[citrussss]

including the tip in the bill...very European. I don't think I would mind that too much, it just sort of evens the playing field and takes a bit of stress off the waiter. What I cannot stand is POOLING tips. What a rediculous idea. So I get to work my butt off while Jack Slack makes the same as me. Why do places implement this on their staff anyway? I've never understood the logic.

[pepper]

i think you have a GREAT idea. profit sharing with the servers would be AMAZING. then it wouldn't matter if you got a lousy tipper, it would be included in the bill and you'd get your share. all you'd have to do is upsell, which you do anyhow just Hoping that your patrons will tip well on the whole bill. i'm all for an added 15% and profit sharing. if it ever happens i'll don my penguin suit and relearn how to carry five large steaming hot plates at once.

[tyger]

i'm looking forward to what you have to say, doxy. i realize i'm in the minority of servers/bartenders with my opinion. i really don't mean offense to anyone with my opinion, i understand that the vast majority of servers are pro-tip, and in some cases i think it's apropriate, but it just conflicts with my strong-willed independentness more than anything else

i think for me it comes down to despising relying on others. right now i have two five-ish (varies due to business) days and one lunch shift, which means my paycheques break 150$ if i'm really lucky (usually it's closer to 100-120, as we've been rather slow lately, making my days closer to 4 hours) is this enough for someone to live? no. is it enough for me to save up for school next year? barely. but i know if i put on my suzysunshine face, pretty and girly myself up, i'll increase my tips. increased tips means i can afford to take a week off in two months and go visit my friend who lives 12 hours away. it means i can go see x-men friday night, and go to 24 hour diners in the middle of the night with my friends when i'm bored. it means it doesn't matter if i don't get big scholarships, i'll make it through next year at school and not be in the red. and you know what? i hate (and i use the word 'hate' maybe three times a year) that my financial situation is more dependent on what my customers deem an apropriate tip than on the paycheques from my boss

also, i heart all you guys here, and i now have immensely more respect for hot waiters. i don't understand how they can stay looking so hot while working. i know i cant

[doxy]

Ouch, tyger.
But, you have a point, and we all have points as well when it comes to tips. I have to go excersize now and then put on my tuxedo in preparation to work and make tips. When I get back I hope to have had sufficeint alcohol in order to properly get my point across regarding your wishing tipping didn't exist. I will not insult you in any way...I only hope, rather, that you'll have a better understanding when I'm thru. Of course, you could also always agree to disagree.
Until then, my friends, I hope the Goddess of income, Lady Fortuna, smiles upon you all...

[tyger]

someone snapped their fingers at me the other day. on what planet is finger-snapping the thing to do, huh? to make it worse, he was snapping for me to come take his credit card, when it's really clear you pay at the cash register at the front of the restaurant. wtf?

in other news, i discovered i do actually make the real minimum wage, not the 6$ starting wage crap my province has. it's 8$/hour plus tips for me, which means i've gone back to barely caring about what i make in tips.

i wish tipping didn't exist. i don't get why i should pay someone to do a job they're being paid to do (or, in my case, why people think they should leave some change on the table because i refill their drinks and clear their plates). i've always tipped, but now i have this urge to tip extremely well when i go out to eat, even though i still think it's a stupid custom. of course, nothing beats the time i was at the detroit airport and my dad tipped the guy who checked our luggage in for us, which struck me as the epitome of ridiculous tipping
i realize tipping is a part of our society and it won't go away with the snap of the fingers, but why not increase the price of food at restaurants be 15-20%, and waiters get better wages? or get paid a 'bonus' based on how the restaurant does each week (as tips are dependant on the bills for the most part, anyways). i guess i just feel kind of disgusted with myself when i feel so happy looking at my cup full of change every night that it makes me wish tipping didn't exist even more

[citrussss]

I just got home from serving at the Italian restaurant where I work. Fortunately, tonight went pretty smoothly so I'm not in full rant mode, but Doxy I empathise 100%. I hate those ignorant deuces who come in to drink tap water and share a half order of pasta, (share a half order!!?!) take up a four top and sit there "catching up" for five hours. The worst is that they act like that when there's a line up down the restaurant of people waiting for their reserved seat to finally open up.

Or, more closely related to your rant. After the kitchen is closed and we're trying to put up chairs and finally go home a friggin party of 8 will walk in for "dessert and coffee" aka Two slices of crostata to share and 8 decaf lattes. Shoot me. They will sit there with the chairs up around them. People are blinded by their own selfishness.

[bklynhermit]

this is completely OT, but every time i see this tread title in the 'last day' listing, i crave something from a diner. chili cheese fries and a fountain soda with lots of crushed ice, perhaps?

