Know How Waiters Read Your Table to Get Better Service

Know How Waiters Read Your Table to Get Better Service

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Know How Waiters Read Your Table to Get Better Service
The second you walk into a restaurant the waitstaff starts sizing you up to see what type of service you're expecting and how they should approach you. The Wall Street Journal has put together a list of some of the most notable cues you give off that define

BY THORIN KLOSOWSKI FEB 23, 2012 6:30 AM 80,029 266

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your service. If you know what you're doing, you can work the system for a better experience. Whether you realize it or not, you send signals when you're at the table and a good waiter can play off those signals. Here's a few the Wall Street Journal points out that can get you better service:

If you act moody... You may get better service. Several waiters said they are more careful to get every detail right when they believe a table is already in a bad mood (a couple fighting or a tense business meal perhaps). If you say 'It's OK'... To attentive waiters, saying food is 'OK' is a red flag that you aren't happy with your meal. The waiter or manager might dig for more information to fix the problem. If you're early and fancy... Diners who are dressed up and have an early dinner reservation may lead waiters to suspect they have another event that night and serve them at a fast clip. If you're wearing a suit at lunch... Diners who look like they just stepped away from their cubicle, whether in a suit or business casual, are bound to get speedier service. The exception: If the waiter realizes the boss or valued client wants to set a slower pace by asking for more time before ordering or pulling out papers for a sales pitch.

You probably rarely notice any of this, but knowing what cues you're giving off can help you understand why you're getting a particular type of service. Hit up the post on the Wall Street Journal for the full list and a few more tips.

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If my drink is almost empty bring me another one without asking unless it's alcohol or not free refills. If when you arrive with the main course and you forgot something or the kitchen screwed Make a Quick, Simple Salad with it up, go get itaand bring it back right away, 20 minutes later when you get around to it is not Potato Peeler acceptable. Kitchen screw ups need to be fixed fast, and yes in front of other tables orders. IF I get Exceptional service you get a 20% tip. Standard is 10%. Crap service get's a single penny. Finally, if you did anything BUT exceptional service, offer the table a free dessert and an apology or at least something like "drinks are free to make up for the problems" DO NOT MAKE THE CUSTOMER ASK. If I feel that service was so bad I have to ask, I'll ask for the manager and at that point I'm not restoring the tip as I had to do your job. I understand that some places are ran by idiot managers that hate giving out anything free to make a customer happy, feel free to tell the customer. "I am sorry for troubles tonight, I would offer you a free dessert, but my boss is a jerk and hates customers." will go a long way. Sitting there watching everyone else eat while they put my order in again is fine if resolved fast. If everyone is done eating and I get my meal 45 minutes later? Epic fail. If my meal at that point is still on the bill and not free.... Dont expect a tip. Last: tip with cash. Tipping on the credit card reduces the tip.
Edited by timgray at 02/23/12 9:04 AM

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singing_pigs @timgray Geez. I hope I never meet you in real life. Schitso @timgray Hasn't the "standard" tip amount gone up to 15% or something? I'm bad at keeping up with these things.
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timgray @singing_pigs

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LATEST STORIES TUESDAY, FEB 28, pay extra for it? Why should I happily pay an extra Why? because I expect good service when I2012
20% to my meal so I can have garbage service from a moody goth chick who I only saw twice?

It's 15% now. And my mother is a waitress so I heat a lot of stories about terrible restaurant guests likeAND DOWNLOADS FOR after a screw up you can get the whole meal for free. TIPS timgray. If you're nice enough

GETTING THINGS DONE They messed up my order at the place she works, she was off and I don't think the waitress knew
who I was, and as an apology for the delay in my food the whole bill was comped. I didn't have to throw a fit or be a jerk, I hadn't even really minded that my plate came late. I treat every waiter/waitress with respect because their job sucks and I don't like adding to the crap they have
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Why should the waitress risk losing her sub-minimum-wage job to sneak you freebies in order to get more tip from you?

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Servers are not paid "sub-minimum wage" for their jobs. The minimum wage for tip-based jobs WINDOWS APP DI… The Best Quick File 3,109 is lower than it is for other lines of work. When I waited tables, I was paid $2.12/hour, most of which went to taxes. On a good day during the lunch hour, I averaged $15+/hour in tips.
emannths approved this comment 25,248 How Can I Turn My Boring Digs Into an Awesome, Chrpeter @timgray Well-Designed Home On the Cheap? Either you're behind on the times or a tightwad. I'm a stickler for service too, but you make me

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look like a saint.

Standard is closer to 20%, but 15% is probably the more widely known number. Make a Quick, Simple Salad with While I don't a Potato the service industry, I have MANY friends that do. It's not their fault the work in Peeler kitchen screwed up; they shouldn't get a bad tip for something out of their control, let that sink in. If you truly feel your service was anything under "good" then talk to a manager. But don't waste peoples time just because you want a free meal. If it's busy then take that into consideration, you won't get exceptional service if the server is "in the weeds"(service lingo for bogged down), but they should be able to provide good service. If they are "In the weeds"/the restaurant is busy, tip AT LEAST 15%, you cheapskate. For crap service, save the penny for yourself - you obviously need it more than they do if you can't tip even a couple bucks even for crap service. They get paid 2.13 an hour(at least in Texas they do), don't waste their time. Servers can't read minds. Good servers (even mediocre ones), have many more tables on their mind than just yours. If you think the situation deserves a managers input, then speak up, you're not doing "their job" by speaking to the manager. In the event there was a problem and your meal gets there after everyone else is finished, AND it's still on the bill, again SPEAK UP, maybe there was a miscommunication and it was overlooked. Or maybe you said "It's OK" and they took it at face value (see the point about servers can't read minds). I'm with you on this point that in this case it SHOULD be free, but speak up if it is still on your bill and I'm sure they'll be more than glad to remove it. IF they DO remove it, tip as if the full amount was still on the bill. If you use coupons/gift cards, again, tip from the full amount, NOT the discounted/adjusted amount. And Last but not least. If you frequently tip crappy in a restaurant - the servers will talk about you, and you'll never get "exceptional" service there because they won't see the need to bust their

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Know How Waiters Read Your Table to Get Better Service

butts for MAYBE getting 20%. It's a vicious cycle, don't fall into it. LOGIN

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@singing_pigs Ha. Agreed. All points are mostly reasonable, but wow. @timgray Consider that maybe the wait staff just doesn't think you as impressive as you do. Good tipping (though deserved) only gets you better service when they don't think you are a dick, and when you keep coming back and don't only see that "moody goth chick" twice.

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"I treat every waiter/waitress with respect" I highly doubt that, because you seem to assume a lot. for example: " lot of stories about terrible restaurant guests like timgray" SO where did I say I stand there and scream at them? I treat them very nice but if they do not do their job, their tip starts dropping.

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The minimum wage for tip-based jobs is the same as other jobs. If you don't make minimum JOB SEARCH 6,905 wage after tips, your employer is required to make up the difference. The Hidden Meaning Behind

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zuzoa @timgray
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The Best Quick Barrel, which may not be the fine dining restaurants you're I work as a cashier at CrackerFile
referring to, but I can verify that I pay out 100% of the tips left on credit cards in cash to the servers. If you leave a $5 charge tip, they get a five dollar bill when they leave. ASK LIFEHACKER 25,248 Your food comes out Awesome, Into an faster depending on what you order. Yes, the table next to you who ordered a bowl of soup will get their food before you if you ordered a steak well done. If you want fast Well-Designed Home On the Cheap? food, well, you know where to go.
CLEVER USES 5,500 Lastly, if there's a mistake concerning how your food was prepared, it's likely the fault of the

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How Can I Turn My Boring Digs

Make a Quick, Simple Salad with cook, or at Cracker Barrel, the SA (Server Assistant, the person who's job it is to make sure the a Potato Peeler food matches what the server requested). The first question I always ask complaining customers
is, "Did you tell your server about it?" And 99% of the time, I hear "no." If you don't like the food, tell them, and give them an opportunity to get a replacement for you. Servers aren't mind-readers, YES YOU DO HAVE TO ASK.
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justagigilo85 @timgray I don't know why you received flak for your comment. I agree with you on all your points. It's obvious that you don't go out to eat just to "eat" but also for the experience of going out to eat. c.holsopple @timgray Lol this can't be real! Chris put it best, I think. Standard tip is only 10% if you're over 70 or a teenager, and both cases it's due to not knowing any better. Tipping someone less than standard doesn't teach a server a "lesson". They will roll their eyes, write you off as tight-fisted (which, right?), and shove you off to a newer, worse server the next time you come back. I do hope for your sake you don't go back to establishments that you only tip 10% on, because that would be a very frustrating experience for you! It's odd that those who are most judgmental about servers are people who have never waited tables themselves. How do people seem to know so much about a job they've never worked in? I want that ability. :( Though as it's been said: It's an excellent judge of character to see how someone treats a server

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Do TIPS AND DOWNLOADS FOR you make $4/hour or more in tips? That's probably why.

