Signing Off!

The semester is over so it's time for Tips and Tables to end. I hope any one who read this blog enjoyed it and can take away something from it too. The purpose of my blog wasn't to make you feel like a horrible person if you don't tip 20% or to make it seem like people as a whole are horrible beings. The purpose of this blog was just to demonstrate how hard servers do work and to make people more aware when eating at a restaurant. Some people really do assume servers are low class people who cannot pass school or find a job elsewhere. My boyfriend works in a restaurant full time at age 23 and people judge him every time I say that. It's unfortunate that people think that way since really serving tables is an in between job for many people looking to find something else or working towards a higher goal. Many servers have other "grown up" jobs in offices, but just cannot make the bills and so they wait tables on the side. Others, like myself, are serving tables to put myself through school. Some servers just haven't decided what they want to do with their life yet and while they are thinking it over they are at least working to support themselves. And of course some just wait tables, but who is anyone else to judge them for that? If any person pushes him or her self to work a job, no matter what job that is, I will respect them for it. At least they are trying.

So next time you eat out a restaurant, keep the things I have said in mind. Especially around the holidays, tip considerately and be kind and respectful. If something goes wrong, it's not the end of the world. I promise that at any good restaurant, they will take even better care of you if a mistake is made. You will probably even get a free dessert - and that's never a bad thing right!?

I also hope you enjoyed learning some behind the scenes secrets of restaurants. If you use some of their lingo any server will be impressed. Just the other night a customer asked me for a ramekin of honey mustard and she was loved it when I complimented her use of the term. Most people don't know what a ramekin is so it's fun when someone does!

So here I am signing off on Tips and Tables. Enjoy your holiday meals and remember - treat others as you would like to be treated - no matter who they are or what they do!

On the Brighter Side....

After reading through my previous posts I would assume my readers are asking the question "Why the hell would you ever want to work in a restaurant?!?" I realize I have been rather negative in my posts, but that is because it is so easy to think of the frustrating times. Really though, there are many benefits to working in a restaurant. In this post, I will discuss the good things that come from waiting tables.

The biggest benefit of working in a restaurant is the flexibility. Working in a restaurant is excellent for students or those who are occupied during the day. The hours are extremely flexible and it allows you to have your days totally free. Opening shifts begin around 3:30 or 4, and earlier on Fridays of course, but restaurants can arrange for your shifts to only start at 5:30 or 6 if you have a day job or attend class. In fact, there are a couple servers working at Outback who work in offices during the day from 8 to 5. They only wait tables at night for extra money. Additionally, your schedule is extremely flexible and you can change it easily. This week I have three tests so I released three shifts I was scheduled to work and they were picked up online by other employees within the day. There are so many servers working that people are always willing to pick up a shift if you need them to. The flexibility is also helpful if you need last minute money. If you go into work you can usually convince someone to go home and give you their shift. The flexibility is unlike any other job I know of. It's so helpful if you need to get off work for a test or if you don't have a set schedule and need to change your hours from week to week.

Another benefit is that you get instant gratification since you leave with your earnings each night. Yes you get paid in a check too, but it's usually so low since servers only make $2.13 an hour. Most of what you make is in your tips so when you leave each night you know exactly how much you made and you have it instantly. That's why being able to pick up a shift quickly is so helpful. You realize you are going to be late on your rent and you go into work that night and leave with enough money to pay it. It's perfect for people who live day to day - like college students! I know being able to pick up a shift after I spent all my money at the bars is extremely helpful.

An additional benefit is that you never have to take your work home with you. When you leave the restaurant for the night you are totally done. You never have additional paperwork or have to prepare for a meeting the next day. You come into work fresh and leave fresh each night. Work never leaves the restaurant. This is really beneficial to people with other jobs who cannot afford to do anything extra. It's also perfect for college students who have studying to do.

So while I would never want serving tables to be my career, there are many benefits to serving and it's perfect for my life right now. Just because someone is serving tables doesn't mean they are lower class or not smart enough to get another job. They very well may have another job and be serving tables to have enough money for their families or to pay rent. For my life at the moment, serving tables is ideal. I can pretty much choose when to work and I never have to worry about extra work I may have to put in. Serving tables never conflicts with my schoolwork or studies and I practically control how much money I bring home from serving. If I only need food money one week I can work just one shift, but if I am saving up for holiday presents I can work every night. It's totally up to me and that is why serving tables is not all that bad!

Rude Things People Do

In an earlier blog I mentioned one rude thing people do - staying past close. In this blog, I will give short descriptions of some other frustrating things customers do in restaurants.

Gift Card Tipping: It's a great feeling when you receive a gift card to a restaurant and when you get there you want to make sure you get your money's worth. So if you have a $50 gift card for two people, you may get an appetizer and two expensive entrees so that your bill is close to $50. It may seem like a free meal so you do not have to tip - BUT you do! Your server still has to tip out (remember that is 3% of the bill servers have to give to busboys and hostesses) on the total cost of your bill. Also, they served you well and deserve compensation - they don't get tipped just because you have a gift card that makes your food free. Often times, guests will just leave whatever is left on the gift card. However, you need to make sure that is a sufficient tip. If you only have a couple dollars left on your gift card, but your bill came to almost $50 - that is not a good tip in the least. You should tip well since you didn't have to pay for your meal at all. Also, if you have $10 left on your gift card, but you only want to tip $8 to get to 20%. That is kind of a waste. You might as well leave the rest of the gift card to your server - are you really going to come back to the restaurant and use a gift card with $2 on it? At the very least, make sure you are tipping on the full amount of your bill no matter how you end up paying.

