Whew...

Oh.My. Gosh.

I guess it had been longer than I remember since I worked a double like that. Plus this one last night was a busy one. I'd get a table bussed and immediately seated again. This went on for 2 hours at least. My body is ACHING. Just gotta get through tonight and then I can rest.

Looooong Day

I am completely BEAT. I got in at 11am and ended up working my morning shift plus picking up for another server and working at night. I worked over 12 hours. By mid afternoon I had already beat out all the other servers in sales by several hundred. By the end of the night I had done almost $1,400 total sales which is amazing. But that also meant my tip out came to an astounding $41. OMFG! Highest I have tipped out yet!

But I did walk out with $178 after that tipshare, which is my new record so far :) It would have been a lot more though had I not had so many flamboyant verbal tippers. We all know what verbal tippers mean...."You're so wonderful, everything was great!" *10% tip*

I did completely bomb a table tonight. Like horribly and I'm ashamed. I'm surprised they even left me the $1 and some change after most of their meal was comped. I fucked up and I knew it. Damn. It's like one thing went wrong and I just kept making more mistakes! :(

Crazy Wednesday

I have never worked a Wednesday since I went through training a year ago at my job. So being scheduled for it tonight seemed like a toss up: it could be good or bad. The general consensus from my coworkers was that they general sucked and were slow, but every now and then I'd come into work on Thursday and here about "how crazy busy last night was!" so I had hope. Oh man, as my manager put it: we got raped! It was really busy!

I was initially peeved because I went in at 5pm, the latest you can go in, so I expected to be in the second cut at the earliest, but last cut/close would make more sense. Motherf*ck, I was put into the first cut section. They did this to me yesterday when I came in as well. Why in the world would you put me in first cut when I get in at 5. The people that come in at 4pm should be there, yet some 4pm people are in last cut? WTF? I drive almost 50 miles one way, that's BS. I have a feeling the managers are putting their 'favorites' in the good spots and leaving me and the other 'non favorites' in the crap places most of the time. And sad to say, that isn't an exaggeration. I'm afraid to question it because I'm afraid it will backfire on me and I'll be put on crappier sections just for objecting.Since I don't party or drink with the managers and their favorites, I am on my own at work...sometimes if I'm lucky getting a good spot but it's rare. What I don't think the favorites and managers realize is that non favorites/unspecial servers talk too. We know what's going on behind the scenes. Anyways...

I was fortunate in that I did manage to get the section in first cut with two big tables that can extend and hold large parties. So I actually did have large parties, and picked up a table as well. Since I had large parties, and those take a while to get going and then eventually leave, I only had 6 tables all night. I got cut at 8:30 as first cut. But after tipout even though I only had 6 tables I managed to make $80! I had all 20% or higher tips, plus my one big party had 12 separate checks. I like separate checks because they seem to make more in tips. The servers that complain or refuse to do them are missing out!

I had one funny moment I remember well. I was running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. I was slammed because 3 out of my 4 tables were sat at once, and it happened to be right after my 12 top sat down. As I'm briskly walking to my section, hands full, another server's table goes "Excuse me?! Excuse me miss!" I stop, inwardly sighing and look at the woman who demanded my attention when it was obvious I was extremely busy.

"Yes?" I said. "Where is our bread??! Can you bring us our bread???!" One, I'm not your server. Two the bread is completely across the restaurant. Three, I'm swamped with my own tables. Why can;t you just wait for your server and ask him? I know for a fact he's taking care of you in a timely manner. I have too much to do to take time I don't have to grab this woman bread when I know her server is right behind me. Plus she's not tipping me to do that.So I make a sad face and say "I'm very sorry, but I really don't have a spare moment to get you bread. I'm really really busy right now!" and I scurry away. The look on the demanding bitch's face was priceless. Like she couldn't believe I actually said no to her. She acted like she was the only one in the restaurant. He whole table went "Ooooooh!" Like I had just dissed her. She sat there in disbelief and pissed that she hadn't gotten me to drop everything for her.

Maybe if she hadn't acted like she was the center of the universe, gave me a demanding and rude tone, and give me a dirty look for telling her I was swamped, I might have obliged. Probably not though because it wasn't ABOUT her; I was really busy!

