
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, July 23, 1990                   TAG: 9007230309
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A/7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MICHELLE CORDLE
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

HERE'S A TIP:TIP

LIKE MOST people, I have eaten in several restaurants ranging from fast food to extravagant meals, and never have I thought myself better than those who serve me. I have worked in a respected restaurant here in the Roanoke Valley for close to three years, and daily I am amazed at how rude, obnoxious and inconsiderate people can be.

Serving the public is not an easy task. A waiter or waitress has a lot of duties and responsibilities while on the job, ranging from serving the customers to doing extra jobs (side work such as cleaning bathrooms, restocking supplies, doing dishes and sweeping floors). And guess what, they're only getting paid $2.09 an hour plus tips. Which brings me to the major concern in waitering or waitressing - tips.

Contrary to what some people may believe, I don't wait on people because it's my life's dream. I do it because I need the money. I am currently a senior in college and I have bills to pay. I am, however, fortunate enough to have a family who helps to support me.

That is not always the case. I work with people trying to raise a family and keep a roof over their heads, and they are trying to do it on a server's pay and what people feel sufficient to leave for a tip. Sometimes tips can be so poor, we announce to each other when we've made enough to pay for parking.

Now, I understand if your server dumps your dinner in your lap or blatantly ignores you, you probably don't want to leave a tip and that's understandable. Try to remember, however, that the server is not always responsible for some of the things that go wrong. I was once told by a manager: "Never blame the kitchen for delays or mistakes because you can always get a new server; you can never get another kitchen." But the truth is the kitchen can and does make mistakes, often beyond the server's control.

Another thing the public may not realize is that servers are taxed on 10 percent of their total daily sales; regardless of whether we make 5 percent or 15 percent, we're being taxed! Servers are also responsible for sharing with bartenders and dishwashers a portion of their own tips.

Basically, my point is that being a waiter or waitress is not an easy job. In fact, it is a very difficult job. I realize there are good and bad servers, but no one deserves to be treated as less than human and blamed for everything that went wrong at your office. So next time you go to a restaurant, remember - yes, these people are here to serve you, but they are also doing a difficult job. Be kind.

by CNB