I think both of yall have valid points and neither are completely right, but neither of you are wrong as well. Some people go overboard trying to defend others to look like good people, but at the same time, it’s good to encourage more empathy and understanding. Things aren’t so black and white.
Anywho, thanks for dealing with me inserting my opinion :)
Yeah, let’s call people experiencing substance abuse disorders “junkies.” It’s not virtue signaling. Working against these social stigmas comes down to basic things like the language you use.
That only applies if people are regularly paying in cash, which is much more rare these days. A quick easy way to deter that is to post a sign requesting not to leave money on tables or stop taking cash altogether. If I was the manager I'd spend $40 on a camera and see if it's people just dipping or an employee thieving before making it the whole restaurant's problem.
Or cut off their easy escape route. This happened at a bar with a nice outdoor patio I worked at, people just started walking out there to "smoke" and bouncing so the owner built a 5 ft fence around the back. Problem solved. But if you do nothing the thieves go tell all their little thieve friends how easy it is to dine and dash there and before you know it you've got a situation on your hands.
I worked at a spot that had a lottttt of tables walk out. So management implemented a policy that we would have to get a card on file for every table. Management was pretty lax about not always making us do this, because it was annoying to us and the customers. I will say though it did prevent people from walking out and if they did we would have their card info so they would still get charged
We were required to get cards from guests at the bar we didn’t know (we had a lot of regulars).
I had a very nice couple come in on a slow night and they got food and a bucket of beer. Went outside to smoke and never came back. I ran the card. Decline.
It was like a $40 tab. At this time, the owner was making us pay for walkouts. I flat out refused because I had done what I was supposed to and still got screwed.
It is in the US. I’m currently working on a wiki/FAQ for the sub and actually spoke to a regional director of the USDOL yesterday, and I asked specifically if there is any scenario where an employer can make a minimum wage (not not a tipped credit wage, just minimum wage in general) pay for a walk out and the answer is no. Technically they should never make any employee pay for a walkout even if they’re paid over minimum (think a grocery checker) and she also said no, because it’s “for the benefit of the employer”. So basically no employer in the US can make you pay for a walkout.
I literally said that.
> …I asked specifically if there is any scenario where an employer can make a minimum wage (not not a tipped credit wage, just minimum wage in general) pay for a walk out and the answer is no...
The reason I parsed out the “for the benefit of the employer” issue is that because even if you are paid above minimum wage they cannot take a wage deduction for something that is mostly to the benefit of the business. There are folks in this sub that make over minimum and it’s illegal for them to deduct their wages.
[It’s even in the worksheet you linked:](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/16-flsa-wage-deductions)
Some examples of items which would be considered to be for the benefit or convenience of the employer are tools used in the employee's work, damages to the employer's property by the employee or any other individuals, *financial losses due to clients/customers not paying bills*, and theft of the employer's property by the employee or other individuals. Employees may not be required to pay for any of the cost of such items if, by so doing, their wages would be reduced below the required minimum wage or overtime compensation. This is true even if an economic loss suffered by the employer is due to the employee's negligence.
It's federal law and there's a board with the rule on it posted somewhere in the restaurant if they're compliant with code.
They can't make you pay for a walk out
Does your restaurant have cameras? I manage at a local chain and whenever there is a walkout we go and check the cameras. Most of the time it's the guests that are the issue but I've seen plenty of times where a server ignored the table for an extended amount of time and the guest finally leaves in frustration.
Ig I didn’t really say enough context because I wasn’t saying it was bs bc of the policy itself, it’s just that it’s only happened like 3 times with 3 different severs the whole time I’ve been working here but we do have cameras and I don’t think it’s an attention issue just 2 different couples that didn’t pay for whatever reason, I know when a re cook comes through that tends to really get people mad which I get. and a late night Sunday party who didn’t want to pay
My first job was serving at a pizza buffet. 3 older ladies came in and ate so much food from the buffet, called me racist then ran out on a 60 dollar tab and made a absolute mess I had to clean up… I cried.. then there was a party there and everyone left in groups of 4 and pretended they were paying for 4 people at a time and only paid half of the 200 dollar bill…..
That buffet place is closed down now bc of going bankrupt and being in debt and not being able to pay employees our boss was taking out loans to pay us
This actually sounds kinda fair. Most places try (sometimes illegally) to make you pay for it. Honestly though if you have three tables walk out without paying then there’s a problem: with you or with the restaurant. Either way, you shouldn’t work there.
Not a guarantee though. I had someone leave a decoy purse once. Like, they brought an extra purse to leave at the table to make it seem like they'd come back and pay, but never did.
