Tips

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I always thought "POS" was an unfortunate choice of acronym for most point of service systems.

[Nessa 23]

I always thought "POS" was an unfortunate choice of acronym for most point of service systems.

and that has to do with tips because..

[Marilyn. 340]

I always thought "POS" was an unfortunate choice of acronym for most point of service systems.

and that has to do with tips because..

I copied this off of Wikipedia:

In countries where tipping is the rule (for example United States), complicated social rules and etiquette have developed over the exact percentage to tip, and what should and should not be included in this calculation. In other cultures where tipping exists it is more flexible and no specific assumptions of the tip amount exist.

Some establishments pool tips and divide them to include employees who lack customer contact. At some restaurants, agreements among the staff require the servers to tip out members of the support staff (kitchen, bartender, and busser) at the end of their shift;[8]; this means that servers pay a certain fixed percentage of their sales (most often a portion less than 15 percent of total sales) to the other staff. Thus when a patron leaves a small tip, it results in the server having to receive less from the tipping pool than other staff. [9]

Tipping is not expected when a fee is explicitly charged for the service. For example, a service charge for all patrons that is automatically added to the tab with no tipping the rule in Brazil.[10] Bribery and corruption are sometimes disguised as tipping. In some places, police officers and other civil servants openly solicit tips, gifts and dubious fees using a variety of local euphemisms. For example, a traffic policeman in Mexico might ask a commuter to buy him a "refresco" (soft drink), while a Nigerian officer might expect "a little something for the weekend."[11].

This made me remember something else about Applebee's. Whenever I would clock out at night I had to enter my tips into the POS system. If your actual tip amount was lower than what the system "thinks" it should have been it won't let you clock out. So there were some times when I had to put in more money (up to double) what I actually made in order for it to allow me to clock out. This is for tax purposes, but it's not fair because I had to pay taxes on money I never actually got. And that's because of people who have that mindset that tipping is optional. Sorry but it's not optional and if you don't want to have to worry about leaving a tip here's a solution for you---eat at home.

Edited November 27, 2007 by MarilynP

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Now we know who pays attention and who doesn't

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I always thought "POS" was an unfortunate choice of acronym for most point of service systems.

Of course, I meant point of sale! doh!

[Nessa 23]

Now we know who pays attention and who doesn't

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

So, Mr. Big Dog, if you feel that you have a right to have such control over another's performance, how would people ensure that they receive "appropriate service" from you?

I'm sure, like myself and most other salaried employees, a significant chunk of his total compensation comes from variable compensation - which is based on performance.

Well that is judged or determined from within the Corporation, and based on gross revenues, or activities as a whole, and not on one client/interaction/incident. What about the clients he works with directly? How would they have similar control over his income, such that he feels it appropriate to have over a food server?

Having fun comparing apples and oranges? Compensation and incentive systems work differently in different industries as they do at different job levels within the same industries. I thought you were aware of that.

[Traviesa 0]

I think it might be helpful if I put this in real terms. Note, that this is just my personal experience and I don't speak for every restaurant...this is just the way things were done at Applebees:

Expected check average (total sales divided by number of guests) was around $13. Mine was never below $15. Basically, I made the company money...good for me.

These are the service steps:

Greet the table within 2 minutes of them sitting down.

3 minutes to fill the drink order.

5 minutes from the time it is ordered to have the appetizer on the table.

14 minutes from the time it is ordered to have the meal on the table.

Check back after 2 bites or 2 minutes, whatever comes first.

Provide refills and perform "bev nap mechanics"-let me not even get started on that.

Allow the guests to set the pace of the meal.

Settle the transaction within 2 minutes of the customer paying.

Seems simple enough. And in a perfect world, everything could and should happen exactly as stated above..

BUT

How do I greet you within 2 minutes when the table whose order I'm taking makes me stand there for 3 minutes (or longer, yes it happens) as they ask a million questions and decided what they want (this is after I asked them if they're ready to order and they said YES).

How do I bring your margarita to you within 3 minutes when the bartender is outside smoking, down at the other end of the bar chatting about what's showing on the big screen TV, or tending a busy bar?

