I do half your job, share some fucking tips

[Ooner]

I'm sure I sound like a greedy asshole here, but I'll whine anyways.

I want tips at work. I'm a room service dispatcher/cashier at a hotel, and my job consists mostly of taking room service orders on the phone, then assigning them to servers and when the server returns from the room with the signed room charge receipt or cash, I close out the check, make change if needed, and so on. At the end of the night, I swipe each server's ID card and pay them whatever tips they accumulated (on room charges, they keep their cash on hand).

Now, I know that in a normal restaurant, servers get tips. They go to the table, take the order, bring the food, take the money and close out the check. From their tips, they tip out their busboy (5-10% or so?) because he's the one clearing finished dishes and refilling drinks.

So why the fuck don't room service servers tip out their dispatchers? I'm taking the order. I'm ringing up the checks. This is sspecially annoying on HIGH-TIP amenity orders. Here, people call in and say "I want to send a gift basket to someone's room." I fill out forms, fax authorization requests, file paperwork, fax it to the front desk, call to get room numbers, check back to see when guests arrive, and when they do, a server carries it up to the (often empty) room and KEEPS THE ENTIRE GUARANTEED (included in the price) 17% TIP TO THEMSELF.

I don't know if I'm being unreasonable, but it seems like... servers should tip out dispatchers at the end of their shift. I do a big piece of the work. I have the most contact with the customer and am the reason they GET a good tip in the first place.

I can't really bring it up at work, I'd look like an asshole. "Hey I do a lot of work gimme some of your money!"

Am I being greedy here or does anyone else think at the end of their shift the servers should leave behind a little piece for me and whatever other poor sucker has been on the phone all night keeping customers happy (and as a result bringing in better tips)

[Guinastasia]

Do the tipped employees at your hotel make below minimum wage? What about you?

[Ooner]

I don't know about tipped employees in the cafe, but the room service servers make well above minimum wage and just slightly less than me, about $10/hr to my $11. I'd guess they make an average of about $7-9/hr in tips on top of that, maybe more.

[1010011010]

When's the last time you saw a strange middle-aged man in nothing but a towel asking you to put the food on the bed? How much is it worth to you to never see that?

Are you the only dispatcher/cashier (at a given time)?
How much physical work do the room servers actually do?
Can you game the system and tip yourself out on the credit charges?

[Cinnamon Girl]

Originally Posted by Guinastasia

Do the tipped employees at your hotel make below minimum wage? What about you?

Personally, I hate the idea that this is even relevant. Tipping is supposed to be an expression of appreciation for service provided.* Sounds to me like Ooner is providing a large part of that service and, IMHO, deserves a share of the tips.

*When leaving a tip, does anyone ever think 'Gee, I guess I'll help you pay your bills since your employer has decided their customers ought to pitch in'?

[Ooner]

Originally Posted by 1010011010

When's the last time you saw a strange middle-aged man in nothing but a towel asking you to put the food on the bed?

Haha good point

Are you the only dispatcher/cashier (at a given time)?

Depending on the shift, maybe. Sometimes there are two of us, one taking all the orders and the other assigning it to servers and closing out checks and keeping up on all the paperwork. On the slower shifts (graveyard mostly) there is just one.

How much physical work do the room servers actually do?

As far as I can tell, it is just putting a tablecloth on a cart, pouring drinks and covering them with saran wrap, collecting the necessary condiments and such, and grabbing the prepared food from the kitchen, then wheeling it down a hall to a service elevator and up to the room.

Can you game the system and tip yourself out on the credit charges?

The servers keep a copy of all the receipts and add up their room charge tips as they go. At the end of the night when I swipe the card, they tell me how much it should be and I make sure it matches. So not really, and I wouldn't want to steal tips anyways, I'm just sort of pissed they aren't volunteered at all.


And Cinnamon Girl, I completely agree with that. Tipping has become such common practice I don't know how we would ever get away from that system, but I'd definitely eat at a restaurant that charged more for the food to pay the servers better and made it clear to customers that tips aren't expected.

[Shakes]

Speaking as a former room service guy; SCREW YOU! Walking up and down those hallways all day is hard f'n work.

Not to mention get'n hit on by gay dudes and old ladies all day kind of sucks too.

Maybe you should ask for a raise instead?

[Shagnasty]

If you think that they are getting the better deal, why don't you move over to the role of room service person?

