Posted on 02/11/2018 6:18:09 PM PST by BenLurkin
A Florida Outback Steakhouse worker says she filled a local megachurch’s $735 takeout order and then was fired when she ranted on social media about not getting a tip.
...
Christ Fellowship Church in Palm Beach Gardens was holding a conference and called in an order to the local Outback Wednesday for 25 steak dinners, 25 chicken dinners and 25 side orders of potatoes that Yoder said she had to prepare, costing her other tips.
...
A friend read her post and called the church to complain and was told that the person who picked up the food didn’t know to leave a tip.
“Coming in to eat or takeout, you should automatically be wanting to tip 15 percent,” Yoder said. “From there, you either go up or go down based on service.”
A church representative called the restaurant Thursday to make it up to Yoder.
Nevertheless, she was shown the door.
... Outback has a strict policy forbidding workers from posting about customers on social media, WSVN reported.
Outback even reimbursed the church for its big order.
“We did not call the restaurant to have her fired, we wanted to get the situation resolved,” church official David Lonsberry told the Palm Beach Post.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Several eat-in and carry out small pizza and sub shops near me have a TIPS jar on the counter. That leaves it up to the customer to decide if they want to contribute.
If you are a “regular” customer and like the service/products, then it would be nice to leave a tip once in a while. The workers would appreciate it and I guarantee you are not forgotten.
Unless she was actively building the salads, her participation time was much less.
Line cooks prepared and packaged the order, and set it in the window(probably taking 30- 45 minutes)as well as working in all other orders of the restaurant.(seated customers are the priority)
Somebody expedited, checked, and boxed the order.(in my experience taking 10 minutes +or- )
During slow times this is hard,not difficult. During a rush, I can tell you stories.
A three man line may have cost 30.00 in wages, the server may have added four or five dollars at most to the cost.
The industry is designed to exploit low skilled and low payed workers.
Employees have two long term choices, get out or suck it up. either way, the system is rigged against them.
Again, it all depends on what restaurant. Some don’t have an expeditor. Some do. I’ve known restaurants that “require” servers to clean the bathrooms, should it ever get “slow”. If there is a way for management to cut costs, they’ll do it. If that means making sure a higher cost line cook is spared from doing what a server can be tasked to do, that manager will make an economic decision to task the cheapest laborer to do it. That would be the $2.13 server.
A well paid, happy staff will perform better than a poorly paid staff with low morale.(don’t have numbers, just going off of experience.) An establishment that values its employees makes up for its slightly higher wages by having less turnover and higher skilled players in all positions. With a more consistent staff,customers will build a rapport with employees and will become regulars as time goes on if the product is satisfactory. This will compete with current restaurant practices successfully.
Modern restaurant theory(corporate) holds profit as everything (it should be) at the expense of cutting as many corners as possible. (bad idea imho) This theory is slowly evolving to quality over quantity, but will take years to complete.
Yes. I am a firm believer in adding the phrase “and all other duties as may be required” to all job descriptions.
The “expediter” job should fall on a manager if necessary.
As a line cook I have had to do other things besides cook.
Bathrooms usually fall under the auspices of the dishwasher or waitress.
Unless they only had coffee leaving just change is pretty rude. Unless it was an elderly couple or disabled on fixed income, in that case I wouldn’t hold it against them. But everyone knows with dining out, unless its fast food, one is expected to pay the server a little something as that is how they make their money, whether it’s right or not that is the way it’s set up in the US.
It would never have occurred to me to tip for takeout either. Once in awhile you see the tip jar at the take out counter and I’ve always thought that a bit gauche. Always assumed the chef/cook placed the food in the containers for some reason so why would I “tip” the person taking my money lol. But 75 orders is quite a lot. The restaurant could have offered a discount for that, then what’s left over could have gone to the waitresses that packaged everything up.
“This will compete with current restaurant practices successfully.”
I have always suspected that to be the case.