[doxy]

Zora, I know what you mean with the "best fill-in-the-blank" people. In New Orleans they come in everyday (I'm sure they do everywhere) and since I'm at the bar I can't leave, but stand there agreeing with them on who's the best at this and that, I'm trapped. Anyway, that tirimisu guy can go to hell...you know how annoyingly hard it is to whip that egg yolk/sugar mixture when making that shit? Here we get the "bananas foster was invented at Brenens, but it's good here, too" wink-wink crap.

Now that we're on Bananas Foster let me say this...do not go out to eat at one restaurant and then "stop" in at my restaurant "just" for Banana's Foster...and especially on a weekend. Yes, I do understand there are some places that entice people to want to simply come in for dessert, and we may be one of them. (and Banana's Foster is no ordinary dessert) But, my restaurant is set up in teams and these teams have a section that they will NEVER want filled with people who just want to order freaking dessert! This isn't a cafeteria. You don't wait to be seated along with others who are ready to order a full meal, a full meal that may lead to Banana's Foster, and rightfully so. Banana's Foster is an annoying big deal that takes freaking time! You have a cart with wheels, and fire, and rum and orange and banana liquor, brown sugar and everything else that makes it a pain in the ass...and you don't come in a busy restaurant just to stop everything so you can have your effing Banana's Foster! You wait for your table and you order the entire expensive meal and get the shit as just another TREAT for paying and taking the time to have the wonderful meal that we get to work early in preparation for! Yes, my bar is a beautiful room. Bartenders do not make banana's foster, do not expect a waitstaff team to break up and wheel that fucking cart in my bar just to waist their time serving you Banana's Foster either! I have to ask...why do you think everything is so much at your fucking leisure!?!?! When we do accomodate your sorry asses, and you end up watching this poor soul wheel that cart into my bar from the dining room, set everything on fire and waist their time on you...just to wheel it back into the dining room so they can have it ready for their guests who may order it after enjoying their "whole" meal...I have to ask again, what are you thinking?
We have a coffee drink that is on fire too (admittedly, the experience is awesome). It takes twice as long to prepare in front of the guests, they come into the bar for that, too?! They get into the rotation of reservations JUST FOR IT! So a team's section may have a four top coming in just for the coffee? And then that's their section skipped then on the next table that might sit down with full dinner and two bottles of wine. It is not a fucking cafeteria!

Where was I?
ViolentViolet...wholly shitsfire is that DRAMA! Our drama has dropped immensely. The whole "after Katrina" bit has everyone in accomodating moods. Both guests and staff.

As for the Onion bloke. Yeah, pretty funny. But, in reality dicks like him don't affect me as I'm the bartender and I kindly offer them other bars to go to...ones that'll serve them.

I like the ones that'll act like the professional-restaurant goers also, the ones that'll one up the "help" in front of their group...like the lady who asked of the Chardonnays we have by the glass and then smirks and laughs at me when I say "Pouilly Fuisse."

Ok, back to the reality of it all and that is this...working at my restaurant here in New Orleans now that Summer has arrived means only one thing...another job. Normally it's slow down here for the summers, but this one will be particularly slow...me thinks Doxy's gonna have to get another hustle to make it thru. Here's hoping.

[pepper]

BAH HA HA HA HA HA! from your link edna, shave anywhere.

[edna]

All servers and former servers, I command you: Go to www.theonion.com and click on the "opinion" piece, "Do Waiters Always Have to Swear So Much?"

[tyger]

so, i was ready to be on warpath at work today, making it very clear that if my hours didn't start going up i would be looking for other employment, because i need to pay for school next year and having a 2 hour a week job wasn't going to cut it.

but, i'm working three lunches and two dinners next week. on dinners i make close to 10$/hour in tips (and that was on a weeknight. i have a saturday dinner, too. i think that it was just sort of odd there because the boss was out of town (i was hired be the person-in-charge-while-boss-is-away). i'm still going to look for a second job of the part-time variety, but at least i'm not getting so totally shafted anymore

[greenbean]

I had drama at work last night, and I hate when it happens like this:
a large party had a reservation and they were upset with the size of the table. They seemed pretty snooty and I didnt want to argue with them so I did my best to give them extra attention and accommodation. Eventually they softened up and had a good time. My other tables seemed mellow so I thought the night was going pretty well. WRONG. When I dropped off the check to a table of three they were like "You know, after you took our order we never saw you again and we are very disapointed in your service and we just thought you should know blah blah blah...".....I was totally blindsided because they seemed cool, and unfortch, I was so concerned with the big party and afraid that they were gonna be the a-holes of the night, that I neglected my (thought to be) mellow tables. grrr! I HATE getting scolded like that. At least they tipped ok.

