Hello friends! It's been quite a while since I've lurked around these parts.

I've been working at a new mexican grill in town on Friday nights, and the other night I had an unusual request. As restaurant workers we sometimes find ourselves trying to entertain and appease disgruntled customers, people with children who may be getting restless, entertaining at the front of the restaurants to help eliminate walk-outs, etc. Last friday night one of the waitstaff at this new restaurant asked me to try to help him get these three girls to leave. In his words, he wanted me to try to "kick them out." I believe he only chose this phrase because of his limited english speaking ability. The sum of it all is that these three ladies were a little tipsy, and were finished eating. They had been at the restaurant about an hour and a half and there were loads of people waiting still to be seated. They were just sitting in their booth, acting silly, and not ordering anything else. I decided that I would approach them and entertain for a few minutes, and leave it at that. I then proceeded to the foyer area/front entrance, and proceeded to engage the many people waiting to be seated.

I suppose I'm posting this just to get feedback from some of you other full-time pros out there about how you've handled this sort of thing. I've resolved myself to helping out by engaging them and entertaining for a few minutes, then subtly mentioning that I need to go to the front to entertain people who have been waiting quite a while to be seated, wishing them a good night and encouraging them to return to the restaurant again (of course endeavoring to make my subtle suggestions not in the least bit transparent).

Anyway, I'm just curious if anyone has anything to add...

Plain and Simple DO NOT get INVLOVED. At the restaurant you are to provide Entertainment and Entertainment ONLY! That is why the restaurant has Managers and Assistant Managers.

I will admit that you went to the table and were very Professional in handling the situation. If it were to happen again, I personally would not get involved as it is not my responsibility.

RJ

It's a sticky situation. Rodney is fairly much spot on in this. Unless you are a really big guy, and they hired you to be a bouncer as well as a magician, you should stay out of this kind of thing.

There are always exceptions to this kind of thing, but I don't this case is one of them.

When I worked for one of the major pizza parlor chains, we had a situation that was very difficult. At the time, the drinking age in Texas had been lowered to 18, so a high school senior could come in with his underage friends and buy alcoholic beverages for them. However, if they got caught giving alcoholic beverages to their underage friends, not only would they be busted, but the pizza parlor ran the risk of losing their beer license. From our vantage point on the bandstand, we could see everything. So, if it was really crowded, such as after a football game, we were instructed to "handle it."

It's always difficult to "handle" minors who are drinking underage. So, we made a show out of it. When the senior would hit the table with a group of underage friends, and he would bring a pitcher of beer and several mugs back to the table, I would go over to the table, chat with them a bit, and then ask to see their ID's. As an employee of the restaurant, it was legal for me to do that. If any one of them was missing his/her ID, I would confiscate the pitcher of beer and the mugs, and ask them to leave.

Then I would parade over to the sink, loudly proclaiming that one of the seniors was trying to buy beer for his underage friends, and I would pour it down the sink.

This may sound harsh and cruel, but at that time, it was necessary. If we lost our license, I was out of work. So was everyone else in the restaurant. Besides, it was almost a game. The seniors didn't think they would get caught, and neither did their friends.

As a result, our place had a reputation as a place that watched to see if anyone was drinking illegally. The parents learned about it and sent us many letters of thanks for providing a place their kids could go to after the games to let off steam, without having to worry about them getting drunk.

But your position at that restaurant is much different from mine.

BTW, the second pitcher went into the walk-in cooler. We saved that one for our rehearsals!

I had a sort of similar situation a while ago only in reverse. A waitress was concerned about a woman, who had a few too many and didn't want her to leave. She wanted me to engage her while someone was coming to pick her up to take her home. I could tell the woman was in no condition to be magically entertained so I suggested the manager get involved. He did.

Some things NEED to be handled by management and not the magician. I think that is also the case in your situation. (I agree with TMORP)

Many years ago in my senior year in high school and first year of college, I was a waiter. Usually I am the biggest guy in the restaurant and often would get asked to "escort" particularly irate customers out the door. One time, I even had to escort a humongous Dallas Cowboy defensive tackle out who was belligerent and had too much to drink. That was interesting.

Back to point. The waitstaff should have told the manager. Every restaurant wants to turn over the tables and they want people to leave who are done eating. There have been times when I have been asked to leave because there are guests waiting to be seated.

Don't know really if there's anything I can add. Everyone is pretty much just repeating each other with the best advice...STAY OUT OF IT! Get the Manager...

Christopher

The advice to get the manager to handle such things is obviously the best route, unless there is specific security hired for that reason.

Beyond that, although restaurants would like to turn tables for maximum profit, I think trying to make someone leave for that reason alone is wrong. It was never said that the ladies were drunk to the point of being out of line. It merely said they were a little tipsy and acting silly. That is not uncommon in a lot of places that sell alcohol. Of course, the original description of the ladies is a bit ambiguous, but to me, it doesn't sound like they posed any problem other than the fact that they were occupying a table the waiter wanted to turn.

