How the restaurant chains pocket your tips...

Danyúl_II

I've worked in 3 restaurants.

1st (TGI Fridays) one we kept 100% of cash tips (waiters) and then it was up to us to give a little bit to the waiter assistant people who cleaned tables and stuff, so I always gave 10% of mine per night to each of the 2 other people. Credit card tips were added to wages at end of the month, but taxable.

2nd restaurant (Bella Italia) we kept again 100% of cash tips, and at our discretion gave some to the kitchen staff, so again 10/20% per night from me. Credit card tips taxable at end of the month in wages.

3rd restaurant (Old Orleans) kept 100% of cash and credit card tips. Credit card tips were simply paid in cash by the restaurant at the end of the evening. No waiter assistants or tips to kitchen staff given.

I can never understand why kids would choose to work in shops over restaurants. I made an absolute fortune (for a 16-20 year old in a part time job) working as a waiter. Always over £5,00 per hour, and in the 3rd restaurant took home about £40 extra per Friday/Saturday night in tips.

gunsandbanjos

Dany!l_II wrote: »

I've worked in 3 restaurants.

1st (TGI Fridays) one we kept 100% of cash tips (waiters) and then it was up to us to give a little bit to the waiter assistant people who cleaned tables and stuff, so I always gave 10% of mine per night to each of the 2 other people. Credit card tips were added to wages at end of the month, but taxable.

2nd restaurant (Bella Italia) we kept again 100% of cash tips, and at our discretion gave some to the kitchen staff, so again 10/20% per night from me. Credit card tips taxable at end of the month in wages.

3rd restaurant (Old Orleans) kept 100% of cash and credit card tips. Credit card tips were simply paid in cash by the restaurant at the end of the evening. No waiter assistants or tips to kitchen staff given.

I can never understand why kids would choose to work in shops over restaurants. I made an absolute fortune (for a 16-20 year old in a part time job) working as a waiter. Always over £5,00 per hour, and in the 3rd restaurant took home about £40 extra per Friday/Saturday night in tips.

I've worked for Old Orleans, and currently work for TGI Fridays, same system at my Fridays for tips, however when i worked at Old Orleans we tipped out the kitchen staff 10% of our tips, no SA's to tipout as there wasnt one!

I would never work somewhere where i didnt get to keep the money i had earned. We dont tip out our kitchen staff as they are paid more than the floor staff to make up for the fact they dont get tipped.

Danyúl_II

I hated working at Fridays, haha.

Although the food is delicious (as long as you don't think of the people who cook it!).

I loved working in Orleans. My best tip was a £35,00 tip off a group of Irish visitors. Was well chuffed! Actually I just remembered - we tipped the bar at our place, and not the kitchen staff! I remember now 'cos I remember giving a fiver of that to the guy on the bar that night.

IvanOpinion

I wish some people would be a bit more honest with themselves. When they say they don;t want to tip it is because they don;t want to pay them NOT because of some campaign to get a waiter a minimum wage. Most wait staff that I have come across seem to like the tip system ... yes they all plead poverty but in the main they know that 'waiting tables' is a minimum wage job and to get above this they rely on tips.

We would always pay tips in cash, never on credit cards, in the belief (rightly or wrongly) that it maximises what the staff get.

Ivan

Norton_Blade

From working in a hotel restaurant myself for a couple of years, basically, the staff receive the minimum amount possible.

For starters, it's minimum wage.

Room service charges were paid to the company of which we never saw a bean. (It was only us running up and downstairs with heavy trays, don't you worry )

Credit card tips disappeared into the ether (or the pockets of the management, take your pick as to what is the most likely.)

Tips were always shared equally with the management on duty, who definitely didn't work for minimum wage and probably spent most of the shift in the office doing "paperwork".

It is for this reason, we never felt guilty about eating and drinking as much as possible... aided and abetted by the lovely chefs

The point to take from this is... if you would like to reward your waiting staff, put the cash into their hands on exit and say it is specifically for them.

gunsandbanjos

Dany!l_II wrote: »

I hated working at Fridays, haha.

Although the food is delicious (as long as you don't think of the people who cook it!).

I loved working in Orleans. My best tip was a £35,00 tip off a group of Irish visitors. Was well chuffed! Actually I just remembered - we tipped the bar at our place, and not the kitchen staff! I remember now 'cos I remember giving a fiver of that to the guy on the bar that night.

I like my job at Fridays, wouldnt have been there 6 years if i didnt. Totally agree that i wouldnt do anything else for minimum wage;) Cant understand people who work in shops etc rather than restaurants, although the hours are more sociable!