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"If an employee's tips combined with the employer's direct wages of at least $2.13 an hour do not equal the federal minimum hourly wage, the employer must make up the difference."
Edited by emannths at 02/23/12 9:45 AM

420 Ask and Answer Questions cgmisslecrisis Taking Long Trips About @timgray
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As a former server at some pretty upscale restaurants, 20% is the standard. 10% was the
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standard in the 1980s. Meaning Behind The Hidden If you walk into any well-managed restaurant with a party, you should expect to pay 20% in gratuity automatically addedDI… WINDOWS APP to your bill. With your current attitude Windows I can assure that you are looked down upon by the wait Uploader for on tipping, staff, hosts, kitchen, management and other regular customers at the places you dine at.
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Why should you tip 20%? How Can I Turn My Boring Digs

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Into an Awesome, -This person is in charge of your food. Never screw with people who give you your food - watch Well-Designed Home On the Waiting.
-20% is the standard in other gratuity based businesses such as valets, tattoo parlors, barber shops, etc. CLEVER USES 5,500 -In most states servers makeSimple Salad with Make a Quick, less than half of minimum wage, or even less. Typically, this never

Cheap?

Potato paychecks since the restaurants deducts taxes, uniform costs, insurance, even makes itato their Peeler etc. from the servers paycheck.
-You want to have good service the next time you dine there. -If you ask for separate checks. Yes, that's right, you should tip more since you cannot figure out how to pay for the meal before you walked in to eat. -Read this: [blogs.laweekly.com] In reference to some of your other comments: On the subject of refills, if it is water or soda/soft drinks, I agree. But I've seen people abuse this to an insane extent. Like refilling their "water bottle" under the table in their purse with the diet coke one just refilled. Cheap. Kitchen screw ups are rarely the servers fault, therefore it's difficult to fix an issue in your "acceptable" time limit depending on the situation. For re-burn steaks, re-done meals, don't expect it to be 13 seconds before you get it back - unless you want your steak cooked to well-done in a microwave. Kitchen screw ups do not necessarily come before other tables. Restaurants often have, contrary to popular opinion, more than one server. Typically another server, manager or assistant server can and will bring out your "kitchen fix" if the server is busy with something else. I have often seen complaining people expect their "redone" steak to be at the table before I serve another table's fresh, hot food that is sitting in the kitchen. Steaks take time if you've ever cooked one yourself - you would know. Selfish and unrealistic. I agree on making the customer happy. If the kitchen ever messed anything up, I always did everything in my power (free dessert/drinks/meals) to make sure they left the restaurant pleased. Occasionally, depending on the management, they may prevent the server from doing

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As you said, I agree....when possible, tip with cash. LOGIN In reference to the above article, acting28, 2012 NOT get you better service. Your dining LATEST STORIES TUESDAY, FEB moody will experience is 50% your attitude. Also, if you have to be somewhere soon after your meal - tell the server BEFORE you order. This makes it 900% easier to speed up a meal - as a server one can give the kitchen a heads up, ensure that your meal's order is placed a head of others, etc. Here's a simple tip to get better service: Have a positive attitude and be kind. I can't tell AND DOWNLOADS FOR I've gotten just by telling the server that the mistake TIPS you how many free drinks/meals was not a big deal. Reducing stress for everyone involved will speed up the process. GETTING THINGS DONE
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The kitchen is not their job. Getting things off your bill is not their job. If they are working as
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hard as they can and the kitchen still crashes and burns and holds your food, or you ordered it Ask and Answer Questions incorrectly and refused to admit it (had that happen to me a million times serving), or the About Taking Long Trips manager is a jerk, they are still doing their job, which is extremely hard especially when you have
JOB SEARCH 6,905 overbearing tightasses at your tables who blame their waiter for everything from the wait being

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too long in the lobby to the AC being too low. So unclench a little and maybe realize that goth chick youve only seen twice has 4 other tables full of more tightasses, gets shit on for a living, and more than likely is goingDI… WINDOWS APP to school or taking care of a kid or something in addition to getting

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The Best Quick hours 3,109 abused by people like you 40 File a week. Uploader for Windows
Do the world a favor and start cooking for yourself, or get a restaurant job and walk a mile in her shoes.

c.holsopple @emannths
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Sydney approved this comment

That's a rule I'm sure Quick,single restaurant in the United States follows. Make a every Simple Salad with

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a Potato Peeler
BufordJustice @emannths

emannths approved this comment

Every time tipping comes up, I can't help but think of this.

emannths @c.holsopple Maybe so, but don't come crying to the customer that you make less than minimum wage. Also, $4/hr in tips (15% tip on $26.50/hr in sales) is a pretty low threshold--I'd be surprised if servers even infrequently come up short. PensoTroppo Why? Because for you, the cost of giving from 10% to 15% on a $20 meal is only a dollar. One dollar. But that amount, when compounded among a shift's worth of tables, is enough to fill up a car tank, pay off an electric bill, or, over a month, help make a sizable quality-of-life and
@timgray
Edited by emannths at 02/23/12 9:57 AM

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That's why.

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When I was a server, I waited on some of the richest men in my city. It was a true judge of character to see how they treated me. Some of them were the worst human beings I've ever interacted with, and that's a shame to see - especially since one of them owned (up until a year ago) a national sports team that I was a big fan of. As a client in a restaurant, you can easily leave a bad taste in a server's opinion of you. If that server waits on other business people, you can easily kiss your future business opportunities goodbye.

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Can you share where have you worked as a waiter or bartender before? You seem to have a unique perspective.
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Ask and your customers needs and taking care of screw ups as quickly as possible. I agree on anticipatingAnswer Questions
Where I worked though, I didn't have control over freebies, I had to get the floor manager. If I asked my manager to comp a dessert every time I thought the customer was less than JOB SEARCH 6,905 "exceptionally satisfied" I Meaning Behind a job. I love it how people want you to read their mind, The Hidden would be out of and only afterPhrases in do they say "my food was too hot/cold/spicy/mild and wasn't the correct the meal Job Ads portion size/level of crispyness/color/flavor". At which point I would happily bring my manager
WINDOWS over. But by this point I APP DI… out of a tip since "you did my job". I know it may not be would be

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obvious, but IUploader for WindowsI would tell a customer that "my boss is a jerk and hates would also be fired if customers" or anything else negative about the restaurant.
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Your "standard" serviceImay be another table's "exceptional". If I ever got in the weeds, I How Can Turn My Boring Digs prioritized based on the tables that were easiest to please. To me, 20% from 3 out of 4 tables was Into an Awesome,

25,248

Well-Designed Home On the better than 20% from one. While I would do everything within my control to please the table,
believe it or not, sometimes that doesn't always work out. I would rather eat $6 or $8 on $40 than make my job hellUSES to please a stranger. CLEVER 5,500 BTW, some restaurants have an automatic tip pool that goes to the bussers, hosts, and bar staff. a Potato Peeler Where I worked it was 3.5% of the ticket price. So the few times I was tipped $0, I pretty much paid for the privilege of waiting on a difficult table. As someone else mentioned, waiters know who the good and bad tipping regulars are and it's easy to get yourself caught in a rut. I have a well paying job now, but I never forgot my years as a waiter. I want all my kids to have that experience because it teaches you a lot about people.
Edited by YackoYak at 02/23/12 10:32 AM

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Make a Quick, Simple Salad with

slickromeo @Schitso i think standard tip is anywhere between 16 and 18% by now.

