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The Waitressing Side of Life

Hello good readers!

I have missed you all dearly :)

Today I want to talk about something that I feel should be common knowledge but for some reason people don't seem to know:

Restaurant Etiquette - With the main focus on how to treat your server

As someone who has been a server for all of my young adult life I have declared myself an expert in the matter.
Before we get started, let's take a sneak peek into the life of a server.

  • Servers do not get to eat at the normal meal times.
  • Servers make $2.13 an hour in the state of Texas. It varies from state to state but the general idea is that they are employed by the people they are waiting on.
  • Servers do not get free food whenever they want.
  • Servers have to smile constantly for hours at a time. - Regardless of how rude people are.
Those are just a few of the things that servers have to deal with on a regular basis. 
Now don't get me wrong, I love my job. The people I work with are nice, the food is delicious, and there is something quite satisfying and humbling about literally serving people all day. 
The reason for this post is not to rant about what is wrong with my job. I would simply like to help get the word out to people who may not know what I feel everyone should know. 

Now many people go out to eat on a regular basis - perhaps daily or weekly. Some people rarely ever go out to eat. But i feel like I can safely state that everyone has been waited on at some point in their life. I always try to give the absolute best server that I can and I have come up with some simple "tips" to help you be the best customer that you can. So let's jump right in!
  1. First things first, I never understand why people think that the location of their table will affect how their food taste. There is a whole system behind the scenes and when you insist to sit somewhere other than the table that the hostess leads you too it throws everything out of whack. Especially if it is busy. 
  2. When your server walks up to the table, she does not want to interrupt your conversation. If you are in the middle of a sentence she will let you finish but to continue to carry on a conversation while your server is standing there waiting is one of the rudest (not to mention awkward) situations I can think of. When she walks up acknowledge her and let her greet you - It's part of her job. 
  3. When your server brings you a drink please at least wait until she walks away to down the entire thing. I know you are thirsty, but pace yourself please. You should ask for a refill if your sever neglects to refill it to the point that you literally cannot get any more liquid out of your glass. If there is still beverage left then your server will refill it. It's weird to ask for more when your glass is still half full.
  4. If there is something wrong with your food aside from it being the completely wrong dish it is not your server's fault. Do not make a scene and it should not negatively affect her tip. In fact if she makes an extra effort to make sure that your problem is fixed it should reflect in a higher tip.  
  5. If you don't have the money to adequately tip your server then you don't have to money to order what you ordered. ALWAYS tip your server on the TOTAL BILL. This includes alcohol.  A good server always deserves at least 20%. (As hard as I work to be good at my job, I am disappointed by a 15% tip.) 10% is NEVER acceptable!!! Unless perhaps your server spits in your food right in front of you. 
  6. In regards to Holidays, i.e. Christmas Eve, New Years Eve, Valentine's Day ect. Keep in mind that your server isn't there because she loves her job. If they are away from their families on a special day chances are they need to be working. Try to tip a little extra ;) 
  7. Also, January is the absolute slowest season for restaurant and therefore the hardest month to make money in for a server. So your server like me is probably struggling to make it through the first month. Keep that in mind when your filling out the gratuity line. 


Proper tipping etiquette in a restaurant:

At a restaurant, always leave a tip. Tips can vary from 15% to 25%. 

Waiter: 15% to 20% of the bill; 25% for extraordinary service

Wine steward: 15% of wine bill

Bartender: 10% to 15% of bar bill

Coat check: $1.00 per coat

Car attendant: $2.00 to $5.00



Disclaimer: Obviously there are exceptions to all of these rules. These are just a few guidelines. 
I have included a video for those of you who are visual learners ;) 



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