To NYC Waiters: "You're a servant. So serve." — Page 2

It's already discussed earlier in this thread that the set up is different in Europe, where the owners of restaurants actually pay their staffs a salary. However, since owner and management here treats the wait staff like slaves, it falls on the consumer to ALWAYS give that Kennedy guy his 18-20% tip or the consumer is ROBBING HIM OF HIS TIME AND MONEY. It's the whole system that stinks and that's what waiters should be mad about. I wonder if Kennedy really feels he is going so far above and beyond for each customer that he always but always is deserving of what he clearly expects?

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Occupy Chuck E. Cheese?

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Sue, when did your dad come to this country?

Not only is the style of service mandated by the restaurant but even if you explicitly tell the waiter "We are having a leisurely evening here and just want to be left alone!" they probably won't since the manager (or owner) will insist on them "Checking in."

I've dealt with restaurants that have specific road maps for your dinner: Within 3 minutes of being seated, offer drinks. Bring back drinks and solicit aps immediately. Introduce yourself and discuss specials. Give them 5 minutes to decide then get dinner orders, etc.

I'm confused about its father coming to the country, leaving it to go to Kiev so it can be born (as said in an earlier thread), then coming back to Brooklyn.

One must take into account that the restaurant has a turn over time. To make money they need the clients to come in eat and leave making room for the next diner. Waitstaff are expected to expedite this. Checking in is a way of doing this.

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Updated On: 3/5/13 at 10:32 PM

I've avoided reading this so far. Do I have to? Or can someone give me the Cliff's Notes version?

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The most interesting comment I read from the waiters' reply was how poorly a waiter is paid and that the customer suppliments his/her wage.That should lower the price of goods on offer as lower wages means lower overheads-does that happen?Also-is tip money declared?otherwise there must be a lot of revenue the government is missing out on.I employed many staff in a service industry,paid above union wages plus commission and it was very rare to see a tip cross the counter.Different country,different customs-so I suppose 'when in Rome'.

Updated On: 3/6/13 at 01:21 AM

Within the company I worked for, if a server didn't claim at least 10% of their total sales in tips, management would question it. Sometimes, they would even go in the computer and manually claim it for you. We didn't have to "tip out" the bus staff or the bartenders. We had a "voluntary" tip pool, which wasn't voluntary at all. It was 1.5% of your total sales, or, on average, 10% of your tips.

I waited tables, managed and trained entire new restaurants for 8 years and have seen every kind of tipper. There were areas where we had to pay servers more. It was never over minimum wage, but it was more than $2.13, which was standard. Some areas and some people just don't tip. They don't get it.

I hear the argument that employers should pay servers more and I agree, but the service would decline. Servers work harder when they know their tip depends on the service they give. If you know you are going to get 15% of your sales, regardless, you'd be less motivated to do anything other than sell. Sure, you would upsell and add on, when possible, but service wouldn't be as good. I have heard a few Swedes talking about American servers recently, since so much has been passed around Facebook recently, and they have been appalled. They have used words like "ungrateful" and "entitled," to describe the bitchings on blogs and such. All I have to do is point out the differences in American table service and Swedish table service (of which there is none) for them to back down.

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I hear the argument that employers should pay servers more and I agree, but the service would decline. Servers work harder when they know their tip depends on the service they give.

I don't think that's necessarily true--at least, not in every single case. A restaurant where I used to work back in my waiter days recently moved to a non-tipping, service included model. They raised the prices slightly and began paying their servers an above-minimum-wage hourly rate. I have not seen a change in service even though tipping is no longer imperative. Also, really, high tipping has become compulsory in a lot of areas that service has already declined, because servers already expect an 18-20% tip off the bat. That said, I don't think we'll ever see all restaurants moving to a European model unless it was required by law--there's just too much money to be made.

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Updated On: 3/6/13 at 08:51 AM

What i didn't like was the practice of waiters actually running out of the restaurant down the street, after patrons didn't leave enough tip, and asking them why.

I remember hearing several instances of that happening a while back but i don't know if it still happens. I can't imagine a manager allowing that practice.

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We had a company policy of not harassing customers, regardless of tip amount. Following a customer out of the restaurant or questioning a small tip was immediate grounds for termination.

And I know I busted my ass a lot more when I needed to make rent. I was an awesome server. If the money had been guaranteed regardless, I don't know if I would have gone above and beyond.

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Updated On: 3/6/13 at 10:26 AM