If that is the sole reason why he wanted them out, then he was wrong. In my opinion, it is merely an occupational hazzard. Unless something is posted as to a time limit, then tables in a restaurant are either by reservation, or first come, first served. Some patrons finish very quickly, but others like to sit and enjoy their evening. Even if they were not CURRENTLY ordering anything, the fact is, they already had, and therefore had a right to sit as long as they wanted, unless posted policy stated otherwise.

It can be irritating to a waiter, and perhaps to customers hoping for a table, but without a stated policy, there isn't much to do except serve up the check, perhaps slow up or discontinue servicing the table, and just wait.

From a personal point of view, it is a bit irritating to me to have the check brought to the table before I am even close to being finished with my meal. I know why they are doing it, and it feels like I am being told my usefulness is spent.

Great input, fellas, and many thanks.

Michael is correct, the only real "problem" was that the ladies were occupying a table that this waiter wanted to turn. They weren't creating a scene or bothering anyone else. They were all cosmetologists from a local cosmetology school who were enjoying a girls night out after a long week. As a general rule, I never get involved in such things, and the request seemed to be more of a friendly nudge to see if I could help push things along than anything else. Of course I always want to be of great value to the restaurant by helping out in any way I can (within my boundaries). The owners are so pleased with my work overall that they want me to entertain regularly at several of the other restaurants that they own. All of that is still in the works, because some of it may involve a considerable amount of travel.

Simply staying out of such things is my general practice, and is also sound advice. I'm a fairly large guy (6'1" and 250 lbs), so perhaps if asked to do this again, I'll tell them that I charge $150 extra per night for "bouncer fees." That should get a chuckle and get the message across...

I have to agree. This is a management issue and the best solution would have been the manager approaching the table, asking if the ladies would like to order anything else and when they said no, politely explain to them that the table needed to be cleared for the waiting customers.

The only way I could think to handle it as a magician would be if the restaurant had a bar I could do a short routine for the ladies and then invite them into the bar to see more.

Thanks,
Richard

Sounds like a fun gig!!

that's what I was going to say, it's not your job to get people to leave.

Richard,

It's funny you mention that because these girls were in a booth directly across from the bar, which had several seats available. Most people waiting to be seated were groups or families, and sitting at the bar wasn't really an option for most of them. I had actually thought of that, but not until after the fact.

Anyway, I thought that the idea of the magician being asked to help "kick people out" was kinda funny and, of course, touchy at the same time. I guess I can take my brass knuckles out of my close-up case now...

"So, you're a magician, eh? Can you make my buddy disappear? Ha ha ha!"

"I sure can. I charge $150 . . . ."

I have moved people along in restaurants before. I'll perform a bit and then say something like:

"hope you all had a great time here tonight, I need to move on because there are a lot people waiting to sit down and eat so I will be going over to the wait line to entertain them till some more tables get cleared. Please come back and see us again, Thank you!!"

If this gentle reminder doesn't work, walk by again later, with a smile and a wink:" Wow we are going need to charge you ladies rent!"

Before you all start.... SHUT UP!! this is done gently and without sarcasm or malice. You can tell people anything if your people skill are good enough.

Read Wonder Words by Kenton Knepper .........

Mark,

That's precisely the type of approach I was referring to earlier. All done gently, with a little humor, not making anyone feel like their presence is a bother (even if it has become that way), etc. At the same time, I don't want to bring this duty upon myself on a regular basis, so I think staying out of it as much as possible is generally a good practice. I always endeavor to win the people to me first, and make the magic/tricks secondary. Anyway, I digress...let's not let the topic take a stroll down that road...

Just for the record, I'm with the stay out of it crowd but, tongue firmly in cheek here, this would be fun. Just start twisting balloons for folks all around the table that would like to move on, all the while accidentally on purpose whacking em on the head with balloons, each time you hit someone, sincerely apologize and say "I'm so sorry!" Then turn to the folks you are entertaining (aka Pee Wee Herman) and say "I'm NOT sorry!” That ought to move them along quick enough. He He He

Great Advice, Bad to the Balloon! I would use that approach (and have) myself.

It would be great to stay out of it and of course that would be the preferred method however management does depend on the people they hire to help out the best they can.

I think the best way is to use Mark's advice or some version of it that you are comfortable with. I have tried doing a trick or two and then ask if they are done for the evening... or if I can get their "waitperson" to bring them their check.

Beyond that wouldn't get involved...

Good Luck...

Mike

I agree 100%. With good interpersonal skills and a smile you can accomplish quite a lot.

Let's just say that you had to solve the situation, you approach the table and say " before you go" then perform a small trick. (i don't really know, I've never had to deal with this stuff)

I wouldn't "start" anything. While the original advice of "don't get involved" was sound, what you had to say was very well put together and would probably have done a lot of good.