just a little history before i get into my present day topic of this post:
joe's crab shack is not my first serving job.
my first experience was at american legends bar and grill for three months while i was going to cosmetology school.
second was at regatta grille in storm lake, where if there wasn't uncertainty about college, i would have became a supervisor there within only a couple months on the job.
third, martinis bar and grill where i lost my job because owners filed bankruptcy.
my point...
and topic of choice:
some of you understand everything i am about to unload on you - like dawn, eric, and jacob.
others may not - like mollie or, sorry mom, but sometimes even you.
now this has to do with a lot of my own opinion (having served in both a small town and a bigger city) but also what i have gathered from other servers (having worked with both, in my opinion, bad and good server) - cause i agree, not all servers are good awesome like me...
ok, so here are a few pointers or better yet, some advice/insight:
(sorry if i get to sounding b****y... this is not something i take lightly)
(sorry if i get to sounding b****y... this is not something i take lightly)
1. does anyone know how much servers make an hour?
bartenders it varies, but any ideas on that?
well let me tell ya...
servers: $4.35/hr... and we don't get raises... EVER.
bartenders: $5.35/hr to $7.25/hr... that depends on the management and business.
2. have you ever had such bad service you left nothing?
here is a definition for you all:
stiff: cheat (someone) out of something, esp. money
if your service was that bad leave them a dollar...
honestly, any good server will know when they have given bad sesrvice and wouldn't expect anything more, but also not anything less.
if you stiff someone because you don't have money, you shouldn't have been eating anywhere other than at home in the first place.
3. now this is just what i expected while bartending...
for every drink i serve you, i expect $1.00 added to my tip - that is aside from the tip for your meal.
and if you aren't tipping at least 15%, take your cheap, sorry ass back home (this excludes the tips of bad service).
4. i'm sorry my job is so "easy and pathetic", but you are not better than me.
if that were the case - for those of you that reallly know me - do you really think i would choose to be a server AGAIN? well the answer is "NO!"
simply because i am a hard worker that likes to work for my money. i get bored easily. and i'll be honest, i enjoy being told again and again how good of a job i am doing, and i am going to be cocky for a second here, but frankly, i know i am one hell of a server.
and i don't appreciate feeling intimidated or belittled - would you at your job?
5. look around you.
is the restaurant busy?
does your server look like a chicken with it's head cut off?
ok, so sorry your food is taking a little longer than what it should.
is that your servers fault?
unless they forgot to put in your order, no!
any decent server will keep your drinks full while you wait and keep you informed on the waiting time.
in the mean time... "hold your flippin horses my friends."
if you were in a hurry, i'm sure there was a mcdonald's you passed on your way in?
6. this is something that comes with the job, and shouldn't be the customers worry, but i'll let you know anyways.
there is something called tipshare where a certain percentage of servers sales, so the money i owe at the end of the night to the restaurant, gets taken and divided amongst bartenders and sometimes host.
for example:
at joe's 3% of my total sales is added to what i owe at the end of every shift.
so yesterday i worked 8 hours (and 42 minutes).
in that time i made $1087.30 in sales (off 15 tables).
i made $155.00 in tips before tipshare.
that is money that i worked hard for, but because the host cleaned my tables and the bartended made my alcoholic beverages, i lost $32.62 of my tips.
if you think about it... if you tip me $3.00 on a check for $100, i didn't make any money off that tip because those $3.00 paid my tipshare (and well that was a shitty tip anyways).
