For all the “underpaid servers” out there. For some reason every server feels they are entitled to receiving a tip, even fast food places are starting to have a tip cup. I worked at a gas station prior to starting a real career, I never received a tip. But when I’d walk down the road to get a coffee I would be expected to tip. Lets see, I’d pump the gas, clean both windshields, check the oil and maybe even fill up your tires. That’s not tip worthy, but you serve someone a hot drink or plate of food and you think you work hard enough to be owed a tip? On a rare occasion I may leave a tip, but that’s if the server was good at their job. Very few are and seem to have the attitude that the tip determines the service you receive. You accept a minimum wage job, do it until your old and gray! If you can’t make ends meet don’t look for a handout after you serve a meal, get a better job! And to whomever left the comment on here about if you can’t tip after the meal, don’t eat out. You live in a twisted reality and I’m sure you believed your parents when they told you every day that you were special. And look, you grew up to serve people food, you really deserve a tip. The world owes you nothing. —No Change
This article appears in May 17-23, 2012.
Most are grads of NSCAD – Nova Scotia Coffee And Donuts
Must have worked there in the olden days, I think everyone needs to pump their own gas now don’t they unless they require assistants if they are handicapped or something? I used to like Esso when they gave out the hockey stamps (stickers) back in the early 70’s
more bitchy waitresses?
what has this world come to?
http://graphjam.files.wordpress.com/2008/1…
I think it’s been forever since self-serve was legislated as the norm.
Did your car have a 2-barrel or 4-barrel?
And the gas was alllllll leaded!
Fuck yeah!
Maybe you were too unattractive to wait tables, thus you chose to work to pump gas? That would explain the bitterness. 😀
Tend to agree with this bitch. Going to the drive-thru or walking up to the counter to order feels like one step away from self-service. Tip cups kinda remind me of the beggar brigade on SGR shoving their cups in your face every day.
I agree with this bitch but at the same time you’re using their service and if they all went and got better jobs you wouldn’t have anyone to bring you your food or drinks. People can’t survive on minimum wage. A lot of them have no other way to make ends meet while they pursue an education. Besides have you taken a look at the job market around here lately? Not exactly thriving. This is a service industry province.
I agree that tips shouldn’t be expected but earned, but if you don’t tip when someone does a good job you are a cheap skate. I hate cheap tippers and I’ve never worked at a job where I got tips, except for my first job at subway where I might have gotten like 14 bucks a months if I was lucky. It’s just inconsiderate and disrespectful.
Victor – brilliant description of NSCAD.
Smile & Wave – I believe I have some of those stamps – my fav was Derek Sanderson and his big ass sideburns.
As far as tipping goes, if I get good service, why not? If I don’t, I will wave a sneaky fart in his/her general direction.
His car got 40 rods to the hogshead, and that’s the way he liked it!
I would love if there was a way that I could go to a sit-down restaurant and just be my own waitress but I’m not given the option so… you best be stellar if you want a tip.
I have one word for the snarky fucking wait staff – AUTOMATS, give me chrome and processed cheese sandwiches, put the coins in, no tipping, no sneer.
We self serve in Sobeys and SS and Gas, why not Dim Whortons?
I am however easily swayed in a bar, if the waitress has big Bazungas and keeps the nips out of my suds, she’s guaranteed a tip
I really don’t think working at a gas station is harder than waiting on tables or fast food. You fill the tank until it reaches a certain level or you check the oil or other fluids. I’m not demeaning service station work but I think waitressing is hard work and worth a tip.
I used to pump gas for a year or two, then I was a bus boy for about a year. Waiting tables and doing dishes was a hell of alot easier than working at a service station. I think both jobs were “tipworthy”. But the one that required me to be covered and smell like fossil fuels all day, slice my hands up doing tire work, burn myself checking fluids under the hood and freeze my ass off in the winter for 8 hours a night never earned me a tip. But I’d serve a drink or a plate of food and I’d be at least a dollar richer. The service determines the tip, and I’m not overly impressed with alot the servers I’ve encountered. I think any great service at the minimum wage level deserves a reward, not just because its food or coffee, thats a double standard.
Anyone that believes that good servers do not deserve a tip, has never been a server. It is a high stress job, and those of you who have never served will never understand. Great service = great tip. Anyone that disagrees is cheap and discourteous and should stay at home or get fast food for dinner.
They could always try this
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-21…
I hate it when people say it’s a high stress job! “Oh, if you’ve never done it, you’d never understand”
Get over it! You’ve never actually worked in a high stress job to compare it to, because you likely haven’t progressed much farther than a waitress on your career path. Ever try a 12 hour shift of manual labour? Ever work with a group of mentally handicapped individuals? How about drafting for an Engineering company that has deadlines coming outta their whazoo? THOSE are high stress. Waitressing is a… medium stress job
because it’s so stressful having to be nice to people…
you should be paid for it! of course…
wouldn’t want to just be nice for nice’s sake…
‘If you’re good at something, never do it for free…’
Good point EggzZz. I SHOULD be paid for being nice to people, it gets bloody hard somedays.
