In today’s society, wait staff positions encompass a large portion of the employment industry. These men and women are right in the forefront tending to ones every need yet thought of as being behind the scene help. As society evolves more and more, meals are more likely to be devoured away from home. More often in an environment where the patron not only desires, but demands that all their needs are met, including speedy service.
I had the opportunity to go behind the scene and get the general insight into the everyday experiences these wait staff experience. Though I once was employed in this very same field many, many years ago in my younger years, I still experienced culture shock during my adventure. It appears as though the wait staff industry has also evolved along with society’s changes. What use to be an enjoyable, fun, and enlightening industry to work in has now become a cut throat, painful, and endlessly destructive emotionally to the status of many wait staff. This is why I chose to create this article.
I have chosen to chapter out the individual experiences and observations that I have collected and submit them individually. I will follow with some examples of how this has affected the entire industry as well as society as a whole. With this, I hope to imply a profound importance to each individual segment.
CHAPTER ONE
The background of tip compliance
Unlike the days in the past, the IRS has now deemed that the menial gift of a tip for services is an additional income that shall be taxed. This has generated much of the discontent, spite, deceit, and cut throat attitudes encompassed within the wait staff industry as well as within its patrons.
The labor board jumped on the band wagon making the decision that the companies employing wait staff may lessen their payroll burden by paying up to three dollars less than minimum wage. In layman’s terms they deem that the patrons should subsidize the wait staff’s minimum wage requirements.
These two financial economic evolutions are now the core root of the infused deceit, turmoil, and cut throat attitudes displayed behind the scenes as well as on the fore front of this industry. The IRS has moved in to police this “gift for services”. Being that they are conditioned to believe the honor system is one that will not work in this matter; they audit the actual sales of individual businesses. Everything that goes to the floor is documented with a dollar value. This dollar value is then used to calculate an estimated fruition of a gratuity. This gratuity is then allocated as additional income for the employee.
There are many different ways that the IRS has deemed their findings to be statistical data. But with all, whom understand the factual data of equations, know that statistical data cannot be considered true fact when it is deemed that the stats are built upon human nature, environmental, or social status. Though the cries of discrimination fall on mute ears, one must agree to such terms of employment if they are in need of supporting the families or livelihood.
One equation used by the IRS is calculating a business’s year to date sales of prior years within individual departments. This happens most in the casino industry than in others. Since most drinks are of comp value in the casino industry, they take the actual sale price of that item for use in their calculations. From this, the tally is then divided into what is considered an average sales statistic per hour. At this point they estimate the probable fruition of gratuity that is gained from these sales. Generally, they use yet another statistic they generated founded on their perspective of human nature. They then stipulate what the wait staff makes in tips per hour and demands that this amount be used for the calculation of hourly tips per department. This then becomes the IRS’s estimated additional income received by the wait staff.
Another equation used by the IRS for smaller companies is daily tallying of a wait staff’s individual generated sales. Every ticket is calculated on a daily basis and it is from this total that the IRS again utilizes their perspective of human nature to calculate the wait staff’s additional income. Here is where the confusion starts for most small businesses and their wait staff. Tips that are documented through application of a credit card by the patron must be claimed. There is no ratio of leniency for charged tips and the wait staff must claim 100% of these generated gratuities. A daily tally is then calculated for all cash sales where a stipulated percentage of those total sales are deemed to be the wait staffs fruition of gratuity and must be claimed as additional income.
Some establishments that employ minimal staffing may use the “tip credit” calculation. This can only be done in the states that have passed “tip Credit” law. This is a very easy method and requires no calculation of a server’s daily sales. I’ll give you an example. The state the employee works in has a minimum wage rate of $7.50/hr. It also has a “tip credit” law that allows a reduced minimum wage rate of $4.50/hr for tipped employees. The establishment will automatically calculate $3.00/hr as the employees tip compliance calculation and show it on the employees pay stub as tips received.
WHERE DOES EVERYTHING GO WRONG?
