All Forums | General Discussion

Do any of you work in retail and/or are a server at a restaurant and how do you like it?

...
Participants:
Search
Views: 3432
Posts: 93
 
Banned
Participation Meter
Joined: Sep, 2006
Posts: 28221
Posted: #26
Quote Originally Posted by ad1260:

I was a server at a steakhouse for 2 years right after college. Decent gig because my managers were awesome and my coworkers were generally pretty cool (as many of you know the service industry is full of felons/druggies/alcoholics, etc. which actually made for a pretty chill atmosphere). My bills were relatively minimal at the time but I couldn't imagine LIVING off of the wages for any real length of time. As for the money, it was decent. Definitely not great but a hell of a lot better than making minimum wage. For example, in a week if you worked 5 nights (always Friday/Saturday/Sunday night) and 2 others during the week….you would average between 400-500 bucks a week. Which puts minimum wage to shame not to mention you would accrue this in probably 30-35 hours a week max. 

The most difficult thing was managing your money. As many of you know and because of the substance abuse problems that I mentioned above, many of your fellow coworkers would want to go grab some drinks after the majority of your shifts. Especially on Friday and Saturday nights when you had 100-150 bucks in your pocket after 5-6 hours of work. SO if you could manage to avoid doing that the majority of the time then you could actually save a little money. Waiting tables is the epitome of grinding---it's eerily similar to sports betting/poker. 

Another big problem with waiting tables for a living is that it's actually pretty seasonal. For instance, in the summer time business is SLOW. Kids are out of school, families are on vacation, it's warm outside so families are grilling, etc. In the winter---it's $$$ time. Holiday parties, nasty weather, big family get togethers, etc. The spring and fall are sort of just "steady". 

Also, the hours flat-out suck. It's awful having to wait around all day to go into work at 4 or 5 in the evening. Then getting home at 11-12 (assuming you don't go out for drinks) sucks. Then you are running around on your feet all night so when you get off/get home it takes a couple of hours to "wind down" because usually your adrenaline is running pretty high. Then if you work lunches, it generally sucks because the money is a fraction of what you make at dinner. 

It's a great job for high school and college kids. I also worked with a ton of people that had "regular day jobs" but waited tables in the evening to earn extra cash…these people usually had a few kids/probably made a few poor decisions in their lives thus causing them to HAVE to wait tables at night 3 nights a week. I will say this, very few people (at least at the restaurant I worked at) actually were steady adults that this was their career job. Most people that worked with me were in some kind of transition phase in their lives. Like I was fresh out of college and looking for a teaching gig but couldn't find one so now I actually work for AT&T. However, I still have my job at the restaurant and work there on a "pick up shifts basis". Meaning, I'm never scheduled week to week and I might just pick up a shift once a month for some gas money…because in all honesty it's kind of a fun job in moderation. 

Also, you have to get over getting stiffed quickly. You have to get it out of your mind instantly because if you dwell on it, it'll ruin your night and you'll just be pissy the rest of your shift. I've been stiffed on checks everywhere from $20 to $250….for no particular reason. Just gotta get over it and keep trucking because it's just a part of the business. I would say it's like getting moosed in sports betting (Oregon and Michigan State backers last night know what I'm talking about)….it's a sick beat but you gotta clear your head immediately and not let it linger because if you don't, you are gonna burn your bankroll. 

I didn't proofread any of this so I hope it all makes sense. 

BOL to all and GL to everyone betting the tournament this weekend and cheers to Opening Day on the horizon! 



Well you just highlighted two more reasons I would never want to be a server (that is, as a living, as a college high school kid it's probably pretty good as you noted): getting stiffed and the hours.

And when you said "Thursday,Friday,Saturday nights" I cringed. If not for those last two nights in my life, I don't know how I'd have piece of mind. 

Good read your post was.
 
Banned
Participation Meter
Joined: Sep, 2006
Posts: 28221
Posted: #27
Quote Originally Posted by TheGoldenGoose:


Good read.  Joseph Williams will find his back up the ladder.  He's too talented a writer not to get back.  I hope he has learned to stay off facebook and twitter.  Nothing but trouble in your occupation Joe.

