How to Be a Better Restaurant Customer

Over the weekend , my family and I had lunch at a very busy restaurant. I was angered and shocked by the rude attitudes and behavior of so many of my fellow diners. I feel obligated to write an article about servers and how hard these men and women work.

In the state of Ohio, your average waitress or server makes an hourly wage of $3.38 per hour. Most restaurants allow the server to keep their tips, but some places participate in tip sharing. Tip sharing means that each employee receive a share of your tip. All servers pay taxes on their tips.

If your server is polite , efficiently takes your order, and returns to your table to check on you , you should feel obligated to leave a tip. I am observant. To my surprise I witnessed families of 5 leaving two dollar tips. I could not believe that these ladies were rushing around, and giving terrific service for a two dollar tip. I felt even worse when I learned they are paid so little per hour without any benefits.

I hope that this article reaches a few people who are able to appreciate it. The next time you are out with your family, enjoying a nice meal keep in mind that your server is underpaid and usually over worked. The server takes your order, cleans the dining area, delivers food and drinks and deals with a lot of crap for three dollars per hour. Think about all of the people who are flat out rude, and do not leave a tip at all.

In my most recent dining experience, my server was taking care of fifteen tables. She literally never stopped. She served our food, rang up our meal, and as we were leaving she was cleaning the table we had occupied. That is a lot of work for three dollars an hour. Additionally when we are dining out, we are enjoying a luxury of not having to do all of that work at home. Isn't it worth a few dollars to have someone do this for you? If your server is polite and delivers your meal in an efficient manor you should show your gratitude with at least five dollars.

If you are in a very busy restaurant keep in mind that one person can only do so much. If you are looking for a quick meal, go to McDonalds. You should not make rude comments or hassle the waitress. It shows that you are ignorant and small.