NT's Servers/Waiters/Waitresses: How Hard Is It To Wait Tables?

[lesfamilia]

It's no secret by now that I'm looking for another legal means of getting money.  With that being said, there are a couple places on the local base with vacancies in their wait staff, and I was thinking about applying but I wanted to get an idea of what to expect first.  From all the stuff listed in the description (between calculating check amounts and the etiquette when serving alcohol), it sounded a little more complicated than it might be.  All feedback is appreciated.

And if it's worth anything, I've worked retail before so this wouldn't be my first time working with the public.

 

[docsback]

They make it sound more important than it is. Just go in with a good attitude and you'll make some money

 

[juice man]

I'm going to an interview tomorrow for a wait staff job..

 

[lesfamilia]

Originally Posted by DocsBack

They make it sound more important than it is. Just go in with a good attitude and you'll make some money

Dude, it's eMBrawler, and I haven't seen you post in years it seems like.  Good to see you back.

Other than that, I'll go into with a good attitude and expect the best results.

 

[imixedi]

I can make around $100 night if business is good. I mean, it's not bad for a part time job for a kid in college and I'm only working for like 3-4 hours at a time. The job itself is so easy you almost get lazy after awhile. You just have to know how to deal with people.

 

[mosthated770]

dealing with people sucks......

 

[aceofjays]

It's easy money. I did it through out college.

 

[quig707]

Its easy. If you can multitask, and are decent at queuing tasks in your head, you'll be fine. Experience working retail helps. I've waited tables all through college, its not rocket science. Good ettiquette helps, but more importantly (and sadly, it took me the longest to learn this), the more real you are with your customers, the much easier time you'll have. If you're just playing the "role" of server the whole time, reciting your script (it turns into a script, you say the same things to every table you visit), they can tell. Thats all good until you screw up, then your customers just wont have much compassion for you. If you BS with them a little, offer real suggestions to the menu, and dont otherwise act like a robot, most people are cool with you when you make some dumb mistake. After six years of serving though, I still hate the formal process of presenting and pouring wine for a table, especially in the low scale restaurant I work in right now. Every time I feel like "this dude knows hes going to buy this bottle, why am I even showing him the label and letting him taste it first?" Money's good when its busy though. One of the few places you can go and work for 4-6 hours at a time, and make $15-$40/hr, most of that being cash in pocket at the end of the night.

 

[bigsean]

It's tough work, but it pays the apartment bills until college is through. Flirting with guys to increase tips is a necessity.

-Shean

 

[imixedi]

Originally Posted by BigSean

It's tough work, but it pays the apartment bills until college is through. Flirting with guys to increase tips is a necessity.

-Shean

I disagree. It's not tough at all. I can see why girls would make better tips than guys, though.

 

[mr jordan04]

easy money, but some people are gonna piss you the +%*$ off. youre gonna have to learn to bite your tounge sometimes

 

[ptrakarn23]

Originally Posted by Mr Jordan04

easy money, but some people are gonna piss you the +%*$ off. youre gonna have to learn to bite your tounge sometimes

true... patience and being able to work with people and smiling 90% of the time is one key... thats what gets me, sometimes im not in the mood to fake a smile

 

[putting in work]

Yeah the females def make more if they know "what to do" when it comes to waiting a table...

It's a little hard at first, but you'll get used to it quickly and before you know it you'll be flying right through things...

Bad part is you deal with cash and it becomes hard to save

 

[fantastic4our]

PATIENCE

you gotta be patient with people and have to suck it up sometimes when folk come out their neck wrong at you.

you're gonna get frustrated with kitchen staff when their $$$$ ups ends up messing up your $$$

just be patient and SMILE (even if you say some halfway rude !$%+ with a smile it still comes out nice

) and you'll be fine

 

[sn00pee]

hmm, what happen to serving being a difficult job?
I guess yall really dont deserve that 20% tip...

 

[mr jordan04]

Originally Posted by sn00pee

hmm, what happen to serving being a difficult job?
I guess yall really dont deserve that 20% tip...

Its not hard, but it does take a lot of attentiona to detail. You can have 5 different tables and each person be picky as +!*# and order something special. Hamburger, extra mayo, a little thousand, 1 slice of tomato, 2 pickes, easy on the lettuce, grilled onions, a slice of american chesse and cut it it half. That's not technically "hard," but you gotta make sure you pay attention to everything a customer says. Some people can get really anal

 

[xairmaxinx]

Man i went to this thai joint not too long ago, and left a dollar tip on a $40 tab. They ran after me after I left asking for more, I had to tell them im a broke college kid, and it was Valentines.

 

[ricerocket1]

its alright, you get overwhelm if you get triple sat and its your first time serving ha ha ha, but overall its a good way to earn a living for a college student. my advice is know the menu, and be nice to the kitchen and busser staff, the more you turn your tables the more money you make.

 

[docsback]

Originally Posted by LESfamilia

Originally Posted by DocsBack

They make it sound more important than it is. Just go in with a good attitude and you'll make some money

Dude, it's eMBrawler, and I haven't seen you post in years it seems like.  Good to see you back.

Other than that, I'll go into with a good attitude and expect the best results.

Haha, good to see you around. Just make sure your breath is ok, too.

 

[whipwrecker]

I never worked as one, but the key to getting tips is being friendly and helpful. I tip more to waitors who tell me their favorites, make suggestions, make small talk, quick with refills, etc. I tip the norm if I see the waitor 4 times (take order, get food, ask the standard "is everything all right?", give the check). If you make an effort that you care about the customers, you will make money.

And flirting may work for the simps, but I never tipped a crappy waitress more than she deserved because she was good looking or made a fake pass at me. They are like strippers like that.

Also, some dudes finagle the bill and I reward that heavily lol. But don't start doing that too soon.

 

[sshanique]

It's not that hard. It only sucks when cheap or uncooperative customers come in.