people who ***** about tipping are scum?

[Redwoood]



The thought would be that the server at the higher-end, nicer restaurant is a better server, more qualified with food and wine knowledge, experience, etc etc etc. But that rarely translates into actual reality.

This has been my experience as well. There are excellent waiters/servers at lower-end and mediocre ones at higher-end restaurants.
The same line of thought makes we wonder whether the waiter works harder to serve me a tenderloin steak than when serving a pasta dish ( at 1/3 the price) at the same restaurant.

A system where waiters are paid below minimum wage is inherently wrong, no matter how you look at it.
I tip the way "you're supposed to" but have always felt weird about the whole arrangement. I'd rather restaurants charged more and paid their staff a decent wage, leaving me to reward outstanding service, rather than having to subsidize by-default the meager pay they get.

Out of curiosity, for those who have worked in this industry, how much time does it take to take care of a party of 4, let's say? Including taking orders, co-ordinating with the kitchen (if necessary), preparing the bill, etc.

 

[Neo_Version 7]



She will sue you for the look of lust in your eyes..

Is it so much to ask for a server with a tight butt, a nice chest, and doesn't give me a stern look when I don't leave a tip?

 

[idfnl]



Out of curiosity, for those who have worked in this industry, how much time does it take to take care of a party of 4, let's say? Including taking orders, co-ordinating with the kitchen (if necessary), preparing the bill, etc.

Party of 4 in a nice place? About 20 dedicated minutes. Sounds like nothing, I know. Its not.

In a shithole restaurant? 5 mins.

 

[kwilkinson]



My last year as a waiter was 1995 or 6. I made 60k that year. Its not much money. Stress? Late nights? No benefits? Problems getting loans from tip wages? Really man, its a ****** job that most would rather take the lower paying job. BUT, its the kind of job that if you hustle you can do well.

Best night I ever had was NYears eve 1994, $700 bucks in 1 night.

You want to complain about pay? There are bartenders out there making over 100k easy, many more. To pour a ******* drink? Serve a beer? Now thats bullshit.

You made 60k as a waiter in 95? WTF? You were ******* balling man. I worked at one of the most famous restaurants "for service" in the ******* country and the servers made 20k.

 

[lasbar]



You made 60k as a waiter in 95? WTF? You were ******* balling man. I worked at one of the most famous restaurants "for service" in the ******* country and the servers made 20k.

He was doing extras I'm sure...

 

[mr.orange]



i am nto complaining, not do i ***** baout alot i simply explaining why i think the over 10% is absurd. all jobs have stress, many jobs have late nights all those do nto jsutify a more than 40k salary

the barternters i tip have to do more than pour drinks they have ot make them and not **** them up (which is harder than it sounds).

Being nice to bad customer is harder than it looks too.

All jobs have stress but, I think the point the guy's trying to make is; waiters/waitresses make such a meager amount per hour and they depend on tips as their main source of income.

Also you have to remeber that for most people, getting a different job is somewhat difficult. I'm not saying you should tip more beacause you feel sorry for these poor souls, just that you should be more sympathetic towards their situation.

 

[idfnl]



You made 60k as a waiter in 95? WTF? You were ******* balling man. I worked at one of the most famous restaurants "for service" in the ******* country and the servers made 20k.

No way man, 20k? Shhiiiiiiit.

Yep, I could have made more but chose to only work 5 nights a week. It was more than I could have made at most entry level jobs. In fact, when I finally stopped waiting I took less money for the office job.

Problem being a waiter is that in 20 years you'll still be making 60k. In fact, I have an uncle that worked at DC's most famous restaurant in the 70's Le Leon d'Or, he swears in the early 70's he was making 50k!!!! His rent was $150 a month. Put that in context! It enabled him to open his own place where he ended up making millions. I worked at his place for a few years and made bank. Everyone made bank there.

His story aside, its not a career.

 

[kwilkinson]



No way man, 20k? Shhiiiiiiit.

Yep, I could have made more but chose to only work 5 nights a week. It was more than I could have made at most entry level jobs. In fact, when I finally stopped waiting I took less money for the office job.

Problem being a waiter is that in 20 years you'll still be making 60k. In fact, I have an uncle that worked at DC's most famous restaurant in the 70's Le Leon d'Or, he swears in the early 70's he was making 50k!!!! His rent was $150 a month. Put that in context! It enabled him to open his own place where he ended up making millions. I worked at his place for a few years and made bank. Everyone made bank there.

His story aside, its not a career.

