Proper Tip Procedure
I’ve been contemplating writing this blog for a while, as it’s an important part of the dining experience. I just didn’t know when to write it; when the public was ready for it. I guess any time is a good time to teach people how to tip.
I once saw a little mason jar at a sandwich shop with about $15.42 in change inside. In front of this little mason jar, I saw a small of equal proportion that read “Tipping is not a city in China”. Eventually, I knew I had to get around to making this post on this restaurant blog. This is probably the most common question that I get asked by people outside of the industry, “how much is a proper tip?”
Let me give you a little insight to why you should tip. The reason your food costs the price it does is not just based on the cost of the materials to make your food. The price of your $12.95 pork chops is made up a large number of smaller costs as well. The restaurant will add a percent of the cost of the following to your entree: paying hourly employees, purchasing the silverware, washing the dish ware, paying the bills, buying the alcohol, etc. Anything that you can look around in a restaurant and imagine it having a price tag on, the restaurant makes you pay for it through your food purchase. That’s how a restaurant operates. So, the restaurant makes it’s money regardless of whether or not you leave a tip. Whether or not your waiter makes their money is another story.
The waiter is there to sell you a large percentage of your experience. Just like a computer technician doesn’t sell you your computer, they just make you happier with it. It is the job of the waiter to help the restaurant make money by selling you products that will pay the bills. Look at it this way: your tip is your way of saying how good your assigned salesman was. Your tip doesn’t go to the restaurant. The restaurant doesn’t care whether you leave a $5 tip, or a $50 tip. They’ve made their money when you buy the food.
Unfortunately, it is the waiter who receives the brunt of the negativity if the customer has a bad experience. If the food is undercooked or taking too long, or if the restaurant is so loud the customer can’t hear themselves think, it isn’t anything that the waiter can do and yet, they still receive the flak. A good waiter will do anything and everything in their power to make your experience the best to their ability. Unfortunately, there isn’t anything that they can do if a customer walks in already upset, or has a bad experience based on extraneous circumstances. It is a common occurrence for customers to blame the waiter for their bad experience by leaving a bad tip (or no tip), even when the waiter was not at fault.
Proper tipping is generally a mindset one has to enter at the end of the meal that most people forgo, opting to guesstimate the tip either based on their experience or the cost of the bill. To properly tip, one needs to actually think about the performance of the waiter and have that tip reflect the price of the bill.
Here’s a little test. You had a great night out to eat, and your waiter was fantastic.The food was cooked perfectly, yadda yadda. Your bill comes and it’s $49.42. What do you believe to be a proper tip?
A. $6
B. $10
C. $4
D. $8
I’ll give you the answer at the end of the post, sucker.
A proper tip today is anywhere from 18-20%. It used to be 15%, but you gotta love war, right? Drives up the prices of everyone’s costs, including your waiter’s, so don’t be stingy. To a waiter, every little dollar helps. You see, we as waiters have our own expenses. In a busier restaurant, there will be support staff: bussers, and server assistants. They get paid based on the tips that we as waiters make. The restaurant uses a percentage of our sales to pay those employees for helping us out. So, if we happen to get stiffed on a $30 check, we actually have to pay to wait on you! Money comes out of our pocket when we don’t get tipped. How messed up is that, huh? Every little dollar helps us by easing up on the amount of money that we have to give to our assistants.
When you do finally want to end up figuring out that tip, pay attention to the cost of the meal. Ever wonder why you find that everything costs $39.99, or $19.99, ending in $.99? Because they want you to think it’s $30, or $19, when actually it is much closer to $40 and $20. Most people have a tendency to look at the first number of the cost of the meal, and tip based off of that number. So, to most people, a check that would be $31.52 and closer to $30 would get the same $6 tip as a check that’s $39.99, when that second check is actually closer to $40, and a $8 tip. Something as little as a penny could mean the difference between a $6 tip and a $8 tip! Like I said, every little dollar you leave us makes a difference.
For some reason, I have found that people have a tendency to leave certain tips for certain price ranges. The worst is when the ticket price gets up over $100. I’ve received a $20 tip on a $175 check! Yeah, you may have tipped me 20% on the $100, but what about the other $75? Really, when your check gets that high, you should spend a little more time thinking about what tip to leave.
Okay, so how to properly tip? Here’s three tips for you:
1.Tip based on the performance of your waiter. 10% for a bad performance, 18% for okay, and 20% for good.
2. Pay attention to your ticket. If it’s closer to the next $10 amount, tip based on that dollar. $38.52, round up to $40.
3. If your bill is in the three-digit range, remember to tip off of the other two digits also, not just the first one.
If you don’t know how to figure percents, or you dropped out of school before 7th grade, go pick up one of those little tip charts from Office Depot and pull it out at the end of the meal. I actually LOVE to see that, since I know that the person is consciously wanting to leave a proper tip.
Oh, and by the way, the answer to the test earlier is B. $10.
