Mistakes

Gratuity is how servers make money, yes we do get paid $2.13/hr but that equates to $0 for me.  My past 5 pay checks have been $0 because I make plenty on tips, now not all servers are on the same boat as I, there are servers who still get a paycheck and in comparison, their tips don’t even come close.

Now we get gratuity for our services, how the fast the food goes and the taste of the food we serve.  If one of the three falters, it affects our tip in some way.  Last night was one of the days where the kitchen decided that they would make a mistake that’ll cost me my paycheck.

A couple that looked no older than 32 walked in along with their 2 children, the man wearing what seemed to be a high school leather jacket that had the year 97′ patched on, the wife looked as dull as my butter knife and the kids actually looked better off than their parents.  I get their drinks to which they only wanted water, I run back to them and get it with haste, I take their order and walk away.  As I was punching their Edamame and Gyoza(Dumplings) to run, their main entrees had to wait.  Timing is crucial and giving them enough time to eat their appetizers is a very important concern of mine.  The wife asks me to put in a order for a California roll, I nod and tell the sushi bar to get the ball rolling.  Appetizers come out and they are left to eat.  About 10 minutes or so pass and they are done, I take everything as I wait for my food to come out, I ask them and all they have is a entree that was not mine, turns out they misread the ticket and immediately got going with the correct order, my table had finished everything, even the California roll that the woman had, I was deep in the shit.  It took a total of 17 minutes or so to get my food out, ridiculous.

I wasn’t expecting any tip for this table and It’s understandable, I mean I’d be upset that my food took excruciatingly long and it was a simple dish.  So in hopes of getting their business once more, I run over and get them a free dessert on me.  They seemed to like it and as far as I’m concerned, they weren’t as mad as when they we’re waiting, and waiting, and waiting.

Mistakes are not uncommon and when it happens, there’s nothing a server can do if your food is backed up.  We take the blunt force of being stepped on while the kitchen gets off with a slap in the wrist.  Their paychecks don’t rely on the customers emotions, the servers paycheck is COMPLETELY reliant on the customer.  So the next time your food is taking a while, please understand that it isn’t the servers fault(unless he messed up the order, but let’s not worry about that.) so I ask you kindly to find it in your stomach the patience and attitude to forgive.

Sincerely,

Your waiter today.

Lady luck is smiling

Black Friday is something I had thought would suck, cheap customers and low gratuity was what I was looking forward to.  Surprisingly it was quite the opposite and I was at the restaurant for only a total of 3 hours and I had already made a pretty good amount of money, under hourly circumstances I’ve made $40/hr.  Now I’m almost sure that your thinking that $40/hr ain’t squat though to most people who don’t make 6 figures, thats a pretty damn good wage.

Lady luck was definitely smiling at me, there was no doubt about it.  My regulars came in, ordered their usual meals and tipped me very generously.  Now this might be a sign of good karma because of what I did for thanksgiving. I see my family every now and then to say hello and catch up, thanksgiving came and we decided to do something pro-active and give us a sense of generosity.  We gave food to the homeless.  We made a good amount of food to hand out and this made me happy, hell it even took part in my much more creative side who enjoys photography.

It’s rare to get days like this and it does really put a smile in ones face.  Having that shit eating grin as you clock out, content with the amount of money you’ve made in such a short amount of time; it feels good, really good.  Now this made it so side jobs weren’t much a concern nor a problem because at that time, the only thing a server can do is to clean up tables, refill ice, arrange the sugar, and alot of other menial stuff, so that was another way of lady luck showing her affection.

I’ve been slacking, I haven’t been writing and in all honesty, I’ve been exhausted most of the times and I’m not saying that it is because of my blog but rather it is because of alcohol, my woman and alot of other things outside my restaurant walls.

I apologize to you dear customer and hope you find it in your heart to forgive me.  I’ll help you out with some alcohol the next time.

Sincerely,

Your waiter today.

