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Served: The Ballsy Waitress
Tipping in America will always be a hot topic button. But do you think it will change anytime soon? Do you think business will decide- no more tips let's pay everyone $15/hr instead. No restaurant is going to do that, and if you are a really good server you score twice that amount by the end of the night. That's why people do it. Unless it becomes a law to abolish tipping and require business to shoulder the burden of that labor cost I don't see it happening.
And I would normally say hand it to a manager in most cases, managers do keep a metal tally of who to keep and who to burn in these tough times, but this is NYC and if they can't tell you to your face what the problem was then NYC peeps have a reputation they don't deserve. Also doesn't Hannah pool tips? So a bad tip is really averaged out by the worth of the restaurant as a whole? Is that better or worse than a standard "keep everything you earn" establishment?
I think the point here is not the money- it's communication. And wouldn't the world just run better if we all communicated better to each other? You tell me what you think, I tell you what I think-
- Was everything ok?
- No. You are a bad server
- It wasn't a mistake?
- No, you were definately a bad server
If this happens more than a few times then the server should consider a job change. Not everyone is meant to be a server.
Isn't that better than spending the whole night wondering why? Nobody want to spend their whole life without any feedback.
Deep-Fried Peeps
So I see a thin batter would not work. Have you thought about going straight to dough? Rolling into wontons or egg roll skins might be much better, add chocolate and banana slices and you have a pretty substantial dessert. Just a random thought. I always thought you could bread and deep fry anything and it would taste good.
I always just liked my peeps microwaved, and they kinda still hold their original shape.
Cook the Book: 'Almost Meatless'
Thai mango curry. A little chicken goes a long way but it is also excellent with tofu. I am hopeless with Thai food- this is a strictly going out to eat meal.
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Served: Feverishly Looking for a Restaurant Job
If you find satisfaction in working hard and walking out at the end of the night with a wad of cash then I don't know if management is for you. Talk to people who do it, just like servers it takes a certain type of person to run a restaurant and it is a completely different world.
Yes, if you are a girl they automatically want you at the door to be a hostess. If you want more responsibility you can offer to be the maitre'd instead. You might have more leeway with a new restaurant than an established one, or one where managment is going through a change.
Good luck on your job hunt, I'm sure you will find something you want.
Served: The Ballsy Waitress
Tipping in America will always be a hot topic button. But do you think it will change anytime soon? Do you think business will decide- no more tips let's pay everyone $15/hr instead. No restaurant is going to do that, and if you are a really good server you score twice that amount by the end of the night. That's why people do it. Unless it becomes a law to abolish tipping and require business to shoulder the burden of that labor cost I don't see it happening.
And I would normally say hand it to a manager in most cases, managers do keep a metal tally of who to keep and who to burn in these tough times, but this is NYC and if they can't tell you to your face what the problem was then NYC peeps have a reputation they don't deserve. Also doesn't Hannah pool tips? So a bad tip is really averaged out by the worth of the restaurant as a whole? Is that better or worse than a standard "keep everything you earn" establishment?
I think the point here is not the money- it's communication. And wouldn't the world just run better if we all communicated better to each other? You tell me what you think, I tell you what I think-
- Was everything ok?
- No. You are a bad server
- It wasn't a mistake?
- No, you were definately a bad server
If this happens more than a few times then the server should consider a job change. Not everyone is meant to be a server.
Isn't that better than spending the whole night wondering why? Nobody want to spend their whole life without any feedback.
Deep-Fried Peeps
So I see a thin batter would not work. Have you thought about going straight to dough? Rolling into wontons or egg roll skins might be much better, add chocolate and banana slices and you have a pretty substantial dessert. Just a random thought. I always thought you could bread and deep fry anything and it would taste good.
I always just liked my peeps microwaved, and they kinda still hold their original shape.
Cook the Book: 'Almost Meatless'
Thai mango curry. A little chicken goes a long way but it is also excellent with tofu. I am hopeless with Thai food- this is a strictly going out to eat meal.
Cook the Book: Jamie at Home
My mother's sweet mung bean soup. The green one.
Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway: D'Artagnan Boneless Heritage Ham
egg, tomato and avocado- bacon if I'm feeling really porky
Top 10 Improbable McDonald's Items from Around the World
Hawaii has the highest per capita consumption of SPAM- yes, you heard it right- SPAM! So McDonald's sells SPAM, eggs and rice for breakfast and a SPAM, egg and cheese sandwich. Never ate it but the commercials do look kinda tasty, in a mystery meat kind of way.
Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway: Zingerman's Praise the Lard Gift Box
I was 8 and decided I wanted to be like the 'cool' kids and go vegetarian. Then my father said that meant I couldn't have bacon and ham for breakfast, items that topped my egg sandwich everyday since I was 5. I didn't know that was meat but I knew it was the most delicious thing I put in my mouth... I was never cut out for the cool crowd anyways.
PORK RULES!!
Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway: D'Artagnan Boneless Heritage Ham
Ham, bacon, cheese and a fried egg on sweetbread!!! Fry the ham and melt the cheese on it. mmmmmm... good for breakfast, lunch, dinner and the 3am fix after a night of drinking.
Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway: Two Peter Luger Steaks
NY strip... although I will never turn down any steak put in front of me.
Deep-Fried Peeps
When I was about 17, I was looking for junk food all we had was chocolate chips and peeps. I would have done marshmellows, but we were out and it happened to be just after Easter. Add some butter to the pan before melting chocolate and coat the peeps completely or leave out the head.
I have also rolled them in rice crispies or grahm cracker crumbs after dipping them in chocolate (obviously have made them more than once), cool them on parchment paper or a glass plate. I have also cut them up into Hot chocolate, I know, I know, barbaric! LOL. I'm not a hater of Peeps, I just have to modify them to eat them (they are super sweet).
I think deep fried peeps would actually be pretty good, just one! Like a deep fried Twinkie. Something to try is a deep fried PB sandwich (or PB and strawberry jam). Cut sandwich in 1/4, (crust optional) dip in batter and deep fry. Yum. Yes, I have a Mad Science kitchen. I have not made those in many years though. Teens love them! Try to think "Out of the box", it doesn't hurt to play with your food! I cracked up when Robyn said "If you lose weght while eating these, there may be something wrong with you" LMAO. So true.
:) T.
Deep-Fried Peeps
Ewwwwww, they look like squaw. Eeep! Peeps!
Served: The Ballsy Waitress
Hey, late to the party, but I have to say, the original of what J would say - "Hey, was everything okay?" (paraphrased) made me sit up and think of all the times I could have used that. What you wound up saying gives me pause if only because you directly say "Is this all you meant to leave?" which can put people on the defensive... otherwise, bravo!
PS Carding people made me uncomfortable initially as well. Eventually I got to know the signs of underage drinking fairly well, and if I did card you, it was a signal to the boss that there was an issue... We had to throw a guy out who seriously looked like he was going to reach over and punch me (!!!) for carding his - I SWEAR SHE LOOKED 12 and COULDN'T be more than 16 at most! - mistress. It was really disturbing because he was like 35 or 40 - not OLD, but uncomfortably old to be dating a girl who not only look to be just entering puberty but apparently was under 21 as she did not have ANY ID on her. Ick.
Served: Feverishly Looking for a Restaurant Job
Look on the bright side. Nobody would offer you a hostess job if you were ugly. I have no idea what you look like, but after reading this, I can guess that your not fat and pimply faced.
I know, that just sounds mean, and sexist, but it's also an observation.
Hopefully you'll get the job your looking for. Keep on digging, and don't settle for anything less than you aspire to be.
Served: Feverishly Looking for a Restaurant Job
Maybe this post will open some doors. You work for Serious Eats. There must be connections there. Isn't Ed well connected? I'd hook you up if I had people to hook you up with.
Of course, a person can have hundreds of contacts in the industry but if there aren't jobs available there aren't jobs available. Stupid economy closing down restaurants + in the spring/summer there's more competition for these types of jobs because students are looking for work.
The good news is that it's patio season and therefore there should be a need for more wait staff.
I wish you the best of luck.
Served: Feverishly Looking for a Restaurant Job
@browngravy if it is being published, someone should be responsible for spelling and grammar. this is not the first time this column has gone up with obvious, fixable mistakes.
Served: The Ballsy Waitress
@Duncan 1205...what happened then???!!! Fill us in...
Served: The Ballsy Waitress
I think the time has come for waiters and waitresses to get paid a salary instead of having to 'beg' for tips. And don't tell me restaurant owners don't make enough money to support doing this. I know what the markups are. Instead of telling customers not to dine out if they cannot afford tipping, tell restaurant owners to close shop if they cannot afford to pay their staff!
