Some days, you end up on the left side of the bell curve in a stochastic system.

[xiphias]

Today, I made two dollars in tips. And that was my tip-out from the server. Over the entire day, there were a total of four tables, each with two people, for a total of eight covers. Apparently, each of them spent an average of $25; the tip-out to the bar is 1% of sales, so Ted presumably did about $200 in sales. Presumably, he therefore made somewhere between $30 and $40, for the four hours he worked. Not a particularly impressive day: he probably made over minimum wage.

Me, I had nobody at the bar, for either food OR drinks, so I didn't get any direct tips, just the two dollar tipout from the server's sales.

But that's the way it works. On average, one does fairly well. But there are enough things out of one's control that you have to think of it as a statistical system with significant randomness. There are things which one can do that change your odds, but, nonetheless, some days, you're gonna walk out of work having made all of two dollars.

That's just the nature of stochastic systems.

Comments

[yehoshua.livejournal.com]

Out of curiosity, how does that stack up against a normal Monday? I'd think Mondays would see poor trade because a lot of people just burned through money at the weekend, but I'm speculating and would appreciate sound data.

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

Last couple of weeks, I made about $32. We've been getting, oh, 20 covers or so -- which is still slow, and we're working on improving that.

Sure, people have just burned through money, but they still have to eat. And many of them just NEED TO GET OUT OF THE FUCKING OFFICE in order to do so.

[alaria-lyon.livejournal.com]

Yes, but do people drink alcohol in the middle of the work day? And I know it's probably crappy, but don't you get a salary too?

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

Many people do drink alcohol in the middle of the work day, yes. If you're gonna be operating heavy machinery, or doing surgery, okay, maybe not then. But for many kinds of mind work, a drink or two with lunch helps creativity and therefore productivity.

I do get a wage, yes, not a salary. It's $2.63 an hour. It's going to be bumped up to $6/hour when they get around to it.

[dancing-kiralee.livejournal.com]

I disagree... most people in offices are administrators or lower level managers (this based on a recent article - which I've lost track of and can't link to - listing the most popular jobs; the article was based on new statistics released by the dept. of labor; most people work in retail as store clerks of one variety or another; the next most common position was office administrator).

Anyway, altered mind states, and, in particular the alter mind states caused by small amounts of alcohol are useful in some stages of the creative process; but most office workers never get to do anything that creative. For the average person, drinking during the day provides no benefit to their performance, and has the undesirable affect of making it look like they are lacking in judgement, or even an understanding of the basic rules of professional behavior.

Kiralee

[desperance.livejournal.com]

I think they should get around to the bump-up, me. (That's, um, quite a bump.)

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

You are a stoic stochastic!

And I will see you on Thursday. At the bar.

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

Yay! Looking forward to it.

[felis-sidus.livejournal.com]

Now if all the people I've spoken to who said "Think Tank? I've been meaning to give them a try." would actually do that, things might start looking up. But day shifts are hard. Most folks can't go far, or stay long, when they go out for lunch, so they fall back on places they already know.

I wonder.... Have the owners tried placing copies of your menu at reception desks in the office buildings nearby?

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

That is in process.

[ceo]

I'm going to head down there for lunch sometime soon, but it won't be this week.

[rebmommy.livejournal.com]

how do you know the word "stochastic"?
and do you know the derivation of the phrase "there you go?"

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Not answering for xiphias, but me, I know the word "stochastic" from Bob Silverberg; and I have no notion of the derivation of "there you go". And I would love to learn?

[maggiebloome.livejournal.com]

Tips-based industries confuse the crap out of me. [/antipodean]

Slightly off topic but still relevant

[whuffle.livejournal.com]

I thought of you the other day and forgot to share this with you.

A while ago, Halleyscomet made us an imitation McCallan's Amber Liquer since the actual McCallan's Amber is discontinued and hard to get hold of. Said imitation consists of rough chopped pecans which were steeped in an inexpensive Kentucky whiskey along with Grade B Vermont Maple Syrup. They'd steeped for a couple months before the cut pecans were strained out and used in making pie and the liquer was put into our bar for drinking.

So on one particular night last week, I wanted a drink while I was winding down before bed. I decided to toss some ice into our martini shaker with the last of the imitation McCallan's Amber and some whole milk. I shook it up, poured it out into a glass, and drank it slowly. It was like a cross between adult chocolate milk and drinking liquid french toast. Yomb! feel free to swipe the idea and play around with it if you want. I was jokingly calling it a New England barman's breakfast.

[sinboy.livejournal.com]

So - an idea you might want to float past management. If things are slow at the bar mid day, start holding a small, reservation only class on classic cocktails. Say 6-8 people, or as many as can stand near the bar, ask questions, and talk with you. I took a fun class a few years ago at the Museum of the America Cocktail. I didn't mix the drinks, just listened to the lecture. Admission was $50 or so.

Whaddaya think?

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

It's a good idea, but I also need that time to do the sorts of boring maintenance tasks that are part of the job -- squeezing juice, cutting fruit, re-stocking liquor, re-arranging the stock room, and all those other boring but vital tasks.

Might be a thing to do for a Monday or Tuesday evening, though. No admission fee, of course, but just as a way to get people in the door.