How is your meal going to get to you in 14 minutes when the kitchen is short staffed to the point where the manager is on the line and we have NO EXPO meaning I have to dress and garnish the plates myself, carry them out 2 by 2 (since we weren't allowed trays) or hunt down another server to help me carry them out?

And how am I supposed to settle your transaction when as I'm walking to the POS the other table stops me and says their WELL DONE steak is not well enough done so can I please take it to the kitchen and burn it (yes this happened) and that takes priority because now I have a guest with no food in front of her.

So here's where I stand...you leave a crappy tip or no tip because my service was not up to standard. Was any of the above my fault? However, because the hostess double sat me (she will be getting a portion of my tip), the customer with no courtesy, the lazy bartender (who's also getting a portion of my tip), the managers' inability to properly schedule workers, mangement's brilliant notion that trays are a waste of time, and the kitchen's inability to cook a steak...I would pay for all that! And then on top of that, I'll be taxed on the money I didn't make.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

The only server I feel bad for is the one who is in this country illegally. My heart bleeds for them and I tip them generously. The rest of 'em... pfffft!

[Traviesa 0]

The only server I feel bad for is the one who is in this country illegally. My heart bleeds for them and I tip them generously. The rest of 'em... pfffft!

Don't you mean the dishwasher? They don't get tips silly!

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

This made me remember something else about Applebee's. Whenever I would clock out at night I had to enter my tips into the POS system. If your actual tip amount was lower than what the system "thinks" it should have been it won't let you clock out. So there were some times when I had to put in more money (up to double) what I actually made in order for it to allow me to clock out. This is for tax purposes, but it's not fair because I had to pay taxes on money I never actually got. And that's because of people who have that mindset that tipping is optional. Sorry but it's not optional and if you don't want to have to worry about leaving a tip here's a solution for you---eat at home.

A person that believes that it's the customer's fault is IMHO not well suited to work in service oriented jobs. Most certainly not in jobs where a tip constitutes a significant portion of the pay. So, if you want to do just the bare minimum and not worry about coming up short at the end of the night, here's a solution for you - don't work as a server.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Depends, is the dishwasher illegal? If so, I'd like to go into the kitchen and give him 10 bucks. Just as a way of saying thanks, on behalf of a grateful nation.

[Ban Hammer 14,036]

Depends, is the dishwasher illegal? If so, I'd like to go into the kitchen and give him 10 bucks. Just as a way of saying thanks, on behalf of a grateful nation.

are you busy being part of the problem instead of part of the solution?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Does anybody doubt Charles and my ability to turn this thread into an illegal immigration flame war?

[Traviesa 0]

This made me remember something else about Applebee's. Whenever I would clock out at night I had to enter my tips into the POS system. If your actual tip amount was lower than what the system "thinks" it should have been it won't let you clock out. So there were some times when I had to put in more money (up to double) what I actually made in order for it to allow me to clock out. This is for tax purposes, but it's not fair because I had to pay taxes on money I never actually got. And that's because of people who have that mindset that tipping is optional. Sorry but it's not optional and if you don't want to have to worry about leaving a tip here's a solution for you---eat at home.

A person that believes that it's the customer's fault is IMHO not well suited to work in service oriented jobs. Most certainly not in jobs where a tip constitutes a significant portion of the pay. So, if you want to do just the bare minimum and not worry about coming up short at the end of the night, here's a solution for you - don't work as a server.

Ok with all sarcasm aside, I'm being very real here. We worked our asses off at Applebees. I saw people who had previous experience at Red Lobster, Outback, etc (places who are much busier, slightly pricier, and expect a slightly higher level of service). It wasn't just me, and please don't suggest that I did a bad job. We would regularly get things like $3 on a $50 check, all the while you're thinking to yourself I did a really good job at that table and they really liked me. The fact is some people are impossible to please, some people honestly don't know how to tip, and (specific to this particular area where I live and work) some people are just cheap. They don't mind spending the money to come out and eat but they won't leave a tip. I remember this other girl and myself who are particulary sensitive would be running around fighting back tears because we were treated utterly unfairly by a table where we did a really good job. Things like that weren't the exception, they happened frequently, and is a large part of the reason I stopped working there.