OT-- Waitressing--- need to vent

His_Kelly

I just got home from my waitressing job and I am still so wound up that I don't know what to do with myself! It was so busy tonight, we were understaffed and I had to deal with crabby customers and cooks who kept making mistakes on the orders. I kept getting double and triple sat and everyone wanted really fancy drinks and of course desserts!!! I just wanted to lock myself in the employee bathroom and cry because I was so overwhelmed. This is the kind of thing a person could have nightmares about!

Have any of you all waited tables? How did you deal with these sticky situations?

Thanks for listening to me vent about this... it feels great to get it off my chest.

---Kelly

His_Kelly

I just got home from my waitressing job and I am still so wound up that I don't know what to do with myself! It was so busy tonight, we were understaffed and I had to deal with crabby customers and cooks who kept making mistakes on the orders. I kept getting double and triple sat and everyone wanted really fancy drinks and of course desserts!!! I just wanted to lock myself in the employee bathroom and cry because I was so overwhelmed. This is the kind of thing a person could have nightmares about!

Have any of you all waited tables? How did you deal with these sticky situations?

Thanks for listening to me vent about this... it feels great to get it off my chest.

---Kelly

Manda86

I am currently a waitress, so I feel your pain!
I had 9 tables at once today, with one cook, and noone else in the restaurant... lol...
Venting helps a lot, I've found, Jeremy's heard me complain more than once about bad days at work- Other than that, I try to focus on the little victories- like the fact that everyone got their food in a timely manner today and left happy even though I was running my butt off!!! You survived, right? Tomorrow will be a better day.

It'll be alright, hang in there!!

*hugs*
Manda

jill927

ME!!!! I waitress. And let me tell you its not fun when people steal your tips! Literally!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/25259-so-p-ed-off-right-now

You just deal with it the best you can, take it one minute at a time, remember to breathe, and know that even if you reeeally screw it up, at the end of the night you get to go home! lol. It gets easier with time, and you learn to multi-task. You can do this! Once you get into the groove, being busy is actually easier, because you get into a routine, and you get confused if your brain ISNT going a million miles an hour haha. You'll do great!

jamerz3294

Hey baybee! The Jamerz was both a waiter, and a bartender, in various places! So I do share in your pain! I think that some "daze" ya just gotta let it roll off your back like a duck with water. Sometimes, each and every customer is simply a pain in your *kitten*, and there's nuttin ya can do 'bout it honey! Tommorow is a 'nuther day, and you will be much happier, as will your customers. Big Brotha Jamerz hugz! >:D<

Mufasa0331

I was a waitress once- but I am SOOO NOT a people person!! DDid not have the attitude for it, but now I'm in mortgage LOL....

My suggestion is get some really loud music thats kinda angry or rough ( I prefer DMX, 2Pac, Buck Cherry or Linkin Park (Bleed it OUt is my Fav)) and then jam out to it and venting on blog or to a friend always seems to work best.
Also find the positive things...think of how many calories you burned running your bootie off!!

sixtyinchesoffury

I waited tables for 8 years and finally got to quit 9 months ago. Had the nightmare last night.....seriously ridiculous. I feel your pain!!!:mad: :mad:

jlwhelan1

No one ever hired me for even busing tables when I answered an ad for a Friday evening job to be home with the kids during the day. It would have really helped us financially back then, even $50/week.:ohwell:

We still can't afford going out often, but its such a treat to be served that we're polite and tip very well. We went out tonight and had a great waitress. She even brought my son extra ketchup. I wish I lived near enough to pop into one of your restaurants and say hello.:flowerforyou:

I bet you MAKE someone's day every day.

nightangelstars

I totally understand, I just got home from my waitressing job myself. I work in a tourist town so we get all kinds of people, from foreigners who tip precisely 10% every time to rich snobs to families who just want to relax and have fun. My best way of coping is simply to complain to my coworkers - I love all of them and we all vent to each other when we need it. My problem today was the opposite of yours - we had too many people working, I think the most I had at one time was three tables the whole night. Yawn! So we stood around and talked politics lol. By the end of the summer I usually have at least two or three dreams about being in the restaurant and being sat without being told, being quadruple-sat (at least) and feeling totally overwhelmed with angry, impatient customers.

