What do you do when you are at the end of your agreed performance time at a restaurant and the number of families/tables waiting to see you perform has grown not decreased. Do you stay and perform no matter how long? Do you cut it off and head for the door even though there may be 10 disappointed tables? I realize you can always negotiate with management for more time but sometimes a decision maker is not available.

I, personally, stay until every person who wants to see me has been treated...even if they walk in the door as I'm walking out. Last night, we had a party of 42 kids and parents (Junior Olympics Swim Team) walk in half an hour before I was scheduled to finish. Once orders were taken, I pitched in with entertainment and balloons until every guest had food in front of them. The wait staff and manager were grateful that I kept their minds off of the food prep time for such a large crowd. By the time I finished with the larger group three more families had walked through the door. I took care of them and left about 45 minutes after my scheduled completion time.

My opinion: V.I.P. treatment guarantees strong word of mouth promotion. Happy managers keep me gainfully employed. The place pays me to provide V.I.P. treatment to their guests. The 6:00 to 8:00 time frame is a guideline...not a hard and fast rule. And I don't charge extra for the "overtime." They pay me darned well to be there from 6 to 8 as it is. Promise your best...then give them a little more!

I know that not everyone will agree with the "going the extra mile" philosophy. It is something that I have tried to do throughout my sales career and now with magic. It has always served me well. I always plan for it too. Even though I may contract for two hours of time, in my mind I am contracting for up to two and a half hours. I know that most of the time there will be one or two (up to five) tables that may come in near quiting time.

In all the restaurants I have worked in there is usually one evening (near the beginning of my contract) when the manager will approach me at 8:00 (my quiting time) and say something like, "time to go?" He is very surprised when I reply, "just a few more minutes, I still have two tables to see."

I won't go into the psychology behind "going the extra mile" (see Napoleon Hill's 'Think and Grow Rich' for a detailed explanation). I will just say that in as much as going the extra mile benefits your employer, it will benefit you far more, in the long run.

Another way to put it is "under promise, over deliver."

Regards,

Brady

I stay, its fun! Magic is fun! And women love magic, should I say more!!!! Plus tips and women = good time!!!
Peace
J

I agree 100% with Patriot's answer. The only time I will not stay late is if I have another gig lined up immediately afterwards. Even then, however, I'll explain to the management why I can't stay late. That way, they know I'm not just being a jerk about it.

When you show a willingness to go the extra mile for the restaurant, it not only buys you a little extra gratitue and appreciation from the management and staff, but also, it gets you a little bit of leeway on those occasions where you might have to leave a little early.

Kent

Magicman845 also meant to add "women"!
Peace
J

Going the extra mile is great if you're running a marathon. If you're doing a 100-yard-dash, it's overkill.

I'll do a table or two if they've been waiting and I didn't get to them in my allotted time. It's not uncommon for me to stay 10 minutes after, anyway. But I won't stay 45 minutes over on a 2-hour gig. That's more than giving a "little more." That's letting people take advantage of you.

Here's a nice compromise: Go to the manager and explain the situation, i.e. an unusually large number of people are requesting you, and it's quittin' time. Tell him/her that you'll stay to do the one or two tables that have been waiting (this is the "give"), and if they want you longer you'd be happy to stay at a pro-rated fee (the "take".)

This is show BUSINESS and you still have a responsibility to yourself.

If you disagree, let me ask you this: how will you ever get the place to bump you from 2 hours to 3 hours if you're giving them the third hour, anyway?

Typically, I tell the staff to stop mentioning me at around a quarter til. Usually, if there's a long list of people waiting to see me, and it's time for me to go, I hit as many as I can. I don't generally stay beyond 30 minutes after I'm set to leave (since I usually start around a quarter before the designated time). I think the biggest problem is management would rather I hit as many tables as I can, rather than spend more time at each. Which may be something I need to discuss with them.

Josh

I always try to book the restaurant for 3 hours that usually covers the whole dining time. If I do have to work over I make it at the managers discretion. "Umm it is 9 pm do you want me to stay?" If yes he know he is liable for the extra time and money.

4-5 hours of performing and ballooning is quite a lot to ask of someone and most of the management knows that.

Also if I don't have any where else to go or do ... yeah I'll stay too!!

Yes,

My shift at TGIFridays was from 7-10pm there were many nights I would stay until midnight. You get 2 extra hours of tips and it was better then going home and watching television.

, Jonathan

Man...I thought 2 hours was rough! Just kidding...2 hours is easy!

I only work from 6-8pm. I am in the process of getting another restaurant, and if that goes well, I'll try to pick up another night at my current gig. I stay until about 8o'clock. If I have a table or 2 waiting to see the magician, I'll go perform for them before I leave though. But, once I clock out, I'm gone! (It's Friday night...you think I'm stickin around a restaurant when I don't have to work?!)

Best.
Steve

P.S. Jonathan...TV?? You work in a bar, I'm surprised! Cleary you can have a drink and relax a bit?? hahaha...just kidding!

