Many people go their whole lives without working in a restaurant, let alone waitressing, yet they still go out to eat on a regular basis. What amazes me are the people who still don’t understand the functions of a restaurant. For waitresses, there is so much more than taking your order and putting it on the table. What customers don’t understand is all of the time and effort that goes into making sure everyone’s experience is as best as it can be. This is why you should ALWAYS tip at least 15%.
1. Waitresses don’t only work for your table
Waitresses can have 1-10 tables at a time depending on where they work. To be sure that each table gets the same amount of service, the waitress can only check on you every few minutes or so. Next time your water glass gets empty, be patient. Your waitress will come back with water. I promise you, they are working hard on other tables/food.
2. They do much more work than JUST tables
Not only do waitresses get your drinks, take your order, put in your order, bring it out to you and take care of your bill, but they also do a lot of side work. For example, I work at The Original Pancake House and we are constantly making coffee, slicing strawberries, juicing our freshly squeezed orange juice, cleaning syrups and so much more. Waitressing is hard enough taking care of every table, but the side work can also be time consuming.
3. They get paid $4.35 an hour
It is very rare when a restaurant pays their waitresses more than five dollars. Waitresses rely on tips to pay the bills, therefore anything below 15% almost makes it less than the waitress’s time. Keep in mind next time you go out, if you see your waitress busting their butt tip them well!
4. It is not their fault if the food isn’t out fast
I repeat, it is NOT the waitress fault if the food isn’t out fast. If you are waiting for food, it can mean a lot of things: the kitchen is backed up or they pushed back your order. Either way you put it, it is almost NEVER your waitress’ fault, so you shouldn’t punish her for that! Be understanding when it comes to late food. If the waitress has kept your drinks full and is still checking up on you before your food comes out, trust me, she’s doing all that she can do to get that food out to you!
5. It is much harder than it appears to be
When you have five requests from different tables, it’s hard to keep track of all of it. Not only do you need to have a good memory, but you have to keep a smile on your face, even for the people who tell you that you are a horrible server.
6. Holding 5 plates at a time is hard enough, bringing them back is just as hard
The average person cannot balance five or more plates on their two hands, let alone successfully bring them halfway across the restaurant and safely place them in front on you to eat. Not only do they bring them to you safely, but they have to carry them all back to the kitchen after. Although it isn’t essential, it is a nice thing to stack the plates when you are finished. Of course, that’s up to you.
Hopefully now you have a better idea of all of what waitresses do. Next time you go out to eat, consider tipping 15% or more. They have an inconsistent pay and a very consistently hard job.