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.
“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!"
ReplyDeleteSorry to burst your bubble, but you are wrong, here's why:
Ask yourself these OTHER questions as a server:
1. WHEN do you put in my order? Do you wait or do you go put it in immediately after taking it? If you are double sat or triple sat, you can still go put in each order into the computer after taking each table’s order. By not doing that can result in a much longer wait and that would be YOUR FAULT.
2. Did you put in the order CORRECTLY into the computer? Have had many times servers ADMITTED to our faces they did not do that correctly. Have had wrong entrées before due to our server putting in the order wrong. Have had wrong bar drinks too due to the server putting in the order wrong.
3. Did you FORGET ANYTHING I ORDERED such as a SIDE DISH? We have had this happen a number of times as well.
4. Did you DROP anything I ordered? Luckily, we have not had this happen, but I have seen a server once drop some fries from a plate before and I did have a waiter spill some margarita martini when pouring into a martini glass. In other words, it is possible, not likely, but very possible.
5. Did you remember to GET my food? We have had a server do that before. Also, we have had a number of servers forget bar drinks.
6. Did you bring out my food obviously correctly if you bring my food out? Do you realize how many times OUR OWN SERVER brings out DUH mistakes like the side dish is wrong, the entrée is wrong, something obvious is not correct bacon that isn’t covered up isn’t extra, extra crispy when you can clearly notice that it isn’t without touching anything, etc.? Every DUH mistake you bring out is YOUR FAULT I am waiting for what I did order by you wasting my time bringing me the wrong item or wrongly prepared item or forgot something. While we all make mistakes, I would have to say a good 90% of the time, servers NEVER COMPARE THE WRITTEN ORDERS TO THE FOOD, because they are TOO LAZY and DON’T CARE!!
7. Servers DO wait to put in entrée orders when appetizers, side salads, or cups of soup are ordered. THAT *IS* THE GOD’S TRUTH! Sometimes it’s TOO LONG THEY WAIT! If it’s another server, it still doesn’t make it the kitchen staff’s fault I have the wrong side dish for example since that is something that’s obvious. It’s either my server that didn’t put in my order correctly or this other server that didn’t compare the ticket to the food or that this other server did compare the ticket to the food, but just missed it(HIGHLY UNLIKELY, but possible).
8. WHEN do you come to GET MY ORDER? That part is covered in #2 below.
9. WHEN do you DECIDE to LET ME ORDER? That part is covered in #4 below.
10. WHEN do you decide to DELIVER MY FOOD? That part is covered in #1 below.
11. Do you, because they are out of something, decide to assume everyone wants the closest thing so you do the ordering for me? That part is covered in #3 below.
1. Once, we had a Red Lobster waitress had our 2 entrées on the tray as well as 2 side salads that were for a couple that wasn’t even there when we ordered. Anyway, instead of bypassing their table to hand us ours first since WE DID ORDER FIRST(common sense would tell you that it takes more time to cook food than it does to fix a side salad anyways even if it wasn’t our server that delivered our food, but it was our waitress that delivered our food), she decided to hand them theirs first off the tray. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS IN THE SERVER’S CONTROL TO HAND OUT THINGS OFF THE SAME TRAY IN THE ORDER IN WHICH IT WAS ORDERED IN!!
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ReplyDelete2. Once, we had a waitress that greeted us which we ordered an appetizer as well as our drinks when greeted. I saw she tucking in chairs at empty tables and pretty much doing everything but coming back to get our entrée order. Well, I found out what happened. She brought out our appetizer and when I asked she said that she wanted to wait to put in our entrée orders. The thing is, that delayed us more by not at least coming to GET our orders. That way, when the appetizer was ready, we wouldn’t have gotten delayed eating our appetizer since we then had to give our entrée orders when we could have given our entrée orders WELL BEFORE THAT and we would have gotten our entrées faster due to that she could have just left to put our entrée orders into the computer after delivering our appetizer instead of taking time to order when our appetizer was sitting in front of us. The point is, SHE delayed our entrées as well as to be able to start eating our appetizer because she could have at least TAKEN our entrée orders and then when our appetizer would have been brought out, could have immediately gone to the computer to put our entrée orders in.What she did was make us wait while our hot appetizer was sitting in front of us, we couldn’t touch it, because we had to order our entrées and could have done that wayyy before that. She also delayed our entrées because we had to spend extra time AFTER our appetizer arrived to give her our entrée orders when we could have done that wayyyy before that.
