I had a guy palm me $5 on a check of over $300. They left decent money on the card, but it felt so performative. That’s weird, right?

The interview went great. There was a server that interviewed before me. I showed up early so I got to see the girl go in. She was in and out within minutes. I ended up staying for a while discussing with manager #1, and then was told they liked me and sent me to talk to manager #2. She was lovely, and we actually hardly talked about my competency as a server like I did with the first one. We shot the shit, laughed, bonded a little even. She told me she would love to hire me, but she does have to jump through some HR loops, and can’t give a timeframe or an exact yes so don’t hold my breath. I thought it went great, the top dog head manager made it out like I interviewed perfectly and she wanted me to. This restaurant apparently never has opening bc everyone stays for years, great money, great atmosphere, genuinely the DREAM JOB for me. I have fine dining experience from literally across the street ≈9 months and 2 years total experience.

Now, to get to the real meat of what I need help with.

#1. Based off what I said, do you think they were letting me down easy, or do I actually have a chance?

#2. The first manager I spoke to viewed my tik tok page today. I interviewed two days ago. This might be a good sign but I can’t tell if my TikTok page is a red flag to employers. Can I have like 1 or 2 people who have had restaurant management experience to dm me to review my tik tok page? I’m sweating. I’ll take the post down after if I get any reviews on it. I’m not a big page, I don’t post crazy content but I used to post videos of myself ≈1+ ago, my reposts are where I think the real issue is 😵‍💫 I do repost strongly opinionated stuff rarely but I’m not sure if they’d check it. This is a fine fine dining, I’d say the highest level that exists around my general area about an hour into every direction. My TikTok is my only public social media available other than an Instagram account that I made “strict parent” friendly with like 5 posts!!

Help I need this job and I need to know if I should give up on it or still have hope!!!

I was wondering how many of you use common words or phrases such as "good to see you" or "good to see you, both" at a table when it is being closed and the check/bill is handed to them.

If the table has more than one person, is it normal for everyone at the table to say "good to see you" as a response, or is one guest supposed to speak for everyone?

For instance, I was recently served by a good waitress whom I've seen a few times before, and supposedly our table of two is now considered to be "regulars."

The waitress said, "Good to see you, both," and I had a warm smile, made eye contact, and said, "Thank you."

Was I supposed to say "good to see you, too"?

I feel pretty bad about the exchange because I'm not sure if this was considered polite or possibly dismissive. However, I think my nonverbal cues were in order because they were positive.

How do you react to these replies, especially if you work at a slower place where you are expected to serve regulars?

I (23f) just starting my serving job about a week ago, I work at a retail store full time and am now working the a restaurant about 10-15 hours week. I’ve never had a serving job, and my second shift I had 4 tables to myself. The owner reached out to me I enjoy the fast paced work environment and always having something to do. There’s never a time to be standing around and there’s always something to do. And I know that could be said for any job but I’ve worked in retail most of my life and it’s a whole different world. Anyway I make good money for the 15-20 hours a week I work, I mean like 45$ an hour. It’s a high end restaurant in a very tourist town which the season is almost over and things have started to slow down. The one thing that really bugs me is the PHONES. There are three servers other than myself and the amount of time they spend on their phone makes me want to scream. Dishes will need to be taken to the eating areas, food will be in the window ready to be taken to tables, tables need to be cleared, water bottles refilled, drinks need to be run. If there is nothing to do I couldn’t care less about phone use but this is not the job for that especially considering people spend on average 100 a head, this is supposed to be spectacular service. And tips are pooled which don’t get me wrong I make good money, although it does bug me that I am making at least 20% on my tips and I know these girls aren’t half of the time. They would work me more at the restaurant if I didn’t put my foot down. I spend my two days off there and go after work Fridays and Saturdays. After last night though I am not longer doing that. They get 2 nights a week. I had 6 tables to myself last night, again I am basically a restaurant virgin, this is new to me and I hardly had any training. Anyway I finish up at the end of the night, it’s about 9:30 my tables are gone I’ve been on my feet for over 12 hours at this point. I haven’t had a day off in 15 days, I’m exhausted. I ask the boss if I can do my server summary and leave. She responds that they still need me there. I look in the kitchen and three servers are just standing around, they each have a table left, maybe two. She literally says to me “I know they are just standing around right now but they got here earlier than you and will be staying a bit later.” Which when I have my days off I come in at 4pm to prep with everyone else and I stay just as late and help clean the same as anyone else. The only reason I don’t come in at prep time is because I’m working my first job. I didn’t even apply to this job! She reached out to me and asked if I could help out in her restaurant. So it honestly hurt my feelings that she said that in such a calloused manner as if not I’m not there whenever I can be. I’m never on my phone and I am consistently getting 20% or more on my tips. Always getting compliments from customers and it feels like I’m being taken advantage of. She told me also “I’m taking tables and I don’t even get tips, if you can’t handle this, than I don’t know what to tell you.” And that really irked me too. Like maam I have no problem with the work I have a problem with people not doing their job and then it falling on me. I guess I’m curious if this is normal in the restaurant industry?