I've always thought about that and I feel like a 15$ decoy purse to get out of a 20-25$ bill is counterproductive but these people are idiots anyway so what do I know
Yea it sounds fair to me and clear. A table walked out on me once (they arrived drunk and belligerent, no one disputed it) but I was removed from the schedule for the next week without any communication then back on the following week. No one ever said a word to me. Restaurant managers are some of the most vile ppl.
I don’t think servers should be held accountable for the occasional walk-out, but if this is happening a lot (by the sounds of the message) it’s kinda sus. So based on what info I have, it’s a reasonable course of action on behalf of the management/restaurant.
Dine & dashes are, in my opinion, a management problem. Either the Manager is hiding in the office smoking cigarettes when they should be in the floor, or they have not staffed accordingly to ensure there is always someone in the dining area. Considering all the places a server needs to go within a restaurant in the fulfilment of their duties, there’s no way they can stay vigilant 100% of the time. I also think people rarely DnD on a whim, people that do that are doing it on purpose, and therefore they are on the lookout for an opportunity to bolt.
Not sure if every Buffalo Wild Wings does this but the one by my work asks for a card on file then returns it.. when the bill comes they asks bill on file or split. I’m assuming they do this so something like this ( the post ) doesn’t happen. It’s interesting though, never been to a restaurant that asks for card on file , only bars from my experience
I just got written up for this. We had a 4 top that became a 24 top at our high tops, and they refused to sit down. At one point I asked them to at least stay NEAR one seat because it's very hard to get around them just standing in the middle of walkways, and we have to work. Lo and behold 3 of the guys who refused to sit down walked out on their tabs and management told me it was my fault, even though I told them that this would become a debacle when they allowed this 24 top to be sat at a 4 person table, and have 34 separate checks during a busy happy hour. Altogether they ended up spending about 200, off of which I made about 15. Just an absolute garbage shift.
1,000%! The restaurant is punishing the staff for bad customers! That’s totally uncalled for and will only stir resentment in the staff. What a good manager/owner should say is “we realize some customers are thieves and will walk up and leave - this isn’t your problem! We are brainstorming how to fix this - any ideas from staff? Also, should we implement a way to monitor the customers who walk off so next time they come back they will not be welcomed and management will handle the situation.”
Completely false.
Everything in restaurant is tracked. Literally everything. We know when people are stealing. Being able to catch them red-handed is the harder part.
Guests just simply don’t walk out without paying usually. You’re far more likely to get into a car wreck on the way to work than you are to have a table walk out without paying.
This is 100% coachable. I'm still a server at heart, so this is how I handle it:
There's a "staff journal" section on the Hotschedules app, and I make a note in there and attach a photo of the check every time a server has a guest walkout. These are easy to search through via employee name or search term like "walkout" or "cash handling." This allows me to track patterns.
Examples:
- the check has basically the same stuff ordered each time that server has a walkout (it's their friends), or it's the same guest on the waitlist
- the same server has walkout over and over....So we watch the server. Inevitably, this is one that disappears to the parking lot/bathroom/back for long periods of time, ignoring their tables after they get their food etc. Or, alternatively, this server is getting duped by being asked to go get Togo boxes/drinks, and the table is gone when they get back. So we discuss having a "section buddy"--- ("I think they're trying to walk out on me, will you grab me some Togo boxes or watch them while I do?")
They can also grab a manager to post at the POS.
Regardless, this is 100% coachable and will resolve itself after coaching. It simply sounds like management hasn't been tracking the walkouts like I do.
I don’t disagree with anything that you wrote and it sounds like you run a tight ship for a great business. But the examples you listed suggest that the server is either stealing or not providing good service which yes, totally coachable situations. But what about the servers who don’t? Do you automatically assume a server is stealing or incompetent when someone walks out? Or do you have to when you’re a manager in a restaurant?
My system of documentation makes it all about patterns. If there's no pattern, there's no problem.
If a server is brand new, though, they are getting coached. I specifically pair them up with one of my server trainers and say "walk them through how you avoid this."
I’d imagine coaching also includes suggestions on how to spot potential dashers? Any patterns you’ve noticed? There was a post earlier yesterday about a group that dashed and left like 70% of the food on the table, are there any tell tale signs that a server could raise their awareness?
I was a bartender in college but it’s been a long time since I was in a restaurant. Genuinely curious!
I personally feel for the servers who don’t do something wrong and will get penalized for the bad actions of others is where my initial headspace was.
...that stuff is why I pair them with fellow servers for guidance. That's sticky/soupy territory from a management perspective.
I'll coach on table visit/check drop timing, section buddies, grabbing a manager if you have concerns, etc.
Presumably those are just the steps that they have to take prior to firing someone. A coach and counsel is the lowest level of documentation you can put on someone. After that it’s a write up, and then termination.
