First Serving Job Experience (Red flags?)

[u/BasedRupert]

I started my first serving job at the beginning of the week. I made the mistake of not asking about pay during the interview with them (I'm used to longer interview processes of 2-3 interviews).

I found out on my second day that the company pools tips from the day and distributes them weekly based on your hours, and I won't earn any tips for the first week or so (seemed odd). There are no designated sections so there are 3 servers operating in chaos.

The job consists of serving, doing take-outs, washing/drying/putting away dishes, tea preparation, cleaning and stocking restrooms, and some other stuff.

It seems like a lot and to be more than being a server. Most of the other people working there are high school girls and I am a guy in his 30s who's used to white collar work.

Are the tasks normal for a server to do? Is it normal to not get paid tips for an obscure trial period? I'm strongly considering leaving this job today.

Thanks in advance

[u/hibiscus_lilac]

Yeah that place is a mess

[u/BasedRupert → u/hibiscus_lilac]

It seemed like a bit much to me but it's my first time doing this type of job

[u/Joey-WilcoXXX → u/BasedRupert]

It sounds like way too much, idk maybe those tips will be good but I feel like to do aaaalllll of that they’d have to be extraordinary. I say start looking for other jobs that have more balance and support.

[u/JacquesDupont12 → u/BasedRupert]

Why is it you leave the real job? It is best you do the work which is not on tipping gift

[u/SuburbanMisfits]

Take out and restrooms are usually reserved for hostesses, and do they not have a dishwasher? The fact they operate with no sections is also wild. The week without tips sounds like a 'trial' period which only gives them room to get a week of free labor out of you and then let you go. I'd pass.

[u/BasedRupert → u/SuburbanMisfits]

No designated dishwasher, just the sinks and washing machine. There are cooks that wash their pans and stuff, but us servers bus our own tables and do the dishes on top of serving

[u/Mission_Detail4045 → u/BasedRupert]

Run…… this place sucks

[u/Un4gettableAngel]

Most places I’ve worked the first 3 or 4 shifts are training shifts and you get minimum wage no tips. But you should ask them.

[u/Pinkdrapes]

I assume your first week you would be shadowing another server and not make any tips because you wouldn’t be taking your own tables. That’s normal. The rest of it sounds like too much nonsense. You would probably still be sharing tips with the back of house but doing some of those jobs yourself. I think you could make more money elsewhere. Also if there’s no older staff, there’s a reason for that.

[u/Ginyia]

Sounds exactly like my old serving job. We never earned tips, they did what yours is doing and skimmed off the top for themselves. They also weren’t paying boh min wage and violating a ton of DOL and DOH laws. It was the most stressful job I’ve ever had, I’d get out if you can.

[u/BasedRupert → u/Ginyia]

I left the morning I posted this. I doubt I'll even be paid for the couple of days I worked

[u/Ginyia → u/BasedRupert]

I’m so sorry. Glad you got out

[u/Glittering-Union6106 → u/BasedRupert]

if you filled out any sort of time card or have proof, please go get YOUR money.

people like this exploit employees all of the time.

even if it's not much, I think your self-esteem will thank you.

[u/heckinstoned]

Sounds like a chaotic mess. Good luck, keep applying and going to interviews.

[u/Withoutmeuronlyu]

look up the laws regarding tip based work in your state. Where I live the majority of your workday has to consist of tip based work to be considered a tip based employee. So in Florida we get paid $11.98 an hour and the rest is from tips. In order for the employer to get away with paying us $11.98 an hour, 80% of the job has to be tip based. so if we are cleaning most of the day, then they have to pay minimum wage. Also, if you don’t make at least a minimum wage salary with tips at the end of your work week, they have to pay the difference (which would defeat the point of being a server, and I would quit immediately if you were only made a minimum wage). pooling tips can be good and bad for different reasons but mostly depends on your coworkers, but I would be pissed if I didn’t get my tips every day at the end of my shift because that is your money that is owed to you. Especially cash tips. Hopefully you guys are keeping track of your tips and making sure you get the whole thing.

[u/J-littletree]

Pooling isn’t my thing

[u/Glittering-Union6106]

I've worked in this sort of small operation before.

I can see not tipping you on the first day, but after that? no.

What will likely happen is that you will work as a glorified busser for the week and then the group will decide not to hire you. It won't be your work that was bad, it will be their greed.

[u/Character-Weekend-97]

you probably won’t make any tips during the first week because you’re still being trained. you usually join tip pool after you have finished server training