Campers – How to take down their tent poles without them knowing.

By Pete Fasanelli of InsideDish.com

Every time I had a closing shift in the restaurant and was trying to get out at a decent time, seems like Murphy and his law got hungry and decided to pay me a visit. Either I’d get a table that walked in about 5 minutes before the kitchen closed when I hadn’t had one in an hour, or one of my existing tables decided they were going to hang out and tell campfire stories until the wee hours. Yes… those dreaded campers were the worst.

Every other table has left. Every other server has left. All the busboys and runners, it seems, are sitting at table 40 in their street clothes staring at me because they want to get “tipped out”. Even the manager seems like he has a date with Jessica Simpson in fifteen minutes because he keeps poking his head out of the office to see if everyone’s gone.

My lone table sits there, a young couple in their late twenties, done sharing their creme brulee over 45 minutes ago, now holding hands across the table caught up in a perpetual gaze. So… what should I do?

First off, I don’t want to be rude and get a bad tip from my last table: A) It’s a bad finish to a long night to get a horrible tip and maybe piss them off enough to call up and complain to a manager tomorrow (that would start tomorrow off bad) B) The check is big enough for me not to want to lose any of it. The only important thing in the world right now is that universal sky scribble meaning they want the check.

Here is what you can do:

I would start with eye contact first. If you’re fortunate enough to be able to create an audible diversion (crashing silverware, perhaps) you might be able to break their love gaze and get them looking at you who is now giving them the stare-down of a lifetime (and trust me nothing short of Doc Holliday’s steely stare at the OK Corral will work).

Then there’s, “Is there anything else I can get you?” You say this because you know that there’s nothing these fools could still possibly want except the check.

If that doesn’t work, move on to “disassembling their tent”. That means: clear off everything from their table not nailed down. Take away the dishes, coffee cups, spoons, sugar, creamer, candles and yes… even the decorative little vase with the flowers. Everything. This should get the point across.

If not… we move on to something a little less subtle. I call it, “Dousing the flames”. You can’t camp without a fire. If you have access to the sound system and it won’t get you in trouble, KILL THE MUSIC. Music is a mood setter. Once the music is gone, so is the mood. Nothing makes campers more uncomfortable than a silent empty room. Except… and this one is tricky, Kill some of the lights, if possible. Now, I’m not talking about the main floor lights, I’m talking about something within one of their peripherals or over the others shoulder. Maybe in a party room or unused service station. “Dousing the flames” is effective. try it.

My very last suggestion, and you can only use it if you’ve already dropped the check but they won’t put money in it or sign their credit card receipt. It’s called “Kill em with kindness”. No more games. Even though you know they haven’t signed/payed you keep making trips to the table and picking up the check as if you assume there’s money in there. Then you say, “Thank you so much! Let me get this out of the way for you!” Then they should finally sign the credit card receipt or give you some form of payment. If not, repeat this one every 3 minutes until they do.

Now you know how to successfully send a camper packing and headed for their next destination.

Pete Fasanelli as admin of insidedish.com and 18 year industry professional developed the site because he wanted servers in the industry to have more control over their workplace environment. They could visit the site and submit an anonymous, honest review of any previous or current job by visiting http://insidedish.com/?page_id=25. Servers could now use this shared information as a launching point in a job search eventually forcing employers to adopt a new standard from within each restaurant.

A Tip20! Original Article, by Tom Mason

Servers make money by waiting on tables. This is no secret. A waitress or waiter’s section of tables are in a way like their own little sub-restaurant. They take ownership of their section and are responsible for all of the things that go on in it like cleanliness, guest satisfaction, sales, timing, etc. During their shift their goal is no different than the goal of the entire restaurant, which is to make sales and produce income. The income that a server makes is largely dependent on the tips that they earn when their guests pay their bill. Hence, the more tables they turn the more bills they produce and the more tips they will receive. If a server is not turning tables they are making less money. Period.

Take an example of a waiter in a restaurant that has a section of three tables and has been scheduled for a four-hour dinner shift. In a perfect world, a dinner would last about an hour per table. On a busy night this gives the server a chance to have 12 tables turn and therefore place 12 bills in which he will be tipped.

Using the same example let’s say that one of the tables decides to stay for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. This reduces the server’s number of possible turns to 9 and then another table decides to stay for 2 hours. This reduces the turns to 8 and reduces the potential income by a full third. And that’s just if two tables decide to have a long dinner. Imagine if you went to work and through no fault of your own your income was cut by a third! The example does not even take into account how many empty seats there may be at your table such as two people at a table for six.