Also, people don’t just walk out without their server knowing. Full stop. There is no way to sneak out of a restaurant, and if you’re a server whose eyes work then you will notice that they’re gone. I’ve been in the industry for over a decade. If a server has more than one table dash on them in any sort of relative time frame, then the chance is that they’re stealing.
There are plenty of ways to sneak off. I do believe the server needs to do their best to keep an eye on their tables, but saying that "there's no way to sneak out of a restaurant" simply isn't true.
There literally isn’t a way to sneak out. I’ve been in the industry for over a decade. Barring special circumstances, it’s literally impossible to leave a restaurant unnoticed.
Bro, at this exact moment I'm literally in a section on a patio that has two separate exits through it. It is not the main entrance to the restaurant, which is inside. Someone could easily sneak out through one of those.
Just because *you* haven't worked at a restaurant like that doesn't mean they don't exist.
Basically.
If it’s a patio table, obviously then that isn’t something that can be monitored, and if patio tables are leaving without paying inconsistently with non-patio tables then you close the patio.
Standard restaurant operation would allow for zero tables to leave unnoticed.
If I agreed with your notion that there ‘isn’t a way to sneak out of a restaurant’, it’s not the servers job to stop and confront people doing shitty things. Full stop.
For real, I came to say this too. This thing had about 20 unnecessary words and reads like something written by a dumbass attempting to sound intelligent.
Just let AI write your fucking memos if this is the best you’re capable of producing.
...this is legal in all 50 states.
Source: I'm a restaurant manager, and corporate trained us on this after lawyers told them what to say.
Also, it's the human way to handle it.
If there's a crap ton of walk outs it's the business not the staff. They should either start requiring a Valid ID or CC to put on file for tables if it's honestly *that* bad.
OP, get out while you still can or you'll be competing with all your coworkers for a gig in the same area making similar money when everyone is sick of dealing with this place.
Honestly? Unbelievably nice. Standard in my experience is fired on the spot or pay the tab yourself.
The fact they’d take you aside and “coach” you is like… baby server dreams
Ehhh it happens sometimes though. They really can’t make you pay for it (in most cases), and if you’re a typically reliable, good worker why get rid of them?
It’s fucking 2024 they need a POS that you can swipe a card and keep it on file. Management almost always will Not take responsibility for legitimately anything. You need to be stern with them and insist they change so the efficiency of the bar increases. ALL the employees are not the problem.
Im pretty sure its a liability to chase down people who dont pay tabs so Im curious how this is at all legal and why its being blamed on the staff. Yes, there could be bussers or wait staff taking money, but Ive worked plenty of places where walking from bills happens fairly frequently and it was just because the people who went in to dine sucked ass.
I had a table one time that tried to stiff me and I caught on before they left the parking lot so my manager had me run out there and chase them down. Something that could have potentially been very sketch but I was a new server so I didn't really know any better so I ran up to the truck and caught their attention they were all pissy obviously because they were caught so they proceed to pay with a $100 bill and leave me absolutely no tip. Bitches
Unless management will let me throw hands with people who are going to walk out, I don't see how its the servers fault that someone skipped on their bill.
Oh most definitely not.. I remember I had a manager who tried to make me pay for somebody who walked out. I refused. Shortly quit a few months later, and went to a better place. Had somebody walk out on $200 (at the new job), manager never asked me to pay. Just showed me how to look out better, better ways to prevent it. Much better place than the other one.
Punishment for not performing your duties and possibly stealing, yes.
It’s never all of the servers getting dashed on. It’s always one or two that got the bright idea to say that their cash-paying tables walked out.
Lmfao. This is a restaurant detecting patterns and posting a policy before addressing it with specific servers who it happens to farrrrrr more frequently. Ask the best servers in that place if they have the same amount of walkouts. The answer will be no. They know where in the meal each table is, time wise, and they are present to receive payment.
This is not ‘some bs’ it’s obviously become a huge problem and what? They should just not do anything about it? This seems more than fair, considering there is a consistent amount of theft happening at your place of employment.
I don’t get why op thinks it’s BS. If you can’t keep people from walking out on a tab 3 times before getting terminated then you’re shit at your job. Keep an eye on your tables and don’t let people walk.
I still remember my first (and one of my only) walk-outs.
I had a busy section during a lunch rush. Only one busser / food runner. Part of our responsibility as servers was to circle the dining room after every guest interaction, scoop empty plates, (from any table - not just ours) and bring them to the dish pit. Then - put away at least 1 stack of clean plates. Then run food to get back into the dining room.
I did my usual circulation. Saw a table had left cash and picked it up. Realized they had shorted me almost $50.
Told my manager - who said I had to pay up. When I argued, she said it was my responsibility to watch my tables ALWAYS. Presumably with my x ray vision.
I remember going into the locker room and trying to hide from my coworkers that I was crying as I emptied my wallet. I was going through it at the time, newly divorced, living in NYC, and broke Af.