Soda Refills: At Outback, we charge $2.50 for a soda. So, if you are eating there you definitely want to get your money's worth out of that soda since you could have bought a whole liter of it for only a dollar at Wal-Mart. However, if you go through six sodas during one meal it is very frustrating for a server. At most restaurants, there are only pitchers of tea and water so each time you need a new soda your server has to go to the back and get you a new glass of soda. It's one thing if you do this on a Sunday afternoon when there isn't much business, but on a Friday night when your server is already overloaded - be aware how much extra work your server is going through just because you want to drink a gallon of diet coke. If you do want that much soda, at least be lenient with your server and don't get too upset if it takes them a couple minutes to refill your drink. As a side note - no one needs to drink that much soda in one sitting.

Straws: At Outback, we bring out bread and appetizer plates with our drinks so we always have to carry a small tray. If there are four or more people, that tray is pretty heavy. Luckily, we can usually set it on the end of the table in order to pass out the drinks, but not always. EIther way, it is quite common for the person who gets their drink first or second to ask for a straw before we even have unloaded our tray. We all carry straws on our tray or in our pocket - they are in plain sight to show that we brought them for the table. When you ask me for a straw and my hands are totally full, I have to hold back not to snap at you. Be patient with your sever, if they don't give you a straw once all the drinks are passed out, that is the polite time to ask for one. Not when their hands are totally full. It also undermines them and makes them look like they are not a prepared server.

Full hands: Severs are supposed to pre-bus, to remove plates when customers are finished with them. Often times we pile a large amount of plates into our hands and are quite strained since they are so heavy. One very rude thing people do is try and pass you plates when your hands are clearly already full. My way of dealing with this is to use humor, "Haha I think I am all full but I will be back in just a second to get that for you." However, sometimes customers look at you like you are weak or not taking care of them by refusing their dirty dishes. As a customer, if a server's hands are full, put anything you are finished with at the end of the table. They will come and get it when they have a chance and it will be out of your way too.

Asking for Things: It's the job of a sever to get a customer anything they want. However, customers should be courteous with requests and try to make things easier on a server. Something very frustrating that people do is ask for one thing and then as soon as you get back, they realized they forgot to ask for something but now they need it. On busy nights this is especially frustrating for a server who is already multi-tasking. You know you need to get that item for a customer or else your tip will suffer, but at the same time you need to take an order. Customers should be considerate and try and ask for whatever they need when the server heads off to get something the first time.

Taking Extras Too Far: This is a rare thing people do, but when they do it, it's extremely rude. People can take getting extra of something way too far. For example, once a table is finished with a loaf of bread we already offer more. However, you will get tables of three people who go through six loafs of bread. That is just a rude thing to do. Another example comes from a shift I worked last week. A woman at my table didn't order a salad, but her friends did. Instead, she asked if I could bring out a bowl of croutons, cheese, and dressing. Of course she did not want to be charged for this, although I should have. That is a very rude thing to do and is really just taking advantage of the restaurant. It's also a difficult task for your server, who doesn't want to anger their table by charging, but doesn't want to get in trouble for providing that for free. The last example comes when people ask for too much dressing. If you get a side salad, there is no reason for you to have four sides of ranch dressing. Not only is that horrible for your health and weight, but it's a hassle for your server to continue bringing you such large amounts of dressing.

These are just some small things customers do when eating out that are just rude. Keep these in mind next time you eat out!

Not Your Typical Management

Management at a restaurant is quite different from management of other businesses. Managers at restaurants are often extremely busy and involved with the inner workings of the restaurant and they often have a much more casual relationship with their employees. These things have both positive and negative aspects, which I will discuss in this post.

*Note: In this post, I consider only managers at corporate restaurants. Managers of private restaurants may be very different - especially if the manager is also the owner.*

Firstly, managers at restaurants usually have very different backgrounds than managers of other businesses. They usually worked as a server at one time and slowly worked their way up the chain. Often times, they do not have a college degree or if they do it is not in something very difficult. They probably worked at the restaurant for an extended period of time - at least ten years - before they got to where they are. They are used to working nights and long hours, although all the managers I have worked for did have a family. The hours they work will demonstrate that they have a different social life than the typical manager. This contributes to the different relationship they have with employees as well.
The background of restaurant managers has both positive and negative aspects. It's positive because managers have worked as servers too and they usually understand your point of view. It's easier for them to listen to your problems and help you solve them. In the same light, they will recognize when you are being unnecessarily difficult and they won't hesitate to fire you if you are not doing your job correctly. Managers are required to know how to do all the jobs in a restaurant so that will definitely benefit the employees since the manager understands what you are dealing with and that problems do arise.
The negative aspects of the background of restaurant managers is that they sometimes are not prepared to deal with problems that arise and they may not be as professional as they should be. They do not usually have college degrees and although they understanding the inner-workings of a restaurant very well, they may not be as prepared as they should be to deal with business issues. It can also be difficult for servers who feel they are more intelligent than their boss. For example, servers who are in college or graduate school.