I used to watch him on several political talk shows.

He disappeared and then he pops up in the Atlantic as a floor worker at Modell's asking for people's shoe sizes.

Such is life...
 
Legend
Participation Meter
Joined: Oct, 2003
Posts: 38234
Posted: #28
 Like some of you here, I worked as a busboy at 14yo up til 17. On most Friday & Saturday nights I would walk out with about $50-60 in cash tips..........not bad back in the mid-70's (although we only made something like $2.10/hr.......money was in the tips.....the paycheck was a bonus)..........& you got a free meal before the shift. It made for long days during HS sports though......getting up at 6am for school, going to school all day, turnout after school then work til 10 or 12 at night. Rinse, repeat. But when you're young it aint bad. I felt rich as a HS kid. I ended up moving on to be a Waiter in the same place for about a year, but after getting through HS I knew I couldn't do this forever. There's a different kind of pressure when you're doing it for spending money vs. doing it for a living.
 I'm thankful to have been where I'm at for many years now. Sometimes it takes reading an article like this one to remind me of that. I seriously doubt I could handle a situation like that at my age. I give the guy credit for not folding up his tent.
 
Banned
Participation Meter
Joined: Sep, 2006
Posts: 28221
Posted: #29
Quote Originally Posted by THEMUGG:

 Like some of you here, I worked as a busboy at 14yo up til 17. On most Friday & Saturday nights I would walk out with about $50-60 in cash tips..........not bad back in the mid-70's (although we only made something like $2.10/hr.......money was in the tips.....the paycheck was a bonus)..........& you got a free meal before the shift. It made for long days during HS sports though......getting up at 6am for school, going to school all day, turnout after school then work til 10 or 12 at night. Rinse, repeat. But when you're young it aint bad. I felt rich as a HS kid. I ended up moving on to be a Waiter in the same place for about a year, but after getting through HS I knew I couldn't do this forever. There's a different kind of pressure when you're doing it for spending money vs. doing it for a living.
 I'm thankful to have been where I'm at for many years now. Sometimes it takes reading an article like this one to remind me of that. I seriously doubt I could handle a situation like that at my age. I give the guy credit for not folding up his tent.

I see this all the time: young kids having a blast as servers.

And then....then you age. And being a server at 40 doesn't cut it anymore.

I feel for older servers because I know most would rather be doing something else.

If you are a server at 45 and it pays your bills and you're happy? More power to you. 

But I can't imagine such a state represents the majority of older servers.
 
Veteran
Participation Meter
Joined: May, 2010
Posts: 3158
Posted: #30
Quote Originally Posted by scalabrine:


I see this all the time: young kids having a blast as servers.

And then....then you age. And being a server at 40 doesn't cut it anymore.

I feel for older servers because I know most would rather be doing something else.

If you are a server at 45 and it pays your bills and you're happy? More power to you. 

But I can't imagine such a state represents the majority of older servers.


That is a very enlightened attitude... Kudos to you...

I look forward to a day when a person is not judged by their job. I drove a reach-lift for a while. Loved the job, and if it had payed decent I would still be there. When I was 16 I was a "sanitation engineer" for a summer. I actually did not mind the job.

Not everyone wants to be the CEO. Not everyone wants to be in charge. I prefer a job where I am not the one in charge, and if the boss is not little Hitler and tells me what he/she wants done I am happy.

Some like stress and lime light and some of us don't need or want it... Self satisfaction is its own reward...
 
Captain
Participation Meter
Joined: Nov, 2009
Posts: 5761
Posted: #31
Quote Originally Posted by Knoxpoker:


Hey Wall you are right all the except that now the pay is awful anim d the kids that do it are as dumb as a box of rocks, because its all they can do..

I was talking to a guy , he told me he was 28 he cooks at a  Ruby Tuesday and said they pay him 10 bucks an hour...I laughed.. But the good think about it  was that he said he takes so much food home a week that it makes it worth it ..He said he keeps a cooler in his car and steals 3 porterhouse steaks a night ... lol  I told him he was a smart guy .. good for him..!!!

