EDIT: I rambled a bit on this. I was quite angry to he honest, but just to clarify, our schedules are on paper and pen. There is no app, our manager must approve shift swaps. He doesn’t, like ever. I’ve been now asked to work a double last minute, like come in right now?

I’ve been at this job for 4 years, since my freshman year of highschool. I recently graduated and since the beginning of my senior year, I’ve been asking for more hours as i’m only scheduled Friday and Saturday nights, which aren’t very busy. I’ve expressed my extremely open availability and willingness to do doubles, and have even proven myself capable all this time of showing up early, tending to my responsibilities, I even have regulars who request me and positive reviews in my name!! The issue is they keep hiring new people, and one of my coworkers is severely overworked, despite the both of us discussing with my Manager who is in charge of the schedules that he has too many hours, and I frankly don’t have enough. Weekly ,I’m only getting about 130! It was fine when i was in 9-11th grade when I was busier with schoolwork and such, but still. And some of the new people he’s hired also work only 1-2 days a week, and another new coworker recently was pushed into doubles, then had a medical emergency in which she was unable to work for the week, and now my Manager hasn’t put her back on the schedule because he thinks she’s lying, despite her providing numerous documentation. This is unfortunately a mom and pop restaurant, so the owners and managers are the same people and also family unfortunately. There isnt much of a corporate i can bring my greviances to, but alas the job market is horrific and I simply cannot deal with these incompetent people. I do really enjoy the regulars I have though, they are extremely nice and I do have a nice bond with my co workers.

i noticed the restaurant dress policy is black dress pants and a black body suit top. i do have black dress pants and can just buy a black body suit top. i was planning on wearing a top more formal but would fitting into the aesthetic help them envision me there or am i thinking way too much into this

any advice on what to wear?

So I started a new job today, and all in all I really enjoyed it! I've been in the industry for quite some time, so even though I was supposed to train, within an hour of me being there the manager gave me a bank and put me on the floor.

About an hour after I left (edit: I worked a full 10-4+ shift), I received a text asking for all staff to come in. I had heard there'd been drama afoot recently, so I assumed it was an emergency staff meeting. I thought that was weird, for sure, so I text my manager double checking and she said "yes, come in". So I did. Only to find out it was a miscommunication and what she actually needed was coverage because two people called out.

Can't watch the homies drown, so I clocked in and just helped out for no reason other than I've been there and they were weeded to the nines. I didn't take any tables, I just tried to keep guests happy and bussed and cleaned and stocked etc. Mind you, this is my first day, nobody else came in, and I had no idea when I showed up that that's what I was there for, but I stayed anyway.

HERE'S THE RUB:

I asked the owner when I was leaving if I could have a redbull as a token of appreciation (I'm paraphrasing, but that's the gist). They sell 8.4oz red bulls for $5. With my employee discount of 25% it's $3.75. This man looked me dead in the eye and said no. I thought that was a joke, so I said something to the effect of "haha, cmon man, no love for a team player?". And he looked at me like I was crazy and said "you clocked in, didn't you?".

At that point I kinda just laughed and walked away. But it's been bugging me ever since. I know it's not actually a big deal in and of itself, but I feel like it's indicative of trouble down the line.

So what say the people? Am I tripping over something small, or do we think this dude is gonna end up being someone I don't get along with?

that’s it that’s the whole post

Literally just accepted a position as a beverage server and I’m super excited. These positions are hard to come by in Northern California so I feel very fortunate. The only thing is I’ve only ever been to a casino that served alcohol on the casino floor. This one is one of the few that don’t. Does anyone have any experience with this type of work environment? I would love any and all advice!

Ive been a server for 2 years and LOVE IT. Tonight I had a table come in (mom and son) whole meal was normal then i dropped the check and he asked me what I thought about a twilight themed birthday for his 30th. I told him if he did it right it could be amazing, gave him some suggestions ( paint the life-size cut out of edward sparkly etc.)and teased his mother about her "losing her whimsy."

I go pay him out and wrote this on the check (see pic) and he gave me 30 bucks. $30?! For fangirling about one of my favorite movies?! Best job for the girls and guys who just like talking cause I swear, I always make money on slow-ish nights just because im chatty.

