Thursday, February 10, 2011

Be kind to your waiter

Hello to all of my fellow Waiters/Waitresses and of course a big hello to the customers! I would like to start off by saying thank you to those who understand how we actually make our money in this business, and to those who are a bit clueless to that information I hope you will learn a lot from what you're about to read. Let me start off by telling you a little bit about our hourly pay. Most if not all waiters/waitresses get paid between two and three dollars an hour and sometimes even less. However, 9 times out of 10 we will not see that measly $30 check we would get on a weekly basis due to the fact that we have to claim the tips we make a night. So, in the system, sometimes it will say we made a lot more than we have made. Now check this out...Have you ever gone to a restaurant where there's a host, a bartender, and a busboy? Of course you have! Well, Waiters/Waitresses have to tip the bartenders, hosts, and busboys out of their tips (the percentage depending on the restaurant's tip out system) and yet they still have to claim that money they are tipping out. Sounds a bit off doesn't it? Well get a load of this...poor tips are below 15%, while 15% is fair, and 20% or more is extravagant. So say your bill is $75.89 you leave exactly $80.00, nothing more, nothing less. You've left your waitress $4.11 which is a little under 7% and you probably think that's an awesome tip, I mean who wouldn't want a free $4 right? Sorry to say but you are wrong! Not to sound ungrateful, but lets do a few calculations. Let's say that was this waiters only table for the night (which is definitely possible) and their tip out is 3%. 75.89 x 3% =$3.79. So, out of the $4.11 you left for your waiter, that waiter has to tip out $3.79 leaving the waiter with $0.32 to take home. Wow, did your mouth just drop? Mine did! Can you pay your bills with that money? That waiter spent 40 times more getting to work that day. Sounds horrible doesn't it? Had the customer tipped 20% the waiter would have at least gone home with $12 dollars. Big difference!!! The bottom line is...No one likes to work for FREE! Tip your waiters. And not to sound brutal, but if you don't plan on tipping your waiter, your better off staying home or going to a drive through. We have to eat too!!!