Tip Your Servers!

This subject is usually not up for discussion – because the majority of people who do decide to dine out, usually are set in their ways (for whatever reason) as to how much of an amount they tip. Whether it be a set monetary amount, or a percentage based on the final bill, people generally already know how much they are going to tip, pending the quality of service.

Now, take it from me, people should be tipping more than they are. Unfortunately for us servers and bartenders out there, people have a skewed vision of how the service industry functions. There is a lot more going on behind the scenes than you know, so allow me to enlighten you.

First of all, understand that every server and bartender has to ‘tip out’ at the end of a shift. This rule is set-up to maintain a level of balance between other employees in the restaurant, who aren’t on the front line having the chance at receiving tips. For example, the hosts, hostess’, bar-backs, kitchen staff, dish washers are in no position to score any tips. To clarify, sometimes bar-tenders are strictly service-only bar-tenders (they make all the drinks for servers who are taking orders from tables – they see no customers directly – so they require a tip out to make anything supplementary to their own wage). Bar-backs are staff who during busy hours, keep the bar stocked with liquor, beer, ice, and whatever else may be needed.

Now, tip out is usually based on a percentage of a servers sales (I’ve yet to run into a place that does it differently, but who knows, it could be out there). An outdoor patio where I worked last summer ran things with percentage: 1.5% would go to our bar-tender, 1% to each bar-back, and 1% to our singular host/hostess at the time. During an eight hour shift, if a server were to sell $1000 worth of food and drinks, 4.5% (forty-five dollars) would come out of our pockets. This means that if this particular server had made (for arguments sake) let’s say 15% tips based on his sales, he would have $150.00 before tip out, and $105 after tip out. This is of course assuming that every customer on that given day is generous enough to tip an adequate 15%. You wouldn’t believe it, or maybe you would, but more than a year and a half of being a server has shown me that even when you provide a great dining experience, people are quick to stiff you.

Think about this for a second… what do you think were to happen if a server went an entire day without being tipped? Unlikely, but… what if he only received an average of 5% tips for the day, not particularly because of his performance, but just because of an unlucky streak? He would essentially be taking money out of his own pocket to tip-out (in the event of no or little tips), doesn’t seem fair does it? Usually establishments have some rules that say if you didn’t sell enough, or didn’t make any tips you don’t have to tip out, and usually your fellow staff members are quick to understand that it’s been a bad day, and wouldn’t punish you further.

“But Marc, why do servers deserve the tip? Why should servers get 15%? They’re not doing anything I couldn’t do myself.”

Well, let’s take a closer look at some of the challenges a server faces, daily:

1. Most places when you’re working, you’re busy – constantly. You don’t have time to eat, and if you do, you can’t eat properly – you’re usually stuck eating fast-food or something that lacks any nutritional content what-so-ever. There’s no time for a break because you can’t simply pass all your tables off during a busy period. Each server usually has a personal code in the computers that manage orders and such, to keep track of his/her tables, and there’s always something pending to come out, and more orders that need to be made – to ask a server to double his workload is just out of the question, it can’t be done. How comfortable do you think it is being on your feet for eight hours? How often do you think a busy place keeps their servers working for more than such a time period? Last summer I worked numerous 12+ hour shifts, too many to count on fingers and toes – it takes a physical toll – believe me.

2 – Without tips, do you know that a server is usually making at least 10% less than minimum wage? Up until March 31st, 2009, minimum wage for a server/bar-tender was $7.60/hour. If you were to work forty hours a week, you would make $1216.00 in a month, before taxes. $14592.00 in a year, before taxes. The slight adjustment that has come in (that doesn’t just boost minimum wage for liquor servers, but for everyone, still leaves servers out in the cold). As of April 1st, 2009, liquor servers now make $8.25/hour; $1320.00/month and $15840.00/year, still isn’t much, is it?

Minimum wage for a server won't pay the bills alone - they're working hard for you... support them!

3 – People who serve, part-time or full-time usually have their entire lives revolve around their jobs. Since working for a restaurant usually means that you’re working when the restaurant profits (usually weeknights, weekends), servers sacrifice their social lives (among other things) and stay up late into the night, usually three or four nights of the week. It’s difficult to work more than one job, in an effort to balance expenses since hours of operation are so taxing. Not only are you potentially finishing at 2:00AM, closing by 3:00AM and getting out of there, but sometimes you’re starting the next days work at noon, doing this a couple days in a row can really take a serious toll.

4 – To be a good server, you’re required to be quick on your feet (both literally and figuratively), highly adaptive, and able to please people. People are typically difficult, making all sorts of random requests. You’re not only taking orders, you’re creating a pleasant atmosphere for people to enjoy their night out. People are out with groups from work, family, on dates, and so much more; you may go so far as to call your waiter an entertainer; it’s not much of a stretch. This person is doing much more than just serving you food, they’re creating an experience… as long as they aren’t too busy!

Now, remember that the figures I used above (for example, $1000.00 in sales) is extremely generous. I recently finished working at a popular restaurant in London, Ontario, and found that it was difficult to sell a great amount in a typical 5:00PM or 6:00PM shift until around 1:00AM. As a result, my tips also suffered. This particular restaurant was actually ranked in the top ten for beer sales in this small city – it was upsetting for me to find out that it wasn’t as easy to make money due to the nature of the demographic that would frequent the restaurant.

I implore you not only as a server myself, but a fellow functioning member of society – find it within yourself to be generous the next time it comes to tipping your server, he or she goes through a great deal to please you (even if it isn’t evident), and will be quick to accommodate you in any way you may request if it’s within him/her to do so. Is it that big a deal to leave an extra $6.00 on a $30.00 bill? You can spend $100.00 on food and drinks for you and your date, but you can’t find it within yourself to give your humble server who’s been at your beck and call for the past hour and a half a $15.00 or $20.00 tip?

I’ll be honest, if you can spend that kind of money on an outing, but decide to turn into Scrooge McDuck when it comes time to pay the tab… well… If I were like you I’d share my personal opinion, but in the hopes promoting the “you catch more bees with honey” technique, I’ll leave you with your thoughts, and allow you to make the right call.