“Modern restaurant theory(corporate) holds profit as everything (it should be)”
There should also be room for ethics, honesty, decency, and sometimes even kindness, IMO.
“at the expense of cutting as many corners as possible. (bad idea imho)”
Couldn’t agree more. It aggravates me just to know that there are people who think it’s acceptable.
“This theory is slowly evolving to quality over quantity”
I would call that “returning to common sense” vice “evolving,” but as long as it happens, I guess it doesn’t matter what you call it.
I know of at least one server who has experience as a line cook and bartender. Has both RAMP certification and ServSafe cert. A place she worked at, and left, failed and fails to properly pay for duties not under a server definition. As in, she was tasked with filling in on the line for two nights and was still paid as a server. Management refused to properly compensate and she left for another job. She was simply told that since there were no “records” of her doing line work, it was her word against theirs. Abuse in the industry seems to be rampant.
agree 100%
I was a cocktail waitress and then bartender for 20 years. I always made excellent tips but realized right away there are some people who just don’t tip. I never would have even thought about saying something to them. This new entitlement just amazes me.
And like you, I don’t tip for take out. And yes, I tend to over tip.
Those “managers”(ptui) need to be fired for lack of ethics.(or at least severely retrained.) Unfortunately cream is not the only thing to rise to the top.
I hope your server friend was able to get herself to a better place. she is a valuable employee and a great asset to anyone who hires her. I know how hard she had to work to get those two certifications.
She now works at a widely recognized local charcuterie butcher shop. She is multi-talented. Was once a trauma nurse. Cancer survivor, wedding photographer, used her art background to learn how to make stunning cakes of many types and styles. Nearly anything she tries, she succeeds at.
That is excellent!
I would have loved to worked with her. I am in fear and awe of such talented, well rounded people. God bless her. I wish her nothing but the best
LOL
:)
Thank you for the wonderful conversation. I have to go to bed. Gotta work.
Stay free.
S.
FRegards!
Lancaster’s, not too bad a place.
Next time Y’All pass through check out Big Tiny’s on Main Street Downtown, they make the best Texas Style BBQ in Town!!!
And if You want a flash to the past stop in at Turner’s Hardware and see Jack. He started working there as a Kid and now owns it. Been in the same location for 117 years. Jack has been there for 70 years!
If You like great steaks check out Epic Chophouse for dinner, not cheap but well worth it.
The heavier the workload the less unrequested checks I expect. I have a minimum amount of a few dollars I give, then as the price of the meal rises I think and always have thought,10% should be acceptable, though what you give or don't give is your business only. you feel at certain times or situations are inclined to be more generous that fine.
There is one thing that I strictly do not agree with and that is any gratuity % added to the bill or demanded by management. That is not a tip of my free will nor anybody else. It is part of the bill. It robs the patron of the blessing of giving a extra reward to a good working working individual and lets stingy businesses and people feel less responsibility for paying their people a fair wage.
If I know before I am waited on that it will be added to my bill I will leave .
If I see a sign saying do not tip I will also leave or tip anyway . To tip or not to tip and how much is my decision and my privilege not someone else with my money. It also should be done in the proper spirit not to impress anyone or because you feel intimidated.
We the people have been so brain washed by our communistic, liberal, government, media, big business controlled society, that we have began to think everybody has a right to demand/take or to tell us how to spend what little money they don't already consume when they divide their take in Washington every year.
We have been slowly but thoroughly programed and inducted into this growing socialist state while we sleep with our eyes wide open to let big brother to male all our decisions for us especially those that affect their... er... our money
I am 73 and even though it was well under way when I was a teenager in the late 50's those of you would not believe the difference between the 50's and the early sixties and the smothered to death by politicians in this country we live in today.
Tips are voluntary contributions or expressions, NOT entitlements.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Not as long as they are paid less than 20% of minimum wage and paying withholding and Social Security on 15%+ of their gross sales. If you can’t leave 15-20% of your bill, eat at home instead of punishing wait staff for your presence !!
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