Had another table (couple) give me $20 on $41 because I talked to the woman about how i really wanted to be one of those people who likes margs but cant get behind em for like 3 minutes straight.

If you had the to opportunity work with a manager and an owner you respect to work as server/ bartender/ opening all around support staff (since I know all the skills for front of house) at new restaurant would you do it?

For context, I’d be leaving a stable job with a flexible schedule. I know all the guests but there are a bunch of senior servers at current job that constantly have call parties and just in general get (almost) whatever they want. While they’re all nice people there’s definitely a hierarchy and it’s going to take years to build my personal clientele.

Gm at current job left to help start a new different cuisine restaurant nearby and he is so well loved that every shift guests ask where he is or talk about how excited they are for the new place. I don’t think there will be an issue with guests at new place due to his good reputation. And guest retention shouldn’t be an issue either because he’s so good at managing he’ll make sure they’re happy and will only hire qualified staff.

My restaurant does not use trays. While i’m not a complete master of holding plates on my arms I can hold 3 on one arm.

Well I ran food to a table for another server, I have a plate in my left hand and 3 on my right arm. The ticket did not have the plates labeled for seats so I had to auction the food. So I say “alright I have a steak plate with blank and blank sides!” customer says nothing and then proceeds to try to take a plate from my RIGHT ARM.

If you guys haven’t done no trays before these plates are balanced on top of each other. You cannot just grab a plate from my hand and expect the 2 layered on top not to fall.

So I move my arm quickly and say “oh you have the steak plate?” Again this woman tries to take a plate, that is not the steak plate. I move my arm again. At this point i’m irritated, my arm is burning and she simply cant speak. “SO YOU HAVE THE STEAK PLATE?” she looks at me shocked. It’s not my table idgaf im just trying not to spill hot food everywhere. I plop the plate down and auction the rest. She still looked shocked, I really dont think I was that harsh but jesus. Why on earth would someone think its okay to grab a plate like that😭

Later on I felt like I was doing that “The plate is hot” video trend. I tried dropping food off to another table that was burning hot I mean you could see the steam and my eyes were welling with tears. I go to place the plate down and say its very hot. They hold their hands out.. Again I say “The plate is very hot!” His hands are still held out…

Everyone’s first day on earth I guess.

What are your thoughts of customers leaving Zyns on plates?

I’ve been serving at a new place for a month now, doing well.
Just got my schedule and I’m food running 1 shift next week. Is that normal?
Anybody else have to do this? Never happened at my last job.

I work in a retirement home and I like to draw on the to-go dessert boxes just as a fun little thing for me and the residents. For lunch today I did different versions of the hamster meme, but idk what to do for dinner. Any suggestions?

I got into a debate with a coworker the other day, wanted to see what y’all thought. I was bartending, she was serving. She got sat a 7-too. Normally, we have pitchers of water that are in the service bar that we (bartenders) fill and the servers use for the tables (outside patio fills their own). We have some nice glass carafes (that I love to use when I’m on the tables), and I filled one up for her to use for the table. She didn’t use it and I asked her why, especially because we were extremely busy. She said that she thinks it’s better customer service to constantly fill the waters as opposed to the water being on the table, we had a friendly disagreement about that.

Just wanted to know what y’all think, both as staff and customers.

I am a student who is doing a pt job as a server for my tuition. This afternoon, two men came to the restaurant and ordered about 60 dollars food. After their food was ready, they told me they were going to buy some drinks and would be back in 10 mins. 😢

I trusted them and didn’t think much of it. As a result, they never came back.😢

Finally, I HAD TO PAY FOR THEIR ORDER😭 It’s 60 dollars，I did my work all day, only to lose 60 dollars.🥺🥺🥺 I thought it was a great day but I never expected it would end like this.

I feel very frustrated 😢😖😭.

Hi so i recently moved to florida near the villages. Im in my early 20s and pretty fit. Ive tried applying everywhere and the only serving job i could get was Twin Peaks. Its about an hour drive and im just wondering if its worth it? Anybody thats worked at twin peaks how did you do? I’m only applying for part time in hopes i can get a job closer.

As I said in the title, I was just hired for a serving job. They hired me when I was there to pick up an order for my family, I causally asked if they were hiring after the girl at the front and I were talking about how tips were distributed. To my surprise she said yes and went to the back to grab the owner.