On the other hand, think of it this way - better to be a little overwhelmed and make good money for the night than to be bored and make nothing. That's how I try to look at it, myself. I'm sure you'll manage all right! :flowerforyou:

Katy009

I could never do that job and I give anyone who does it lots of credit. I think it's one of the hardest things out there! I don't have the personality and would end up dumping food and/or drinks on someone.

Manda86

I totally understand, I just got home from my waitressing job myself. I work in a tourist town so we get all kinds of people, from foreigners who tip precisely 10% every time to rich snobs to families who just want to relax and have fun. My best way of coping is simply to complain to my coworkers - I love all of them and we all vent to each other when we need it. My problem today was the opposite of yours - we had too many people working, I think the most I had at one time was three tables the whole night. Yawn! So we stood around and talked politics lol. By the end of the summer I usually have at least two or three dreams about being in the restaurant and being sat without being told, being quadruple-sat (at least) and feeling totally overwhelmed with angry, impatient customers.

On the other hand, think of it this way - better to be a little overwhelmed and make good money for the night than to be bored and make nothing. That's how I try to look at it, myself. I'm sure you'll manage all right! :flowerforyou:

DItto on the out-of-towners....

shorerider

I never waitressed but did work in a golf course snack bar where we had a "Tip Jar." I used to get so irritated because the "manager" of the snack bar, who basically did nothing but flirt with the grounds manager, would make us split the tips with her. :grumble: I found the Japanese golfers to be great tippers, often giving $5 or more a piece! Whereas the old women were the worse--they'd say "oh let me give you something, honey," and then search in their purse and pull out a dime to put in there!

emibmas

I am right there with you guys! What makes me soooo mad :explode: is when you get VERBAL gratuity, "You are so great, Thanks for such great service, blah blah blah blah" and then they leave you NOTHING.
What I have come to realize is this....you take the good with the bad. There are nights where I have awesome nights and night where I make nothing. I waitress at the VIP tables at the ampitheather and the luxury suites at the Arena, and these people are already spending so much money to be there, that they think they entitled to great service without tipping. We actually have a suite that is set up with an automatic 5% tip, 5%.....but after fuming about them so much, I just take comfort in the fact that the next one over will give me 20%. So, all in all, it was a good night.
BUT....what REALLY gets under my skin is when I do all the work because a server shows up late and I take care of everything and THEY get the tip. No splitting, hardly a thanks, nothing. And that happens often. I am all about helping others, but I would at least split my tip if the role was reveresed.

Wow....I need to shut up:embarassed:

JeremyInvincible

I've never worked food service, but as someone who has frequented these 'restaurants' once or twice in his life, I would like to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart. It's extremely hard work, and you all perform it with dignity, grace and panache, and for many less than minimum wage.

God Bless the Waitresses!!!

shorerider

I am right there with you guys! What makes me soooo mad :explode: is when you get VERBAL gratuity, "You are so great, Thanks for such great service, blah blah blah blah" and then they leave you NOTHING.
What I have come to realize is this....you take the good with the bad. There are nights where I have awesome nights and night where I make nothing. I waitress at the VIP tables at the ampitheather and the luxury suites at the Arena, and these people are already spending so much money to be there, that they think they entitled to great service without tipping. We actually have a suite that is set up with an automatic 5% tip, 5%.....but after fuming about them so much, I just take comfort in the fact that the next one over will give me 20%. So, all in all, it was a good night.
BUT....what REALLY gets under my skin is when I do all the work because a server shows up late and I take care of everything and THEY get the tip. No splitting, hardly a thanks, nothing. And that happens often. I am all about helping others, but I would at least split my tip if the role was reveresed.