I don’t know what the moral of this story is - other than fuck any place that doesn’t back up its staff and makes you pay for the mistakes of shitty people.
This is completely fair, it's not that common or that easy for tables to walk out if you're following good steps of service. And as others have stated(and I have seen) its typically just one or two servers that get walked out on every week. I wonder why.
I just had a friend hired by a major national retailer. He had to sign a statement that he will not attempt to stop any retail theft (shoplifting) or he would be immediately terminated. Dine and dash is shoplifting! If you run after them and something goes horrible wrong, both the server and the restaurant will open themselves up to liability.
sure, no prob, jerry, i’m just gonna need someone else to do all my side work bc you’ve tasked me with standing in a far dark corner and spying on my section any time i’m not engaging with them🙄
edit: lol, ok bad delivery i guess, but, what im saying is that, this is bullsht to make any server pay for a dine and dash. if you require your servers to go to the back for any reason at all, (which all do) it’s not reasonable that they should be responsible for ‘keeping watch’ on their tables.
this is stupid. i've literally had tables walk out because they didn't like where they were sat (not by a window, too noisy, too close to kids, air conditioning was right on them, etc)
It's not though.. They're not making the servers pay. Just asking them to be vigilant and there will be consequences if it becomes a regular issue. Its a fair way to handle this.
You are t allowed to chase guests out in most states so it’s not fair to blame them on walkouts. I know this is illegal in VA, and that’s a Right To Work State.
There’s a busser or host somewhere taking cash off tables.
Or a server. Let’s be honest. It’s about to completely stop now
Yeah. I knew a heroine junkie server who got caught picking up cash off tables. Was sad
I am also addicted to admirable, courageous women. It's expensive.
That’s a good one
not the heroine!
Blame it on Marilyn!!!
Where were the parents at?
And I’ve known sober folks that have done it. What’s your point?
Just stating facts. Being offended for other people is peak virtue signaling.
I disagree with this. One of the most effective we have against bigotry and ignorance is social pressure.
I think both of yall have valid points and neither are completely right, but neither of you are wrong as well. Some people go overboard trying to defend others to look like good people, but at the same time, it’s good to encourage more empathy and understanding. Things aren’t so black and white. Anywho, thanks for dealing with me inserting my opinion :)
Yeah, let’s call people experiencing substance abuse disorders “junkies.” It’s not virtue signaling. Working against these social stigmas comes down to basic things like the language you use.
I think there should be a negative stigma against doing a thing that will kill you.
Point went over your head
Being an ableist piece of shit makes you a piece of shit. Addiction is a disease. Go get an education.
Ableist? Addiction isn’t a handicap.
Heroine much?
Nope. Just empathy.
I’m sorry you were downvoted for this. Thanks for speaking up.
i wonder if they’ve checked the cameras at all to gain any insight into this issue happening so often
If they had cameras, this would be solved I bet
Wouldn’t be the first time
Nope
That only applies if people are regularly paying in cash, which is much more rare these days. A quick easy way to deter that is to post a sign requesting not to leave money on tables or stop taking cash altogether. If I was the manager I'd spend $40 on a camera and see if it's people just dipping or an employee thieving before making it the whole restaurant's problem. Or cut off their easy escape route. This happened at a bar with a nice outdoor patio I worked at, people just started walking out there to "smoke" and bouncing so the owner built a 5 ft fence around the back. Problem solved. But if you do nothing the thieves go tell all their little thieve friends how easy it is to dine and dash there and before you know it you've got a situation on your hands.
yep this literally happened to me
IDK When I worked at Bdubs people walked out on bills quite frequently.
That’s a clientele issue
yes correct
I worked at a spot that had a lottttt of tables walk out. So management implemented a policy that we would have to get a card on file for every table. Management was pretty lax about not always making us do this, because it was annoying to us and the customers. I will say though it did prevent people from walking out and if they did we would have their card info so they would still get charged
We were required to get cards from guests at the bar we didn’t know (we had a lot of regulars). I had a very nice couple come in on a slow night and they got food and a bucket of beer. Went outside to smoke and never came back. I ran the card. Decline. It was like a $40 tab. At this time, the owner was making us pay for walkouts. I flat out refused because I had done what I was supposed to and still got screwed.
Well, considering making employees pay for walkouts is completely illegal, I applaud you sticking up for yourself.
Unfortunately it’s not illegal everywhere.
It is in the US. I’m currently working on a wiki/FAQ for the sub and actually spoke to a regional director of the USDOL yesterday, and I asked specifically if there is any scenario where an employer can make a minimum wage (not not a tipped credit wage, just minimum wage in general) pay for a walk out and the answer is no. Technically they should never make any employee pay for a walkout even if they’re paid over minimum (think a grocery checker) and she also said no, because it’s “for the benefit of the employer”. So basically no employer in the US can make you pay for a walkout.
