I’m a career server and have served for over a decade. Seeing other servers do things I would never do and overall have zero standard really irks me - I almost feel like hospitality is dying. I’m a big foodie who eats out daily, and as a server, I rarely tip below 20%. However, too often it takes way too long to be greeted/have my order taken, my server never checks up on me, my table doesn’t get prebussed (or it takes 20mins for an empty dish to be cleared), my server will have absolutely no knowledge on menu items, etc. and even I wonder wtf I’m tipping for.

I’m currently on vacay in Denver for my boyfriend’s birthday and am paying for everything (this is my birthday gift to him), but every time we’ve dined out, I will pay yet somehow the closed out bill always ends up back in front of him. Most recently, my waitress watched me pull my wallet and card out and hand it to her and she still returned it to my boyfriend, so I had to reach over the table and grab it back lmao. It’s put a bad taste in my mouth every time bc I work damn hard for my money, and it’s disrespectful and almost degrading. It’s MY money, MY card, yet he’s the one being acknowledged.

So please servers: if you pick up a check presenter from the left corner of the table, return it there. If you pick it up from the center, return it there. Let’s not make assumptions that can irritate a guest that could have been so easily avoided.

Ok work me runs around like a crazy person and I crack jokes constantly. My jokes kill usually. It's always something stupid and I have little time at my tables because I'm always running around like a crazy person.

I tried a new joke today. I had a 5 top and 3 out of the 5 of them got Caesar wraps. They were in an isolated section but I was committed. I saw this joke on Reddit.

I was like "Sorry it took so long. They told me not to run with Caesars in my hand."

Mom CACKLED. The rest of the table was crickets. No regrets though. That is all.

EDIT: I was intoxicated when I wrote this and being rushed so sorry for my multiple mentions of running around. Genuinely surprised nobody called me out on it. Thanks for complimenting my joke I learned on here! I hope you get laughs!

ill start:

-"We're ready to order!" proceeds to deliberate with each other what they want to order while you're stuck standing there waiting

-SELF SEATERS (Ugh)

-"Can i just get my drink with the meal?" (maybe i just suck but it always happens when I'm busy and i tend to forget by the time it's ready)

-those little gerber star shaped crackers they give to their babies who just crush them up onto the floor and presumably don't even eat any

-table of 4 gets seated, one goes to the bathroom immediately before u get there, get drinks for the three who sat and as soon as you come back with them the bathroom-goer comes back so you have to go back to the drink station AGAIN (pls tell me I'm not the only one who hates this)

help me add to the list friends

It was a $100 tab. At least they were nice…

so essentially i spilled coke on a kid. only a little bit and nobody was mad at me at all and the table were really good sports about it but i still feel terrible. my coworkers said they all do it sometimes. is this actually common or were they just trying to make me feel better?

Hello, I am currently in auto sales thinking of making a career change for several reasons. I think becoming a server, with a flexible schedules will allow me the freedom to pursue other interests and activities outside of work I can’t now enjoy. My concern is being just over 50 and never having been the role of it’s a good move or not, and how the younger servers/managers treat older workers.

I’m used to working in full service casual/upscale casual. I’ve received an opportunity to interview at SoHo House. Anybody have any experience on what it’s like to work at a private members club VS. regular restaurants? Is it similar or are your duties different? Very curious, thank you! 😊

I’ve just never been in a relationship so it’s hard to get excited for them, just curious haha

Dear Reddit humans, I have a conundrum. Please help.

I am currently at a new, upscale cocktail lounge with the title of Lead Server. I love the crew I work with and the concept of it...I am *supposed* to be paid 20/h plus tips, but three weeks into that hourly change, I am still clocking 13/h in the payroll app. No matter how many messages I send to the person in charge, they still have not changed it. On top of that, they have refused to make tip pool breakdowns transparent and i have been asking them for many weeks for that information. Tips have not gone over 250 for a fri/Saturday. Usually its 140 to 180.

Now that you know where I am, I'll tell you that I am 9 years into my serving career but mainly at Sports bars, party places and Pubs. At those kinds of venues I know I can work the floor and make 400-800 walk on weekend nights and 250-300 weekdays so long as its busy.

