Advice/hints/tips For Waitresses/waitstaff:

First of all, i would like to say to anyone who comes in to work "after-hours" that you are awesome, i love you and you really don't need to read the rest of this post regardless of your situation. By "after-hours," i mean after normal busy times--after dinner and even overnight if it's a 24 hour restaurant. 3rd shift etc.


It is because of people like you who come in and work late shift, that people like me can eat at later hours. And i would tip you good just for that reason. By people like me, i mean i am the type that does not like to shut down/stop driving until about 10pm to 2am. This makes it difficult to actually find a space to park; i often have to drive to the next truckstop or rest area before i can "get lucky" and find a spot. Not to mention finding a place to eat because most places are closed by then. But, thanks to people like you, i can and do eat quite well. And i sincerely love you for that. Please keep up the good work.

Now, for the rest of you, here are a few suggestions, hints and tips i've picked up that could help make it easier and better for everyone as well as possibly increasing tip money:

1) If you are going to clean off a table (and you should), here is the proper way to do it:
a) Remove all the plates, cups, silverware, napkins, mats etc.
wipe off all the debris---food trash etc. on to the floor or in the busing tray.

b) Next, if you decide to wipe a table down (and you should) here is the proper way to do it:
You should be using the proper cleaning solution with one rag. Windex is ok.
Preferably, spray the table down and wait about 2 mins to let the enzymes in the cleaning solution do their job---to "eat" away at any germs, bacteria, dirt etc. While waiting, you could be performing another task at this time.
Then, after about 2 mins, dry the table off with a clean rag or preferably clean paper towels. If you use rags, please do not mix the rag you use to apply to water with the one you use to dry the table off with. Also, these rags need to be changed often with new ones---like every 2 hours or so. Keep up the good work.

The reason why you want to dry the table off thourougly (as in completely dry) is because bacteria love moistness. If the table is dry, bacteria don't have a chance to multiply. If you continually leave tables wet, the place will get nasty quick, guaranteed. If you cannot or will not for whatever reason dry tables off, it would be better not to wipe them down at all. Just remove the dishes and trash and then re-set the table.

Now, if managment does not understand or require the need to properly wipedown tables, you need to tell them of this need. i know it is tough to approach managment in this way when you are working in a restaurant---i know i've worked at restaurants, but it is the right thing to do, also common sense dictates that a cleaner restaurant brings bigger tips and also we are counting on you. If you cannot get results from immediate managment (and it would not suprise me), then you go to the corporate level and girl, you DO NOT STOP UNTIL YOU GET RESULTS. If it's a private truckstop, you go to the owner.


2) Silverware:
a) There is simply NO EXCUSE dirty and/or stained silverware. If it's dirty, someone is not doing there job. i've worked as a dishwasher and i know the machine is capable of doing a good job of cleaning silverware. You DO NOT merely rinse silverware off. If you've run out of silverware, you tell the patrons that they will have to wait. And then you provide them with clean silverware.
If the silverware is stained it means they weren't dried off. And they need to be dried off for the exact reasons stated above in #1.

If you cannot or will not do either of the above it means you aren't doing your job and that you are a loser. i know that working in restaurant can suck, but you signed up for the job, you are being paid to do that job. So do your job properly. i know you are not a loser, so don't be a loser.


to be continued.

 

Not acceptable; Still needs to be dried completely off.

 

Not paranoid; i just believe i and all truckers have a right to eat in place that is NOT infested with knats, is NOT sticky or greasy when we sit down, and/or does not stink, and any other negative thing(s), etc. etc..

This ain't india, this ain't china; This is the USA.

i'm suprised that you, as a canadian, would state something like that; Because Canada is actually cleaner than even the u.s..

 

You're wrong; i read a textbook on food service preparation and it clearly states leaving any surface wet is unacceptable.

i will scan the text if nessesary.

It is because of thinking like yours is why society is breaking down.