Restaurant Rules as written by your server

Found this on another website I read, and figured it could spark some
interesting conversation around here!!

The next time you're out eating at a resturant, look at your server. Do
you
think they are really happy to be doing that job? The answer is no,
they are
not, but it's what we do, and we do it for the money so please help
them
out. Its a tougher job than you think and you should pay them
accordingly!

There are SO many people out there flooding the restaurants w/o any
knowledge of how to tip. Here is a short guide for the general public
to
follow. Feel free to print out and store in your wallet and/or purse.

1. CHILDREN "THE LITTLE DEVILS":
If you have children, DO NOT let them, open and dump anything on the
table
(ie; salt, sugar, etc). IF YOU DO, you must leave an extra $5 for the
server
to clean up YOUR CHILD'S mess & to restock the now unusable wasted
items. We
are neither their babysitter nor their parent. The least you can do is
pay
us for the extra work. Also make sure you control your kids and don't
let
them scream or run around the restraunt. It's very distracting not to
mention dangerous if they get ran over by a server with hot food in
their
hands.

2. "THE CAMPERS":
If you feel the necessity to stay for longer than 15 minutes after you
pay,
its an extra $3 every 30 minutes. We make our money from the tables. If
you
are in one and we can't seat it, we don't make money.

3. COMPLIMENTS:
Telling a server they are the best server they've ever had is not a
tip. If
we are good, let us know by leaving us more money. We cant pay our
bills on
compliments. Its not that we don't appreciate the praise, its just that
if
you say that and then leave 10% it's an insult.

4. THE SALVATION PAMPHLETS:
Prayer cards and any other religious pamphlet is NOT a tip. It is
insulting
that you assume we are w/o religion and must save us. Again, like ..3,
we
cant pay bills w/prayer cards. We'd go to church on Sundays if it
wasn't
mandatory to work on Sundays because EVERYONE who goes to church
follows it
by eating out.

5. TIPPING:
It is not 1960. Cost of living has gone up dramatically since then. 18%
is
the MINIMUM amount of what you should be tipping your servers. Just
look at
the tax line and multiply by 2-3, this gives you your minimum tip
amount.
Remember, our companies pay us less than minimum wage (minumum wage for

servers is $6.75 in CA, $2.63 in MA, $3.13 in FL, $3.09 in IA, $2.13 in
TX,
$2.65 in MI - and that pay is almost completely consumed by paying
taxes on
our tips. We don't usually see a dime of it. Our bi-weekly checks if
working
FULL TIME are between 0 and $12 dollars.) And we are taxed on 10
percent of
your meal automatically anyway. So if your meal is $100 and you leave
$10
and we tip out $4-5 to the busser, bartender, and whoever else then we
pay
tax on 10 dollars and we make $5. It seems small but it adds up. How
many
times do you eat out per week and do this? HERE'S A GOOD RULE OF THUMB:

SINCE 18% IS THE MINIMUM, JUST LEAVE 20% FOR GOOD SERVICE. IT'S SIMPLE
TO
FIGURE OUT...LEAVE ONE DOLLAR FOR EVERY FIVE DOLLARS OF YOUR TOTAL BILL

(PRE-DISCOUNT!!! AS IN, IF YOU HAD A COUPON OR VOUCHER OF SOME
SORT...YOUR
SERVER STILL HAS TO TIP OUT AND PAY TAX ON THE TOTAL BILL, NOT THE BILL

AFTER DISCOUNTS!!) USE YOUR FINGERS TO FIGURE IT OUT IF YOU HAVE TO,
JUST
DON'T BE CHEAP! Your server will remember you next time and service
will
remain great, if not get better if he/she knows that you KNOW how to
tip.

6. THE COMPLAINERS:
If you get a discount because of your food was prepared wrong or
something,
do not take it out of our tip. We didn't cook it. The cooks get paid
hourly
regardless if the food sucks. However, we only make what you give us.
(Plus,
remember what happens in the movie "Waiting" when you bitch and then
send
something back!!! Just kidding, that barely EVER happens....)

7. THE FREE STUFF:
If you happen to get anything for free and you did not have a problem
with
your dining experience, most of the time it is because the server
thinks you
will realize that they are giving it to you for free. There should be
extra
tip thanking the server for the free item. They could get in a lot of
trouble giving away free stuff. You should give them hazard pay for it.