I took this fancy job thinking it would be similar money (even though its brand new, so maybe im a dummy) and a significant resume booster for an entrance to more upscale venues as I get older...

But now I am wondering if it would be better to give up weekend nights at the fancy place and go back to weekend nights in nightlife? Do you think the long haul at a place with shady owners and a very slow, painful growing pains will be worth it?

I have opportunities in pubs coming my way, but I am afraid I will have to choose one only as daytimes can be hit or miss in pub-land. I was looking into days, but then id be doing doubles most days and I'm not about that life on such a consistent basis...

Advice is super appreciated ❤️

Focusing a lot on my company's Google reviews page and really working hard making a name for myself on their online page. I'm new, I just wanna do really good work, get recognition for it when I can, and it feels lovely and so nice when it happens. Is this smart marketing on my part or doing too much?? Nonetheless I work very hard for every single one of my Google reviews and I'm very proud of them. 🥰😍😁✨✨✨

2nd day as server I broke 2 glasses I'm so nervous lol imagine seeing your high school crush at the table here in the US.
I haven't seen her after we graduate high school in the Philippines. 🥲
One thing that inspires me is, my co-worker told me that breaking glass is a good sign because I'm trying hard enough which is true I'm tryna do my best to keep my job.

Hopefully they don't fire me 🥲

The restaurant i work at has gotten ridiculous. They want the tables turned in under 54 minutes and since i missed the goal by one minute last week (me and ~70% of the staff missed the goal) they cut 2 of my serving shifts and the 2 i still have say "3 table section"

Meanwhile some of the ones that get to keep bigger sections are not making the goal, but they "improved" so since i was meeting the goal the last 13 weeks but my average got worse by 2 minutes last week I'm punished.

Has anyone ever experienced this crap? Am I overreacting? It's honestly so stupid. I can't control when people leave. I keep checks on me, I'm trying to make the goal, but i can only do so much. Like they want me to just ring in apps salad entrees same time and just dump all the food on them? Even then there are times when the kitchen messes up and my food has to get remade and that's not my fault. I think it's time to dust off my resume.

I no longer can be a part of this community, as I have been promoted to General Manager. With a heavy heart, I turn to the dogs, pigs and sheep of upper leadership.

May I never forget my roots.

May the Resturaunt Gods save my soul.

PS I'm increasing the server tipout 🖕🖕

Just trying to get a vibe check on what other industry professionals have dealt with in terms of interpersonal drama or inappropriate behaviour from coworkers and staff because I feel like my current place has been pretty bad.

The current general manager was sleeping with one of the servers while texting literally every woman who works front of house, myself included, to hang out at inappropriate hours and would flirt and make sexual comments through text/at work. He ended up treating the girl he was sleeping with horribly through compulsive lying and we all came forward to the owner about it and literally nothing happened.

This manager tried to follow me downstairs several times to try and get sexual with me. I avoided it every time but once he chased me down the street after I clocked out and asked to kiss me. I said no probably like 4 times but he insisted and I finally said yes to get the situation over with. It was gross.

Anyway, he is still the manager and is happily(?) dating the server he was sleeping with and she somehow forgave him for all the lies he told her and everyone else. It seems a lot of us have just forgotten all the drama they caused.

I should preface this by saying: im asking what the corporate rule is, and not exactly looking for opinions.

I should also preface this by saying Im a host: that is all I do, and that is all I care to do.

I worked at one olive garden for over 3 years and they followed this rule TO. A. TEE. like servers NEVER got more than 3 tables, (unless they were on an approved list, and that only lasted a couple months)

I recently moved, and my new olive garden, at least in comparison to my former olive garden, this current olive garden, is basically a free for all. nobody does only thier jobs, i as a host am taking orders, ringing in food, processing payments, runing food, grabing drinks, and eveything else you could imagine.

Now i FULLY understand AND RESPECT that a lot of you COULD and SHOULD take more than 3 tables.

my current managers will triple seat, overhwhelm and give 8+ tables to servers if it means they don’t go on a wait. it is also a write-up worthy offense if we put a name on the wait list in the computer without thier permission. i have two managers in particular who are fucking crazy about this.

today i triple sat a server who specifically told me she needed a mintue because my manager said “i dont care get the butts in seats, no false wait”

if i dont have a server how the fuck is that a false wait?

i spend my entire shift runing around helping the servers after i have double, triple, quadrouple, and quintuple sat them, and the managers just hide in the office….

the peace de resistance? they threated to fire me over it today.