Served: The Ballsy Waitress
@minonda, i would like to know what, specifically was mean-spirited or petty about my comment. Furthermore, i would like to point out that volunteer firemen (as many of them are) do not get a regular salary, benefits, or vacation days. I am *much* more grateful for the service they provide than the person who takes my order and brings food to my table. I would argue most people would agree with me on that.
Served: The Ballsy Waitress
Federally Mandated %10% WHAT??? I have been in the biz 30 years and have never heard of this. If that were true, half the country would be in jail. Any links?
IMHO, the risk of upsetting/embarassing/infuriating a customer is not worth the reward of an extra 3-5-7 bucks on one tip.
Regarding the folks who don't see asking for ID as a courageous thing, let me assure you it CAN be. 98% of everyone, even the just turned-21 crowd, is OK with an ID check. The other 2% can have a reaction ranging from open hostility to violence. I have witnessed shouting matches, threats and more over a simple ID check. Some people carry the attitude "I don't have to show my damned ID to anybody, now get me a drink!" Witness how many shootings occur because someone was denied entrance to a bar or restaurant. A guy I knew fairly well was killed here in Las Vegas in the mid-1980's who worked as a host for a bar/restaurant/nightclub place and it was over an ID check. One guy in a party of about 5 did not have an ID; his friends were going in anyhow. He gets mad, goes to the car, gets his 38 and kills the host. (Interesting this chap, who turned out to be 24, had his gun handy, but not his driver's license.) The point is when you ask for ID, some people get REALLY offended.
Served: The Ballsy Waitress
WOW. There is a lot of pent up anger over the tipping debate, but I would have to agree with Hannah on this one. Servers make a substantial amount LESS than other fields and regardless, they are there to SERVE you. Take your order, bring you food or drinks, grab the check, etc. This is usually what I base a standard 15-20% tip on. If the server is exceptionally friendly, fun or even throws in something useful (a round of drinks, great info about local happenings, etc) then I up it to 25-30%
Nothing pisses me off more than when people talk down to servers, boss them around, stay on their cellphones while ordering, or expect incredibly high demands without paying for it. Servers do not equal servants.
If you can't afford the tip, just don't want to pay up, or take the menu the way it comes, stay home.
Served: The Ballsy Waitress
If the customers had made an error and tipped too much, would you have brought that to their attention as well?
Served: The Ballsy Waitress
@wannabetvchef I'd like to know where you heard of this "federally mandated 10% gratuity" because I have never heard of it and it smells like BS. Links, please.
Served: The Ballsy Waitress
@mh330 - out of all the mean-spirited and petty comments that this post has elicited, yours has to be the meanest and the pettiest. Sure, people in other lines of work work harder and more is asked of them in terms of physical effort or risk, and education or some other qualifier, but please recall that these other people are compensated fairly and receive benefits such as paid vacation, holidays and health insurance. Servers get none of this, and if they are to get any kind of decent wage, must rely on the whim of whoever they serve, sort of like a seller on ebay needing good feedback.
I don't really support what Hannah did, because she said herself, the big tips even out the loss of the small ones, and generally a server does not get that many poor tips. But your cold response, and your attitude toward servers, makes me cheer for her and all the others who have to serve people in order to make a living.
People like you make me glad I'm no longer a waitress. And I got great tips.
Served: The Ballsy Waitress
My husband will tip every waiter/waitress - even when they don't deserve it. If you don't have to ask for anything, that's an automatic 20-25% tip. However, the one thing that my husband absolutely hates is the phrase "Did you need any change?" when paying the bill in cash. To him, that is an automatic deduction, no matter how good everything went.
Served: The Ballsy Waitress
Leaving a tip of less than 10%, regardless of service, is criminal. Federal law mandates 10%, however, that same fereral law punishes the victim not the criminal. However, in some municipalities you can have a poor tipper charged with theft of services for leaving less than 10%. Where I live (South Alabama) is one of the worst tipping areas of the country, several of the small towns here will prosecute someone for leaving less than the federally mandated 10% gratuity.
To earn that 10% tip a server must bring you something. It doesn't have to be what you ordered just something and they don't have to be friendly.
I do not like this but to change it is in the hands of the voters. Tell your politicians to pay servers the same minimum wage as every other industry in the country and you can then tip whatever you want. Don't write/call your local law-makers and you should tip big every time.
If your service is truly poor speak to the manager. If you do not speak to the manager than your service wasn't truly poor. If you have ever rationalized why you left a bad tip, chances are you are just cheap.
