Being a waiter sucks...

[FrustratedUser]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey

Originally posted by: FrustratedUser

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
I haven't tipped in weeks. Haven't gone anywhere either. Last tip was ~$40 on a ~$73 tab...

:thumbsdown:
IMO that's way to much.

Maybe, but she did an excellent job. The people in there take care of me (I had way more than $73 worth of alcohol). Plus she chased me down all night, for some reason I had trouble staying in one place. And despite the total cunts[/b] that hung out around my pool table getting in my way, the waitress kept me in a good mood. I thought she deserved it (the copious amounts of liquor flowing through my viens helped).

:thumbsup: for her then.

 

[Nebor]

Don't sweat it, karma will catch up with the non-tippers. Probably in a rather direct manner, such as bad food, bad service, etc.

 

[krunchykrome]

It all depends on where you work. If you work at Pizza Hut or Dennys or Friendlys, your not gonna make anything. Work somewhere that trashy people wont go. I average $15+.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: FrustratedUser

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey

Originally posted by: FrustratedUser

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
I haven't tipped in weeks. Haven't gone anywhere either. Last tip was ~$40 on a ~$73 tab...

:thumbsdown:
IMO that's way to much.

Maybe, but she did an excellent job. The people in there take care of me (I had way more than $73 worth of alcohol). Plus she chased me down all night, for some reason I had trouble staying in one place. And despite the total cunts[/b] that hung out around my pool table getting in my way, the waitress kept me in a good mood. I thought she deserved it (the copious amounts of liquor flowing through my viens helped).

:thumbsup: for her then.

I'm always well taken care of.

 

[erikiksaz]

Something for you guys to think about: there's more to restaurants than the food being served and the waiters serving it. There are cooks, bus boys, hostesses, stockers, etc. The employees that you do see may or may not deserve tip, but what about the people behind the scenes?

In my town (where you'll find some of the best asian food in socal), you'd be suprised to see who actually cooks, prepares, and cleans up your food. They're usually immigrants. Needless to say, these people don't have the backing of the government in case their tips don't bring up their wages to minimum. And do you think these people are paid minimum when they'll settle for less? Of course not!

Whether or not you get shoddy service, there's always more to it than just the waiter. You're stiffing a lot of people that depend on that FEW EXTRA DOLLARS to support themselves and their families.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: erikiksaz
Something for you guys to think about: there's more to restaurants than the food being served and the waiters serving it. There are cooks, bus boys, hostesses, stockers, etc. The employees that you do see may or may not deserve tip, but what about the people behind the scenes?

In my town (where you'll find some of the best asian food in socal), you'd be suprised to see who actually cooks, prepares, and cleans up your food. They're usually immigrants. Needless to say, these people don't have the backing of the government in case their tips don't bring up their wages to minimum. And do you think these people are paid minimum when they'll settle for less? Of course not!

Whether or not you get shoddy service, there's always more to it than just the waiter. You're stiffing a lot of people that depend on that FEW EXTRA DOLLARS to support themselves and their families.

You mean illegal aliens, right?

 

[vi edit]

Typically cooks make the most money per hour. Prep cooks the next highest, followed by expoditers, cashiers, and hosts. Bartenders typically make above minimum wage plus tips.

Servers are the only ones not making minimum wage or above(except in certain cities/towns, Las Vegas is an exception).

I've never heard of an employer having to make up the difference to get them caught up to minimum wage if they don't bring in high enough tips. I can easily check on this though and update next week after the holiday.

A server is being paid AT LEAST 4 dollars an hour less than pretty much any other person working in that restaurant. Because of the structure of the system, and the implied understanding that tips make up for lake of wages, a restaurant does not have to factor the additional wages into the overall costs of the menu.

When you have a wait staff of 15+ servers per hour, that's at least $60 per hour that a restaurat doesn't have to cover. Assume you average 10 servers on duty over the course of a 13 hour business day (11AM to 12AM) and that's just shy of $800 a day that the restaurant doesn't have to make up. $780 a day, $23,400 a month, over $280,000 a year...and that's just assuming they are only making $4 less an hour than anyone else.

You do the math. That's a good chunk of change that the restaurant doesn't have to turn around and bill you directly for through raised food & drink prices. If you don't like how the system works, DON'T GO OUT. Plus, if you truely feel that you are getting bad service you can talk to a manager and any one of them worth a damn will go out of their way to make sure you leave happy. Comp'ed meals, free dessert, coupons for future use, ect.

