Most college students today are working full-time jobs while taking full-time classes. The easiest job while in school is working at a restaurant. The managers do exceptionally well with working around the schedules of classes. Also, if a student has a test the next day they can always call up another server to pick up their shift. The down side of working as a server in a restaurant would be the stress that comes along with the job. By the stress, I mean the awful guest that comes in. There are a lot of reasons that servers truly hate their guests, but I have narrowed it down to a list of ten. Before people come into a restaurant, there are a few things they should know about their server. I have created a “Top Ten List of Reasons Your Server Hates You” as a guideline people should know about their server and why they just got the worst service ever.
10. You are undoubtedly gluttonous.
No sir, those 5 diet cokes you just guzzled down do not balance out that 22 oz porterhouse, 2 baked potatoes, and a salad with extra, extra ranch you just ordered. Nor do they cancel out those 6 loaves of bread you went through. Also, the tea is sweet; quit dumping 10 packets of each of the restaurants sweeteners in it. If you can't taste the sugar, then you should have brought your own sweet, to your liking drink. And finally, when the plate is laid before you with a beautiful meal on it, you scoff and say "that all the french fries they can gimme?" Instead, relish every bite because there are some who go to sleep every night wondering if they will even get a peanut butter sandwich tomorrow.
9. You believe you have a servant rather than a server.
You come into the restaurant thinking you have your own personal servant to boss around just because you think they are working for your two dollar tip! You couldn't be more wrong about having a servant rather than a server. Making your server run around like a chicken with its head cut off because you don’t have the selflessness to gather your thoughts and tell the server everything at once. You would rather have your server run back and forth for something new every time. Servers usually have three to four tables, with the average of three guests per table. This meaning, they don’t have time to run around for one guest in particular. You chose to eat at the restaurant and chose to be taken care of because more than likely you did not want to run around like a servant for someone. You need to realize the more obnoxious you are to a server, the less a server cares about your extra loaf of bread. When you snap your fingers and/or tell your server about what you want, rather than ask politely, the less likely the server will get whatever is needed.
8. You are way too impatient.
Guess what, no matter how many times you ask, “how much longer will my food take?” The food will not come out any faster. The server cannot control how fast or slow the kitchen works. So when you walk into that steakhouse, order a well done steak, and expect to make it to your movie that starts in twenty minutes; that is your mistake. Your server could care less if you make it to your movie on time. Also, if you have not seen your server walk to the back of the restaurant, don’t wave him or her down to ask if they have that side of ranch yet!
7. You believe the restaurant is a daycare.
A restaurant is a business for food, not for your horrid child to run around like a hoodlum. When you have your child in the restaurant and he or she decides to hop in the booth with a complete stranger and you think it is cute. That stranger does not want your little brat of a child sitting with them. If you cannot keep your child still and quiet, either do not come to a restaurant or tame that thing. Neither the other guests, nor the entire restaurant staff wants to hear the tornado siren of a child you have. Also, when your child throws his or her sippie cup on the floor, don’t stare at your server to pick it up. Your server is not that child’s parent, you are. When you leave the restaurant and you look down and see the train wreck of a mess your child made on the floor. Do not just look at that mess and say “man he really enjoyed his chicken tenders.” You could have either kept your child from making that mess or at least offer to help clean up after them.
6. You come into a restaurant knowing you can’t afford the food.
You walk into an elegant upper-class restaurant with your boyfriend or girlfriend with only fifty dollars. After looking over the menu and noticing that the average meal is about thirteen to fifteen dollars you still order strawberry lemonade along with an appetizer and a dessert. When you get your entrée you complain about everything on it, send it back, and still eat every bite. You decide to tell the manager how awful your experience has been including the service and the food, knowing that the manager will discount the food because you had such an awful experience. Getting your food discount or paid was all part of your little plan of being able to eat what you want at an upper-class restaurant more at your price range. Did you think of the trouble you just got that server in and jeopardized his or her job? Of course, you didn’t because you’re too selfish to think outside of “I just took my honey on a nice date for cheap.”
