Waiters and Waitresses Deserve Good Holiday Tips

[jayhouston12]

I have no problem tipping them. alot of waiter/waitresses usually make about 3.50/hr because the management factors in their tips as pay as well its really complicated (not really, i just don't feel like explaining lol) usually if food takes to long it isn't the waiter or waitresses fault its the cook. aslong as the waiter does not come to me with an attitude or scratching themselves and popping gum i'm fine with tipping.

 

[rkell87]

I almost wonder if she googles terms, hunting for any forum to express her opinion.

But, the bait has been laid. The traps are set, will the beast dare approach another thread?

On a side note, I hope she's never banned. When the offseason rolls around I might have to chum the waters with a weekly waiter thread just to stay entertained.

she does.

her key words are:

It is not the waitress's fault






























and now we wait

 

[Hostile]

Oh boy..."this is gonna be greaaaaaaaaaaaat." --Flounder

 

[rkell87]

How do employers pay them less than minimum wage like that? Most waiters and waitresses I have known make minimum wage and rely heavily on tips to complete their deserved salary. I am just curious how employers can get around the minimum wage requirements. That's a little disturbing quite honestly.

/reality

federal minimum wage for tipped employees is 2.13/hr

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires payment of at least the federal minimum wage to covered, nonexempt employees. An employer of a tipped employee is only required to pay $2.13 an hour in direct wages if that amount plus the tips received equals at least the federal minimum wage, the employee retains all tips and the employee customarily and regularly receives more than $30 a month in tips. If an employee's tips combined with the employer's direct wages of at least $2.13 an hour do not equal the federal minimum hourly wage, the employer must make up the difference.
Some states have minimum wage laws specific to tipped employees. When an employee is subject to both the federal and state wage laws, the employee is entitled to the provisions which provides the greater benefits.
http://www.dol.gov/elaws/faq/esa/flsa/002.htm

 

[SaltwaterServr]

It's 2.13 in Texas.. not sure where you are from, but if someone is making minimum wage plus tips, I want to sign up where they're working. Some bartenders makes minimum wage plus tips, but not servers.

At my new job, servers make twice that plus tips. I was surprised, but apparently it's pretty common in hotels. Bartenders are also compensated well beyond what I'm used to. Part time banquet bartenders can make $20+ an hour plus tips.

 

[JonJon]

I'm hoping she shows up.... I need a good laugh today.

 

[DallasCowpoke]

<--- Desperately looking for the peningcanofworms" emoticon!

 

[MonsterD]

Maybe she choked on ranch dressing and soggy fries and died.

 

[DallasCowpoke]

This thread always gets hairy.

Now THAT'S grounds for a bad tip, for sure!

 

[Teren_Kanan]

I agree. Service people are so under-appreciated. I watched a woman the other day while she was out to eat and she didn't say, "can I please have some napkins?" Instead she said, "napkins." The waiter got some napkins for her. Then later she said to the waiter I'm sorry for being a blank. The waiter shrugged it off. Then she was offended and went on about how much of a blank she could be or wasn't being. Total idiot though. I was embarrassed for her, especially after I saw her leave a measly $2 tip.

I despise these kinds of people. I don't care if you order an $8 cheeseburger. If you can't tip 5 bucks, don't go out to eat.

Anyone who has served for a while gets a real different world view when it comes to our population. You see people at their worst a lot of the time, and you see how little the average person cares about strangers. It can be pretty depressing to be honest. I often think to myself "Man... we (humans) suck".

As I gained more and more experience as a server, things like bad tips, and directly rude people affected me less and less. I don't even bat an eye at a bad tip anymore. There isn't a server who doesn't get a bad tip, or no tip, from time to time.

If you let it get to you, it will put you in a funk, and no matter how good of an actor your are, your mood will partially come across to your other guests, and possibly effect their tip, making you more sour. It can easily spiral your night out of control. I've seen servers cry, and just straight up quit and walk out on nights like these.

I don't let jerks get to me anymore either, these aren't as common as the horror stories would have you believe, but they still happen. You just need to know these people like Springs1 are going to show up to eat at your table occasionally, and not let it get to you. These people make me laugh internally now, because I know they think they are getting under my skin but really I can't be bothered.

What gets to me now, after 10 years of serving, are the more average people. The ones who probably aren't all that bad, and don't really go out of their way to make your life hard. These are the people who make you realize how poorly we as humans can unintentionally treat others. How little we give any consideration or thought to our surroundings or the strangers around us.

The people who mumble down at their menu while they order. The people who don't look at your face when they speak to you. The people who ask questions I answered 3 seconds ago when their friend asked it. The people who just carry on conversation, oblivious to my being there and taking orders, even though I cheerfully introduced myself.

