As I wrap up another exhausting week of waiting tables, I’ve realized that a lot of servers are similar to gamblers. Waiting tables can sometimes have a great payoff. I once had a lady on Christmas Eve leave me a thirty dollar tip on a bill that was thirty dollars! But waitressing has risks and sometimes you not only make crappy tips, but lose money. Let me explain. At one restaurant I worked at, a server was required to “tip out” bartenders and hosts/hostesses a percentage of their sales. So if you have a couple of tables that stiff you, you are still required to pay the “tip out.” That means that you are actually losing money! Another place I worked at, you weren’t required to give any of your tip money to other co-workers. But here’s the risk. If you’re too cheap to fork out five dollars at the end of the night, a busboy can make your life a living hell. They will bus the tables first of the servers they know are going to take care of them.
One gamble servers often make is whether or not to take a guaranteed gratuity on large tables. Most restaurants have a rule that a server can add an automatic gratuity on tables of eight or larger. The consensus from many co-workers is that they would rather not take the guarantee and chance if they will make more money by going with the traditional tip. Sometimes it pays off. Other times you are horribly disappointed. The worst insult a customer can do is leave change. That is deliberate- and sending a direct message to the server-you suck! A server can at least comfort themselves when there is no tip by telling themselves that the person just forgot.
Hmm… maybe servers need to start attending gamblers anonymous??!
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