Everyone has run into a thankless server or one that's a grouch. Assuming it's a well run restaurant, that isn't the norm though. If you are going to be cheap, eat at home or go to Subway.

 

[OS]

how is it legal that waiters don't get paid min wage?

Since I always tip the right amount anyways, I'd rather have a setup where you just pay a fixed cost.

 

[RagingBITCH]

Originally posted by: OS
how is it legal that waiters don't get paid min wage?

Since I always tip the right amount anyways, I'd rather have a setup where you just pay a fixed cost.

A waiter's occupation isn't subject to minimum wage laws, like certain other occupations.

 

[OS]

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH

Originally posted by: OS
how is it legal that waiters don't get paid min wage?

Since I always tip the right amount anyways, I'd rather have a setup where you just pay a fixed cost.

A waiter's occupation isn't subject to minimum wage laws, like certain other occupations.

huh that sucks, i didn't know. What other occupations are also exempt from min wage laws?

 

[fredtam]

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH

Originally posted by: OS
how is it legal that waiters don't get paid min wage?

Since I always tip the right amount anyways, I'd rather have a setup where you just pay a fixed cost.

A waiter's occupation isn't subject to minimum wage laws, like certain other occupations.

Yes it is but only in the case that their tips + hourly wage don't add up to minimum wage.

 

[jjyiz28]

Originally posted by: Haps

Originally posted by: Snuffaluffaguss

Originally posted by: Haps

Bustin hisPerhaps you feel that waiting tables is deserving of a higher wage. I disagree. Due to the fact that no education and little skill is required and it's not physically demanding there are a lot of people capable of doing the job.

If you think waiting tables requires "no skill" and is not physically demanding then you have never actually worked as a server. You have no basis to judge how dificult a job is unless you have actually done it. On a busy night when you are on your feet for 8 hours, constantly moving, taking no breaks, carrying heavy trays, putting up with jerks like you, and still providing good service to several tables of people at the same, you can't tell me that is not demanding. As far as the skill is concerned, have you ever had a good waiter and a bad waiter? There is a skill involved here. I would love to see you try to handle getting double or triple sat in the middle of a busy night and still handle it.

I don't work as a server anymore, but I know what it takes to do the job correctly. I wish everyone had to work as a server for a couple months. Then at least everyone would acutally know what they are talking about.

Reading comprehension people. I said little skill. But there isn't much involved int he job is there. Be observant, friendly, attentive and look after your customers wants. Not much skill there. Being organized is probably the biggest skill needed.

I realize that wait staff don't sit on their ass all day. Yes they have to stand and walk etc. But is that more physically demanding then the minimum wage worker stocking shelves at the grocery store, someone working in walmart, someone digging ditches?

Please tell me why you think wait staff deserve more then minimum wage while others working for minimum wage do not.
I get paid more then minimum wage for the work I do(IT related) because I have skills that others do not. I have education that others do not. I can do work that others can not and as such my employer has to pay more in order to attract employees. Doctor's get paid very well because the immense amount of knowledge required to do the job limits the field of available employees causing the market rate for Doctors to be very high. Security guards generally get more then minimum wage because of the nature of their work. Policemen however get much more then security guards because of the knowledge and increased risk that comes with the job.

What is so special about wait staff?
[/quote]

bingo!! your job's worth is based on how many other people can do your job. Is kobe bryant overpaid?? how many people can do what kobe does on the court?? not many, hence the higher paycheck. how many people can be doctors?? not many because it takes a lot of schooling and a higher level of intelligence and the investment in time and money.

just because your job is physically or mentally demanding dont mean you should be making more than min. wage. ifs its demanding but menial labor, your job aint worth much. if its demanding but if its skilled labor as well, your job is worth more.

 

[fredtam]

Originally posted by: jjyiz28

Originally posted by: Haps

Originally posted by: Snuffaluffaguss

Originally posted by: Haps

Bustin hisPerhaps you feel that waiting tables is deserving of a higher wage. I disagree. Due to the fact that no education and little skill is required and it's not physically demanding there are a lot of people capable of doing the job.