This entry was posted on June 9, 2008 at 4:43 pm and is filed under entertainment, food, humor, restaurant with tags bartenders, food, humor, performance, restaurant, Tipping, waiters, waiting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
June 13, 2008 at 11:55 pm
“If the food is undercooked or taking too long, or if the restaurant is so loud the customer can’t hear themselves think, it isn’t anything that the waiter can do and yet, they still receive the flak.”
As I explained in my other response on the other blog I wrote on, if the food takes a long time, sometimes it’s the server’s fault if they either forget to put in the order into the computer, forget to go get the order, or delay putting in the order into the computer.
If the food is undercooked, it COULD possibly be the server pressed the wrong button or forgot to push a button such as “Medium well” was pressed instead of “Medium Rare.’ Also, sometimes undercooked food is obvious such as bacon ordered extra crispy, but looks OBVIOUSLY SOGGY. Fries cooked very dark brown, but the customer specifically ordered them not overdone. Even though the kitchen staff didn’t cook it right, that’s up to the server BRINGING out the food to tell the cooks RECOOK the food instead of BRINGING IT OUT WRONG. If you can notice a mistake without having to touch the food at all, it’s on YOU for bringing it out wrong. I told YOU my order, so YOU are responsible for the OBVIOUS MISTAKES you can take NOTICE WITH YOUR EYES.
So when you say servers still receive flak, well sometimes it CAN be their fault. Usually, you know when it is their fault.
June 14, 2008 at 12:05 am
Yes, this is all true. It can be the server’s fault. But, more often than not it isn’t their fault. Sure every waiter has their bad tables. I mean, I’ll mess up sometimes and forget to put the food in because I’m overly busy, but I will generally go apologize to the table, and attempt to make it up to them. I know not everyone does that. And yes, sometimes it’s just a terrible waiter, but I made my statements about the majority of competent waiters, not the real minority of bad ones. I agree with you, that usually you know when it’s their fault, but more often that not when you go out, it isn’t their fault.
If a condiment is missing, or an ingredient isn’t added that you wanted, someone forgot somewhere. Not always will the meal be obvious to us that it’s missing, especially when it’s a busy night.
But, from reading your really long post, it sounds like you are just a very angry customer. Very intelligent and observant, yes, but I would guess that you didn’t have restaurant experience. I may be wrong. You’re probably someone I wouldn’t want to wait on, no matter how good I was. I think I’d feel like I was being scrutinized at every turn. Not even the waiters at Spago are perfect. They make mistakes every now and then. Remember, we’re human, too. We make mistakes, and are forgetful.
Also, I felt like if I included all of the possibilities that your waiter messed up on, it would be as long as a new post… hey…. that’s a good idea.
June 21, 2008 at 11:23 pm
servernotslave
“But, more often than not it isn’t their fault.”
Actually, that is 100% UNTRUE!!!
The Things that are the Waiter and Waitress’s Fault for the Customer Receiving a Mistake or Having a Longer Wait for Things Than Necessary for What the Customer has Requested:
1. Incorrectly putting in an order into the computer(Happened MANY, MANY, of times)
2. Forgetting to put the order into the computer(Happened MANY of times)
3. Forgetting to get the order from the kitchen or the bar(Has happened at least 2-3 times)
4. Bringing a check with ANY TYPE of overcharge on the check, because even a wrong price that the check price doesn’t match the menu, the SERVER COULD have made sure the customer was charged correctly BEFORE handing an overcharge to a customer since they do want the customer’s money.
5. Not bringing back correct change or to ring up the wrong amount on someone’s credit card(Got rung up 3 different times, 3 different situations(2 for sure wrong tables rung up on our credit cards) before putting any amount of tip on the credit card receipt)
6. Bring the customer the wrong check (Has happened once to us)
7. Forgetting a request such as a refill, the check, etc.
8. Not getting an order correct that they have control over such as CORRECT entrées, side dishes, condiments, drinks, etc.
9. Not Noticing if a customer has utensils, napkins, or straws BEFORE delivering food or even ANY DRINK for that matter.
10. To take plates of food or glasses off the table without knowing if it’s truly finished with
11. Bring something to the table that was never ordered
12. Another server bringing out the wrong food when the order was put into the computer correctly or given the kitchen staff correctly.
13. Another server not comparing the ticket to the plate of food, therefore, missing condiments or side dishes are obvious or possibly even wrong entrees or possibly even incorrectly prepared food that’s obvious like if I say I want wing sauce “on the side” and none on the chicken, if you bring it out or another server doesn’t bother to READ THE TICKET to take notice that wing sauce is on my chicken, then it still counts against the tip, because it’s part of the customer’s service, since someone is delivering food to the table. ANYONE and I mean ANYONE, manager or another sever or the main server, delivers the food with VERY OBVIOUS mistakes that the person delivering the food doesn’t have to touch the food to notice the mistake, that IS part of the tip that SHOULD get knocked off some. If the ticket is incorrect, then 100% is through the fault of the main server for putting in the order wrong from the get go.
Quite honestly, 95% of restaurant mistake ARE INDEED the IN THE SERVER’S CONTROL, therefore are THE SERVER’S FAULT or the FOOD RUNNER’S OR OTHER SERVER’S FAULT.