3. Once, we had a waitress that assumed that because they were out of raspberry topping for a cheesecake slice when we had ordered dessert that she’d bring us strawberry. Turns out, she knew when she put in the order that the computer had it the manager told us. So she did it on PURPOSE to be so lazy and uncaring as to not come to ask if we wanted the next closest thing. We didn’t, we sent it back, so she had MORE WORK. Also, she didn’t even think about what if someone is allergic to strawberries. I just honestly can’t believe someone would do that. If they are out of something, common sense would be to come to see if the next closest thing is ok. Not everyone wants the next closest thing. So it wasn’t like it was just getting the order wrong by accident or by not verifying the written order with what she was bringing or putting in the order wrong by accident, this was on PURPOSE to be LAZY and to ASSUME. I didn’t know at first that she did that. I thought at first she just was that stupid(or truly just messed up(highly doubt it)) to bring us strawberries on top of a cheesecake when we ordered raspberries.
4. Your server delays coming to get your order or delays you ordering due to personal conversation. We have had that before as well. Once, we had a waiter that we didn’t know after waiting 15 mins. for a table on Mardi Gras day ask us BEFORE we ORDERED ANYTHING “How’s y’all’s Mardi Gras” “Go to any parades.” See, I don’t mind chit chat with a stranger, but be considerate to do it AFTER we have our orders into the computer so you don’t take up our time.
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We have also had servers not come to get our order due to playing around. Sometimes taking a long time or a longer time has A LOT to do with the server:My husband and I have had 3 TIMES where servers FORGOT to put food orders into the computer. We also have 7 times servers forget to get bar drinks from the bar. Once a waitress forgot to put in a bar drink into the computer. Two of the 3 times it was an appetizer and the servers ADMITTED doing so. The third time was a cup of bisque which is normally served before a meal just like a side salad is. My husband and I also have had delays due to that the servers delayed putting orders into the computer when they COULD have such as deciding to buss a table first or decide instead of a mini-greet(I’ll be right with you all), one waiter I saw decided to take a party of 6 people’s drink/appetizer orders instead of putting in our food orders into the computer. I can understand if they call you over, but if they don’t, you should be putting that order into the computer not delaying our food. The longer you wait to put in orders, the LONGER WE WAIT!! So truly think about that MOST of the time when you wait a LONG TIME for your food or bar drinks even, it could be the server’s fault. 9 times out of 10, your server had *SOMETHING* to do with the delay in most cases! That’s the GOD’S TRUTH!
ReplyDeletePlease STOP LYING TO THE PUBLIC! Most of the time it *IS* the server's fault when you wait a long time for your food in general.
"don't EVER stiff your server... even if it's bad service."
ReplyDeleteSometimes it's deserved. I can tell you some stories. Here's one:
My husband and I had a waitress at Chili’s. She wrote down my order, but SHE brought out my food with the most OBVIOUS things WRONG. I ordered “Grilled Baby Back Ribs with honey bbq sauce on them with substituting the bowl of cinnamon apples that the ribs came with it for extra fries, adding 2 sides of honey bbq sauce, 1 side of ranch, and 1 side of mayo. SHE came out with the BIG BOWL of cinnamon apples on the plate with only my side of ranch as well as NO extra fries and has the audacity to ask me when she brought out our food “So what did you order” when she WROTE IT DOWN. That was just showing how VERY LAZY she was NOT to REREAD the order. Aren’t we PAYING the server to *REREAD THE ORDER AS THEY WROTE IT DOWN TO GET IT AS OBVIOUSLY CORRECT AS FAR AS WHAT IS IN THEIR CONTROL TO NOTICE?*** She probably STUPIDLY threw the paper away.
The manager told me she put in the order correctly. WHAT GOOD DOES IT DO TO PUT IN THE ORDER CORRECTLY IF THE FOOD IS OBVIOUSLY WRONG? The ticket being correct doesn’t matter if my food is OBVIOUSLY wrong, I STILL have my food OBVIOUS TO THE EYES wrong WITHOUT TOUCHING THE FOOD to notice these mistakes. Bringing it to me like that makes the server look like a complete IDIOT when that BIG BOWL of cinnamon apples was on the plate since she took my order. If another server takes my food to me, that’s an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT situation, but when it’s the SAME SERVER that takes the order there should be some *EFFORT* to make sure my food is taken to the customer correctly as far as OBVIOUS mistakes go by comparing their written order to the food for mistakes that you can see without touching the food. It’s like NO EFFORT on her part to make sure I had EXACTLY what I ordered.