Working

You need money in order to do anything in this country, you need it to provide shelter, to consume food, to sleep tightly, to get an education and to tip your ever perfect server.  People often bring laptops, iPads, and their work with them when they eat out and this is considered normal to an extent but to disregard the people you are with to finish your work is just plain out rude.  A man and his child walks in to the restaurant, it was about 4:00PM and they we’re seated in my section, I introduce myself, get their orders and I walk to the POS System to punch in their order and all goes well.  I see the man pull out a Alienware laptop(oh my god, I want one of those) and what I assume was start his work, all while his child was trying to talk to him.  He blows off his kid and continues with his work, their food comes out and the man still staring at his computer as if his life depended on it, his kid now embracing his arms as if he had never been given any attention by his father.  This continues and the kid is done with his food(he had ordered a small appetizer as his meal) and I asked him if he’d like another, he says yes only to be stopped by his father who tells me “he’s had plenty, I think he’s ok” to which I take that the man doesn’t want his kid eating anymore, though he looked hungry.

This man had paid no attention to this kid up until the kid decides that he is still hungry, is work really that important that only the echoes of money affect you?  I completely understand bringing work while you eat shows to an extent, good work ethic but to ignore your kid and don’t pay him any mind even as he clutches to your arm.  Now that is wrong.

There is a time and place for everything and while I do enjoy your money, I’m sure your kid would benefit more than I would.

Sincerely,

Your waiter today.

Knowing when to leave.

Regret is something that most people have after making a decision, it can be regret that I didn’t ask that woman at table 7 if she’d like to do something after my shift or regret that I volunteered to leave earlier than I needed.  Regret is a very strong word and often times it is used by waiters due to the fact that a day-off means no money made, a server doesn’t have a salary and instead relies on tips, tips can range from $25 a night to about $250 a night and it is a gamble as there is no sure way to know how much you will be making that shift.  When a restaurant is not bustling with people, some servers might be asked to leave due to over-staffing(this is almost always the case and it sucks so bad).  When you leave, you clock out and you leave or eat your dinner in the restaurant, today I took the chance to leave early.  I walk towards the POS system and clock myself out, sit down at the bar and wait for my dinner.  Dinner is served and I go ahead and eat, I leave the restaurant at about 9:10PM, which meant I had stayed for an hour and 10 minutes.  As I was packing my stuff to get ready to ride my motorcycle home, I see people suddenly walk into the restaurant.  I decided to sit around and see if that was just a fluke, it wasn’t.  People came one after another and soon the restaurant had a pretty good amount of people, a couple minutes before closing time.

Did I have regret?  Some, not enough were I would beat myself up about it.  Servers often love to think that, maybe the next table is my lucky break, maybe the next one will be generous, maybe the next table will like me.  Wrong, sure the chance is there but statistically, you wouldn’t be getting your “next big break”  and instead be stuck with Mom and her 3 kids for dinner table.  I was completely fine about leaving and I actually even hoped my co-worker Adan make a good amount of money that night (it is so rare for servers to wish good fortune upon another).

Knowing when to leave is a good skill to have in the food industry, if you stay too long and not make any money, you do your side jobs, and usually you end up doing all of it because the attractive “head” waitress is banging the owner and is therefore excused with all and any duties.  I look at my check book and think if it’s a good time to pull-out and I do.  No regrets, no turning back.

Just looking forward to the next day, the next big break.

I hope to see you  again,

Your waiter today.

Side jobs.

More than a serving your food, servers are also asked to do side jobs.  These usually consist of folding napkins, setting the lights, cleaning glass, cleaning spoon, making iced tea, making sure lemons are stocked, sugar packets are the right amount and actually about a million other things.  These are things often done before you start taking tables, or after the restaurant closes.

In my restaurant, I have a buddy I’ll be giving the name Adan.  He’s a pretty cool guy, we joke around, laugh and help each other out.  He has not served in any restaurant business as a server prior to this one.  He isn’t the fastest nor is he the smoothest but he gets the job done.  The restaurant comes to closing time and side jobs are now needed to be finished, we try our best to do this and go ahead to check-out(this is when you print out all the transactions to see how much you owe or the restaurant owes you.) go to the bartender and ask for our money, one of the bossier servers speaks up in a thunderous tone “I’m more voiceful about my opinion and I need to tell you guys to do your part of the side jobs cause “soft spoken server” has been telling me she has been doing it all for you.  Me and Adan get up to go to the kitchen to do as that bitch had said,we look at each other and say, we always do our share and we never leave before she does so I don’t know what they we’re talking about.  But Adan and I kept it to ourselves because no point in putting fuel to fire.  Side jobs all done, Adan leaves instead of staying to hang-out for awhile, he tells everyone to “have a good night” and walks off, coldly.  I get pulled to the side by the manager, the manager tells me he see’s me moving in a fast paced and I have passed his expectations, only for him to tell me that my buddy Adan isn’t doing as he initially thought he would, this came off as a shock to me because I didn’t want the only person I felt comfortable around to be terminated, he reassured me he wasn’t firing him that spot nor for awhile if at all.  They told me it’s for the restaurant, and though the bitch waitresses might come off bitchy bossy, they mean well for us.

