Maggie's Farm

We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

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Wednesday, May 9. 2018

Wait Staff


I am sure we have readers who did wait staff jobs at some point in life.  I discussed the skills involved with somebody this weekend.  We laughed about two topics in particular. First, how to load and balance a full tray of plates and silverware, get under it in a squat, and lift. Second, how to load a tray of 20-30 glasses and throw a damp towel on top to glue them together.


Of course, the dramatic moments are when you drop a fully-loaded tray because some little kid scurries in front of you. Big crash, everybody has to rubberneck. Good times.


Just busing tables at large events quickly and efficiently is a skill. Delivering food to the tables is another skill. When I was in college, we figured 40 wait staff for 1000 guests, 4-5 for 150 guests. It's a work-out.


Always tip wait staff. Always, in the US anyway. 

Posted by The News Junkie in The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation at 13:15 | Comments (8) | Trackbacks (0)

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In Lyon France in 2008 we were staying in the Iris hotel, which has one of those big help yourself breakfast rooms. It was a mess. Very busy. Lots of touristy types leaving stuff all over. I will never forget Cyril, the man in charge of this debacle. I have seldom seen such a tough and muscular person. I think it was from keeping that place stocked and cleaned up. He also showed a fine Gallic contempt for the punters. lol
#1 pbird on 2018-05-09 14:05 (Reply)
I was a busboy through much of college. Don't have the social skill to be a waiter.

A few waiters, recognizing how hard some of the bus staff worked, gave us more than 10% of their tips. One, particularly when she had large parties, gave up to 40%. She knew how to keep the bread buttered....literally.
#2 Bulldog on 2018-05-09 15:37 (Reply)
This is why I have set a personal minimum tip of $5 where the bill is $15 or less. They work just as hard as the waitstaff at a high-end restaurant.
#3 snopercod on 2018-05-09 18:25 (Reply)
I have been both wait staff, and banquet staff. I'll take the banquet job any day of the week. Wait staff these days are expected to turn over up to 40% of their tips to management, so it's not as lucrative as people think.

Banquet staff, although they don't get tips, have much less stress, for just a little less money. Plus, you get to see lots of interesting conventions; like the Annual Used Motor Home Gala, and the Little People Singles Roundup. The fun never ends.

And there are other advantages to working in a Hotel. Usually they feed you a great meal before your shift begins, and if things are running smoothly, there's no problem taking a smoke break. The only bad part is those fifty-pound oval trays that you have to lug back to the kitchen, so the Somali dishwashers can curse at you.
#4 Ron Liebermann (Link) on 2018-05-09 20:48 (Reply)
"Server" is the gender neutral term, as in "How long have you been a server, Honey?"
#5 rhhardin (Link) on 2018-05-10 07:12 (Reply)
Try waiting/busing on a moving train. In college, 30 odd years ago, I was a sleeping car conductor for the German railroad. Hint—do it one compartment, maximum six passengers, at a time. The bonus is, in Europe, the tip is built into the price.
#6 Bruce Anderson on 2018-05-10 07:30 (Reply)
I dropped a promising girlfriend on the basis of her being rude to waitstaff. No loss.
#7 sixtyville on 2018-05-10 13:03 (Reply)
Agree strongly. People reveal who they are.
#7.1 Assistant Village Idiot (Link) on 2018-05-10 14:16 (Reply)

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