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Showing Original Post only (View all)Chelsea Welch-Fired Applebee's Waitress- Heroic "Statement On Behalf Of Wait Staff Everywhere' [View all]
Chelsea Welch, the US waitress who was fired after she posted a picture of a tip receipt on Reddit, wrote for us:
I was a waitress at Applebees restaurant in Saint Louis. I was fired Wednesday for posting a picture on Reddit.com of a note a customer left on a bill. I posted it on the web as a light-hearted joke.
This didnt even happen at my table. The note was left for another server, who allowed me to take a picture of it at the end of the night.
Someone had scribbled on the receipt, I give God 10%. Why do you get 18?
I assumed the customers signature was illegible, but I quickly started receiving messages containing Facebook profile links and websites, asking me to confirm the identity of the customer. I refused to confirm any of them, and all were incorrect.
I worked with the Reddit moderators to remove any personal information. I wanted to protect the identity of both my fellow server and the customer. I had no intention of starting a witch-hunt or hurting anyone.
Now Ive been fired.
The person who wrote the note came across an article about it, called the Applebees location, and demanded everyone be fired me, the server who allowed me to take the picture, the manager on duty at the time, the manager not on duty at the time, everyone. It seems I was fired not because Applebees was represented poorly, not because I did anything illegal or against company policy, but because I embarrassed this person.
In light of the situation, I would like to make a statement on behalf of wait staff everywhere: We make $3.50 an hour. Most of my paychecks are less than pocket change because I have to pay taxes on the tips I make.
After sharing my tips with hosts, bussers, and bartenders, I make less than $9 an hour on average, before taxes. I am expected to skip bathroom breaks if we are busy. I go hungry all day if I have several busy tables to work. I am expected to work until 1:30am and then come in again at 10:30am to open the restaurant.
I have worked 12-hour double shifts without a chance to even sit down. I am expected to portray a canned personality that has been found to be least offensive to the greatest amount of people. And I am expected to do all of this, every day, and receive change, or even nothing, in return. After all that, I can be fired for embarrassing someone, who directly insults his or her server on religious grounds.
In this economy, $3.50 an hour doesnt cut it. I cant pay half my bills. Like many, I would love to see a reasonable, non-tip-dependent wage system for service workers like they have in other countries. But the system being flawed is not an excuse for not paying for services rendered.
I need tips to pay my bills. All waiters do. We spend an hour or more of our time befriending you, making you laugh, getting to know you, and making your dining experience the best it can be. We work hard. We care. We deserve to be paid for that.
I am trying to stand up for all of us who work for just a few dollars an hour at places like Applebees. Whether a chain steakhouse or a black-tie establishment, tipping is not optional. It is how we get paid.
I posted a picture to make people laugh, but now I want to make a serious point: Things like this happen to servers all the time. People seem to think that the easiest way to save money on a night out is to skip the tip.
I cant understand why I was fired over this. I was well liked and respected at Applebees. My sales were high, my managers had no problems with me, and I was even hoping to move up to management soon. When I posted this, I didnt represent Applebees in a bad light. In fact, I didnt represent them at all.
I did my best to protect the identity of all parties involved. I didnt break any specific guidelines in the company handbook I checked. But because this person got embarrassed that their selfishness was made public, Applebees has made it clear that they would rather lose a dedicated employee than an angry customer. Thats a policy I cant understand.
I am equally baffled about how a religious tithe is in any way related to paying for services at a restaurant. I can understand why someone could be upset with an automatic gratuity. However, its a plainly stated Applebees policy that a tip is added automatically for parties over eight like the one this customer was part of. I cannot control that kind of tip; its done by the computer that the orders are put into. Ive been stiffed on tips before, but this is the first time Ive seen the Big Man used as reasoning.
Obviously the person who wrote this note wanted it seen by someone. Its strange that now that the audience is wider than just the server, the person is ashamed.
I have no agenda here. I seek no revenge against the note writer. I have no interest in exposing their identity, and, at this point, Im not even sure I want my job back. I was just trying to make a joke, but I came home unemployed.
Ive been waiting tables to save up some money so I could finally go to college, so I could get an education that would qualify me for a job that doesnt force me to sell my personality for pocket change.
This didnt even happen at my table. The note was left for another server, who allowed me to take a picture of it at the end of the night.
Someone had scribbled on the receipt, I give God 10%. Why do you get 18?
I assumed the customers signature was illegible, but I quickly started receiving messages containing Facebook profile links and websites, asking me to confirm the identity of the customer. I refused to confirm any of them, and all were incorrect.
I worked with the Reddit moderators to remove any personal information. I wanted to protect the identity of both my fellow server and the customer. I had no intention of starting a witch-hunt or hurting anyone.
Now Ive been fired.
The person who wrote the note came across an article about it, called the Applebees location, and demanded everyone be fired me, the server who allowed me to take the picture, the manager on duty at the time, the manager not on duty at the time, everyone. It seems I was fired not because Applebees was represented poorly, not because I did anything illegal or against company policy, but because I embarrassed this person.
In light of the situation, I would like to make a statement on behalf of wait staff everywhere: We make $3.50 an hour. Most of my paychecks are less than pocket change because I have to pay taxes on the tips I make.
After sharing my tips with hosts, bussers, and bartenders, I make less than $9 an hour on average, before taxes. I am expected to skip bathroom breaks if we are busy. I go hungry all day if I have several busy tables to work. I am expected to work until 1:30am and then come in again at 10:30am to open the restaurant.