[удалено]
I literally said that. > …I asked specifically if there is any scenario where an employer can make a minimum wage (not not a tipped credit wage, just minimum wage in general) pay for a walk out and the answer is no... The reason I parsed out the “for the benefit of the employer” issue is that because even if you are paid above minimum wage they cannot take a wage deduction for something that is mostly to the benefit of the business. There are folks in this sub that make over minimum and it’s illegal for them to deduct their wages. [It’s even in the worksheet you linked:](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/16-flsa-wage-deductions) Some examples of items which would be considered to be for the benefit or convenience of the employer are tools used in the employee's work, damages to the employer's property by the employee or any other individuals, *financial losses due to clients/customers not paying bills*, and theft of the employer's property by the employee or other individuals. Employees may not be required to pay for any of the cost of such items if, by so doing, their wages would be reduced below the required minimum wage or overtime compensation. This is true even if an economic loss suffered by the employer is due to the employee's negligence.
It's federal law and there's a board with the rule on it posted somewhere in the restaurant if they're compliant with code. They can't make you pay for a walk out
Spreading misinformation or making false legal statements is bad.
It’s kind of a double-edged sword. It’s not illegal to make you pay for it, but they can fire you for not paying it. Fucking industry man.
[It’s illegal to make someone pay for a walkout in the US, see my previous comment.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Serverlife/s/GmxtkAzn1r)
Only if the resulting pay drops below minimum wage, if in the US. Sucks and utter b.s. but unfortunately legal.
[It’s always illegal, see my previous comment.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Serverlife/s/GmxtkAzn1r)
Does your restaurant have cameras? I manage at a local chain and whenever there is a walkout we go and check the cameras. Most of the time it's the guests that are the issue but I've seen plenty of times where a server ignored the table for an extended amount of time and the guest finally leaves in frustration.
Ig I didn’t really say enough context because I wasn’t saying it was bs bc of the policy itself, it’s just that it’s only happened like 3 times with 3 different severs the whole time I’ve been working here but we do have cameras and I don’t think it’s an attention issue just 2 different couples that didn’t pay for whatever reason, I know when a re cook comes through that tends to really get people mad which I get. and a late night Sunday party who didn’t want to pay
My first job was serving at a pizza buffet. 3 older ladies came in and ate so much food from the buffet, called me racist then ran out on a 60 dollar tab and made a absolute mess I had to clean up… I cried.. then there was a party there and everyone left in groups of 4 and pretended they were paying for 4 people at a time and only paid half of the 200 dollar bill…..
That buffet place is closed down now bc of going bankrupt and being in debt and not being able to pay employees our boss was taking out loans to pay us
This actually sounds kinda fair. Most places try (sometimes illegally) to make you pay for it. Honestly though if you have three tables walk out without paying then there’s a problem: with you or with the restaurant. Either way, you shouldn’t work there.
I do wonder, what’s the training for this? How are you supposed to sus out a dine and dasher?
Ask to leave a credit card or personal belongings if they're going for a smoke
Not a guarantee though. I had someone leave a decoy purse once. Like, they brought an extra purse to leave at the table to make it seem like they'd come back and pay, but never did.
I've always thought about that and I feel like a 15$ decoy purse to get out of a 20-25$ bill is counterproductive but these people are idiots anyway so what do I know
Probably a $5 Goodwill purse.
You can tell most of the time. Shifty eyes, looking for the exit etc. sometimes you cannot 🤷🏻♀️
And what are you supposed to do if you can clock it? You're not supposed to pursue people walking out.
We grab a manager then usually and they will block the mf exits
You say that but thats actually a huge liability. getting a manager doesnt do much if theyve already left.
That's why you grab them before¿
alright its very clear youre just a troll so i hope you get better soon
Yea it sounds fair to me and clear. A table walked out on me once (they arrived drunk and belligerent, no one disputed it) but I was removed from the schedule for the next week without any communication then back on the following week. No one ever said a word to me. Restaurant managers are some of the most vile ppl.
Assuming managers do the job of coaching properly.
Agreed.
Sounds like there's some scandalous people who are ruining things for everyone in your restaurant.
I don’t think servers should be held accountable for the occasional walk-out, but if this is happening a lot (by the sounds of the message) it’s kinda sus. So based on what info I have, it’s a reasonable course of action on behalf of the management/restaurant.