What an A-hole. 
 
Rookie
Participation Meter
Joined: Jan, 2014
Posts: 704
Posted: #32
Scal, just wanted to say thanks before I get to the related part of this post. I don't blindly tail anyone, but more often than not, I cannot defy your reasoning for where and why you put your money. It's that right there that makes me money. Appreciate it.

I am currently working in a restaurant and have been in the industry since I was 14 (I'm almost 32 now). There are many pros and cons which I will attempt to list all in just a moment. Ever see Cocktail with Tom Cruise? In that movie Doug says "the bartender is the aristocrat of the working class". 

And it's true my friend. You make a killing if you're good and in the right place. The top bartender at Capital Grille made $140K downtown Chicago last year. When I bartended for them I made $80K my first year. But here's the thing.....that's after taxes. Taking home $80K is like having a six figure income. I would estimate that the highest grossing bartender in the world makes $350K per year. So you can absolutely retire from serving and bartending but there are far and few between that do. Many people put it up there nose and in their livers and in then end, have just enough to pay their bills. 

The kicker is that the reason why they drink and do drugs is to numb the pain that humanity inflicts on them. Because some of the things that people do to one another are mind blowing. We have a rule at my current job called "You can't make this garbage up" which means that you can only tell the story of the table if it's never happened before....EVER. Because it is such common place for bad stories to happen that you can't whine about it every time or things are increasingly going to get negative. 

To counter act the negativity, we talk sports, hot chicks in the restaurant, sing songs, tell dirty jokes or just random thought provoking things to maintain the positivity. Those who stay negative, I just ignore. Life's too short to be miserable.

To answer parts in the OP:

-If you learn how to rise above humanity, which is a daunting task that is still ongoing for me, the customer service industry can be quite fun. Most employees however are miserable. It is not for most people and if money didn't exist, practically no one would do it.

-As far as money goes for me, a bad week is $1100, a good week is $1500, and that is' working 30 hours. I'm projecting right around $70K take home. Not bad at all. And the thing is personally, money has only recently gotten important to me so in years past, that was plenty of money for me. Now I have much grander visions and will be out of the industry for good soon enough. Also, your average server is making roughly $450 a week and $32K a year.

-The horror stories are true. And worse than most can think too. There are so many that I could tell. Not enough time for that.

-Tipped employees make much less minimum wage than a regular hourly. In Illinois we currently make $4.95. All that does is pay your taxes. I haven't had a pay check with money on it in ten years.

-As far as gambling being in the industry, it' actually a pain in the behind. We work while on the games are on. So either you have to have all your plays for the day or put them in the bathroom. Even that there' no time to be checking lines or anything, it's get your play in and get back out there.

Your average server who makes $30K a year gambles with a local on credit and then loses. And if the loss is big, hopefully gets on a payment plan...some of them won't give you that. I know because I used to be that guy. Won $35K in a week on credit when I only had $100 to my name with a 20-0 NBA run with four three teamers. Lost $46K the next week and had to borrow money to pay. At 21 of course I was reckless and invisible. But most servers have zero net worth.

(Con't....)
 
Rookie
Participation Meter
Joined: Jan, 2014
Posts: 704
Posted: #33
Pros:

-The life experience you get from it is amazing. You understand the human condition. You see what people do to others and realize you don't want to do those things. The girls....man I have met and slept with a lot of girls. It sure is a numbers game. My percentage might be small in ratio to the total population but based on the amount of women I see everyday, I have done quite well for myself. 

-Cash on hand daily...most people do this the wrong way but making cash every single day, for someone that understands money management can be a wonderful thing.

-Meeting open minded people....I sure have made some good friends. For every 10,000 negative people I meet, there is a diamond in the rough. And those diamonds have become legit people in my life.

-Movement....most servers have tried desk jobs before and hate it. It's a preference thing. I have tried tons of different careers/jobs and none of it felt right. Strange as it sounds, some people need to create interaction.

