Any servers out there? Let's vent about our job!
By kyh6kr
@kyh6kr (12)
United States
July 14, 2009 1:51am CST
Okay I am a server and I was wondering if anyone else has anything to say about their serving job. You don't have to be a server, just and of the FOH staffs. Let's just talk about what we like and what we don't like about our jobs.
Well I have been a server for 3 years now. To be specific, my work history consists of working at 3 different Japanese restaurants. Out of those three, my current job at a fine dining sushi bar would be considered my favorite. However, I still hate so many aspects of my job. There are so many things that I would LOVE to change about my job. For example, I hate tipping out the kitchen and the bar. At my restaurant, servers tip out 3% of our sales to the kitchen and 2% of our bar sales to the bar. Plus on the weekends, I have to tip the Server Assistant 2% of my sales. So on the weekends I usually lose about 7% of my total sales from my tip that I earn that night. It wouldn't be so bad if everyone knew how to tip well. But because of the location of my restaurant, I get a lot of wrong crowds that doesn't belong in a fine dining restaurants. The average tip percentage I make every night is about 18% of my sales. Then, I get to tip out 7% of that! So let's say that I sold about $1300 to 10 tables one night which is about 8 hour shift, then I would be making only $140. In my opinion, servers should be making close to, if not more than, 20% of our sales. I try so hard to up-sell everything like how I'm supposed to and I don't even get rewarded for it. I hate, I repeat, I hate the fact that I have to tip so much out to others when I don't even get great tip from the customers.
Now that was one of my venting session about my job. I will come back for more, but for now I will give everyone else to let all the frustrations out.
1 person likes this
1 response
@kyh6kr (12)
• United States
14 Jul 09
I know that. And I am glad I am able to pay for my bills. But I still think it's not right for people to not get paid what they deserve. Server jobs are not like other jobs. I get paid $3 per hour and after tax it's more like $.80 per hour. Then on a night like tonight, I made $20 from tip after working 7 hours. SO I think I do have a right to complain. Plus server job isn't too hard to find so I don't feel too bad for having a job while others don't have one.
1 person likes this
@kaz_man (292)
• Australia
14 Jul 09
Try working in a hotel, as a Porter, I know the pay might be crap(I think around $8 an hour), but you have Customer Service skills, food handling skills, and can work long hours.
Hotels are fast paced environment, people checking in/out all the time.
Not sure, but I think minimum wage for a porter is $8 an hour. But keep your job incase, and try finding a job in a hotel.
Hotels, you can be promoted to management level, unlike restaurants, unless you work in McDonalds or KFC.
What I am doing now is working in concierge/reception, for work experience, in a 3-4 star hotel, then I could use that as a reference and work in a 5 star hotel.
