Karaoke Forums

what are your stories?

i feel like i'm going to cry. or go into a rage that will get me arrested. y'all know i've been a kj for years. one thing that continues to happen to me that i just CANNOT for the life of me understand is that any and all of the venues where i work at often treat me even worse than crap when i order any food or drinks.

here's where i could be to blame: i don't often order food or drinks where i work. i'm guessing my drinks are free or my food discounted. i often don't pay attention to that. i ALWAYS pay everyone in full with a GENEROUS tip. that's just me. i'll also go around and tip everyone on staff--the servers, waiters, waitresses, host at the door. everyone gets casual random cash from me. i don't want anyone to feel left out. i've only not ever tipped any cooks who work in the kitchen in the back. otherwise, visit any place i work at and ask any of the staff: have i ever randomly given them a cash tip for no reason for them not doing anything? YES.

so here's where i fly into a friggin' rage. a waiter from any place i work at will come to me and ask if i want to drink anything. i'll say, i'll take a coke. (i don't drink). should be free to me, but i'll pay full price and i'll leave a tip. that's just me. and i always do this, no matter where. BUT that waiter will walk away and FORGET ME. THIS ALWAYS HAPPENS to me. that's why i pay full price everywhere i go. this is why i randomly give out casual complimentary cash to the entire restaurant staff everywhere i go as if to say: I Don't Care, Just PLEASE Don't Forget Me. AND THEY ALWAYS DO! I'd be a zillionnaire if I had a dollar for everytime venues forget to get my drink and or my meal. Again, I don't often order anything because i'm always forgotten. But I'm tired of going through this charade. I host karaoke 7 days a week. This can happen to me 7 times in a row. I'm so done with this. I even write my order down and take it to the best person on staff. The result is always the same. At the end of the night, i'm trying to control my rage and ask, "Where is the food I ordered? Where is the coke I ordered"? The staff gets all red and apologizes profusely and i'm like what now? Don't I get to punch you in the face?

I'm sorry to be so upset. But these same folks are quick to ask me to play the birthday song, make last call, do this, do that. And I'm overwilling to over pay for my cokes, to over pay for a quick bite to eat and these folks STILL FORGET ME. Week after week, month after month. Again, I work venues 7 days a week, I'm bound to ask for something. Of course, I bring in my own food. I have to. Nobody remembers to feed me even after they come and ask me. It's so infruiating. I'm at my wits end.

As you can tell, it just happened to me back to back days this weekend. An idea just popped in my head. Maybe I need to call a staff meeting at each of the venues I work at. This is so ridiculous. Again, I work 7 days a week and I've worked these same venues for YEARS. Different waiters, still the same problems. And I have gotten ugly with folks over this because I just don't get how over and over folks at the venues where we both work together, completely forget me. And again, they are coming up to me asking what I want to drink, what I want to eat. THEN THEY FORGET ME. Hasn't stopped happening and this has been happening to me for YEARS. I'm so tired of it. SMH. Just had to show a lady waitress my very ugly side because it's the 2nd time in a row she's completely forgotten my order. Again, she came to me asking what I wanted to drink and eat. Brought me a menu. I told her. She took the menu, walks away, FORGETS ME. Dude, I've worked here longer than you. How can you just forget me. I'm the KJ. I'm the person you're telling do last call. You came up to me. Why do I have to live this charade over and over?

i CANNOT be the only KJ this happens to. even if I am. I refuse to believe this...

and i'm sure some of yall are thinking, well, if you don't drink-drink and you just get cokes, folks may not remember you. but i'm giving out $10 for just one glass of coke. guaranteed. ask any server at my venues. just don't forget me. you asked me, i'll give you a $10 if you don't forget me. the only good thing is, i've not paid first, i wait for them to return with my food or drink.

i mean, the other month, i'm hosting karaoke, fella gave me a $100 bill in tips. i immediately traded $50 and tipped 10 people on staff $5 each. and i reminded everyone nicely, please, don't forget me if i ask for a coke or i get something off the menu, i'm always forgotten. money not well spent. they still forgot getting me anything. i just don't get it (literally).

another way it maybe my fault: though i've worked at these venues for YEARS, i'm not too personable with anyone. I don't chat with any waiters, waitresses, etc. i just do my job and dip out. but i'm nice to everyone and i have a good karaoke show, otherwise i wouldn't be at these same places, years later.

but, i'm always letting the staff sing immediately. that's my M.O. because again, i hate being forgotten by staff. so if anyone on staff wants to sing in anyone of my gigs, 7 days a week, i put them up, immediately. i bump folks so my staff can sing. still doing this like: please don't forget me. that's all i ask. SMH.