At about 15 minutes(9:18p.m.,ordered at about 9:02p.m. )waiting for my margarita she asks if I had been brought it, which I told her no, but I couldn’t help myself because of the lack of apologies and just showing she could care less, I told her about all my complaints, because I was really getting SICK of her horrible service without ANY *APOLOGIES.* Which I told her about that I had to ask for utensils TWICE before our food came out. She replied “That’s the hostess’s job” right to my face. I ended up reporting her to corporate and she got fired, most probably for SASSY me back with the “It’s the Hostess’s job” remark. Yes, we STIFFED the waitress, DESERVEDLY SO.
She could have gone to check on my margarita after the 10 minute mark(9:12p.m.), NOT almost 15 minutes which is what she did. My husband and I were WELL finished our meals even with the mistakes she made by the time my margarita arrived. I NEVER got ONE apology from her, NOT ONE. I had reported this situation to the manager due to the fact that I had waited for a half an hour for. Turns out they were out of shakers that the Presidente’ margarita came in, so there was a mix up. The bartender made my margarita in the wrong glass. The bartender never told the server about the situation nor did she find out about it within a reasonable amount of time, therefore, I ended up getting my margarita from the manager after waiting literally a half an hour for it(9:02p.m.-9:35p.m.) way after me and my husband were done eating. Someone else apparently ended up getting the margarita that was mine. Any good waitress *CHECKS* on *WHERE THE HELL THE DRINKS OR FOOD ARE* in case if the ticket didn't print or maybe the bartender threw away the order or the order got overlooked, either way, if she would have checked it within 10 mins. of ordering it, it wouldn't have taken about a half an hour. When you take an order, you have to CHECK on it, NOT just put it in and not check up on WHERE the hell it is.
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ReplyDeleteThe waitress NEVER ONCE apologized for all those mistakes. That was one of the RUDEST waitresses I’ve EVER encountered. If she would have said she was sorry at least once even, I probably wouldn’t have been so pissed off. Some servers are really UNCARING and MEAN. She could have apologized, went to check on my margarita sooner, could have compared the written order to the food BEFORE bringing out such obvious mistakes which she would have most likely caught most if not all the mistakes(cinnamon apple bowl she would have caught for sure since that was REALLY OBVIOUS), not had asked me to repeat my order at the time she brought out our food due because she was too lazy to do all of those things to PREVENT these things from getting to our table, could have apologized for utensils, and could have apologized for any of the mistakes should made.
This story is one of the few times when I lost my cool. I don’t normally do that, but she made me so mad with her lack of apologies, lack of admitting fault, lack of effort, and lack of caring. The not apologizing honestly is what made me lose it.
This is one where a COMPLETE STIFF is deserved.
SO WHAT I GOT SERVED? The waitress wasn’t nice, didn’t care, was rude, acted as if something wasn’t her job when it was once we had been greeted, etc.
Servers aren't "owed" a tip, it's *EARNED* and it also goes by if you are ****NICE*** or not. This waitress was a bitch, so that's what she gets a bitch tip which is NOTHING and got FIRED.
"now this is just what i expected while bartending...
ReplyDeletefor every drink i serve you, i expect $1.00 added to my tip - that is aside from the tip for your meal."
Only if you give good service and no it doesn't by by $1.00 more, it goes by percentage. If it's really good service, you will get 25%-30%, but you have to give good service.
I find bartenders at times give bad service like serving others before you even at places I have never been before. They will serve the beer before the mixed drink even thought the mixed drink was ordered first cutting in front of the mixed drink order making them wait longer. When that has happened, I didn't leave a thing. Cutting is morally wrong. So if you want to treat me without morals, I will treat you 100% the *EXACT* SAME WAY you did to me. Every second of my time counts too just because my drink takes longer, SO WHAT? At Wendy's if someone in front of me orders two combos let's say at a Mall, I have to wait for the cashier to fill up their 2 drinks and ring them up taking a longer time taking their order compared to me that is second let's say just wants a coke, but I have to wait for them first since they were first even though theirs takes longer than mine. If I am in line at a store, the person in front of me has 20 items, I have 3 items, I still have to wait my turn REGARDLESS of how long theirs takes I have to wait my turn. So if everywhere else besides ER(which that's fair, because it has to do with saving lives) and places you have an appointment like a doctor's office), you go by TURNS. SO if you dis my turn, I dis your tip. You want me to play fair, you have to play fair to me finishing mine before the next person's beer. Making me wait for you to flip a cap and ring them up is UNFAIR to ME if I was there BEFORE they were.
