Tips for tips: advice on being a server

[dickey1331]

Re: Tips for tips: advice on being a server

I usually tip 15-20% depending on service. Usually never below at least a $5 tip regardless how little the dinner was. I was always taught dont **** with the people who handle your food.

As for a tip, if you keep my drink refilled then you will make me happy.

[jyoung]

Re: Tips for tips: advice on being a server

Try to situate yourself somewhere that has a controlled climate in the 60-70 degree range.

Avoid dusty areas.

Reset yourself every so often to ensure things continue to run smoothly.

[slickdtc]

Re: Tips for tips: advice on being a server

I'm not saying not to tip at all I know they rely on tips. My whole thing goes back to the math I did earlier. Four tables an hour. $6 tip per table. Four hours a night. Five days a week. That is $480 for 20 hours of work. That is my low estimate since there will be tables that leave $10+. Which the person earlier saying $10 is a bad table is just flat out ridiculous.

Im only a bad tipper at restaurants. Its totally different at a bar where you are pretty much placing an order for each drink you get.

The tips fluctuate, and it's not always fully busy in the restaurant (weekdays) or if I'm just working lunch. I'm not going to be running 4 tables at the same time every hour of every night, and get a decent tip from all of them too. Most weekdays are slow and I'll be walking out with anywhere from 20-50 bucks for 4 or 5 (or more) hours of work. It's the weekends that make up the majority of money I'll be making. I'll probably be making 75% of the money in a week on Friday/Saturday/Sunday. Yeah, those days I'll be pocketing $100+ sometimes in just a 5-9 shift. Or it can be a dud, and I'm there 5pm-2am and make $60.

That's the whole point of serving. You can make a lot of money quickly sometimes. But it's not like that every night.

[C the Lyte]

Re: Tips for tips: advice on being a server

Everyone should work in a restaurant at least once for a few months. You see and experience things that some outsiders will never know. Changes your perspective on a lot of things in the food industry and how you treat those people.

[cjonesfan921]

Re: Tips for tips: advice on being a server

Everyone should work in a restaurant at least once for a few months. You see and experience things that some outsiders will never know. Changes your perspective on a lot of things in the food industry and how you treat those people.

I pushed carts for 2.5 years, through 3 winters.

[C the Lyte]

Re: Tips for tips: advice on being a server

Did the carts get mad when you gave them a glass of water that had 12 cubes of ice instead of 16?

[cjonesfan921]

Re: Tips for tips: advice on being a server

Did the carts get mad when you gave them a glass of water that had 12 cubes of ice instead of 16?

I was a waiter before as well, and it's not even comparable.

[NYJets]

Re: Tips for tips: advice on being a server

Yea I mean there are a lot of ****ty jobs out there where you have to deal with *******s and put up with a lot of crap. I always tip well and always will unless the server flat out did not even try. But lets go easy with this "outsiders don't know what we go through," "or servers need the money more than you do stuff."

[Buckeyes_Doc]

Re: Tips for tips: advice on being a server

Everyone should work in a restaurant at least once for a few months. You see and experience things that some outsiders will never know. Changes your perspective on a lot of things in the food industry and how you treat those people.

You can say the same thing for almost every other industry.

[st67]

Re: Tips for tips: advice on being a server

You can say the same thing for almost every other industry.

Pretty much.

Waiters seem to love to toss the whole thing in people's faces for some reason.

[C the Lyte]

Re: Tips for tips: advice on being a server

You can say the same thing for almost every other industry.

Not really. Customer service type jobs just have that added element. That's all I'm getting at.

[chilli311]

Re: Tips for tips: advice on being a server

Alright, a few more suggestions that I thought may help.

1) Before you go to the manager with a problem, think about how they can help, instead of just passing the buck to them. It will take some time to see how different managers handle situations, but when it's busy, and a table has an issue, the managers appreciate a server who can think of a solution rather than just hand them a problem. Instead of saying, "Table 6 is upset. Their food took too long" Try, "Hey, table 6's food took 20 minutes too long, and came out cold. I already have the kitchen remaking it, but I think we should buy them dessert too."

2) Don't worry if you get a small tip on a large check. A server who is worth their weight will make it up with their other tables. If everyone is tipping low though, you might want to evaluate what you're doing.

3) If you have friends come in, and your section is full, don't vouch for them to another server unless you really know them. I had some acquaintances come in once, but I wasn't taking tables at the time, so I passed them to another server, and said they were cool. They treated him like crap, and stiffed him on the tip. When I heard, I tipped the other server from my pocket, and told off my "friends".

[slickdtc]

Re: Tips for tips: advice on being a server

Worked my first shift by myself today (trained every day of the past week). Just a slow lunch to ease into it, but I'm already feeling comfortable in some things and recognizing my weaknesses. Stupid things like leaving straws when dropping off the drinks!

The guests have been kind to me. Had a problem table when I was being shadowed, they bitched about drink & food but didn't take us up on remaking them. It was good to see what to do in that situation, first-hand.

Just made like 40$ in essentially 2, 2.5 hours of actual work. Better then making that much in 4-5 hours in a hot as hell pizza shop!

[Brandwin]

So if I got to a place and get a $25 steak I should tip more than if I got a $10 burger, even though the service is the same? Why should I tip more because the food cost more?

I go in with an amount in going to tip and it increases or decrease on the service I get.

[dickey1331]

Re: Tips for tips: advice on being a server

So if I got to a place and get a $25 steak I should tip more than if I got a $10 burger, even though the service is the same? Why should I tip more because the food cost more?

I go in with an amount in going to tip and it increases or decrease on the service I get.

I tip 15-20% depending on price so yes a $25 steak will have a larger tip then a $10 burger if they were equal service but I usually never tip below $5