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Saturday 26 July 2008

Fuck you....

Waiter from Waiter Rant has a post up on The Guardian's food blog Word of Mouth. It's to mark the upcoming release of his book, "Waiter Rant - Thanks for the Tip--Confessions of a Cynical Waiter". I cant wait to read it and I hope it's a roaring success.

Now, trying to promote your book on a British website with a post that is less than complimentary about British people probably wasn't the smartest move but the comments are out of all proportion.

They display a contempt for waiting staff that is baffling to me. So you want good service but you don't want to pay for it? Is that what you are saying? Many commenters suggest that waiters should demand higher wages. And if we were successful would these same people be okay with paying the higher prices that would inevitably be levied? I very fucking doubt it. They suggest we get better jobs. So if all the waiters fucked off and got better jobs who would serve your food and stroke your ego? Catch a fucking grip.

Read the post and comments.

Beyond words. My blood is boiling with rage and not just with the dig at me either.

Fuck you, fuck you with bells on.

25 People trying to get Manuel's attention:

Blondefabulous said...

OK..... that was bad.... on a good note, Charles Barkley is going to pay the college tuition of a bus boy in Philly just because the kid had a good attitude and goals in life.

Perhaps a change of position is in order??

Manuel said...

blondie: no but I love being a waiter, I am happy being a waiter. I don't want to do anything else. It's not even that some people don't want to tip that has me annoyed it's the contempt they seem to hold for us.

hey I have a good attitude and goals too.....do I wanna go to uni? do I fuck...

Megan McGurk said...

That was indeed a nasty dig at you, Manuel. How dare you try to talk about civility and manners on your blog? The thread illustrates what I've long maintained: people are not generous by nature.
Most are stingy fucks.

Anonymous said...

manuel, i genuinely don't believe that people hold waiters in contempt. It is really becoming apparent that people just love being absolute fucking weapons on the internet - there seems to be some kind of meme started on most british newspapers comments sections to see who can be the biggest fucking tool on the internet - the manchester evening news is winning this competition by whatever a country mile is

GOD said...

Bravo, Manny, bravo!

- Dennis
www.donttipthewaiter.blogspot.com
(requisite URL, ha)

Anonymous said...

The guy wrote a provocative piece on a UK paper's blog criticising British/English people in general. The reaction is fair and understandable and entirely what should be expected given that backdrop.

A more commercially astute person would have submitted an article more likely to sell books to his audience than rub them up the wrong way.

Of all the stupid things written on that page you linked his is the most stupid.

Manuel said...

medbh: it's depressingly true....

toast: you know what irk me the most? I expected more for Guardian readers....

dennis: right back at ya.....

bbb: it is neither fair nor understandable....."Wages too low? Get another job. No other skills? Try night school. Like the work? Then start your own business and stop winging. YAWN." and that was from a commenter called 'commie' you couldn't make it up.....

I agree the extract he lead with wasn't a very smart one at all......god help any English punters who stray their way into my section today.......

Anonymous said...

Oi, down boy!!!

I can't believe you would be nasty
to me Manny....you know how I feel about racism.

Massive overeaction to a badly written post, designed to stir up interest in the book.

Most of the comments were from outside the UK, so maybe you would be better off barking at the French punters who stray into your section today?

Just like to point out, that my housekeepers work 8-9 shifts, clean 5 star houses to perfection, never complain, just get on with the job, are utterly pleasant and hospitable to the guests,(most of the time) pander to the requests and stupid foibles of many a Northener, and get left fuck all....why do waiters complain so much about tips....because they like the power they have over the seated customer, but also feel they should be rewarded for the 'performance'....most waiters I work with/know should apply for Equity cards.

fatmammycat said...

Jesus H Christ on a pogo stick. I agree with Toast, people on the web like acting like a shower of weapons.

The Mistress said...

*farts in the general direction of the public*

Anonymous said...

I agree with you Manuel, it's the contempt that gets me.
Which is why I have left the industry altogether.
Got myself a new job/career.
At the end of the day some cultures don't tip at all. Spanish, Italians, French are some that spring to my mind, whenever they come into my place, staff run a raffle to see who'll serve them. But you take the good with the bad.

Pat said...

Point is that waiting is a trade. It requires many skills.Why is it persumed that waiters have not gone to college or done night courses?

Waiting is under-valued. Waiters are vital to the entire industry.

The questioning of attitude and goals is absurd. You could question every workers atitude and goals. Why are waiters singled out?

Anonymous said...

Yo Manuel, came across your blog a few weeks ago and became a fan hehe. I saw that article today and (being a former waitress) I agree with you, the comments were out of line >>.
I also love how there are always commenters trying to defend themselves with something like "well im british and i tip very well, thank you" well then obviously the article wasn't aimed towards you! Good job!
I hope I never return to waitressing, but kudos to you for enjoying your job. I don't know how you do it~

Anonymous said...

manuel, he expects all his overseas customers to know the minimum wage for his state, assume that's what his basic wage is and factor that in to any calculation for tip. What a fucking clampet.