Secondly, managers of restaurants are much more hands on than other managers. They will not hesitate to go on the line in the kitchen and start making salads when the salad staff gets behind. Or they will start cooking steaks when the time calls for it. It is not rare for a manager to spend half a shift in the kitchen is we are unexpectedly busy or if a kitchen member calls in sick. Managers are also always dealing with the problems that arise with customers. Usually, the manager and a "key" are on staff on a given night. On weekends, two keys may be working. These "keys" are servers who have had training to work as a part-time manager too. They have no authority to make "big picture" decisions in the restaurant, but during a shift they have all the personal authority of a manager. The keys deal with problems with customers, comp food that was made incorrectly, help servers when they need manager authorization, and can discipline servers when they step out of line. The manager will usually decide at the beginning of the night whether he will be front or back of the house, but that doesn't mean that he won't switch if the occasion calls for it. If he is front of the house, he will be talking with customers and dealing with their problems and if he is back of the house, he will be working in the kitchen or as an expo the whole night.
The hands-on aspect of restaurant managers is positive because it makes servers connect to him and respect him more. They see he is doing the same work they are and it makes him more respectable. He isn't just being an authority figure giving orders. However, managers mess up just like the rest of us and it can be difficult for a server to confront a manager when he sent the wrong food to their table or messed something up. It can also be positive because when a server has the general manager talk to their table, it makes customers feel valued and can help their tip.
However, the manager being so hands on had it's negatives too. Managers often get too casual in that atmosphere and will get snappy with servers. It is not uncommon for my manager to yell at a server during a shift for something the server did by mistake. It's not like the server did something on purpose, but the manager is in the heat of the moment caught up in the action and he does raise his voice. I think this is negative because the manager is supposed to be an authority figure above the petty things, and this often brings him down a notch and makes him lose respect in our eyes.
Another negative to managers being so hands on is that sometimes they do not realize the consequences of their actions because they are so involved. The other night, for example, our manager decided to have a contest for all the servers to see who could run the most food. To keep track, he told us to keep the ticket of each food we ran. This seemed like a good idea, except that people were stealing tickets and we were losing track of food. Also, the reason a ticket is stabbed and kept on the line once food is ran is so that servers can keep track of their food. They can check back there and see their food was ran. That way, if there is a problem they know the mistake was not made in the kitchen. The tickets are also necessary because servers may run the food to the wrong table and need to come back and check. Or something may have been left out but you cannot check what that was if the ticket isn't there. If the manager had not been so involved in the kitchen, he might have predicted that his contest would cause major problems. But the consequence of his action was that food was lost and huge problems arose. If he had taken a step back and been a big picture manager, that would not have occurred.

Lastly, managers at restaurants tend to have too causal of a relationship with their staff. This is because they work long hours beside one another and servers are often times friends so the manager becomes involved in that atmosphere. Managers hear about the private lives of servers during shifts and they cannot help but get caught up in the gossip and social atmosphere. Usually, managers will drink after work with servers too. Our manager does so only occasionally, probably once a week, but it is enough that the manager-employee line becomes blurred. Managers also play favorites and treat those they prefer much kinder and more causally.
In my opinion, this is only a negative aspect. Some may argue that this could make the workplace a more fun and kinder place, but I feel differently. Managers need to be an authority figure and this relationship blur only complicated things. It's difficult when your manager is joking with you about your boyfriend one minute, and yelling at you because you rang something in wrong the next. It's also very difficult to take a manager seriously if you have seen him out drunk or you know too much about his personal life. Managers in a typical business setting do not fraternize with their employees because they need to maintain the employer-employee line. The employer needs to maintain his authority and respect. In restaurants, this blurring raises problems and can cause tension.
For example, in the restaurant I work in my manager often times jokes with me about my boyfriend, another restaurant employee. This is all in good fun, until he then yells at me for a mistake that my boyfriend has made. That is extremely unprofessional and not fair to me as an employee. It's difficult to discern when the time is for jokes and when the time is to be serious when your manager acts in such a manner.

This post is largely my opinion of restaurant managers at corporate chains, based on my own experiences. I have worked in two corporate restaurants now and this description is accurate of those managers. It may seem hostile and too critical, but there are definitely problems with the way managers at restaurants act. There is a reason the majority of businesses have managers who maintain the employer-employee relationship line.

Side Work During a Shift

During a shift, a server has a lot more work to do than just wait on their tables. In this post, I will discuss the additional tasks servers must complete during a shift waiting tables.

Before I started waiting tables, I would often wonder what my server was doing in the kitchen for extended periods of time. I used to think they were just being lazy or talking with their friends instead of paying attention to their tables. Although when the restaurant is slow, servers often are just talking with each other in the back, most of the time they are actually working hard and the customers just don't see it.

Each shift, a server is assigned "running side work" to complete. These are tasks that need to be completed consistently throughout a shift. For example, some of these include refilling the ice bin under the soda machine, making tea when it is low, making butterballs when they run out, and emptying the trash bins. On a slow night, servers usually will just stick to their side work, but on the weekends or a busy night - servers will do whatever is needed in the back. So if one server who is assigned making tea is extremely busy, whoever has a chance will start making it. It often takes up to five minutes to do these tasks and that is time spent away from their tables. So customers should not assume that just because you don't see your server for a few minutes, they are in the back slacking off. Probably, they are trying to support other servers and do the work the restaurant as a whole needs.

The most important task a server needs to do during a shift besides focus on their tables is to run food. Food running is one of the most important parts of waiting tables. Servers should try their best to run their own food to tables, but they also need to help one another out. Especially on a night when everyone is busy, any spare time you have needs to be spent running food. If you don't take time to run other people's food, your food will get stuck behind theirs and your tables will suffer (and your tips) as a response.
Food running needs to be done on both cold side (salads/appetizers) and hot side (entrees). If servers are not running salads, their tables won't have enough time on their salads and their tips will again suffer. Running salads is usually extremely quick and easy because all you have to do is grab them (if there are 1 or 2) or toss them on a tray and you are off. If there is a soup involved, it takes another minute because you must fill the bowl yourself and add any toppings required, but it is still very quick.
Hot side is a totally different issue, however. There is usually an "expo" on hot side, but not always. The expo is in charge of pulling plates from the hot window, arranging them in order on the tray, and preparing them to be taken to the table. To order the plates, we always ring in food in order of the people sitting at the table so that we are not auctioning off food when we get there. This way, any server can run the food - not just the server waiting on that table. To prepare the food to go to the table, there is often a lot to do. As a steakhouse, Outback server A LOT of baked potatoes. People all like their potatoes with different toppings. So there is a potato bar with the butter, sour cream, cheese, bacon, and chives and the expo will add the toppings the customer requested onto the potato when the food is arranged on the tray. Also, all our vegetables are steamed so the bag must be removed from them. Some of the foods require speciality sauces and those too must be added. For example, our pork tenderloin has a sweet glaze that we must put on top when the food comes out. Mashed potatoes are kept out front so those must be put on the plate by the expo. The expo also must make sure the plate looks presentably. If there is too much sauce or the plate is messy, they will move the food to a different plate or organize it to be more presentable. These are only a couple of the tasks that must be completed before food is sent out. When an expo isn't there, the servers must read the tickets and do these tasks. Also, there are two trays to arrange and prepare the food on so often time an expo will be preparing one tray and a server will be preparing another.
As you can tell from my description of food running, it is quite a time consuming task just preparing the food to be taken out. However, once you get the food to the table there are other things that you may be required to do. For example, it may taken a couple minutes just to give out the food at the table - especially if it is a party of more than 4 people. Also, the servers are supposed to "prebus" or take the dirty dishes from their table as the customers finish with them, but often they do not or are too busy. So if you take food to a table, you must also remove those dirty dishes and put them in dish. At Outback, you are also required to ask if they need anything else to go with their meal. About half the time, the customers will ask for steak sauce, dressings to accompany their meal, or extra of something. You, as the server who asked the question, are then required to take what they need to their table. It doesn't matter if you have a table you need to attend to - at that point you are the responsible party and must finish helping them.