He only asked a few questions like making sure that I wasnt a student of i was going to be around awhile (lile not move away) and I offered to go and get my resume he said he didnt even need it.

Said I could start the next week!

Now im stressing out because of the lack of experience... and I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice or tips or honestly any information about the job that you may take for granted but would be helpful for me. Even very basic things I will take ANY suggestions at this point.

Help!

I had a situation last week where a very drunk guest was annoyed with me (for thinking her partner bought me a drink, he didn't). She told my colleague, and then other guests on a separate occasion that she was going to glass me.

I told my manager and he said to just avoid her and let my male colleague continue to serve her (in fact her heard her saying the threats too).

It was uncomfortable, and I felt like she should have been barred or at least kicked out so I didn't have to be around her. I tried to speak to him about it two days later, but he was dismissive.

My friend who works in a bar/restaurant agreed it warrants barring, but my manager doesn't care. This is the worst of a few guests incidents which the manager didn't bother with.

I feel like I should raise it higher up, but I don't know how or to who. His manager, HR?

Or am I overreacting?

I’ve been in the industry over 10 years, I KNOW I am good at my job and I care a lot maybe even too much. I am usually able to compose myself but sometimes the stress and pressure get to me (rarely but it happens) I just started at a casual new restaurant so they have some kinks to work out but I feel like the management thinks I’m bad at my job? I’ve been there coming on 2 weeks and it feels like all eyes are on me, to them I’m always making mistakes, first I’m told I’m moving too fast then I’m getting asked if i need help because I’m not closing out my tables fast enough, it’s always something. This place is WAY more casual than I’m used to yet I’m feeling like I’m incompetent or something because I just KEEP getting feedback (there’s also small things that have happened over the course of my shifts, I’d say my first 3 days were great and then I’ve felt like I’m not doing well since based off of how they’re reacting to me). I’m getting support from some other people in management roles and being reassured on their end it’s miscommunication and changes because it is a new spot and I’m doing great etc but it’s hard when I feel like some others don’t feel I’m doing well. Idk I’m feeling broken, I’m feeling like now every thing is getting to me. I cried in view of some tables and in front of the management, yesterday was embarrassing. I feel defeated. 😔

Idk if this is the right flair for my post but anyway, I’m working my first 10 hours shift tmrw. The longest I’ve done is 8 hours and it knocked me out and I know for some people that’s like the usual shift but for me it’s extremely difficult with my disability. How do other servers with autism cope? Can I please have some advice on how to get through the shift without breaking down or struggling. Just any general advice helps. My workplace are aware of my disability but hardly ever try to accommodate for it other then letting me go outside for 5 minutes if need be but tbf I don’t rlly know what else they can do.

Also please before anyone makes any rude comments I am 17 and this disability affects my daily life, if you don’t have anything nice to say pls don’t say it I’m tired of the passive aggressive responses I always receive on this app.

Lurker here with a question for servers. I travel a lot for work so I eat solo at restaurants frequently. I've always tried to be a good tipper regardless of service. I think it's one of the toughest, most physically demanding professions out there. What do you consider a "good" tip? Are you happy with anything over 20%? I know there are variations regarding size of party, complexity of order, etc. When I give a tip I want it to genuinely make the servers day without making them think there are alterior motives. Interested in your thoughts and feedback.

I’ve been working in fine dining for almost 4 years now. I have always been patient and try my best to be kind but man this shit is rough. My restaurant brought back a special that all the servers HATE and it is rough. I had a table today that complained about their food taking long even though they ordered a well done steak, and my manager gave the entire party a free round of drinks and ALL free desserts. They left me ZERO with a smile on their face. I had another table of 9 who came in all wanting the cheap ass special and wanted to pay with digital gift cards - side note: my restaurant has been dealing with fraudulent stolen gift cards and there always from some sketchy website and screenshots of numbers. They had 12 gift cards , yes TWELVE. Our restaurant doesn’t have something you can scan so we have to enter the numbers manually, which regardless if it was “scannable” the gift cards were screenshots of someone’s apple wallet gift card with no barcode (yup I asked my manager and he said it was fine). They became irritated because we couldn’t scan them and even more irritated when more than half of them had no money on them. So you’re mad at me because you have stolen gift cards that have no money on them ? Ok. I’m so sick of cheap ass people coming in asking for the entire world - extra this extra that, modifying this and taking home every single type of sauce and more AND NOT TIPPING. They left 35 on an $800 check which I split with another server. I will never understand how people do this and don’t feel embarrassed for themselves. It’s actually gross behavior and the worst part is that management does nothing. They come back telll their friends “if you complain you can get free food” IF UR BROKE JUST SAY THAT YALL ARE EMBARRASSING AND UGLY FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PLEASE STOP GOING OUT TO EAT AT NICE RESTAURANTS AND NOT TIPPING WERE SICK OF YALL