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Kocrachon @PensoTroppo

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LATEST STORIES TUESDAY, FEB 28, 10% Uh... I think you need to go back to school. 2012of a 20 dollar meal is two dollars. Which means
a 20% tip is 4 dollars. So I am expected to pay 4 dollars to some one directly just because they brought me food? Should I also start tipping customer service people because they answered my

This is why I miss living in the UK when my dad was in the Air Force. Not only was tipping not expected, its actually a bad thing to FOR dad was stationed at Lakenheath, and we would go to TIPS AND DOWNLOADS do. My london for lunch a lot. This one time there were Tourist who tried to Tip the waiter when we GETTING THINGS DONE were eating at some British food chain, don't remember what it was. Anyways, when the tourist tried to tip, the waiter tried to tell them he cant take the tip, and the tourist didn't understand why. Eventually the manager came out and explained it to them. I miss those days... makes me hope the Army sends me to Germany or Korea soon...

420 Ask and Answer Questions blackbird_pie Taking Long Trips About @timgray
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I say this as someone who both enjoys going out to eat and works in service, and so is less JOB SEARCH 6,905 forgiving of bad service because I know what goes into this job. I say this to help you get better The Hidden Meaning Behind service and toPhrases in Job Ads be a better customer (which will get you better service). I am not saying this to attack you, but to help you understand this system from the other side and get the most out of it.
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The Best Quick File 3,109 You sound like a typically over-needy customer. Ask yourself: do you need something different Uploader for Windows every time the server comes over to your table? Do you ask for mayo, then when the server
brings the mayo, ask for a beer, then when the server brings the beer, ask for a side of fries, then ASK LIFEHACKER 25,248 when the fries show up,Idecide you want a coke? Does the server stand over your table while you How Can Turn My Boring Digs are deciding on what Awesome, to eat? If so, this is why you may be getting bad service. If I have a Into an you want Well-Designed Home On the table that makes me run back and forth like a golden retriever constantly, or makes me stand over them for ten minutes, all while my six other tables are getting angry that they haven't been served yet, then yes. I USES will ignore you. I will ignore you and the one tip I will (not) be getting CLEVER 5,500 from you, in favor of keepingSimple Salad with people happy and collecting the six tables worth Make a Quick, six other tables of

Cheap?

a be giving me. of tips they willPotato Peeler
On bringing drinks: unless it is from a bottle that is already on the table, I never bring another drink that is not requested, it's a waste of product and of my time. I will ask you if you want it, but if you want it, you have to tell me. I can't read minds. If food gets fucked up-- TOTALLY. I will bust ass back to the kitchen and get them to send out a new one as fast as humanly possible. But there are factors to how fast is humanly possible. You got the pork chop well done? You're gonna have to wait, sorry dude. It's just how long the damn thing takes. And sometimes there's more to it. If the kitchen doesn't like the server, they'll take their time with the food that server puts in. (This shouldn't happen at upper-scale establishments, but people are jerks all over.) Also: I can't offer you free shit of my own accord. I can't. I can't. I can't. If I've fucked something up, and you've been really rad about it, but the house is on a crackdown about comps and I can't do anything about it, I might say something. But unless you've been super-duper nice to me, I'm not gonna acknowledge it. And I'm DEFINITELY not gonna shit-talk my boss, who's probably in his/her own tight spot about it, to a customer. It's downright unprofessional. Would you ever talk crap about your boss to your client? Finally, 10% is not standard tip. 10% is a shitty tip. If you are tipping 10%, as other people have said, that is why you are getting shitty service, because the servers know it's not worth their time to give you good service, so they give their attention to the people who tip them decently. And every time you stiff a server because they were busy and didn't devote their time to you, you reinforce this. You don't have to scream at a server to be an awful customer. You just have to take up their time, then refuse to pay them for it. That's pretty awful, don't you think?
Edited by blackbird_pie at 02/23/12 10:35 AM

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Ryan Mendenhall @timgray

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If your drink is half empty, I bring you a backup. I WILL ask if you would like another, depending on how you present yourself, because not everyone wants a drink immediately after they finish the first (I've encountered it). If I arrive with your main course, and I forgot something, it was likely something I rarely do. However, if it does happen, I will consolidate it into the things I must attend to before returning to the part of the restaurant where I would get TIPS AND DOWNLOADS FOR the thing I forgot. It does no good to one-step myself to go get your sauce or other type of GETTING THINGS DONE condiment, and can actually cause other guests to become irritated, like you would already be. I would rather deal with one irritated guest than an entire section of them. Sorry. However, it rarely ever takes 20 minutes to correct a mistake like that. In fact, guests often exaggerate the time they've waited in order to make the situation seem more dire. If you get exceptional service, I deserve more than 20%. Standard is 15%. If I did terribly, and I HELP YOURSELF 420 don't apologize, don't give me a think. If I do apologize, give me 10%. Ask and Answer Questions

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If you had a problem with my service that I seems exceptionally bad, I will apologize, and I will see if my managerSEARCH you with what was wrong. This often DOES translate into something JOB can help 6,905 free. If you're The Hidden Meaning Behind that bad, you are likely dealing with someone encountering service that was Phrases in Job Ads without much experience, and you should at least make sure this isn't someone's first day without a trainer before you decide to make such a brash decision.
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I agree, if everyone else is done with their meal before you get yours, it is a bad thing. If the Uploader for Windows mistake that lead to the issue was my fault, I will own up to it and try to get the situation resolved as fast as LIFEHACKER kitchen messes up my order after I input it correctly, I will ASK possible. If the 25,248

The Best Quick File

3,109

How but you should never assume that every aspect of your experience is the apologize for them,Can I Turn My Boring Digs server's fault, Into an Awesome, not. Kitchen staff can get very busy, especially during weekends because it's likely
and holidays, Cheap? often leads to long-time order tickets. It's unfortunate, but it's often and this unavoidable, if the kitchen is busy beyond its capacity.
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Well-Designed Home On the

I do agree that tipping cash is better, because the credit card companies do charge a fee on the Make a Quick, Simple Salad with

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a Potato Peeler tip. If you do tip credit, tip over what you were originally intending to tip to ensure the server
gets the amount you intended to give them. Finally, timgray, I hope I never have you as a guest. You sound like the kind of guest that most servers detest, and we get paid far too little to deal with that kind of nonsense. On that note, I disagree with this article. The things it is telling you to do can lead to worse service, because the server may become stressed and this can lead to an increase in mistakes. Thank you, SkateRyan Server
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PensoTroppo

@Kocrachon

I think you need to go back to school. A 10% tip on a $20 meal is $2. A 15% tip on a $20 meal is $3. The difference is one dollar. (And you'll note in my original message, I stated, "cost of giving from 10% to 15%.") So I am expected to pay 4 dollars to some one directly just because they brought me food? Yup. The waiters are paid less than other minimum-wage employees and, therefore, bring down the operating cost of the business. The cost of the food, therefore, is lower to create the margins within which the business works. Your choice to pay more for service, therefore, supplements the artificially-lowered cost of the food. UK when my dad was in the Air Force. So you don't understand the cultural nuance of tipping? That's fine. No reason to start accusing

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someone of being bad at math because LOGIN you misread the comment, pally.