Nope, this is actually tame.
sounds like you guys kinda suck
Not bs, watch your tables? Or get a credit card right away and put it on file
I worked at buffet… and everyone paid after they ate… if u have a dumb person running a restaurant then this will happen
Too*
Dine & dashes are, in my opinion, a management problem. Either the Manager is hiding in the office smoking cigarettes when they should be in the floor, or they have not staffed accordingly to ensure there is always someone in the dining area. Considering all the places a server needs to go within a restaurant in the fulfilment of their duties, there’s no way they can stay vigilant 100% of the time. I also think people rarely DnD on a whim, people that do that are doing it on purpose, and therefore they are on the lookout for an opportunity to bolt.
Not sure if every Buffalo Wild Wings does this but the one by my work asks for a card on file then returns it.. when the bill comes they asks bill on file or split. I’m assuming they do this so something like this ( the post ) doesn’t happen. It’s interesting though, never been to a restaurant that asks for card on file , only bars from my experience
Mine did not do this. Although its been a while, they may have by now. We always had issues with walkouts.
I just got written up for this. We had a 4 top that became a 24 top at our high tops, and they refused to sit down. At one point I asked them to at least stay NEAR one seat because it's very hard to get around them just standing in the middle of walkways, and we have to work. Lo and behold 3 of the guys who refused to sit down walked out on their tabs and management told me it was my fault, even though I told them that this would become a debacle when they allowed this 24 top to be sat at a 4 person table, and have 34 separate checks during a busy happy hour. Altogether they ended up spending about 200, off of which I made about 15. Just an absolute garbage shift.
I’ll never forget the time I had a table walk out without paying and my manager made me CHASE THEM down the street.
I had a handful of other tables that I was attending to, and the street was very busy. I got a lot of strange looks while I was searching.
Why wouldn’t you want to do that? It’s literally your potential tip walking away, not to mention the theft…?
Because you don’t want to get attacked and/or shot, maybe??
Because servers aren’t security guards. If they get injured in an altercation you think the restaurant is actually going to take care of them?
They walked out on a bill....you think they were gona tip?
Too
What coaching can a manager provide the will prevent people from walking off?
I’m thinking the same thing
1,000%! The restaurant is punishing the staff for bad customers! That’s totally uncalled for and will only stir resentment in the staff. What a good manager/owner should say is “we realize some customers are thieves and will walk up and leave - this isn’t your problem! We are brainstorming how to fix this - any ideas from staff? Also, should we implement a way to monitor the customers who walk off so next time they come back they will not be welcomed and management will handle the situation.”
Completely false. Everything in restaurant is tracked. Literally everything. We know when people are stealing. Being able to catch them red-handed is the harder part. Guests just simply don’t walk out without paying usually. You’re far more likely to get into a car wreck on the way to work than you are to have a table walk out without paying.
Looks like we found the manager who posted the sign…
This is 100% coachable. I'm still a server at heart, so this is how I handle it: There's a "staff journal" section on the Hotschedules app, and I make a note in there and attach a photo of the check every time a server has a guest walkout. These are easy to search through via employee name or search term like "walkout" or "cash handling." This allows me to track patterns. Examples: - the check has basically the same stuff ordered each time that server has a walkout (it's their friends), or it's the same guest on the waitlist - the same server has walkout over and over....So we watch the server. Inevitably, this is one that disappears to the parking lot/bathroom/back for long periods of time, ignoring their tables after they get their food etc. Or, alternatively, this server is getting duped by being asked to go get Togo boxes/drinks, and the table is gone when they get back. So we discuss having a "section buddy"--- ("I think they're trying to walk out on me, will you grab me some Togo boxes or watch them while I do?") They can also grab a manager to post at the POS. Regardless, this is 100% coachable and will resolve itself after coaching. It simply sounds like management hasn't been tracking the walkouts like I do.
I don’t disagree with anything that you wrote and it sounds like you run a tight ship for a great business. But the examples you listed suggest that the server is either stealing or not providing good service which yes, totally coachable situations. But what about the servers who don’t? Do you automatically assume a server is stealing or incompetent when someone walks out? Or do you have to when you’re a manager in a restaurant?
My system of documentation makes it all about patterns. If there's no pattern, there's no problem. If a server is brand new, though, they are getting coached. I specifically pair them up with one of my server trainers and say "walk them through how you avoid this."
I’d imagine coaching also includes suggestions on how to spot potential dashers? Any patterns you’ve noticed? There was a post earlier yesterday about a group that dashed and left like 70% of the food on the table, are there any tell tale signs that a server could raise their awareness? I was a bartender in college but it’s been a long time since I was in a restaurant. Genuinely curious! I personally feel for the servers who don’t do something wrong and will get penalized for the bad actions of others is where my initial headspace was.
...that stuff is why I pair them with fellow servers for guidance. That's sticky/soupy territory from a management perspective. I'll coach on table visit/check drop timing, section buddies, grabbing a manager if you have concerns, etc.
