Friday, October 28, 2005

Tipping: NOT a City in China

As a waitress I have a few things to explain to my generation on the art of tipping. A few rules on what is ok and what isn't.

1) Well start with the most basic, incase you are from another country or just never learned. 15-20% of your bill before discounts and taxes is standard to tip in the United States. (20% should be standard for good service)

2) Remember, your server is human. If they make a mistake (mess up your order, spill your drink), don't take it out of the tip. The only time to take out tip from them is if they are rude or ignore you after they make that mistake and don't fix it right away.

3) If you are buddies with a server or a manager and get a lot of free food, even if you don't see it on your bill, tip your server over 20%. It's rude to accept free gifts without showing some sort of gratitude.

4) 10% is not a good tip. Neither is 14%.

5) Back to the before discounts. Usually the original price and the discounted price will be shown on the tab. Your server gets taxed and tipshares on the original price. Don't be cheap and tip off the discounted price. (It's the same concept as the free food). This also applies to gift certificates.

6) It is embarrassing to have your friends come into your restaurant and leave crappy tips. Everybody will hate you.

7) If your server is busy, and somebody else fills your drink or brings your food, don't dock it from the tip. It's called teamwork. We, as a whole, are there to serve you.

8) Servers remember good tippers (and the bad ones).

9) It is ok to leave more $$ on top of an auto-grat. Look at the percentage (some are 15% some are 17%) and decide if your service was good enough for more (remember 20% for good service).

10) Don't take kitchen errors out of tips.

*Other restaurant etiquette*
1) DO NOT try to order alcohol under age of for under age people. I don't care if you are the parents, the server could get $10,000 in fines on top of the restaurant losing its liquor license and having to pay more fines.
2) Don't get pissed when we won't serve you.
3) Don't argue with us about liquor laws. It's out of our hands.
4) Don't complain about something and then not let us fix it (wrong order, won't let us make you something new, pay for it and leave pissed when we could have helped you). That's stupid. We make mistakes. we can fix them.
5) Don't change your order after the server has rung it in.
6) Don't expect us to take everything you don't like off your tab.
7) If we brought you something you didn't order, send it right back. We have to charge you if you eat it.
8) Don't get mad when your well done steaks take a long time to cook. They take a long time to be WELL DONE.
9) Always remember, we are there to serve you within reason. Don't be afraid to ask for something (even if they aren't your server).
10) We aren't fcuking with your food. Don't accuse us of it.

Friday, October 21, 2005

Are You Being Served?

The other day Kristen came home SUPER excited because she JUST got a NEW DIGITAL CAMERA. Well, the little green monster came out in this one here and I decided I wanted one, too (no offense to sister, who bought me one two years ago Christmas, but that one is so big people make fun of me at social gatherings). I shopped around online to get a good idea of what it was I wanted. I narrowed it down to two Nikons and finally decided on this one.
Well I went to Sears first because I wanted to get some stuff in hardware too. I was in hardware for at least fifteen minutes and no one even said hi to me. I went over to electronics, in some vain attempt at service. Not a chance. EVERYONE around me was being helped. But not George. I went to Wal-Mart next. I didn't feel as frustrated at not being helped because nobody was helping anybody there. It was a very hostile environment. FINALLY, my real world search ended at CompUSA. This inspired me to give up on the whole concept of customer service. No one acknowledged me except for the guy who asked me to leave my bookbag at the door. I was in there for 30 minutes. Just chilling. In one spot. They weren't busy. At all. Kristen said she got the same treatment. She went to BestBuy and got GREAT service, but out BestBuy is out of walking distance. Dear sister says she doesn't get service at CompUSA either unless she is with her boyfriend. Then he gets service, really, still not her. So I just went online and got the goods. And that's how it goes. I don't think I should buy something from somewhere that doesn't say hi to me. If they don't want me there, I don't want to shop there. Not when I get paid to say "Hi, how are you?" to EVERYONE who walks in the restaurant. Even the people who are drunk from the Mai Tai bar and are going to the pee room. Even when I am SO incredibly busy I think my head will explode, I still say "ALOHA!" to everybody. Don't stand for it. No hello, no sale is what I say. Let's put the "ality" back in "hospitality" or something like that. Close your wallets to those closed mouths.

Sunday, October 09, 2005

Waiting

I just saw Waiting. The movie was HILARIOUS!!! Well, some of you may think so. I can see how it wouldn't be as funny to people who don't work in a restaurant. There were many parts I found myself being the only one laughing at. There is this one part where the staff sings a birthday song and they make this kid cry, and we sing the same exact birthday song to our customers. I couldn't stop laughing! I think you should definitely see it if you get he chance.

Saturday, October 08, 2005

The Name Game

george is the #1316 most common female name.
0.005% of females in the US are named george.
Around 6375 US females are named george!
source namestatistics.com



Actually, my entire name is unique, first to last!!

Bernie

Look at my Bernie at the bottom of the page. Click on him he jumps. Click again and he goes higher!! Click three times and he goes super high and rolls away!!!

Thursday, October 06, 2005

ARGH!!

SO I was working on the Lanai yesterday and suddenly I realized I live less than a mile away from the ocean and have not been there since early August. Why do I have no time for anything anymore??

Joke

Q: Who's the opposite of Christopher Reeves?





A: Christopher Walkin