Yay! Stoners didn’t make the list! The ones that stay longer than your shift, make three waves of orders (first comes the sandwich or something, then come the nachos, then come the sundaes. And always the endless sodas). At least my group of stoner Dennys cats always tried to tip heavy so that when we came back we’d get the extra piled on nachos or something.

Thank you so much for your post!!! I wait tables also ( i met my wife while we were both waiting tables). how abotu the guy who hold up his glass and jiggles his ice evrytime you walk by? and you were so right on about the party, can everyone ask at one time what they need?? noooooo, make endless trips for each and one in the party.
thank you for the post. thank you.

“8. NO HABLA INGLES- Ok please, learn the basic skills needed to order your food. I don’t speak spanish very well, and i hate having to grab the bus boy to translate. Anyone who has ever been to california, knows these people. When asked what they would like to order, they point to the picture. “Ok and how would you like your eggs?” to this i get a puzzled look, much conversing in a foreign tongue, then more pointing to the picture. This same response to the questions as to how you would like your toast, steak, etc… Please, learn to speak english, or bring someone who does. And lastly, don’t act like I’m the idiot for not speaking spanish.”

If they point to something with eggs, and you probably already know that they dont speak english because aside from their latino looks, the obvious tell tell sign that they point at the picture of the meal instead of saying it, just turn down the bitchometer and assume that theyll take their eggs any way edible, instead of taking out your frustration on these poor people by asking them anyway and then giving them shit when they look confused. I understand, hey you take crap from frat boys/hookers…why not give crap to someone else in order to kill the frustration that haunts you for not having brains to find a better job. Hypocrytical? Id say. But hey, your hot, and that stands for something. Does it?

By the way, I am in the service industry as well.

How the hell did “Old Mexican Ladies” rate higher on your list than “Holier than Thou”, or even “Creepy Old Guys”? Seems like you based this judgment solely on their appearance, and frankly, no one looks particularly good between the hours of 2 and 6am (Yes, I’m talking about you too, miss “I know I look good”). They’re just there to eat, not to submit themselves to your dizzyingly insightful fashion advice.

Also, you work in the service industry (in what sounds like CA., but possibly another state with a large Spanish speaking pop.); learn some fucking Spanish for fucks sake. It isn’t hard, it’ll make things go smoother, and it’ll let your busboy (who it seems took the time to bridge the language gap so he talk to whoever walked through the door) get back to doing HIS job instead of YOURS.

Frankly, I’d rather be served by your restaurants’ busboy than you. It sounds like he’s managed to get his shit together, while you’ve been to busy dealing with the mild irritation of frat guys and “rich romanian dudes” hitting on you. Such an imposition for a attractive, “intelligent” waitress like yourself. Woe. Is. You.

I’ve done the service “thing”, from busting suds as a dishwasher on up, and it’s pretty evident your priorities are fucked. We know “you’re hot”, you’re so put upon, and the best way to get your attention is a big tip. Well, guess what; People who leave big tips don’t come into Denny’s at 4am. And people who EARN the big tips don’t work 10-6 at fast food joints (don’t kid yourself by saying “restaurant”, you’ve got a McJob, and if you left tomorrow the busboy could fill your shoes in a heartbeat). In short, your most of your gripes show that you can’t hack it higher up than nightshift, and you’ll be grinding it out on the 10-6 until you improve your people skills (or until a big-tipping frat guy comes and takes you away from it all).

Here’s to the Spanish speaking Bus Boy! this one is going out to you man.

I know, oh, I HEAR YOU. 14 years as a waitress here… got my start on night shift at a Perkin’s (for those who haven’t heard of, it’s identical to Denny’s).

Words to readers and posters:

Don’t sell this job short. It takes organization, nerves of steel, brains, and cunning. The skills I learned as a waitress sustained me through law school… my classmates were crying, drinking themselves to sleep, stressing out and screwing up, but for me it was just another day!

