Camping Suggestions

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.