Last night, I had a really awesome three-top of people celebrating a birthday. It was this tall, sexy, black chick, her mom, and a thirsty dude who looked like a 1989 pop/r&b singer, who I think was the mom’s boyfriend. This was easily one of my favorite tables in the history of waiting tables.
Off the bat, it would have been easy to stereotype them:
- Black women with long nails, flashy purses, etc.
- Fucking birthday cake (means they’ll be sitting for a while).
- Dude tells me he’s a “thirsty dude”.
- Balloons, on the table, blocking my view of the woman celebrating the birthday (annoying).
- The women ordered “fancy”, non-alcoholic, strawberry daiquiris.
Turns out, these people were nice as hell, and it only took me a minute to recognize it. You see, people can do all the stereotypical, annoying shit, but get away with it, when they’re polite and “normal”. Sure, they got refill after refill. Yes, they ordered their food will all kinds of modifications. But, they smiled, weren’t loud, and were really nice to me. I was happy to reciprocate with top-notch service.
After about an hour, they were ready for the cake. Somehow, we managed to keep this cake a secret from the birthday lady. Upon delivery of the cake, I immediately received praise form the daughter and the mom’s boyfriend for the delivery and helping keep it a secret. They only took about 20 minutes to enjoy a slice before they were ready for the check. I boxed up their cake and delivered the bill. I was paid in cash, with a fresh $20 bill on top. Their total was only $47, so this tip was very legit. The only bummer about this whole experience was the fact that, again, my table with a birthday cake didn’t offer me a slice. I don’t even like cake, but I usually promise an offered piece to one of my coworkers. For this possible slice, I promised my boy Troy I’d bring it up to him (he hooks up the silverware). Troy got no cake that night.
People, if you bring in a delicious cake to a restaurant, be a nice person and offer your server a slice.
If You Bring In A Birthday Cake To A Restaurant, Offer Your Server A Slice.,
Because the restaurant SELLS desserts, and we let you bring in YOUR own food from outside the restaurant. On a party of say, ten, that could amount to a loss of $50-$75 on the check,and thus, $7.50-$15.00 of gratuity. Plus, you are working the server an extra 30 mins for NO tip, AND preventing him/her from turning that table again to make money. Do I expect an extra tip for serving the cake bought off premise? No. Did the guest save a lot of money by purchasing a $15-$20 cake versus $5-$10 desserts for each person. Yes. Have some decency and offer a piece the person serving your food. It’s not the actual cake, it’s the thought. I almost always end up giving it to the busboy or dishwasher, but it’s common courtesy. And if you ask me to sing, remember, it’s my job to serve you food; NOT serenade you. That is above and beyond, let your gratuity reflect so.
You summed it up nicely. You bring in your own cake. Sit an extra 30-60 minutes (or more), expect ME to serve it to you, yet add nothing extra to the tip. Just an asshole thing to do.
You’ve got to be kidding. There’s no reason to share cake with a server unless the customer particularly feels like it. Not sharing doesn’t mean they’re not being “a decent human being.”
You’re there to work, not an invited guest. And certainly your work friends aren’t entitled to anything from the customers you served.
It makes you sound extremely entitled that you expect such a thing.
I would be disappointed if I left my waiter a good tip and then he complained behind my back about such a ridiculous thing. Get a cake with that $20 and share it with your coworkers. How’s that?
Why would they offer you a slice? Might as well offer anyone there a slice. And besides, you were VERY generously tipped, so stop whining about something you’re not entitled to. I know tipping culture in the US is different from here (I live in the Netherlands where tipping isn’t customary and sometimes even considered rude) and that most waiters earn their money from tips (this should be changed, it’s bullsh*t that restaurants don’t need to pay / minimum wage people for working).
Last night we went out to dinner, ate sushi and drank – non alcoholic – beverages up to a total of 59 euro. I tipped 10 euro solely because one of the waitresses kept smiling during her work (not only at customers but also to colleagues and even to herself when walking around). Normally I don’t tip at all. After all, everyone serving me is doing his job and getting paid for it. By the way, free refills don’t exist here. Every refill needs to be paid for.
It’s called being a decent human being. You’re clearly not one if you think you shouldn’t share a slice of the cake your server is working extra for to serve it to you. You’re that greedy person who justifies not doing something nice by coming up with some extreme scenario like giving EVERYONE a slice. That’s ridiculous. Think about it. You’re going to spend a lot of extra time at the table, eating cake and opening presents, while your bill doesn’t grow because you’re finished ordering from the menu. That time could be spent, especially in your case, getting your bitch ass out the door so I can seat another table.