I say fuck that, they don’t do as much work as we do, they sit at the bar talking to the owner as we slave ourselves to finish the side jobs and duties we we’re assigned.  They sweet talk the owner while we do what is supposed to be a “fair-share” of work.  I’ve never been truly pissed off at work until today, I just cannot believe the nerve of some people.  Accusing us of not doing our part as they drink on the clock.

I’m coming to a stand still and this seems to be my way of venting out.  Time for me to breathe, lay down and close my eyes.

Today was a hectic and difficult day, I apologize for the lack of better service.

Sincerely,

Your waiter today.

The little things.

As a server, we run into different kinds of people and different kinds of crowds, I’ve seen CEO’s, High school buddies, Men cheating on their wives, Alcoholics and the list goes on.  So you might be thinking, oh neat, I see all kinds of people in my job aswell; but I ask you, do you see them act the way they normally would?  Without the niceties of social acceptance and them just showing their true colors.  I don’t think so.

A table of 6 came in today, I had the chance to be their server, the table consisted of a woman, a man, 3 children and a friend of the couple.  The children we’re no older than 9 and we’re very polite(unlike most of the shithead kids I see that seem to be hyped up on some sort of cocaine redbull mixture), and one of the children was in a wheel-chair, he looked ill and as if he hadn’t gotten much rest.  They ordered a bottle of wine, 2 cocktails and they we’re ready to be served.  They put in their orders and as I bring them their drinks, I see the kid in the wheel-chair being helped up by his father down to lay-down on the floor.  I overheard the siblings say, “not this again, is it ok?” to which I heard the father say “I don’t care if we have to leave now just so your brother can be in less pain”.  This was a sure sign that the child was severely ill.  I walk towards them, asking if there is anything I can help out in, the father looks at me and says “yea, can you get me the cure for cancer?”.  I was shocked, I didn’t know what to say or how to respond, I’ve seen all sorts of people but never a customer like this.  I say, I know they’ll find the cure soon to which I excuse myself and get a drink of water.  I serve them their food and all is going great, I tried to tend to all their needs, constantly checking if there was anything out of place.  They seemed to see that I genuinely cared and didn’t just want to be a asshole begging for their money.  They finish their meal and I go about my cleaning, ring up their ticket and hand it to them, they said that they will be coming back and asked me the days I specifically worked, I told them those days and we said our good-byes, I walk over the table to grab the check and not only we’re they friendly(disregard the first words the man and I exchanged, all after that was smooth sailing), they we’re also very generous.

I’ve seen alot of people but none like today, I hope to see these people again and I hope that a cure for cancer can be found.  My heart ache when they told me their child had cancer, my grandfather died of cancer and that has brought me to a shit spiral when it comes to cancer, my knees quiver and shake and I’m left with a emotionless face.

The people you meet and the little things you do might not seem much, but it does add up.  I disregarded the money they we’re gonna give, I completely ignored the things I needed to do, just to make sure that they we’re well taken care of.  Servers have hearts too, we might seem to just kiss your ass and follow your every accord, but in reality, we do care, we do have emotion and we do understand.  What bothers me is when people think we don’t, we do have all those things, the only difference is, we can’t show it or else we are unprofessional, so maybe when you see your server, treat them as more than just a slave.

Sincerely,

Your waiter today.

The money, the people, the conversations.

Tuesday nights are usually dreaded by most servers, due to the fact that there just isn’t any clientele that comes in during that day, the 2nd day of the work week, not even the median of the week.  Today was a Tuesday but it was different.

