In my late teens and early twenties I was a waitress during summers to make money for college and support my husband's continuing education. I loved every position I ever had from steak houses to some very high end restaurants. The money was great and the people I worked with became life long friends.
Never worked so hard in my life but my flair for organization and totally loving to be around people were recognized then. I had what it took. Greensboro in the '70's was the time of ACC Tournaments, The Greater Greensboro Open and the Furniture Market. Events that are still with us, names changed a little in some cases. During this time you knew that there was some tremdous amount of cash to be made and you had to be on your toes. I met so many famous and important people while I was just a girl and prided myself on the service I gave them. My greatest disappoinment during these years was waiting on a golfer and his group while they were at the GGO. I gave them great service, liked them and was sure they liked me. As the evening ended I was rewarded with a $3 tip on a $500 bill. Will not give the full name of the famous golfer, but his first name was Fuzzy.
I even worked in a restaurant in Raleigh on that night in February 1979 when North Carolina got liquor by the drink. The hard work, excitement and the padded pocket book of that night will never be forgotten.
It has been over thirty years since I last waited on a table but have never lost respect for the work that people in restaurants do. I am the first to point out that bad service should not be totally blamed on the person who stands in front of you to take your order. Funny thing that years later in a sales career I faced the same issues when something behind the scenes messed up an order and since I was the only face the customer saw, I took the blame. I have worked in restaurants where the cooks/chefs may have partied too much before coming to work, prep people chose not to come in at all or even fellow servers. However, the show must go on and those who appeared had to work that much harder, many times it was a disaster and others it miraculously fell into place.
Today, as a customer, I am aware of what can go wrong and am much more patient than those dining with me. However, there are things that irritate me: 1. Don't tell me that the chef is drunk or how short staffed you are, say I'm sorry and give me something free as I am being nice. 2. Be pleasant, but unless I ask to hear it, do not tell me your life story when I am enjoying a dinner with family or friends. 3. Be on the ball, keep glasses filled and whisk trash away.
I've heard that in these tough economic times that when people go out to eat they save money by cutting down on the amount of tip they leave. So wrong. These people are hurting too. Another fact is that if paying a bill by credit or debit card and including a tip may result in the restaurant taking part of it to pay for processing fees. Always try to leave a cash tip.
Of course, tipping goes far beyond those who serve you in restaurants. I remember my Mother always giving change to the guy who put groceries in our car. I remember the first time someone told me that they left change in a motel room for the maids after their night's stay. I learned years ago that the person who cut my hair or did my nails deserved extra money when I had just spent a fortune for their services. When I began to business travel I learned that everyone who touched my bag was to get a tip. It has only been in recent years that I realized that the people who delivered furniture and appliances to my home deserved a gratuity when we had just spent a bundle on delivery costs.
Then there are the Christmas gifts. Our newspaper carrier sends us a letter reminding us of his name each year and he gets a gift card as our paper is on our driveway hours before we wake up. Then there are the letter carriers who have to break stride in their routes to bring to the door something we ordered that will not fit in the mailbox. We pay to have our trash picked up and me, the ultimate anti-clutter person creates sometimes a lot more than fits into our alloted can. They all deserve a tip. A gift card at Christmas is such a small thing to do.
All of the above situations are ones where I've slid into the tipping comfort zone. When I order food from a counter, take it to the table and clean up my mess. Why when I sign my purchase receipt is there a spot to add tip? Sure anyone who delivers pizza to your door deserves a tip, but when I pick one up, why am I made to feel like I should tip then too?
Fact is a tip is deserved to those who you feel go far beyond what is expected of them.
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