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23 Pics From Being A Server That Show Why So Many People Are On The Verge Of Tears
Interview
Anyone who's worked a job where you have to deal with customers knows how emotionally and physically draining it can be. A great example is servers: on their feet all day, dealing with all sorts of Karens for not smiling enough or not being polite enough.
This is a list of waiters' worst experiences from the r/ServerLife subreddit. The rest of us should check these out not only for their entertainment value. There are plenty of lessons about what kind of entitled customers we should never be.
To know a little more about the inner workings of the subreddit, Bored Panda reached out to one of its moderators, wheres_the_revolt. She was kind enough to tell us more about what it's like taking care of the community. Check out our short interview below!
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#1
Sorry I Politely Asked Your Crotch Goblin To Not Throw Sugar At Other Guests. Lmao
Multa Nocte 1 year ago
This person is lucky the wait staff didn't ask the whole party to leave.
The Reddit community r/ServerLife is a place where servers, waiters and waitresses can come to vent about entitled and frustrating customers. Fellow restaurant workers come here to relate to their fellow brothers and sisters in aprons.
It currently has 209k members and is in the top 1% of the largest communities on Reddit. It's not easy moderating a community of that size. Officially, the subreddit has 8 moderators, but, as wheres_the_revolt tells us, only several actively carry out their duties.
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#2
Someone Decided To Have A Gender Reveal At The Table
#3
My Manager’s Response Makes Me Want To Quit. What Would You Say/Do?
blixten1982 1 year ago
I'm just in shock reading this. Is this a human being that wrote this? Or a monster? I really hope you didn't go into work that day. And quitting should definitely be on the table. I wouldn't have gone in, and if the manager asked why, "Because there was a sudden death in the family!! Did you hear me? Can you speak English?" Come on. Enough said.
Roxy222uk 1 year ago
Me too. The correct response "Do not worry, just do what you need to do. If you need to take tomorrow off as well that's fine". Of course inside you are thinking "s.h.i.t, s.h.i.t, s.h.i.t," because you don't know how you're going to cover the shift, but that isn't the problem for the recently bereaved employee. Jeez.
Load More Replies... Did I say that out loud? (he/him)cis/het 1 year ago
Is this normal in the US? That the staff member has to find cover and not management? If, for any reason, I couldn't go to work at short notice, it's my bosses job to sort out any issues, not mine.
Tamra 1 year ago
And that is *exactly* the way it should be. Presumably the manager makes more money to deal with such situations. But yes, this situation is common in the US.
Load More Replies...
LooseSeal's $10 Banana 1 year ago
Call me crazy, but shouldn't the manager be the one in charge of finding someone to cover?
liam newton-harding 1 year ago
Am I a manager? No? Then scheduling, and coverage is your responsibility…as the fu@king manager!
Kayjunmoon 1 year ago
Unbelievable. This is no better than a Victorian workhouse. Shame on the boss.
Aaron Rollo 1 year ago
As a chef I would say me and the GM got your back. We'll figure it out. Have before. Worry about your family.
Featherytoad 1 year ago
Well, this is where the manager needs to step up and wait some tables and get on the phone to find a replacement.
Naomi van Nijnatten 1 year ago
In the Netherlands we have rules to legally get (half) a day or a fee days off depending on the decreet of relative that died.
Celtic Pirate Queen 1 year ago
I don't get the whole "you need to find someone to cover your shift" bullsh*t. No, you, as the EMPLOYER, need to find someone to cover my shift. Or you can work it yourself. Sudden death and you still want me to come to work? F*CK YOU, I quit.
Jonathan Labelle 1 year ago
tell your boss your boss is not compassionate without telling he is not compassionate
Mommitude Attitude 1 year ago
I have been a scheduler for 24/7 direct care staff needs and let me tell you I would always say I'm so sorry to hear that and then find coverage or go be the coverage. This manager is being a jerk.