Never treat a waitress like she’s stupid. Stupid people can’t do this job. They try, but they crash and burn, and very soon they quit.

Never underestimate a waitress. This work requires strength, patience, kindness, and endless fortitude.

Never look down your nose at a waitress. I put myself through school primarily by waitressing. Other waitresses support themselves and their families. We’re real people with real lives, making our way at a very hard job.

To specific posters:
readysetokayGO: Get a job before you come talking shit!

re Greatbog: “In short, your most of your gripes show that you can’t hack it higher up than nightshift.”
— Night shift is a valued shift, second only to breakfast shift on a commuter route. Second shift is usually the graveyard.

Yes actually, as a waitress you have to expect tips. At least four dollars and hour worth of tips , just to bring you to min. wage. It may be a stupid custom, but it is the custom, and if you eat out you should know that the server depends on your tip to make a living.

Although I do not agree with a few things, I sympathize with you. While I have never been a waitress, I work at a bagel shop and frequently I get customers that tick me off, mostly because of impatience, and I’ve noticed some that clearly speak down to me.

Food preparation and delivery is among the “service sector” jobs that dominate the western economy. Service jobs are naturally somewhat thankless because you’re not providing a need, you’re providing a convenience. Is that an excuse to be a dick? Not at all.
On the other hand, you have to realize that there are plenty of people who work as waitstaff who make dining an unpleasant experience for the customers. There is no excuse nor any lenience for poor behavior on the part of a server.
Wonder why the parties of 14 leave small tips? Because many times someone forgets his cash, or they all just dig what they can out of their pockets. I understand there’s a little annoyance there, but if they’ve dropped every last single they have, they’re not being dicks. I’ve been there. I always feel bad when that’s all we can leave. I tip according to the service, not to some mandatory percentage rule.

And here’s where the rebuttal would usually come in “Well, you’ve probably never been in that position”. Not exactly. But I’ve been close.
I’ve been a delivery driver before. For that same company more than a year earlier, I was janitorial staff. You want to talk about thankless, that’s it. But delivery is relatively close to being a waiter. You have to bring the food to the customers and take all the blame for burned or just plain poorly-prepared food. Driving 3 miles in your own car to deliver a $15 pizza and getting either no tip or a dollar tip REALLY sucks. That’s 6% at best. On less than minimum wage. Plus I had to fuel my own car with a pittance. Most of my tips went to the extra fuel for redelivering pizzas that were done wrong because, well, we all know it’s the delivery guy’s fault.
But what about when you deserve a shitty tip? Oh, it happens. Often. Like the old lady wearing finger condoms because she was handling money. I’m sorry, but if you don’t want the germs from money on your hands, what makes you think we want it on our plates?
Then there’s the impatient combo waitstaff. Granted this one was at a FORMER Denny’s, but it’s the same idea. I once went in with a friend, ordered a meal, went out for a smoke, and came back in to find our table had been bussed by the same waitress who had taken our order in the first place. She then lost our order and ended up handing us off to another waitress who had to put up with our annoyance at the previous one. The second one was given a quiet tip with the request that she make sure the other waitress got none of it.
And of course there are the people who will just stand there conversing with other customers when we can plainly see our food on the counter waiting for pickup. Or the ones who give customers attitude. Look, you job sucks. Most people’s jobs suck. Get over it or you lose your tip.
I personally prefer the obvious tip method. Figure out a superb tip, something along the lines of 20%. All in ones. Every time the waitress gets snippy or pissy with me, I pull out a one. If she’s a smart one, she’ll realize that I’m not trying to be a dick, I just want the service that earns that big of a tip. And she gets the full tip. If she pisses me off enough, we walk out just paying the bill. Anything past that and the manager gets a call.

You screw up a couple of times in most jobs, you get fired. You mouth off to a customer in food service, somehow that only gets you a reprimand.

But hey, we’re only supplying your wages, right?