-Hours......I get that they sound bad, and at times they really are. However, some people are not morning people by nature. The industry is conducive to that. I personally go to bed at three and wake up at 10:30 naturally if I have my choice. People who get off at five don't go to sleep at six. Servers who get off at eleven don't go to bed at twelve. 

Cons:

-The public

-Greedy ownership/corporations

-The public

-Did I mention the public? Man they really are something else...

Sadly that's the quick version. If you have any other specific questions, I'd be happy to answer.

Thanks again for the winners brotha!

 
Captain
Participation Meter
Joined: Nov, 2009
Posts: 6368
Posted: #34
Quote Originally Posted by ad1260:

Knoxpoker----you are probably one of the biggest tools on the Covers Forum. Who says that kind of stuff? "I bet I put more money in gas in my boat last summer then you made all year"…….one of the silliest things I've ever read on here. 
Dumbass
 
Captain
Participation Meter
Joined: Nov, 2009
Posts: 6368
Posted: #35
Quote Originally Posted by tjohnsont:


What an A-hole. 
 
Captain
Participation Meter
Joined: Oct, 2006
Posts: 5069
Posted: #36
Fiat, what customers would you say are the worst tippers? Can you get a feel from the public once they sit down how they will treat you as a server/ bartender?
 
Legend
Participation Meter
Joined: Jan, 2004
Posts: 38704
Posted: #37
I worked at a Service Station from my junior year in high school through college (during summers).  

It's no different than retail.  Try talking a customer down from the ledge when they come in at 9:00 p.m. to get their car and their bill is $200 more than the estimate and the mechanic is no where to be found.  

I had people throw product around the front desk area.  I had someone throw a tool across the shop area.....I had someone threaten me.  

Parts of it were NOT fun, but I also got to use the shop to change out the motor in my car when it blew up and there is nothing wrong with getting paid to wrench on cars (did mostly basic stuff....belts, hoses, oil changes, etc.).  

Like WSC said, it was one he$$ of a learning experience as to how to work with and communicate effectively with people....and solve problems.   


 
Legend
Participation Meter
Joined: Jan, 2004
Posts: 38704
Posted: #38
So many people now don't even have basic communication and problem solving skills when it comes to people.  Food service and retail folks almost ALWAYS do.  That counts for something whether it's a career or not. 
 
Veteran
Participation Meter
Joined: Mar, 2008
Posts: 2474
Posted: #39
Worked restaurants as a server/driver/ mgr for a 8 year span of time through HS/College. Best perk was banging the female coworkers. You had the naive teens that didn't know how hot they were, the twenty something dropouts, the college chicks, the older washed up hotties, and single moms as far as the eye could see. Pay wasn't that bad either for a virile young stallion like myself at the time.
 
Rookie
Participation Meter
Joined: Jan, 2014
Posts: 704
Posted: #40
Quote Originally Posted by BigGame90:

Fiat, what customers would you say are the worst tippers? Can you get a feel from the public once they sit down how they will treat you as a server/ bartender?

My answer is going to sound racist and stereotypical but it is the truth. 

Old people are rough because people don't change with the times. Most often they are nice but tip very poorly.

Most servers would tell you it is black people because they tip $5 no matter what the bill is. Corey Maggette once tipped me $5 on $150 and that was at the height of his career. But there are many rules to the exception and I would say 25-35% (geographic location specific) of black people tip 20% and treat you with kindness.

The worst people hands down are Indians. They treat you like a servant, run your all over for everything, make a huge mess and tip less than 10%. Keep in mind that servers and bartenders tip out 20-30% of their tips so they only keep about 75% of their tips. So when you get $10 on $200, you walk with $2. There is something about the way they parent that is so lazy and disrespectful that you can see how their actions perpetuate from generations on down. Quite sad. If you see you are about to have to take care of them, you have to prepare yourself mentally and then avoid them like the plague. No matter how you treat them you will get screwed.

As far as getting a feel for people, I can tell you what percentage 95% of people are going tip in the first fifteen seconds. It's called cold reading (a real technique, not just for fortune tellers) and you get really good at it. The great part about being an amazing cold reader is that if your goal is to provide superior service, you know how to do it for that individual or that specific table. It's all about anticipation versus reaction.

