Paris waiter, 1950. irving Penn.
Waitrons in Cape Town have been getting me very hot and bothered recently. The standard of service in most restaurants in this city is not up to scratch. So, in an effort to get to the bottom of what the issues are I’ve decided to do a bit of research.
First up, I thought a good place to start would be the book Waiter Rant, by A.Waiter, aka, Steve Dublanica. It is a book written by an experienced waiter about a behind the scenes view of a life serving tables.I wasn’t disappointed by it. It is a rollercoaster read. Tears, mental breakdowns, tantrums, and that’s just the customers. Waiter Rant delivers the guts and entrails of life as a waiter.
I believe that a waiter can break or break a meal, but it seems to me that there are some restaurateurs that don’t believe a word of that ethos.
The book details the behaviour of some restaurant owners and how staff are mistreated. The book actually started life as a blog, and then, to the delight of the author, made it into print.
Ultimately, the writer believes that being a waiter is as a addictive as being on crack cocaine. Let me quickly add that the book is set in America and as such, it brings its own particular brand of US baggage.
When he writes about the different types of customers that you can come across, and the ones that are difficult, and it really does highlight how psychologically deranged some people are. The book makes clear that if you are a difficult customer then revenge is the order of the day. The staff will get their revenge in one way or another.
The simple process of getting a plate of edible food in front of a paying customer is actually a minefield of mayhem, bile, dysfunctional people,
Waiter, a multi talented individual.
greed and chaos.
He says ” What is so complicated about bringing food to tables for tips?”.
He starts his rant with the following declaration;
“Today waiters in America are expected to be food allergy specialists, sommeliers, cell phone rule enforcers, eye candy, confessors, entertainers, mixologists, emergency medical technicians, bouncers, receptionists, joke tellers, therapists, linguists, punching bags, psychics, protocol specialists, and amateur chefs”.
I loved the book and feel it’s given me a great stepping stone into the world of being a waiter, because my real quest is to find out why service is such a problem in Cape Town.
Waiter Rant, by A.Waiter. Behind the scenes of eating out.
R128. Pub. John Murray.
Second waiter photograph thanks to blogsite Tunderjoke,My Life Today, by Fair Haired Dreamy Lady.
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Hi,
I come from Italy, where “waiter” is a real profession.
As in Italy, Germany, Spain, France etc..you need to go at least 3 years to Hotel school, learn 3 languages and have deep knowledge of products, technique, history and you also have to pass exams in general knowledge subjects.
In the States, students manage to pay their University with waitron tips.
Here in SA is the “service” culture that is missing. There is no place/school where you can learn how to serve and most of the time people that serve are left on their own OR if get trained, most of them are not really interested in it because (in the back of their mind) they think is just a “passing by” job.
10 years later they might still be waiter-ing!!!!
Good waitrons, even here in SA may reach tips=salary of R15k a month if they are passionate about it!!!
easy to figure out:
at a decent restaurant a waiter should serve about 30 pax a shift;
30 pax @ R150 pax=R4500 [tip 10%=R450 a shift]
R450x 24 working day= R10K JUST ON TIPS!!!
Being a waiter is maybe the hardest job in the service/tourism industry because there are so many variable involved in making a customer happy.
Im sure that most of customers appreciate an ok service by someone that is trying hard to to make them happy rather then an horrible service by someone that doesn’t care!
South Africans, compare with other country, are really nice people when it comes on tipping the waiter: an American for example, will never tip you if they receive bad service and they will go to the Manager to complain about you!!!
Is hard to raise the standard if no one ever speak out. i have seen bad waiters getting no matter what their 10% tip. I
f people start tipping only for great service, it will push them to work better, learn the menu/wine list , having a better attitude towards serving people.
It’s a win/win situation but it seems hard to change bad habits!!!
Nino,
Great comments, couldn’t agree with you more.
In fact, I realise I contribute to the problem of bad service in Cape Town, as I tip 10% regardless of the level of service. But come May 1st I am changing my tune. I will be informing each waitron before the start of the meal, that if the service is not up to scratch they will not get the same 10%. I am going to see if this will change the type of service I have been receiving. I suspect it will. I will be monitoring waitrons in Cape Town very carefully over the next few weeks.
l too could not agree with you more. l am a waitress and great service is what l strive to give all day everyday that l am at work , but even if you give your very best and people actually compliment you to your superiors sometimes they tip peanuts l mean less than 10%, and l tend to think to myself , was it not excellent service , should l have done more. the truth , this job arent easy, and do believe , we do try our very best to make all you guys happy regardless. to the rest of the people who tip us so well , 10% and more , thank you and we do appreciate it, and by all means try to make you all happy by improving everyday.