Waiting on the wealthy
It just stands to reason that if you work at a place where quality is excellent and prices are higher, people with more money will walk through the door. I serve all manner of people at my restaurant, and not everyone burns through hundreds (thousands!) of dollars for a dinner out...but many people do. I have seen check totals higher than the price of my car (2007 Mitsubishi Outlander, purrs like a kitten). And no matter how many times I see a black American Express card, I still wonder, "How are they so filthy stinking rich?"
We don't comment on our prices or on how much money a particular guest is dropping on fine wine or cigars -- to their face. But rest assured, we are in the back marveling at a check that is going up, up, up! There are many reasons for this; of course, a higher check means a higher tip. That's exciting, for sure. The guest is also probably having a wonderful time simply because she's buying the best we have to offer, and we love to show off. Decanting that rare wine and serving that prime steak gives us a chance to preen and strut. Thanks, ballers.
However, we've learned the hard way that money doesn't buy class. One of our more wealthy guests pissed on her seat. She didn't say a word, just left a fat tip and an even fatter wet spot all over her chair. Don't forget about that other guest that left an even more disgusting prize in our restroom. Another regular with more money than he knows what to do with had to drink his cocktail out of a styrofoam cup. I'm not saying that's wrong, I'm just saying that it's not the fanciest thing I've ever seen. Rich people don't always play the part you'd expect.
But they do tend to have rich discussions, and I listen to everything. The other day I heard a man complain to his wife that they really must clear the pathway to their boat garage. Their boat garage. Other guests tell tales of extremely exotic travels or stock purchases made at just the right time. I'll never forget hearing one guest plainly state that he simply "bought stock in Apple at the right time." Indeed.
These conversations can tend to fall flat when they involve the staff, because we simply can't relate. One guest who turned out to be one of the most wealthy men in Atlanta was making small talk with my manager. He lamented about having to send three of his teenage girls to colleges across the country, and stated matter-of-factly, "Now I have to buy a plane." I told my manager he should have responded, "You'd better buy two."
When interactions like this happen, you can bet that we google the guest. I don't always know that I'm waiting on the CEO of a pharmaceutical company or the owner of a popular vineyard... until they drop some sort of comment that makes me scratch my head. Your yacht? Your vacation houses? You scaled Everest twice? Of course, guest privacy is paramount and this is for my edification only -- but after hints like that, I really must know who I'm dealing with.
And after I step over the strap to the lady's Louis Vuitton handbag for the hundredth time and marvel at the size of her diamonds and hear them discuss their trips to Bora Bora and beyond...the time has come to present the check. At this point I know they have piles of money, and yes, I want them to give me some. So, how do the rich tip? You might be surprised to hear that even though some are indeed quite generous, most leave standard gratuities, or less.
No matter, I let it go. In my youthful twenties I worked as a teller at a bank. One day a young lady several years younger than me walked in to make a small deposit. Pulling up her information, I noticed that this 18-year old had several hundred thousand dollars in her checking account. Being immature and rude, I proceeded to ask her, "How do you have so much money?" With sadness in her eyes, she responded, "I got into a bad car accident," and from that point forward I learned not to question or assume anything about people who have gobs of cash. It's none of my business. I'll work hard to get 20% from the 1%, and that's all I need to know.
