$$How much is a server worth? $$

Some of the recent threads here seem to reflect the angst on both sides of the counter about the tipping issue. Let's descend into my weird little world for just a moment. Let's suppose the tipping custom in the USA were to be "outlawed" and we suddenly found ourselves more in the European Model where there is no/limited tipping but servers are paid "the going rate".
What do think this wage would be in this scenario? Sure, I expect there will be ranges probably based upon the type of establishment, but I'd be interested in just how much you think a servers services are worth in terms of an hourly wage. Is there a different point of view between labor and management on this issue?
Bill P.

$15 - $30
depending on the establishment and the night of the week

wow. this is something i haven't thought of. i think i'll conduct and experiment and report back later. i'm going in to work at six. i'll ask all the servers and managers what they think the answer to this question is. i think it'll be interesting to see what they will say.

Wow ? You really know how to fish don't you ? No messing around with the little ones, just go right for the trophies OK, I'll look at the bait.

On one hand knowing how hard these folks work and how much effort most of them put into the job I'm inclined to be quite generous in my estimate. On the other hand their are a LOT of professions out there that are (in my mind) grossly under paid when you consider the importance of the position (teachers, police and firefighters come immediately to mind)...So my thought process ends up going something like "how does one justify xxx for a server when a teacher only makes xx".

Sorry, no numbers, I'm only nibbling...this is one hook I'm not swallowing

$15-$30 ???? 31k to 62k ??? I disagree. Might agree with $15 at the top end.

$15-$30 ???? 31k to 62k ??? I disagree. Might agree with $15 at the top end.

I would expect a professional server at high end restaurant to make good money. They will have paid their dues with blood, sweat, and tears by that point.

I'd think the bottom should be lower, maybe $10. The high end for lead waiters might even be higher, say $40-$50, probably not in Louisville though.

It's going to be hard to convince people of a really high number (whatever "a really high number" might be) because service work is being viewed with less and less respect these days. The job takes little technological expertise, does not require higher education, and is more aimed at sustaining a market than growing a market. More simply, it's assumed that next to anyone can do it, but those who have something better to do will.

We find ourselves in the middle of an information age. As service seems to be the antithesis of information, I'm not willing to wager my farm that the general public would reward servers at much more than a minimum wage rate. Maybe low double digits. Maybe.

The obvious benefit to the public for greater reward to the server is stability in employment. Stability equals better service across the board, which, in turn, would cut down on the "Bad experience at X restaurant" threads. But, creating my own circular logic, that reward is not going to show up because we, as a society, view serving as a job that anyone can do.

So, a dollar figure. I'm going to have to think about it. some more.

An entry level server performing entry level service, yeah, that's a job that anyone could do. If I'm eating at a restaurant that the bill per customer is in the $100 range or higher. That's not what I'm looking for. I expect the staff to be excellent, and would expect that their pay be excellent to ensure an excellent customer experience.

I may have low balled that estimate, the high end should probably op out around $75 per hour.

The ability to under estimate the amount of skill needed to execute the "serving" position amazes me.

The ability to multitask is obviously very undervalued.

In what other profession do the needs and wants of up to 30 individuals have to be managed by one person in a environment designed to place the product in the customers hands immediately.

Most of you multitask, but rarely do you have to provide an immediate response for all of your customers.

For instance, when i'm on the floor on a busy night this is what is going through my head on one pass to the counter/kitchen (roughly 3 to 5 minute time frame)

-
drinks for table 8, 3 pepsi, 2 sweet tea, 1 water w/lemon, 1 bells, 1 NABC
stop put in apps for table 2 , bread bites, beer cheese, marinara, and garlic butter
grab their plates and silverware
kitchen just called my name, its either the apps for 15 or the pizzas for 10, hope someone can run it, i still need the teas for 8
better run the card for 10
grab the carry out for spellman
and print the check for the guy at the bar

now to run those drinks to 8
and greet the new two top walking in the door

--
and this is simple service, throw in a few new specials every night, full wine/bar service, a cantankerous guest on his cell phone slowing a whole order down, and/or a malfunctioning drink machine/coffee maker/etc.....and its not quite as easy as "anyone can do it"

you certainly don't have to be "college educated" to wait tables, but many of us are, and it certainly is helpful when explaining complicated menu items, communicating with strangers, etc..... and i'll stand up for those who have garnered their degrees through years of experience "serving"

my college loans may have been better spent in apprenticing at the NABC considering my current line of work

__
a great server that anticipates your needs and wants should easily earn over $20 an hour in any setting

In what other profession do the needs and wants of up to 30 individuals have to be managed by one person in a environment designed to place the product in the customers hands immediately.