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Edited by PensoTroppo at 02/23/12 10:44 AM promoted by Miss Smith Drank Your Vodka

Standard tip is 15%. Your best bet is to always talk to a manager if you have a problem because most waiters don't have the power to give out free anything unless they want it to come out their

TIPS AND DOWNLOADS FOR checks. I agree with the drinks to keep coming and waiting on food is not cool if it was a mess up. GETTING THINGS DONE

I would like to see you spend one shift in the shoes of a server at your favorite restaurant. You need impeccable multi-tasking skills. And think of this, if the kitchen has screwed up on something you ordered, you're just one of anywhere from four to eight tables in that server's
HELP that it may 420 section. This meansYOURSELF take longer than "instantly" to get the food to your table, within Ask and Answer Questions five minutes is acceptable. Long Trips About Taking

By the way, servers also sense how you're going to treat them, they can tell that you're the type of person to give a 10% tip. Personally, I wouldn't put the extra effort in to your dining experience if The Hidden Meaning Behind I sense that you're goingJobbe a dick. Phrases in to Ads
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The Best Quick File Pat McNaught @timgray

3,109 Uploader for Windows

You're not paying extra, you know that most of these servers are working for far less than
ASK LIFEHACKER 25,248 minimum wage, correct? In NH, the hourly wage for a server is around $2.50, so they depend on

How Can I extra." your tips. It isn't "paying Turn My Boring Digs Into an Awesome, Well-Designed Home On the Cheap? emannths @Pat McNaught

emannths approved this comment

Servers are guaranteed minimum wage. If their tips don't make up the difference, employers CLEVER USES 5,500

Make a Quick, must do so: [www.dol.gov] Simple Salad with a Potato Peeler
Pat McNaught @dnr1128 I think she was more stressing that with such a lower hourly wage, the reliance on tips is more important. If there's someone going into this with the attitude of timgray, they're not going to put the effort in. Enano330 @Chrpeter Fantastic response! As a waiter once myself to get through college we knew who the jerk customers were and we usually did just enough to keep them from throwing a fit and get them out the door ASAP. The worse type are the customers that took 1 of my 4 tables and sat for 2 to 3 hours drinking coffee and tipped me for such. So instead of making money from 4 tables I'm now down to 3. All I'm saying is be considerate of the time you spend just yapping your jaw. Time is literally money for a waiter. Enano330 @emannths yeah, this is false. I waited tables for a few years in college and I made about $2/hr wage plus tips of course. On many slow nights I wouldn't get enough in tips in a hour to equate to "normal" minimum wage and I never saw a penny more from my employer. emannths @Enano330 It's the law: [www.dol.gov] . Blame your employer, not your customers, if you were paid less than minimum wage after tips.
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Pat McNaug… @Chrpeter Very LOGIN well put.

LATEST STORIES TUESDAY, FEB 28, 2012
he doesn't need to go back to school. the difference between tipping 10% and 15% on $20 is one dollar. a 10% tip on $20 is $2 and a 15% tip on $20 is $3. that's a difference of one dollar. and to answer your question, yes, you're expected to pay a few bucks to someone directly just because they brought you food. you don't have to, no. but you're expected to. it's customary. it's

TIPS AND DOWNLOADS FOR

not customary to tip customer DONE people for answering questions, and they're not expecting GETTING THINGS service it. but servers, delivery guys, drivers, valets...they live on their tips. there's probably a lot of servers who hope the army sends you to germany or korea as well...

Pat McNaught @emannths
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Ask and Answer different I can speak from experience (6Questions restaurants in 3 different states) that this may be the About Taking Long it practiced. Luckily though, I've never had so bad a night that case on paper, but I've never seenTrips
I've made less than minimum wage. That's really hard to do.
promoted by emannths

6,905 The Hidden Meaning Behind Phrases in Job Ads emannths @Pat McNaught
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As you say, I suspect we APP DI… don't see it practiced because it's really hard to make less than WINDOWS generally The the Quick File 3,109 $4/hr in tips over Bestcourse of a workweek (unless the business is failing dramatically). The

Uploader for Windows total wage is guaranteed on a weekly basis, so a slow shift on Tuesday won't get makeup pay if 25,248 How Can I Turn My Boring Digs Into an Awesome, spamfeed @timgray Well-Designed Home On the Cheap? I'll bet with your attitude you've had some *special* service applied to at least a few of your
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you make it up in tips later in the week.

Edited by emannths at 02/23/12 11:38 AM

meals.
CLEVER USES

5,500

Make a Quick, Simple Salad with /and not in a good way a Potato Peeler
It's not your overall message, just the pompous way it comes across. I may be wrong, but I highly doubt it.

Kocrachon @PensoTroppo Not all waiters are paid less than Minimum wage. Here in Washington state, they are paid a minimum wage of 9 dollars. Should I still tip them 4 dollars, giving them a 13 dollar an hour wage for JUST waiting my table? Not to mention that they server at least 4-5 tables per hours, meaning the waiter is now making 29 dollars an hour? I don't feel bad for waiters at all in most situations. My wife got a 4 year college degree, works in a biomed research lab, and her friend who waits tables at Joeys Stakehouse makes about 40 dollars an hour because she makes so much in tips. So please, tell me, why should I be tipping these people 20% when its clear that they are making more than enough. Sure, I can warrent a 3-4 dollar tip when I go some where like Denny's. But why the hell should I be expected to tip 20 dollars when I decide to go to a nice steak house like Daniels Broiler. So this waiter, who servers 3 tables, now makes at LEAST 60 dollars an hour because the average table ticket is 100 dollars. I say instead of a "percentage" tip, it should be an "average" tip of a specific dollar amount. So lets say, 4 dollars if the service is great, 2 dollars if the service is ok, and come to terms with the fact that, even if they are paid "less" than minimum wage, the employer still has to pay AT LEAST the minimum wage amount, and thus don't HAVE to tip them. I think this is the most important part people forget... EVEN IF THE PERSON WORKS FOR LESS THAN MINIMUM WAGE, IN THE END, THE EMPLOYER IS STILL REQUIRED TO PAY AT LEAST MINIMUM WAGE EVEN IF THE

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LOGIN LATEST STORIES TUESDAY, FEB 28, 2012
spamfeed @YackoYak

TIPS AND DOWNLOADS FOR
QUOTE: "Uh... I think you need to go back to school. 10% of a 20 dollar meal is two dollars." GETTING THINGS DONE Consider your own advice for reading comprehension. The original comment was to go from 10% to 15%, which, duh, is 5% and thus $1 on $20.

spamfeed @Kocrachon
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Ask and Answer Questions Wow, so that's what envy looks like. You're whining that your wife doesn't make enough money? About Taking Long Trips
And once again, your math is way off because you have no clue and no experience in the
JOB SEARCH 6,905 industry. Higher end restaurants don't turn tables each hour. More likely 90 minutes to 2 hours.

The Hidden Meaning Behind Phrases about the As for your complaintin Job Ads big tip for a "nice steak house," it sounds to me that you can't
afford it so why go and take it out of the waitress' comp? Stick with Outback and split a plate.
WINDOWS APP DI…

The Best Quick a job 3,109 Or maybe your wife could get File waiting tables to make a few more bucks? Uploader for Windows 25,248 How Can I Turn My Boring Digs Into is Awesome, Well, In Canada itan illegal to pay anyone below minimum wage. Which in BC is $8.90. Most Well-Designed Home On the waitress make about $10/hr. So my tip is a direct reflection of how well the server did. It's not Cheap?
ASK LIFEHACKER Adam Plante @Chrpeter

about weather the cook screwed it up its about how the server deals with that.

5,500 Make a@emannths Quick, Simple Salad with Adam Plante a Potato Peeler
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Thats crazy, in Canada you are required to be paid minimum wage before tips. The restaurant never even knows how much you made in tips. You dxrebirth @timgray timgray walks into Macy's. The salesperson was having a bad day and wasn't smiling as much. Also took way too long to ring his purchase of socks and velcro wallet. DEMANDS FREE TIE!

rmaccrea @timgray 15% is the minimum. I always give 20% unless I get bad service. My wife used to be a waitress and some of the stories she's told me make me hate humanity. It's pretty common for waitresses to have to go hide somewhere to cry because people are A-holes. Here's a little trick she told me though: if you give 15%, round to the nearest dollar, then add a penny. That's restaurant speak for, you suck! But always give 15%. They're not slaves.

spamfeed @dxrebirth QUOTE: "DEMANDS FREE TIE!" You forgot "because he had to do their job" .....

deathsythe164 @timgray

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As someone who is one of the top servers for the company I work for (corporate has made me LOGIN well aware of this, primarily because of my avg. sales), I can tell you that your the kind of diner I