5. You automatically assume your server is a loser and/or dropout.
Did you know that more than half of all restaurants servers are struggling college students trying to get by? Your server could be your future nurse or even your future defense attorney. You treat your server like some loser when actually your server will one day be teaching your child how to read. Wait until you’re old and feeble, you spend your first day in the nursing home, and the server you got fired over cold fries walks through that door. You better believe that server remembered your face and how an issue so ridiculous made their life hell.
4. You walk into the restaurant right before it closes.
It is 10:45 p.m., knowing this restaurant closes at 11:00 p.m., you walk in thinking, “Man, we made it just in time.” I can tell you right now, as soon as you walked into that door the hostess hated you along with every other employee in that restaurant! You are going to come in and sit down for another forty-five minutes and then proceed to complain because there is no more bread or tea. The restaurant closes in fifteen minutes; half of the grill has shut down by now! Also, don’t expect impressive service because the server has been at that restaurant since four o’clock and it is about to be eleven. Your server does not want to take care of you. Your server will disappear for almost twenty minutes at a time and you don’t get your drink refilled it’s because they are in the back trying to shut down the restaurant. So as soon as you are done eating they are out of there. By 10:45 at night it is the end of your server’s shift meaning, they made their tips and they could care less what kind of service you get.
3. You complain way too much about it being cold.
If it is too cold in that restaurant, remember you are not the only person there. Your server is running back and forth to take care of you and you decide to ask the manager to turn the A/C up. Always keep a jacket in your vehicle just in case you need it. No matter how much you complain, the server will just say “I will tell my manager right now,” and they never do. If it is too cold in the restaurant for you leave, and next time you come in have a jacket. The restaurant more than likely can afford to lose one or two guests. From the time you tell the server it is cold, and the manager turns up the A/C, you have already gotten your food and left by the time it warms up. So the server now is running around in a long-sleeve shirt and sweating it out after you have left.
2. You expect your server to explain the entire menu.
When your server approaches you and asks what you would like for your entrée, they don’t expect to have to tell you every side item. There is a reason there is a menu for you to read, look over, and only ask a few questions. All sides are written in the menu under SIDE ITEMS. You ask the server what they think is best and then don’t even put it into consideration. If you don’t care to know then don’t ask. This server is spending twenty minutes on telling you the menu when they could be putting the order in by then. Also, when the server tells you that there is an up charge do not then complain about how unruly that is. You obviously can’t afford it if you find it unruly. So do not order that up charge. The server now sees what kind of person you actually are and will now slowly start slacking on your service.
1. You utterly have no clue what a generous tip is!
You and your server both know you are an awful tipper! Let me break it down for you. Most restaurants depend on their lowest paid employees (servers get $2.13 an hour generally) to pay other staff members (i.e. the hosts and bartenders). So, when you get your bill for $70 - $100, a percentage of that total gets taken out of the server's tip to cover hosts and bartenders. So that five dollar bill you just left on the table doesn't cover it. In fact, what it means is the server just spent money on you to serve you. If you can't tip 18% to 20% of your bill's total, go to McDonalds. What you don’t understand is that your server has a family, bills, and is going to school. What you leave your server determines if your server’s child gets fed or if they get to keep the house for another month. If you as a guest cannot tip at least 18% to 20% of your bill's total; do not waste a server’s time with your awful behavior. Also, if you can’t figure that out by yourself, your cellphone has a calculator, use it.
Seriously people, servers are people trying to get by just as you are. I didn’t come up with this Top Ten List to be rude but, to inform you on what kind of issues servers go through on a daily basis. Some people honestly do not realize the stress they can cause on a server just by being utterly rude and not leaving a decent tip. I understand 100% some servers give awful service but, you’ve got to understand they are humans and make mistakes. Servers work extremely hard at their job and they have a lot to do in the back of the restaurant; that you can’t see. Such as making sure the kitchen keeps up with those salads you love, or make sure the bread or chips are always fresh, and even something as small as making sure that coffee is nice and hot for you. Your server does a lot to take care of you that you can’t even see. Just because you had a crummy day, does not mean to come into a restaurant and treat your server like a dog to make you feel better. You never know one day you will be in the E.R. seriously needing some care and that twenty dollar tip kept a server from working an all-nighter. Making that server to go home and study for that test that helped them care for you the best way possible! I hope this information helps you understand your server a little bit better. Oh and don’t forget, always tip your waitress!
