Discussions

Greetings!  
 
Its time for a rant!  
 
For those of you who frequent this site I initially joined to voice my opinion in a thread regarding the practice of tipping in restaurants. This thread is a little different.  
 
This thread is for all you servers out there...  
 
Drop the attitudes.  
 
In the past week i've heard a few horror stories regarding downright rude servers and watched good servers self-destruct into bitchy whining little kids, im getting a little sick of it.  
 
The name of the game is customer service people, this is your bread and butter. It doesnt matter if its your first job, or just something your doing to get through school. If you work as a server, a lot of us (im a server too) need to get our priorities strait.  
 
Whats your main priority??? it should be to make lots of money (I.e. Tips)  
 
Some guests may not like that mentality.  
 
Some employers dont feel helping their servers make lots of money is important.  
 
It sure is, lets take a step back...  
 
If your table tips you well, that means that they were impressed and happy with the service (#1 most important goal accomplished), they are happy with the restaurant and will probably be back (#2 most important goal accomplished). If you are making money, that means EVERYONE is happy.  
 
So here we go...  
 
Why...  
 
...when a table walks in and ignores the “please wait to be seated” sign do some servers give them a hard time?? granted that self seaters are an added frustrations, especially during a rush... but you still have to serve them!!!!! and if your rude and mad at them for seating themselves they arnt going to tip you... and then NOBODY is happy!!!!  
 
...When a table comes in really close to closing time do some servers throw a hissy fit, give bad service, bad attitude, and/or ignore the table. I understand you might have had plans, or are tired, but YOU STILL HAVE TO SERVE THEM!! and since you have to stay anyway you might as well make some money while your there???  
 
...Do you care when a guest gives you a dirty look? Or is sarcastic towards you? It may not be fun, but the guest is miffed for a reason, and so long as you know YOU'VE done what YOU can to serve them why take it personally? Theyre probably pissed off at something else. Just serve them with a smile, cause realistically they are gone within 2 hours max and you probably will never have to serve them again. Take your tip and turn the other cheek  
... Bitch and moan about tips... This bugs me the most. If you you have the right attitude you never have to worry about having money come your way. I make good consistant tips that are almost directly proportionate (+ or – 1 or 2%) to how much food I sell. So does pretty much every GOOD server I know. If its not busy your not going to make as much $$, its just the way it goes. You cannot expect your 4 tables to make up for the fact that you only got 4 tables that evening. Whether or not you had a good night should be based on an average percentage. If your not making enough money? SELL MORE FOOD!  
 
... do some servers Whine about 1 table not tipping as well as you think they should have. ITS A GAME OF AVERAGES. If you did your job your other tables will make up for it in the long run, and you'll still walk with your percentage at the end of the night.  
 
... do you bring yourselves down all night? Ive watched servers stress all evening about how they arnt making the kind of money they feel they should, only to keep pulling in 5%s and 8%. Its only human, hell ive done it. However, I realized that the more fun, the less I cared about what was coming in and the more I just focused on serving and keeping upbeat and calm, the more money I made. Your tables can read you as well as you read them, and nobody likes an emo-server  
 
... do you get upset when people “act like they're better then you” sure it might be annoying, but lets be realistic, they arnt?? I chuckle when I see some arrogant little broad or stuck up weasel snap their fingers at me or pull some mad attitude because they can. A snobs money is worth just as much in my pocket as a nice guests, so take care of them (the key part), take your tip, and laugh your ass off at their attempt to feel superior for once in their lives. Theres no need to get upset because YOU STILL HAVE TO SERVE THEM.  
 
Ugh, im sure many of you tuned out by now, and im sure ill have another installment soon, but what it boils down to is serving is about personality. Anyone can carry a tray. You come to a restaurant for the food, and you come to be taken care of by me, your FRIENDLY neighborhood spiderman... I mean serverman! If you dont like your job and your just in it to pay the bills during college, your gonna have a hell of a time and prolly get a few grey hairs too, if you genuinly like coming to work, and are able to keep a good friendly calm head all night you will do well and you guests will tip you well... and thats really why we are all here!!!  
 
Kooblah