7. tips are taxed right along with my hourly wage.
here is a picture for you:
on my last paycheck $170.00 were taken out in taxes and all that other fun stuff.
what i got to take home as $164.00, and that's for two weeks.
see why tips mean everything to servers?
so here are some personal stories so you can see exactly where i am coming from:
i have only ever been stiffed once.
it was a slower night at joe's and i probably only had three tables at the time.
it was a table of three: a couple probably in their mid to late twenties and another girl, same age.
they had been to joe's before except for the guy, who happened to be taking the check at the end of the meal.
they had two steampots (which are $20-40 a piece) and some smaller meal - check was $112.00 at the end of their meal.
i kept their drinks full without them ever asking for refills.
brought them extra hand wipes when they asked for them.
their food was out early.
they even got dessert.
i answered questions and offered up suggestions, which they listened to.
let them know they got to take mason jars home with them and wrapped them up for them.
probably the best service i ever gave.
they left without tipping even a penny.
so just last monday, st. patrick's day, we had two servers and two chefs, one manager and two hosts.
now on any normal monday, we have i don't know how many chefs, but at least six servers and two managers and a bartender and two to three hosts, because mondays are a hit or miss.
but of course on a holiday, they understaff.
we got hit hard with 30 - 40 minute waits with over half our restaurant open.
(but there is no way two new servers can take on 50 tables all at once)
we had one reservation for the whole night for a table of ten.
by the time that reservation had sat, they had waited twenty minutes beyond their reservation time.
some at the table were understanding, while others were not.
but i got their drinks, took their order, and kept drinks full while they waited on food.
when their food was ready and i delivered it, i swapped two plates on accidnt (maui mahi and the sunset salmon) that looked almost identical.
i apologized and being salads were out with the meal they were ok with waiting a while longer for their food to be remade.
before i delivered their check, one of the younger guys told me that he could see that i was very busy, the restaurant was very busy, and that we were understaffed, and that he really appreciated me giving them the best service i could.
on a check of almost $150.00, they left me with a $27.00 tip.
no, i don't always give perfect service.
this i will admit.
i had a table of 8: a mom and dad, grandparents, and some children.
we weren't busy so i got to the table early.
got their drink order.
delivered drinks.
took their food order, and at that time the mom had asked for strawberry daquari.
as i put in their order, i skipped over the mixed drink and forgot to ring it in.
before their food was ready i got sat another table, and while i was waiting on them, my 8 top called me over and asked where the daquari was (it had been at least ten minutes that had passed).
i told the bar tender i needed it right away as i put in the drink order and delivered it within two minutes.
by that time their food was ready so i delivered it and asked if there was anything more i could get them.
silverware.
i forgot to bring silverware.
even with just those two mistakes i knew my service was not good, to say the least.
their check was just over $100.00 and they left me with $3.00 for a tip.
did i expect it?
yes!
did i expect anything more?
no, i actually expected less, by the reactions i got for the grandfather that paid for it all!
basically,
don't go out to eat if you can't afford a 15% tip.
don't EVER stiff your server... even if it's bad service.
$1.00 per drink and don't forget the food tip too.
lose the attitude because more than likely it isn't your servers fault.
we are working just as hard, if not harder, at our job as you do at yours.
honestly, any good server will know when they have given bad sesrvice and wouldn't expect anything more, but also not anything less.
if you stiff someone because you don't have money, you shouldn't have been eating anywhere other than at home in the first place.
3. now this is just what i expected while bartending...
for every drink i serve you, i expect $1.00 added to my tip - that is aside from the tip for your meal.
and if you aren't tipping at least 15%, take your cheap, sorry ass back home (this excludes the tips of bad service).
4. i'm sorry my job is so "easy and pathetic", but you are not better than me.
if that were the case - for those of you that reallly know me - do you really think i would choose to be a server AGAIN? well the answer is "NO!"
simply because i am a hard worker that likes to work for my money. i get bored easily. and i'll be honest, i enjoy being told again and again how good of a job i am doing, and i am going to be cocky for a second here, but frankly, i know i am one hell of a server.
and i don't appreciate feeling intimidated or belittled - would you at your job?
5. look around you.
is the restaurant busy?
does your server look like a chicken with it's head cut off?
ok, so sorry your food is taking a little longer than what it should.
is that your servers fault?
unless they forgot to put in your order, no!
any decent server will keep your drinks full while you wait and keep you informed on the waiting time.
in the mean time... "hold your flippin horses my friends."
if you were in a hurry, i'm sure there was a mcdonald's you passed on your way in?