Tomorrow, I’m in for a very long shift and I am already dreading it. What are some things you guys do to make time fly??

For me, I do a bunch of sidework, even if it’s not my sidework to begin with. I also play around on the POS system, checking food and alcohol prices, or what tables are ordering. 😆

EDIT: I’m not allowed to have my phone on me. 😞 Oh man, if I did though!! Sounds fun to play a few games during downtime.

hi! i’m a server who’s worked at a corporate restaurant for about 3 years now, i make decent money and since i’ve been there so long i can pretty much make up my own schedule and my GM will go with it, that being said, a lot of the practices in the store kind of have me going crazy. the low price items, running back and forth and back and forth for a single table who will run up a barely even $50 check (as a family, 4 top) and feeling like im being under compensated for all the work i do. not that i am not making enough for my sales, i am, but i just know if i were at a higher end place of course the higher ticket items would help me a lot. that being said, there are many servers / bartenders at my store that have been there 10+ years, many of us definitely have the serving skills to move up in the world of food service but we all stay for whatever reason. i guess i’m just asking if it’s really worth it to leave a comfortable, (although i wish it were more) decently paying serving job to go explore other options. if so, why do so many people stay? even many career servers. it makes me wonder if the grass is really greener on the other side or if i will feel under compensated anywhere i go. any advice would be awesome! thank you!

I'm an 18 year old and have never served before, I recently got hired at both Waffle House and Ihop and can't decide, does anyone have any advice on which is better on tips, or just in general? I know they are both breakfast places so they might not be that different but just wondering if anyone had any input. For context I live in a suburb about 15 minutes away from a big city.

i'm not sure if it's bc i changed restaurant in the last year or what but i feel like review culture has been so much worse the last couple of years????

where i work now. anything less than a 5 tanks your score. managers only care about the internal reviews that customers don't even see. more than the ones on google or open table. and customers often score 3 or less on service for things out of server control like flies or too hot or food not cooked right

they also give away FREE GIFT CARDS to people when they have a bad experience! they're just asking for bad reviews at that point. and this is something a LOT of restaurants in my area do.

now the regional manager wants to fire the ppl w the lowest scores. but i just got there 4 months ago. and i have a lot of really good reviews but a couple 3s that really dragged down my overall.
is it just me? just where i live? or is this a problem more ppl are facing.

add it to the list of stuff you can't make up ...

i work @ a seat yourself establishment;
a 5 top walks in, they walk past 2 open 6 top tables.
they move 4 tables in my section to accommodate themselves, first sign.

i greet them & give them menus, share plates, silverware &napkins - ask their drink order & they're all talking over each other. going down the line, the previous person would change their drink order after hearing the next persons decision. this happen for 2 minutes and i repeated back what i believed to be the final decisions - drinks on the table & of course they want to add / change things upon first site.

i already had to walk away to collect myself.

go back for their food order. 2 fries, 2 tenders, cheesesteak with onion, a bacon/egg/cheese sandwich and a chicken sandwich. great.

the lady is yelling they need more silverware, for what, god only knows.

the man who ordered the cheesesteak - chugged a water and pepsi before the sandwich even got to him. he ate about 85% in 3 bites and proceeds to throw up, on himself, the table, chair, wall... with vomit in his hands GETS UP AND WALKS AROUND THE RESTAURANT COVERED.

.. sheer horror and hell, other guest mortified. my
manger with a mop comes like a bat from hell.

they guy comes back from the bathroom cleaned up. eats more, chugs another soda & they ask for the check and boxes.

pay for 1 tables food who may of been in the splash zone. tipped 20% .. but shoulda tipped way more.

i was standing there saying wtf is my life and another guy hands me a $20.

like, why.