LATEST STORIES TUESDAY, FEB 28, Your would rather not wait on. 10% is standard?2012 exceptional service for me to earn 20% is to be such a kiss-ass that I have to bend over backwards and treat you, and only you.
I've met quite a few of your kind in my time as a server, and your views and expectations are ridiculous, but I understand it, you wouldn't see how much of a dick you really are unless you were on the recieving end of your non-sensical bullshit, and you would see where I'm coming from when I say that 10% is not standard, but rather shitty. TIPS AND DOWNLOADS FOR

GETTING THINGS DONE
-Hey Tim, we're people working an industry too. Let's go for 'Full-Service Dining Employees' as a better way to address us, because the last time I checked I'm not a hobo. "If my drink is almost empty bring me another one without asking unless it's alcohol or not free refills." HELP YOURSELF 420 -Sure, but if your teenage son or you is inhaling it literally within one minute of me setting it down and I'm busy after I've refilled it 3 times already, bet that your waiting for that fourth one longer than you expect.
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" If when you The Hidden the main course and you forgot something or the kitchen screwed it up, arrive with Meaning Behind go get it and bring it back right away, 20 minutes later when you get around to it is not Phrases in Job Ads acceptable. Kitchen screw ups need to be fixed fast, and yes in front of other tables orders. " WINDOWS food is the - Agreed. My customer'sAPP DI… most important thing, and if there is an error it will be my first priority to fix it. That said, have respect for me when I do admit to a mistake, and don't be super shitty that me or the kitchen made a mistake, ESPECIALLY in front of my other tables. I've called outASK own father for tapping a glass to get my attention in front of my tables. I'm a my LIFEHACKER 25,248

6,905

The Best Quick File 3,109 Uploader for Windows

How Can mistakes, Boring Digs man and will admit my I Turn My but don't be rude. If I've made a mistake, I do my best to fix it Into it Awesome, as fast as possible,an only makes matters worse when you start acting like a prick to me. People
make mistakes. Look at Justin Bieber's parents. "IF I get Exceptional service you get a 20% tip. Standard is 10%. Crap service get's a single
CLEVER USES

Well-Designed Home On the Cheap?

penny." Make a Quick, Simple Salad with -You should getPotato Peeler service every time, I agree. Especially as a server like myself, where I a exceptional have a ridiculously high standard I set for myself to the extent that I compare myself to the server that I have and their service as I perceive it. Although, I understand the industry, you sir, do not. 10% is not standard, I cannot say that enough. Especially if your rude to me in the beginning, then I will not put 150% effort into making your dining experience pleasurable if all you have done has been rude and cold since the moment I met you. I cannot tell you how many times I've heard "Best server I ever had," said to me because I interacted, joked, even made fun of some of my customers. But it's hard to do when your ordering while on your fucking phone or you don't have enough respect to look at me the entire meal, while uttering a whopping two sentences. If you don't give me an inch, don't expect me to give you a mile. But a penny? Come on man, have some decency. "Finally, if you did anything BUT exceptional service, offer the table a free dessert and an apology or at least something like "drinks are free to make up for the problems" DO NOT MAKE THE CUSTOMER ASK. If I feel that service was so bad I have to ask, I'll ask for the manager and at that point I'm not restoring the tip as I had to do your job." -This is the part that made me know that your one of the 1% of customers I've ever had. The ones who think I should shine your shoes and dance for you while my managers comp your meal because your tilapia got cold while you talked on your phone, because some how that's my fault. As I said before, I admit my mistakes, and your right, we should offer you something if we made a MISTAKE, but if your simply pissed because we didn't meet some bizarre expectation of yours, well then your SOL. I once had a lady who demanded that I get her decaf coffee from the gas station across the street after we ran out. Across the street was a 4 lane highway with a concrete median in the middle. 4 feet high. She wanted me reprimanded because I refused. Somehow I can see you as the same person, because your not doing our job. Our job consists of having to have the composure and poise to deal with people who are nuttier than squirrel shit so that we can HOPEFULLY make a couple of bucks off of you so we can pay our bills, because again, we

5,500

MORE STORIES... work in an industry too. Don't act that because you asked to cash in on a free dessert for our

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Know How Waiters Read Your Table to Get Better Service

screw up that somehow your doing OUR job. And please, don't make the manager aware of how LOGIN bad a job I didn't do, especially if you have some whack ass rating system of service. If it was

LATEST STORIESsomehow your disgusted or blantantly terrible, if TUESDAY, FEB 28, 2012 insulted by the service, then sure, ask for a manager. If not, then write a letter instead, but don't wreck the composure of a 20 year old girl
whose super sweet and just not a very good server, have some empathy for at least a moment

"I understand that some places are ran by idiot managers that hate giving out anything free to make a customerDOWNLOADS FOR customer. "I am sorry for troubles tonight, I would TIPS AND happy, feel free to tell the offer you a free dessert, but my boss is a jerk and hates customers." will go a long way." GETTING THINGS DONE

"Sitting there watching everyone else eat while they put my order in again is fine if resolved fast. If everyone is done eating and I get my meal 45 minutes later? Epic fail. If my meal at that point is still on the bill and not free.... Dont expect a tip." Almost agreed with you again, until you determined that your well done 16 ounce ribeye will
HELP YOURSELF

420

somehow cook itself in 2 minutes. Again, not the servers fault, put some blame on the kitchen as Ask and Answer Questions About Taking Long Trips well, don't just target the server. It take 8 minutes to cook a Medium Rare 16 ounce ribeye, 14 minutes to make it well done. Sometimes shit takes time. Be patient, it will be worth it, and if I
JOB SEARCH 6,905 can tell your slightly irritated or if I just know I fucked it up, it will be off your bill, but don't The Hidden Meaning Behind make my tip hang in theJob Ads for an ACCIDENT. Phrases in balance

"Last: tip with cash. Tipping on the credit card reduces the tip."
WINDOWS APP DI…

Wrong. Tipping with a Quick File will not reduce the tip. Here's where my biggest peeve about The Best credit card 3,109 your 10% standard bullshitWindows the largest fashion. At the place I work we have a system Uploader for comes in that we as servers tip out 2.5% of our sales to the bussers, food runners, and bartenders. So let's
ASK LIFEHACKER 25,248 say I do $1000 in sales. I have to tip out $25 dollars, FROM MY EARNED TIPS. So if I made the How Can I Turn My Boring Digs TIM "HIGH ROLLER" GRAY STANDARD 10% on that $1000 in sales, I've made $100 before

the tipout comes into play. After tipout, I've made $75. Or 7.5%. So you're not leaving me just a Well-Designed Home On the cheapass tip, lets say $5 bucks on a $53 bill, but in reality your leaving me 3 bucks because I just Cheap? tipped out a portion of it(we have to round up or down based on the 50, so if my sales are only $940, I tip out $23. If the are $960, I'm rounding up to $1000 and tipping out $25. So tipping Make a Quick, Simple Salad with on your credit card doesn't mean anything you twit. But obviously, you know more about the a Potato Peeler service industry more than me, obviously.
Sydney approved this comment

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rothaar @timgray Dear wait staff, Hang in there. I used to wait tables, and by any reasonable measurement my current career allows me to be paid way more for way easier work than what you're going now. Thank you for dealing with the mess that my kids often make, and for taking it in stride. If I couldn't bring them to your restaurant, I might never get to leave the house except to go to the office. Your tip is bigger because I know how much of an imposition my family can be. Thank you for putting on a smile and trying to make my dinner pleasant even though your feet hurt, your back hurts, and you've been yelled at by co-workers, bosses, and customers all day. Your tip is bigger because I know how much effort is required to act like you care about me and my iced tea refill. Thank you for being the fall guy for absolutely everything that can possibly go wrong in the entire dining process. When the food is overcooked, undercooked, whatever... it's you out here having to make the apologies for it. Your tip is bigger because you are the bigger person. I tip 20-25%, and only the most horrific treatment by you will make me budge from that figure. I'm not trying to brag or evangelize, but I know how hard your job is because I did it. Thank you.

