DISCLAIMER: This is not an article/complaint saying you should always tip your server twenty percent or that you should always tell your server how great of a job they did every time you go out to eat. This article is to help you -- the reader -- get a better understanding of the kind of people that are servers and why they do deserve more recognition than they actually get. I am also a server and sometimes it is very frustrating. Also, if you can't afford to go out to eat, then you should probably stay home.

The job of a server requires you to pretty much be a slave to your customers and do everything they ask while also maintaining a smile on your face the entire time in hopes that they will tip you well. Most servers make about 3$ an hour -- sometimes even less than that. Servers rely on their tips for income each time they work. Servers are either really overwhelmed and busy but making a lot of money, or they're just sitting around waiting for a table on a slow night. Not every restaurant is the same. Some places are cheaper than others which means people do not need to pay as much or tip as much.

There's a huge difference between a thirty dollar check and a ninety dollar check. Servers never know for sure that they will make as much money as someone that is working minimum wage or more an hour.Servers are all different types of people. They are mothers and fathers just trying to support their family and sometimes having to work doubles just so they can buy groceries or pay rent. They are college students who are just trying to make as much money as possible during the summer before they have to go back to being full time students again laying in piles and piles of debt. They are sometimes teenagers starting their first job that they've ever had and trying to make some extra cash for themselves and maybe even their family. They could even be someone like you.

I know sometimes going out to eat isn't always pleasant. The server could be really slow or not as friendly as you had hoped they would be, but they are still people. Sometimes, they have good days, while at other times, they have bad days. All I'm asking is the next time you go out to eat, try to put yourself in their shoes and see that they are trying their best. Maybe even tell them that they are doing a good job if you think they are doing good. You don't have to do this every time you go out to eat but if you do it even once, I promise you that you will make someone's day a little bit better. It costs zero dollars to be kind to someone.