Cloud 9

Ah, what fun. I got into work at 5pm tonight and it was dead. We were running a 15 floor, which was way too many servers. that's how dead it was. I only had 5 tables, and was cut at 6:45pm. That's right....not even 2 hours of work. I walked with $36 which isn't bad for an hour and 45 minutes of work, and won the contest we had going with my high beverage PPA, high per person average, and high add-on PPA.

So I got to eat for free. Woohoo! An after a month of not seeing the boy, I see him Thursday! I am on Cloud 9!

Sorry Bud

What's with customers thinking I'm trying to pull a fast one on them and deny them something just for fun?

At least once a night this happens....

"What kind of beer do you have on draft?"

"We have....."

"You don't have (unlisted beer) on draft?"

"No."

If I listed every draft beer to you, that's what we have. Why would you ask me for a beer we don't have on draft when I just listed them all for you?

LOL.

You've Got a Lot of Nerve

One of the hostesses that works at my restaurant came into eat with 5 of her family members. Employees can come in with their family and get 20% off of their bill, but it's expected as a courtesy that if your fellow server did a good job, you're expected to leave at least 20% tip on the bill total BEFORE the discount. Not the discounted price.

Most people know this and make sure that their family tips accordingly, lest they embarrass the dining employee and make their fellow server coworker very angry at them, and the managers look down on tipping bad too from employees.

So my hostess employees bill was $136, with her 20% discount it was $106. I made sure they never had empty drinks, always getting everything fast, and giving my A game service. I should have been tipped at least $26, based on the pre discounted $136 total. The grandmother of the employee paid and looked uncomfortable with the price. Not my problem! And she left me $10.60 on the $106. 10% on the DISCOUNTED price. That's a huge no-no, and I'll be sure to tell the other servers about this. It's disgraceful- I work with you! My tip out goes towards your wages!

:(

Off work until Wednesday, doctor's orders. So I'm missing work today and tomorrow :( Cross your fingers that my manager keeps my schedule the same. I don't want her to think I need less hours because of this.

Doctor suggested I sound like I have gouty arthritis. Mom did research and everything sounds like me. Fuck my life, because all you can do is treat the symptoms and hope it doesn't damage your joints.

Dang It!

Dang it all! I went into work today ready to work a double for Valentine's Day, but after only 3 hours I had to let my managers know I wasn't going to make it.

I have had a pinched nerve in my foot since last year but it has never hurt this bad. And the bone in my foot where the nerve goes across (on the inside of my foot) is aching. It's sending shooting and dull constant excruciating pain. I'll be going to urgent care tomorrow, and I'm not allowed back to work until I get a note saying I can work. I'm going tomorrow and hope I can work again soon; I'm broke!

Dang it! Tonight was going to be MONEY! I was a double and put into a closing section so I'd have lots of money to make :( Sends me good vibes :(

V-Day Weekend

I don't have much to say lately, and that's not very fun for blogland. But surprisingly none of my customers have been out of this world annoying, shocking, or even story worthy nice. Just middle of the road, some OK, some you want to never serve again. But nothing that stands out. I suppose that could be a good thing depending on how you look at it.

I have been working as much as possible because my boyfriend is out of town for a few weeks and frankly...I have nothing better to do than work because I'm short on cash. I'm scheduled to work 4 days with one extra shift this week, which meant I had today and tomorrow off. Now, it's valentine's Day weekend- I want to work Saturday too! I'm already working a double on Sunday, but I posted a "I want to work Saturday!" note on the board at work, and last night thankfully somebody came forward and gave me their night shift.

This could be an interesting weekend. I'll report back.

Day Off!

Ah man, I'm beat after 6 days of work. I bet today will be my only day off until next Tuesday as well. But it has allowed me to get some stuff paid for that I needed, even if that means I'm broke now....that means the tips from this week will go into savings. I treated myself to going from working 2-3 days to 5-6 by getting my hair re-colored. Woohoo! I feel awesome.

Hello

I'm not dead I promise. Just working a 6 day stretch and very busy.

Woohoo!

I got totally surprised last night twice.

Once when I had two sweet old people at my table. Usually when old people come in for earlybirds, they don't tip much. But these guys paid their $21 tab with a GC (oh no!) but then left me a $9 and some change tip! Awww. And they were so NICE as well.