It’s actually much more rarier to get a mistake that is NOT the fault of the server or food runner/other sever. My husband and I have had MUCH MORE SERVER mistakes or food runner/other server mistakes than kitchen, hostess, or manager mistakes.
A food runner/other server situation where a condiment is missing is ALWAYS in the MAIN server’s control to bring the condiment or condiments out BEFOREHAND since they need not cooking NOT EVER RELYING ON OTHER CO-WORKERS FOR YOUR TIP THAT IS SOMETHING YOU TRULY CAN CONTROL.
If the food runenr/other server cannot know if the food is correct and the manager said the server put the food in correctly such as an undercooked steak, no I wouldn’t take it out on the server’s tip, however, if it’s something OBVIOUS such as a missing side dish, even though my server didn’t bring the food out, it’s a PART of MY SERVICE that I am having to SUFFER through without what I have ordered, which is NOT good service, so I tip according to the people that bring things to my table. If they aren’t my server, they are still in my service, therefore have EVERY RIGHT to tip less if the food isn’t OBVIOUSLY correct as far as the other server or food runner can SEE a mistake. I couldn’t count off a mistake such as raw food on ANY SERVER unless they admitted putting in a steak at rare instead of medium well. Also, you could tell by the look at a RED steak vs. a blacker steak BEFORE you bring it to me.
Also, I have asked another sever that ran the food to us to get a refill, which sometimes have had other servers that ran the food to our tables VOLUNTEER to ask if we need anything else to work as a TEAM MEMBER. Some servers didn’t bother to even TELL our sever we wanted refills. Sorry, but it SHOULD count against the tip, because it’s PART of the CUSTOMER’S SERVICE REGARDLESS of if my server didn’t actually refuse to do the task which was get refills.
“If a condiment is missing, or an ingredient isn’t added that you wanted, someone forgot somewhere.”
Sorry, but you are IGNORANT!!! ALL SIDES OF CONDIMENTS, ALL, are IN THE SERVER’S CONTROL REGARDLESS OF WHO THE HELL TAKES THE FOOD THE CUSTOMER, even if it’s a manager. I have LITERALLY HAD SERVERS WITHOUT ME ASKING VOLUNTARILY BRING OUT CONDIMENTS AHEAD OF TIME. They told me they didn’t want to FORGET. NO, “SOMEONE FORGOT” CRAP, NO, MY SERVER FORGOT REGARDLESS IF ANOTHER SERVER RUNS THE FOOD, BECAUSE THEY COULD HAVE OFFERED TO BRING THE CONDIMENTS OUT BEFORE THE FOOD WAS READY SINCE CONDIMENTS NORMALLY DON’T NEED COOKING!!!
I CANNOT STAND THAT ATTITUDE of “SOMEONE”, WHEN IT’S UP TO THE SERVER TO MAKE THEIR OWN DESTINY. Ranch, Mayo, Mustard, honey mustard, etc. needs NO COOKING, therefore, there’s no true reason to wait 15 or more minutes to bring that stuff out. A-1 bottles or any kind of other bottles can be brought out ahead of time as well.
One time a waiter told me at Chili’s “The kitchen forgot” when I had ordered 2 sides of mayo and 1 side of mustard for my burger. NO, THE WAITER FORGOT TO “BRING” IT FROM THE KITCHEN since HE ACTUALLY TOOK MY FOOD TO ME AS WELL AS WROTE DOWN MY ORDER. The kitchen forgot is blaming someone for something HE could have EASILY CAUGHT HIMSELF but was TOO LAZY ASS TO VERIFY THE WRITTEN ORDER with the plate of food or even possibly didn’t even put in the order correclty from the get go. Regardless, I told HIM, NOT the kitchen staff, I wanted 2 sides of mayo and 1 side of mustard, so he could have easily ASKED ME if it would be alright to bring those out beforehand. Instead, he blamed the kitchen staff for something that doesn’t need to be touched to notice the mistake. I CANNOT STAND THAT ATTITUDE that it’s the kitchen staff’s fault for that.
“Not always will the meal be obvious to us that it’s missing, especially when it’s a busy night.’
Are you STUPID or JUST THAT LAZY ASS?
YOU WROTE DOWN THE ORDER, DIDN’T YOU?
SO WHERE’S THE WRITTEN ORDER YOU SHOULD BE COMPARING MY PLATE TO? Making sure EACH ITEM IS CHECK OFF THE LIST THAT IS NOT MISSING. THAT’S YOUR JOB, NOT THE KITCHEN STAFF’S. If you feel like that, I might as well LEAVE YOU OUT THE PICTURE then. WHY BOTHER GIVING YOU THE ORDER? I might as well go to the back to give my order to someone who CARES to COMPARE THE WRITTEN ORDER WITH THE PLATE OF FOOD THAT IS GOING TO BE TIPPED. I can understand the kitchen staff not caring since they get paid decent hourly wages regardless of correct food or not, but servers, sorry, but your job is to make sure if I asked for a side of ranch for my fries, it’s ON THE PLATE as ORDERED. Do you know how to FOLLOW EXACT INSTRUCTIONS?