6. this is something that comes with the job, and shouldn't be the customers worry, but i'll let you know anyways.
there is something called tipshare where a certain percentage of servers sales, so the money i owe at the end of the night to the restaurant, gets taken and divided amongst bartenders and sometimes host.
for example:
at joe's 3% of my total sales is added to what i owe at the end of every shift.
so yesterday i worked 8 hours (and 42 minutes).
in that time i made $1087.30 in sales (off 15 tables).
i made $155.00 in tips before tipshare.
that is money that i worked hard for, but because the host cleaned my tables and the bartended made my alcoholic beverages, i lost $32.62 of my tips.
if you think about it... if you tip me $3.00 on a check for $100, i didn't make any money off that tip because those $3.00 paid my tipshare (and well that was a shitty tip anyways).
7. tips are taxed right along with my hourly wage.
here is a picture for you:
on my last paycheck $170.00 were taken out in taxes and all that other fun stuff.
what i got to take home as $164.00, and that's for two weeks.
see why tips mean everything to servers?
so here are some personal stories so you can see exactly where i am coming from:
i have only ever been stiffed once.
it was a slower night at joe's and i probably only had three tables at the time.
it was a table of three: a couple probably in their mid to late twenties and another girl, same age.
they had been to joe's before except for the guy, who happened to be taking the check at the end of the meal.
they had two steampots (which are $20-40 a piece) and some smaller meal - check was $112.00 at the end of their meal.
i kept their drinks full without them ever asking for refills.
brought them extra hand wipes when they asked for them.
their food was out early.
they even got dessert.
i answered questions and offered up suggestions, which they listened to.
let them know they got to take mason jars home with them and wrapped them up for them.
probably the best service i ever gave.
they left without tipping even a penny.
so just last monday, st. patrick's day, we had two servers and two chefs, one manager and two hosts.
now on any normal monday, we have i don't know how many chefs, but at least six servers and two managers and a bartender and two to three hosts, because mondays are a hit or miss.
but of course on a holiday, they understaff.
we got hit hard with 30 - 40 minute waits with over half our restaurant open.
(but there is no way two new servers can take on 50 tables all at once)
we had one reservation for the whole night for a table of ten.
by the time that reservation had sat, they had waited twenty minutes beyond their reservation time.
some at the table were understanding, while others were not.
but i got their drinks, took their order, and kept drinks full while they waited on food.
when their food was ready and i delivered it, i swapped two plates on accidnt (maui mahi and the sunset salmon) that looked almost identical.
i apologized and being salads were out with the meal they were ok with waiting a while longer for their food to be remade.
before i delivered their check, one of the younger guys told me that he could see that i was very busy, the restaurant was very busy, and that we were understaffed, and that he really appreciated me giving them the best service i could.
on a check of almost $150.00, they left me with a $27.00 tip.
no, i don't always give perfect service.
this i will admit.
i had a table of 8: a mom and dad, grandparents, and some children.
we weren't busy so i got to the table early.
got their drink order.
delivered drinks.
took their food order, and at that time the mom had asked for strawberry daquari.
as i put in their order, i skipped over the mixed drink and forgot to ring it in.
before their food was ready i got sat another table, and while i was waiting on them, my 8 top called me over and asked where the daquari was (it had been at least ten minutes that had passed).
i told the bar tender i needed it right away as i put in the drink order and delivered it within two minutes.
by that time their food was ready so i delivered it and asked if there was anything more i could get them.
silverware.
i forgot to bring silverware.
even with just those two mistakes i knew my service was not good, to say the least.
their check was just over $100.00 and they left me with $3.00 for a tip.
did i expect it?
yes!
did i expect anything more?
no, i actually expected less, by the reactions i got for the grandfather that paid for it all!
basically,
don't go out to eat if you can't afford a 15% tip.
don't EVER stiff your server... even if it's bad service.
$1.00 per drink and don't forget the food tip too.
lose the attitude because more than likely it isn't your servers fault.
we are working just as hard, if not harder, at our job as you do at yours.