Today was a good day, most likely due to the fact that there was only two servers instead of a full staff (smart-choice on the managers part) and the tables we’re split just amongst the two of us.  I did my duties but it wasn’t until about 9:00PM that I got the table that I legitimately enjoyed, I was talking to them about Micro markets in online games and how it has affected the real world by giving gamers a chance to do what they love while still making a living, the husband was with his wife, they looked no older than 38 and they talked to me in a way that I didn’t feel inferior or that I had to kiss their ass, they gave off the feeling of modesty, and this made me enjoy the table some more, I served them their wine and their starter, somehow getting into the topic of motorcycles, the man’s daughter wants one and as I ride one I joined in and started the chit-chat that would last for an hour and 20 minutes.  The man was well versed in online gaming, it also helps that he works for a gaming company.  I asked him if he thinks there is any positions available for an internship, he then said just give him my information to which I did(I know, shameless but why not try?) and we talked some more, not realizing time has passed us by.

The only thing I’m even concerned about is that I might have been disturbing them while they eat, and out of courtesy they didn’t tell me that I was being a bother.  They sure did give the impression that I was alright but it does cross my mind.  Not only we’re they very welcoming and conversational they are also very generous, the wife was able to relate with my experiences and to me that comes off as a shock as most people disregard what I tell them and just blow it off or listen with half an ear but these people we’re different, nothing like the people I’ve met before but I hope these people aren’t as rare as my Holographic 1st Edition Charizard and instead I hope to meet more people like them.

Incase you guys are reading this, I do hope to see you again.  I really enjoyed myself and I hope you did too.

Sincerely,

Your waiter today.

A simple candle.

Saturdays are great for servers, a single shift will rake you in at the very least, $100 that is if you know how to kiss enough ass. Saturdays are also the days couples go out on a date, couples ranging from High School children to People with 4 kids and barely any life outside their suburban home. The tables I’ve waited consisted mostly of couples, this was no problem to me as couples generally tend to tip very generously and I consider money and I to be in a mutual relationship.

A man and a woman who we’re in their late 40’s came in to the restaurant 30 minutes from closing time, they we’re sat with me and I took care of them. My name is “name” and I’ll be your server for tonight, can I get you guys anything to drink from the bar? A cocktail perhaps? A beer?, I went about my usual routine, informing them about our specials and what not. The couple was hesitant on ordering alcohol due to the price, so I directed to something much affordable and that seemed to put them at ease. They ordered two entrees with no appetizer and the lady had ordered a cocktail, I serve them and they enjoyed the bottle that I brought them earlier and decided to get the one that they we’re so hesitant about, I move the candle and re-arrange the table to have everything in an orderly fashion, I come back with the bottle of wine and their two glasses and I see that they had moved the candle back to it’s original spot, I decide to move it back and the generous man told me, “Don’t move the candle, we rarely get to go out since we have 4 kids so candles are usually out of our touch and this is a night we want to be special”, this caught me off-guard and in all honesty, made me want to serve them even better, I served them as best as I could, walking by to check if they need anything, pouring their wine after the first pour and generally just having conversation and helping them have a good time. I knew that they we’re not my usual clientele that could throw down $200 for a bottle of wine, these people are just regular folks going out and trying to have a break from their chaotic life. The couple finished everything, and asked for the check, I present it to them and gave them a bag for their bottle, they leave and we exchange goodbye’s. The couple was my last table, I clean up what they left, put the bill folder in my apron and walk towards the POS machine, I look at the bill and the couple had left me $16 for a $82 bill. This meant a lot to me, they enjoyed the company enough to be generous even though they we’re hesitant on spending.

Sometimes, a little heart shows up in a servers heart and once it does, the server will do what he can to make sure you enjoy your stay, completely disregarding money(ok, maybe not completely) and its value. Don’t be a jackass just because you don’t go out often and therefore take out your anger and problems on your server. Instead be nice and tell them that the night is a special one, I promise you if the waiter had any decency to begin with, you’ll get such great service that you will be asking for him/her the next time you show. Don’t be a asshole and we will try our best not to be.

Sincerely

Your waiter today.

Be a little patient.

A brand new restaurant that has not done a grand opening suffers the lack of customers and this leads to the staff being unprepared for high volume action.  A typical Friday starts off slow and builds its momentum like a steam locomotive, from one to two tables to eventually a full house.  A restaurant wants a full house and so does the server, assuming that it is in the most perfect environment; the host distributes customers evenly amongst all servers, the kitchen delivers fast and beautiful meals, the manager doesn’t nag on anyone, the bussers clean the table immediately, the bartender gives you the drink right away, but lets get real, none of this would happen on a Friday night of a brand new restaurant.