[Harborwolf]

Wait...there are room service dispatchers!?! Your servers use carts!?!

Man, I did room service for six years. I took the orders by myself easily 80 percent of the time. I made the ticket. I prepped the tray. I carried; not pushed a cart, but bloody carried the tray on my shoulder to the farthest end of the halls. Then I was greeted by the old person in a towel or embarassed person whose intercourse I interrupted with their dinner course.

People, if you order room service do not try to squeeze in a quickie. It'll only embarrass you and your server a funny story to tell later. Wait until you've eaten. Take some time. Do it right. Knowing is half the battle

G.I. Jooooeee

Add to the room service chores the fact that I also had to run the food orders to the downstairs lounge.

If I had a dispatcher, he'd easily be worth half my tips. You should easily be worth some of theirs. Ask them, and if that doesn't work talk to a manager.

[Airman Doors, USAF]

I work(ed) the kitchen at a bar for a while. From what I could see I was the one that was sweating my ass off for peanuts while the waitresses were making approximately 4 times what I was just for taking the orders and carrying the stuff out. I had to clean as well as cook, I had to help out with other things, and I think most people recognized the "inequality" (except for this one girl who got mad at me for taking too long because she had "bills to pay", when she made $4,000/month to my $1,000/month- I laughed right in her face about that).

You know what, though? If I didn't like it, all I had to do was quit. Or becme a waiter. Or do any number of things. But the one thing I couldn't do was change things by whining about it. Just saying, is all.

[levdrakon]

A valid rant I suppose. I think a lot of people in the service industry get the same attitude that your manager or boss has. Yes, you are doing at least half the work, if not significantly more, but I sure as shit ain't sharing my income with you.

[Ooner]

If you think that they are getting the better deal, why don't you move over to the role of room service person?

I'm looking into it, but I'm still new at the job and I don't know if the boss would like me saying "I want something else" so quickly. It's not a big enough deal that I would quit over it or demand a different position right now or anything.

You should easily be worth some of theirs. Ask them

I feel like I should but I would feel so uncomfortable asking for money, even if it is deserved. I'm debating talking to all the other dispatchers about it, casually, one at a time just saying "man, that really sucks that we do so much work and don't get any part of the tips.... I mean, in a lot of positions like this the servers just tip out a bit at the end, right? wouldn't that make sense....." which would somehow lead to a revolution and me making millions, $3 at a time.

You know what, though? If I didn't like it, all I had to do was quit. Or becme a waiter. Or do any number of things. But the one thing I couldn't do was change things by whining about it. Just saying, is all.

Oh I know, just feel the need to bitch about it for a sec. Life isn't fair and I can deal with that, but I don't have to always keep my mouth shut about it

but I sure as shit ain't sharing my income with you.

If by chance I do end up in a server position at the same hotel, I will be the groundbreaking one to start giving a piece of my tips to the dispatchers. Maybe others would follow suit... but I'm not sure I can start that trend from my side of the computer/register.

[ParentalAdvisory]

Originally Posted by SHAKES

Speaking as a former room service guy; SCREW YOU! Walking up and down those hallways all day is hard f'n work.

Not to mention get'n hit on by gay dudes and old ladies all day kind of sucks too.

Maybe you should ask for a raise instead?

Atleast you're getting hit on.

[even sven]

It's customary for servers to tip out a couple bucks to hosts- and even more if the hosts are getting drink orders and running errands. I used to walk out with about fifteen bucks a shift from my servers, which was a vital part of my living expenses.

The secret to getting those tips is to go from server to server when you leave, say "Hey, I'm off...have a good weekend" and stand there expectantly until they fork over the cash. Some hosts I worked with never got tipped out, simply because they never asked. It's kind of uncomfortable, but it's your due. If you don't bring it up, they are likely to "let it slide" even when they know they ought to be tipping you.

I think what you are missing out on is that there is a good reason to tip you- you control their lives. Restaurants are a tought business, and everyone is going to take advantage of you if you don't take advantage of them. You control how easy of a time these servers have and how much money they make shift. While I never actively sabtoaged people (although there were plenty that felt okay with sabotaging me), if I had to overseat a section, it was going to be the lady that never tipped me. If the nice couple that tips well came in for their anniversy dinner, I'd look at at the guy that gives me fiver's section first. I think with a little rearranging of who gets those high-tip gift baskets and who gets the naked old ladies you could see your revenue go up quite a bit.