Valerie Woods 1 year ago
Selfish to a maximum level. I know it sucks, but life (namely death) gets in the way of work sometimes. You wouldn't want me there. I'd be an animal ready to maim anyone who looked at me funny.
DinsdalePiranha 1 year ago (edited)
I had a boss tell me that I couldn’t get a day off for my dad‘s funeral. My union rep changed my supervisor’s mind.
Ozymandias73 1 year ago
I had to quit a job for a similar reason. My step-father passed away so I had to leave for a few days to travel back to Michigan from Nevada to be with my mother. My supervisor was being a real (b)itch about my leaving b/c it interfered with her vacation. However, our boss had no issues and was more than understanding. But, I couldn't work there anymore with that super, so I removed myself from the situation.
Jeremy Bolanos 1 year ago
It's stupid that they require you, the person going through trauma, to do what the manager should always do regardless.
Alexandra Nara 1 year ago
working in healthcare management I see when you desperate,cause there is no way to cover a shift but this is f...d up you can't leave a patient alone, but you can close some tables close earlier etc. No condolences,so no manners or empathies too
Xenia Harley 1 year ago
Hmm, then you will hear from this idiot manager that "We can't find anyone to work, these days". "Nobody wants to work", no, nobody wants to work for monsters like this!
Falcon dimi 1 year ago
Happy we get 3 days off payed (in case of first degre family) or 1 day of if further remote family. This is in Belgium the law.
wheres_the_revolt agrees to tell our readers the story of how she became one of the moderators. At first, they were just a member of the community like everybody else. But a sudden increase in spammy posts encouraged them to take some action.
"I have been a member of the sub for a couple of years now," the Redditor tells us. "About a year ago, I noticed an uptick in trolls from the end-tipping community. And 6 months ago, there was an all-out brigading campaign in r/ServerLife that made it almost unbearable."
#4
A Grown Man Sneezed About 40 Times Within A Few Minutes Without Covering His Mouth. This Is The Aftermath
#5
My Bad For Not Following The Law I Guess. Sorry Guys
blixten1982 1 year ago
Ha ha... photo of a beer!... love it! Those laws are serious. If you don't have ID on you (no matter if you're over 18 or not), the server and establishment can be in serious trouble. Not abiding by those laws is what gets thousands of dollars in fines and businesses shut down.
#6
The Tip Line Said "Turn Over For Tip"
"There were only 2 active mods," wheres_the_revolt continues. "One was brand new, so I asked them to add me as a mod and they agreed." Their mission then was to address the problem around discussions about tipping. "The first thing I did was create a zero-tolerance rule for anyone expressing end-tipping sentiments," the Redditor tells us.
#7
Is Calling Costumers "Hun" Weird?
Ashley Harrold 1 year ago
I've never been offended by hun myself but then most of my family is from the south
#8
32 Separate Checks
Hilary Mol 1 year ago
That's at least SIXTEEN separate checks. This server deserves a huge tip from that table, and I'm guessing that's not what happened.
wheres_the_revolt tells our readers more about the changes the new moderators made. "I also created a couple of auto-moderators, to flag and pull posts. Then I created 'Tips-y Tuesday', to focus all tip-related posts (that weren’t legal questions) onto one day so that we could actively moderate those types of posts."
#10
Is This Even Legal? Servers Make $3 An Hour In This Area And You Can Take Their Tips?
#11
Actually, How About You Don’t (Read The Note First)
#12
Group Of Four Older Ladies Left This At The Table Next To Me
Cyber Returns 1 year ago
I would have stopped them and said "You do know that if you tip with that then you will be charged with a counterfeit felony as it is over $5000"
This moderator isn't afraid to exercise stern authority for the good of the community. "This is the only place in my life I’ve become a complete authoritarian," she laughs. "I actively enforce the zero-tolerance policy and have probably banned several hundred accounts since I’ve been a mod for about 3 months."
#13
Is This Even Legal?