Hopefully my description of running side work and food running illustrates that if you don't see your server for five minutes, do not assume the worst. They may be helping out a fellow server, making sweet tea, or running food out to another table. All of these things are extremely necessary to the restaurant functioning as a whole. If your server wasn't doing those things, the others would not either and your experience as a whole would suffer.

Closing a Restaurant at Night

In an earlier blog, I discussed what all goes on when servers open a restaurant. So in this post, I will be discussing what servers must do when closing at night.

First, each night there is a "checker" and a "headweight" (I touched on this in an earlier blog but wanted to expand on them). The "checker" is in charge of checking every server's side work and for closing the front of the house and the server's side of the kitchen. The checker's job is quite time-consuming and can be a tough one because they have to be strict with their fellow servers. If they are too nice and do not check the server's cleaning closely, they will end up doing that work at the end of the night. For example, if you don't check a server's tables and they didn't sweep, you as checker will end up sweeping those tables later on.
The "headweight" is in charge of taking all the money and credit card receipts at the end of the night. I am not trained as a headweight so I only know the basics of what they do, but I know what the servers are required to turn in at the end of the night. At the end of a shift, each server must turn in all their credit card receipts - divided by credit card provider, as well as any gift card receipts, and any coupons they were given during the shift. If you lose a coupon during a shift, you will be required to pay the money the restaurant lost from it so servers are extremely careful with those coupons. Sometimes, a manager will let it slide, but it is very rare and they must trust you. The servers are then required to turn in any cash they need to "remit". Sometimes, the restaurant will owe you money - if most of your customers paid with credit cards. However, usually you will have enough people pay you with cash that you will have to turn in a certain amount. After that, you will walk out with whatever cash you made each night so it is instant pay. The headweight has to go through all of the server's receipts, coupons, and cash very carefully because if any mistakes are made - they are liable for it. The servers who work as headweights are carefully trained and have usually worked with the company/restaurant for some time since that is a job that requires the management trust you. The headweight is usually the very last server to leave the restaurant since that job takes longer than the checkers.

For normal servers, there is still work to be done at the end of a shift. Each server is assigned a side work they must complete before they can leave. In addition, they must clean, sweep, and set up the tables they worked that night. For openers, the side work is minimal since they usually leave as soon as the restaurant slows down. Also, openers are assigned each side work since they worked harder at the beginning of the shift. The closers, the servers who came in last that night, are assigned the toughest and most time consuming side work since their work usually requires the restaurant is closed. For example, one closing side work is cleaning the bread oven, all the bread boards, and refilling the knives we send out with bread. Another closing side work is putting away the potato bar which includes butter, cheese, sour cream, honey butter, bacon, and chives. Both of these side works cannot be done until the kitchen has closed so they are reserved for closers. Other side works for servers include cleaning the checker and headweight's tables or refilling the coffee, tea, and straws. All of these usually take about 10-20 minutes depending on what you are assigned.
Then servers must clean, reset, and sweep their tables. Servers usually have two large or three smaller tables so this is not a very time consuming task. However, you must do it well or else the checker will ask you to redo it when she sees they are not up to par. Also, if you have one table still sat with customers, but you are cut at the end of the night, you will want to go ahead and clean your tables. Otherwise, you would just be wasting your time waiting on those customers to leave. Sometimes customers look at servers like it is rude for them to clean their tables in front of them - as if they are trying to urge the customers to leave. In reality, the server is just trying to use their time wisely so that they can leave as soon as possible. They are usually not trying to send any rude signals so I urge people not to take it that way.

I will expand a little bit more now on the checker's duties at the end of the night. As you can see from the above description of server side work, most of the major tasks are done by the normal servers so that only smaller things are left for the checker to do. This is because during the end of the shift, the checker is consumed with checking other servers and would not have time to do things themselves. That's another reason that the checker and headweight's tables are assigned to other servers to clean - they simply do not have the time to do so themselves. Once the other servers are gone, the checker must go through the kitchen and make sure all the metal is clean and wiped down. They must also make sure all trash is thrown away, all towels are put in the laundry bag, and all dirty dishes have been taken to dish. Basically, they just need to review and make sure the kitchen is totally clean. In the front, they must put up all the chairs - which at Outback is really only about 30 chairs so it's not too bad. They also need to spot sweep - walk around and sweep up the aisles or areas servers may have missed. Finally, they need to make sure all the tables are set up correctly. After that, the manager checks the restaurant and if everything is in order they are dismissed. Usually the checker leaves anywhere from an hour to two hours after the restaurant actually closes. This all depends on whether or not there were late tables. As I discussed earlier, one of the rudest things a customer can do is sit and stay late at a restaurant because it keeps these people there.

You may ask yourself - why would any one want to be the checker or headweight? Both of them receive a meal of their choosing at the end of the night, although it can only be a chicken, sandwich, or pasta dish - no steaks allowed. Also, they clock out when their last table leaves and instead of receiving $2.13 an hour, you receive minimum wage. It's not a great deal - but if you are in need of money it's not too bad either. Also, as a server you may end up staying late because of a table anyway so you might as well be making extra money while you are there.

