server ettiquette for all the uneducated people out there!?

Question

The next time you're out eating at a resturant, look at your server. Do you think they are really happy to be doing that job? The answer is no, they are not, but its what we do, and we do it for the money so please help them out. Its a tougher job than you think and you should pay them accordingly!

There are SO many people out there flooding the restaurants w/o any knowledge of how to tip. Here is a short guide for the general public to follow. Feel free to print out and store in your wallet and/or purse.

1. CHILDREN "THE LITTLE DEVILS":
If you have children, DO NOT let them, open and dump anything on the table (ie; salt, sugar, etc). IF YOU DO, you must leave an extra $5 for the server to clean up YOUR CHILD'S mess & to restock the now unusable wasted items. Don't get mad if you ask for crackers and your server tells you they're out when you just saw another table eating crackers with their soup -- can you blame them for not wanting to clean up the mess afterward? We are neither their babysitter nor their parent. The least you can do is pay us for the extra work. Also make sure you control your kids and don't let them scream or run around the restraunt. It's very distracting not to mention dangerous if they get ran over by a server with hot food in their hands. Just because you're out for dinner doesn't give you an excuse to let your kids mess around on their own free will like wild monkeys!

2. "THE CAMPERS":
If you feel the necessity to stay for longer than 15 minutes after you pay, its an extra $3 every 30 minutes. We make our money from the tables. If you are in one and we can't seat it, we don't make money.

3. COMPLIMENTS (VERBAL TIPS):
Telling a server they are the best server they've ever had is not a tip. If we are good, let us know by leaving us more money. We cant pay our bills on compliments. Its not that we don't appreciate the praise, its just that if you tell us how great we were and then leave 10% it's an insult.

4. THE SALVATION PAMPHLETS:
Prayer cards or any other religious pamphlet is NOT a tip. It is insulting that you assume we are w/o religion and must save us. Again, like #3, we cant pay bills w/ prayer cards. We'd go to church on Sundays if it wasn't mandatory to work on Sundays because EVERYONE who goes to church follows it by eating out. Also don't try to preach to us while we are working. We don't go to your work and put you down so don't do it to us.....plus, we don't have time to listen to you babble.

5. TIPPING:
It is not 1960. Cost of living has gone up dramatically since then. 18% is the MINIMUM amount of what you should be tipping your servers. Remember, that steak is $12.99 not $22.99 because restaurants aren't required to pay minimum wage in most states! Here in AZ we get paid whooping $2.13 an hr meaning all of our money is made in tips. If you were not properly paid in your profession, you would be pretty pissed too! We are taxed on 10 percent of your meal automatically, not to mention we have to tip out a percentage of our sales - your bill - to the hosts, bartenders, and bussers. So if you dont leave a tip, WE END UP PAYING FOR YOUR MEAL!! So move that decimal one spot left and multiply by 2 and your server will never be disappointed. ($25 = $2.50 x 2 = $5)

6. THE COMPLAINERS:
If you get a discount because of your food was prepared wrong or something, do not take it out of our tip. We didn't cook it. The cooks get paid hourly regardless if the food sucks. However, we only make what you give us. And don't ever leave a percentage on the total after the discount or comp -- always tip on what the total would have been.

7. THE LATE ONES:
If you come into the restaurant 10 mins before closing or any time near closing hurry up and order your food and get out. Closed means closed, not social hour. It is so rude to sit there and take your sweet *** time. We can't leave until you leave because we have to do sidework and clean the table you are sitting at. We don't want to stand there waiting for you for an extra hour just because you don't want to go home. We recommend 24 hour establishments such as Dennys or Steak n Shake if you wish to sit into the wee hours of the night.

8. THE TABLE HOGGERS:
If you only come in for coffee or a dessert, to do paper work, or to have a meeting, don't sit there taking up our booths for hours. We are not Starbucks or a hotel restaurant. If you want to sit for hours, go there or else you better leave a good tip for us and camping fee included.


9. THE GREET:
When we come up to the table to greet you and we ask how you are doing please let us know. We honestly want to know how you are doing. If you are in a bad mood we want to know that from the beginning. A confused stare or complete silence does not suffice as a reply to "How are you doing?". Also don't interrupt our greeting and say "I want coffee", "can we get some bread, or "what are the soups?".......thats just rude! Do you enjoy it when people blatently interupt what you are saying? Didn't think so.

***In addition, if your server stops by the table and says they will be right with you, they are not lying, so sit and be patient and wait for them to come back to properly greet you. Sometimes we can get a liitle busy so we don't give a **** how you feel about it....you will just have to wait a minute! So there's not much point in throwing requests in our faces, you'll have to wait for us either way. SO BE NICE!

10. THOSE DAMN CELL PHONES:
Don't ever talk on your cell phone in a restraunt. This is probably the rudest thing to do. If you must be on your cell, at least keep your voice down in respect for other customers. If you are on your cell phone when we walk up to greet your table we will walk away until you get off your phone. Not to be rude, but simply because we don't want to deal with you trying to manage 2 conversations. Just show some respect and give us your attention for a couple of minutes.

11. TAKE-AWAY OR TO-GOS:
Always remember to tip the take-out order servers! They work just as hard as a server, and hardly ever get tips for it! THEY DESERVE TO BE TIPPED TOO!

12. FOREIGNERS:
Welcome to America! Here, we tip our servers appropriately, not this 10% Bullshit! All of the above apply!

13. THE CARDINAL RULE:
Don't **** with people who handle your food! Be nice to us....our job is a lot harder than it looks!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!SERVERS READING THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please repost this so the word can get out, since so many people are uneducated about tips and our lives depend on this - at least for now......
14 hours ago - 3 days left to answer.
Additional Details
10 minutes ago

and everyone, i love my job. I am not mad at people, just trying to get a point across becuase people usually dont listen until its bieng yelled out!

Answer 1

I am sending this to my younger sister, who is a server at an upscale restaurant and has to deal with a LOT of the "I am rich and entitled" attitude. I swear I don't know how she does it...

Yes, I do tip very well (since I know these restaurants aren't paying you guys well) and because I know the tips I and others give you are your primary source of income.

I do have a kid, but she is NEVER allowed to run around the restaurant, throw food, or dump things out anywhere.

Sheesh, you'd think all of your points would be common etiquette sense, but I have also heard some horror stories from my sister about how people seem to revert back to cave man days once they come into her restaurant.

Thanks for posting this...I really enjoyed reading it!

Answer 2

I loved serving tables too, did it for over 13 years. I might just do it again someday. And I'd like to tell you that you are so spot on! And it doesn't matter if it's a $6 lunch or $45 for prime rib. When customers say everything was great, the food was great...twenty five cents or $1 is not appropriate, respectively. I don't even think coins are appropriate, like those people who figure out the tip to the exact 10% tip. Stupid stingy people make me so mad. They can afford to eat out, but not that extra for the tip. Grrrr.

Anyway, great rules!

Answer 3

$20 unless they join in themselves. If you leave bodily fluids behind a $50 tip.

Answer 4

I completely agree with you. That's why I'm an excellent tipper.

Answer 5

@.@ Long post.

I always tip about a dollar more if I find the service good and fast. (On top of 10% tip.)

Answer 6

is that a question. but i agree with u