Sure you can have it written down and overlook it, but in order for that not to happen with condiments, you CAN OFFER to bring them out BEFOREHAND so that doesn’t happen just as some servers have done for me.
Busy not or not busy not is not an excuse to not VERIFY EVERY ORDER that you bring out as far as OBVIOUS MISSING THINGS OR WRONG ITEMS. I mean come on now, if I ordered 1 appetizer for a party of 2, you cannot verify 1 side of ranch if it’s on the plate of not? It’s true, some servers have been that LAZY ASS, UNCARING, and STUPID LOOKING. They WROTE it down even, then since it’s an appetizer, it should have really been fresh in their head considering they just had drinks and appetizers to put into the computer at the greeting point, yet, by the time they brought out the appetizers, we have had quite a number of servers not verify what the hell they brought to our table and forget what we asked for, then when we just repeat the order politely, they don’t say they are sorry as if it means nothing, meanwhile, I am waiting to eat my food the way I ordered it, now it’s not as hot by the time they come back with it. No sorry makes me MORE ANGRIER that they aren’t nice even. I mean, saying you are sorry cost NOTHING, but yet servers don’t do it for small mistakes. If they did, bigger tips would be in their future for being NICE instead of being mean.
“They make mistakes every now and then. Remember, we’re human, too. We make mistakes, and are forgetful.”
There’s a HUGE DIFFERENCE between TRYING and NOT TRYING. There’s also a HUGE DIFFERENCE between BEING NICE as PIE about a mistake and acting like you could care less. One time, a waitress forgot my onions on an open-faced burger, meaning you could see it wasn’t there, but my husband gave me his since he didn’t want it, but I didn’t have my ranch for my fries I had ordered even though OUR WAITRESS brought us the food. She said “I’m so sorry about that” and fixed the missing ranch IMMEDIATELY. She got 20%. MOST situations, the servers would have had 13% at most. You know WHY? EXTRA SPECIAL NICE is what she was for a SMALL MISTAKE AND FIXED IT IMMEDIATELY. When you fix it as soon as you can and say you are really sorry, it’s like you didn’t make the mistake when it’s something minor. My point is, servers today seem to think “I don’t care” attitude, so I just tip that way back. When they show they care, I’ll care, but don’t expect me to care if you don’t you know?
“but more often that not when you go out, it isn’t their fault.”
It IS, you do NOT seem to get that MOST mistakes can be PREVENTED from getting to the customer from the server or food runner/other server. Restaurant mistakes are MOSTLY the SERVER’S FAULT in general because it’s OBVIOUS mistakes that get to our tables.
1. Wrong entrees -2 from same servers we have had, 1 from another server but the main server told us she put in the order wrong, therefore it was her fault, NOT the runner’s fault.
2. Wrong side dishes – Usually has happend from another server, but one time we had OUR WAITER that brought me mac n’ cheese instead of a loaded baked potato that I had ordered as one of my 2 side dishes. When it’s OBVIOUS to the EYES that a mac n’ cheese doesn’t look ANYTHING like a baked potato, I don’t care if the kitchen staff didn’t plate the order correctly even if the order was put in correclty, it was up to OUR WAITER to REALIZE, DUH, BAKED POTATOS AREN’T MAC N’ CHEESE. DUH!! I noticed the mistake when he IMMEDIATELY put it on our table within literally less than 5 seconds. I even had a couple of margaritas and still noticed, when someone SOBER didn’t notice, that takes the cake, you know?
3. Missing side dishes 1 time had it from a MANAGER that got fired and another time had it from OUR WAITRESS that TOOK OUR ORDER. BOTH still count against the tip, because it’s part of the service. The waitress that forgot to bring the side dish out, definately was penalized in the tip even more so than normal since she didn’t apologize even when my husband was VERY NICE to her about his missing side dish.
4. Wrongly put in orders – Had this happen at least a few times or so.
5. Forgotten refills, forgot to put in orders(had this happen at least 3 times)
6. Forgot to go get margaritas from the bar, which this happened twice. Once waited for 30 minutes and another time waited 25 minutes. The both servers admitted forgetting about them. One of them, it was a miscommunication where they were out the Presidente shakers, so my margarita got made in another glass, which some other sever delivered. My server though should have went to check on WHERE my margarita was a WHOLE LOT SOONER than she did. I don’t care if the bartender made it in the wrong glass, the fact is, it’s my server’s responsibility to figure out what happened to my drink in a DECENT amount of time, NOT 30 minutes.
7.Overcharges on checks. I don’t care if it’s the wrong price since I can notice it, you sure can as well, of an extra item or a wrong item or wrong amount of change shorting the customer or credit card rung up incorreclty on the wrong amount, it’s up to the SERVER since they normally HAND you the check and are truly the person that is CHARGING YOU. We have also gotten a wrong check as well. That was like a DUH, are you stupid type of situation.
