Last Night

Okay in my previous post I mentioned I had a bad gratuity night. This is not normally the case but let me explain what happened.

I have this 4 table section which is easy enough. I have a two top eating their mains , another 4 top eating their mains , the other table still going on was just getting their desserts and coffee. Then I am told in another section I am getting a 6 top , why I am not sure. They sit down and 5 people are there waiting for the other to arrive. While waiting for the other person I get their drinks then I am told I have been sat in another section with a table of 4. So I am buzzing around and I get those drinks delivered then at that moment that 4 top needs clearing and the 2 top wants what is left on their plate packed up. But I got to get to the 4 top that has been just sat and they are ready to order drinks , food and special request stuff. I take the order. Now the 6th guy arrives in the other table in the other section and they want to order appetizers. I take the appetizers and punch them in then get the drinks for the new 4 top that just came.

I scurry over to finally clear the 4 top in my old section and they do not want the dessert. I give the table that is eating dessert their bill and this 4 top and now I get a chance to clear and pack the 2 tops meal. I packed it this time to at least give a bit of service since I was behind in giving them a take out container to pack it themselves. I give them the bill and collect the other 2 bills and get the money or credit card then return it and settle the 2 top.

I am then sat a deuce in another section. At this point I am wondering if everyone has been cut but me! I say hello and run to the 6 top to get their entree order. Another stupid order with special request that with modifications is taking me longer to punch in than normal. Naturally these people who wanted to order just their appys first now had to wait at least 20 minutes to get their entrees. I should have been more vigilant and ask quickly for their entree order when I took their appys. Or told them they would have to wait a while and there would be a large gap in between. C'est la vie!

Now I think I am in the clear and I can do maintenance on my tables and take the new 2 I just got and jot their order down. But the 4 top that was ready to order right away needs more drinks and then I get sat another deuce at the same moment.

After that what happened was this 6 top only got half their meal delivered to their table. I went back into the kitchen asking where the rest of table 46's order went. The expo says it went out. Like hell it did cause the plates were not on the table. So I had to see what was missing and that was still on the expo line and an appy was missing on top of that. They were not pleased and the result was $15 on $230. Hey at least the food was cooked right!

I get sat a 5 after that who tipped me lousy as well. Like it was a altogether a $11 tip.

So that was my night last night.

But what I do not get is when I had 4 tables and the pre closer had none. And he ended up making more money than me. The table of 6 that I took was in his section.

What I do not understand is am I , who seems to be the closer every night , pretty much being given the rest of the tables after the rush. The other night on Monday I was the only server on from 9:15 on till closing at 11. Now in a 53 table restaurant that is quite busy at the worst of times wouldn't you not want to take a chance so early and leaving one waiter on????

Last night there I was given tables everywhere and the service suffered slightly as well as my tips. That is what happens when labour is saved at the expense of service in my opinion.

What do you think?