Most of you multitask, but rarely do you have to provide an immediate response for all of your customers.

A nurse in a hospital or nursing home. That would approximate the service they provide. I don't know any nurses making $75/hr. Realistic estimates would top out at $35-40/hr based on my estimation that a nurse has similar demands, etc.

I think the market would determine the rate. My question would be, who is going to pay $40-50 ect, per hour rate. How many restaurants could/would pay? You would see a lot less restaurants and a lot higher average check. Don't get me wrong the good ones are worth their weight in gold, but I don't have any gold. Again the market would determine the rate and it would be forced down a lot lower than some of the numbers here. Which would probably drive the better ones out of the business and you would see a drop in service.

In what other profession do the needs and wants of up to 30 individuals have to be managed by one person in a environment designed to place the product in the customers hands immediately.

Most of you multitask, but rarely do you have to provide an immediate response for all of your customers.

A nurse in a hospital or nursing home. That would approximate the service they provide. I don't know any nurses making $75/hr. Realistic estimates would top out at $35-40/hr based on my estimation that a nurse has similar demands, etc.

Don't forget - that nurse probably has health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, at least two weeks' paid vacation a year, paid sick time off, a pre-tax flex fund to help pay copayments and medical expenses not covered by insurance, job stability through a union, access to an employee assistance program for mental health services, tuition assistance, a 401K that's contributed to by his employer, and can look forward to a paid retirement. Servers usually have none of those things...plus they must tip out the hostess, the busboy, and the bartender anywhere from 10-30% of what they take in.

Whatever the establishment and they agree on. I read one of Charlie Trotters books about his servers, and they don't get tips. All tips are funneled into a pool for the restaurant (which is then used to pay the servers), and the servers make a wage/salary based on their experience and skill. One of his long term servers was in the 6 figures. Which is entirely reasonable, because he deemed her work quality, ethic, and dedication worthy of the monetary investment. At that level of restaurant he wanted the best money could buy, so he made sure to get it. I personally feel that that is how it should be done, tips should be eliminated, add a 10-15% to prices across the board. That money then pays the front of the house staff, whatever the owner/manager feels they are worth.

I wouldn't ever have to listen to them bitch about bad nights, or squabble about a tip out. No more XXXXXX section gets all the big tippers because XXXXXXXX. I wouldn't watch a deuce (who you can tell we may just be a bit out of their price range), get subpar yet acceptable service, while a 4 top with 4 rolexes can drop their napkin and its caught by a server before it hits the ground. Its very odd to have this one classification of jobs, that is supported on tipped income vs an official living wage.

In what other profession do the needs and wants of up to 30 individuals have to be managed by one person in a environment designed to place the product in the customers hands immediately.

Most of you multitask, but rarely do you have to provide an immediate response for all of your customers.

A nurse in a hospital or nursing home. That would approximate the service they provide. I don't know any nurses making $75/hr. Realistic estimates would top out at $35-40/hr based on my estimation that a nurse has similar demands, etc.

Don't forget - that nurse probably has health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, at least two weeks' paid vacation a year, paid sick time off, a pre-tax flex fund to help pay copayments and medical expenses not covered by insurance, job stability through a union, access to an employee assistance program for mental health services, tuition assistance, a 401K that's contributed to by his employer, and can look forward to a paid retirement. Servers usually have none of those things...plus they must tip out the hostess, the busboy, and the bartender anywhere from 10-30% of what they take in.

You would be shocked at the number of nurses who don't have insurance, retirement, etc. Hospitals supplement many of these things but pay substantially less - nursing homes pay a lot more on average but often have no benefits. I don't know any nurses in a union here locally. I have several nurses as patients with no health insurance.

I have no doubt there are some nurses that don't have employer-contributed health insurance - but surely not anything approaching 90% of nurses, which I figure is about the percentage of restaurant workers that don't.