More often Cook or Waitress mistake

Question

How often is a mistake the cook's fault? Which mistakes do cooks usually make? How often is it usually the waitress/ waiter's? What are some mistakes that can be contributed to the waitress/ waiter?

I ask because I hate to leave a smaller tip if mistakes are really the cook's and not the wait staff.

Answer 1

It hard to say unless you've got an honest waitress that goes "that is totally my fault".  It really all depends.  It can fall upon both shoulders in some cases.  

The last place we went out to eat, my husband's food was good and fresh..while mine (which took less time to cook) had apparently been sitting under a light to keep warm.  I would blame this on cook staff b/c they should have accurately timed the food so that both plates were fresh.  

Answer 2

It would be better to describe the individual problem(s).  I will go over some.

Slow drop off of warm/hot food - Cook or kitchen is backlogged (see note)

Slow drop off of cold food - server not checking if food is ready

Wrong food - almost always the server, either entered the order wrong or picked up the wrong meal (which sometimes means a different server is the cause).  In either case, it is up to the server to check the order for correctness and completeness before dropping it off.

Bill incorrect - server, sometimes it is whoever programmed the computer

Server around but not waiting on your table - often management assigning too many tables to a server.  It also can occur if you are known as a poor tipper or another table is a big tipper or a regular.  

On the kitchen backlogged issue, if there are large parties this can happen but a good hostess will slow down seating new tables to give the kitchen to catch up.  Also a good server that notices large parties about to order would suggest that you, at a smaller table, might want to order quickly so he/she can put your order in before the large party.

Answer 3

Yeah, if the food is lousy, blame the cook, if it is cold, yet cooked properly, blame the wait-staff, if it is the wrong order, most likely the wait-staff, that is why I always make the servers repeat my order back to me and ask that certain things be prepared a certain way, eample, hold the onions, or bacon extra crispy.

Answer 4

the cooks. Because everything was warm but the meat. now think... unless the waiter came late with the food

Answer 5

I've cooked before and I've served before in a few restaurants in my life...

One thing is it depends on who you ask... If you ask a cook, they will say its the servers.  If you ask a server.. they'll say its the cook.  there are lots of things that can happen in a busy restaurant.. it can be very hectic and stressful when 100 people walk in the door within an hour.  Can you imagine to make 15 minute plates for 100 people  in an hour between just 4-6 of you?

  Cooks make mistakes and servers make mistakes.  It just happens.   In my time though I can attribute most of the mistakes to the servers.  And its less like a mistake than it is just not doing their jobs... They'll call their boyfriends on the phone.. or they'll go and smoke.. and leave stuff sit in the window.. and it over cooks.  Cooks can be guilty of the same things as well but Id say its more like 60/40 servers/cooks.

The window has a pretty hot heating element  in it..  If you get a plate and they tell you to be careful its hot... you can pretty much bet its because the food is not exactly fresh.

When a cook makes a mistake its usually noticed immediately and corrected before you get your plate.  Managers wont let it leave the kitchen if they notice.  Thats why sometimes your plate will take longer than you expected.  

If a cook makes a mistake.. its usually the wrong seasoning or the wrong piece of meat they put on your plate. or sometimes the wrong sides.

But one thing is for sure... if you get a plate with something on it you didnt order.. it is definitely the servers fault... let me explain.

the server is the last line of defense, so to speak, for the restaurant.. they are the quality assurance.  They are the last person to see the plate before it goes on your table.   It is infact the servers job to notice mistakes before it gets to you, the guest.  It is their job. Its also the cooks job to put it on the plate right the first time.

But if it gets to you. you can blame the server... the expo (people who take plates and put them onto servers trays).. or the food runners.. (in a high volume restaurant servers dont always take out the food to the tables.. food runners do this for them.) one last thing.. it is the servers

__job to know the whole menu__ In all actuality they have to know more about the food than the cook does.  

Cooks make mistakes as well, mistakes happen.  Please dont base your tips on the mistakes made.. please base your tip on how well and how quickly they work to fix the mistake, thats a true measure of a good restaurant employee.

Answer 6

I work as a waitress, and if I s***w up, I'll admit it. I've worked at the same place for 20+ years, and I barely make a mistake. I know the menu inside and out.

Sometimes I am disappointed when I go out because it's not what I expected. But I don't blame anybody for it.

If it's a wrong order, definately the waitress. But if she doesn't ask you how you want a burger cooked, and it comes out rare, that is her fault. But whenever you order something like that, tell them. I know a lot of waitresses won't ask.

If the food is cold, it's the cooks. That's why the heat lamps are there. I know plenty of times I've had cold food and it is because of the cooks not heating the food up enough or whatever the case may be. Where I work, we are on our toes, and we aren't allowed for food to sit in the window.

Some mistakes would be a wrong order, or if you ordered a certain thing but they gave you something different, say a potato or vegetable. Waitresses take the order and tell the cook and deliver it. That's basically it as far as your order goes. The cook makes your food.

I would like to also add that a lot of my experience is the actual customer that messes up the order. It will say on the menu what is in it, but they don't read it and when they get their order, they didn't want this or that in it. If you don't know, then ask the server. That's what we're there for. People think we're mind readers and we're not.  

Answer 7

If something is wrong with the service then it's either the wait staff or the establishments fault.  If the food is remiss then the fault goes to the cook.