What IS clear to me is that America’s got some serious issues. Serving personnel is treated like shit and every dumb bitch thinks she’s entitled to the whole fucking world just because she’s alive. Perhaps when your name is Paris Hilton you can have an attitude like that but for anyone else it’s just a matter of acting civilized.
That said, I don’t know anyone (and I’ve been in the serving business for over 15 years) who would dare bring a birthday cake into a restaurant. That’s something you just don’t do. At least, not here in the Netherlands. Not even at McDonalds.
1 euro = about $1,30 at the moment.
As I have stated before, serving personnel will at least have minimum wage here (around 9 euro after taxes) an hour and extra for weekends and double shifts. Any decent restaurant will pay their personnel 13-16 euro an hour, I don’t know what prices are like in the US of course but if you have your own home (rent is 600-900 euro), a car (200-300 euro + gas9 euro a gallon), eat normally (200-300 euro) and still want some savings you need about 2000-2500 euro monthly. Even unemployment benefit is still around 1200 euro a month.
Servers in America make $2.13 an hour, or 1.63 euros.
That’s bullshit and you know it.
This is the most common lie I hear from servers who bitch and whine about not being given enough “free money”. The employer must match to the Federal Minimum wage if you do not “gets nuff’” free money.. Sounds like panhandlers, beggars, to me.
It doesn’t matter what state you live in. You will make at least the federal minimum wage, which is $7.25 an hour. If you are in that wage bracket, you will not earn enough to be taxed *AT ALL* 13,920.00 + you will receive free medical benefits and food stamps.
I used to live in Finland and know just how expensive everything is there (and the rest of the EU). They don’t expect tips, yet earn a comparable wage as United States service workers.
Also, the VAT is painful to those people who are on the lower end of the pay scale.
Stop whining, you bums.
I actually wanted to reply to Festisio but for some reason there’s not a reply button under his/her comment. Legally, the employer must match federal minimum wage but what actually happens is you get fired. A restaurant will not keep you on if you don’t claim enough tips to meet that yourself. So, if you work 5 hours, have a slow shift or people just don’t tip, and you only pull in 15 dollars in tips, you still have to claim over 25.00 and get taxed on it or lose your job.
Being a decent human being was leaving a $20 tip. I get the point you’re trying to make, but I’ve never seen anybody offer their waiter a piece of cake. It’s just not something people are raised to think about — leaving tips is. If they leave you a nearly 50% tip, I feel they can take all the time they want to eat their cake.
All the time they want? You think $20 would be worth….two hours? three hours? four hours? Really? That’s absurd.
You don’t own the fucking place, prole!
seriously? you got a friggin awesome tip. for a tip that wonderful they shouldn’t have to think of you and what you might have promised a coworker.
They didn’t. I didn’t ask them for a slice. I just thought it was wack that they didn’t break me off. Most tables do give their server a slice. Many tables leave the rest of the cake for the staff. I don’t expect either, but it’s nice. Some people never think of it. Most of these people really don’t need to be eating more cake anyway.
By the way, that awesome tip wasn’t so awesome. I got sat that table just minutes before getting “cut”. This means they got VIP service (I had no other tables) for about 1 and 1/2 hours. Each person paid less than 7 dollars for a guy to be at their beck and call for an hour and a half. Not only that, I had to light up a cake and carry it through the restaurant, serve it, clean up the cake mess, etc. Oh, and the daughter nearly ruined the surprise that was the cake. I had to come up with a whole game plan, as well as be a quick thinker when she was nearly blabbering that her mom shouldn’t order dessert, so their night would be perfect. I could have not given a shit and let it all fall to pieces (pun intended). This is a great example of why tipping, in this society, is important. If I was making a set wage, I wouldn’t have given a fuck about making anything special for these people. I would have been more like, “Fuck you. Fuck your 7 Arnold Palmer refills. And, fuck your cake.” Because I know most people will tip well when my service is above and beyond, I go above and beyond.
“Not only that, I had to light up a cake and carry it through the restaurant, serve it, clean up the cake mess, etc. Oh, and the daughter nearly ruined the surprise that was the cake. I had to come up with a whole game plan, as well as be a quick thinker when she was nearly blabbering that her mom shouldn’t order dessert, so their night would be perfect. I could have not given a shit and let it all fall to pieces (pun intended). ”
You did your job, admin. Shut the fuck up.
I’m glad you wrote this, I wouldn’t have thought to offer the server a slice… but it makes sense, especially considering how much cake usually just goes to waste after everyone has a piece (or two).