I hope this summary helps you understand the way a restaurant closes down at the end of the night. It's a bit complicated to explain, but the reason I try is so that next time you eat out you recognize how much work your server has left at the end of his shift. Servers really do work hard for little pay and keep that in mind next time you eat out!

Comping

At restaurants, servers deal with coupons and having food comped on a daily basis. As I described in my previous post, comping is when all or part of a guest's meal is given to them for free. Usually, this is done by a manager when food is cooked incorrectly or the wrong food is rung up by the server. It also is done if the guest is generally displeased with their experience and they complain.

First, when food is cooked incorrectly it is not your server's fault. They have no control over the kitchen staff or how they cook the food. All servers can do is try their best to describe exactly what you want so the kitchen will follow their instructions. However, mistakes happen and steaks are often overcooked or food is prepared poorly. Since I work at Outback, a steakhouse, I have at least one steak comped for a guest each week. This is due to kitchen error but also to the fact that most people really do not know how they like their steak cooked. At Outback, we have a description of each of our steak temperatures to help guests choose the one they prefer the best. Our description of a medium steak is, "warm pink with a red center." However, people still will order a steak cooked medium, yet be extremely upset when it comes out with a thin line of red in the middle. Guests also have difficulty when ordering salads because they will not ask exactly what comes on our house salad, but will find out they dislike one of the toppings when it is brought to them. At Outback, our house salad comes with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, cheese, and croutons. People often times get their salad and send it back because it has onions or tomatoes, which they dislike. However, they did not ask for their salad without that item. *As a side note, when eating out please be as specific as possible when ordering.* So, errors happen when cooking food and any time there is a problem (at least at Outback), a manager will go to the table to see what we can do to fix the problem and satisfy the customer. Sometimes, we can quickly recook a steak or get them a dish they like better, but when a compromise cannot be found we will comp the guest's item so they do not have to pay for a meal they did not enjoy.

The reason comping is such a problem for servers is that often times a table will not tip on the original price of the meal. If a customer's filet, for example, is comped their bill just dropped $20, which can be a significant price change for a server's tip. The server had no control over how that steak was cooked, yet they probably just lost $5 because of it. Customers need to keep in mind that when an item of theirs is comped for a mistake that the server did not make, they should remember to tip on the original price. This is an extremely fair idea because usually that guest ate a meal they got for free. Even if your steak is slightly overcooked, you received it for free and usually you receive a free dessert too. How bad can that be? Occasionally, an a guest's entire ticket will be comped. In these cases, guests MUST remember to tip. If they do not, the server literally paid to wait on your table and received nothing (see previous blog on tipping for a description of tipping out).

To better describe this situation, I will give an experience I had recently with food being comped. First, last Sunday I had a family at my table consisting of a husband, wife, and their three young children. It was only 11:30 so we were still not very busy and the kitchen should have not been behind yet. I put in their order of a quesadilla and three children's macaroni and cheese, yet their ticket took 20 minutes to come out. After I discovered this, I rushed their food to their table and informed the manager. He talked to them and even though they were not that upset, he comped their entire meal because it was not very expensive and they were very understanding about the situation. I investigated why their ticket too so long and it was due to the fact that someone had mistakenly taken the macaroni and cheese dishes that were meant for my table to another one. Before the family left, the husband handed me $3 and thanked me for being a good server. Their bill had originally been around $30 so he really only tipped me 10%. So this family considered me a good server, got a meal for free (due in large part to me informing the manager of the situation), and left me only $3. Their meal was free and they could only leave $3. This should demonstrate how much comping can mess with a server. I gave them good service and there was a kitchen error which cost me a good tip.

As a note to people whose meal gets comped completely. You just received a meal for free and are walking away with much more money than you were planning. 75% of the time, your meal was comped due to the complaints of your server and because they got the attention of the manager and pleaded your case. Leave them at least $10 before you leave, depending on the amount your bill is you may need to leave more. Leaving a restaurant with your wallet only $10 lighter is a wonderful situation. Remember to tip on the pre-comped price! And you should tip even more if your meal was completely comped and your server did a good job.

Lastly, I would like to address proper etiquette when your server makes a mistake that results in your food being comped. Mistakes happen and servers are only human just like you. If a server makes an honest mistake, you should of course bring it to their attention so they can fix it, but please be understanding. Especially if it is something that is simple to fix, like they rang in the wrong side item. Often times, you are going to get extra food and it will only take a couple minutes to fix things, so try and understanding. In the rare times that a server really messes up and rings in a totally incorrect item for you, be firm, but do not be rude. If the server doesn't fix the situation, that is the time to ask for a manager. However, if they are doing the best they can to fix things, understand and be patient. This all depends on how severe a mistake is, but a server will not mess up something just because they do not like you. They try their best to make their guests happy, that is the way they make money!, so they will never intentionally ruin your meal. You should always bring mistakes to someone's attention, but just be polite and the situation will be handled a lot more smoothly for everyone!

Restaurant Slang

Before you work in a restaurant, there are some slang terms you need to familiarize yourself with. These terms are used universally in restaurants, although each restaurant will often times have it's own slang as well.

1. 86 - to be out of something. For example, "86 Sam Adams for the night because the keg is out." It is also used as server shorthand to describe things a guest doesn't want in their food. For example, "86 tomatoes on the salad."

2. Alley Rally - a meeting of servers in the back of the house, usually at the beginning of a shift. The manager usually leads the meeting and discusses the specials of the day and goals for the shift.

3. All Day - the total amount of food the kitchen has at the time. For example, if there are two orders being cooked and the first is for two orders of grilled chicken and the second is for one grilled chicken, the kitchen will say, "Three grilled chickens all day."

