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Post A Note > The Lounge > Life, The Universe, and Everything > Anyone a waitress?
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Author Topic: Anyone a waitress?  (Read 205 times)
Marzipan
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« on: May 31, 2012, 05:33:23 PM »
Hi! Anybody here ever waitressed before? I have a character in high school who waitresses part time. Does anyone know what her job is like?
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ann
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« Reply #1 on: May 31, 2012, 10:01:05 PM »
Would it not depend on what kind of place your character waitresses in. You can sit in a restaurant and watch a waitress for body language. Behind the scenes well that's another story. My daughter was a waitress both here in Australia in several of our town restaurants then in London at the Four Seasons hotel. World's apart and oh her stories. A lot depends on the manager and the environment and on the customer's attitude towards the waitress. Waitresses in Australia don't rely on tips. There maybe a jar near the register you can put loose change in if you want to and that then gets divided up between everyone. You might not ever get a dollar. 
Ann
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Marzipan
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« Reply #2 on: May 31, 2012, 10:49:27 PM »
Huh. Good point about the location. My character waitresses at a restaurant. I'm not sure of exactly what kind, but it's either a middle-of-the-road place or greasy spoon, as opposed to a hotel or five star. Think either Perkins or a local cafe. But I just need some info on the basic background stuff. How to take an order. What goes on in the kitchen. How to bus a table. I'm kinda clueless :-P
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ann
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« Reply #3 on: June 01, 2012, 12:51:46 AM »
How to bus a table. So funny from this side of the world, never heard that expression before. The mind boggles what can go on behind kitchen doors
Ann
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Marzipan
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« Reply #4 on: June 01, 2012, 02:00:26 AM »
Oh! lol Here, to bus a table means to clear away the dishes and stuff and wipe it down. Sounds pretty self explanatory, but who knows? Maybe there are methods? Policies? That's the stuff I want to know. I've worked retail for years, for example, so I speak retail - "OPSS those polos, backstock the rest. Size them on the rollbar, and they need to be hardmarked with the Garvey gun" -that kind of stuff. I feel like my character should be able to speak waitressing. But I don't know what that sounds like :-P
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ann
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« Reply #5 on: June 01, 2012, 03:01:26 AM »
Marzipan. If you only plan to target the USA market then 'bus a table' probably is self explanatory. Your way of speaking retail is not the same as we say it here either. lol I guess waitressing will be the same. The turn over here is massive because it is only usually a fill-in job until something better comes along mostly for the college student making ends meet or an overseas backpacker. A cafe etc has their in-house rules and some are better than others. Good luck with your character. Ann
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Marzipan
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« Reply #6 on: June 02, 2012, 03:32:39 AM »
Thanks Anne :-) I think that's the case here, too. Whereas you could probably make a living working retail or waitressing fifty years ago, they're kind of high school jobs now :-( So yeah, if anyone has any more specifics, I'd be extremely grateful! Come to think of it, my boss has been a cook at Perkins for many years. I think I'll ask him as well....
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lizbeth
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« Reply #7 on: June 02, 2012, 08:29:11 AM »
You could watch reruns of "Alice" if you can find them! Smiley
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Please visit my website at http://karolinebarrett.com/ and follow me on Twitter @KarolineBarrett
Marzipan
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« Reply #8 on: June 03, 2012, 12:09:43 AM »
"Alice"? What's "Alice"?
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lizbeth
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« Reply #9 on: June 03, 2012, 07:27:53 AM »
You must be young! "Alice" was a sitcom about a waitress. It starred Linda Lavin and ran from 1976 -1985.  It wasn't the best show I ever saw so you didn't miss much!
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Please visit my website at http://karolinebarrett.com/ and follow me on Twitter @KarolineBarrett
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