No one here’s saying every server out there doesn’t deserve a tip. I tip according to the level of service I receive and it’s usually on the more generous side.
The problem we have is that certain servers (namely ones who come on here) EXPECT tips like it’s an entitlement. It’s not. It never was and never will be something that’s required. Tips are nice gestures people like to give when they get great service. Period. Yes, it’s something that people serving expect and it’s something most of us expect to do when we go out, but the fact is, no server is entitled to a tip, and you better make damn sure you don’t show me an attitude of entitlement to some extra cash i give you because I want to show I’m appreciative of your service.
That being said, the VAST majority of the time I always get an appreciative thank you for my tips when I leave them. I don’t expect it, really, I just expect the server not to think it’s an expectation and treat it as such (especially to my face).
I think servers should be happy they even get tips (and are generally really successful at it) — there are MANY min wage workers who work just as hard as they do and don’t get any tips.
Oh and I agree 100%, Captain! I’m pretty sure the five doctors my mom saw last Friday in the ER have a more stressful job times a billion than a server. These people have to be on their game 150% of the time because if they don’t make the right diagnosis or miss something or don’t even diagnose a problem PEOPLE COULD DIE.
I haven’t really heard of anyone dying because their server didn’t live up to performance standards.
When doctors don’t live up to performance standards PEOPLE DIE, OK?
Maybe I should give my doctor a tip next time I go see her. She certainly deserves it for keeping my sick ass alive all these years.
Haha, you’re definitely right PK! But, your doctor is probably the last person requiring a gratuity. They’re generally richer folk
hey Captain…
I was replying to Celeste, regarding the ‘stresses’ of having to be nice, polite, and apologetic when things get backed up…
none of which are ‘high stress’ times, I might add.
Captain mentions some doozies…
I personally have typed a command, hit the enter key, realized what I’ve accidentally/fantastically TRAGICALLY done, and started immediately sweating, swearing, and I could literally feel my pulse as my heart rate heightened…
luckily, my ability to deal, get on the phone ASAP, and correct my mistake before I caused a 7 figure loss in revenue got me through and not fired on the spot…
So OP, what was so stressful about your waitressing job again???
the steak took too long??
they asked for NO lemon in their water???
oh…ok. how ever will you deal?
No one said “good” servers don’t deserve a tip. Btw, if people stop going to your restaurant, you lose your job. I’m sure your employer would be thrilled to hear you telling potential customers to stay home.
Oops, my bad. I’m a bit manic today. Please, nobody pay me any attention, my mind is all over the place and I can’t control it.
“I haven’t really heard of anyone dying because their server didn’t live up to performance standards”
people have been ‘served’ raw chicken and died…
that shit is serious bizznizz.
may be the cook’s fault… but it also goes through the expediter’s/server’s hands too…
I like to tip if the service is good or i’m a regular. And if i’m drinking i ESPECIALLY like to tip because no one should have to put up with that shit for free.
However, i hate being EXPECTED to tip. I once walked into a pretentious turd cafe in the north end that had a stupid cup with flowers on it. And the cup said “Tipping is not a city in china. We appreciate your appreciation”
So i left a note in the stupid cup that siad “fuckyou is not a city in Thailand. Appreciate THAT.”
and never went back.
I don’t serve anymore, but I would never DARE complain to anyone if I did not receive a tip, and if I knew that I was not going to receive one, I would do just as good a job, because I like treating people to a great experience. Shame on anyone that would say a rude thing for the sake of 5 dollars. With that being said, my defense is for the people that work their butts off to get through school and that someone would say, “You’ve never actually worked in a high stress job to compare it to, because you likely haven’t progressed much farther than a waitress on your career path.” That is unkind (and unfounded). And I will never understand intentional unkindness (or the presumption). You are right, I should not have said, “stay home or eat fast food” to make a point, but I would never say anything unkind intentionally.
Hey Captain!
I’m a server and I do work 12 hour days! hahaha. no breaks, it’s 35 degrees in the kitchen and a serve about 300 customers a night. Most of the are drunk and so many of them feel like it’s appropriate to be sexual with me or grab me or call me names because I’m a server. I’ve had food thrown at me, I regularly clean vomit, I double as a cook when it’s busy, and I do it all with a mother fucking smile. And I make around 20 bucks a month in tips. which is nothing.. it’s pennies a day.
HEY EGGZZZ!!!
Any server will tell you that the funny/nice conversations you get to have with customers is what makes the job worth while. It’s the only reason I’m still in the service industry and it’s the only reason I make any tips at all. Oh yeah, also, you’re a dick.
I’ll take that as a complement.
If you think the general public can cause a fuss at your job…
try working with the guys on wall street.
You’d be crying/quitting within an hour.