4. Back of the house - the kitchen area of the restaurant. Including the cooking area and server stations for making drinks.

5. Big Top - a table with a large number of guests

6. Buried - a server who is extremely busy and overwhelmed. They are "buried" under work.

7. Campers - a table of guests who remain sitting at their table even though they are finished eating and have paid.

8. Check Back - returning to the table after the guests have gotten their food to check if they need anything else.

9. Comp - giving a table food or drink for free. This is usually done by managers if food was incorrectly cooked or if there was a problem at the table. It also can be done by managers for their friends or for regular customers.

10. Cover - a customer as a statistic. For example, if you served a total of 30 guests at your table you could say, "I did 30 covers tonight." It also can be used to describe how many guests you have at one of your tables. For example, "I have a cover of 6 at my table now."

11. Double - working two shifts back to back, such as working both the lunch and dinner shifts.

12. Double /Triple Sat - having two (double) or three (triple) of your tables sat close together. A pet peeve of servers who get "in the weeds" as a result of this.

13. Dragging - taking a long time. Can refer to the kitchen getting overwhelmed and filling orders slowly or to a server who is slow to get to their tables.

14. Drop the Check - giving the table their check after they are finished with their meal.

15. Dying / Dead Food - food that has been sitting in the window under the heat lamp for an extended period of time. It is referred to as dying if it can still be taken to the table and as dead if it is no longer able to be served.

16. Expo - the person who is in charge of pulling food from the window during a shift. They pull food when it is ready and prepare it to be taken to a table.

17. Fire Food - to begin cooking food.

18. Front of the House - the area of the restaurant where customers sit. This includes the reception area, the seating area, and the bar.

19. Grat - to add gratuity to a table with a large number of guests. Usually, gratuity of 18% is added. This protects servers from not getting a tip on a large party.

20. In the Weeds - a server who is extremely busy and overwhelmed. Usually a server in the weeds is not getting to their tables quick enough and their tables are getting frustrated.

21. Line - the area of the kitchen where the cooks work. It includes the hot side, where all hot food is cooked, and the cold side, for salads.

22. No Call / No Show - a server who does not show up for work and does not call ahead.

23. Nuke Food - to microwave food.

24. On the Fly - to rush food. For example, if you forgot to ring up steamed vegetables for your table and they have already gotten the rest of their meal, you would call for "steamed veggies, on the fly!"

25. Party - the number of guests at your table. For example, you could say you have two top parties at our tables.

26. Posi - this term is only used in some restaurants, but it refers to the computers used by servers to input orders. Also known as posi stations.

27. Push It - to encourage tables to order a particular item. For example, if the kitchen is trying to get rid of a particular food item, they will encourage you to "push" that item all night and sell a lot of it.

28. Run - to take food to a table. There are also food runners whose whole job is to run food to tables.

29. Sat - refers to when the hostess seats guests at your table.

30. Sidework - the closing work servers must do before they can leave at the end of the night. Usually, this includes cleaning your tables and doing a task in the back of the house. There is also "running sidework" which are tasks given to servers to complete during a shift, such as refilling tea pitchers or emptying the trash.

31. Skate - to leave without doing something. For example, servers could "skate: without turning in all their money or without doing their sidework.

32. Slammed - being extremely busy.

33. Station - the areas where servers can use computers and input orders. Stations also include tea and water pitchers, places to store menus, and trays for carrying multiple drinks.

34. Stiffs - guests who do not leave their server a tip. The server gets "stiffed" if they receive no tip.

35. Stretch It - to make a certain item last throughout the night. For example, if the restaurant is low on ranch dressing the manager will instruct servers to "stretch" the dressing and use it sparingly, only when specifically requested.

36. Turn a Table - to complete a party and to re-sit it with another one. For example, a table is turned when your guests leave and the hostesses seat you with a new group. Servers attempt to turn their tables quickly so they can maximize their tips since the more tables you serve, the more money you can potentially make.

37. Upsell - an attempt to sell your guests more expensive items than the ones they ordered. This can be for food or drinks. For example, if your guest orders a vodka tonic, you can upsell to him by suggesting Grey Goose instead of the house liquor since it is more expensive. This is done to maximize the ticket price so you have a better chance of getting a large tip.

38. Verbal Tipper - a guest who praises your serving ability and compliments you instead of offering you a tip. Verbal tips do not pay the bills!

39. Void - to remove items from a ticket. This is unlike comping because the item is deleted from the ticket rather than having it paid for by the restaurant. This is usually done when a server mistakenly inputs an item or when an item of food never makes it to the guests.