If you think waiting tables requires "no skill" and is not physically demanding then you have never actually worked as a server. You have no basis to judge how dificult a job is unless you have actually done it. On a busy night when you are on your feet for 8 hours, constantly moving, taking no breaks, carrying heavy trays, putting up with jerks like you, and still providing good service to several tables of people at the same, you can't tell me that is not demanding. As far as the skill is concerned, have you ever had a good waiter and a bad waiter? There is a skill involved here. I would love to see you try to handle getting double or triple sat in the middle of a busy night and still handle it.

I don't work as a server anymore, but I know what it takes to do the job correctly. I wish everyone had to work as a server for a couple months. Then at least everyone would acutally know what they are talking about.

Reading comprehension people. I said little skill. But there isn't much involved int he job is there. Be observant, friendly, attentive and look after your customers wants. Not much skill there. Being organized is probably the biggest skill needed.

I realize that wait staff don't sit on their ass all day. Yes they have to stand and walk etc. But is that more physically demanding then the minimum wage worker stocking shelves at the grocery store, someone working in walmart, someone digging ditches?

Please tell me why you think wait staff deserve more then minimum wage while others working for minimum wage do not.
I get paid more then minimum wage for the work I do(IT related) because I have skills that others do not. I have education that others do not. I can do work that others can not and as such my employer has to pay more in order to attract employees. Doctor's get paid very well because the immense amount of knowledge required to do the job limits the field of available employees causing the market rate for Doctors to be very high. Security guards generally get more then minimum wage because of the nature of their work. Policemen however get much more then security guards because of the knowledge and increased risk that comes with the job.

What is so special about wait staff?

bingo!! your job's worth is based on how many other people can do your job. Is kobe bryant overpaid?? how many people can do what kobe does on the court?? not many, hence the higher paycheck. how many people can be doctors?? not many because it takes a lot of schooling and a higher level of intelligence and the investment in time and money.

just because your job is physically or mentally demanding dont mean you should be making more than min. wage. ifs its demanding but menial labor, your job aint worth much. if its demanding but if its skilled labor as well, your job is worth more.[/quote]


To say anybody can do it is foolish. I was a bartender and averaged over $200 a night in tips. That was in addition to $8 an hour. Can anybody bartend? Sure. Can anybody remember 10 to 15 orders called out to them at once. Can anybody pull and open around 50 beers a minute. Can anybody remember hundreds of drinks off the top of their head? Can anybody make people feel like they are part of a family to encourage spending? Can anybody handle drunks in the proper manner? No.

I would be willing to bet that most people who you think are deserving of high pay couldn't.

I earned every dime of my money and while other people were going to college putting themselves in debt
I was paying cash for my first house.

 

[Spagina]

Originally posted by: Haps

Originally posted by: SoylentGreen

Cook your own dinner at home and don't bother some college kid busting his ass trying to work through school.

A decent human being will be sat at his/her table instead of you.

Bustin his ass? Waiting tables is a minimum wage job. It is unskilled labour that is all that physically demanding compared to other minimum wage worthy labour. And workers generally have a better working envornment then other unskilled labour(air-conditioning, heating etc)

That college student is working a job that is worthy of minimum wage. Perhaps you feel that waiting tables is deserving of a higher wage. I disagree. Due to the fact that no education and little skill is required and it's not physically demanding there are a lot of people capable of doing the job. Hence supply and demand. Lot sof people capaable of doing a job it won't pay well. So waiting tables is a min wage job which the federal gov't mandates they get one way or the other.

Wow, you have never served have you? I've been bartending and serving for years. If you think it takes absolutely no skill to serve, I challenge you to get a job serving and have them throw you in the mix right away. I guarantee your station would be crashing and burning in 15 minutes. Serving does take skill, it takes great organizational skills on the fly, it takes a great personality, it takes people skills, it takes many things you apparently lack. I just hope for your sake that you never eat at the same restaurant twice. Servers tend to remember customers like you. I know for a fact that when I was a younger server I would do my best to still serve assholes like you as well as I could, but I began to learn to brush off tables that I knew were terrible tippers. When I'm working to make money as a server, I will put my effort into the tables that will tip, and put minimal, if not terrible service into tables like yours.

Serving as well as bartending has certain advantages for customers that tip very well. In the long run my regulars save money because I tend to REALLY take care of my customers that take care of me. You have no idea how the whole restaurant dynamic works and you shouldn't go out to eat. Please stay home and cook mac and cheese.