Second time was also a family with a GC. Their bill was $84, they gave me a $20 GC and their CC. Usually people tip off the discounted price and it drives me mad because it screws me over on my tipshare in the end. But lo and behold, I pick up the black book, and on their $64 tab, they left me $20!

Some people are wonderful.

Fail

Dammit. When you come and dine in to eat at a restaurant and you're from America, I expect that you know what tipping is. That means that when you bring in your foreign family members from Germany and they grab the bill, you are expected to inform them of tipping etiquette in America. Europe is not a tipping culture as much as the US is, so they make a good living wage, not the rock bottom wage servers get tipped here.

So when you don't check on your foreign friend to make sure they tipped appropriately on GREAT service (moreso than I usually do so I could be accommodating), and they leave me $3 on an $86 with a big smile on their face, I hate you just as much as them. But at least they might not know any better. YOU do.

My New Present

I was just given a BlackBerry by my boyfriend, awww. It was my bday present. And I have no idea how to use this thing. LOL!

WTF WTF

I just had a WTF drive home. I live 40 miles from my restaurant in another city. I drive that far because the money is way better than anything that's in my small town.

So, I stop for some Taco Bell after work. Eat some, and then start to leave the parking lot to go home. I edge out to turn onto the main drag and see a car coming so I wait because it's in the lane I need to go in. It ends up being a cop, and he turns into the gas station ahead of me and I turn onto the road ahead.

All of a sudden the same cop is behind me. Since I work in a very small city, the cops are notorious for pulling people over for the stupidest shit because I assume...they're bored. Not much going on in a small town in the desert. So I make sure I follow all traffic laws and go exactly the speed limit. And Mr. Cop proceeds to tailgate me for about 5 miles. His lights are really bright to begin with, and he's so close that my entire car is lit up by his headlights. He was making me extremely nervous, not to mention blinding me. And then wouldn't you know it, he pulls me over!

I cannot think for the life of me why he'd pull me over. I'm dumbfounded. He comes around and says "You pulled out too far to turn, and then I followed you and you kept riding the white line. Have you been drinking tonight?"

WTF?! One, I did not pull out too far. There was NOBODY else on the road but him, and I edged out but stayed off the main road until I turned out onto it. But really, what a pathetic reason to pull somebody over! And to try to tell me that because I might have nosed out too far, I must be drunk???? Two, I don't believe at all that I was straddling the white line, because I was making sure I was driving very well with him behind me. But if I had indeed been doing that, could it be because he was blinding me as he was tailgaiting me for 5 miles and scaring me? He then brought my IDs back and said "You were pulled over for suspicion of DUI, but you're obviously not drunk" and then left. WTF wtf! After he left I was loudly cursing him out in my car.

Still fuming, I come up to the Border Patrol checkpoint on my way home. This interaction dumbfounds me. I'll write my thoughts next to the conversation:

BP: Evening m'am. US citizen?

Me: Yes.

BP: This your car?

Me: Yes.

* BP looks in my car with his flashlight*

BP: Could you please pop your trunk?

Me: Um...OK sure. *pop trunk*

* BP looks in trunk and shuts trunk. Comes back to my window*

BP: Is this car new?

Me: *giggle* Nooooo. (wtf does it LOOK new? NO.....)

BP: *confused* What is it?

Me: A 1999. (really....it's a 99...again...how can you be confused when I tell you it's not new?)

BP: Oh.

*BP looks around at the back of my car and comes back around*

BP: Well, the thing is your license plate looks pretty new..... *stares suspiciously*

Me: *looks at BP incredulously* Uh YEAH, I was given the car last year and registered it with a new plate last September.....

BP: Oh. Have a good night.


Like really? How can you ask me my car is new when it's obviously old? And he really couldn't figure out why it had a new plate? That happens when a car is sold to somebody other than the original owner....moved from another state...etc. Um duh? His FIRST conclusion is to be suspicious of me stealing the car and putting my own new plate on it? I guarantee you that's what he was implying. And do I really look like I stole the damn car, are an illegal Mexican immigrant, as white and pale as I am? The car does not look stolen in any way- my stuff is strewn around it and I had no problem letting him look around it.

What a bunch of doofuses tonight. WTF was WITH tonight?