Experimenting with a new way of service
Hell, bad tips, children, entitlement junkies, ghetto, parents, redneck people, white trash Add commentsWeekends at my job suck ass in the beginning of the year. Ghetto trash, white trailer trash, and redneck trash all swarm us. They run us like dogs, and we’re still nice to them. They camp for hours, run up huge bills, and then they leave a shitty tip if they leave a tip at all. I’ve decided that I’m going to try something new with this trash, knowing that I’m not going to get tipped from them no matter what I do.
All night, I was nice. I was in an awesome mood, and we were decently busy. I thought for sure I was going to get some great money tonight. BOY WAS I WRONG!!!
I had over a thousand dollars in sales, and before tip out I’d only made 70 bucks. 35 of that came from 3 tables, a total of 90 bucks in sales with those 3 tables. The rest of what little I made was from the aforementioned trash.
The Experiment: I’m going to start being the biggest asshole to my tables that anyone has ever seen. I’m not going to be nice to anyone except for my regulars that I know I’ll make money off of. I’m going to be rude, short, abrupt, and just plain hateful. I’m not going to let my guests make any special menu requests, I’m not going to let them drink more than 2 drinks per hour. I’m going to stop short of cussing out every one of my tables, only because I’d like to keep my job.
When they ask me if we have strawberry lemonade? “This ain’t Red Lobster.”
When they ask if they can substitute things on our appetizers that say in the menu no substitutions: “No.” When they ask why? “It’s in the menu. No.”
Bread? “It’s not O’charleys, you’ll have to pay for that.”
Guest: “Is ya’ll gonna clean dis table?” “When I get good and ready to, you’re not the only guests in the building.”
Hot water for silverware? “It’s clean, stop being so anal.”
Absolut, Cuervo Gold, Tanqueray, Grand Marnier, Bacardi, Jack Daniels. These are MY new house liquors, especially for parties with gratuity.
Milkshake? “No, there’s no ice cream.”
I probably won’t actually do all that, but for fuck sake, something has got to give! This trash has got to start tipping! I’m going out Monday to find a second job, because I can’t handle making shitty tips when I’m doing everything possible with a smile on my face and a great attitude. I can’t keep running my feet to the bone and not getting paid for it. I’m so sick of going above and beyond for people that aren’t going to reward me no matter what I do.
If I see any more fucking Heelies, I’m going to pull out what hair I have left. I hate parents that let their kids run wild, and I’m going to end up being a dick to the kids. No more running around unattended, this isn’t a playground. I hate looking at those fuzzy boots with the spiked heels that the ghetto girls wear lately, with their 4 inch and bigger ankle holders on their heads. I’m sick of looking at fake gold teeth, I’m sick of smelling weed at every one of my tables. Tonight was like the TSU Homecoming night that I got spit on. I’m sick of being cussed out by ghetto trash because I don’t let them have any discounts. And, I’m sick of the new general manager that’s not letting us fix problems without a manager anymore. I’m sick of his overstaffing, which is costing us money by the bucket load. We had 6 servers in our area tonight when we should have only had 4.
I just had to vent tonight guys, more than normal. We had a mother who’s toddler wandered off while she was drinking, and she didn’t even know the baby was gone when we finally found her, half the restaurant away. The baby was just walking around, not with anyone. Ghetto momma had the nerve to cuss out the server who brought the kid back, for putting hands on her baby.
I love serving, and I don’t hate the job in general. I hate the clientele that I’ve had to put up with lately. I want it to be like it was before Christmas, when we actually made a bit of money. Sure, we had our trash, but it was only about 10% of the overall guests that come in. Now, that’s more like 60%. Nice families don’t want to bring their kids in because of all the trash, and we’re losing that business.
Things have got to change soon, or I’ll be finding 2 more jobs, and dumping this one in the cold.
Ribeye
No tag for this post yet.Related Posts:
Loading ...