 

[DeeKnow]

Originally posted by: rh71

The one thing I'll give waiters... is credit for doing a job very few would choose to do.

yeah right !! let's sing their glories now... JEEEzus...

what's with you folks here? waiting tables is a low skills job that almost anyone can perform and hence it deserves to be minimum-wage... sure few ppl would choose to be in a min wage job; but the truth is, a large fraction of the population is qualified for little more than that - flipping burgers, manning check-out counters, and waiting tables. It's pointless to whine about how they don't make more money - the market will not pay any more for what they do. period

 

[DeeKnow]

Originally posted by: erikiksaz
Something for you guys to think about: there's more to restaurants than the food being served and the waiters serving it. There are cooks, bus boys, hostesses, stockers, etc. The employees that you do see may or may not deserve tip, but what about the people behind the scenes?

In my town (where you'll find some of the best asian food in socal), you'd be suprised to see who actually cooks, prepares, and cleans up your food. They're usually immigrants. Needless to say, these people don't have the backing of the government in case their tips don't bring up their wages to minimum. And do you think these people are paid minimum when they'll settle for less? Of course not!

Whether or not you get shoddy service, there's always more to it than just the waiter. You're stiffing a lot of people that depend on that FEW EXTRA DOLLARS to support themselves and their families.

uh... sorry to poop on your nice storyline... but Mc Donalds has plenty of cooks, bus boys and stockers behind that counter... mostly immigrants too... and those ppl are depending on a afew extra dollars to support themselves too.... why don't ppl tip at McD then???

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: DeeKnow

Originally posted by: erikiksaz
Something for you guys to think about: there's more to restaurants than the food being served and the waiters serving it. There are cooks, bus boys, hostesses, stockers, etc. The employees that you do see may or may not deserve tip, but what about the people behind the scenes?

In my town (where you'll find some of the best asian food in socal), you'd be suprised to see who actually cooks, prepares, and cleans up your food. They're usually immigrants. Needless to say, these people don't have the backing of the government in case their tips don't bring up their wages to minimum. And do you think these people are paid minimum when they'll settle for less? Of course not!

Whether or not you get shoddy service, there's always more to it than just the waiter. You're stiffing a lot of people that depend on that FEW EXTRA DOLLARS to support themselves and their families.

uh... sorry to poop on your nice storyline... but Mc Donalds has plenty of cooks, bus boys and stockers behind that counter... mostly immigrants too... and those ppl are depending on a afew extra dollars to support themselves too.... why don't ppl tip at McD then???

I'd drop a buck if they had a tip jar on the counter.

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: Spagina
Wow, you have never served have you? I've been bartending and serving for years. If you think it takes absolutely no skill to serve, I challenge you to get a job serving and have them throw you in the mix right away. I guarantee your station would be crashing and burning in 15 minutes. Serving does take skill, it takes great organizational skills on the fly, it takes a great personality, it takes people skills, it takes many things you apparently lack. I just hope for your sake that you never eat at the same restaurant twice. Servers tend to remember customers like you. I know for a fact that when I was a younger server I would do my best to still serve assholes like you as well as I could, but I began to learn to brush off tables that I knew were terrible tippers. When I'm working to make money as a server, I will put my effort into the tables that will tip, and put minimal, if not terrible service into tables like yours.

Serving as well as bartending has certain advantages for customers that tip very well. In the long run my regulars save money because I tend to REALLY take care of my customers that take care of me. You have no idea how the whole restaurant dynamic works and you shouldn't go out to eat. Please stay home and cook mac and cheese.

How is it that someone with such great intelligence, manners and posting skills only has 500 posts in 4 years, and yet tons of babbling morons (like me) have thousands of posts. That was an excellent post, and really summed things up well.

The staff at a restaurant is either going to be your friend or your enemy. Being popular with the staff will get you anything you need or want.

I just can't fathom these guys who don't tip, or don't believe in it. You know the person is making less than minimum wage. You know they depend on YOU to pay them. They are SERVING YOU. They get you everything you need, they talk to you, they act friendly... And yet you call them unskilled ragamuffins (or whatever.) I think it basically boils down to: You have to regard for anyone other than yourself.

It's that simple.

 

[dethman]

4 hours and $7 in tips? what the hell were you doing to your customers?

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: dethman
4 hours and $7 in tips? what the hell were you doing to your customers?

