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I have worked at the following type restaurants (in order) at various times in my 40 years:

Fancy Italian Restaurant in the late 70's and early 80's where the meals ranged from $10-$25

2 inexpensive Mexican restaurants in the early 90's where the meals were $5-$12

1 inexpensive Cajun restaurant in the early 90's where the meals where $7-$15

1 very expensive Cajun restaurant in the mid 90's where the meals went from $10 - $40.

I have waited on whites, blacks, hispanics, Indians (American and Asian), Orientals, etc. I have waited on poor people, rich people, rock stars, actresses, motorcycle gang members, etc.

In every restaurant I worked at you had to wait on the customers that were seated at your tables regardless of weather they would tip well.

I waited tables to pay for school and to make a living so I learned real fast that 99% of tyhe customers would tip better for good service, so I always tried to do my best for every customer regardless of any preconceived notion of what my tip would look like.

For example at Mexican restaurant #1 there was an older couple that came in 2 or 3 nights a week and spent about $15 each time. All the other waiters complained that they always left 50 cents.

One day they were seated in my section. I gave them my best just as I did every customer. They left me $1.00. I had to wait on them anyway, so I made an extra 50 cents for treating them right. After I had gotten them several more times, I learned that their orders were nearly identical each week, especially their drinks and their request for soft tortillas and our special Mexican relish instead of chips and salsa. So the next time they were seated in my section I brought their drinks, tortillas and relish to the table when they first sat down. They left me $2.00 that time. The next time they came in to the restaurant they asked to be seated in my section and I did the same. They left me $5.00. Every time after that they asked for me as their waiter and always left me $5.00 on a $15.00 bill.

I took this lesson with me over the years and even printed up business cards that I gave to almost all my customers with their checks. The business cards said "Thanks for allowing me to serve you today. Please ask for me by name when you come back." or something like that. At the Mexican restaurant the cards had a picture of a bandito on them and at the Cajun restaurants the card had an alligator on them. I gave these cards to the customers before they paid their bill and left the tip regardless of how well I expected them to tip. (The only exceptions were customers that were rude to me even as I tried to give them great service.) The color of their skin, or the way they looked did not matter.)

I also started taking notes on what my regular customers liked and typed them up. I carried the list in my order book so I could anticipate the needs of my regulars.

I started getting so many customers asking for me at the last three restaurants I worked at that sometimes I could not handle them. Anytime I was unable to wait on one of my customers I would still stop by just to say hi and apoligize that I could not get to them.

In any case, to make a long story short - my goal was to turn the $1.00 tipper into a $2.00 tipper and the $10.00 tipper into a $20 tipper. After all, I was in it for the money and the best way to do that was to treat all my customers well.

The net result was that the last full year I waited tables (1994) at I was making over $1,000 a week working between 30 and 35 hours a week. The customers, the managers, the busboys, the bartenders, and the kitchen staff loved me (I tipped the busboy 12.5% of my tips and the bartender 4% each night - the suggested rates were 10% and 2.5%). When I worked the swing shift between lunch and dinner I always gave the kitchen staff $5 or $10 since they always helped me if the restaurant got too busy during this down time. The only people who did not like me were some of the other waiters who saw how many customers asked for me by name, knew I was making a lot more than they were, and saw my name at the top of the staff sales list each week. I shared my ideas with the waiters that treated me well.

You make the world a happier place. Thanks.

One day they were seated in my section. I gave them my best just as I did every customer. They left me $1.00. I had to wait on them anyway, so I made an extra 50 cents for treating them right. After I had gotten them several more times, I learned that their orders were nearly identical each week, especially their drinks and their request for soft tortillas and our special Mexican relish instead of chips and salsa. So the next time they were seated in my section I brought their drinks, tortillas and relish to the table when they first sat down. They left me $2.00 that time. The next time they came in to the restaurant they asked to be seated in my section and I did the same. They left me $5.00. Every time after that they asked for me as their waiter and always left me $5.00 on a $15.00 bill.