Tips at Tucanos

I work at Tucanos. I have been a server here for a couple of years and it's a really good job. It's hard work, I run around a lot, and I buy hideously ugly Walmart shoes because they always get ruined. (My current pair looks like old lady dance shoes with little studded rhinestone thingys on the sides - no one, and I repeat, NO ONE, should ever have to wear these shoes for any function other than knowing they will be trashed and it's not worth spending more than $7.99 on a pair of "will get spilled on soon" shoes). I have worked in Provo since I was hired, but when I came home from Tonga and didn't want to drive all 40 miles to work every day, I started working in Salt Lake at the Gateway. At first I wasn't too sure how I felt about it. The people were different (anything is different from Happy Valley) and I didn't feel like I fit in very well. However, I have come to love it. My co-workers are great and I really enjoy working with them, the people aren't as needy as they are in Provo, but they drink a lot more, and the server station is HUGE! (Ginormous! Gigantic! Spacious! Wonderful!)

When I was working in Provo, I learned how to maximize my "tip potential", or TP for short. People usually come in with all 26 of their children (under the age of 12, of course), order waters all around, make a mess, and have 4 birthday cards. If they could get paid to eat here, rather than paying to eat at the Tucan, they would. If you keep tons of water on the table, bring over extra napkins, and comment on how cute their boogery children are, they are happy and will leave you a generous $5 in the check. Oh, and don't bother with the dessert tray, the children will just stick their hands into whatever is closest and the parents will glare at you for letting their children know that there is sugar here, you just have to pay extra for it - something they will not be doing.

In Salt Lake, people like to feel like they are being taken care of and that you actually care about them. Their tip reflects your hard work and offering any kind of alcoholic beverage is appreciated. After my first day in Salt Lake, I didn't do as well as I wanted to, so I turned to some of my more successful fellow servers and asked for tips to increase my TP. Here are some of their suggestions:

• Offer to put alcohol in anything - even lemonade
• Ask them about themselves and their lives
• Always make sure they have available refills for their drinks
• Keep the table clear
• Play off of the meat server, they like to feel like they are involved in some kind of witty insider Tucanos club banter
• Flirt - shamelessly (Thank you, Kate, although I struggle with this - maybe someday!)

So far things are looking up! Tips are increasing, I know way too much about people who sit at my tables, and the shoes are holding up! Any other tips for things you like at restaurants, please let me know! I'm always looking for ways to do better!

Oh, and PLEASE don't ask for the birthday song, I'm terrible at drumming.