The people who've lost the value of manners. Please/Thank you. I hear these words less and less as the years go on. The people who say "napkins" instead of "may I have more napkins please" as someone else already showed an example of. The people who tell me they are ready to order, even though they clearly are not, and make me stand at the table for 4 minutes while they decide, even when I very politely suggest that they let me give them a minute and I'll go grab their drinks or something in the mean time. The people who can't seem to keep any of their food on their plate, and leave their table in an embarrassing state.

These are the people who get to me the most. As I said, most of them are not bad people, they are not trying to make my day worse, nor do they do ALL of the things above. But all of those things are becoming more common.

As a server what I'd ask people to do is very simple.

1. Give me your attention when I'm at the table. I'm here to help you. It's literally why my job exists. Why make it harder for me by ignoring me and not paying attention to what I'm saying?

2. Look at me when you speak to me, and speak clearly. I will do the same. There is music playing, and a lot of noise going on behind me, I'm also generally a few feet higher than your as I'm standing. Sometimes it can be hard to hear you when you stare at the menu and mumble.

3. If you're ready to order, you shouldn't need the menu anymore, unless you have specific questions to ask. If you are not ready, please take more time, and let me take care of my other guests in the mean time You're not only making me wait on you, you're making my other guests wait on you. I'm not going to forget about you, and I will glance back to your table constantly to see if you appear to be ready. I will be back to take your order as soon as you are.

4. READ. THE. MENU. Please. I know pictures are easier, but there is text underneath it for a reason. The text will answer 90% of the questions you will ever ask me. I don't mind answering your questions, but please be considerate. Every second you take of my time, is time I could be using to assist other guests. When large amounts of guests are taking up large amounts of my time unnecessarily, if effects my ability to take care of them as well as I'd like to.

5. Manners. Please and Thank you go SUCH a long way!!!!

6. Control your kids. Please parents. Watching your children is not in my job description, but when they are bothering my other guests by running around, or being too loud, it becomes my responsibility. Also if you could please stop giving them the sugar packets to play with, I'd appreciate it.

7. Stack your plates and trash when you are finished. This makes my job SO much easier and so few people do it. It's awkward when I have to reach in front of you several times to grab empty plates, then take time arranging them so I can carry a lot of them at once. If you could please take just a few seconds to stack your plates and put your trash on them, it'd make my life a lot easier and free up some more time I can use to assist other guests. It blows my mind how often adults will leave their tables looking like an absolute pig sty.

8. If you have a problem with something. TELL ME! It's my JOB to fix this! I'm not going to spit in your food or get upset with you because your food is not to your liking! I'm more than happy to assist you in whatever way I can, but you limit my options when you eat the majority of a meal you are not pleased with, and complain afterwards. If you don't like something you have never ordered before, do not fish for discounts. It's not needed. Simply tell us you do not like it (even if nothing is wrong with it) and we will get you something else, or remove it from your check. I've never worked in a place where this was not the case.

9. Tip Fairly. I don't expect 25%+ tips. I will *never* complain about a 20% tip, even if it's only 1 buck on a 5$ tab. If you follow all the above guidelines, I won't even complain about a 15% tip. Just treat me with respect as a human being, and I will do the same.

 

[DallasCowpoke]

This is a great post and makes some helpful points many can learn at least something from.

The only thing I disagree with somewhat is this:

7. Stack your plates and trash when you are finished. This makes my job SO much easier and so few people do it. It's awkward when I have to reach in front of you several times to grab empty plates, then take time arranging them so I can carry a lot of them at once. If you could please take just a few seconds to stack your plates and put your trash on them, it'd make my life a lot easier and free up some more time I can use to assist other guests. It blows my mind how often adults will leave their tables looking like an absolute pig sty.

While I'd never go out of my way to dirty the table intentionally, if I go to a "white tablecloth" establishment, I expect china, flatware, glasses etc to be cleared as needed. That's part of what I'm paying for, ambiance-wise.

If I'm at a more casual place, a Cracker Barrel type place, then yes, I'll generally consolidate a salad plate w/ a dinner plate or the like.

FWIW, I'm a chef former restaurant owner, have worked all areas, and now am a consultant, so I'm pretty much your "dream customer"!

Also, I make a regular habit of "squatting" at a table before and after ordering/dinning, especially if I'm at a big $$$ place. I want to enjoy a pre-meal drink or 3, and linger over dessert and coffee w/o feeling rushed. But, I always let the server know this upfront, and regularly make it a habit of slipping them an "incentive", so they know they'll be taken care of, as long as I am.

 

[tomson75]

Maybe she choked on ranch dressing and soggy fries and died.