I’m a server/bartender and I called out of work today bc I’m getting over a cold and I woke up with basically no voice. Yesterday I went to work and my voice was so hoarse but I was still able to speak. I can’t afford to take many more days off and there’s one a few people who bartend at my job and so far none of them can cover my shift. I could go in and have little notes to show customers like “I can’t speak I have laryngitis” but idk if that would be the best option. But also I’m sure there’s deaf or mute bartenders and servers who do this. If anyone has any suggestions on things I could do I’d love to hear them thank you!

Seeing the customers so carefree, just sitting there enjoying themselves. They can ask for anything they want and it will just come to them. And I think to myself “when will I ever get to be that relaxed and entitled at a table with friends or family?” They can leave any time they want, after their meal. Go home or to a movie. And I’m still stuck behind cleaning up what they couldn’t bother finishing off. No home or late movie for me, just clean up and house keeping.

And then I think to myself “why is this not possible?”. I make enough money to afford the same things they can afford. But I never have enough time with all my shifts taking up most of my afternoons and nights. And my social life sucks. My only true friend since I was 13 is really only available to hang with on weekends. We made it work for a while when we were both free on Sundays. Which I have unfortunately now been rostered for since being made part time.

Sometimes I think there’s no way out of this for me. I chose to do this job for the money. But I didn’t want it to become my whole life. Sure I don’t live at home with my mom anymore. I’m more or less independent and can pay my own rent. But at the same time I’ve never felt so alone.

Honestly the only bright spot I can see in the near future is being given a Saturday off so I can go to my best friend’s birthday party next month. Which my manager already agreed to. But after that I seriously don’t know what I have left outside of this job.

Brisket grilled cheese
Dirty rice
Fries
Lemon ice pie
Half lemonade half tea.

Now I’m so full I don’t want to finish my shit.

I am a hostess at a fine dining restaurant/hotel and we are extremely busy today. (It's slowing down now hence me typing this 😂) A table came in today, they are regulars and always so nice. But one lady was with them who has never came in with them before (I'm guessing a relative in visiting) and she was instantly horrible. She immediately complained about the table and demanded to be moved. The regulars said no this is where we asked to be. I guess the server took too long to take their order? She marched up to me 10 mins after they were there yelling at me for the server. Fine, whatver I guess she was busy and did take a little long to go over. Then 30 mins after they were there the same lady storms over to me again while I'm on the phone speaking with someone and yells "HELLLLOOO ARE WE EVEN HERE??!!!" (The server had been over to them by then). I looked at her and said "I'm on the phone Ill be with you in a moment" and proceeded to have the slowest conversation of my life on purpose 😂 She gave me the nastiest glare/eye roll/evil snake venom eyes I've ever seen. I turned my back on her and just chatted with this customer on the phone about our hotel rooms. Once I hung up she proceeded to rant about how slow the service was and pretty much hated it here. I calmy told her I'd go check in to see what was going on with her server and she stormed away again. Theyre still at their table and I'm just waiting til they leave so I can smile sweetly and wish her a good night. I don't even think I was that rude but you could tell this lady was not used to being made to wait her turn and she was so offended she had to wait to scream at me a 3rd time. Thats all 😄

Hello, I was wondering if anyone has a recommendation for a good click pen? I’ve used the gel pens like G2 and Sharpie pen but they don’t seem to last when I use them as a server. I only want the click pens because I put them on my apron. What are the good ones? Thanks for taking the time!

You’re absolutely slammed all night, but you’re stuck working with coworkers who get on your last nerve. 😂
OR…
It’s a slow night, barely any tables, but you’re working with your favorite crew, laughing and having a good time.
Which one are you choosing? And how bad would your coworkers have to be before you’d rather take the slow shift? 😂

So curious to hear what other servers experience is like with having the guest pay the bill with Toast vs the traditional way you take the card process the payment and then they write down the tp. Which way works better for you? Personally, I feel like showing the guest their check in the toast, processing their card, and having them tp with me there, usually works out better. Thoughts?