My feet ache. It is not just the normal pain caused by standing or staying active. I can feel my pulse in my toes as I look down at the mess the family of four left behind. As I pick up the credit card slip I realize they left thirty minutes after we closed. Then it hits me, I have done the quick math in my head and I received less than ten percent as a tip from the customers I just worked so hard to please. I calm myself down by making excuses for them. Perhaps they were never taught the proper way to tip. There are times when it is appropriate to leave more than fifteen percent for your server, such as when there are children being served, when the group stays late or comes in late, or if your server just did an all out great job.

There are some things that people don’t quite understand when it comes to children. You should leave something extra for your server when a child is part of your dining group because children are messy, their food is much cheaper or even free, and your server will play partial babysitter to help you enjoy the meal. I cannot remember how many times I have put a sugar caddy back together after a child used one of my tables. Depending on age the food has probably gotten more onto the table and floor than in the kid’s mouth. Not to mention crayons, broken bits of crayon, and the wrappers that have to be picked up. On Kid’s Night, when children’s meals are free, parents often forget to think of what the total bill would have been when calculating how much to leave their server. This means I get paid less for working harder. When I have kids in my section of tables I make sure they stay occupied until the food comes and that the bill is not far behind after they receive the food. I have no children of my own, but I understand that once people have kids they don’t get to go out and have a nice dinner alone very often. I try to keep the child busy for an extra five minutes so Mom and Dad can have a moment, in hopes that they will notice and reward my efforts.

Timing is a big factor when it comes to waiting tables. When people camp out or come in less than thirty minutes until close they should leave extra money for the tip. Camping out is when a group stays for a great deal of time after the bill has been presented and paid. This would not be a big deal if perhaps the group orders desert, drinks, or coffee, but more than likely they already decided on the tips before they sat there for an extra forty-five minutes. This is inconvenient during busy times because the guests are taking up prime real estate where new paying customers could be sitting and wracking up a new bill. It takes much effort to close down a restaurant. When a group comes in late, meaning thirty minutes or less to close, this causes an inconvenience to everyone working. The cooks cannot close down the kitchen; the servers cannot do their closing procedures. There is also the factor that once this group leaves there is clean up and then putting the tables back correctly, and closing up the dining area, which cannot happen until every guest is gone.

Really great servers are hard to come by. I was once told, “The difference between a waitress and a server is the waitress asks and is told what the guest wants; a server anticipates what a guest wants or needs.” When a server goes the extra mile to make sure you have the best dining experience possible they deserve a better tip. The server might do this by being talkative and getting to know you with hopes that you will return and become one of their regular customers. When a table seems like they would like to be left alone, the server leaves them alone. Offering to box up leftover items for the guest is something more that I try to do for each of my tables. If your drink never goes empty, even during busy times, it is a sign that you are getting great service that should be rewarded.

I truly love my job. It is worth the aching feet, messes, and late nights to see the reward for my efforts. Providing great service is rewarded by smiling faces and return guests, but the prize I seek most is the money left behind for me. I go to work for the same reason as anyone else. I make the best of it by having a good time and insuring that my patrons do the same. It is a job though, and smiling faces and compliments about how great the service was will not pay my bills. The tips are important too.

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