Well, for me it is.

The place I worked at had a service charge with every meal, whether a single diner, a four-top, or a wedding reception. That paid our service staff wages. People would often tip above the service charge, because we were ******* badass professionals, but none of us have any idea where that money actually went, because it certainly wasn't our checks.

 

[Prada_Ferragamo]



last time i went to chili's they charged me an extra $30. anything is possible.

Did you go back and ask why you were charged the money. The ones that I worked with have never even contemplating doing ever when they received no tip after giving decent service to customers.

 

[scarphe]



Being nice to bad customer is harder than it looks too.

All jobs have stress but, I think the point the guy's trying to make is; waiters/waitresses make such a meager amount per hour and they depend on tips as their main source of income.

Also you have to remeber that for most people, getting a different job is somewhat difficult. I'm not saying you should tip more beacause you feel sorry for these poor souls, just that you should be more sympathetic towards their situation.

i am not sympathetic to the guy that give service in a fast food place? and he has as much stress and has to deal with horrible costumers as well no? but is the guy going argue they should make 40k a year as well? as it not that much.

 

[Redwoood]



Party of 4 in a nice place? About 20 dedicated minutes. Sounds like nothing, I know. Its not.

In a shithole restaurant? 5 mins.

Hmm 20 minutes?
ok, so what's a fair wage for a job like this with little to no required education etc? I'd say $30/hr is quite healthy.
At 20 minutes, this party of 4 should tip $10 then? At the normal 20% rate, that would translate into a $50 bill or $12.50 per patron. Doesn't sound like such upscale-place prices... Now, of course, there is some down-time. So let's say waiters are 50% utilized. Still that translates into $25 per person, again nothing terribly up-scale. And that would imply the restaurant doesn't pay the waiters at all, when it could be argued that it's the management's task to maximize the utilization of its staff and then compensate them when they fail to do so.

Somehow the economics of this thread are confusing. On the one hand, people are complaining about getting paid very little at upscale places, on the other hand, our little math shows that even mid-tier prices should translate into a very comfy income.

 

[Prada_Ferragamo]



Let's hear the stereotypes.

Since you asked, I'll give it to you. This is just my experience. Starting from the worst
Majority of African Americans (not Africans)/Chinese fobs
Foreigner visitors/Mexicans/Kids/People who try to squeeze the most out of coupons
Trashy people(ie: guys who show up in tank tops/wife beaters)/Indians

The best: White people/professionals/women/teh gheys (got hit on several occasions).

 

[scarphe]



Having done both jobs, I can assure you 1000% that a waiter's job is much harder than a bartender. Barternding is easy.

still a quality bartender is rarer than anything i have seen. i would go for a 1:20 ratio minimum 1 good out there for every 20 supposed ones.

 

[idfnl]



Well, for me it is.

The place I worked at had a service charge with every meal, whether a single diner, a four-top, or a wedding reception. That paid our service staff wages. People would often tip above the service charge, because we were ******* badass professionals, but none of us have any idea where that money actually went, because it certainly wasn't our checks.

Well man, I can promise you this: YOUR money was being stolen by the owners.

I worked in a restaurant called Parioli in Bethesda, MD for 1 week. We never got our money at the end of the night, strange. When I got paid 3 days later it didnt seem right. So I kept and exact count, and I questioned the managers on what the breakdown was (they were uncomfortable). After 2 days and simple math I realized my money was being stolen at a rate of about 30%. When confronted they CLAIMED we were being paid by pooling tips. Bullshit. The managers drove porches and were partying with coke at night clubs with the hostesses. With our money.

 

[scarphe]



Hmm 20 minutes?
ok, so what's a fair wage for a job like this with little to no required education etc? I'd say $30/hr is quite healthy.
At 20 minutes, this party of 4 should tip $10 then? At the normal 20% rate, that would translate into a $50 bill or $12.50 per patron. Doesn't sound like such upscale-place prices... Now, of course, there is some down-time. So let's say waiters are 50% utilized. Still that translates into $25 per person, again nothing terribly up-scale. And that would imply the restaurant doesn't pay the waiters at all, when it could be argued that it's the management's task to maximize the utilization of its staff and then compensate them when they fail to do so.

Somehow the economics of this thread are confusing. On the one hand, people are complaining about getting paid very little at upscale places, on the other hand, our little math shows that even mid-tier prices should translate into a very comfy income.

this is what i am trying to say. the wages given shows that these people are probably greatly overpaid not under paid.