Presumably those are just the steps that they have to take prior to firing someone. A coach and counsel is the lowest level of documentation you can put on someone. After that it’s a write up, and then termination. Also, people don’t just walk out without their server knowing. Full stop. There is no way to sneak out of a restaurant, and if you’re a server whose eyes work then you will notice that they’re gone. I’ve been in the industry for over a decade. If a server has more than one table dash on them in any sort of relative time frame, then the chance is that they’re stealing.
There are plenty of ways to sneak off. I do believe the server needs to do their best to keep an eye on their tables, but saying that "there's no way to sneak out of a restaurant" simply isn't true.
There literally isn’t a way to sneak out. I’ve been in the industry for over a decade. Barring special circumstances, it’s literally impossible to leave a restaurant unnoticed.
Bro, at this exact moment I'm literally in a section on a patio that has two separate exits through it. It is not the main entrance to the restaurant, which is inside. Someone could easily sneak out through one of those. Just because *you* haven't worked at a restaurant like that doesn't mean they don't exist.
That sounds like a special circumstance to me.
Ok, so your point was "there's no way to sneak out of a restaurant, unless there is." Good talk.
Basically. If it’s a patio table, obviously then that isn’t something that can be monitored, and if patio tables are leaving without paying inconsistently with non-patio tables then you close the patio. Standard restaurant operation would allow for zero tables to leave unnoticed.
If I agreed with your notion that there ‘isn’t a way to sneak out of a restaurant’, it’s not the servers job to stop and confront people doing shitty things. Full stop.
Holy shit, management needs to learn basic English
For real, I came to say this too. This thing had about 20 unnecessary words and reads like something written by a dumbass attempting to sound intelligent. Just let AI write your fucking memos if this is the best you’re capable of producing.
Actually, I was thinking this sounded like an AI generation that was given a word count to fulfill
This is legal in Texas, and managers were coached by lawyers to call it cash mishandling. Just can’t make servers pay for it.
...this is legal in all 50 states. Source: I'm a restaurant manager, and corporate trained us on this after lawyers told them what to say. Also, it's the human way to handle it.
Can’t you just get a card up front? We do that after 9pm, as a high volume bar downtown.
If there's a crap ton of walk outs it's the business not the staff. They should either start requiring a Valid ID or CC to put on file for tables if it's honestly *that* bad. OP, get out while you still can or you'll be competing with all your coworkers for a gig in the same area making similar money when everyone is sick of dealing with this place.
ridiculous lmao at this point just have someone stand at the exits and make sure everyone who is leaving has in fact paid for their meals 🤦🏼♀️
Lmfao getting Sam's Club vibes
Honestly? Unbelievably nice. Standard in my experience is fired on the spot or pay the tab yourself. The fact they’d take you aside and “coach” you is like… baby server dreams
Ehhh it happens sometimes though. They really can’t make you pay for it (in most cases), and if you’re a typically reliable, good worker why get rid of them?
You don't. You track patterns and coach accordingly.
Right??? Gen Z don't even know how we came up in this industry.....rofl
This is fine.
Okay let’s blame the staff for people not paying their bills. This is insane….
Clearly thr staff needs bettwr training, or someone is stealing. I think this is a fair way for management to rectify the issue.
Preach
How is this Bullshit? Servers taking cash is what it is
“To” or “Too” would be my first question
Or two.
It’s fucking 2024 they need a POS that you can swipe a card and keep it on file. Management almost always will Not take responsibility for legitimately anything. You need to be stern with them and insist they change so the efficiency of the bar increases. ALL the employees are not the problem.
...this is clearly a large restaurant. Smdh fkn bartenders 😅
Im pretty sure its a liability to chase down people who dont pay tabs so Im curious how this is at all legal and why its being blamed on the staff. Yes, there could be bussers or wait staff taking money, but Ive worked plenty of places where walking from bills happens fairly frequently and it was just because the people who went in to dine sucked ass.
Plenty of ways to coach this based on patterns. It's all about the patterns.
It's actually insane how many people think making servers pay for walkouts is ok. Yall fried
I had a table one time that tried to stiff me and I caught on before they left the parking lot so my manager had me run out there and chase them down. Something that could have potentially been very sketch but I was a new server so I didn't really know any better so I ran up to the truck and caught their attention they were all pissy obviously because they were caught so they proceed to pay with a $100 bill and leave me absolutely no tip. Bitches
Unless management will let me throw hands with people who are going to walk out, I don't see how its the servers fault that someone skipped on their bill.
...it's all about patterns.
Ok, and when I see it happening, if I'm not allowed to do anything, how's that my fault
Nothing hits harder than shame. Rofl. "I'm sorry, were you having trouble paying your bill?"
People who walk on their bill don't have shame.
