Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with waiter

credit card service fee/waitstaff

andywolf — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 12:37:05 -0800

lawfilter: is it legal in minnesota for credit card service fees to be deducted from a waitstaff's tip? according to this it sounds like it's up in the air in MN and a few other states. i can't find anything with more clarification as to the current standing of the law or if it's being contested in court right now.

How can I be a better waiter?

solipsophistocracy — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:32:54 -0800

I'd like to be a better waiter. Got any tips? I just started a new job at a wine bar/restaurant, and I'm looking for tricks of the trade. I've waited tables several times before, but I'd really like to step up my game for this new gig.

The restaurant serves small, tapas-style dishes and has an extensive wine list from which guests can order either three or five ounce servings (in addition to several hundred different wines in the adjoining retail shop). A party of two generally spends between $25- $50 on food and another $15 - $40 on wine.

Taking into account the fact that every customer wants something different, what are some good guidelines for providing excellent service? If you work in a restaurant, what works best for you? If you just eat in restaurants, what do you like/dislike about the way your servers interact with you?

Do Waitstaff Hate Change?

L. Fitzgerald Sjoberg — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 08:41:15 -0800

I read a guideline in Modern Drunkard's mostly, but not entirely, tongue-in-cheek "Rules of Boozing," and it confused me.

39. Never tip with coins that have touched you. If your change is $1.50, you can tell the barmaid to keep the change, but once she has handed it to you, you cannot give it back. To a bartender or cocktail waitress, small change has no value.

This seems to imply that a waitress would rather have a dollar tip than a dollar-fifty tip, at least if you leave it on the table.

Those of you who have worked for tips, can this be true? Would you rather have a dollar bill than a dollar bill and two quarters? How about a dollar bill, a quarter, a dime, two nickels, and five pennies? Is six quarters for a beer a horrible tip, or is it laundry/parking money? How about two bucks in loose change? If you're speaking from experience rather than conjecture, it'd be nice to know.

How can I get a job at a sushi place?

k8t — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 11:42:52 -0800

How can I get a job at a sushi restaurant? I need a part-time job for the summer and my favorite sushi restaurant just posted a Craiglist's ad. I've been applying for tons of food and retail jobs but haven't had much luck. I worked as a barista in 1995-1997, an assistant manager of a clothing store in 2003, and have done a ton of customer service jobs (IT help desk), but now I am a grad student and it seems that this is a black mark on my resume, regardless of my service industry background.

Anyway, I'd like hints from people who have worked at sushi restaurants or in food service in general to help me nail this job.

* This is the most upscale sushi place in Santa Barbara (in Montecito, actually). It is expensive (~$45/person for cheaper rolls and cheaper wine). It has an upscale atmosphere. It only seats 20 people. It is really difficult to get into on a weekend night.

* The ad says: "Experience a must" and "Experience in Japanese food/translation."

* Most of their servers are Asian or white college students. I'm not Asian and I am 6 years out of college. I haven't waited tables before, but I think I'd be okay at it. (I was a bus girl in 1995 for a summer though.) I think that as a slightly older person, they may overlook my lack of experience.

* I don't know Japanese, but I do know most of the sushi-related words. I figure I should learn the terms in this glossary before I go.

* I have complete weekend and evening availability except Tuesdays and Wednesdays this summer when I have class.

Do I have a shot, food service comrades? What else can I do to impress them?

income tax question for waiters: Is tip share tax deductible?

donmayo — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 21:58:57 -0800

waiter income tax question. Its common practice for waiters to "tip out" a certain portion of their money every shift to support persons. This might not seem like much, but for career waiters, this means an extra $2000+ Is this a deductible employee expense in the eyes of John Q. Tax?