-
Idiots guide to dining out and tipping!
- Jun 25, 2009 at 3:02 PM
- By
- Comments (127) Total Views (2797) Everyone can see this journal post.
I'm a waitress in a Flying J restaurant that has a buffet. I get SO frustrated at the way people tip sometimes! I often wonder if it's cheap people or ignorance. I also get very frustrated at the inconsiderate jerks i serve with a smile! So here's a little list of ideas to consider when you are dining out!
First off, waitresses in most states do not make very much where their hourly wage is concerned. Idaho is around $3.35 an hour. Utah is around $2.15 an hour. not exactly going to pay the bills on that! We depend on your tips to make money.
You're $1.00 tip is NOT a good tip. Unless all you got was a soda, or coffee or something. It's especially not a good tip when you ordered a steak dinner, had 5 refills and ordered dessert. It's not even a good tip if you had the buffet! A good tip is around 15% of the total of your bill. Or $2 dollars per person. I consider either way pretty fair. Something you may not know: I have to claim at least 10% of my sales and pay taxes on that. Those tips you leave me are NOT under the table, so to speak....
Which brings me to my next point. BUFFET. My restaurant has both a menu and a buffet. People seem to be under the impression that if they have to get up and get their own food, they dont have to tip. NEWS FLASH! I make MORE trips to your table and have MORE cleanup afterwards if you have buffet. You generally use 4-5 plates compared to one or two had you ordered off the menu.
HIGH MAINTENANCE tables. You are high maintenance if you have more than 6 or so people. If everyone orders at different times. If you change your mind of your order after it is put in or if it takes you 10 minutes to tell me your order. If you are a grouch. If your kids leave huge messes. If YOU leave huge messes. (It's unbelievable how messy grown adults can be...) If you ask me 4 different times to get you something else (extra mayo, another fork because you dropped yours, 3 cups of ranch to dip your fries in, etc etc etc) Among other things. Your $1.00 tip is SO not worth the time and effort i put into your table!
KIDS. They get their own category. I love seeing kids come in. They brighten the day. Usually. I realize kids make messes. It's a given. But it really isn't nice of you to let your child smear syrup or jam or ketchup all over the seats, windows and tables then leave it for me to clean up. I expect a mess with kids, but i really appreciate it when parents make an effort to clean up their heathens mess. At least try to get all the food back on plates, an off the floor preferably. And dont be afraid to ask for extra napkins, or even a wet towel. And PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not let your children run around the restaurant! It is DANGEROUS! Do you realize how heavy the trays of food we're carrying around are, and how much that would hurt if it landed on your out of control child's head? Or how hot that pot of coffee would be if it spilled on your kid or anyone else? Just keep your kid contained! If that's too much to ask, maybe you should wait til they are a little older to eat out!
I'M NOT THE COOK! As soon as i put that order in the computer, it's pretty much out of my hands. It's not my fault if it takes forever, it's not my fault if it doesn't taste right, it's not my fault if it's not cooked right (I cant tell if that steak is medium or medium well just from looking at it, seriously). I will do whatever i can to correct any mistake of food preparation or whatnot, but i DID NOT COOK THAT! I just brought it to you! **Of course, this doesn't include server mistakes like forgetting to put an order in, leaving food in the window too long and it gets cold, putting in the wrong food, etc. I really hope most servers are honest enough to inform their customers of their mistakes.** On a related note, it's not my fault if you order something and dont like it. If the food is prepared correctly, there's not much i can do about the fact that you dont like whatever it is you told me you wanted. I dont know you, i dont know what you like an dislike! As mentioned before, i will do what i can to get you something you want to eat, but you should consider reading the menu descriptions a little better and see that there are mushrooms in that dinner!! PLEASE dont base your tip on the the food quality. You're not tipping the cook, you are tipping your server that is trying to help you.
BUSY RESTAURANTS. If you can see that it is a busy time of day, or the place is short staffed (or both....) and i am literally RUNNING to keep up, please try to be understanding! I realize you came out to eat and dont want to wait, but i will get to you as SOON as i can, i promise! Please dont stiff me because it took me a minute to bring you your dang ketchup!
COMPLAINTS. If you have a complaint, please take it up with your waitress first. It's really annoying when you go straight to my manager and i hear about it later when i had NO idea there was any problem. Like i said before, if you have a problem, i will do what i can to fix it!
CANT AFFORD TO TIP. Yeah whatever. I realize the economy isn't that great right now and people dont have as much money. But if you are going to eat out, include the tip in your budget! Maybe order something a little less expensive and tip decent! Or if you really cant afford the extra $5 bucks for a tip, maybe you should go to McDonalds instead... I'm in the same economy as you are, and this is how i make my money! I love my job, but i dont really do it just as a public service!
So there's a few tips on eating out. Again, i really do love my job for the most part. It's just a few inconsiderate jerks that make me kind of cynical! Most of the time people tip decent and make it worth my time, it's the ignorant people that apparently dont appreciate what i am actually doing for them that irritate me!