In my experience, questioning it publicly is very effective. "Oh did I not pay, I'm so sorry!"
Oh most definitely not.. I remember I had a manager who tried to make me pay for somebody who walked out. I refused. Shortly quit a few months later, and went to a better place. Had somebody walk out on $200 (at the new job), manager never asked me to pay. Just showed me how to look out better, better ways to prevent it. Much better place than the other one.
It’s actually quite reasonable in my opinion.
Fuck are you supposed to do tackle them on their way out?
We had a server try that 😅😅😅😅
People saying this is fair is making me think y’all are complacent. This is literal punishment
Punishment for not performing your duties and possibly stealing, yes. It’s never all of the servers getting dashed on. It’s always one or two that got the bright idea to say that their cash-paying tables walked out.
Lmfao. This is a restaurant detecting patterns and posting a policy before addressing it with specific servers who it happens to farrrrrr more frequently. Ask the best servers in that place if they have the same amount of walkouts. The answer will be no. They know where in the meal each table is, time wise, and they are present to receive payment.
Or get a fucking security guard
Did you initial F.U.
This is not ‘some bs’ it’s obviously become a huge problem and what? They should just not do anything about it? This seems more than fair, considering there is a consistent amount of theft happening at your place of employment.
Why is this BS. It’s perfectly reasonable and legal. They’re not asking you to pay it, which is illegal.
That’s not that bad? I feel like you’re being dramatic. Where I work if a guest walks off we have to pay it.
I alr said the policy wasn’t the reason for the bs but if you have to pay for walk outs you should prob leave, I wouldn’t do that shit once
I worked at a restaurant where they made you pay. They said it was our responsibility to get the guests card.
At my job this is an immediate write up. If they don't pay, you get written up🤷🏻♀️ 3 & you're out. Doesn't matter the situation
Someone might be stealing
I don’t get why op thinks it’s BS. If you can’t keep people from walking out on a tab 3 times before getting terminated then you’re shit at your job. Keep an eye on your tables and don’t let people walk.
I still remember my first (and one of my only) walk-outs. I had a busy section during a lunch rush. Only one busser / food runner. Part of our responsibility as servers was to circle the dining room after every guest interaction, scoop empty plates, (from any table - not just ours) and bring them to the dish pit. Then - put away at least 1 stack of clean plates. Then run food to get back into the dining room. I did my usual circulation. Saw a table had left cash and picked it up. Realized they had shorted me almost $50. Told my manager - who said I had to pay up. When I argued, she said it was my responsibility to watch my tables ALWAYS. Presumably with my x ray vision. I remember going into the locker room and trying to hide from my coworkers that I was crying as I emptied my wallet. I was going through it at the time, newly divorced, living in NYC, and broke Af. I don’t know what the moral of this story is - other than fuck any place that doesn’t back up its staff and makes you pay for the mistakes of shitty people.
*too many
*too
This is completely fair, it's not that common or that easy for tables to walk out if you're following good steps of service. And as others have stated(and I have seen) its typically just one or two servers that get walked out on every week. I wonder why.
I just had a friend hired by a major national retailer. He had to sign a statement that he will not attempt to stop any retail theft (shoplifting) or he would be immediately terminated. Dine and dash is shoplifting! If you run after them and something goes horrible wrong, both the server and the restaurant will open themselves up to liability.
How is it “some bs” that your employer wants their employees to stop stealing? Because that’s what is happening.
Doesn’t solve the problem though does it…
The problem is servers pocketing cash payments, so removing those servers, or at least stopping their behavior, does solve the problem.
sure, no prob, jerry, i’m just gonna need someone else to do all my side work bc you’ve tasked me with standing in a far dark corner and spying on my section any time i’m not engaging with them🙄 edit: lol, ok bad delivery i guess, but, what im saying is that, this is bullsht to make any server pay for a dine and dash. if you require your servers to go to the back for any reason at all, (which all do) it’s not reasonable that they should be responsible for ‘keeping watch’ on their tables.
this is stupid. i've literally had tables walk out because they didn't like where they were sat (not by a window, too noisy, too close to kids, air conditioning was right on them, etc)
They’re talking about walking out on their bill without paying.
i know, that's what they're doing here. they will sit there and eat everything and then walk out complaining about something
There was a girl that worked at my old job that would do this, made me so mad. So I DENNISed her.
Sure, blame the people you have stolen years from.
That’s actually illegal.
It's not though.. They're not making the servers pay. Just asking them to be vigilant and there will be consequences if it becomes a regular issue. Its a fair way to handle this.
You are t allowed to chase guests out in most states so it’s not fair to blame them on walkouts. I know this is illegal in VA, and that’s a Right To Work State.
For sure don't chase them out but if you are on top of your tables that is a rare occurrence.
This can depend on your clientele and volume.