The restaurant got flooded with customers non-stop from 6PM until closing time (10PM), people waiting 45 Minutes for their entree’s, people walking out of the restaurant due to their entree’s taking 45 minutes.  The restaurant was a madhouse, people calling out to their servers, asking how much longer it is gonna take, how come their food isn’t out and why it isn’t, and all things that the server has no control over.  Servers are obligated to take your order and take it out, we do not cook your food or make your drinks, it is beyond our control what happens inside the kitchen and behind the bar, if you have any complaints take it up to the man who carries around a sharp knife and wears a ridiculous looking hat.  Sit your ass down, wait and let us servers apologize for the kitchen’s incompetency and let us offer you that complimentary desert just so we would get your business back.  The amounts of ass kissing is ridiculous and quite frankly if it wasn’t for the money I could potentially earn, I would tell you to go fuck yourself and leave my restaurant… but I can’t cause I need the money.  But it would be nice for you to be understanding like that lady at D2, who has been patiently waiting for her desert and hasn’t said a single word but as I can see, you’d rather make a scene so I could give you a free meal, well here you are.  Wake the fuck up and smell the roses, this is no soup kitchen, if you want free food you are in the wrong place,

And do not bring your 4 year old to a fine dining restaurant on a busy Friday night, cause your annoying kid that is running around not giving a shit about hot plates, or coffee will surely get his fair share of “owies”.  Take your kid and yourselves to Denny’s, and stay there.

 

Sincerely,

Your waiter today.

Bottles of wine.

Thursdays are generally not a busy night for a restaurant, specially in a suburbia.  Thursday is a warm-up for the upcoming hordes of people for the weekend, the last day before servers actually make the bulk of their money.  Today was a Thursday and it shocked me more than Friday, Saturday, and Sunday combined.

Servers want to serve alcohol for multiple reasons

• Higher tab prices
• Customers tend to order more
• The bartender gets a cut of the alcohol sold
• The restaurant benefits
• Managers are happier with you
• YOU GET PAID MORE

There are plenty of other reasons but lets just focus on some of these, Higher Tab prices for example; a glass of wine can typically run from $7-$25, a Bottle can range from $30-$250, Cocktails can run from $9-$12 and so on,  Alcohol is the easiest thing for a server to sell, once a customer orders a drink, it just keeps on going and this raises the bill significantly, sure $7 might not seem much but when they order 5 glasses of wine,  you just added $35 to your tab.  Now your tip is higher and the person you served is generally “happier”.

Today was no different, until a man with two kids came in to the restaurant and immediately sit themselves at the bar, the children no older than 9 and 7.  The man starts off his meal with a order of an appetizer, then a glass of Raymond “Sommelier’s” Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine is poured and he was on to a good start, his ticket was gonna be good and everyone could feel it.  His appetizer comes out and his wine is done, another glass of wine the man says, this time it was a Newton “Red Label” Chardonnay and similar to the first glass, the 2nd was consumed just as fast.  He had ordered his kids food and himself another drink, a bottle St. Clement Merlot, the server and bartender are very happy because the ticket is now nearing over $100 and that means the tip will be just as sweet.  The kids we’re done with their food and seemed bored, so their father gave them some cash and told them to go to the bookstore next door.  It shocked me from here because these kids are not even in their double digits yet this man let them walk across a 4 way stop sign just so he could have his drinks.  The kids seemed very used to it, as if it was nothing foreign to them, a dysfunctional family blessed with vast amounts of money to compensate for such terrible actions.  The kids come back and their father is now on a Grey Goose on the rocks, the ticket was good and I was happy but I felt sad and empty inside, I was happy that this man was blowing his money but sad that his children are gonna suffer for his actions, if not now then later.  The man finally finishes off his final drink which was a St. Germain Cocktail and asks for the tab, the tab was high and so was the tip.

Money is money and no matter the means, people will do what they need to do and this is a sad reality.

I never thought much of it until today, we feed their hunger, we encourage them.  It isn’t just the alcohol to blame, we are the catalyst that destroys homes, beats women, burns money and eventually kills the soft spoken soul trapped in a downward spiral fueled by alcohol.

But what am I to do?  I need the money, I have no time to act high and mighty, I need to make enough so I can survive… Even if that means I contribute to anyone’s destruction.

I’m nothing more than the middle man, I’m not pulling the trigger, I’m a mediator; nothing more, nothing less.

Sincerely,

Your waiter today.