How or why would the average overseas punter be expected to know the economics of the US restaurant business and how it differs from that in their own country and factor in local wage and tax legislation respective to his state on top?
He rashly assumes they know or should know everything he does, when clearly they won't/can't.

As I said earlier, his comments were the stupidest on the page considering he was hoping to endear himself to English/British book-buyers. For his sake I hope he's a bit smarter than that when waiting.

Anonymous said...

odd mixed reaction... i agree completely that the contempt, the disrespect, in the comments is horrible. but also believe (like toast) that this is partly the joy of internet anonymity.

when i travel, i absolutely always learn something about local customs - i know this is hard to believe, but there are some service professions in other cultures where tipping is considered insulting. it's really good to know this before you visit.

all of this points to just a general degradation in kindness, empathy and awareness for people who aren't like you, don't do the same job, don't have the same backgraound...

(sigh)

Anonymous said...

While both me and my husband tip well (we both waited/waitressed a bit in college) I would agree with some of the commenters about not paying your staff a decent wage and expecting customers to make up the shortfall so the owner profits at employees and customers expense. This is a shoddy way to treat staff. If you earn a good tip, well then good and it improves service if this is an additional carrot dangled in front of people, but paying your young vulnerable staff a crap wage and expecting that tips will bring them up to a reasonable one? employee abuse. and I know it's accepted as the norm in the States but I still don't agree with it.

heather said...

ok, seeing how this is my first comment here it may be a bit much but humor me please.

customer service is a fucking SKILL folks. and should be rewarded as such. yes, waiter took a risk by choosing that particular bit to post at the guardian. it took brass balls but the response was unwarranted. he didn't say all brits were asses, just that brits in general do not tip what is the accepted norm when in american restaurants. he is, of course, well aware of the flaws in our system for paying waitstaff. however this is (was?) his chosen profession. after all, someones gotta do it. might as well be him right?
and honestly people, just how hard is it to do a little research before traveling to find out what the local customs are regarding tipping and social customs? simple things like knowing that in china it is considered rude to show your teeth when smiling can make for a much more enjoyable stay.

i for one however, will be forever grateful for the bullshit dig at you manuel because if it wasn't for that particular ass i would not have found your blog. :)

paddy said...

Jesus H Christ, its simple folks...

If you don't tip you are a miseable arse who deserves to have your drink teabagged by the sweatiest busboy.

You can come with a bunch of shitty justifications, babble on about changing the system or nitpick the poor bastards who serve you all you like.

IF YOU DON'T TIP YOU ARE A CUNT.

daisy mae said...

alright, as i used to earn a living waiting tables, here's the part that ALWAYS irked me...

when people pay with credit card and leave a crappy tip, i get taxed on the amount of the bill. often times the amount i've been taxed has been almost equal to the tip i was left.

because there's a paper trail with a credit card, there's a record of tips with your name attached to them. so at the end of the night when you declare your tips, there's no way to get around what's on file. and if you have to tip two bus staff, two bartenders, and one expeditor, more often than not you leave with less money in your pocket than you've claimed. there have been may nights where, say, i've done all my sales by credit card - and all my tips have been on credit card. after shelling out upwards of $50 to accessory staff in obligatory tips to them, i still get taxed on money i never see.

moral of the story? you're generally not JUST tipping your waiter - but a whole host of people who are there to make your meal enjoyable. don't want to tip? don't eat out. stay home and save us all the trouble.

gggrrrr!

Anonymous said...

The comments were a bit over the top, but I can definately see the arguments on both sides. But it basically comes down to; good service deserves a good tip. Mediocre service deserves fuck all. Tips MUST be earned.

Crispy said...

How very dare he say such things about you....you're lovely.

....mwah mwah sweetie dahlink!

The Rantolotl said...

when visiting the US from Australia, I've known full well what's expected in terms of tipping - and I've paid it, and trust me, travelling on the Aussie dollar, that really stings.

Wether the US system be right or wrong (and personally I think it's rotten - in Aus wait staff get a real wage, and punters then tip on top of that for good service... I think this works well), there's no point in travelling to a country and shitting all over the locals - and by not tipping wait staff, or apply brit standards to a system which isn't british, all you're doing is unfairly punishing the workers.

Waiter can be a bit of a tool about stuff like that, but the comments really were outrageous. It alarms me that people who are that incapable of respecting other people/countries/etc do travel.

Paddy in BA (Quickroute) said...

Need to follow the tradition and customs of the country you are visiting and that includes tipping.

Don't feign ignorance in the name of saving a few quid.
In many restaurants in Japan you must take your shoes off before going to your table.

Would the nay sayers to tipping say 'No' to that too? - probably not because it doesn't hit their pocket!

Anonymous said...

What is so difficult about the "When in Rome" concept?

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