Some patrons have knowledge of these IRS and labor laws. A few are very headstrong about how they feel about subsidizing a company’s payroll every time they go out to eat. They are so head strong about the topic that they have chosen to never dine out in an establishment that allows their gratuity to subsidize a company’s payroll. (Yes, there are companies out there, government entities, a total of seven states, and mainly unionized companies that do not decrease the minimum wage of their employees.) For up to date information on this topic:
visit this website: http://www.dol.gov/whd/state/tipped.htm
Though these headstrong patrons are only a minute portion of the population today, there is still a portion of the population that now refuse to tip on the pretence that their efforts in some way may change the IRS’s rulings on this matter. Let’s also not forget that at this very time that I am writing this article, our country is now in a recession which has also bread a whole new generation of categorical patrons. With less and less expendable funds available for a family to dine out with, the wait staff is first to be effected. Many people are still choosing to go out on the town with the intention of cutting their expenses by leaving a menial tip (skeletal tip) or no tip at all (a stiff). Then we have the categorical patrons that feel it is their duty to compensate for what others have not done and leave a very generous tip on the table. These patrons may sometimes go as far as to watch what is left on the tables surrounding them and choose to hand the tip directly to their wait staff along with the caring speech about how others should eat at home if they can’t afford to tip.
There are many more categorical patrons in the mix of this industry and I will try to touch on more of these as I continue throughout my article.
** ADDED NOTATION: As of March 2011 - Congressman Paul reintroduced H.R.1139, the "Tax Free Tips Act of 2011", to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude tips from any income or employment tax.
Here (http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h112-1139 ) is where you can track all major activity on this bill and its amendments, references in the Congressional Record, and relevant upcoming committee meetings.
CHAPTER TWO
The checklist
The most dramatic evolution of this industry is within the treatment of wait staff. This not only includes their company of employ, but their patrons as well. In this chapter I would like to encompass a checklist format of the do’s and don’ts while dining out in hopes to enlighten many of what is considered proper ethics of a patron. The more one understands their part in this industry the more the productive service from their wait staff can be generated.
A TIME TO ENTER AND A TIME NOT TO…
Every business has their hours of business posted on their doors. However, what some do not comprehend is that the closing time generally deems the time the doors will be locked. It is proper ethics to take into consideration the time it takes to prepare and serve a meal when nearing the posted closing time. With this it would only be common sense that one should not walk into an establishment at 8:45PM knowing the posted closing hours were 9PM and expect to order a meal that requires an hour to prep and serve. Proper etiquette deems that one should first consider finding an establishment to better suit their late hour needs. If this is not an option then one should consider ordering something that takes less prep time to serve such as soup and salad or maybe a cold sandwich.
TAKE TIME TO READ THE MENU
Many questions that are asked of the wait staff are already answered on the menu. An informative menu is generated to assist you in your decisions. Every minute generated over these typical questions takes time away from not only your wait staff but other patrons as well. If you have certain favorite places you like to go, it is also proper etiquette to request a takeout menu to utilize at home. Knowing the menu items ahead of time will help assist you in delivering your order to your wait staff on your next visit.
KNOW WHEN TO ASK FOR SPECIFIC CONDIMENTS
Use good judgment. If you wish to use additional condiments than what is provided on your table, you should not wait till after your meal is served to request them. If you know you are going to want mayo for your burger, request it while you are ordering. If you know that you have a desire to saturate your fries in ranch or blue cheese dressing, then request the additional amount at the time of ordering. If you are going to need an additional empty plate to share a menu item, this too should be requested while ordering your meal. All of these mentioned above and much more are again another way patrons take time away from the wait staff as well as from other patrons. Your wait staff will be more than willing to get these items for you and be appreciative that you have requested them in a timely manner.
A TIME AND A PLACE FOR SPECIAL ORDERS…..
Everyone has special tastes they enjoy and ways they prepare their own food at home. Sometimes we find it enjoyable to go out and get that same special taste by requesting a reversion to an item on the menu. Most restaurants are happy to oblige you in your venture for that. However, there is always a time and place that this should be done. You should never expect this treatment during what we call rush hour. Expecting special treatment at this time can cause a delay not only with your food but of other patrons dining at that time.