You shouldn't expect a dollar a drink unless you did a good job. You shouldn't also expect any tip for opening a beer bottle if you are in a night club standing not getting sitting down service. That's less work than the cashier at Wendy's is doing for a frosty even for no tip. That's not fair they can't get a tip for doing MORE PHYSICAL LABOR than you. It's not.
"1. does anyone know how much servers make an hour?"
ReplyDeleteOver here it is $2.13/hr.
"we are working just as hard, if not harder, at our job as you do at yours."
Do you write everything down? Do you compare your written list to what you are bringing out? Do you auction off drinks like "Who had the coke" when you took the order, because if you do, that's just being lazy on the job? Do you compare the menu prices to the check prices to make sure the customer is charged correctly? If not, you are not caring and lazy. Do you make separate trips for bar drinks and soft drinks if the bar drinks aren't ready yet for a table? If you don't, you are lazy and very inconsiderate.
"i apologized"
This is one thing I am glad to see that you are being nice to your customers unlike a lot of our dining experiences.
_________________
What makes no sense is you say you know what you deserve, but then expect a dollar per drink. You can't "expect" that unless you do a good job.
"i kept their drinks full without them ever asking for refills."
Did you ask them? If you just did it without asking first, that's not good service to me. I HATE servers ordering for me without *MY* CONSENT. It's my service, MY TIP, so I should be able to order for myself. I agree not to let the customer ask, but the server should be ASKING the customer, NOT ORDERING for the customer. There's a HUGE DIFFERENCE in letting the customer have the control vs. the server getting control without the customer's consent. I am willing to bet you decided for them what they wanted. Am I right?
"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)."
ReplyDeleteThen you might think about what you did wrong assuming the customers aren't just cheap.
"lose the attitude because more than likely it isn't your servers fault."
More than likely it is as I said some of my first post about TIME related issues and these food related issues:
1. They can put in the order wrong into the computer or if it's a written ticket they submit, they could have written something down wrong or hard to read.
2. They could have forgotten to put in the order in the first place.
3. Servers can also misunderstand what the customer is saying such as 2 times when I ordered 2 sides of bbq sauce and the stupid idiot servers thought I didn’t want bbq sauce on my ribs when I NEVER ONCE SAID I didn’t and I didn’t say “ON THE SIDE”, I SAID SIDES, which means extra. One of those times I said extra even.
4. Most mistakes with food are visible:
A. Condiments of any kind regardless of who brings out the food can be brought out by the server ahead of time.
B. If someone orders extra crispy bacon with their pancakes, then the bacon looks limp, not stiff, and you can even see some white fat on it, guess what? MY SERVER COULD HAVE SEEN THAT TOO AND TOLD THE COOKS IT WASN'T CORRECT, TO RECOOK IT INSTEAD OF BRINGING IT TO ME WRONG IN THE FIRST PLACE!
C. Any wrong side dishes or entrees are the fault of the server if they bring out the food even if they put in the order right. You can tell the difference between a baked potato and mac n' cheese, yet, a waiter at Logan's Roadhouse was so stupid as to bring me mac n' cheese when I ordered a baked potato. I noticed it within 5 seconds of the food hitting my table. Like DUH a baked potato looks completely different from mac n' cheese.
D. Any MISSING side dishes, appetizers, condiments, or entrees ARE the server's fault if they bring out the food as well. Have had that happen a few times or so. Our servers aren't blind, so they can tell if something is missing or not.
E. I have seen a red steak delivered to someone before at Outback which means let's say the customer ordered their steak well done, that the server could have noticed the color difference as in your example “Steak cooked rare instead of well done ? It’s not your server’s fault, they didn’t cook it, it’s the kitchen’s fault.”
F. If something LOOKS burnt such as a piece of bread with the food and the person didn't order it burnt, my server is at fault for serving me that.
G. If my server forgets an item that an entree or appetizer comes with, that's their fault if they brought me my food without the item such as a side dish or ranch.
H. I have ordered at Outback my fries "lightly cooked" "Not overdone and yellow not brown." I have had their fries before cooked the way I like them before many of times before this time I am talking about. This stupid waitress decided to blame the kitchen staff for REALLY DARK BROWN FRIES as if she was blind or something and my husband even told me he could see that they were really dark. My husband may not agree with me on every subject of course, but with that, you could EASILY tell just by LOOKING that those fries were overdone and very dark. She said she put in the order correctly. I am thinking, SO? I wish I could have said "Are you blind?" That was HER FAULT she DECIDED TO SERVE ME THOSE FRIES THAT WEREN'T CORRECT. I noticed the mistake within 3 seconds of my food being placed in front of me.