My point is, there is VERY LITTLE that is truly NOT the server’s fault.
June 22, 2008 at 12:39 am
Yeah, I read your blog Springs. And I really don’t like the tone that you have with all this. I also don’t want you to go through your 41 point list again on MY blog. Seriously, you take things way too personally. Mistakes happen, get over it. I write down stuff all the time, and 99% of the time it’s correct when it leaves the kitchen. But obviously you are EVERY waiter’s 1%, because it seems that nothing is ever right with you. If a server tells you something, and it’s really pointless, as long as you ultimately get what you wanted, get over it. Don’t linger on it and let it ruin your night. If you can’t do this, stay at home, and cook a chicken yourself. It’s obvious that you go out to eat LOOKING to prove yourself right that every waiter is “stupid” as you so eloquently put it.
Are you truly a happy person? Because from reading your blog, I can only assume that not only are you unhappy with the world, but you are an aggressive driver, you want discounts wherever you go, and you’ve never had a real laborious job in your life.
Go work in a restaurant. Then you can truly see what it’s like dealing with people like you. Ignorant customers who think that they’re better than everyone else, especially the people who are actually at work while you’re having a wonderful night out with family. You might actually see the error of your ways, and realize that your petty qualms with the service industry was just that: petty.
Stop complaining about every little stupid thing that your waiter does wrong, or start going to restaurants that don’t have waiters. Then you can really tell the kitchen exactly what you want.
Honesty, I’m sure your favorite Chili’s and Denny’s know your face when you walk in the restaurant. This is a bad thing for a change. Why? Because if you’re a known complainer, pest, and bad tipper, you’re going to receive sub-par service from just about anyone in those restaurants. I really don’t think they’d care about whether your happy or not. Why? Because you’re going to keep coming back no matter how mistreated you feel.
June 22, 2008 at 7:13 pm
“If a server tells you something, and it’s really pointless, as long as you ultimately get what you wanted, get over it.”
It’s NOT “pointless”, because that counts against the tip MORE if the server cannot admit when THEY are at fault. At least ADMIT when YOU are at fault for something. Blaming the kitchen staff for something extremely obvious makes me very angry with the server. No, I don’t verbally tell them that. I just hate that attitude that the server cannot just accept blame when it’s their fault. Anyone with common sense would know WHO is at fault, so when a server tries to cover it up such as when the waiter at Chili’s said “The kitchen forgot” when my 2 sides of mayo and 1 side of mustard was not there, it makes me mad to see they cannot just admit THEY actually forgot to BRING it from the kitchen to my table. I don’t tell the kitchen staff my order nor am I TIPPING the kitchen staff, so the kitchen staff is NOT 100% responsible for every detail of my order, my server is however responsible for OBVIOUS
{Deleted because of ignorant ranting – Servernotslave}
June 22, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Yeah, I deleted half of your post. Why? Because you repeat yourself too much. You say the same things over and over, and use terrible capitalization for emphasis. There’s no getting through your thick head. It does matter that you’ve never had a laborious job, or worked with people because it actually teaches you how to appreciate other people’s work. Stop crying over your mayo, and barbecue sauce because you saw it in a picture. Besides, the enjoyment of your night shouldn’t linger on whether or not you get mayonnaise. If you spend your nights eating out at places like Bennigan’s, Denny’s, and Chili’s you’re going to see the bottom of the waiting pool often enough.
So, stop posting on my blog. Because of your arrogance, and ignorance, any other comments you put up will be deleted.
June 23, 2008 at 4:31 am
Jeeze Louise. Spring1 my my my havent you had a run with the restaurants you go to, huh? Maybe you just have bad luck with eating out. My heart goes out to you. But if it is continuously bad service at the restaurants you like, why do you go back, stop going to those restaurants. Try other restaurants. There are an abundance out there that are better. But if this a pattern for you when you and your husband go out to eat, take a minute and look to see , if its the restaurants you frequent, maybe it is something that you have done to make the waiters not really care? Or maybe the management doesn’t train their employees correctly. I can understand how frustrating it can be when you don’t get the refill you asked for OR don’t get the dressing on the side when you asked for it OR your steak is over done. I get it. I have been there. But i have to tell you, with all due respect, you do sound like the customer from hell.
Yes, it is all apart of the “service”, but you have to understand that your “team” that is waiting on you hand and foot are humans and make mistakes. It is a stressful job. It isn’t as easy as it seems. Waiters have to think about a lot, a lot of multitasking is involved. Not just thinking about the customers themselves but the food and drinks they have to get not only for your table for their 6-7 other tables. I am not making excuses because being able to do that is their job, but Look at the bigger picture, the waiter gets the bunt end of ALL the mess ups regardless of fault, regardless if it was a front of the house or the back of the house mess up. They are the ones that get reamed up the ass if things come out all wrong. I understand some of it MAY just the servers fault but PLEASE give them the benefit of the doubt. They are hard workers. There is a lot that goes into service and they know that their service has an effect on the tip they get so they do do their best.