40. Walk In - guests who walk in without having a reservation.

41. Walk - customers who leave the restaurant without paying their bill.

42. Window - the area in the kitchen through which cooks pass food to servers to take to tables.

43. Well - the area of the bar where bartenders leave drinks that are ready to be taken to tables.

Working Sundays - The Bane of My Existence

This blog is a little off topic, but working in a restaurant on Sundays is the worst! When I first started serving, I wanted to work Sundays because I always thought people would tip more since it's the day they all go to church and relax. You would think people would be more aware of their actions on the day they listen to a preacher tell them to "do unto others as you would have others do unto you." However, Sundays are the day where people tip the worst and are also the rudest.
I have no reason for this, although I have often contemplated about it. However, in my experience serving I have found that people are the rudest and tip the worst on Sundays. Especially, when they are in a group! And on Sundays, there are often large groups of friends and families who come out to eat in their Sunday church clothes.
For example, this Sunday I left work after 5 hours with only $40. I made $28 of that money on an eleven top table I had in the last hour and a half and I only made that because we can add 18% gratuity to parties of 8 or more. My first table was a family of four. It was a mother, father, son, and a daughter who had down syndrome. I felt I did an excellent job waiting on them - I went above and beyond as their server! I put in their daughter's macaroni and cheese first because she was in a very sad mood and I got her food out within 6 minutes. They even complimented me on how quickly I took care of her. I talked to their children, got them everything they needed, and got them all drinks to go (which is a hassle for servers because it takes so much time). They left me 10% on their check. Which was only $2.50. They had clearly been at church that morning - what do you think inspired them to tip so low?
Another notable table I waited on was two women with their three children. At this table, I also went above and beyond. I am extremely good with kids, which women also comment on because they really care how their kids feel when eating out. I took great care of this table and each of the women left me 10%.
Finally, I waited on the eleven top where I made most of my money for the day. I usually do wait on one large party on Sundays and I dread it every time. Large parties in general are horrible and difficult because people do not pay attention and it's difficult to get everyone's attention. But on Sunday's they are the worst! Two women at the table in particular where horribly rude. One sat down and demanded I get her a menu - even though there was an empty seat next to her with a menu sitting right there. She just had happened to sit down in a seat where the hostesses had put a child's menu. I politely reached for the menu next to her and set it in front of her without commenting, but she still glared at me. The next woman ordered the sirloin and grilled shrimp, which is a very delicious and popular dish at Outback. The sirloin is our "Outback special" and everyone orders it and we get few complaints. This woman looked at me and rudely declared she "didn't like" the steak. I am not sure how to respond to that. I got our manager, which is what we are supposed to do in these situations, and we served her with wings instead. The wings take about 8 minutes to cook - even when rushing them - and we explained that to her. She said that was fine, but proceeded to complain to me about the time it was taking. She had also told my manager she wanted only flat pieces, which I was not told. She was not happy when that was not what she received. In the end, the gratuity was removed from her check (luckily she paid alone and I could keep gratuity on the other checks) and she left me no tip at all. I am not sure what I could have done differently to make her happy since I do not cook the food, but I am sure she doesn't understand that.
This may seem like it was just a bad Sunday, but this is actually quite representative of every Sunday I work. Recently, the minister at Newspring Church in Anderson preached on Sunday about tipping. He mentioned Outback specifically because he said he had one of the best meals he has had recently there, but he talked about tipping in general too. He said that we should treat people the way we would want to be treated, especially people less fortunate than ourselves. He talked about how little servers make and how you should be generous in tipping, especially when you think they did a great job. Because would you not want to be rewarded for doing a good job at work too?
Since then, people from Newsprings have been great tippers, but I wish others would join in the Sunday spirit too! It's not even just about giving amazing tips, 15% is a tip that is greatly appreciated by servers. It's also about just being a kind and understanding person when eating out. It's not rude to send something back, just understand that your server didn't cook the food and every one working there is human and makes mistakes. Kindly explain what you wanted and your server will probably do an even better job satisfying your needs. When you are kind to others people will be kind to you!

Working An Opening Shift At A Restaurant

Since in my last post I wrote about how difficult it is on the staff when people stay late in a restaurant, I decided that I would focus on how frustrating it is when people try and sit down before the restaurant is technically open. So in this post, I will describe what exactly servers have to do when they open a restaurant at the start of a shift.
Usually, about three servers arrive thirty minutes before the restaurant opens to set everything up in the back. The kitchen staff usually arrives about this time too in order to cut vegetables, get out the meats, and just generally set up. I will focus on the tasks servers have to do since that is really what I know. This focuses on what the opening tasks are at Outback, but I have worked in three restaurants now and they all have these same basic tasks.
First, the servers must make tea and set up the soda machines. Setting up the soda machine only takes a few minutes and just consists of screwing the dispenser tops on so that the soda comes out without being too fizzy. The tops have to be cleaned every night so they do not get too sticky. Making tea is a very large task however. The servers have to make enough tea to fill up about 12 pitchers - 6 sweet and 6 unsweet - and then to fill up two large canisters of sweet tea and one of unsweet. This takes one server about the entire thirty minutes. So, when people request to be seated before the restaurant is technically open, the tea might not be made yet. If you tell people who sit down early this, they are not very happy. But how would they feel if you went to where they work and showed up before they were open and demanded a task. They probably would not like it very much at all!
Next, the servers must set up the potato bar, where the baked potato toppings are added. To do this, you must get out a tub of butter, of sour cream, of cheese, of honey butter, and of chives. This takes awhile since you often have to combine tubs to make them full or you have to find the cut cheese and put it in a tub. It's an easy task, but one that takes about 15 minutes for one server to do. At Outback, we also have parmesan cheese graters so you must cut cheese to put in those.
Another large task is cutting lemons. To do this, you cut the top off of a lemon (where it connects to the tree) and we have a lemon cutter that cuts it into slices. This is another easy task, but one that takes a really long time since a restaurant (especially one in the South where sweet tea is so popular) goes through hundreds of lemon slices a night.
The last large task is to make butter balls to take out with the bread. This is another easy task but takes about 15 minutes. To do this, you must locate clean ramekins and you put a scoop of butter (using a butter scoop) in each ramekin. It's often difficult at the beginning of a shift since the butter is hard and frozen, but putting the scoop in boiling water really helps the task move faster.
Along with these tasks, the servers have some other small things they have to do such as turn the bread oven on and fill it, fill the to go cups and straws, and put ice in the cooler.
At Outback, our owner often seats people before we open in order to try and please the customers. This is a fine thing to do, but only if people recognize that the restaurant is not fully open yet. If it takes a couple extra minutes to get some sweet tea or some warm bread, please understand. Also, the kitchen may not be fully ready yet so customers should be understanding about that as well.
Hopefully this shows how hard servers work when they open a restaurant at the start of the shift. As I said in the beginning, usually only three servers open the restaurant and if you look at how much time each task takes, it's a very hectic thirty minutes before opening. Next time you eat a restaurant, consider these things and how hard your server works when it comes time to tip!