i'll let yall know if i do that staff meeting thing. i may just do that becuase this is too much. i hope noone spits in my drink or food, but this forgetting me daily is too much. i am willing to overpay. i never cared what the price is. just don't forget me. i get hungry too. i get thirsty too. makes me so upset....

before this weekend, the other day, a waiteress asked what i wanted, i ordered. this was the beginning of the night. she didn't bring it to me until the end of the night, 3 hrs later. of course, i thought she forgot me, i didnt' bring it up. i was surprised she didn't forget me. i way overpaid for the food. but didn't care. was 'glad' she didn't fully forget me.

get home, open my meal. i was shortchanged in food and it was the wrong order. that was a few days ago. of course, i was highly upset.

the way they do me, you'd think i was the problem. i swear, i don't talk to staff. i'm kinda introverted. i do a nice karaoke show so staff reap in tips.

i rarely say anything if i'm forgotten. because i don't know where my anger will go, so i just don't do anything. it's not like i paid....yet. i ordered, they forgot me, there was nothing to pay. i rarely say anything.

twists your gut to see the same face that forgot you last week, come to you again, completely oblivious and ask you if you want anything to drink or eat. it's not like they're spitting in my food or drinks, i don't get any food or drinks. and you best believe i don't press my luck. i only get ONE coke. good luck on me getting a refill or a second coke. I learned that. so i pay $10 for ONE glass of coke. and nurse it all night. if i ever get my one $10 coke. and again, i truly don't mind overpaying. please for the love of God, just don't forget me.

and if you think being forgotten once is bad, try nicely reminding them that they forgot you and then being forgotten TWICE. still no drink and still no food. again, by then i don't know where my rage will go. so, again, i will not say anything after they forget me. i will not do anything if they forget me the first time. i just don't say anything, I just don't do anything. again, it's not like i paid for anything. didn't get anything, didn't yet pay for anything.

all it took was for me to yell at one popular bartender once about 5 years ago after she forgot me twice in the same night to be like, ok, i'm not gonna speak up for myself again. i looked bad. but i kept saying to her, we work together kj and bartended for 3 or 4 years every wednesday. i do everything you ask. play any song you want. just don't completely forget my meal like i never asked for it. it was just too much for me at that moment. 5 years ago. things still haven't changed 5 years later SMH.

Wow, that's a pretty good rant. Your life is not worth years of being treated like this. I suggest bringing a cooler and snack items so you can enjoy life.
Tom

Hi there P-19.

I can't say that that has ever happened to me. I didn't host Karaoke on a regular basis. I did an occasional fill-in for another KJ, and I had a few random shows which lasted approximately 3 months (I never had a following, even tho I had a more extensive library (at that time) than most of my fellow KJs).

Whenever I did do a show, I usually ordered food (prior to my show starting), and I never drank anything with Proof in it (because I will be damned if I'm going to get pulled over on a DUI (even 1 drink could possibly cause that), and have my car impounded with over $10K worth of equipment and CDGs). Throughout a show, I would drink Soda, and I always insisted (to the Bartender) that I pay for it.

Wow. It looks like your venues are filled with incompetent people. Here's what I would do: When you want a drink, go to the bar and ask the bartender. And stand there until he/she gives it to you. As far as asking any of the servers for anything, you need to open your mouth or the situation is never going to get corrected. If you ask for a coke or something to eat, and don't get it within a reasonable time, like 20 minutes, I would then ask the server: Hey, did you forget about my drink/burger.

If you're paying and leaving tips, as you say, you should receive the same service any other customer would receive. Unless the service at your places sucks. But, seriously, you need to open your mouth. If you order a drink and you don't get it within 10 minutes, which is a reasonable time, after all, nothing is being cooked... it's just getting you a drink for God's sake.

But again, you need to be more verbal with these people. Maybe when they ask you to make last call or play the birthday song... don't do it. Then say, you forgot. Give em a taste of their own medicine. But please, start opening your mouth. I mean seriously, you order food at the beginning of the night and don't get it until they end of the night??!! And then the order is wrong, no less??!!

This will never get corrected unless you start taking action. If you have to, go to the owner.

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i mean, the other month, i'm hosting karaoke, fella gave me a $100 bill in tips. i immediately traded $50 and tipped 10 people on staff $5 each. and i reminded everyone nicely, please, don't forget me if i ask for a coke or i get something off the menu, i'm always forgotten. money not well spent. they still forgot getting me anything. i just don't get it (literally).