Kocrachon @spamfeed

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Wow, how ignorant of you to assume that I don't make enough. The point is, is people complain LOGIN about the "Poor minimum wage wait staff" but my point is, is they are still making AT LEAST

LATEST STORIES MOST states, 28, 2012 minimum wage, and TUESDAY, FEBthey are making around 13+ an hour more. Considering in the amount of people in retail positions that make ONLY minimum wage, it doesn't seem that

And with the steak house, ok fine, so 3-4 tabes every 2 hours. Thats still means they are making 30 dollars an hour (just in tips, thats not including wages) waiting on tables. Still doesn't seem that bad to me, considering that equates to roughly 60k a year, which is MUCH higher than the TIPS AND DOWNLOADS FOR

GETTING THINGS DONE
Thus my argument of, why should I always pay a 20% tip when a $4 dollar tip should seem like a

And my wife makes a decent income, as a biomed tech she makes an anual income of 50k, and at my current rank I make 42,000 a year, and thats not including my BAH allowance the army HELP YOURSELF 420 gives me for housing, nor the food stipend I get every month from them. So I am far from not being able to AFFORD to tip well. My complain is, Tipping is getting out of hand in this country. 10 years ago I was able to leave a 10% tip, 5 years ago it went up to 15%, and now its up to 20%. At this rate, in 10 years I will be paying a 30% tip. The Hidden Meaning Behind Id rather the Employers pay the employees better and increase the cost of my food, rather than constantly have to increase the… amount of tip I am giving the employees. Because that solves 2 WINDOWS APP DI issues. 1) Employees no longer have3,109 on tips to survive. 2) If the waiter doesn't get tips, he The Best Quick File to rely Uploader house. still can afford to rent afor Windows But again, you have yet to answer the, why tip... Even if they make only 2.16 an hour, the law still ASK LIFEHACKER 25,248
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6,905

Phrases in Job Ads

How Can Turn My wage Digs requires that they makeI minimumBoringon their paycheck. So even if they get NO tips, they are Into an Awesome, still making minimum. Well-Designed Home On the
But thats not Cheap? case, EVERY waiter I have known or ever knew made more than even the minimum wage. When I was living Idaho, I worked at a small pizza chain. I was making (at the CLEVER USES 5,500 time) 5.15 an hour as Quick, Simple Salad and cook assistant. On top of that, I was making at Make a a pizza delivery boy with a Potato Peeler least 2 dollar tips which each delivery, and I would make at least 3 deliveries per hour on a standard night pending on how close they all were. Not to mention my wife's friend, who her and all of her coworkers are making bank. Most of them have college degrees but dont want to quit because the income they make off of tips is too good at this point. So I really have a hard time understanding why its so necessary to give a RATED tip of 20% when it should be a flat amount. There is no reason to ever float a 20 dollar tip for them bring me a steak. I dont mind giving the waitress at denny's a 5 dollar tip, but giving a 20 dollar tip for some one who waits less tables, (denny's waitresses are far more over worked) drives me crazy.

Samuel Gerry @Kocrachon I agree, tipping based off some arbitrary percentage of the bill is pretty stupid IMO. Why would a server get paid more for bringing me a plate with a prime rib than a grilled cheese sandwich? With societies pressure to tip a certain amount, it's really no longer a tip. If it's going to cost me $28.00 for a steak because you have to pay your cooks/servers/hostess a decent wage, then so be it. If they provide good service, I'll gladly tip to let them know I appreciate what they did. But if I go somewhere and I get awful service I'm not going to pay for it, go ahead and tell all the other servers I'm a bad tipper, I'm not coming back anyway. Miss Smith Drank Your Vodka @PensoTroppo I love when people compare tipping in the UK versus the US. At the majority of places I've patroned in the UK, my glass was not filled before I asked as Mr. Lovelypants TimGray expects/DEMANDS. In fact, it was usually filled after the second time of asking because the waitress/waiter had so many damn tables. And that was perfectly fine, as the service provided MORE STORIES...

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and expected in the UK isn''t at the same level of attention as is expected here in the US. Thus, LOGIN the tip isn't expected to be the same amount or customary as here either. In addition, the servers

LATEST STORIES TUESDAY, FEB 28, 2012 can pretty much tell you to go frack yourself in the UK if they want to. Now, at the more high end places in the UK dining world, the attention is on par of that expected by the Average Joe patron
at a US Chili's or Applebee's, and the tipping does hover around the 10-20% mark.

So please, AND DOWNLOADS tipping these people 20% when its clear that they are TIPS tell me, why should I be FOR

GETTING THINGS DONE
Benefit of the doubt - because you don't know that every waiter is making bank like the situation

the employer still has to pay AT LEAST the minimum wage amount, That's great if you want to sue your employer and burn every bridge you've built. [See also: Interns doing work they should be paid for; blacklisting]
promoted by emannths

420 Ask and Answer Questions About Taking Long Trips
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emannths @PensoTroppo Behind The Hidden Meaning

Phrases in Job Ads
Yeah, but the interns don't blame the customers for their low pay.
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The @PensoTroppo Kocrachon Best Quick File

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Its burning a bridge to make sure that your employer is obeying FEDERAL laws? Seriously, the
ASK LIFEHACKER 25,248 economy is NOT so bad that a person who isn't making the minimum wage he deserves, cant go How Can I Turn My Boring Digs out and find another minimum wage job. Infact, during the economic downturn, it wasn't even

Into an Awesome,

the retail level hit the hardest, it was the middle class. So don't tell me that making your Well-Designed Home On the

Cheap? employer obey federal laws is not worth the time. I would GLADLY sue the employer, make, at the very least, thousands of dollars off of it (if not millions with the way American courts tend to
work)

A buddy of mine right behind me has a wife who worked (before she got pregnant) at a Seattle downtown restaurant, she could make around 500 a NIGHT on fridays and saturdays in an 8 hour shift. That is how much retail employees are making per paycheck. So she is making minimum wage, plus an additional 1000 dollars on her paycheck JUST from her weekends. So again, please explain to me why a steak house needs a 20 dollar tip, when they are worth the same 4-5 dollar tip any other standard waiter makes. 5 dollar flat tip should be good enough.

5,500 Make a Quick, Simple Salad with a Potato Peeler
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Sydney @zuzoa replying to promote Sydney @cgmisslecrisis replying to promote Sydney @Joseph Shaver replying to promote Sydney @deathsythe164 replying to promote Kocrachon @Miss Smith Drank Your Vodka I have no ideaMORE STORIES... about. I lived in the UK and no employee was ever that what you are talking

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disrespectful. Because yeah, they may not get tips, but doing that would cost them their job. On LOGIN top of that, there have been MANY times where I didn't get my soda refilled here in the US, even

LATEST STORIES always, FEB 28, 2012 after asking. Sure its TUESDAY, but its expected. not
And one thing I REALLY hate, is how even if I get horrible service the tip is suppose to be the

I went to a local Ramen shop in Seattle. My wife and I got HORRIBLE service. The soda machine was down so we just drank water, it never got refilled with out asking. We asked for a second TIPS AND DOWNLOADS FOR service of noodles. The girl forgot to tell the cook so we had to ask her again. My wife then asked for a second boiled egg to go with her ramen, and the girl forgot, and instead of asking for it again we just finished eating and called it good. The place was not over loaded, she had other tables to serve and didn't even do that, she was chatting with some other friend of hers at the bar. I left her a 10% tip and she looked at me with anger and disdain.
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Ask and with being EXPECTED to tip, nor expected to tip a specific amount. Tips So again, I don't agreeAnswer Questions About not EXPECTED. should be EARNED,Taking Long TripsThus why its called a TIP
JOB SEARCH 6,905 Now lets go to Asia. I spent a week in Japan. Again tips are not expected. And not only was my

service better The Hidden Meaning Behind in America (they actually honor the mentality of, the than anything I experienced Phrases in Job Ads customer is always right) but they also don't take tips.
WINDOWS APP DI… So you can expect great customer service and NOT be forced to tip. Japan does a great job of

that.

The Best Quick File 3,109 Uploader for Windows
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25,248 How Can I Turn My Boring Digs Into an @Kocrachon PensoTroppo Awesome, Well-Designed Home On the Its burning a Cheap? to make sure that your employer is obeying FEDERAL laws? bridge

promoted by Miss Smith Drank Your Vodka

Believe it or not, yes. Case in point: this person will, frankly, never got a job again. CLEVER USES 5,500 [www.hollywoodreporter.com] Granted, I know this isn't the restaurant industry, but I'm hoping to show via analogy that, yes, it's a huge problem. a Potato Peeler please explain to me why a steak house needs a 20 dollar tip, when they are worth the same 4-5 dollar tip any other standard waiter makes. Because the waiters at a steak house are more experienced and and higher quality than chain employee waiters? (Sort of like why a steak at a steakhouse, too, costs four times more than what you can get at a standard restaurant.)