Served: The Ballsy Waitress
Rather than picking on the writer of this article I have to say that I am shocked at how many grown-ups don't know how to calculate a 20% tip (my standard amt.). It seems like simple math to me, but still my fellow diners will struggle severely to figure it out. And they don't seems unsmart in every other way. Luckily the cell phone makers have caught on and many newer cell phones have a tip calculator--but come on, it's not that hard to begin with.
I am glad you spoke up Hannah, 'cause folks just don't know how to do simple math.
Served: The Ballsy Waitress
Is this column actually real? I cannot believe someone gave you a column to write about the same job I have had for the last 3 years, albeit not in New York City.
I additionally cannot believe a 21 year old has a problem carding people. If I were younger than 21 (but legally allowed to serve alcohol with a proper permit), I may feel a bit awkward asking people for their ID; but as a person legally allowed to consume alcohol myself (Im only 22)....Its mor than over due to ask such a simple request...; I would say you were only a "1/2 ballsy waitress"...in the sense you basically asked for a larger tip, but were afraid to ask peers for their ID. I dont get it, I really dont.
My life at a Big 10 University in a midwest state is more exciting than this NYC column.
Served: The Ballsy Waitress
I have been one of those customers! Sometimes, particularly when it's a big group of peope, the math gets wonky and the tip gets miscalculated. The one time it happened, the waitress did exactly what you did. We took a look at the bill and a look at the tip, and then realized we were shorting her a well-earned $20. I was so glad she spoke up -- I would have hated to be an inadvertent miser. I always pride myself on giving decent tips because I know that serving is a tough job.
Served: The Ballsy Waitress
LIkeswords,
I hope you don't mind if I borrow "when bad systems happen to good people" because you nailed it!
Served: The Ballsy Waitress
Sunshine 6, yes, seriously. I bet that many overly low or overly high tips are the result of people rounding up or down inaccurately and messing up the percentages, and are not reflective of dissatisfaction or satisfaction with service. It's not fair to the server, but he or she is the one who suffers (or gets lucky if the mistake is not in the customer's favor). Really, it can be kind of a mess - something tacked on an otherwise pleasant experience - figuring the tip (if you go straight percentages) or giving a performance review and then figuring the tip according to that. Not what I want at the end of a meal, but of course (as you point out), we're all in a recession and people deserve to be paid for their work. When bad systems happen to good people . . .
Served: The Ballsy Waitress
I once went out for lunch with co-workers, and got carded by the hostess. Then her boss who was nearby explained that next time if she were to card anyone, it would have to apply to the entire group as to not single one person out. Pretty funny.
Hard to blame her as I look young ^_^, although I was probably older than her.
Served: The Ballsy Waitress
I have to have your back on this one. I think that as a concerned, good waitperson it's your responsibility to respond to your table, and a low tip usually indicates unhappiness. It is appropriate for you to make sure your table wasn't unhappy so you can do something about it if they were. (That said, I'm honestly not sure how I'd respond if a waiter challenged my tip, but am sure that I've never tipped so badly - without an already acknowledged problem - that anyone needed to challenge me)
We all deserve to stand up for ourselves. It's not like you're doing this on every check - just in this extreme case. It's no more insulting for you to question the tiny tip than it is for me to negotiate for a higher salary if I think I deserve it. Good for you for knowing and defending your own worth.
Served: The Ballsy Waitress
I wish people would remember that we are all in a recession. Including your waiter, who at my restaurant makes $2.13 an hour.
That, for those with the math issues (seriously?) is slightly over TWO DOLLARS AN HOUR. Half of minimum wage in like, 1998. Plus we get to take our tips and give a portion of that money to the support staff. So if you neglect to tip, the server is paying a portion of their money for you to eat there.
If you have problem with your service/food/whatevs, talk to a manager.
Served: The Ballsy Waitress
Many years ago, when I was a wise-ass high school/college student, I waited tables in a family-style restaurant. I was a very good server and usually got pretty decent tips from everyone but teenagers (who had no idea about tipping). I had served an older (not elderly) couple the "works" for dinner; i.e., shrimp cocktails, steaks, dessert, etc. and they left me about
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If you find satisfaction in working hard and walking out at the end of the night with a wad of cash then I don't know if management is for you. Talk to people who do it, just like servers it takes a certain type of person to run a restaurant and it is a completely different world.
Yes, if you are a girl they automatically want you at the door to be a hostess. If you want more responsibility you can offer to be the maitre'd instead. You might have more leeway with a new restaurant than an established one, or one where managment is going through a change.
Good luck on your job hunt, I'm sure you will find something you want.