Think about it, they are on their feet 6-7 hours a day running all over the restaurant, being oh so nice to people that are assholes by nature, dealing with bussers/kitchen staff that are not doing what they are suppose to be doing or getting yelled at by a chef who treats waiters like they are stupid. Yes waiters can make mistakes and yes, they can blame it on the kitchen when it is in fact actually their fault. However, most of the time it is not their fault. A waiter knows how important the service is because it affects their tip. Doing what THEIR part of the “service” consists of, servers are usually pretty meticulous. (Mind you they are humans and can make mistakes).
I can tell you that when a steak comes out over done a lot of the time it probably has been sitting in the window for just a little while waiting for the other dish therefore your steak continues to cook thus making your steak overdone (mind you you’re not waiting more than 20 25 minutes for your food). Sometimes the kitchen doesn’t time the plates to finish at the same time because usually one cook is working on the meat while t another cook is working on, say, your fish therefore your steak is waiting for the fish for just a couple of minutes continuing to cook. Or maybe the runner is running food out to another table and is coming right back for yours but cant get to it in time to bring it out the right temp. A sever can not be at the kitchen window every time a plate goes out because they are busy with the 6 or 7 other tables they have. They have an idea of about the time it should be ready so they will keep an eye on your table around that time a check pretty frequently with the kitchen to see when it is suppose to come out. A good server on top of the table will let you know it shouldn’t be much longer.
Now, if your plate doesn’t come out the side of barbecue sauce that it was SUPPOSE to come out with AND your steak comes out the wrong temp keep in mind that that is probably not the servers fault it was the kitchen that goofed. If your salad comes out with the dressing on it rather than on the side then,yeah, it probably is the servers fault (but maybe the runner did grab the wrong salad, ya never really know the real reason). Every part of the service hopefully does the best they can. They know their tip depends on it.
Another point to make the kitchen does know it is a part of the whole EXPERIENCE of the service but doesn’t give it a second thought because it really doesn’t have an impact on the money they make because more often than not, they do not work for tips, they are working on more than minimum wage. I am not taking the blame off the server, believe me there can be bad waiters but taking those bad servers out of the equation, good waiters can forgot or write down the wrong temp you requested your steak to be not even five minutes ago or even punch in the wrong temp by accident, or maybe they heard medium well instead of medium rare. But if you order steaks frequently when you go out and they are overdone, I guarantee you that it is very rare that it is the fault of a server. Servers know important steak temp is. It makes or breaks a steak for some people. Sometimes if the server has a question about the temp they will even go back and ask the customer even if JUST told them. I I will say it again, I am not taking the blame off the server but the server knows their livelihood depends on the money they make so they will pay attention to the details of their tables.
Usually a server will come back after a few bites into your meal and ask you how everything is and to get you everything your heart desires. I know Chill’s doesn’t give you good service and we both know it isn’t a top notch restaurant so your expectations shouldn’t be set too high. They know they will have business whether you come back or not because it is after all Chilli’s. But if you go to a nicer restaurant usually the service is a lot better. And if the server knows the service isn’t great, regardless of the fault, they will usually do SOMETHING to make it up to you, whether it is a free dessert, a round of drinks or even a little discount. But if Chilli’s is where you want to go, by all means go but know that the service you get isn’t going to be tup to par but there can be many many reasons for it. Try another Chilli’s maybe?
All servers want is respect and a little compassion. Take a look around the restaurant, is it busy or is it slow? If its slow and your getting bad service, yes the waiters fault! If its busy have a little compassion. Give them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe the waiter is “in the weeds”(meaning they are real behind) and if they are “in the weeds” maybe the other servers are helping them out the best they can with the tables they have by bringing drinks or something, maybe the bar is backed up for one reason or another, maybe the restaurant is understaffed (which is the management’s fault most of the time) It is one BIG operation. Think about it. Think about how much goes into the whole operation of serving you and anyone else for that matter. There are a lot of different aspects that goes into service, a lot of extremities. Some that are obvious and some that you wouldn’t even think about or know about if you weren’t “behind the scenes”. It is like a pyramid,if you will , A LOT of different layers that goes into serving you. A server knows how important the “service” is because it is how they get the money they make . Again, a server is rarely at fault if things come out all wrong, drinks or food. It is a servers job to make sure your experience is pleasant. But they just want customers to have a little compassion. Think about the slack that servers can get from tables and from the staff at the back of the house. They are the middle man a lot of the time. Servers do “yell” at the kitchen crew and/or go to the managers if food is taking to long, they can get on the bussers ass if they are not on the staying on top of the tables.
if you are at a restaurant where service matters, you will usually get some sort of compensation if the service isn’t up to par. In addition, if more than one mistake is made (i.e. your drinks took too long, an appetizer wasn’t brought out for one reason or another) pay attention to see if the waiter stays on top of your table from then on out (being extra efficient with getting you refills, checking up on you while your eating more than usual, simply passing by your table more frequently, asking you repeatedly if everything is good, “buying” you a round of drinks…etc). If they aren’t and the service is continually bad for the rest of your meal, tip accordingly (usually 10% a server will get the picture because they can tell when the service isn’t good) and don’t go back. Find another restaurant that you would frequent that is up to your standards. Just have a little compassion and PLEASE give them the benefit of the doubt. A servers livelihood depends on it. AND THEY KNOW IT!!!!!! So they rarely mess up>
June 23, 2008 at 5:17 pm
WOW Long comments
I like it.
