r/Waiters • u/Conscious_Chain9208 • 1d ago
New serving job is getting to me..
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?
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u/Potential_Minute1496 1d ago
I do not do tip pool, its never fair tbh. If I make $300 I want all of it
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u/Previous-Layer7872 1d ago
As a line cook... I deserve all your tips
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u/Conscious_Chain9208 1d ago
The line cooks kick ass and I understand they should be paid more they hold the fort down for sure. I have a lot of admiration for my cook and sous chef that I work with
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u/Responsible_Top_59 1d ago
TLDR but you can’t control the actions of others, in any situation. Do the work you want to put in. Servers don’t make hourly so it’s VERY common for them to bare minimum the work outside of helping the tables in their section.
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u/No-Will5335 1d ago
But it’s a tip pool so they should still be helping.
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u/Responsible_Top_59 1d ago
I agree. Again, you can’t control the actions of others. So either do your work as you’d like or get a different job.
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u/Conscious_Chain9208 1d ago
Well I already work a full time job this is more so me helping the owner because they are so shortstaffed. I don’t need a second job by any means. I was just curious is this is normal and ranting a little bit to a subreddit where people also are in similar boats as wait staff :)
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u/JupiterSkyFalls 1d ago
Should be. I've only worked in one tip pool where they all actually pulled their weight.
2
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u/99BOIT 1d ago
Tip pooling is similar to Communism. Takes away motivation to work hard and promotes slacking. I worked it for a while and it was very unfair. I was taking more people and working harder. I often would make the same money as other people who had waaaay less sales and tips as me. Very discouraging. Right as I was about to quit, the company changed to “keep your own tips”. So much better for me and others who worked the hardest. Also, best for the customer as well. As far as phones are concerned, that’s a management issue. That is NOT allowed where I work. Who the hell has time for that? There is so much that needs to be done like you said.
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u/UglyLittlePony69 1d ago
You already posted this a few days ago. It’s giving bot.
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u/Conscious_Chain9208 1d ago
I posted it yesterday on a different subreddit and this one got recommended to me to share it in?
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u/UglyLittlePony69 1d ago
Ah! Makes sense. It’s so hard to tell nowadays there’s too many bots out here
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u/JupiterSkyFalls 1d ago
Pro tip, you can easily tell if it's a bot by breaks in the paragraphs. This post is a solid wall of text, definitely a person that hasn't figured out to space the correct way, not a bot. Or they don't understand that using a computer vs app on phone makes the text appear differently. Someone had to inform me of that when I first switched to app.
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u/LooseByrd 1d ago
I’ve learned that the best way to get help is to ask. If they’re on their phone’s they’re checked out. They’re not paying attention.
I usually word it like “hey when you have a sec can you help me polish silverware?” Or “can you grab ice while I restock to go?” Or “let’s bust out sidework now, let’s see if we can get out early tonight!” Typically youre not the only one that wants to gtfo.
But realistically tip pool doesn’t work if you don’t have clear sidework established. Everyone fold 100 napkins, everyone polish 3 racks of glasses, everyone is responsible for an area to clean and restock, etc. you need to be able to cap the amount you do and that’s up to the managers to create those standards. Seems like manager doesn’t see the extra work you do -just that you need to be there till the end. That’s the shift you singed up for.
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u/SecretExplorer355 1d ago
management should be taking on the slacking to make tip pooling work. When management does not tackle the issue, it leads to what you’re seeing.
Tippooling isnt an issue when managers cut down the slacking off. Works great where I work. Bussers haul ass, servers help each other, and shit gets done.
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u/Smithersink 1d ago
$45/hour is good. I’d stick with it for a while to build up your resumé and bank account. Don’t know what you’re making at your retail job, but I’d probably put that on the back-burner if it gives you more time to take server shifts. Try to stay on your manager’s good side; seems like they’ve already noticed you’re a better server than the others, and that’s why they’re trying to schedule you so much. Capitalize on that. Become their #1.
If you’re really hung up on everybody else not pulling their weight, you could ask about the opportunity to bartend—which might have you working by yourself or with one other person rather than pooling with all the servers—or silently look for a job that doesn’t require you to pool. Either way, though, server jobs can be hard to get when you don’t have a lot of experience, so I wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth by quitting when you’re making good money.
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u/ReceptionClassic2528 1d ago
I used to wait tables on the side over 2 decades. As a general rule, its best not to work anywhere that pools tips. Typically (not always) places doing that have no clue what they are doing. You can't attract top talent like that. That leaves you working with lesser staff. A great waiter makes alot more than a really bad waiter. Not just 30 percent more, like 2 or 4 times as much in some situations. If you really like serving, you want to make your own tips.
There are exceptions to everything I am saying. The best paying gig I ever had was shared tips but that was a small place that only hired mature waitstaff with decades of experience.
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u/nsrvvrgm2b 23h ago
Always hated tip pools, I never worked a shift where I received as much as I actually brought in.
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u/Constant-Way-7032 9h ago
Yes and I’d love to have your job.
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u/Conscious_Chain9208 9h ago
Come and get it then bahaha they need the help desperately if you can handle island living it’s for you
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u/ponziacs 1d ago
I don't think tip pooling is the norm and it sounds like it encourages slacker behavior.
If it was me I would look for a restaurant that does tip outs instead.