January 27th, 2008 at 6:15 am
Well, Ribeye I don’t have a lot to say but I will be sending good thoughts and prayers your way. It sucks when you try and do the right thing only to get spit on.
January 27th, 2008 at 7:34 am
I remember when I started getting homicidal during my shifts… it’s the reason I - at first - switched restaurants, and then eventually just stopped serving altogether. Not even being a gigantic bitch helped me feel better. At least not ultimately… hehe.
I don’t know what it is about trash, except that they just multiply a hell of a lot faster than the rest of us…
January 27th, 2008 at 7:47 am
My suggestion is to get a new job instead of staying at your present one. There has to be a better restaurant in your area and if you find a job at a nicer restaurant you may not need a second job. I am suggesting this because it sounds like your clientele has taken a turn for the worse. I worked in a great restaurant that took that same turn and any nice clientele we had eventually stopped coming in. Classy customers don’t want to be surrounded by loud, trashy drunks and will therefore find a new place where they are comfortable. Unfortunately, the trash will do the same and if your clientele is trash, more trash will be attracted to your place.
January 27th, 2008 at 8:19 am
GO FOR IT! Just do it! Find a famialy owned fine dining restaurnat that is upscale and you will be in heaven. They have to have those places where you live. Heck we do here in PA. Just think 15 heads and you will walk out with well over $100.00 in tips even efter tip out. And that is just ONE shift.Good luck hell you can use me as a reference! LOL peace!
January 27th, 2008 at 8:23 am
I don’t know how you put up with all the morons you encounter on this job. If I worked there, I think I would have gone apeshit with a machine gun by now.
Since you have so much serving experience, can’t you get a new job at a nice, upscale restaurant? I’ll bet the tips will be better, although there’ll always be some assholes. Of course, that would deprive me of laughing my ass off at your ghetto trash stories, which would make me sad.
January 27th, 2008 at 11:33 am
are they not enforcing the dress code policy and cover charge on weekends yet? or have they passed on that now?? seems like either or both would weed out the trash…I’m sorry your night was shitty.
I would have had security bring the baby back to the table, or maybe even the police. WTF? see then if the bitch whines about touching her kid!
January 27th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
i do that. i work in a family style family owned rest, i dont have as mant asses as you seem to have but i have a few that wont tip no matter what you do so i take the order drinks then when i deliver the food i take 1 refill and drop check at that time i never go back. i dont care if they choke they anit getting nothing but the two dollar service that they are paying for.as for free shit forget it like you we dont offer free bread its 25cents a roll and 1 comes with dinner order extra you get charged more ranch its extra now if you tip i wont nickle and dime you but if not yep. oh and i think that donation thing to help your car is a great idea, i dont use paypal but if you get a po box or somrthing i bet you would collect alot as i like a lot of your readers love this blog it makes my night sometimes so think about it we all could use help sometimes and if everyone just sent in 5 or 10 dollars you would be on your way. and if you ever move to knoxville let me know if my place is hiring i would put in a great line for you and i carry a little pull as i have been there for 15 years.
January 27th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
I hope things improve for you. Perhaps the rude approach would work with the trash clients. It would make a good field study!
January 27th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
I’m with everyone else on this one. I think it’s time you cut your losses and while your out looking for that second job, look for another first one too! Servingcansuck is right about trash following trash and the nice, good tipping people having left for greener pastures. You should follow them to a better place to work.
January 27th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
There’s a guy I work with, one of them that leaves at the end of the shift with the most money of everyone. He has told me that he treats his guests like shit. He said that he makes them think that he hates their existence. He makes like 3 times the amount in tips that I do.