Make a Quick, Simple Salad with

Kocrachon @PensoTroppo I'm sorry but its hard to justify 20 dollars for a woman to come, take my drink order, come back, take my food order, bring me said food order, and then come back maybe once or twice to refill my drinks and ask me how it was. Personally, in that situation, I would rather that tip go to the cook for making an excellent steak, rather than some waitress who moves plates and fill glasses. I get the same service, basically the same quality, from any locally owned restaurants (which I normally eat at) and I only have to tip about 5-8 dollars pending on what I am eating. Which is why I now eat locally where the food is reasonably priced and just as good.

PensoTroppo

@Kocrachon

I get the same service, basically the same quality, from any locally owned restaurants (which I normally eat at) and I only have to tip about 5-8 dollars pending on what I am eating. I can't debate with you about your tastes and whether you perceive certain services to be worth what you're expected to pay (I find it hard to give a bathroom attendant more than a buck for handing me a towel.)

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If that's your core argument, that's fine. But I hope I've been able to clearly explain why some of LOGIN us choose to tip according to different values.

LATEST STORIES TUESDAY, FEB 28, 2012

You should because waiters/waitresses only make tips. They are paid less-than-minimum wage by the restaurant they work for, and that salary has tax from tips subtracted from it.

TIPS AND DOWNLOADS FOR
If you GETTING THINGS DONE not your server can pay their bills, you'll tip them. give half a shit about whether or
promoted by emannths

Well said.
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dxrebirth @spamfeed Questions Ask and Answer

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How did he have to do their job in either his scenario or mine? o_O
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The Hidden Meaning Behind emannths @elindemann Phrases in Job Ads
Servers are guaranteed to make minimum wage regardless of the tips they get (see the DOL link above).
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The Best Quick File

3,109

Uploader for Windows I dislike the guilt-trip, tip-your-waiter-or-he'll-starve mentality. We don't tip every minimum-wage worker I encounter, and no one is imploring us to overpay them in tips. To
ASK LIFEHACKER 25,248 expect the customer to consider the employee's financial well-being when paying is weird, How Can I Turn My Boring Digs distracting, and judgmental. Asking the customer to pay based on the level of service provided is Into an Awesome,

much more sensible. Well-Designed Home On the

Cheap?
CLEVER @Samuel Gerry 5,500 designjenquinn USES

Make a Quick, Simple Salad with

a Potato Peeler You have to remember that if you buy costly food and drink at any decent restaurant, there are
usually 2-4 OTHER people BESIDES your server that you are paying with that tip, who get a percentage NOT of the tip you leave but of the SALE of that food. Just by ordering a $28 steak, you add a percentage of $28 to that server's total sales that is then deducted from his/her tips at their shift's end. In the case of a truly heinous tip on a costly bill, you actually end up stealing from the server because they will have to pay porters, busboys, food runners, and bartenders for the collective work that went into your dining experience no matter WHAT you leave them. Leaving a customary tip percentage of your bill ensures that everyone gets an appropriate piece of the pie and if it rankles you to throw that extra money at "food", you can buy a lovely steak at the grocery store and cook it in your own kitchen for significantly less. spamfeed @Kocrachon QUOTE: "And my wife makes a decent income, as a biomed tech she makes an anual income of 50k, and at my current rank I make 42,000 a year..." Oww, no wonder you have no fine dining experience. The remainder of your screed reeks of job envy. If you can't afford to tip 15% plus on the full price (not your BOGO Thursday coupon price), then kindly attend to a lower tier restaurant.

spamfeed @dxrebirth It was in the original Tim "HighRoller" Gray post. Just mocking him, on my part. Your post was absolutely spot on, good sir!

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designjenquinn @Kocrachon

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Keep in mind a standard shift as a server is less than 8 hours, usually around 4-6. "So what?"

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you may think, "They probably work enough shifts in the week to be full time." This may be true in some instances, but oftentimes it isn't, especially in this economy when lots of folks who may find themselves unemployed in other industries are vying for positions at restaurants and there can be more servers on payroll than customers in the dining room. Also, restaurant managers don't pay hourly wages to servers that are doing nothing, and servers are often "cut" (meaning, not allowed to wait any more tables or get any more tips, and sent home after a certain amount

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of "sidework" is done at only their hourly rate) after little more than a couple hours of their GETTING THINGS DONE scheduled shift, unless they are "closing" the restaurant - those 2 hours at $30 an hour may be a server's whole day of pay depending on the day. Although this results in free time, it's not dependable and certainly doesn't lend itself to seeking supplementary work elsewhere as no one is going to hire you if you can only "maybe" come in at PM. I say all this just to point out that even if the hourly money may seem amazing, on average it's just that - average.
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I'm also a little taken aback that several commenters here seem to think it's fine for servers to Ask and Answer Questions make only minimum wage. Long Trips server is 17 years old, they probably have just as high of About Taking Unless your a cost of living as you do. Do YOU make minimum wage and manage to live comfortably? JOB SEARCH Probably not in most states. Servers6,905 restaurant industry as a whole provide a service and the beyond calories to you, and if the extra expense is not worth it to you, it's simple. Cook for yourself and don't go.
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420

The Hidden Meaning Behind Phrases in Job Ads 3,109

The Best Quick File

Uploader for Windows Miss Smith Drank Your Vodka @Kocrachon
I lived there too. London to be exact. You obviously didn't have the same experience. Doesn't ASK LIFEHACKER 25,248 mean it didn'tHow Can I Turn My Boring Digs happen.

Into an Awesome, Well-Designed Home On the dxrebirth @spamfeed Cheap? 5,500 Make a Quick, Simple Salad with This thread is getting confusing :) a Potato Peeler
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Ah sorry sorry ^^;

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Kocrachon @designjenquinn

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LATEST STORIES TUESDAY, FEB 28, 2012 Again, what about OTHER retail employees who only make minimum wage? Such as the Target
here in Seattle has a 60 year old hispanic man making minimum wage and only 30 hours a week.

Why do food servers deserve more than any other retail employee who has the EXACT same conditions? When I worked at a gamestop at 18 before joining the Army, they would send employeesAND DOWNLOADS FOR TIPS home early if it was slow enough. So does this mean we need to start tipping

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Wait staff dont have it any harder than any other mininum wage job, yet they are still expected to be tipped. If it sucks SO much, find another job. Again, the economy is not so bad right now that you cannot find another minimum wage job. As for the cost of living, sure, living comfortable on minimum wage isn't easy... in a big city. Do

420 Ask and Answer Questions bedroom, andAbout Taking Long town (Snohomish) where you can get the same place for 400. move to a smaller Trips
what my mother in law did. Move from a big city (Seattle) where rent is 1000 a month for a 1 And yes it is an option. If they are barely getting by, the first step is to find a new place else where, and from there, find a new job (if you dont have a car, well, time to take the bus) JOB SEARCH 6,905
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The Hidden Meaning Behind
My mother inPhrases in Job Ads law works for slightly more than minimum wage right now. She lives fine now after leaving a place that had such a high cost of living.
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The more time. Wait 3,109 I will state it ONE Best Quick File staff do NOT have it any harder than any other retailer job. Uploader for wage at They all get paid minimumWindowsthe very least, and they all generally get less than 40 hours a
week.

