From 1. Avoid eating out on holidays and Saturday nights. The sheer volume of customers guarantees that most kitchens will be pushed beyond their ability to produce a high-quality dish.
2. There are almost never any sick days in the restaurant business. A busboy with a kid to support isn't going to stay home and miss out on $100 because he's got strep throat. And these are the people handling your food.
3. When customers' dissatisfaction devolves into personal attacks, adulterating food or drink is a convenient way for servers to exact covert vengeance. Waiters can and do spit in people's food.
4. Never say "I'm friends with the owner." Restaurant owners don't have friends. This marks you as a clueless poseur the moment you walk in the door.
5. Treat others as you want to be treated. (Yes, people need to be reminded of this.)
6. Don't snap your fingers to get our attention. Remember, we have shears that cut through bone in the kitchen.
7. Don't order meals that aren't on the menu. You're forcing the chef to cook something he doesn't make on a regular basis. If he makes the same entrée 10,000 times a month, the odds are good that the dish will be a home run every time.
8. Splitting entrées is okay, but don't ask for water, lemon, and sugar so you can make your own lemonade. What's next, grapes so you can press your own wine?
9. If you find a waiter you like, always ask to be seated in his or her section. Tell all your friends so they'll start asking for that server as well. You've just made that waiter look indispensable to the owner. The server will be grateful and take good care of you.
10. If you can't afford to leave a tip, you can't afford to eat in the restaurant. Servers could be giving 20 to 40 percent to the busboys, bartenders, maître d', or hostess.
11. Always examine the check. Sometimes large parties are unaware that a gratuity has been added to the bill, so they tip on top of it. Waiters "facilitate" this error. It's dishonest, it's wrong-and I did it all the time.
12. If you want to hang out, that's fine. But increase the tip to make up for money the server would have made if he or she had had another seating at that table.
13. Never, ever come in 15 minutes before closing time. The cooks are tired and will cook your dinner right away. So while you're chitchatting over salads, your entrées will be languishing under the heat lamp while the dishwasher is spraying industrial-strength, carcinogenic cleaning solvents in their immediate vicinity.
I have worked in a restaurant for three years. Some of these things are true, but not for every place. Some places have integrity and truly want you to have a wonderful dining experience. Bottom line, we are humans too and want to be treated with respect, just as you do. Waiting tables is challening physically and mentally, and we still make $2.13 an hour! If you can't tip, don't go out! So next time you go eat just treat your server with respect and you will be too!
Very enlightening article! Very down-to-earth and true. May I make a comment about the annoying wait person who asks if you need change when you're paying the bill?
In the December article about secrets waiters won't tell you there is a section about customer stereotypes titled "Surefire Stereotypes". In that section the last point wonders why corporate women do not tip as high as corporate men tip. I was just wondering if they were aware that even in the year 2009 women are still not paid as high as men are in their professions. This would mean that less funds are available for tips right off the bat!
My brother-in-law is a waiter and has raved about the book Waiter Rant. After listening to him and reading your December article, I am disgusted. What dismisses waitstaff from behaving as professionals? Why should consumers who pay hard-earned money to eat in your establishments have to worry about retaliation tactics for asking too many questions, requesting water, or returning something not prepared well? It is your job/profession. Do it as best you can or choose a new profession.
If you treat me rudely, tip poorly and allow your children to make a huge mess, I WILL tell all of my coworkers and point you out. After that point, you can forget about getting good service in my restaurant. Why is it that the Golden Rule ceases to apply in the minds of some people when it applies to workers in the service industry?
One thing to remember is that we need to be sure that we are treating others like we want to be treated. Yes, it is our job as servers to serve you, but it is a lot better for us if you make that easier instead of more difficult. We'll like you better and you'll get better service. Just saying. If you are going to make our job harder, you better be prepared to tip well. Biggest pet peeve: going up to a table and asking them how they are doing (I DO care) and them just saying: Coke.