January 28th, 2008 at 2:04 am
Ribeye:
First… as a Red Lobster manager… it’s Raspberry Lemonade :)
Putting my two cents in with everyone else, I agree. You need to find another job in a new environment. You care about your restaurant (and rant and rave all you want, deep down you care about your customers); but you’ve got to have a return on that emotional investment. You put in two many hours, put up with too much shit, and stress yourself out way past the breaking point WAY too much to endure TRASH. There is trash that comes into every restaurant occasionally, but you need to have the support to not deal with the trash and kick them out. Remind your managers that these guests are cost their wallets too–comps/returns, discounts, re-cooks all effect Mgr Bonus… there’s no incentive for a manager to put up with trashy ghetto people. I say look for 1 better job somewhere that cares about the customers and the employees. A wise manager once told me, “Take care of your employees… they take care of your customers… your customers take care of all the numbers corporate wants to see (voids, comps, guest satisfaction, labor, etc).
If you decide to put up a paypall count me in… you’re funny and the gay’s have to support each other in times of need (and times of trash!). Keep your spirits up!
January 28th, 2008 at 3:51 am
I’ve been there. I worked in a classy French service restaurant but when it abruptly shut its doors I was forced to work in a chain. I went from making $20 min / table to finding a quarter displayed amid cracker debris left by crotch spawn (love that term). I was also worked 100% harder for much less money. I eventually had to switch jobs (and careers).
You need to find a better place to work. You obviously have skills and like serving. Find a restaurant that appreciates the extra you put into service, one with a slower service style, a place where each table offers good money.
Many of us have been in your shoes (although I have *never* been treated quite as badly as you). We all love you and know what you’re going through.
January 28th, 2008 at 8:12 am
I would ditch that job completely and look for a new “First” job. I will miss your hilarious posts though! If only your 2nd job could be this blog and somehow you make some $$ off of your posts.
They’re all GOOD!
January 28th, 2008 at 8:20 am
Ditto everyone else. You are always talking about how great you are at your job, if that’s the case why don’t you go out and get a job at an actual restaraunt instead of the glorified Chucky Cheese it sounds like you are at now. Kind of makes a person wonder why, if you rock the waiting world so hard, that you are still working at a dead end job that obviously does not attract the kind of clientele a person can make a living off of. Makes ya think.
January 28th, 2008 at 10:40 am
Here’s the thing. Waiting tables is/ can be fun. The quick money is addicting. However, the whole not being able to plan how much you’re gonna make sucks. Therefore sometimes you need to get a second job. GET OUTOF WAITING TABLES! after 12 years i did it. working regular hours rocks. waiting for a paycheck every two weeks rocks. Think about it…
take care kiddo!
January 28th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
I read your blog everyday and generally find it quite funny, as I used to serve. While I had those tables that made you want to quit every so often, the majority were good to me. Why don’t you find a restaurant that’s a bit classier, so you get classier tips??? That’s what I did after working my way through hell holes to get hired on at a decent place. If you are as good a server as you portray yourself to be, you shouldn’t have any trouble getting another job.
January 28th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Leigh » I stay because despite all the guests that we’re getting right now, it was the exact same as last year. The trash percentage will go back to being 5% again, and the problems I’m having with the new management regime (not all of them, just 2), and my co-workers will all change. I care about the company. I work hard to change things there, and I work hard for my department. I have faith that it will get better, so that’s why I’m not just leaving it completely.
January 28th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
I know what you’re going through at work. I just walked out of my job (Actually, called in unemployeed), because of some of this crap. Coworkers that didn’t know what their job was, despite having moved up in the ranks a time or two. Moronic guests getting on my nerves, and I wasn’t even a server. Even better….I worked in a resteraunt that caters to your trash. ‘Old Country Cooking’ including the ‘greens’ I’m sure you’ve been asked about.
Still, when it comes down to it, I recommend having a new job before you walk out of your old one. Like me. Deliving pizza is alot more money that dish/bussing, and much less degrading.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:08 pm
I usually got better tips when I was slightly hung-over and a little snarky. Not a great plan, but at least it made up for self hate of being irresponsible and over indulging.
March 19th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Wow, I hope things get better for you.
Regarding the unattended child, I would call the police.