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: fredtam

Originally posted by: jjyiz28

Originally posted by: Haps

Originally posted by: Snuffaluffaguss

Originally posted by: Haps

Bustin hisPerhaps you feel that waiting tables is deserving of a higher wage. I disagree. Due to the fact that no education and little skill is required and it's not physically demanding there are a lot of people capable of doing the job.

If you think waiting tables requires "no skill" and is not physically demanding then you have never actually worked as a server. You have no basis to judge how dificult a job is unless you have actually done it. On a busy night when you are on your feet for 8 hours, constantly moving, taking no breaks, carrying heavy trays, putting up with jerks like you, and still providing good service to several tables of people at the same, you can't tell me that is not demanding. As far as the skill is concerned, have you ever had a good waiter and a bad waiter? There is a skill involved here. I would love to see you try to handle getting double or triple sat in the middle of a busy night and still handle it.

I don't work as a server anymore, but I know what it takes to do the job correctly. I wish everyone had to work as a server for a couple months. Then at least everyone would acutally know what they are talking about.

Reading comprehension people. I said little skill. But there isn't much involved int he job is there. Be observant, friendly, attentive and look after your customers wants. Not much skill there. Being organized is probably the biggest skill needed.

I realize that wait staff don't sit on their ass all day. Yes they have to stand and walk etc. But is that more physically demanding then the minimum wage worker stocking shelves at the grocery store, someone working in walmart, someone digging ditches?

Please tell me why you think wait staff deserve more then minimum wage while others working for minimum wage do not.
I get paid more then minimum wage for the work I do(IT related) because I have skills that others do not. I have education that others do not. I can do work that others can not and as such my employer has to pay more in order to attract employees. Doctor's get paid very well because the immense amount of knowledge required to do the job limits the field of available employees causing the market rate for Doctors to be very high. Security guards generally get more then minimum wage because of the nature of their work. Policemen however get much more then security guards because of the knowledge and increased risk that comes with the job.

What is so special about wait staff?

bingo!! your job's worth is based on how many other people can do your job. Is kobe bryant overpaid?? how many people can do what kobe does on the court?? not many, hence the higher paycheck. how many people can be doctors?? not many because it takes a lot of schooling and a higher level of intelligence and the investment in time and money.

just because your job is physically or mentally demanding dont mean you should be making more than min. wage. ifs its demanding but menial labor, your job aint worth much. if its demanding but if its skilled labor as well, your job is worth more.

To say anybody can do it is foolish. I was a bartender and averaged over $200 a night in tips. That was in addition to $8 an hour. Can anybody bartend? Sure. Can anybody remember 10 to 15 orders called out to them at once. Can anybody pull and open around 50 beers a minute. Can anybody remember hundreds of drinks off the top of their head? Can anybody make people feel like they are part of a family to encourage spending? Can anybody handle drunks in the proper manner? No.

I would be willing to bet that most people who you think are deserving of high pay couldn't.

I earned every dime of my money and while other people were going to college putting themselves in debt
I was paying cash for my first house.[/quote]

Don?t go there. You have a legitimate argument and I agree with you, but do not begin comparing the bartending profession with professions directly involving a full accredited college degree. It will not end in your favor.

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: faenix
Either work harder for higher tips or don't work at all.

Stop yer cryin.

hah, i remember a funny piece on npr about tips. they tried sending in two waitresses, each recording what tips they got from tables they were either nice or indifferent to. did'nt really matter. people are set in their ways. they'll tip their standard tip unless they feel they recieved really bad service. one time being too nice was detrimental since i guess if the customer thinks your too happy with your job, why should they reward you if you dont look like your suffering

Something for you guys to think about: there's more to restaurants than the food being served and the waiters serving it. There are cooks, bus boys, hostesses, stockers, etc. The employees that you do see may or may not deserve tip, but what about the people behind the scenes?

they get normal wages. understand that simple difference?

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: Goosemaster
Don?t go there. You have a legitimate argument and I agree with you, but do not begin comparing the bartending profession with professions directly involving a full accredited college degree. It will not end in your favor.

Strippers and bartenders often make a lot more money than people with 'in demand' college degrees.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: Nebor

Originally posted by: Goosemaster
Don?t go there. You have a legitimate argument and I agree with you, but do not begin comparing the bartending profession with professions directly involving a full accredited college degree. It will not end in your favor.

Strippers and bartenders often make a lot more money than people with 'in demand' college degrees.

I agree, but leave it at that.