When I come to your table to take your order, and 2 or more of you are on a cell phones, you ignore me or give me the "just a minute" when I have other customers to wait on and food to be delivered, please be considerate of me too, I also have a job to do, and I might get back to you to take your order...maybe
When I come to your table to take your order, and 2 or more of you are on a cell phones, you ignore me or give me the "just a minute" when I have other customers to wait on and food to be delivered, please be considerate of me too, I also have a job to do, and I might get back to you to take your order...maybe
Of all the jobs in the service industry, waiters and waitresses probably have about the roughest. I think it takes a special person to be a good waiter/waitress. With that being said, since most are not special people, most are in the wrong profession. If you can't provided quality service in spite of the customer, it's time to get out.
Hey Robert....not every server behaves in this manner, there were some critically disgusting comments and those servers should retire and get out of the food service ind. I would never damage another persons food, even thought there are real freak jerks who should stay the heck home...thank you!!! We are not dogs, don't treat us like one, because chances are.... you will get what you dispense, poor attitude!!!! whoof whoof!!!!!
Like Jim Sheehan, I look for unusual candidates for my IT firm, ArcSource, in Berkeley, California. I picked the resume of one of our best staff members because he served as a waiter for years. He has excellent insights into how to improve customer service and constantly finds new ways to listen to our clients.
Servers, if you don't like your job, leave. Seriously. You and I would be better off. After reading this list, it seems like poor service is basically is tantamount to a threat. 'If you don't do 'x', you get poor service.' Again, it is your job. While we all deal w/jerks, I feel an ethical responsibility to myself and others to do my job, regardless. Others would benefit from this attitude and, believe it or not, you would too. Good service isn't up to the patron, it is up to you.
Realize that as servers we have many duties besides just take an order and deliver the food. We have more than just one person we are caring for. While we try to make each of you feel like your the only person or table of concern, we are doing the same for others as well. We have 2 feet and 2 arms and can only be in one place at a time. Also In Tennessee the wages are 2.13 + tips. Tip pools is based on sales not actual tips- If you don't tip we still have to pay that in out of our pockets.
Faith - I think Johnny Carson probably ate a lot of bodily fluids during his lifetime. You probably do, too. May I refer you to #5??
I was absolutely shocked to read #10. With all those people on the customer's payroll why aren't the cooks, dishwashers, floor cleaners and the owner included? After all, they are all working to make it possible to serve up drinks and meals. A tip is for good service. Johnny Carson never tipped, believing that paying the waitstaff was the restaurant owner's responsibility. I wholeheartedly agree
I entirely agree w/ #10 but many people r still unaware that 15% gratuity is the MINIMUM. If u thought ur service was great then y not show it by giving a bit xtra. Many are verbal tippers, in the end ur not doing ur server any good if he/she can not pay their bills. Take into account how much time u spent at that table, how many things u asked for, and just the service in general to estimate the tip. Remember tips are shared w/ other employees such as bus boys, bar, and host.
Andrea, Americans don't tip Europeans because gratuity is included, u r paid appropriately. American servers make anywhere from 1/3 of minimum wage to minimum wage. The nature of the job is such that noone would do it if they were not making way more than that in tips. Theres no way in hell any1 would b a server if they could work in retail and make the same kind of money. Tipping in America is important, and we r happy with 15-20%. It is the incentive of a tip that causes a server to care 4 u.
DJ, I bet u don't frequent the same restaurants very often, because if u do they will recognize u and treat u accordingly. The incentive of a tip is the only reason servers pretend to give a crap about most of the people we serve. U r not our guest at a dinner party. By serving u, we r doing our JOB, and expect to get paid. Even if u r not worried about bad service becuz u don't tip, u should be worried about all the negative energy & curses that r being thrown at u as u walk out the door.
lyn, have you ever been to the same restaurant twice, well i you haven't I wouldn't start now, they ONLY money servers take home is their tips, they make 2.13 an hour which is entirely taken or taxes. Plus, with you coming in and being a greedy, obnoxious b*tch they have to also pay taxes on the food you ate, so they are going to work to lose money. And...we do talk to each other, have an outstanding memory and take it out on your meal
also, some servers do NOT get paid. In larger cities, not only do they not follow labor laws(aka NYC) and we don't get paid hourly, but our tips are then pooled. So, we get even less to take home. Kevin and Kitty, you said it all right there.