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ReplyDeletehttp://www.bunrab.com/dailyfeed/dailyfeed_images_feb-07/df07_02-04_baconn.jpg
You can tell in this picture above the bacon is very crispy just by simply LOOKING at it.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vv2IGE5obwk/RwVi-0hZziI/AAAAAAAABjc/m6bP-Te_wJE/s320/IMG_8338.jpg
You can tell in this picture above the bacon is NOT CRISPY, just by simple LOOKING at the bacon.
While the server didn't "COOK" the bacon, it's obvious to the *SERVER'S* EYES that one batch of bacon is crispy and the other isn't to decide to BRING the food to the customer wrong or not. It's my server's fault if they decide to bring me the bacon that's like in picture 2 if I ordered it crispy that she or he didn't tell the cooks it was wrong and get them to cook the bacon more instead of SERVING it wrong. WHY bring it out only for the food to be sent back?
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DzuAhw_RcXU/TAyZ38A67EI/AAAAAAAAALo/R6zLKIKy1do/s1600/DSC_0006.JPG
You can clearly see the fries are overdone in the picture above if the customer ordered them "NOT OVERDONE, lightly cooked."
http://www.orthogonalthought.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/dsc_6087_550.jpg
In this picture above, you can see the fries don't appear overdone and the bacon is NOT CRISPY. If a customer asked for their bacon to be crispy, I would REFUSE to serve it and I would have enough CARING and COMMON SENSE to get that fixed **BEFORE** I brought it to the customer only to have the customer send it back or leave me a bad tip for not caring about their food.
My server's job isn't just to bring out what the kitchen staff gives them, it's also getting the order OBVIOUSLY correct to the table as much as possible in order to get that good tip. As someone said on a blog or forum “They just want to be tipped well and will do pretty much anything reasonable to get your money”, which that IS VERY REASONABLE to think OUR SERVERS ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT THEIR TIP TO GET THINGS RIGHT TO HAVE A BETTER TIP!!
http://www.akronohiomoms.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/cindy.jpg
You can notice a lot of things on her plate in the picture above like if the customer asked for no sour cream, well DUHH, it's STARING in your face. If the customer asked for a side of ranch(I would have), it's missing, DUHH!! If the customer substituted fries for rice, well DUHH, that's not on the plate.
Get what I am saying here? MOST of the mistakes happen due to either your server if they bring out the food or another server that doesn't compare the ticket to the food(assuming the order was put in correctly by the original server of course).
You also can notice if someone has wing sauce "On the side" vs. "On the wings" themselves. This isn't rocket science.
Most of the things that are wrong with the food can be caught by the server if they bring out the food, even if they didn't cook it. If it's another server, they can catch obvious errors on the ticket and menu(such as menu states the item comes with bbq sauce and the ticket doesn't say "no bbq sauce") if the ticket was correctly put in by the original server that took the order. Condiments(in bottles or on the side in containers) can always be offered to be brought out ahead of time REGARDLESS of WHO brings out the food to the table.
So most of the time when the food has something wrong with it, chances are, your server or another server could have caught the mistake before it got to you in most instances. I NEVER said ALL, but in most cases, it can be caught BEFORE bringing out the food(unless another server brings out the food with the ticket wrong), because then the original server that took the order is at fault for putting the order in incorrectly into the computer.
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ReplyDeleteThere are few rare cases where the food being wrong is the kitchen staff's fault such as raw food(such as raw chicken), slightly undercooked or overcooked food that you'd have to CUT into to know if it was under or overcooked, or anything the server cannot see with their eyes unless they were to TOUCH the food. Things such as a pickle under a bun the server can't notice unless they lift the bun, so unless they put the order in wrong, they wouldn't be at fault, but in general most food mistakes can be caught BEFORE bringing the food to the table.
What I am saying is, MOST mistakes ARE PREVENTABLE by the SERVER if they bring your order to you that they can NOTICE things wrong by comparing those written orders to the plates of food.
Once a waiter at Chili's said "The kitchen forgot" when I had ordered 2 sides of mayo and 1 side of mustard. The thing is, my waiter brought out the food, so NO, HE HE HE HE HE FORGOT, the kitchen staff didn't step out the kitchen to bring me my food and forget obvious missing containers from my plate that aren't covered up by anything. MY WAITER DID THOUGH!!