In the service industry the practice of sitting at a table for an exceptionally long time is called “camping”. A table is considered camping when they simply sit and talk or read or play cards (yes this happens!) at a table long after their food has been consumed and they are no longer ordering.  The length of time a meal takes does have many variables based on the type of restaurant and the type of food. For example a meal at a roadside truck stop is likely to be much quicker and less expensive than a meal at a fine dining establishment where you are likely to have a bottle of wine, appetizers and desert. So there is no set time period right for getting in and out of a restaurant. In the case of the truck stop server will turn many more tables and may have bigger sections because the dining experience is customized for speed and efficiency to get you back on the road. The servers make money because they are turning many tables even though the average individual bill is lower. In the fine dining example there are fewer table turns and the server sections are smaller because the meal itself is much more labor intensive, there are more courses and the pace may be slower in general. It is because of this pace that “camping” can really be an income killer for servers.

There’s a good possibility that you are camping if:

• You have noticed that all of the tables around you have had more than one party go through their entire meal.
• You have stopped eating, your server has dropped off your bill and you have sat for an additional 15 minutes or longer.
• You have paid your bill and have sat for an additional 15 minutes or longer.
• You are on your third or more refill of soda/water/coffee after your bill has been dropped.
• You are among the last three tables in the restaurant that has closed its doors for the day.
• You are playing a board game or cards at your table.
• Your server is leaning against a wall trying not to glare at you.

You must remember that you are taking valuable real estate from the server. Because you are a valued guest of the restaurant your server must not push you to go. Even if you ask if you should go they will likely tell you that “you are welcome to stay as long as you like” or “no rush” When in fact they really need you to go. They have to just hope that you will be courteous enough to go when you are done.

How to avoid being a camper:

• Be on time for reservations. The server’s table is being held for you. Servers cannot make money on an empty table.
• Do not get seated till your party is whole.
• Decide on what you want to eat or drink in a timely manner. Do not sit for half an hour before ordering or starting your meal.
• Do not invite people to join your table mid-meal.
• Finish your food and no need to hurry. Enjoy it. But when you are finished promptly pay your bill and move along.
• If you need quality “catching up” time with a friend or loved one, get a drink or coffee in the bar before or after the meal. The bar or lounge area of a restaurant is designed to handle people hanging out for longer periods of time. (Although turn times matter there too!)
• If the restaurant is closing or has closed be respectful that your server has a life outside of work too and may have a family or friends to go home to. Don’t sit there for a long time after closing. (One way to avoid this problem is not going into the restaurant 20 minutes before closing.)
• Pay your bill quickly, even if you intend to stay longer. Servers likely have paperwork to do and can get started on it if they have collected all of their bills.
• If you do stay much longer than your meal lasts be kind to the server in your tip. Remember that you have cost them a possible table turn.

You do not have to rush in and out of restaurants. The dining experience is meant to be relaxing and enjoyable. All servers ask is that you be respectful of their time and their business, which is turning tables to make an income. Most servers make a very meager hourly wage and rely on those table turns and tips to make money. Just as you like to get out of work at the end of your shift, waiters and waitresses do too.

A Tip20! Original Article, by Tom Mason

Paying your bill may seem like a mindless and mundane procedure when you are dining out, but the way in which the process happens can make life easier for everyone involved. The following are some tips for streamlining the bill payment at the end of your meal.

1. Don’t be afraid to ask for your check. The server appreciates knowing that you’re ready for your bill. Servers do not want to continuously bother you to see if you are ready for your check, but they don’t want to make you wait for them either.
2. If paying with cash or credit card let the cash or card stick out of the check presenter a little and place on the edge of the table. This will let your server know you’re ready to pay.
3. Pay promptly even if you plan to stay at the table for a while longer. Often the server may be just waiting to leave at the end of his or her shift and can cash out his receipts after all bills have been paid. Even if you intend to sit for a while your server can get their accounting done while they wait for you to conclude your visit.
4. If you are going to be sitting for a long time (in the industry this is known as “camping”) let your server know. If you are the servers last table, they may want to leave. Your server will make sure that you have everything you need before he or she goes and will likely tell another server to keep an eye on you for any further needs you may have.
5. When paying cash always use the smallest bills you have available and let the server know if you need change back. Exact change is always appreciated.
6. When paying with a check it is a good idea to ask if checks are accepted first and also automatically include your home phone number and address and any other information that may be helpful or required.
7. If you know you are going to be splitting your tab different ways among the parties at the table, let your server know when you sit down. It may make a difference how they ring your order in to speed up the payment process at the end of your meal.
8. If you know you are going to be picking up the tab for the entire table, discreetly (or not) let the server know in advance. This will help avoid the uncomfortable situation at the end of the meal with a fight over who will pay the bill.
9. If you were planning to pay your bill with a credit card it is a nice thing to do to leave your tip in cash. Some restaurants will take fees out of servers tips when paid by credit card.

Please just be courteous and considerate of your servers time. A servers section has a limited number of tables. Servers only make money when they are “turning” tables so if you are going to take up a table for a long time, it is a nice gesture to give a little more of a tip to help the server make up some of their potential lost revenue.

Shout out to Tim at the CG for the idea for this story.