I have worked 12-hour double shifts without a chance to even sit down. I am expected to portray a canned personality that has been found to be least offensive to the greatest amount of people. And I am expected to do all of this, every day, and receive change, or even nothing, in return. After all that, I can be fired for embarrassing someone, who directly insults his or her server on religious grounds.
In this economy, $3.50 an hour doesnt cut it. I cant pay half my bills. Like many, I would love to see a reasonable, non-tip-dependent wage system for service workers like they have in other countries. But the system being flawed is not an excuse for not paying for services rendered.
I need tips to pay my bills. All waiters do. We spend an hour or more of our time befriending you, making you laugh, getting to know you, and making your dining experience the best it can be. We work hard. We care. We deserve to be paid for that.
I am trying to stand up for all of us who work for just a few dollars an hour at places like Applebees. Whether a chain steakhouse or a black-tie establishment, tipping is not optional. It is how we get paid.
I posted a picture to make people laugh, but now I want to make a serious point: Things like this happen to servers all the time. People seem to think that the easiest way to save money on a night out is to skip the tip.
I cant understand why I was fired over this. I was well liked and respected at Applebees. My sales were high, my managers had no problems with me, and I was even hoping to move up to management soon. When I posted this, I didnt represent Applebees in a bad light. In fact, I didnt represent them at all.
I did my best to protect the identity of all parties involved. I didnt break any specific guidelines in the company handbook I checked. But because this person got embarrassed that their selfishness was made public, Applebees has made it clear that they would rather lose a dedicated employee than an angry customer. Thats a policy I cant understand.
I am equally baffled about how a religious tithe is in any way related to paying for services at a restaurant. I can understand why someone could be upset with an automatic gratuity. However, its a plainly stated Applebees policy that a tip is added automatically for parties over eight like the one this customer was part of. I cannot control that kind of tip; its done by the computer that the orders are put into. Ive been stiffed on tips before, but this is the first time Ive seen the Big Man used as reasoning.
Obviously the person who wrote this note wanted it seen by someone. Its strange that now that the audience is wider than just the server, the person is ashamed.
I have no agenda here. I seek no revenge against the note writer. I have no interest in exposing their identity, and, at this point, Im not even sure I want my job back. I was just trying to make a joke, but I came home unemployed.
Ive been waiting tables to save up some money so I could finally go to college, so I could get an education that would qualify me for a job that doesnt force me to sell my personality for pocket change.
http://guardiancomment.tumblr.com/post/42024491123/chelsea-welch-the-us-waitress-who-was-fired-after
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Chelsea Welch-Fired Applebee's Waitress- Heroic "Statement On Behalf Of Wait Staff Everywhere' [View all]
kpete
Feb 2013
OP
This is a little all over the place -- "just a joke" vs public appeal on why tips are
KurtNYC
Feb 2013
#5
K&R I wish I were a customer so I could let them know that I'm not any more. n/t
Egalitarian Thug
Feb 2013
#6
I hope the Pastor, if she really were one, is proud of what she did and can live with herself.
politicaljunkie41910
Feb 2013
#7
It's all good. This happened for a reason - to bring more people to the Lord!!1!
progressoid
Feb 2013
#34
This is like finding a note on the floor, it becomes public property. It is like making a
DhhD
Feb 2013
#142
i always tip in Cash, even if i use the credit card to pay , for the tip i leave it in cash
JI7
Feb 2013
#78
My nephew & I recently ate at Coco's. I ordered an "over 55" breakfast & my nephew told the
Booster
Feb 2013
#84
I tip 30% regardless of the amount. My tips can go as high as 40%. My Mom was a server,
bluestate10
Feb 2013
#81
at this point i'd say f. it . and post his name and everything i could find about him
leftyohiolib
Feb 2013
#17
Why would anyone who claims to represent God do anything that they would not want others to know?
patrice
Feb 2013
#110
Many chains total a waitresse's sales at the end of the shift and deduct 15% from their hourly wage
appleannie1
Feb 2013
#54
Well said, I boycott Applebee's if it makes you feel better, and I ALWAYS tip.
joanbarnes
Feb 2013
#65
The big problem is that she's blaming customers for not tipping her so she can have a living wage
Tab
Feb 2013
#79
"Like many, I would love to see a reasonable, non-tip-dependent wage system for service workers..
EleanorR
Feb 2013
#87
I hope this encourages everyone to join a union. A union would not put up with this crap.
McCamy Taylor
Feb 2013
#93
Supporting corporate profits over someone's ability to make a living wage does.
jtuck004
Feb 2013
#186
That sound like the naive reasoning I see when people post something here and are suprised
jtuck004
Feb 2013
#191
"And the waitress had no incentive to serve graciously since there was an automatic 18% tip added"
Skelly
Feb 2013
#130
Gratuity: A sum of money given to someone as a way of rewarding them for their services.
elias7
Feb 2013
#146
I have been to countries where servers do not work for tips, only for wages.
tavernier
Feb 2013
#132
You only need to imagine a slight variation on the story to understand why the waitress was wrong.
Nine
Feb 2013
#135
No, we should consistently stick with the principle that businesses respect customer privacy. (nt)
Nine
Feb 2013
#143
Ah to be in that bubble. Since when did businesses "respect" customer privacy? Dont you get spam
rhett o rick
Feb 2013
#150
They had several points where they could've minimized the damage, and they screwed up each time.
Robb
Feb 2013
#171
Do you think Applebee's should have ignored its own policy or not have had the policy to begin with?
Nine
Feb 2013
#181
Why don't you care more about whether they did the right thing than about how it affected sales? nt
Nine
Feb 2013
#169
Wow. So you think we should give up all expectations of privacy when we do business with a company?
Nine
Feb 2013
#161