I got into a fight once with my wife. I wanted to leave a tip to a terrible waiter. She said not to. I said I had to. She never worked in the restaurant industry, I do.
June 23, 2008 at 7:34 pm
Yeah, even if you leave a 10% tip, most waiters will understand that a 10% tip means that you were unhappy with the service.
June 23, 2008 at 9:10 pm
This would be where Springs1’s next ignorant ranting would be, but again, it was full of the same retarded-ness about how it’s always the server’s fault. So, I deleted it. Sorry, L.A. Lady, green eyed lady, but I think if you read what she said you’d probably boil your blood. I’m sure you can get a gist of what she said, just reread what you said and apply her normal “server is wrong always, I am perfect, I know everything about the restaurant industry but never have actually worked in a restaurant” banter.
By the way Springs1, keep reading the blog. I love seeing the hits going up.
Thanks!
June 24, 2008 at 7:21 am
{This post is only here by request sent to me directly from L.A. Lady. Apparently, she wants to get her fill of customer stupidity early for the day – Servernotslave}
L.A. Lady
“Now, if your plate doesn’t come out the side of barbecue sauce that it was SUPPOSE to come out with AND your steak comes out the wrong temp keep in mind that that is probably not the servers fault it was the kitchen that goofed.”
While I agree with the steak scenario, sorry, but the bbq sauce issue is the SERVER’S FAULT ALWAYS for “FORGETTING TO BRING IT OUT.” Even if another server runs the food, I have had at least 10 servers over the years VOLUNTARILY offer to bring me my condiments before my food came out and they did. It’s up to my server to remember the sauces, NOT the kitchen staff. Did the kitchen staff bring me my food? NO, MY SERVER DID. Also, is the server BLIND that they cannot tell if a container of bbq sauce is on the plate? OF COURSE NOT! It’s NEVER the kitchen staff’s fault for my server FORGETTING to bring the condiments to me.
“Again, a server is rarely at fault if things come out all wrong, drinks or food.”
How can you possibly say that? The servers are blind according to you? Wrong drinks, well gee if I ordered a pina colada, it’s like DUH, don’t bring me a margarita. Sorry, but when the SERVER BRINGS out the COMPLETLEY OBVIOUSLY WRONG THING, it’s THEIR FAULT. That’s the TRUTH. Wrong entrées, not only have we had waiters that brought out the wrong entrées, but one of them actually input the order into the computer wrong. One waiter admitted he grabbed the wrong plate from the kitchen due to that he was handing out other table’s food as well as ours. He gave my husband fried shrimp w/fries when he ordered crawfish au gratin. It’s like DUH, both of those dishes look COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. Even if the kitchen staff makes the wrong food with the order being correctly put in, it’s up to the SERVER to actually VERIFY what the heck they are taking to the table if it’s correct or not. It is not the kitchen staff that takes me the food, so you cannot blame them for YOU not VERIFYING the plate of food being the completely wrong entrée. YOU TOOK THE ORDER, so YOU SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR BRINGING IT OUT AS CORRECTLY AS POSSIBLE CONSIDERING YOU ARE THE PERSON MAKING THE TIP as long as YOU took the order and brought out the food. Another server that runs the food can verify the ticket. One time, we had an Applebee’s waitess admitted she put in baby back ribs when my husband had ordered a burger, so another server ran baby back ribs to us, which neither one of us ordered. You cannot blame the runner, because she only could go by the ticket.
So, you have no clue of what you are taking about. It’s very rare it’s NOT the server’s fault the customer receives mistakes. If things as you said are “ALL WRONG”, GUESS WHAT? YOU HAVE A SET OF EYES, so I would think you could tell just by LOOKING without touching the food what’s wrong. You wrote the order down, so if you bring out the food, you have a WAY of VERIFYING if the food is correct you are BRINGING ME. It’s your JOB to BRING me correct things as far as obvious mistakes are concerned. You wouldn’t know if my steak is undercooked a little, but you would know if I had a wrong side dish, a wrong entrée, something missing like a side dish or a condiment or anything that’s obvious.
You say this: “If your salad comes out with the dressing on it rather than on the side then,yeah, it probably is the servers fault.” If the server that took the order brought it out, it’s 100% the server’s fault, NOT “PROBABLY” for not paying attention to that the salad has dressing on it that’s not supposed to be there and it’s supposed to be on the side instead. I don’t get why you feel it’s their fault for that, but not for not noticing a missing container of bbq sauce? Those are both OBVIOUS mistakes. You don’t have to TOUCH a thing to notice both of those type of mistakes, so WHY wouldn’t the server be at fault when they are BRINGING the food out? The kitchen staff wasn’t told the order from the customer, the customer told the order to their server, so their SERVER is responsible for making sure the order is obviously correct. The server is making the tip to do that. It’s like duh, you don’t notice the side of bbq sauce isn’t there? I mean seriously, you blame a server for dressing not on the side, but yet, if someone wants a side of bbq sauce, it’s not their fault for forgetting to bring it? That takes the cake. It IS their fault for FORGETTING to leave the kitchen with it. It’s THEIR JOB to not to forget what the customer has ordered. Even if another server is involved, it’s up the main server to offer to bring the condiments out before the food comes out so they won’t be forgotten by ANYONE. Take charge of your tip and your destiny.
