Cheap People

[okeydokey]

I hate these threads where servers complain about tips. A tip is just that - a tip! If I were a server I would be grateful for any amount of tip. I mean would you rather have empty tables and no customers for you to serve and therefore no job?

I don't think you'd actually be grateful to work a 6 hour shift and take home $24 in tips. Your expenses for the day would probably be more than that $24.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I hate these threads where servers complain about tips.

Then why read it?

 

[kimluvswdw]

So - like youre each running 3 - 4?

Do you have bussers?


I dont know. 900 bucks in sales is a great night!!! You should at LEAST be walking out with $100 - and thats the minimum.

If youre truly good at what you do, you need to find somewhere else to work. Honestly.

We have a front restaurant that has a menu (no buffet) and then we have a restaurant that has the buffet/menu. Confusing, I know, but I alternate from one a night to the other. I will tell you that you work 10 times harder on the buffet side. I never would have thought that, but it is true. In the regular restaurant you write the order, bring food, and keep glasses full. In the buffet side you take drink orders, deliver menu items if needed, empty shell baskets, refill drinks, and clear plates as needed. The emptying of baskets, drink refills, and clearing of the plates is non stop. It is run run run on the buffet side, on the other side you bring the food and you can just stand around unless the drinks need refilled.


We do have bussers that clear the table after the people have gone, but it is up to the server to keep all the plates clear during the meal. You don't even do that in a regular place with no buffet.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

We have a front restaurant that has a menu (no buffet) and then we have a restaurant that has the buffet/menu. Confusing, I know, but I alternate from one a night to the other. I will tell you that you work 10 times harder on the buffet side. I never would have thought that, but it is true. In the regular restaurant you write the order, bring food, and keep glasses full. In the buffet side you take drink orders, deliver menu items if needed, empty shell baskets, refill drinks, and clear plates as needed. The emptying of baskets, drink refills, and clearing of the plates is non stop. It is run run run on the buffet side, on the other side you bring the food and you can just stand around unless the drinks need refilled.


We do have bussers that clear the table after the people have gone, but it is up to the server to keep all the plates clear during the meal. You don't even do that in a regular place with no buffet.

I think buffets are more difficult then people realize, I always tip the same amount at buffets as I do at TS restaurants.

 

[CathrynRose]

I think buffets are more difficult then people realize, I always tip the same amount at buffets as I do at TS restaurants.

I do too.

 

[kimluvswdw]

I think buffets are more difficult then people realize, I always tip the same amount at buffets as I do at TS restaurants.

People think that you don't work as hard at a buffet place. WRONG. I used to think the same thing also. I had no idea just how much more you have to work at a place where there is a buffet.

 

[mom2boys77]

Wow so snippy. I would never go into a full service restaurant expecting NOT to tip..I completely expect that I will be tipping BUT I also expect to be treated at least nicely and not to be treated like I'm inconveniencing them to be there. If they don't like their job they should try to find a new one. That's what I was talking about.

We werent talking about bad attitiude's or crappy service. We're talking about tipping - in general. It seems many people seem to think that unless your server is rubbing your feet while you eat, they deserve nothing.

And the bolded comment? Unreal. And nobody forced you to come into a full service restaurant, either - where tips are the 'norm'.

My years of Bartending and Waitressing left me with a horrible neck, bad wrists and bad ankles, and a ball of foot problem. Thanks for the 5%!!! Since you didnt 'force' me to serve.

 

[CathrynRose]

People think that you don't work as hard at a buffet place. WRONG. I used to think the same thing also. I had no idea just how much more you have to work at a place where there is a buffet.

Being a server - I never thought it would be as demanding - but I can see your point.

You probably get more tables too.

Yes - I can see that.

 

[mom2boys77]

Oh and I knew that you were discussing tipping in general but my comments were directed towards someone who had said people who don't tip have no class. I was only talking about the servers who are miserable and give rotten service..those are the people that do no deserve a tip.

We werent talking about bad attitiude's or crappy service. We're talking about tipping - in general. It seems many people seem to think that unless your server is rubbing your feet while you eat, they deserve nothing.

And the bolded comment? Unreal. And nobody forced you to come into a full service restaurant, either - where tips are the 'norm'.

My years of Bartending and Waitressing left me with a horrible neck, bad wrists and bad ankles, and a ball of foot problem. Thanks for the 5%!!! Since you didnt 'force' me to serve.

 

[LotsOfQuestions]

I'm sorry but I find it very hard to believe that you took a job knowing full well what a servers hourly wage was and didn't expect tips!
Of course it's expected! Why else would you take a job that pays so poorly?

I took the job because, at least during that time and place, the potential of excellent tips existed.

I knew if I worked hard, chances were good that I would get excellent tips.

I knew the potential was there. But that is completely different from going into the job expecting tips.

Showing up for work got me my base salary. Providing the best service I could give, 100% of the time, had the potential of earning me excellent tips.

It is kind of like a sales person in a corporate industry. You take the job at a lower base pay because you know the potential to make lots of money if you work hard is there. If you don't work hard, you don't make the sales and you don't get the commissions. But you never go into the job expecting to make a certain commission. There are no guarantees in sales of any kind. Some months may be good, some not so good. Just like some nights are good, some nights are not with waitressing.

So, in the server job, if you don't sell yourself to the best of your ability, your commission is going to be lacking.

 

[CathrynRose]

Oh and I knew that you were discussing tipping in general but my comments were directed towards someone who had said people who don't tip have no class. I was only talking about the servers who are miserable and give rotten service..those are the people that do no deserve a tip.

You know what thought - and this is coming from someone who did it YEARS! I started when I was 22 - and didnt stop until almost 30. You might come across a handfull of miserable, rotten servers - but those are few and far between. I worked with a really amazing, customer service oriented group of people who dealt with a LOT of miserable, rotten customers.

