15%
15% to us is minimum. If we simply asked for your order and gave you your food, that is base minimum. I go out of my way to talk to my customers, make them feel happy. I had a guy once pull me over and tell me that he was in the worst mood ever when he came in, but my actions put a smile on his face.
Some of the things I consider my A service are things like, your drink never gets below the half way mark of your glass, or instead of just getting you a box for that left over salad, you get a nice box with some dressing already in a ready-to-go container with some silverware so you can eat it anywhere.
Parties are one of those times when you HAVE to do more than minimum. You cant be slow, you have to be able to take care of everyone at the same time.
In the waiting business, if you want to make more money you can do two things. You can either learn to handle more tables, or learn to give better service to the ones you can take. I chose option #2. I have to pay bills on this job. That means that even when business is slow, I have to find a way to still manage to live. I know im trying to explain this and none of it will probably get to anyone. Try a waiting job, get a job where you have to wait on people and after a month, you will easily see why 15% just doesnt cut it.
From my last post, that party was my last table of the night. All my other tables had left and I was getting ready to go when I got them. Their ticket said that they stayed at my restaurant for an hour and a half. I barely got any down time during this period and I only got about $9 out of it. That figure out to be about $6 an hour. Does that feel like it was worth the work? Nope. Not to mention the 30 more min I had to spend cleaning up a mess from a party of that size.
Moral: Put yourself im my shoes. See things from my perspective and you will see how A) Hard this job is and B) 15% is the minimum I expect if I actually gave good service.
Some of the things I consider my A service are things like, your drink never gets below the half way mark of your glass, or instead of just getting you a box for that left over salad, you get a nice box with some dressing already in a ready-to-go container with some silverware so you can eat it anywhere.
Parties are one of those times when you HAVE to do more than minimum. You cant be slow, you have to be able to take care of everyone at the same time.
In the waiting business, if you want to make more money you can do two things. You can either learn to handle more tables, or learn to give better service to the ones you can take. I chose option #2. I have to pay bills on this job. That means that even when business is slow, I have to find a way to still manage to live. I know im trying to explain this and none of it will probably get to anyone. Try a waiting job, get a job where you have to wait on people and after a month, you will easily see why 15% just doesnt cut it.
From my last post, that party was my last table of the night. All my other tables had left and I was getting ready to go when I got them. Their ticket said that they stayed at my restaurant for an hour and a half. I barely got any down time during this period and I only got about $9 out of it. That figure out to be about $6 an hour. Does that feel like it was worth the work? Nope. Not to mention the 30 more min I had to spend cleaning up a mess from a party of that size.
Moral: Put yourself im my shoes. See things from my perspective and you will see how A) Hard this job is and B) 15% is the minimum I expect if I actually gave good service.
posted by Peppers waiter at 8:12 AM
7 Comments:
All we have to base on your serving ability is your word on this blog which is obviously skewed.
All of the waiter blogs I have read have the writer coming off as the greatest waiter in the world, which is obviously false.
I think that 15% is perfectly adequate for tipping.
Considering that you already determine your service quality on the race of your customers, I doubt you do an excellent job with each and every customer.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
I am the shit. I wont deny that I think that at my restaurant, Im one of the best. I am constantly training and I get many compliments on how good my service is. I even have regulars that will call the restaurant and if Im not working, they wont come in. so yes, I think I am a great waiter.
If the 15% rule worked, I wouldnt ask for more. I dont think it is fair to try to get a waiter to make you buy more food so they can get a greater tip. Isnt it easier on both parties for me not to push expensive food on you and in exchange for my knowledge of the restaurant and my service, shouldnt I get at least a specific amount? Percentages are such bad way to actually tip.
If you drink $200 worth of wine, is it fair for me to get $30+? Id be happy with $10. On the other hand, if you get a $3 salad, is $0.45 fair that fair to me?
Twenty percent is the new 15, as far as I'm concerned -- what with the cost of living and all. I never tip less than 20% unless the service is absolute crap.
Question - What do you think of the pay that the chefs get and how it compares to the pay a waiter gets considering the amount and type of work each does, the skill / education required, etc.?
chefs get less or more than I do. I know one thats making about $17 but most make like $8. They get paid regardless of how slow it is and they dont have to deal with random customers, just each other. I liked cooking more than waiting tables personally.
That's one of the reasons that I won't wait tables anymore. It's cooking, managing or ownership for me. Screw having to count on customers for my income. It's all related anyways, if there were no customers, then no income, but I'm going to make sure that there's customers, no matter what position that I'm in.
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