“But if you order steaks frequently when you go out and they are overdone, I guarantee you that it is very rare that it is the fault of a server”
I agree with you on things that the server cannot just tell with their eyes that something is wrong and that they would have to CUT INTO THE STEAK to know it’s wrong or right.
June 24, 2008 at 11:43 am
Bitch is crazy! OBVIOUSLY never worked in the industry before. OBVIOUSLY is not a foodie if she is going to Chilli’s. Probably didn’t even know that word before she read it! Why are you ordering Pina colada’s(that’s just annoying). Stop thinking YOU are better than servers bacause YOU are NOT!! And for heavens sake stop nit picking when you go out to eat. Beleve it or not you look like a crazy, IGNORANT (yes IGNORANT) bitch believe it or not! Stop embarassing yourself “PRINCESS”!!!!
June 24, 2008 at 12:53 pm
And that is why she no longer will be posting comments on this blog. Oh, and also I edited her comments so that people won’t be able to access her blog from mine.
I hate to continue using the same word over and over, but this type of ignorance, and selfishness is rampant throughout the country. Apparently, missing barbecue sauce, or margarita’s with no salt instead of salt is the worst atrocity happening in America today. There are people who are forgiving and light-hearted in this world and then there are people who take everything as a personal attack. There is no use wasting your time getting through this stupid bitch, L.A. Lady. She doesn’t forgive any kind of mistake, so I certainly hope that no one forgives her when something happens in her life that she’s blamed for, even if it wasn’t her fault.
I’m just surprised she hasn’t been poisoned at her favorite Chili’s yet. I hear cyanide is tasteless.
July 7, 2008 at 1:30 pm
This is probably a comment late in the game, so Spring may never read this, but I am a server and believe it or not, I do not have access to all sauces at all times. At my restaurant, I have to enter mayo, etc., into the POA (computer, for the uninitiated) and wait for the kitchen to get it for me… just like any other food item. Sure, it’s significantly quicker than – say – a steak, but it still isn’t instant.
Probably wouldn’t help in ‘her situation,’ but I couldn’t help commenting.
On a better note, I wanted to say that I enjoying reading this blog’s archives. It’s nice to hear an articulate server educate the masses.
July 7, 2008 at 1:55 pm
Hey, Lim. I appreciate the positive comments! Thank you!
Feel free to tell all your co-workers and friends about the blog. You nailed it on the head; I am trying to educate people. The more people that hears about the site, the more people that are going to be educated.
Thanks for the support!
PS: Spring1 is a nut-case. Head as hard as the shell of a peanut, with a brain the size of one.
August 19, 2008 at 1:07 pm
I wondered where I would find Springs1 terrorizing. Double standards are running rampant in her head.
December 2, 2008 at 5:33 am
Kinda unrelated to prior posts, but I usually round up-if the ticket comes to 30.01, I just round it up to 31, and do the quick math for proper tip-ten percent of 31 is 3.10, and double that is 7.20-there’s the 20 percent. But since I am anal about “round” numbers (lack of a better word) I would add 7.99 for the tip to make it an even 38.00. Wonder if this should be a blog idea? Categorize me in the “weird tippers” group. By the way, do servers hate customers like me who don’t like carrying cash but would rather pay with debit/credit?
December 2, 2008 at 9:39 am
Credit/Debit cards aren’t bad. We’ve accepted it as much as we’ve accepted contracting herpes from an ex-girlfriend: It’s annoying but we’ve learned to deal with it. We usually have to pay for the fee that the credit card companies charge the restaurant to use their service, which is usually 3%.
December 5, 2008 at 7:19 pm
That Springs1 chick has way too much time on her hands.
February 13, 2009 at 10:08 am
Wao. I have seen that Spring chick in several waiter blogs ranting and raving. The fact that she has all that time on her hands to bitch is very sad. I have been in the industry for over a decade and rarely ever get under 20% usually over and the unders are like tourists who “don’t know better” yea right. I bartend more than I serve now but I still do both, because I love it. Spring is the type of guest that has the hostess apologizing to the server profusely for even having to sit her in their section. I do not think she realizes this but maybe they are fucking up on purpose hoping that maybe jus maybe this time, she just wont come back! LoL
September 3, 2009 at 8:19 am
If you didn’t say that Spring1 had a blog, I would think she is my mother-in-law. She will only eat at one restaurant because all of the other ones have upset her with poor service.
In the silver lining category, be glad you only have to serve her and not live with her.