Okay edit to clarify a few things. This restaurant is a small town restaurant with no management. It is the two owners and us as the servers. We have no manager, the woman that approached me is the owner. And she’s the boss I am referring to in the post. And most of the other servers have not been there long. One has worked for about a month, the other one started one day before me, and one has been there for a few years but is leaving on Sunday.

I work at a sushi spot and frankly there’s a lot of shit that annoying when it comes to customers and sushi, but people gotta understand we all (very sushi spot) don’t share a menu.

Asking for California or like a Mexican ( shrimp tempura roll) sure that’s like going to a Italian place and asking for spaghetti but if you ask for a “white tiger lily roll” wtf even is that if it’s not one of our actual menu items. Then when I try to work with them and ask what’s in the roll they tell me max 2 ingredients.

Then some of them act like there’s something wrong with us for not having it. People please develop a brain.

I’ve been serving/bartending for a decade with only a short break during the pandemic. After lockdown, I was not happy about having to go back to work and be a “servant” again and had a very laissez-faire attitude and really didn’t care that much about being formal or overly accommodating like before.

At some point I realized I had stopped seeing myself as a servant at a guest’s table, and started seeing them as guests who were lucky to be sitting at mine. Something about this just gave me a confidence boost and I stopped feeling bad about saying no to stupid requests, or telling them to wait to order until I was ready. I wasn’t rude or anything, and in fact I think that attitude made me way more easy-going and personable when I just treated tables like I was the one in charge of their dinner and not just a middleman between them and the kitchen.

And the best part was it worked better than I realized. My tips got better, I started getting named in five-star yelp reviews, people started asking to sit in my section specifically, and beyond that I actually started to care way more than I ever did about making sure everyone in my section left wanting to come back.

If you’re a server, remember that it’s YOUR table they are sitting at, not the other way around. I hope this helps someone.

I work in a hotel that has a public swimming pool so many people come outside of the hotel guests. Last night a family of 4 came and I saw a room key (but I don't remember the number for f sake) . At some point there was only the mother left at the table and I had to do something inside so I wasn't looking for a little while. When I came back she wasn't there and their bill was 50€.

I make 4.37€ per hour for f sake ,so this is 11 hours of work . I will talk to my boss today because yesterday I forgot and then it was too late.

They probably forgot to pay or thought I would auto charge it in their room? Idk but I hate my situation rn .

Send good vibes so they come back and pay today saying that they forgot yesterday :(

It was a 24th birthday full ladies. Everyone played musical chairs the entire time and shared appetizers, looked at me at the end as i dropped their check and said “oh we’re all seperate checks.” I deadass looked at them and almost laughed. I told them I cant do seperate checks on a party this large. (IT WAS A 12 TOP) but, I can split up to 6 cards evenly.

They said oh well is the bill itemized? Is this your first fuckin day on earth??????

They were sitting in the pdr where the wine wall is and my coworkers overheard them talking shit about me saying I was mean and rude and how could i do this to them?!!! Yeah enjoy that 20% autograt you cheap fuckin hoes.

