Cruel Customers
MVWJ was working at a certain buffet “steakhouse.” I took the job because I heard through the grapevine that some of the servers got really good tips. It was not the cleanest of places and everyone seemed kinda trashy to be honest. On the very first day, I learned that one of the managers was sleeping with a fellow waitress and that was why his wife was always coming by and staring us down. I couldn’t believe how much food would go to waste. People would pile on food just to leave it untouched. I just kept telling myself that I would make awesome tips. Yeah, those awesome tips were about $15 to $30 after eight hours.
There was a sink right next to the dish washing area where you were supposed to be able to wash your hands after dealing with filthy plates. For three weeks it had no soap or paper towels. Yet, we were not allowed to use the restaurants public restroom an we’d get written up if we did. So, one day at work, I got feverish. I remember having what I thought was a mosquito bite on my thigh. Well, I became delirious from the fever and was rushed to the ER where it turned out that I had a staph infection that they had to lance. My mom wound up buying me tons of hand sanitizers to keep on me at all times.
When I got back to work I just kept getting the crappiest customers. One table was filled with a bunch of punks who kept demanding refills even though they had plenty of drinks. They would laugh and thought they were so hilarious and cool. Another time there were four redneck guys with their sons. They were busy teaching them to call us crude names, telling us we had nice butts and tits. My final straw was during Father’s Day. We were extremely busy and I had one table that I thought maybe I’d get a decent tip from. After bringing the guy his steak, his wife wanted something specially made so I went to bring in her order. I had just cleaned off a table, washed my hands and was exiting the dish washing room, rubbing my neck. The guy comes up to me and asked if I cooked the food.
Me: “No, sir. I’m just the server. Is there anything you need?”
Him: “I’m just going to tell you something that you need to know. You should never touch your face or body while cooking food! It’s disgusting.”
Me: “I was rubbing my neck and I do not cook the food.” At this point I pull out my trusty hand sanitizer, “And I use this before and after I touch dirty plates or glasses. For my own health.”
Him: “Well I’m just telling you that it’s disgusting.”
Me: “Uh huh. Thanks.”
Naturally, I received no tip. I was more than happy when I quit.
Generally, customers at places like that don’t leave very much. They don’t exactly bring in the most high class patrons.
Buffet will never bring a classy bunch. Only people wanting quantity, not quality. And they don’t tip well for buffet, ever.
Buffet = cheapest customers on earth. What kind of person do you think a place that offers quanity over quality is going to attract? Obviously lots of tightwads who want to get the most for their dollar.
I’m probably going to get crucified for admitting this, but I usually don’t tip as much at buffets as I do with other restaurants. I still tip about 15% as opposed to 20%, because it seems strange to tip someone the same when I go to a buffet and they only serve me drinks, when at a normal restaurant, they will serve me my whole meal.
Totally agree with Bri.
I’m the author here. I don’t know what the hell I was thinking when I got this job. I honestly didn’t expect like $100 in tips, but many servers claimed they made $50-$60. It was pretty much a learning experience in what jobs to avoid. Hell, it was a learning experience overall. It was just a nasty place to work on top of working with nasty people.
Oh I wanted to add that I was 20 and it was my second job. It was during the summer and I wanted some spending money.
I tip less at a buffet, too. I don’t think it’s uncommon at all.
How do places like this work? Were you paid server wage (here in the state of Tron servers get $2.13/hr plus tips). Or minimum wage plus tips? It has nothing to do with the strength of your story or anything, I just had no idea how they paid people at these sort of places
Pretty sure it’s regular protocal to tip less at a buffet. As a customer you’re essentially doing part of the work by getting up and retrieving your own food. I tip 20-25% at a regular restaurant and 10-15% at a buffett. And I sleep at night.
Tronner, federal law says that if servers don’t make standard minimum wage then it’s their job to keep track of the tips. If wages+tips don’t amount to minimum wage then the employer has to make up the difference.
From what I hear though (at least in my area) servers at buffets generally get a flat minimum wage because it’s a hassle to calculate and they never make much in tips.
Let me just say restaurant work is absolute bullshit. I work at an upscale Italian restaurant and the people I interact with on a daily basis are arrogant assholes. I’m trying desperately to find another job. Also, I feel your pain.
$2.13 an hour? jesus
This classy hoe LOVES eating a good buffet. There’s a little something about a long line of cheaply made food, processed here and back, that gets my little mouth a-waterin’.
Failing to provide soap for employees to wash their hands with is a health code violation, at least in the US. Had you turned them in who knows what other violations they might have found.
lol u shouldve sued for your infection and made ur company pay for the hospital bills. & I hate the Know It All customers with their “Advice”! They should STFU! LOL
Hehe
That last guy would’ve loved to witness them mixing up cake batter where I used to work, they’d be up to their elbows in it. Yes we had a giant mixer (like a kitchen aid but huge) but you still have to scrape the sides. We always got a kick out of the two head chefs, health code required a head covering to keep head hair out of food, but these guys were very bald and had buzz cut on what was left, however they had hairy hairy arms. Admittedly body hair falls out less than head hair but it was still silly
And I agree about the soap, but I wonder if its not a health code violation because technically servers don’t “handle food” (I know they touch plates and glasses, but health code can be weird)
Ugh, I hate customers telling waiting staff how to do their job! I worked in one restaurant where I’d be waiting tables and also barista during the day and the managers had a very specific way they wanted the cappuccinos made, they had special foaming milk and everything. Now, I know (or at least I used to know, this is years ago) about proportions of milk to coffee in lattes, cappuccinos, and so on but this place ADVERTISED extra foamy cappuccinos so it’s not unreasonable that the customers knew what to expect. Cue getting lectured one day by this evidently extremely wealthy family and their bratty twelve-year-old private school child on how cappuccinos were SUPPOSED to be made, as though someone who did it for a living couldn’t possibly know any better than someone who only ever consumed them…. In front of all the other customers, too. And they didn’t tip….
I don’t think I’d ever get used to a ‘tipping’ culture. We (as a general rule) don’t tip in Australia – I tip Pizza delivery ppl as I used to do that job and know the crap money they make ($5 per delivery, regardless of if you have like 2 – 3 hrs where there are only 1 or 2 pizzas to deliver, you spend more on petrol/car maintenance then you earn!)
I will occasionally leave some money at a restaurant if the staff have gone above and beyond what I would call standard service – I expect a certain level of service as it is part of the job. But this assumption that you should tip is disgusting. I tipped this bloke in Spain when he brought my partner and I drinks – he made a rude comment after he receive the tip regarding the amount of it (it was like 2 or 3 euros, so like between 4 and 6 Australian dollars). That put me off tipping anyone else while I was over there.