#14
The Time I Ruined This Woman’s Birthday
Jack Smith 1 year ago
unless you were specifically requesting something for a birthday celebration, WHY should the server care about your bday? they're here to do their job, not sing and do a little jig for you
#15
I Was In The Weeds And Very Focused I Guess…
Multa Nocte 1 year ago
There are few things that infuriate me more than someone demanding a smile for a tip, like a trained animal. Funny, you never see this on a check with a male waiter . . . .
Other than that, it's important to be present on the subreddit. "Moderating mostly just requires us to pay attention and also to participate in the sub," wheres_the_revolt explains. "I try to coach the active users in here to not engage with the trolls, to report them and we will get rid of them.
#16
By Far The Craziest Note I’ve Ever Got
#17
My Day Just Got A Little More Exciting
#18
Lol
Multa Nocte 1 year ago
If the server had done something about the child, they wouldn't have gotten a tip from the family with the child. You can't win sometimes.
In her professional life, the Redditor is a veteran in the serving sector. "I’ve been in the restaurant industry for almost 30 years, have worked almost every position, and have owned my own restaurant."
As a seasoned restaurant worker, she has knowledge about the inner workings of the industry. That's probably why she's so adamantly against posts on no-tipping. And the members of the community generally agree, given how positively they received the changes.
#19
What You Guys Think? Honestly
#20
My Co-Worker Got A Novel On Her Check
#21
Came In 15 Mins Before Close And Left This
That's one of the reasons this moderator joined the sub – to help other fellow restaurant workers. "A lot of folks don’t know their rights when it comes to labor laws (in the US) and I realized a lot of people are getting taken advantage of by unscrupulous bosses," wheres_the_revolt adds.
#22
What My GF Got From A Customer
#23
Just Say You're Broke
Multa Nocte 1 year ago
I don't know much about what info is needed for credit cards, but shouldn't they have blanked out more of this person's credit card info and name?
When we ask what's the hardest part of the job, the Redditor says it's how time-consuming it is. "Really there are only two of us that are active moderators. So I end up spending much more time on here than I would actually like to!"
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Someone_from_the_Netherlands 1 year ago
No tipping culture here... Not everybody is from the USA.
Greenmantle 1 year ago
In Aus there are increasing number of restaurants and other retail shops that have signs up saying that they will not tolerate verbal abuse toward their staff. . And they get paid a set wage, rather than relying on tips.
Did I say that out loud? (he/him)cis/het 1 year ago
Unfortunately, those signs have been pretty common just about everywhere in the UK for a while now.
Load More Replies...
Jude Laskowski 1 year ago
A retired friend and I go out for breakfast about once a month to a local chain restaurant. One day, it was super busy, and the servers were really stressed. We had such a nice waitress who made sure we had our food and refilled our beverages. We left her a huge (35%) tip just to let her know we appreciated her. She came up to us at the cashier and gave us each a hug.
Gardener of Weeden 1 year ago
Although I do tip and I tip well, I have noticed the negative attitude of staff everywhere. I get that life sucks. But - if i want to deal with totally impersonal bots - I would do all my shopping online. At a restaurant - I can see a tired smile vs a what the f do you want look. and I have stopped going to most of the restaurants around here. We Went out last week and although she was REALLY busy, we got a pleasant greeting and made us feel welcome. I LOVE that restaurant ( never disappoints) and she got a 30% tip ( info for the servers We stack the dishes and clean our table - never leave a mess)
Ryder Watson 1 year ago
This is one of the reasons why I hate when families or big gatherings come to the restaurant. They are the most messiest and inconsiderate
Joe Publique 1 year ago
You can tell a lot about a person by the way they treat people in the service industry.
lvnchrst 1 year ago
Personally, I tip no matter how the service is. Thing is, I'm in your home so to speak, you're waiting on me, I know you need your tips, why wouldn't I tip?? There's just too many selfish people out there
Gardener of Weeden 1 year ago
I tip well due to the way our wages work - I just add that 20% as the added cost of the meal. If the service is extra good/ or I see them dealing with difficult customers, I will increase the amount. I have started to only tip in cash - so the management can not withhold the tips and manipulate them.