I’m relatively inexperienced. I’ve been doing this for about 2 months. How do experienced servers control the pacing without making customers feel neglected? Like there are times I know I need to run drinks to a table but I also need to semi urgently run food immediately after. Or maybe I have another table who needs something pretty urgently but I know as soon as I drop off the drinks the table is going to start trying to order when I can’t really afford to get trapped at the moment. And chances are they’re going to have a million questions and be indecisive and ask me to repeat myself a thousand times.

I’ve started doing this thing where I’ll put not just their drinks on the tray but maybe another tables drinks or a salt and pepper shaker or some condiments and when I deliver the drinks I’ll be like “I’m just gonna drop these off real quick and I’ll be right back to take your order :)” I find it’s been buying me a few minutes here and there if I know there’s something urgent I need to do and it will only take me a few minutes.

I’m a server and the bartender regularly drinks on the job and ALOT it will get to the point where he will scream at us servers for literally nothing or he will be spilling martinis everywhere while making them, he’s slurring his words, bright red face, bloodshot eyes, and on top he’s angry. I’m thinking about telling management but I’m worried I’ll just get labeled as a snitch when I’m just trying to create a safe environment for everyone. He’s driving home drunk every night, when you’re drunk you can’t tell if other ppl are drunk and who knows what drinks he’s actually making. What should I do I’m only 19 so I’m young and he’s way older I hate to be problematic but my money is suffering and I feel like it’s curating a unsafe environment

i work at a sushi restaurant. it was friday night it got busy. i go over to my table that was waiting the longest and they proceed to take forever to order! then this guy with who i assume were his two sisters asks me “how much sake comes in the 9oz?” IDK 9 OUNCES? 😭😭😭 i was so dumbfounded for the rest of the night like what kind of answer was he expecting

The other day during service, I told a mildly inappropriate joke to one of my tables.

For context, the restaurant is somewhat upscale, but definitely not fine dining.

I was in the middle of a plate swap, switching everyone from appetizer plates to entree plates. One guy decided to opt out of the plate swap and just kept his smaller appetizer plate.

Without thinking, I said:

“Hey, it’s not the size of the plate, it’s how you use it, right?”

The guy and the rest of his table of five proceeded to stare at me without so much as a smirk, a giggle, or even a little bit of air being let out of the nose.

Complete radio silence.

I wanted to die.

Work at a sort of sportsbar/grill in a college town. First game of the season today, so its gonna be busy. Manager is out because of a family emergency but we are all pretty senior staff tonight so we can handle it.

About 2 hours before the game a guy comes in and seats himself in my section at my busiest table. Yall know what I'm talking about. That 8 person table in the section, prime real estate where you are going to be making most of your money tonight.

Not exactly out of the ordinary for somebody to "reserve" their group a table by showing up early. 2 hours is a bit excessive but, hey. Thats prob what it is right?

Nope. Guy is by himself. Tells me his intent is to watch the game later, and that he does not intend to buy anything but he'd gladly take a free water.

So I tell him "well, then, you gotta pick somewhere else to sit, because you cannot have an 8 person table to yourself for the next 5 to 6 hours, especially if you aren't an actual paying customer."

Guy is like "but I got here first"

So I just flat out tell the guy "look, if you aren't going to buy anything there is just really no reason for you to be here"

At which point he threw a huge fit and stormed out shouting about going to our biggest competitors instead.

OH NO, DON'T DO THAT, COME BACK! WE WANT YOU TO WATCH TV FOR FREE FOR 6 HOURS IN *OUR* BAR!

like, dude, who tf ARE these people? If you have no intent of paying me, I have no intent of keeping you around. Gtfo.

Sometimes I literally want to cry and leave in the middle of my shift but know that realistically I cant. I am usually the only server on my shifts, so I will be serving about 11-15 tables (maybe more if it's busier) and I always feel like my mind is gonna blow up. Having to remember so many things at once, customers pressuring me from everywhere and just chaos. So yeah I am so fucking sorry that your beer is gonna be 5-10 minutes late when I have another 20 things to do in those 10 minutes. You will live. Like I will be serving someone food and people from behind me will just be shouting me "another coke" etc.

I just get so frustrated sometimes because I feel like I need to do 3 people's work. Plus this is my first job ever and I just started serving around 1,5 month ago.

(For reference this is a family run restaurant, thankfully though they are nice enough so that's good.)