I’ve only been serving tables for about a month now, but I went into work today feeling that I really had the hang of it.
I had a table of three come in, I payed close attention to them, always making sure their drinks were full (of course without ever hanging over the table,) made friendly conversation when they addressed me, and sold two of our most fancy desserts. Everything went smoothly. I was quite pleased with myself.
But at the end of $75 bill, no tip. I kept playing it over in my mind to see if I went wrong somewhere, but that was the most efficient table I had ever served. I understand this kind of thing happens sometimes, but it can be disheartening. The rest of my shift was pretty lousy after that.
Submitted by: Michelle
The article below is a definite must read for anyone who works, or has worked in the restaurant industry. Without giving too much away, it is based on the interviews of a dozen or so servers from the Long Island region of New York. It summarizes all of the people in their “server nightmares” into categories such as the “Serial Drinkers” and “Whine Whiners”.
Here is short selection from the article:
There’s another point of view. Just as inexperienced or arrogant waiters mar a few meals on the Island, so too are waiters’ nights occasionally ruined by customers who are unfamiliar with the conventions of dining out, or who have somehow gotten it into their heads that the money they’re spending on a good meal entitles them to misbehave. These are their stories… Read the rest here.
Original article source: http://www.nytimes.com/
