Thread: Restaurant schedulers - how many demand pay for doing it?

For those of you who do scheduling for restaurants, how many get paid something for your effort in doing the scheduling, above and beyond what you get paid for performances?

And if you don't get paid for doing it, why do you do it? It seems like a lot of aggravation and time-consuming effort, which (of course) is why restaurant owners don't want to do it.

Though I have never been a scheduler - I have see some advantages to it.

1 - If there is a private party at the restaurant, the scheduler is usually the first to find out and may get "dibs" on it
2 - You get to choose which nights work best for you

On the other side though - I can see how this can be a real pain.

I guess it all depends on how you look at it.

The scheduler at the restaurants I dance at does not get paid for it. I assume she views the freedom to have first choice worth the effort, or she wouldn't do it. Also, since she is really the senior dancer (has been working for the restaurants the longest at this point currently in the city) I'm sure she just sees it as part of keeping the restaurant gig in general.

I don't get paid. I like doing it because i get to choose the nights I want to dance, I get to know the other dancers, and I can help influence things at the restaurant (e.g. establishing fixed rates, establishing work time standards, getting a heater in the dressing room, etc....). It is a pain sometimes, and sometimes I'm not always kept informed if a long time goes by when I don't dance.

I schedule for the restaurants I work at for a few different reasons:
1. I have a 9 member troupe, by being the scheduler I can ensure that my dancers get on the schedule and then I fill in the gaps with the couple of other dancers I have on my restaurant rotation. *At one restaurant my troupe are the only dancers that get scheduled, this is at the restaurants request.
2. I am a control freak, by doing the schedule I know I'm filling nights with the *right* dancers for the mix of people I anticipate being there.
3. It does give me the option to have first pick of the private parties & special events. I reserve this "right of first refusal" as my exchange for managing the schedules w/out getting paid.
4. Like Sonja2 also mentioned, I am able to advocate for higher standards & better working conditions. I also mediate any conflicts between dancers & the management.

Is it a hassle sometimes? Yup. Is it worth it though to have the 'executive' oversight & first dibs on the high-tipping parties? Yes.

Originally Posted by *Shira*

And if you don't get paid for doing it, why do you do it? It seems like a lot of aggravation and time-consuming effort, which (of course) is why restaurant owners don't want to do it.

I'm not currently scheduling any restaurants. But I have and you're right- it's a headache.
The sad thing is most often the headache comes from other dancers.
When I've done schedules it's been from owners asking me to do the schedule, it's never been something I've sought out (although I know dancers who practically campaign to do it). Anyway- when I've said "yes" it was either because management kept screwing it up (not asking availability before making the schedule for example- talk about nightmare) or because I knew I could negotiate a better rate and better working standards for the dancers there. Those were always my main reasons for saying yes.
When I DID schedule it made it easier to coordinate gigs. Sometimes I got paid more for my dancing, but that always preceded my doing the schedule, so is unrelated. Usually they do call the scheduler when private parties are looking for a dancer. So, there are small perks in addition to trying to make the situation better for dancers in general.
Some scheduling dancers only hire their friends. This is rather unprofessional IMO. I simply put on the schedule who the owner/manager say they want. It's THEIR money, THEY get to make the decisions. If they ASK me about a dancer I will share my direct experiences if it may effect them (repeated no call no show for example). Unfortunately not all dancers realize this- and if they are not hired they make accusations- causing all sorts of drama. This is often compounded because owners are usually either too cowardly (or too nice?) to directly tell a dancer they don't want her on the schedule anymore. They'll tell her one thing and the scheduling dancer another. Talk about a difficult situation to be in! From what I experienced directly and from what I've seen my scheduler friends experience- it's the scheduler who experiences the "fall-out" from these situations. I prefer to avoid the drama.
Currently I have one gig that is just me. One gig with another dancer who does the schedule and a couple gigs that are shared with one other dancer (so we just call to coordinate schedule as a team) or where the owner has simply chosen his Friday dancer and his Sat dancer. These small situations are SO much less complicated!

Originally Posted by SamiraShuruk

Currently I have one gig that is just me. One gig with another dancer who does the schedule and a couple gigs that are shared with one other dancer (so we just call to coordinate schedule as a team) or where the owner has simply chosen his Friday dancer and his Sat dancer. These small situations are SO much less complicated!

Yes. The restaurant where I currently dance doesn't have a scheduler. The manager has put us all on a continuous rotation, we know which nights we each dance so there's no work involved unless a dancer leaves. If one of us needs our regular night off, we call the others to get a sub or call the manager. It doesn't happen often.

Most of the restaurants in my area, though, work with just one troupe at a time. The troupe members set the schedule amongst themselves, or the troupe director sets it. Most gigs here 'belong' to one troupe or another. The troupe director might invite others to perform as 'guests' for subs or just for goodwill.

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Most of the restaurants in my area, though, work with just one troupe at a time. The troupe members set the schedule amongst themselves, or the troupe director sets it. Most gigs here 'belong' to one troupe or another. The troupe director might invite others to perform as 'guests' for subs or just for goodwill.