It's only an advantage taken if you choose to view it that way. I don't. My restaurant gigs are gravy income; little more than a way to introduce myself to prospective private and corporate clients while pocketing a couple of hundred bucks during a time that I would otherwise be sitting on my butt in front of my television or computer. The clients who see me, like me and hire me at my restaurants are my bread & butter. My focus is using the restaurant gigs as a platform to meatier gigs and paychecks. As I see it, the restaurant is paying me to advertise my services which beats the heck out of that lecherous Yellow Pages bill I used to pay.



Why should we disagree with you...who are we to judge your focus. I'm quite comfortable with my weekly two-hour evening gigs. I don't want a steady 3-hour gig. If it occasionally stretches into a 2.5, 3 or 3.5 hour gig...that's fine. I'm paid very well for those two-plus hours...and, frankly, for me, performing has never been about the money. I simply love what I do with a passion. This shows in my work, people appreciate it and the money is never an issue. I'm debt-free, living comfortably and putting a wife and daughter through college...so I must be doing something right.

In my opinion, restaurant magic is a luxury, not a necessity. I wonder how long a general manager faced with slow business or budget cuts will keep someone on payroll who is paid more per hour than he (or she) is and constantly "blackmails" them for more money or disappoints paying customers by walking out at the stroke of "quitting time." Team players don't do that sort of thing and managers prefer team players. My style. My opinion.

In this situation, there are more customers waiting to see you perform at the end of your shift than at the beginning. The manager/owner isn't being faced with slow business or budget cuts. You are having to make a decision to either work another hour, maybe longer, if you are going to make every table that wants to see you. So you are basically working for free/tips during this time. I beleive in the over deliver philosophy but I think this can backfire if taken too far. If you have a two hour gig and you typically work another hour or two, then you are really cutting your fee by 1/3 to 1/2. I guess this may not be such as issue for those who focus on tips but if you don't, this can be a real issue.

Of course if you are a single man like meitzmagic (is or should be) above, the decision to stay might be based on the number of actractive available females on hand at quitting time. In that case, none of this money stuff really matters. Twenty years ago I was was right there with you brother.

Okay, Derrick...I can easily agree with your well-stated case IF it becomes a regular situation. Naturally, consistently working 30, 45 or 60 minutes past "quitting time" shows a demand. Consistently supplying that demand requires a renegotiation of fees or scheduling.

However, if one averages maybe 10-15 minutes (if that) in overtime and maybe once a month experiences an odd night of 30 minutes or more beyond quitting time, well, I consider that to be part of my overall package and unworthy of hitting the manager for additional money. After all, my managers never dock my pay or complain when I come in on the rare super slow night and walk around desperately looking for things to do. If it's part of another performer's persona to negotiate on a night-by-night basis, good for him (or her). For me, it's just the price of keeping my client's happy and myself in the public view.

I think we're on the same page, basically.

Thanks for sharing, when I read the original thread my initial answer was to leave, but after reading your post I feel very much inclined to go the opposite direction

And Girls!!!
Peace
J

Justin, thanks for taken one for the team!!!!!!!

I will stay up to 1/2 hour after my scheduled time. Especially if it was slow at begginning of shift. It makes a difference to the management to see that you will go out of your way to entertain their guests. Very pro attitude.

A agree with the up to 1/2 hour. But sometimes I feel it is that additional 1/2 hour that creates more trouble than if you had left at your scheduled time. That's because you have people that have arrived 5, 10 minutes before and after your scheduled time to leave. They see you working and now feel they have been waiting to see you for 30 or 40 minutes (because they have) and in their minds much longer than that. In a restaurant you know that a 10 minute wait often becomes a 30-minute wait in the mind of a customer. At that point you get the, "Oh you can do just one more table either from the customer or from a waitress.

Then you have two choices. You can continue to perform or you can inform the customer that you have already worked past your regular hours and invite them back at an earlier hour next week.

I asked one of my GM's for her views on this issue. She expects her staff to remain on the clock as long as a demand exists. "Quitting time" is a guide, not a set-in-stone departure time. She admitted that entertainers aren't necessarily "on-the-clock" per se, but said that as we're paid literally 50-to-100-times more than her kitchen and serving staff, any entertainer who views himself above her team and the needs of her guests and is unwilling to put in a little extra time here and there can hit the door at "quitting time" and keep on walking; she has no use for a non-team player. She also stated that if she was aware that I was working overtime on a regular basis she would be open to adjusting either my appearance schedule or fee, as appropriate. In return she slyly hinted that this means I should be open to discussing a reduction in my fee or time if business slows.

She said that she has stood her ground against corporate on cutting the entertainer from her budget. She used the outstanding comments from guests and my willingness to go beyond the expected to support the team to secure her argument. As a result, her store is the only one of three in the area to still have an entertainer on the payroll. I need to add that her glowing referrals have helped me land countless top-dollar mall, private and corporate events.

I can't say it any plainer than that...forget the clock and consistently give your client 100% and a little bit more. What you lose in time short-term may earn priceless good will in future accommodations. It's your call.

Derrick, we usually see things pretty much eye-to-eye. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one.