Quick side note, the reason servers/bartenders get TIPS is because it stands for "To Insure Proper Service". If people had to tip before they ate/drank, the game would be much, much different (I do this when I go out and I get the best service always). In the case of Indians, sadly they would never get service, from anyone.
 
Captain
Participation Meter
Joined: Nov, 2009
Posts: 5761
Posted: #41
Quote Originally Posted by FiatLux4:


My answer is going to sound racist and stereotypical but it is the truth. 

Old people are rough because people don't change with the times. Most often they are nice but tip very poorly.

Most servers would tell you it is black people because they tip $5 no matter what the bill is. Corey Maggette once tipped me $5 on $150 and that was at the height of his career. But there are many rules to the exception and I would say 25-35% (geographic location specific) of black people tip 20% and treat you with kindness.

The worst people hands down are Indians. They treat you like a servant, run your all over for everything, make a huge mess and tip less than 10%. Keep in mind that servers and bartenders tip out 20-30% of their tips so they only keep about 75% of their tips. So when you get $10 on $200, you walk with $2. There is something about the way they parent that is so lazy and disrespectful that you can see how their actions perpetuate from generations on down. Quite sad. If you see you are about to have to take care of them, you have to prepare yourself mentally and then avoid them like the plague. No matter how you treat them you will get screwed.

As far as getting a feel for people, I can tell you what percentage 95% of people are going tip in the first fifteen seconds. It's called cold reading (a real technique, not just for fortune tellers) and you get really good at it. The great part about being an amazing cold reader is that if your goal is to provide superior service, you know how to do it for that individual or that specific table. It's all about anticipation versus reaction.

Quick side note, the reason servers/bartenders get TIPS is because it stands for "To Insure Proper Service". If people had to tip before they ate/drank, the game would be much, much different (I do this when I go out and I get the best service always). In the case of Indians, sadly they would never get service, from anyone.

I tip 20%+- the ones that give me poor service by 'cold reading' can go to hell.

With that said, I never really experience service that is not consistent with who the person is.  I notice a crappy server is usually crappy to every table and vice versa.  It seems to go with a server's personality.  
 
Rookie
Participation Meter
Joined: Jan, 2014
Posts: 704
Posted: #42
Quote Originally Posted by tjohnsont:


I tip 20%+- the ones that give me poor service by 'cold reading' can go to hell.

With that said, I never really experience service that is not consistent with who the person is.  I notice a crappy server is usually crappy to every table and vice versa.  It seems to go with a server's personality.  

Cold reading isn't always perfect and I agree, they can go to hell. Personally as I am a happy person, I would like people to feel the same way. But if your miserable and are going to treat me terribly I will simply let you be and not waste my energy on you.

Your other comments in regard to consistency I would say hold much truer than not. Those who are career servers/bartenders may have a different outlook as opposed to someone who is doing it as a means to an end.
 
Covers Linesmen
Participation Meter
Joined: Feb, 2003
Posts: 58424
Posted: #43
FYI

The reason people from India tip poorly is they do not tip for service in their country, so they do not understand the concept of tipping and why, that the server makes zippo wages and this is the wage they earn..it is not understood.

I found that in general European patrons were sub par tippers, I also noticed Canadiens were not consistent. 

The place I worked had a seasonal crowd so over the years of working there I knew what demographic would come in during different times of the year and you can tell how a group will tip from the way they order, the way they treat the server etc..
 
Rookie
Participation Meter
Joined: Jan, 2014
Posts: 704
Posted: #44
Quote Originally Posted by wallstreetcappers:

FYI

The reason people from India tip poorly is they do not tip for service in their country, so they do not understand the concept of tipping and why, that the server makes zippo wages and this is the wage they earn..it is not understood.

I found that in general European patrons were sub par tippers, I also noticed Canadiens were not consistent. 

The place I worked had a seasonal crowd so over the years of working there I knew what demographic would come in during different times of the year and you can tell how a group will tip from the way they order, the way they treat the server etc..