Wow....I need to shut up:embarassed:

Because of my short experience with tips, I always make sure to give 20% now, unless the service just absolutely stinks. And I don't mean if the food comes late or something because I know that's not the wait staff's fault but I'm talking being completely ignored, etc. But even then I'll give 15%. I just know how hard it is to make ends meet now much less when you're having to relay on tips for part of your salary.

Added--once we had just incredible service at this one restaurant. It was packed and yet the waitress was just fantastic! We left a tip equal to about 30% of the tip. Now the bill wasn't large--under $60, so we it wasn't a bunch of money. But she chased us out to the car to see if there was a mistake and then thanked us for about 3 minutes. too funny!

ali106

awwww!!!!

hugs, been there too girl....all through high school and then I worked part time on weekends as a function hall waitress.....its a very stressful job....and it requires a lot of pc too ...smiling and saying...sure thing! when you want to say...Um so you couldn't ask me for the hot sauce when you asked me for more napkins a minute ago...or when you asked me for more water 3 mins ago???

Its good to vent.....I've had many of those I wanted to lock myself into the bathroom and cry moments too!!! big big hugs!!!

Just remember its a job...you can leave it at the restaurant.....and think of all the cals you're burning running around......and if that doesn't help....then um...here's another HUG!!!:ohwell:


Ali

michlingle

I waitressed throughout college at a bunch of places in Chicago....do you ever have the server dream/nightmare? I still have it periodically...this is usually the gist of it...Computer is completely different than before, can't find the dishes....get triple sat....the kitchen never got my tickets...I'm screwed. I think I experience this dream when I'm feeling that my life is out of control....then I wake up and thank the Lord it was only a dream.

SherryRH

I quit waitressing over a year ago and still have nightmares about it. I have been doing it on and off for over 20 years. (I started when I was 16). Some days you have great customers and some days they all stink. Tomorrow may be a better day.

Have you ever seen the movie Waiting. My favorite line in the entire movie is when one of the waiters says "God, I can't wait to quit this job!" I used to say that all the time! :laugh:

michlingle

That movie "Waiting" is so funny...the "cool" "cocky" server is so typical of everywhere I've worked. He's such an a** but somehow the management loves him and gives him all the best tables.....

OomarianneoO

I could never do that job and I give anyone who does it lots of credit. I think it's one of the hardest things out there! I don't have the personality and would end up dumping food and/or drinks on someone.

DITTO! I always took cashier jobs. Back in high school, my best friend was a waitress and sometimes, I would go to hang out. Then to watch what she had to deal with on a regular basis...YIKES! Not to mention carrying trays?! No way I could do that whole balancing act. Cashiering was easy. Ring up the stuff, stick them in a bag, make some small talk, and then they leave.

jamerz3294

Ya know... when :drinker: :happy: I first starting waiting tables, I was always nice, and polite, and friendly.:bigsmile: Which seemed to get ok tips, but also a lot of "verbal" tips with no hard cash. :huh: :grumble:
Sooooo one fine day, I told myself that if I'm not going to get any good tips, I might as well enjoy myself! :devil: :drinker: Oh yeah... it wasn't long after I became the Waiter From Hell, and was abusing my customers at every opportunity (whilst still giving good service) that I noticed that my tips went way UP, and customers were actually requesting to be sat at my tables?! :noway: Huh? Apparently, my enthusiasm was infectious, and the customers really enjoyed my insults, and derogatory comments *giggle* :smokin: Mind ya, I was (mostly) never truly out of line, and yeah sure some customers didn't really care (or tip) but there's always some of those. So maybe try to relax a bit, and just enjoy, the money *should* follow, and at least you have some fun. Hugz!

GoGetterMom

I just want to say thanks for waiting on us buggers! We appreciate you! My little sister lived off tips for years, so my theory is if they don't have $$ to tip, don't go out! I can tell 'ya as a business owner (& trainer) there is nothing more embarrassing than going out to dinner with someone who doesn't tip well.