Rude Things People Do - Blog One: Staying Past Closing

There are so many rude things people do without realizing it that I will be devoting several blogs over the next few weeks to them.
To start, one of the rudest thing customers can do when eating out at a restaurant is to stay past close. Restaurants have a closing time for a reason - the kitchen takes over an hour to close for the night and servers have to close the front of the restaurant as well. If customers sit past closing time, there are many different people who get stuck waiting on them to leave. One couple can literally keep five extra staff members there until they finally leave.
Now I am not saying that if a restaurant closes at eleven you must be out by then. That is the last time they are willing to seat people so the kitchen is still open and servers are expecting to get sat. However, if you do come in close to that time, you should order promptly, eat at a reasonable pace, and not sit around chatting afterwards. There are plenty of bars and cafes open late so if you want to catch up with your friend for awhile after dinner - hop over to one of those. The staff there is prepared to stay late. Also, if you do end up staying at a restaurant for awhile after close, you should know that your server is most likely still there solely because of you. So please keep that in mind when you tip them. Even if your bill was only $20, it would be polite to leave them close to $10 because you kept them an extra hour while they are only getting $2.13 to stay there.
You would think people staying long after close wouldn't be a big deal, but it is. Thursday night I ended up staying at Outback until 12:30 (we close at 11) waiting on three ladies who sat and chatted for over an hour and a half. They actually sat down around 10 so there was absolutely no reason for them to stay for that length of time. All of my side work (which will be discussed in a later blog) was finished and my tables were swept so as soon as they left I could clean their table and leave too. They had to notice the other servers cleaning their tables and sweeping and realized they were the last table there, but they rudely remained. They left me $5 each, which was roughly 20% on their bills; however, I stayed an extra hour and a half to care for them.
As I said, it's not just one person that gets stuck staying late if a table decides to linger. Each night there is a "checker" in charge of closing the front of the house so that person has to stay until everyone else is gone. Also, there is a "headweight" who is in charge of taking our money and checking our credit card receipts at the end of the night. They have to stay too. As does a manager and the officer on duty that night. Outback is very concerned with safety and every night they pay a police officer to hang around until everyone leaves so that every one is safe. The officers are extremely kind men concerned with our safety and most of them have to work the next morning too. So when they get stuck at Outback until one am, they only get a few hours of sleep.
This may seem like something that is common sense, but you would not believe the number of people who do this. Especially when they are drinking, and in that case a bartender would have to stay late too. So next time you are looking to eat late, consider eating somewhere that closes at a later hour instead of making it to a table just before close. If you have seen the movie Waiting, the scene where the kitchen freaks out and yells when a late table comes in is actually very realistic. Everyone involved is cursing you in the back for sitting at the table late.

The Proper Way To Tip

The most frustrating thing that happens to a server is when they do not get a tip they feel they earned. I get angry almost every time a work when someone compliments me on how great a server I was yet they give me barely 15%. So: I will tell you the proper way to tip and some huge mistakes many people make.
First, if you feel your server did an average job - they made your stay enjoyable, refilled your drinks, ect. - then you should leave 15% AT LEAST. A 15% tip is AVERAGE. If your server was below average for some reason, a 10% tip would be reasonable. Believe me, that server will be unhappy and that is your way of telling them they need to step up their game. Anything below 10% should be reserved for servers that are rude or totally ruined your meal and should be used very sparingly. If you leave below a 10% tip you will ruin that server's night. If, on the other hand, your server was above average and made you really enjoy eating at that restaurant - at least a 20% tip is necessary.
To illustrate this point, last night I was waiting tables and I felt I did a spectacular job on a table. The man even complimented my service. I refilled his coffee every time it was low, I talked to him (he was eating alone), I recommended a dish, and he said he enjoyed the whole experience. He left me 15%. That made me feel like he was lying to me all along - if he really enjoyed my service then he would have rewarded me.
Most people may not know it, but servers get only $2.13 an hour in South Carolina. This varies only if you are a trainer or have some special position in the restaurant. That $2.13 an hour is used almost entirely to cover the taxes you have to declare on tips. Usually my checks contain no money whatsoever. So, when I work 4 hours and get lousy tips I literally made no money that night. I am not getting minimum wage. At first I thought it should be illegal that servers do not get minimum wage, but in South Carolina if you are in a tipping position it is not required. I think everyone should be aware of that next time they decide to eat out.
Also, let me stress that it is a DECISION to eat out. If you do not have the money to tip, do not eat at a restaurant. The service we are providing needs to be paid and everyone should be aware that tipping will be required. Do not skimp on a tip just so you can order the filet instead of the sirloin.
Another point to make is that at most restaurants servers are required to "tip out" or give up at least 3% of all their tips to the hostesses and busboys. Also, usually it's not 3% of your tips, but actually 3% of your sales. So if a table tips you nothing at all, you paid to wait on that table. You have to pay 3% of their check to the hostesses.
Coupons also are something to be aware of. Just because you have a coupon for $20 off, does not mean you can tip on the discounted amount. Your server had nothing to do with your coupon and if their service was strong they deserve to be tipped on the amount of food you received. Also, in most restaurants, the "tip out" amount comes from the pre-discounted amount. So if a table gives you a 15% tip they really are not giving you that much - you might give up 5% of that or more to the "tip out."
These are just some basic rules for tipping or things non-restaurant workers may not know. People should keep in mind next time they eat out that this server has a life and needs to get paid too. if you enjoy their service, show them so. They work extremely hard and deserve to have something to show for it. Especially if they go out of their way to be above and beyond your expectations.

Intro

My name is Alice and I have worked in restaurants since i was 16. For this blog, I plan to write about a wide range of restaurant topics - everything from uniforms and "flair" to the way a restaurant kitchen really works. I am also going to discuss topics which I think the average person should know before eating out. Servers work hard and deserve to be treated with respect too, but it still amazes me how some people treat us. Would they like it if their superiors treated them that way at work? I have to guess no. Working in a restaurant can be hard work and is extremely frustrating at times, but I also enjoy it. There is something new every day and people never cease to surprise you!
So enjoy my blog and hopefully you will learn a thing or two!