You walk in one room in your house with a plate of food, but forget the ranch. Even if your mom or significant other plated your food, which you even told her you wanted a side of ranch for your fries, but you bring it to another room. HOW IS THAT THEIR FAULT? It's YOUR FAULT YOU LEFT THE ROOM WITHOUT THE RANCH AND DIDN'T NOTICE IT SINCE IT'S SOMETHING OBVIOUS YOU DON'T HAVE TO *TOUCH* TO NOTICE THE MISTAKE!!
Even if he didn't bring out the food, that waiter could have prevented that type of thing from being forgotten since it needs no cooking to bring it out ahead of time. It is always the person bringing out the food that is at fault for any type of mistake that you don't have to TOUCH the food to notice the mistake, unless of course, the order was put in wrong by the original server that took the order with another server bringing out the food. Of course unless, the kitchen goofs up, making it correctly even if the ticket is wrong, but that's highly unlikely scenario.
I cannot believe you honestly think that the server is not at fault for most food mistakes. WE LIVED THROUGH THE "DUH" MISTAKES, SO WE CAN SEE WITH OUR EYES WHO WAS AT FAULT!!
We had a waiter once admitted he grabbed the wrong entrée from the kitchen. It was just my husband and I. This waiter not only admitted he didn't compare the WRITTEN ORDER with the entrées he was bringing out, but also we saw he had other entrées for another table that he didn't ONCE get his pad of paper out to see WHICH ENTRÉE WENT WITH WHICH TABLE!! So 2 times he could have caught his mistake, but didn't *****TRY HIS BEST AS HE SHOULD HAVE, because that's HIS JOB**!!
He admitted that he grabbed the wrong entrée from the kitchen. He brought my husband fried shrimp w/fries when he ordered crawfish au gratin w/baked potato. Those items look NOTHING A LIKE, but yet THAT WAITER WAS TOO LAZY AND UNCARING TO VERIFY *WHAT* HE WAS BRINGING US!! We still left him 17% BTW, just to let you know since he profusely apologized TWICE and FIXED THE SITUATION IMMEDIATELY just about. We honestly shouldn’t have though, because that really didn't make him LEARN anything. If I had to do it all over again, I would have tipped 13%. It's because since that happened(a number of years ago, maybe like 4), me and my husband have had some terrible experiences. We have had good ones too of course, but the servers need to LEARN that they can't just hand you ANYTHING like McDonald's cashiers do. They are there to EARN a tip, NOT to just hand you anything.
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It's very rare that it's not the server's fault. Things like if I order no pickles if you took my order and brought out my food, which there are some pickles under a bun that you'd have to lift it to see it, unless you admitted putting in the order wrong, I will assume it's the kitchen staff that is at fault and probably is.
ReplyDeleteThings like raw chicken tenders aren't the fault of the server unless they are pink or something.
A slightly over or undercooked steak if the order was put in correctly is not the server's fault.
Also, some people assume things as well, that end up being wrong.
If another server brings out a wrong side dish or if they are missing items other than condiments, no it's not the server's fault if they put in the order correctly, but it still counts against the tip. It's part of the service.
Why also is it when you say "no pickles" or "ONLY lettuce and onions", they still have a pickle on the plate? WHY you servers can't understand that if the customer states they don't want pickles, that means on the plate, because otherwise, they'd specifically state they would have wanted it "ON THE SIDE." Think about it. WHY do I keep having servers bring me some pickles on the plate when I ordered no pickles? NO SERVERS ARE BLIND OR ILLITERATE that they cannot determine any of the obvious errors that don't have to be touched to notice the mistakes or mistake.
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Also, server's fault is *ANY* overcharges even wrong prices. If I can see a wrong price, you sure can, so you have the opportunity to get it fixed from your manager, but didn't *BEFORE* you handed me the check, YOUR FAULT!
SO YOU LOST THE ATTITUDE, because MOST PROBLEMS THAT HAPPEN IN RESTAURANTS ARE USUALLY DUE TO YOUR SERVER OR ANOTHER SERVER(which is part of the service you tip on), NOT someone else!
PLEASE BE HONEST AND STOP LYING! WHY do you choose to LIE like this, huh? WHY??
YOU NEED TO BE HONEST AND LOSE YOUR LYING ATTITUDE! Every single thing I have said is the GOD'S HONEST TRUTH and you know it!!