Indeed WSC I will give you that in regard to travelers. Europeans don't tip well and it is because of what they are accustomed to. Conversely if you were to go over seas and tip 20% they would take it as a slap in the face.

But there are many settled Indian families that have been here for fifty years and then some. I have worked with Indian employees and they openly admit they will tip the server on the side when they go out with their families. They know what is appropriate and they don't care. I'm telling you it is all in the upbringing of their children and one parent passes it down to the next. Sounds like I am being harsh but I have seen it over and over for a long time.

I did think about this thread a couple times tonight at work and it did offer some interesting perspective to say the least.
 
Veteran
Participation Meter
Joined: Dec, 2006
Posts: 4321
Posted: #45
To the servers: You are the masters and captains of your ship of state. You seek employment at the eatery and are willing to accept a wage that is 1/2 the minimum in hopes that the public will tip to compensate you for making a poor contract with your boss. If I don't tip 20%,if I tip 10%,or if I tip 0% I am the deadbeat,skinflint,petty, idiot that shouldn't eat out if I'm unwilling to folllow the rules because you are willing to work 6hours and be paid like an illegal farmworker. You are gambling on joe public and every fish isn't a winner and save your vitriol for your boss who is taking advantage of innocents who sign on for a bad deal.
 
Banned
Participation Meter
Joined: Sep, 2006
Posts: 28221
Posted: #46
Quote Originally Posted by FiatLux4:

Scal, just wanted to say thanks before I get to the related part of this post. I don't blindly tail anyone, but more often than not, I cannot defy your reasoning for where and why you put your money. It's that right there that makes me money. Appreciate it.

I am currently working in a restaurant and have been in the industry since I was 14 (I'm almost 32 now). There are many pros and cons which I will attempt to list all in just a moment. Ever see Cocktail with Tom Cruise? In that movie Doug says "the bartender is the aristocrat of the working class". 

And it's true my friend. You make a killing if you're good and in the right place. The top bartender at Capital Grille made $140K downtown Chicago last year. When I bartended for them I made $80K my first year. But here's the thing.....that's after taxes. Taking home $80K is like having a six figure income. I would estimate that the highest grossing bartender in the world makes $350K per year. So you can absolutely retire from serving and bartending but there are far and few between that do. Many people put it up there nose and in their livers and in then end, have just enough to pay their bills. 

The kicker is that the reason why they drink and do drugs is to numb the pain that humanity inflicts on them. Because some of the things that people do to one another are mind blowing. We have a rule at my current job called "You can't make this garbage up" which means that you can only tell the story of the table if it's never happened before....EVER. Because it is such common place for bad stories to happen that you can't whine about it every time or things are increasingly going to get negative. 

To counter act the negativity, we talk sports, hot chicks in the restaurant, sing songs, tell dirty jokes or just random thought provoking things to maintain the positivity. Those who stay negative, I just ignore. Life's too short to be miserable.

To answer parts in the OP:

-If you learn how to rise above humanity, which is a daunting task that is still ongoing for me, the customer service industry can be quite fun. Most employees however are miserable. It is not for most people and if money didn't exist, practically no one would do it.

-As far as money goes for me, a bad week is $1100, a good week is $1500, and that is' working 30 hours. I'm projecting right around $70K take home. Not bad at all. And the thing is personally, money has only recently gotten important to me so in years past, that was plenty of money for me. Now I have much grander visions and will be out of the industry for good soon enough. Also, your average server is making roughly $450 a week and $32K a year.

-The horror stories are true. And worse than most can think too. There are so many that I could tell. Not enough time for that.

-Tipped employees make much less minimum wage than a regular hourly. In Illinois we currently make $4.95. All that does is pay your taxes. I haven't had a pay check with money on it in ten years.

-As far as gambling being in the industry, it' actually a pain in the behind. We work while on the games are on. So either you have to have all your plays for the day or put them in the bathroom. Even that there' no time to be checking lines or anything, it's get your play in and get back out there.