Waiters do much more than bring you your food. They also almost always spend time before and after their shifts cleaning, stocking things, rolling silverware, doing food prep, etc. etc. The place CLEVER USES 5,500 Make a Quick, average about 45 I work at, I'd say the waiters Simple Salad withminutes before and an hour or more after,

25,248 How Can I Turn My Boring Digs Into an Awesome, arbarrtheaardvark @Kocrachon the Well-Designed Home On Cheap?
ASK LIFEHACKER

Potato Peeler depending onawhat the duties are (a typical list of sidework for a late night server, for example,
involves sweeping and mopping the entire restaurant floor, restocking all of the sugars and salt and peppers, rolling 100 silverware, and that's just the stuff to be done at the end of the shift. They also have to tip out the support staff, which includes myself (I'm a hostess and a busser). At our restaurant, the waiters are required to tip a minimum of 2.5% of their sales out to the support staff (bussers, expo) and it's extremely looked down upon to not tip extra on top of that to a person who's going above and beyond (and that includes people who are not tipped employees, for example there's one dishwasher at our restaurant who's super fast and runs all of the bus tubs to the back when they're full, which is something that normally the waiters are responsible for - they always throw him a tip because they know he's making their jobs easier and he really doesn't have to). And it does benefit them to tip us better than the minimum, because when it's crazy busy and I have to choose between clearing a table for waiter A or waiter B, I'm going to pick the waiter who more regularly takes notice of my extra efforts and compensates me for them - and that means that the waiter will end up with more customers in the end, and more opportunity for their own tips. Now, let's say that a waiter has to tip out two bussers and an expo, and it's super busy - that waiter could end up shelling out like 10% of his/her sales. When I work overnight shifts, it's not uncommon for waiters to tip me a solid 20% of their own tips; when I work afternoons and it's super slow, the waiters who didn't make enough to tip over the minimum 2.5% apologize because they know I deserve more than $3 for my hours of work cleaning up after them and allowing customers to treat me like I'm a convenient back-up waiter - but they can't afford to give up more than that because they're only taking home $50 themselves. This is just the way that restaurants work. And you know what? Yes, good waiters who get enough tables that tip fairly really can end up making a lot of money. I know some who average around $20/hour. On my last paycheck, I averaged $17.50/hr and I'm just a busser. But when

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I don't think that wage is too high at all. LOGIN

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Edited by arbarrtheaardvark at 02/23/12 5:30 PM

No, mostly because you make a comment only tangentially related to the article, with a

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Well, it's been 15% in the US for a good 20 years now...

HELP YOURSELF 420 Does anyone else think we should require these restaurants to actually pay their staff a living

wage instead of a guaranteed minimum wage and expect the customer to cover the rest? Tipping is a socially required expense employers can tack on instead of pay out.

Ask and Answer Questions About Taking Long Trips
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6,905 The Hidden Meaning Behind eating, not bringing refills, and not offering some form of apology is FAIL. Of course, some Phrases in Job Ads
still.
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@timgray Making you wait 45 minutes for your food while everyone else at your table is done restaurants prohibit their wait staff from mentioning freebies unless the customer asks for it but

The Best Quick File 3,109 Uploader for Windows 25,248 How Can I Turn My Boring Digs Into an Awesome, Well-Designed Home On the Cheap?
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5,500 Make a Quick, Simple Salad with a Potato Peeler
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Know How Waiters Read Your Table to Get Better Service

crashcodes @deathsythe164

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LATEST STORIES TUESDAY, FEB 28, % of Tip out on sales is prone to abuse; but so is2012 tips. If the QAC or Kitchen is hurting your tips
in someway they aren't feeling the consequences. But with sales, and your service sucks, they aren't feeling the consequences. I think the server should tip the kitchen based on their own opinion of how the kitchen supported them with a stated standard base. So if 2.5% of sales is standard and the kitchen kicked ass give em 3.5%+ instead. They screw you over enough times 0%. Since you know how it feels to be screwed over on tips, screwing your coworkers should take

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For the folks that are tipping more because the server has too many tables, I say nay! They are making up for their lost quality of service -> tips in volume. I say almost the same for a server that has only one table. They make up for the lower volume by being able to offer higher service. If they don't offer that higher service and they only have 1 table, I'm not having pity on their lack of tables so I'll tip purely according to service. On the other hand if they do only have one table 420 and they hit aHELP service level, I'll probably toss in something extra even above a high service high YOURSELF level tip (25%-30% + a few extra $$).
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Ask and Answer Questions About Taking Long Trips

I don't really understand why the tip range would move up from the 1980's to today, I mean

inflation hit the price of goods already. So its like a double raise. That said 18% is what I use as a that usually involves me somehow screwing something up and the server fixing my error.
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6,905 The Hidden Meaning Behind base. 20% forPhrasesbetter than average, 16% for a little less. Generally 30% is the high end; but a little in Job Ads 3,109 Uploader for Windows

Don't tip the tax. Best Quick File The

When the server asks, "Are you ready to order?" Answer promptly. If you find yourself saying "Ummm....", the correct answer is "No." ASK LIFEHACKER 25,248

How Can I Turn My Boring Digs
"Soup or salad?" is a trap. You seem to only have two options which implies either is included Into an Awesome,

Well-Designed Home On the with the entree. If you are like me and typically don't want either enough to pay extra, but Cheap? wouldn't mind having something to pick at while the entree is being prepared; make sure you
know if it is included with the entree. It may be a bit awkward to ask in front of your sessy date, CLEVER USES 5,500 but by even posing this ambiguity you have been insulted on some level so don't be a doormat in Make a Quick, Simple Salad with

a Potato Peeler front of your date. Servers, this question may seem innocent enough especially if either are
included with the meal; but you are inadvertently supporting the trap at those other places that do not include the soup/salad with the meal.

designjenquinn @Kocrachon I've worked retail and I've worked restaurants. The physical and mental demands of food service and retail are radically different. Clearly you've never worked in a busy restaurant to even call it retail. (Listening to the stories of others doesn't count.) If you don't believe me, look around the restaurants in your town and tell me how many 60 year olds work 30 hours a week at those. By the way, no, you don't have to tip that gentleman as your taxes will likely already do that for you in the form of Social Security. As for what's stopping a server in an urban area from moving to a less expensive locale, what's stopping you from living in a different country where you don't have to tip, since you dislike it so ardently? There's a helluva lot more servers doing just fine in this country -- due to the majority of people who believe in tipping appropriately -- than there are folks like you who don't want to. So perhaps you're the one who needs a change of scenery.

Kocrachon @designjenquinn Easy, if you read above, I am in the Military, I don't dictate where I live. Plus why would I change locale? Seeing as tips are optional, I can easily still just not tip. rraattbbooyy @timgray Timbo, I would soooo spit on your food. And I'm not even part of the wait staff! I mean I would

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get up from another table, walk over, and spit on your food! LOGIN

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Since when is $90k a year for family income low? That's WELL above the national average... I guess it depends on your opinion of "fine dining", but it's certainly above the "BOGO Thursday"

Absolutely. You can do that and no one is going to stop you, especially because you're literally working for American freedoms like tipping badly since you're in the military. Doesn't change the fact that its a tacky and inconsiderate thing to do and your justifications for it are faulty. dieriding @timgray
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Just kill yourself. and Answer Questions Ask

420

About Taking Long Trips
anomalytea @cgmisslecrisis
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6,905

The Hidden Meaning Behind You have a few points, but fail on others. Phrases in Job Ads One of your reasons to tip sounds like "oops insurance".
WINDOWS APP DI… My policy? Tip is based on how well the server performed. Were drinks refilled promptly? Did I

The on the counter watch our food sitBest Quick File for 10 min before they brought it to us? Did we receive service
promptly after being seated? IF something is wrong with the food, did the waiter take it back promptly or carry it around for 10 minutes? ASK LIFEHACKER 25,248 It's importantInto an Awesome,jobs are that of the kitchen and which are that of the waiter. My to realize which tip is based on the performance of the waiter compared to what a waiter is supposed to do. I've Well-Designed Home On the Cheap? had horrible service where I've refused to tip (employers are required to bump their check to min. wage equivalent if tips don't get them there), where it took 15 min after I asked to refill my water and myMake sat on the counter for so long that it was cold by the time it got to me. I refuse food a Quick, Simple Salad with to pay extra for Potato Peeler as someone does their job halfway decently, they get a tip (usually a that. As long up to 20-25% from me. When I tip, it tends to be generous), which is more than they deserve they're already getting paid for it, and I'm already paying for it by paying my bill. It would actually make more sense to give a few dollars to the random person held the door open for you they didn't get paid to do that.
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