*NOTE* This is all based on the assumed fact that your server is gracious, courteous, prompt, friendly, and knows her job. I realize there are terrible servers out there to which all of these suggestions dont really apply!
OH! And one last thing! If you had an outstanding server and really enjoyed your dining experience, PLEASE let that server know! We LOVE to hear good feedback, and know we are making people happy!
Forgot one little tip! TEENAGERS! Parents, PLEASE teach them how to tip too! I love waiting on tables of teens. Generally they are a lot of fun! But as much fun as they are, their 15 milkshakes they like to order take FOR. EV. ER. to make and throw off my whole routine. Not quite worth the $3 bucks i get from 20 kids..... And i assume it's because they dont really know any better because when the teens i work with come in with their friends, they tip normal. ??
Comments:
I agree with your post :) although calling children heathens and out of control if they took a run in a restaurant could have been a little different. Kids are kids and sometimes things like that happen. However yeah if a kid is sprinting around the place that is a little different... but little things happen all the time like that! my daughter is 3 and I tell her we wont go out to eat unless she cleans up her own mess. After saying that she is such a blessing to go out to eat with and she will sit there and pick up ALL her things!! i have never been a waitress but I dont like leaving a mess on the table AT ALL. I try to stack all the plates and get all the trash together. Every little gesture helps I do know that! IT was good to hear from the inside instead of the outside.. with the complaints however you are the first person the people can complain to and I dont think that will ever change. I work in retail and people contstantly are screaming at me about our store policy like I made it! It drives me crazy but I think that is unchangeable! Anyway, I hope you start getting better tips!! I cant imagine someone leaving a Dollar tip anyway!! goodness!! good luck!
This is a great post! Thank you. While I have never been a waitress, many members of my family have. Here are a few more things that DH and I do when it comes to tipping.
As a rule, we always tip 20%. If the service was good, we round up, if just ok, we round down. If the service was stellar, we take it right to the manager with a compliment.
One suggestion if the service was really poor. Take a good look at what the problem was. Was it really the waiter's fault, or was it a problem elsewhere. If it is the waiter's fault, try to work it out with the waiter. A little advice. Don't tip "low" if the service was bad and don't just not tip. The waiter can easily dismiss this for bad math skills or forgetfulness. In talking with my family, all the waiters agree that a $1 tip is a slam. Basically meaning, yes I realize I'm supposed to tip, but you sucked. I have only personally done that once.
Another thing to look at as far as the $1 tip. Look at the age of the diner. My grandfather has always tipped $1. When you asked him about it, he would tell you that he had tipped $1 from the very first time he ever paid his own bill, in 1922. I'm sure back then it was a decent tip. If any of the family was with him, we would always let him leave his $1 then escort him out. Then one of us would go back and leave a proper tip. I know, though, that when he was alone or just with my grandma, the waiter only got $1. Have a little heart and consideration for the older generation in that case.
We always tip at least 20 percent. If the service was top notch of course we tip more. But even if the service was not great, the 20 percent may help make their day a little brighter. The wait staff catch the brunt of complaints and usually make a dining experience very enjoyable. And yes we still gather our plates and make sure we don't have food in the seats.
I really do understand with the older generations and their $1 dollar tips! In those cases, i actually take it as a compliment!
And i do stick by my "heathen and out of control children" thing. I happen to have a devil spawn child of my OWN. But i still manage to keep him in the booth or at the table, relatively quiet, and clean up his mess. I understand kids will be kids, but you wouldn't believe the things parents let their kids do i a restaurant! It'd be different if a kid just managed to sneak away and tried running around and the parent was right after them. But when they get their kids out of their high chair, set them down, and proceed to "not notice" the kid is running through the restaurant, thats "out of control"!
I loved the post and I voted up :)
i wonder if every server is as angry as these posts when i go to a restaurant. i don't like even going because it seems like (especially because i have a 2 year old) you guys are so upset and frustrated before i even order!!
i didn't know that about tipping for a buffet. i mean i would tip the bus boy but i didn't tip 20%, figured no one took my order. maybe someone should post a sign so customers know.
i suppose i'll stick to drive thrus! (honestly i wish they would pay you guys living wages and then quit the tipping crap period. on all levels. i always feel cheap when i tip even though it's always 20%. )
I've actually swatted my child asked for a doggie bag and walked out AFTER I pay the bill clean up and leave a decent tip for the inconvience. People let their kids actually smear syrup and jam all over?
I'm doing cartwheels over this post! As a former waiter myself, I bow down to you. LOL
Well said! I did my 8 years & F&B. Hard time.
Already a member? Click here to log in
Hot Topics
- • Society Needs a Big Fat Reality Check
- • Would You Let Your Kids Play in a Parked Car?
- • NYC Plans to Ban Large Sugary Drinks
-
Featured Member Group
First Time MomsIf you are a new mom or pregnant with your first, join us to talk everything baby-related!
great post I agree with you but look out your going to get bashed. lol
- mcqueenmom
Message Friend Invite