STACKING OR NOT STACKING MY DISHES…
Each restaurant has their own process for debris removal from the table. The majority of the time your table will be pre-bussed by either a wait staff or a busser. Many patrons try to assist their wait staff by stacking their own dishes. Is this really a helpful gesture?? To the patron it may seem to be, however, improperly stacked dishes can end up being more work for the wait staff. The number one no-no is stacking plates on top of food or silverware. This alone can cause an imbalance in the stacked plates while carrying them to the bus stub.
Some restaurants require the plates to be scraped prior to going into the bus tub. This becomes a difficult task when plates have food on both sides due to stacking them prior to scraping them.
Silverware is generally put in a separate tub from the plates so they can soak in a prewash solution. Having to dig through stacked plates in order to retrieve them becomes a difficult and messy situation as well as the biggest reason for flatware loss. More times than wanted, the silverware ends up in the trash with the scraped debris causing a loss to the restaurant.
This next statement is a general statement and does not relate to all restaurant management.. The act of patrons stacking their own dishes construes a vivid gesture of annoyance or impatience about their eating area being tidy. Stacked dishes at a table are almost always a red flag to management that someone is not doing their job. So instead of helping your wait staff you may be hindering their employment status.
FLIPPING TABLES..
If you find the table you are seated at is not satisfactory to your liking, DO NOT re-seat yourself somewhere else. You should always inquire on a seat change as soon as possible. Most restaurants work from a floor plan in order to accomplish many different things. First and foremost, a floor plan insures that no certain waitress gets what we call “slammed”. Another important reason is to allow fairness to all staffers (workload, table call, tips, etc.) . Some floor plans leave way for a training section where a new employee may start in order to get up to speed with the rest.
ORDERING ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES..
It is important for you to know what process a restaurant uses for alcoholic beverages prior to requesting them. This is a question that should be asked while you are being taken to your table. Some restaurants use cocktail servers that do what we call “cash and carry”. If this is the case, you pay for your drinks in cash upon receiving them. Others may employ a beverage person or require the wait staff to retrieve them. In either case, it is proper to let your seater know that you wish to order from the bar.
Restaurants are not night clubs and you should always think twice about what you are ordering. It is always common sense to stick to the basic drinks especially during what we call a “rush ” . NEVER over indulge! Restaurants are built around family surroundings, if you alter this atmosphere the restaurant could loose customers and you may even loose your status as a welcomed guest.
If you plan to adjourn to a lounge after eating, it is proper etique to close out your meal tab prior to doing so. Once again, this relates back to the restaurants floor plan. Moving from the dining area to the lounge generally puts you with a different server. It is always best to request lounge dining upon entering the establishment if your intentions are to end up in the lounge at the end.
SOMEONE PAID MY TAB….
This doesn’t happen a lot, but it does happen sometimes. You should never assume that the person whom paid your tab took care of your waitress or waiter. If you are unsure you should always check with the waitstaff to see if they were taken care of.
THE PACKET SITUATION ….
Every restaurant you go in, you will find certain “condiments” per say that are always on the table when you get there. These are usually packets of sugar, sweetener, and creamers. Although the creamer packets are generally pulled half way through the day, this is the item that has the most controversy.
If you use any of these “packets”, please be considerate and care for your discards properly. Proper etiquette is to dispense them onto an empty plate and not all over the table. Many years ago, coffee and hot tea was always served in a cup and saucer set. Patrons would generally use the saucer to collect this debris at the end of their meal.
Now for the most important tip I can offer you and the controversy on the creamers. They are not nor should they ever be considered temporary play toys for your children. First off, children are known to put everything in their mouths. Not only does this contaminate the packets, but it is also a health risk to your children. The lids on these creamers soften with moisture and can lift easily from the packet. Both the lids as well as the containers have been known to become foreign objects in a child’s throat causing choking. This is not a time to support the “it won’t happen to me theory.” I have been a witness to this very thing happening and the parents were dumb struck when the situation arose.
As for contamination, most avid restaurant dwellers have also witnessed small children playing “bowling alley” or sucking on these creamers and will always request fresh creamers for their use when they sit at their table.