Your average server who makes $30K a year gambles with a local on credit and then loses. And if the loss is big, hopefully gets on a payment plan...some of them won't give you that. I know because I used to be that guy. Won $35K in a week on credit when I only had $100 to my name with a 20-0 NBA run with four three teamers. Lost $46K the next week and had to borrow money to pay. At 21 of course I was reckless and invisible. But most servers have zero net worth.

(Con't....)

Learned a lot from everything you wrote.

A response like yours is exactly what I was looking for with regard to insight inside the profession.

I won't fault you for stereotyping. I wouldn't say you are racist (in the most negative sense) either. I just think you see so many different people so often, that as you noted, cold reading their personality and appearance allows you communicate in the ways necessary for you.

I will say I've never experience the adversarial nature you describe about people of Indian decent and I eat Indian food all the time. Granted, I'm on the other side of the table being served (big difference obviously) but I have never been disrespected by staff or patron in those restaurants.

(and the picks are my pleasure. Hope you hit up the Knicks tonight vs. the Kings if you were in the NBA forum).
 
Rookie
Participation Meter
Joined: Jan, 2014
Posts: 704
Posted: #47
Quote Originally Posted by 666LES:

To the servers: You are the masters and captains of your ship of state. You seek employment at the eatery and are willing to accept a wage that is 1/2 the minimum in hopes that the public will tip to compensate you for making a poor contract with your boss. If I don't tip 20%,if I tip 10%,or if I tip 0% I am the deadbeat,skinflint,petty, idiot that shouldn't eat out if I'm unwilling to folllow the rules because you are willing to work 6hours and be paid like an illegal farmworker. You are gambling on joe public and every fish isn't a winner and save your vitriol for your boss who is taking advantage of innocents who sign on for a bad deal.

Hey man, I totally agree with ya. This is a choice that we make. No force in the least. So we do reap what we sow. But again, TIPS stands for To Insure Proper Service. If it was a job that paid $10/hr, all people would do is the bare minimum to not get fired. And since no one would put up with it for that money, you would have no servers.

On the flip side, I have also ran a $10 million per year restaurant and owned my own restaurant. From the PNL aspect, if servers were to make double what they currently make, no restaurant could be profitable. A good restaurant brings 8% to the bottom line. If server labor doubled, it would bring the profits to virtually nil.
 
Captain
Participation Meter
Joined: Nov, 2009
Posts: 8056
Posted: #48
Quote Originally Posted by wallstreetcappers:

FYI

The reason people from India tip poorly is they do not tip for service in their country, so they do not understand the concept of tipping and why, that the server makes zippo wages and this is the wage they earn..it is not understood.

I found that in general European patrons were sub par tippers, I also noticed Canadiens were not consistent.   

The place I worked had a seasonal crowd so over the years of working there I knew what demographic would come in during different times of the year and you can tell how a group will tip from the way they order, the way they treat the server etc..


I got that Wall, I seriously wonder if anybody else did

And yes. Indian people are the WORST tippers on the planet bar none......And they ALWAYS drink water with no ice
 
Rookie
Participation Meter
Joined: Jan, 2014
Posts: 704
Posted: #49
Quote Originally Posted by scalabrine:


Learned a lot from everything you wrote.

A response like yours is exactly what I was looking for with regard to insight inside the profession.

I won't fault you for stereotyping. I wouldn't say you are racist (in the most negative sense) either. I just think you see so many different people so often, that as you noted, cold reading their personality and appearance allows you communicate in the ways necessary for you.

I will say I've never experience the adversarial nature you describe about people of Indian decent and I eat Indian food all the time. Granted, I'm on the other side of the table being served (big difference obviously) but I have never been disrespected by staff or patron in those restaurants.

(and the picks are my pleasure. Hope you hit up the Knicks tonight vs. the Kings if you were in the NBA forum).

Considering everything that you have done for me without knowing it, taking 45 minutes to write out the quick version of everything was honestly my pleasure.

I would like to iterate that first and foremost, I bring positivity to not only my job but the world as well. If someone is not interested in it, no worries. Free Will is a beautiful concept and you can act as how you wish. The cold read assists in precise placement of service and the further the meal goes, the more information you have to accurately deliver what that table/bar guest is looking for. Over time as you understand these things it can seem that stereotypes fall into place which is not truly the case. On the surface it seems as such.