Load More Replies...
WonderWoman 1 year ago
The *suggested* starting % tip is now at 18%? Not my job to pay your staff a living wage and I and many will not be doing that. Maybe when the waitstaff finally say enough, the owners will have to pay their staff properly. In every state (USA) if the wait staff does not earn the minimum wage through tips, the establishment is required to make up the difference. You are NOT a good guy for overtipping, you are contributing to this cycle of abuse. You should NEVER EVER EVER give a tip to a drive-thru - they are all being paid a decent wage - and NOT that of the traditional wait staff.
Jason K 1 year ago
Which one of these pictures is of your ticket? Keep on stiffing the wait staff in pursuit of your personal ideology.
Load More Replies...
Joe Publique 1 year ago
And even more excuses not to pay their staff a living wage...
Load More Replies... Someone_from_the_Netherlands 1 year ago
No tipping culture here... Not everybody is from the USA.
Greenmantle 1 year ago
In Aus there are increasing number of restaurants and other retail shops that have signs up saying that they will not tolerate verbal abuse toward their staff. . And they get paid a set wage, rather than relying on tips.
Did I say that out loud? (he/him)cis/het 1 year ago
Unfortunately, those signs have been pretty common just about everywhere in the UK for a while now.
Load More Replies... Jude Laskowski 1 year ago
A retired friend and I go out for breakfast about once a month to a local chain restaurant. One day, it was super busy, and the servers were really stressed. We had such a nice waitress who made sure we had our food and refilled our beverages. We left her a huge (35%) tip just to let her know we appreciated her. She came up to us at the cashier and gave us each a hug.
Gardener of Weeden 1 year ago
Although I do tip and I tip well, I have noticed the negative attitude of staff everywhere. I get that life sucks. But - if i want to deal with totally impersonal bots - I would do all my shopping online. At a restaurant - I can see a tired smile vs a what the f do you want look. and I have stopped going to most of the restaurants around here. We Went out last week and although she was REALLY busy, we got a pleasant greeting and made us feel welcome. I LOVE that restaurant ( never disappoints) and she got a 30% tip ( info for the servers We stack the dishes and clean our table - never leave a mess)
Ryder Watson 1 year ago
This is one of the reasons why I hate when families or big gatherings come to the restaurant. They are the most messiest and inconsiderate
Joe Publique 1 year ago
You can tell a lot about a person by the way they treat people in the service industry.
lvnchrst 1 year ago
Personally, I tip no matter how the service is. Thing is, I'm in your home so to speak, you're waiting on me, I know you need your tips, why wouldn't I tip?? There's just too many selfish people out there
Gardener of Weeden 1 year ago
I tip well due to the way our wages work - I just add that 20% as the added cost of the meal. If the service is extra good/ or I see them dealing with difficult customers, I will increase the amount. I have started to only tip in cash - so the management can not withhold the tips and manipulate them.
Load More Replies... WonderWoman 1 year ago
The *suggested* starting % tip is now at 18%? Not my job to pay your staff a living wage and I and many will not be doing that. Maybe when the waitstaff finally say enough, the owners will have to pay their staff properly. In every state (USA) if the wait staff does not earn the minimum wage through tips, the establishment is required to make up the difference. You are NOT a good guy for overtipping, you are contributing to this cycle of abuse. You should NEVER EVER EVER give a tip to a drive-thru - they are all being paid a decent wage - and NOT that of the traditional wait staff.
Jason K 1 year ago
Which one of these pictures is of your ticket? Keep on stiffing the wait staff in pursuit of your personal ideology.
Load More Replies... Joe Publique 1 year ago
And even more excuses not to pay their staff a living wage...
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