 

[ethiostar]

7. Stack your plates and trash when you are finished. This makes my job SO much easier and so few people do it. It's awkward when I have to reach in front of you several times to grab empty plates, then take time arranging them so I can carry a lot of them at once. If you could please take just a few seconds to stack your plates and put your trash on them, it'd make my life a lot easier and free up some more time I can use to assist other guests. It blows my mind how often adults will leave their tables looking like an absolute pig sty.

I do this all the time. In fact, I'm very anal about it. My wife laughs at me often.

On the other hand, I absolutely cannot stand it when waiters do not come and take empty/dirty plates, glasses, silverware, and napkins off my table within a reasonable amount of time. I hate sitting at a table after I finish my meal with little or no elbow room left on the table. Again, I understand if they are absolutely swamped.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Waiters and waitresses deserve nothing and they'll like it!

 

[Diogenes]

Waiters and waitresses deserve nothing and they'll like it!

You are Mr. Pink!

 

[Teren_Kanan]

T
If I'm at a more casual place, a Cracker Barrel type place, then yes, I'll generally consolidate a salad plate w/ a dinner plate or the like.

The bold is exactly what I was trying to get across. A server should be clearing the table constantly. But it saves me time if your plate, your side item dish, your dip container, and your used napkins are nicely stacked for easy removal. Or when you finish like an appetizer, if your appetizer plate, and all the plates used between the people in your party, are nicely stacked once finished.


And I wanted to add something. Stop playing with your straw wrappers. WHY DO SO MANY ADULTS TEAR THEM UP!? Or put them in the salt/pepper caddie..

lol.

 

[rkell87]

The bold is exactly what I was trying to get across. A server should be clearing the table constantly. But it saves me time if your plate, your side item dish, your dip container, and your used napkins are nicely stacked for easy removal. Or when you finish like an appetizer, if your appetizer plate, and all the plates used between the people in your party, are nicely stacked once finished.


And I wanted to add something. Stop playing with your straw wrappers. WHY DO SO MANY ADULTS TEAR THEM UP!? Or put them in the salt/pepper caddie..

lol.

just to add to it, stacking the plates is a clear signal to the server that they need to visit your table. Most servers take a peek at the table and try to determine if they need to go by the table and if your table eats 3/4ths of their calamari and is done it is hard to determine that they need to go collect the plate.

it's one of those things no one would think about if they haven't worked the job before. So if you want your dishes collected and it's been longer than you would like, or if you are ready for your check but the server won't come by this is a simple visual signal to get them to come. Part of a servers job is to literally read minds, the problem is that there are people that eat half of there food in 20 minutes and get pissed if you come by and ask if they are finished and there are some people who finish their whole meal in 5 minutes and are ready for there check and get pissed that they are waiting 15 minutes for it.

 

[rkell87]

At my new job, servers make twice that plus tips. I was surprised, but apparently it's pretty common in hotels. Bartenders are also compensated well beyond what I'm used to. Part time banquet bartenders can make $20+ an hour plus tips.

yeah I had never had a drink in a hotel before last week and there was an automatic 17% grat and I was like ***? of course this was after a few drinks so I just paid it and tipped like normal then I was like wow that was kinda expensive and looked at the receipt to see that. Live and learn I guess

 

[ethiostar]

just to add to it, stacking the plates is a clear signal to the server that they need to visit your table. Most servers take a peek at the table and try to determine if they need to go by the table and if your table eats 3/4ths of their calamari and is done it is hard to determine that they need to go collect the plate.

it's one of those things no one would think about if they haven't worked the job before. So if you want your dishes collected and it's been longer than you would like, or if you are ready for your check but the server won't come by this is a simple visual signal to get them to come. Part of a servers job is to literally read minds, the problem is that there are people that eat half of there food in 20 minutes and get pissed if you come by and ask if they are finished and there are some people who finish their whole meal in 5 minutes and are ready for there check and get pissed that they are waiting 15 minutes for it.

The best way to deal with that is to make yourself available, make eye contact, periodically walk by your tables, and check with your customers every now and then.

I used to train waiters. One of my rules was, not to nag the customers every 5 minutes but rather to make yourself visible and scan your tables from where you stand. If a customer wants something, he/she shouldn't have to spend 15 minutes trying to locate their server. If they can see you and you make eye contact, they will signal you for the check, refill, etc...

Another rule was, as best you can, treat your section as one big table, which requires you to consolidate your steps. This means, for example, you don't make a mad dash to the kitchen or to the soda fountain every time you need to refill somebody's glass. As you make your way to your destination, quickly walk by- and/or check with- your other customers to see if they need anything so you can bring it back with you with along with the refill.

 

[Hostile]

I have failed miserably. It did not come.


~dejection~