You have never been disrespected there because they are trying to generate money. The restaurant business is solely predicated on repeat business. No restaurant can survive without it. So as a patron, they need you to have a great experience not only to come back, but for the word of mouth advertising. One person that has a bad experience on average will tell ten people. However on a good experience they will only tell three or four. It is crucial that every experience be a positive one. 

Sadly on the flip side, those who are not in the industry and have no clue and don't care. Quick story. Had a 100 top that rented out our room on a Saturday night. We told them they couldn't tape decoration on the wallpaper as it would tear it (they did anyways, ruined the paper, sent them a bill for the damage and are now fighting it). The kids were grinding butter into the carpet. When I asked them to stop, the parents scolded me. Fifteen minutes later one of the kids stole my wine key. At the end they left three servers $150 on $2000 and that was before tip out (automatic gratuity laws have changed recently). I will tell you, there was so much mental anguish that night, that I for sure got wasted and that is not like me at all. 

One last thing restaurant related. I had a phenomenal group of people tonight. Laughing, cracking, jokes, smiling....truly amazing. They were so great, I literally forgot that I was at work. That's when the industry is great and becomes something you love. So there are certainly two sides to the coin.

As far as the Knicks go tonight, I gotta tell you something man. Reading what you write puts me on a different plane of understanding. I hit the Knicks at +1, at -3, on the ML, 1st half and Sacramento the second half. (the Sacramento play was a gut feeling of regression to the mean combined with an awkward second half line). Last night, and I know you weren't on it, just reading what you understood and talked about the Knicks/Lakers line had me pound them ML, game, 1st and 2nd halves. I made in two days what would take me almost a month waiting tables. 

That may sound like I went balls out and to a small degree, I did (though I could have afforded the losses comfortably). I was actually taking the day off today after the big Lakers wins last night until I saw your post. Somehow, someway, you show me what is going to happen and then I know. That is something I have never experienced before in that fashion, not even with your prior posts.

So honestly, sincere gratitude brotha! Next time that comes up, I'll be sure to post it so you can see it. Quite a wild ride the past couple days. Thanks again!
 
 
Rookie
Participation Meter
Joined: Jan, 2014
Posts: 704
Posted: #50
Quote Originally Posted by Crusher13:



I got that Wall, I seriously wonder if anybody else did

And yes. Indian people are the WORST tippers on the planet bar none......And they ALWAYS drink water with no ice

Hahahahaha.....what is it with water no ice? If we know they are coming in advance, the table is actually set with water no ice. Do they have teeth sensitivity issues as a population? I honestly have no clue.
All Forums | General Discussion
About Us
Contact Us
Careers
Our Team
Brand
Testimonials
Betting Guides
Sportsbook Reviews
Betting News
Podcasts
Responsible Gambling
Betting Sites
US Betting Sites
Canada Betting Sites
Canada Casinos
Best Betting Apps
Contests
Streak Survivor
King of Covers
Ultimate Race
Office Pools
The Covers community has
810,221
lifetime members worldwide
Covers 30 Years Logo Established in 1995,
Covers is the world
leader in sports
betting information.
21+
Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
Help Privacy Terms of Service Cookies Sitemap Forum
Covers is verified safe by:
Evalon Logo Logo GPWA Logo GDPR logo Logo GeoTrust logo Logo PCI DSS logo Logo
Copyright © 1995 - 2026 Genius Sports. All Rights Reserved.
If you choose to make use of any information on this website including online sports betting services from any websites that may be featured on this website, we strongly recommend that you carefully check your local laws before doing so.It is your sole responsibility to understand your local laws and observe them strictly.Covers does not provide any advice or guidance as to the legality of online sports betting or other online gambling activities within your jurisdiction and you are responsible for complying with laws that are applicable to you in your relevant locality.Covers disclaims all liability associated with your use of this website and use of any information contained on it.As a condition of using this website, you agree to hold the owner of this website harmless from any claims arising from your use of any services on any third party website that may be featured by Covers.