it is for So many years, It works "That's life here"

 

I thought there were some good tips in the video. It isn't just about making tips it is also about good service and making the restaurant more money. The more you take time to train your staff correctly the more they have confidence. Less time giggling and placing their hands over their mouths. Owning a restaurant is serious business and time and money. If you have a tool you need to make sure it is working. Nothing wrong with training staff to deal with customers in a professional way!

 

I am just going to be blunt because I have read some of these post and it seems like people want to treat these waitresses like delicate flowers. Like they are children. You shouldn't say anything to them that would hurt their feelings or they will end up like that girl from SM MegaMall on Feb 14th when her date didn't show up. I find that "Loosing Face" crap is ridiculous. They are adults. They should start acting like it.

That being said. Another excuse people are saying is that the waitress do not making much money. That is true. They make peanuts. Well, so do the waitresses in the United States (I use the US as an example, because that is where I am from. I am sorry if I can't use other countries) They have to get tips to make up for the wage lost and whatever they get over that is what they keep and guess what. They have to file that money at the end of the year as earned income for their taxes. If they even tell Uncle Sam about it.

You also have to understand that the United States is a hell of a lot more expensive to live and breath than Dumaguete. So, everyone has to take all that into consideration.

Now to the pork and beans. The girls here in Dumaguete. The girls here that work at these Foreign restaurants chose to work at these particular restaurants that lots of expats come to. They should know right off hand that we have different culture and different expectations. When a Filipino or Filipina comes to our country such as the USA. Do we ask them to forcefully follow any and all western culture and leave behind their Filipino Customs. It is highly double standards here. They expect us to always follow their customs, but when they come to our country that we accept theirs no questions asked. All we ask is they do the same for us.

Anyways, lets get back to the duties of a waitress. I have been going to WhyNot? plenty of times. Majority of the time I will order their service water and I always ask for a straw. No matter how many times I go there I always ask for a straw because I just don't trust the glasses. Just me. They always forget because they think they have this fantastic memory. It just always happen!! I base my tipping just on that alone. It is because I know that they are not listening to me and they are always interrupting me when I am talking too. This is a big thing too. When I am ordering the appetizers and main course, about half way through ordering. They will interrupt me and then run off from the table when I am not even finish. Where do they learn to do things like that? Anyways, No matter how much they screw up later on. I always give my waitress a good tip if she can successfully bring me a straw (strange right), but if I have to continue to ask for the straw over and over. There is no tip. It happens every single time to the point where I actually have to bring my own now.

I believe that a good waitress should write it down on a piece of paper. Like others have said. If they will order eggs. Ask if they want scrambled, over easy, sunny side. Always right it down. That way they can't **** it up. Americans love it when you don't screw it up and it is an automatic 15% - 20% of the bill maybe even more with a cute smile.

If waitresses want money then they should start acting the part and using those heads of theirs and coming up with ideas on "hmmm, what kinds of these can I do for my customers that will get me tips?" ahh I know... Pay Attention! Bring out the appetizers before the main course! Bring out the food HOT!

The owners needs to school the waitress because the waitresses affect the business. Sure, the business is doing okay now, but it can do better if the waitresses do better. If the waitresses do better, the business does better, brings in more customers, that means more money, and more tips. What do you know? Problem solved!

There was one time in Haya Haya. (I think that is what its called) I ordered Lumpia. 40min later because anyone who has ever eaten there knows why. Food came out cold. My lumpia never came out. I asked the waiter where is the lumpia. He goes to the kitchen, comes out 10 min later and says to me that the cook says there are none left. I asked him. Don't you think that could have helped me at the beginning of the order? Now everyone has their meal and I have nothing? Things like that and they will expect a tip because I am the foreigner and I was paying because I was out with all locals around me. Grinds my gears. Common Sense. That is all that it takes.

 

No disagree here strongly.

Regularly eat breakfast at Gabies above Max chicken. The service is as bad as it gets, I always tip well and makes not a spot of difference. Even this am the toast arrived with small butter and jam. No utensils except for the coffee tea spoon.

Waitresses NEVER come to tables to check so I went in and politely asked if I am expected to spread my butter, jam with this tea spoon. YES SIR that's what we do here. Eventually they bought out a large spoon and fork and guess what a knife.

Why do I keep returning......great internet, nice views and lovely cool breeze. Service well slightly different.