Isn't it funny how different regions can be so different?
We have a couple schools that set up their own gigs that are their "territory". At least one has their girls dance at very low prices. Another couple I hear stories about owners being "threatened" by those schools ("we'll boycott your venue", "we'll cancel our upcoming event") it makes me question their ethics. BUT, I'm sure there are other situations that are simple and positive "win-win" situations for all involved. ..g.:
Most gigs around here that are "shared" are shared by dancers from multiple schools/teachers. I think that's really nice. ..g.:

Originally Posted by SamiraShuruk

Isn't it funny how different regions can be so different?
We have a couple schools that set up their own gigs that are their "territory". At least one has their girls dance at very low prices. Another couple I hear stories about owners being "threatened" by those schools ("we'll boycott your venue", "we'll cancel our upcoming event") it makes me question their ethics. BUT, I'm sure there are other situations that are simple and positive "win-win" situations for all involved. ..g.:
Most gigs around here that are "shared" are shared by dancers from multiple schools/teachers. I think that's really nice. ..g.:

I hear stories about problems in our area too (though I try hard only to pay attention to what I hear first-hand) In other situations it works out nicely.

Forgot to answer the initial question -- in those situations where there is a scheduler they don't get paid directly. However, that venue becomes a real perk of membership in that director's troupe. Leave the troupe, lose your paid gig. Want to dance professionally? Switch to a studio that has several restaurants where you can dance someday if you're their student. You've been studying with this teacher for a while but you're thinking of leaving? Oh, but you were soooo close to being next in line for the restaurant!

So the troupe director's scheduling time pays off in student attraction/retention. Sometimes that's a problem, if a troupe director undercuts or sends out students who aren't ready/don't have pro costuming/etc. The students get a pretty lame idea of what's proper and expected in a pro dance world. But if the troupe director has high standards, it can work out very well.

Originally Posted by nayastrance

I schedule for the restaurants I work at for a few different reasons:
1. I have a 9 member troupe, by being the scheduler I can ensure that my dancers get on the schedule and then I fill in the gaps with the couple of other dancers I have on my restaurant rotation. *At one restaurant my troupe are the only dancers that get scheduled, this is at the restaurants request.
2. I am a control freak, by doing the schedule I know I'm filling nights with the *right* dancers for the mix of people I anticipate being there.
3. It does give me the option to have first pick of the private parties & special events. I reserve this "right of first refusal" as my exchange for managing the schedules w/out getting paid.
4. Like Sonja2 also mentioned, I am able to advocate for higher standards & better working conditions. I also mediate any conflicts between dancers & the management.

Is it a hassle sometimes? Yup. Is it worth it though to have the 'executive' oversight & first dibs on the high-tipping parties? Yes.

Ditto!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by SamiraShuruk

Most gigs around here that are "shared" are shared by dancers from multiple schools/teachers. I think that's really nice. ..g.:

I agree. The best art about this is that I've met a lot of dancers I wouldn't meet otherwise. It's a great way to learn more about the teachers, the styles, the scene, etc.

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Most of the restaurants in my area, though, work with just one troupe at a time. The troupe members set the schedule amongst themselves, or the troupe director sets it. Most gigs here 'belong' to one troupe or another. The troupe director might invite others to perform as 'guests' for subs or just for goodwill.

Wow. I wouldn't like that at all. I guess I prefer open competition rather than a troupe director getting an "in" and only allowing her dancers to perform...

Well, our management would have none of that, anyway. ..l;, He likes to hand pick the dancers, and then tell me who's "in" or "out"...we don't always agree, but it's his venue, so it's his choice.

I scheduled at the restaurants I used to dance at. I didn't find it to be a pain. I think part of it was that I was very upfront with the owners and made it clear that I made the schedule and they didn't mess with it...like go behind my back and hire someone new. It helped to keep the trash out - and I am talking about (and you have all come across one) the "professional" belly dancer that has taken 8 classes and 1 workshop, bought the "expensive" belly dancer outfit at Fredrick's of Hollywood and decided that it would make her boyfriend hot if she danced professionally for $20 for unlimited shows...Oh...and did I mention dance on top of tables? It was reasons like these that I did the schedule.

I scheduled at a couple of places for many years. I never was paid for it, with one exception, where for a couple of months the restaurant owner paid me more (more than double the regular rate) when I danced. I didn't want to take too much advantage of that one so I only scheduled myself once a month. :)

reasons I liked doing the scheduling, despite the hassles (as others have said above, mostly coming from other dancers!).

1. I have a pretty busy life with other gigs or family, and I got to choose the nights that worked best for me.

2. I took very seriously the fact that I could steer restaurant owners toward the best dancers in town, and help them keep out the riffraff. it was VERY important to me to work at a venue that I could recommend to anybody, anytime - show up at restaurant A any night of the month and you will see a great dancer, instead of telling them, go to restaurant B, but let me know what night you're going because some of the dancers there are crap.

3. yes, I'll come forward and admit it, I enjoyed the "prestige" of being a scheduler. ;)

more and more in seattle gigs are getting locked up and dancers are selected according to their contacts and politics and not their skills. personally, I thought it was better when the less-than-stellar dancers were hired on their looks, not by who owed them favors or who they are friends with. :P