Surprised By Experience At Pizzeria...

[Dublin2BuenosAires]

So the waitress was a bitch snappy, big deal, she is a person, maybe she had a shitty day, maybe she was annoyed and tired at the end of a long shift and was snappy because she was confused. We're not talking about a fancy restaurant here...pretty much the low end of the price bracket...cheaper than a mcdonalds I'd guess.

What do you do? Leave no tip. Go back if it's convenient, don't if it's not. I would think it fairly aggressive to be ringing up an owner or manager. What would you say? "Here, look, one of your waitresses was a bit snappy the other night? Is that really worth a phone call, I certainly wouldn't do it in any other country and would think it fairly cantankerous to do so!

I don't always want some simpering fool to appear grinning ear to ear in my face asking me how I am doing today...I'll take curt and snappy if we can dispense with the baflling array of false pleasantries that you have to wade through in some other perceptions of customer service. Ask me what i want, bring it correctly and promptly and I'll tip regardless of whether you appear to have eaten a months supply of happy pills or not.

 

[AdrianB1983]

Cool! I love reading these "Hey, let's diss Argentina" threads.

 

[bronzebygold]

Thanks for the replies and guesses everyone. Of course, a rude waiter/waitress is nothing to write home about. I was just really surprised and curious because I've never before been asked to pay for a drink halfway through a meal anywhere.

The waitress was still there 45 minutes later when I finished eating, so I don't think she was leaving her shift right then. I wouldn't have left any tip, but I only had bills that rounded up to the nearest ten, and I wasn't offered any change. Rather than awkwardly demand a few pesos be returned to me, I just left...

I am indeed a US citizen, although I hope that wasn't somehow evident from my post.

The restaurant in question was Il Migliore (Charcas 2802).

 

[bronzebygold]

My vote goes for that she wanted you to pay for the beer because it was the end of her shift or that restaurant has the policy of pay as you go (every round needs to be canceled before ordering another thing, this is common in less expensive restaurants). Then you added that you would pay food for your time and that just confused her, as that concept doesn´t exist in Argentina and you didn´t have the Spanish to explain it properly.

The one time I got really really bad service in a restaurant I complained to the manager and she gave us the entire meal for free (about 600 pesos), but the service was really bad and a film shoot began to set up next to us with lights without them asking permission.

This is interesting. I hadn't heard of this policy of pay as you go. Perhaps that was it. Thanks Montauk!

 

[Dublin2BuenosAires]

In fairness it was another poster who talked about calling the manager, so I was really addressing them rather than you.

Ps. You maybe hinted you were from the US talking about "a liter of beer" , UK/Ire would be litre, not sure about Can/Aus.

In fact "a liter of beer" rather than just "a beer" sounds so odd to me as to stick out it would make me notice the spelling.

i'm waffling. I need a beer.

 

[citygirl]

Quick tip - if you said "thank you" when you handed her the check, that typically means you are not expecting any change back. That took me a while to figure out when I first moved here.

As for the rest, odd. Typically waiters err on the other side and it takes a looooooong time to get your check. There isn't an expectation of turning tables over quickly here in most restaurants. And they really don't mind you sitting for hours over a cup of coffee or a beer.

 

[ajoknoblauch]

I used to think about doing that, but do the owners honestly care if one customer refuses to return when there are tons of Argentines in line behind us willing to accept bad service?

That wouldn't stop me from saying it.

 

[ARbound]

Cool! I love reading these "Hey, let's diss Argentina" threads.

Seems you got lost on your way to here: http://www.lacampora.org/

 

[nlaruccia]

That wouldn't stop me from saying it.

I hear where you're coming from, but it's like pulling a tooth, and after so many years here you realize that you can't change anything and you end up wanting to preserve your own nerves and sanity instead of wasting your valuable time chasing after something that will never budge.

 

[sleslie23]

Maybe the OP went here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iv4AppiMB4