8. THE LATE ONES:
If you come into the restraunt 10 mins before closing or any time near
closing hurry up and order your food and get out. Closed means closed,
not
social hour. It is so rude to sit there and take your sweet ass time.
We
can't leave until you leave because we have to do sidework and clean
the
table you are sitting at. We don't want to stand there waiting for you
for
an extra hour just because you don't want to go home. We recommend 24
hour
establishments such as Dennys if you wish to sit into the wee hours of
the
night.

9. THE TABLE HOGGERS:
If you only come in for coffee or a dessert, to do paper work, or to
have a
meeting, don't sit there taking up our booths for hours. We are not
Starbucks or a hotel restraunt. If you want to sit for hours, go there
or
else you better leave a good tip for us and camping fee included.

10. THE GREET:
When we come up to the table to greet you and we ask how you are doing
please let us know. We honestly want to know how you are doing. If you
are
in a bad mood we want to know that from the beginning. A confused stare
or
complete silence does not suffice as a reply to "How are you doing?".
Also
most of us are REQUIRED to say certain things during the greeting, so
please
don't interrupt our greeting and say "I want coffee", "Can we get some
bread?", or "What are the soups?"
& YOU MIGHT THINK THIS IS RUDE BUT WHERE I WORK WE HAVE TO GO TO THE
TABLE
WITHIN 30 SECONDS SO ONCE YOU SEE US APPROACH YOUR TABLE STOP YOUR
CONVERSATION BITCHES & LET ME DO MY SPIEL then continue on with what
you
were saying. I had some bitch lady talk throughout my entire greeting
process and then say "Oh, what? Water? With lemon?" Rawr.

11. THOSE DAMN CELL PHONES:
Don't ever talk on your cell phone in a restraunt. This is probably the

rudest thing to do. If you must be on your cell, at least keep your
voice
down in respect for other customers. If you are on your cell phone when
we
walk up to greet your table we will walk away and not return until you
get
off your phone. Just show some respect and give us your attention for a

couple of minutes.

12. And just keep in mind that your server will do what he/she needs to
do
to make you happy. If you are polite and courteous to them, it could
make
their day/night! And they are likely to give you any and all things to
improve your visit to their restaurant. They will remember you if you
come
back in. And you will gain a good reputation at the restaurant. If you
are a
bad tipper, and we know it, you will be waited on reluctantly and with
little care. And you never do know how your food/drinks will come out.
(Again, remember Waiting.) We like people. We wouldn't wait tables for
a
living if we didn't have a little fun doing it. So, have fun with us!
But,
think, WE clean up your Ranch spills after you leave. Just remember,
you
don't have to do the dishes.

And smiles go a long way.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!SERVERS READING THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please repost this so the word can get out, since so many people are
uneducated about tips and our lives depend on this - at least for
now......

SIGNED, YOUR FELLOW RESTAURANT EMPLOYEE

P.S. Leaving us a giftcard to our restaurant with a few dollars on it,
is
NOT a good tip. Granted, it will be useful since we will probably have
shift
meals, but sometimes we just want the dough!!!!



************
Can you believe that people leave a mostly-used giftcard for their
server's tip? Never even crossed my mind. If I have a coupon, or get
slipped a free appetizer and /or drink, or ue a giftcard, I still know
to tip on the full bill before discounts. With a giftcard I tip in
cash, I expect to have to pay that, or else I ask for the balance in
cash, which most places will give you if it's under $5 or so, and use
that as part of the tip. But I've nevcer heard of leaving the giftcard
AS the tip!!

I thought the 'camping fee' was interesting. Makes sense if a place is
busy and you're sitting around ta;lking and drinking comp refills of
coffee. beleive me, as a patron i've seen those ....... ususally when
the place is packed and I've been waiting 20 minutes for a table! Makes
sense the server should profit if they can't seat another group there.

And the "kids fee", too. When my daughter was little, she was
well-behaved but very messy. (Still is, as a matter of fact!) She
usually spilled something on the table at some point, or knocked
something over, and dropped a lot of gunk on the floor. (Still does, as
a matter of fact!) I would bend down with my napkin and get what I
could of big pieces of food, but I knew they would need to drag out the
carpet sweeper as soon as we walked out, and I always took that into
account when she was with me.

Kinda funny the way they give specific amounts, though....$5 kid fee,
$3 for 30 minutes 'camping fee'!

Your thoughts?

.

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