Its hard to deal with the public - and when youre literally kissing butt to get what it is you are there for, youre going to have a bad day here and there. I try to be as pleasant as possible, and generally - they snap out of it. Who knows what or who they just had to deal with.

Its a tough job. It truly is. Emotionally and Physically demanding.

 

[mom2boys77]

I was just going to say something to this effect..there are many customers that I have seen that have treated servers horribly and I would never do that and I always feel badly when I see that happen. I'm sorry that it came out the way it did. I certainly didn't mean ALL servers..just the ones that seem so bothered by doing their job.

You know what thought - and this is coming from someone who did it YEARS! I started when I was 22 - and didnt stop until almost 30. You might come across a handfull of miserable, rotten servers - but those are few and far between. I worked with a really amazing, customer service oriented group of people who dealt with a LOT of miserable, rotten customers.

Its hard to deal with the public - and when youre literally kissing butt to get what it is you are there for, youre going to have a bad day here and there. I try to be as pleasant as possible, and generally - they snap out of it. Who knows what or who they just had to deal with.

Its a tough job. It truly is. Emotionally and Physically demanding.

 

[CathrynRose]

I was just going to say something to this effect..there are many customers that I have seen that have treated servers horribly and I would never do that and I always feel badly when I see that happen. I'm sorry that it came out the way it did. I certainly didn't mean ALL servers..just the ones that seem so bothered by doing their job.

 

[mjkacmom]

Just an example ! I have never been to Ruth Chris . My point was I have a problem paying out a $30 tip just because the meal was more $$$$.

The more expensive the meal, the longer you sit at the table. At Applebee's, you're in and out within an hour - At Ruch Chris, 2 hours. Servers make more money with more tables. If the food is cheap, it's usually fast, and they can turn more tables, and have the opportunity for more tips. Having been a server, I always tip more if I stay a long time, since my server lost money not turning my table.

I have a Master's Degree, DH has his MBA, and I think being a server has been one of the hardest jobs either one of us ever had!

 

[kimluvswdw]

but the op is'nt working for $2 or $3 dollars an hour, even on the nites like the one she described, where she perceives the tips as lousy. if she works an 8 hour shift and takes in $79 in tips she is making $9.87 per hour before her actual salary even kicks in, add in even the low end of $2 per hour in actual wages and that results in $11.87 per hour which is well above minimum wage at the federal level as well as exceeding all state's.

I can understand part of this. If I am making just above minimum wage at an upscale restaurant, does that mean that I should give the same service that a minimum wage worker at a McDonalds would give. People who want to dine in a fine restaurant should be willing to shell out a few bucks more in a tip for great service. I am guessing that people would not want me to throw the food on the table and walk away like the people making minimum wage at the fast food chains do. Half the time when I get fast food they don't say thank you or anything. Their customer service skills are really lacking.

 

[jamimb]

The more expensive the meal, the longer you sit at the table. At Applebee's, you're in and out within an hour - At Ruch Chris, 2 hours. Servers make more money with more tables. If the food is cheap, it's usually fast, and they can turn more tables, and have the opportunity for more tips. Having been a server, I always tip more if I stay a long time, since my server lost money not turning my table.

I have a Master's Degree, DH has his MBA, and I think being a server has been one of the hardest jobs either one of us ever had!

You have apparently never been to our Applebees

 

[CathrynRose]

I have a Master's Degree, DH has his MBA, and I think being a server has been one of the hardest jobs either one of us ever had!

I dont have your degree's - however!!! I agree! Serving is very hard work. No time for chit chat, no time to be flakey, no time to forget. Saturday night at 7pm is like complete and total auto-pilot server.

Quite frankly - I dont think I could do it now. Not physically - and not mentally. I would never be able to be 'boom - boom - boom' like I used to be.

Its tough.... and I apologize if I got passionate about this, but it's a total thorn in my side hearing it's not hard, or we dont deserve to make what we are there for. Like were plebeians, beneath them. And quite frankly, we'd have a lot of customers that this 'attitude' was quite obvious. Its a shame.

 

[SharpMomOfTwo]

I think NY Disney Fan is living his/her life through Steve Buchemi in Resivar Dogs (sp?). The anti-tipper! Obviously NY has been born with a silver spoon in his/her mouth and has never had to put in a hard days work. Sad.

 

[Mrs.Toad]

read post above. Ruth Chris was just an example I have never been there before. Like I said above I have a problem with paying out a tip based on the cost of the meal. It's crazy to me. Big deal I was stupid enough to spend $150 on two steaks so now all the sudden a server deserves $30 when I received the same level of service I got at olive garden last week and only shelled out $40. That was my point!!!!!

I do get what you're saying, and I know there are exceptions to every rule, but in general, a server in a high end restaurant will be doing more than the server in a casual place.

As an example, at Applebee's, you get your silverware rolled up in a napkin. At Ruth's Chris, your server will place your napkin on your lap, discreetly slip a clean knife next to your plate if you've used the first one on the appetizer or salad, and remove glasses you don't need. They'll take great care to wait until you're done chewing or pause your conversation to talk to you. At Morton's they'll wheel out not just a dessert tray to show you your choices, but even a cart displaying the different cuts of meats offered, live lobsters and fresh veggies.

These may sound like minor things, but IME, the servers in nicer restaurants do dozens of little minor things like this during the course of a meal that make the experience much more pampering, and so deserve, IMO, a better tip than the server in a casual restaurant, even if the number of food items brought out was identical.

 

[Planogirl]

We tip well and if we can't afford to tip, we just don't go out. To me it's part of the overall cost.

The comment about Applebee's cracks me up. That restaurant is so slow!