I make fantastic money most nights, you do have the odd night of tight fisted barstewards but thats quite rare. Made £80 last friday off a lovely group of ladies:D Most i've seen anyone walk out with was £280 in cash from one night!!! Again, why would you work in a shop?

Danyúl_II

gunsandbanjos wrote: »

I like my job at Fridays, wouldnt have been there 6 years if i didnt. Totally agree that i wouldnt do anything else for minimum wage;) Cant understand people who work in shops etc rather than restaurants, although the hours are more sociable!

I make fantastic money most nights, you do have the odd night of tight fisted barstewards but thats quite rare. Made £80 last friday off a lovely group of ladies:D Most i've seen anyone walk out with was £280 in cash from one night!!! Again, why would you work in a shop?

"happy happy birthday.."
I actually really enjoyed my years as a waiter. Bloody good job it was! :T

advent1122

gunsandbanjos wrote: »

you do have the odd night of tight fisted barstewards but thats quite rare.


Again, why would you work in a shop?

Again - Why should I tip?
You are there to serve me my meal, not hover like some demented American cheerleader asking me if everything is fine after each mouthful.
I dont care what your name is, I dont want to make small talk, I just want you to dump my egg and chips in front of me and sod off.
If I want anything I have a voice and will call you.
I HATE the false, happy grinning, name badge wearing, note pad carrying, serving wenches.
Bring back the days when Mrs Overall would appear from the back with a stinky tea towel holding your plate, stained pinny and a fag hanging out of her mouth and dump the food in front of you.
Ahhhhhhhh I am going all misty eyed.

As for why would you work in a shop.
Mrs Advent worked in one when the little Advents were in school. She worked 10am-2pm. Perfect hours, didn't change from week to week and she didnt have to laugh at sh1te jokes from a group of leary businessmen in the hope of a tip.

Danyúl_II

Blimey, calm down.

advent1122 wrote: »

Again - Why should I tip?

You don't need to tip. Restaurants, in the main, pay their staff the same wages as they'd receive working in a shop. I don't always tip - but when I do it's because I have received good service (friendly attitude, prompt service) and I then leave 10% of the bill.

advent1122 wrote: »

You are there to serve me my meal, not hover like some demented American cheerleader asking me if everything is fine after each mouthful.

Do remember that if you work in one of these commercial restaurants (TGI Fridays, Frankie & Bennys etc) then you have to check back on your customers during each meal to make sure everything is alright. Why would a waiter/ess not do this and risk being fired for not doing their job properly? I did it to every table, even if I didn't particularly like the customers. A simple "is everything OK with your meal" doesn't hurt anybody. Restaurants train staff to maximise profits. I didn't give a damn about my restaurant making loads of money, but it was part of the job and that's why I did as I was instructed to.

advent1122 wrote: »

I dont care what your name is, I dont want to make small talk, I just want you to dump my egg and chips in front of me and sod off.
If I want anything I have a voice and will call you.

Then why would you waste your time in a commercial restaurant when you know that their (waiter/ess) job is to engage in light conversation and to ensure you have a pleasant (by the standards of the restaurant) meal? Go to a greasy spoon cafe instead.

advent1122 wrote: »

I HATE the false, happy grinning, name badge wearing, note pad carrying, serving wenches.
Bring back the days when Mrs Overall would appear from the back with a stinky tea towel holding your plate, stained pinny and a fag hanging out of her mouth and dump the food in front of you.

See bold text above.

advent1122 wrote: »

As for why would you work in a shop.
Mrs Advent worked in one when the little Advents were in school. She worked 10am-2pm. Perfect hours, didn't change from week to week and she didnt have to laugh at sh1te jokes from a group of leary businessmen in the hope of a tip.

Good for her. If you're not bothered too much about the 'unsociable' hours why would you work in a shop when you can make 2/3/4 times so much money in a restaurant? Don't forget the overwhelming majority of waiters and waitresses are young people (18-25) and are simply doing it to fund their education or social life. I'd recommend working in a restaurant for anybody who wants to earn very easy money.

Rab19

As a Mystery Shopper, I know that restaurants will lose points if the server doesn't ask how the meal is & acts happy to see you - it's obviously what the Company want, so I think Advent, you're being a little harsh!

They're doing their jobs & the only thing that I get annoyed with is when there's an automatic 10% added onto the bill for service charge and they don't mention it in the hope of a bigger tip - whenever we go out as a team, if this is added, we only ever pay the bill with the service charge on it - they'd be better off leaving it off & probably ending up with a bigger tip instead!


Rab x x