[edna]

goddess, vv, that sounds really freaking hard to deal with.

I came home very demoralized yesterday because a lack of sleep, PMS, a busy shift, and a slow but mouthy busser all combined and led to me bitching the hell outta said busser and giving the manager an earful as well. sigh. I know that I didn't say one thing that wasn't true or fair, but I know there's gonna be some 'edna is a bitch' talk going around for awhile. I hate that.

There's plenty o'drama in most restaurants, but violetviolet, yours sounds extra dramatic. If you can hold it together through that shit, you can work anywhere.

[violentviolet]

Holy shit greenbean; your words just rang true for me.
I just started working in a dominican restaurant around the corner from me; the work is allright, its nearby, and with tips I make a little over $10 an hour, but holy mother of god, the drama.

The reason I have a job is one of the last waitress/busboy/countergirl/phone answerer(because we are ALL of those things, and only one person works at a time), Anna, quit because she claimed sexual harassment by the owner. I don't know if its true or not. The day I started, she sends two boys in to work for here, who obviously aren't allowed behind the counter. Then she and a girlfriend come down, tell the wife of the owner all these charges, and this screaming fight breaks loose. Which I just watch.

Next day, when theres no one in the restaurant, I go to the bathroom. Come back to the counter, and theres four girls sitting there, one of them Anna. One of her friend's orders an empanada, pays, but right after I tell the cook the order he sees them, and forgets to start making the food. Then they start screaming at the owner, insulting me, and the girls trying to get her job back. After 10 or 15 minutes of this, I realize theres a five dollar bill missing from tip jar. Finally, this screaming fight breaks loose, and the girl wants her food, and the cook looks at me and we both realize that he forgot to make it, and I hadnt written a ticket for it. The girl starts screeching, I tell her there's money missing from my tip jar.....and holy shit. The screaming.

Yesterday, two of the girls come in and want to be waited on. They test me on everything on the menu...this, whats this like? What's maduro's mean? What are plaintains? Do you serve Pina coladas? And I'm just like, girls, why are you doing this? And then the one starts crying. And they start insulting everything I'm doing again, and pay the bill with exact change, not a penny of tip.

Everything else about the job is fine...but their making it mad hard.

[sybarite]

Ris, would you consider bartending? I know you'd still be serving customers, but I found the power dynamic to be very different. I moved to bartending when I was sick of waitressing; it's faster and you don't have to form that relationship with a table. You just serve to people as and when--if you do build up 'relationships' with regulars it's more often because you choose to. And in a good place you shouldn't have to put up with abusive customers.

Just a thought, especially as you can make good money bartending in the US.

In any case, good luck with your next move, and congrats!

[ris]

Tyger, I think that's ridiculous. I know that it's normal to put new servers on lunch and brunch shifts, but that's shifts, plural, not a shift. Did you ask about scheduling before they hired you? If you're not getting what they promised you, you should speak up.

I put in my notice this week. So for this three-week period, I'm going to be more like a casual observer than anything else. My two years of rocking the boat, taking a stand, and trying to change the way things work for the better are over. I shrug everything off and laugh at the absurdity.

Um, now I just need to find a non-restaurant job where I can make this much money.
(Not. going. to. happen.)

[kjhink]

Tyger, in a lot of restaurants that kind of thing is very normal. Sucky, but normal.

If you're in the states, though, your hourly wage plus your tips must be equal to minimum wage our your employer must pay you the difference. Since it is unlikely that you can live on the minimum wage, either, I suggest continuing your job search. There is too much cash to be made as a server to be having the fight you're gearing up for.

[tyger]

okay, is it normal for the first month or so a person works as a waitress that they are given a single lunch shift a week? because that's all i've been given, and i'm sorry, but i was under the impression that they actually needed another waitress, and i stopped looking for work because i got the job. now i'm slowly eating away at my bank account because i make 12$/week plus less than ten dollars in tips. so, is this normal practice? or is it odd and i should go back to looking for work instead of waiting for my hours to increase?

[tyger]

3.15 and hour? my god, that's an awful wage. i'm making at least 6$/hour, and it's more likely that i'm making 8$. how could anyone survive on a ridiculous wage like 3.15$?

so far so good. i get suckily few hours, and if i'm not working dinner i'm lucky to make more than 5$ in tips. so i'm still looking for a second job. i'm just proud that all i've spilled is half a tray of chow-mein, and that i didn't get any on anybody. that is my waitressing accomplishment

[steppe_child]

Ay, mamachka, double post!