topic Re: Tipping in Community Chat

Tipping

Isobel Archer — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 14:00:56 GMT

According to the Washington Post, DC voted in the last election to raise restaurant workers' salaries to minimum wage. It passed with 55% of the vote.

Now, there is consternation from both restaurant owners (who say they will have to raise prices and lay off staff) AND servers (who say they make far more than minimum now with tips and they worry that people will stop tipping.)

I think the servers probably have a point. If restaurants raise prices - say more than 20%, I'd bet a good number of people will stop tipping.

So now those opposed are saying that the vote should be discounted and things should remain as they are.

Not sure what will happen.

Re: Tipping

Cats3000 — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 14:16:12 GMT

First, votes can't be "discounted". Don't like the result? You gotta go back to the ballot box and vote again. Second, I WOULD stop tipping. I'd write on my charge slip "take your tip out of your new, higher salary".

Re: Tipping

JJsMom — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 14:20:03 GMT

You mean to tell me you don't think servers deserve minimum wage, and you will punish them by withholding tips because they make minimum wage? How cheap, selfish, and entitled can you be?

Re: Tipping

Dar321 — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 14:24:56 GMT

Obviously some have never been a server....geez

Re: Tipping

Isobel Archer — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 20:48:43 GMT

@JJsMom wrote:
You mean to tell me you don't think servers deserve minimum wage, and you will punish them by withholding tips because they make minimum wage? How cheap, selfish, and entitled can you be?

Some, mabe many may be "punished" by the passage of this law because they will now make much less (one server was quoted as saying she makes well over $30 per hour now with tips), but lets not forget that diners will also be "punished" by a rise in prices. Considering that the current pay is $3.33 per hour and now will be $12.50 rising to $15 - that is about a 400% increase - so I'd bet prices will rise more than the typical 20% tip.

Re: Tipping

Isobel Archer — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 20:50:11 GMT

Just read another article that Starbucks is closing in seveeral locations partly due to increased minimun wages.

Re: Tipping

CelticCrafter — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 14:36:35 GMT

And when service declines and servers quit, then what?

I don't know many servers that will be on board with a flat minimum wage.

Re: Tipping

IslanderGirl62 — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 14:36:55 GMT

In Portugal, where my SO is from, the restaurant servers make a decent hourly wage, and they don't tip there because of it. I have many friends in the "service" business (bartenders, waitresses), and they agree they make a lot of money on tips and would be concerned that customers would tip less if their hourly wage went up (one of my bartender friends brings home $800 in tips on Friday night).

Re: Tipping

Kitlynn — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 14:41:48 GMT

My husband and I always tip 20% at least. We will continue to do so and have never considered what someone makes an hour or how much the food cost. For us it is all about the service we get.

Re: Tipping

Cakers3 — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 14:42:32 GMT

@Isobel Archer wrote:
According to the Washington Post, DC voted in the last election to raise restaurant workers' salaries to minimum wage. It passed with 55% of the vote.

Now, there is consternation from both restaurant owners (who say they will have to raise prices and lay off staff) AND servers (who say they make far more than minimum now with tips and they worry that people will stop tipping.)

I think the servers probably have a point. If restaurants raise prices - say more than 20%, I'd bet a good number of people will stop tipping.

So now those opposed are saying that the vote should be discounted and things should remain as they are.

Not sure what will happen.

@Isobel Archer Probably but I also think it depends upon the type of restaurant.

If one dines at a foo-foo expensive restaurant that has full service-from hostess to person who fills your water glass to the server etc.-then those customers have the $$ to spend and may decrease the % of tip and maybe not.

If one dines at your local chain restaurant, then I can see the decrease in the % of tip.

I really would not like to see servers losing their jobs over the minimum wage but it has to be considered.

A topic that has many pov; no need assume any poster is being insensitive to waitstaff.

Re: Tipping

Cakers3 — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 14:50:28 GMT

@Kitlynn wrote:
My husband and I always tip 20% at least. We will continue to do so and have never considered what someone makes an hour or how much the food cost. For us it is all about the service we get.

@Kitlynn Good points. I agree even though we rarely eat out anymore-the tip is about service.

Re: Tipping

Isobel Archer — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 20:51:37 GMT

What is interesting to me is that the whole rationale for the vote was that servers "deserve" minimum wage - along with the strong implication that they are not now getting it - which apparently is not entirely true.

So once they get what they "deserve," - by their definition, then suddenly when the realization sets in that this may be "exactly" what they will get - oh wait that's not fair. We deserve minimum wage PLUS what we already get in tips too.'

Re: Tipping

SahmIam — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 14:59:49 GMT

I've been a server and you make way more in tips than you would ever make with a flat wage. Now, obviously this depends on WHERE you work. My in-laws dine out frequently but.....it's not at chain or fast food places. If they're going to go out to eat, it needs to be worth their time, their money and have amazing food with impeccable service. They tip but admit it's something they don't like doing and the US is the only place they have to do it (they travel quite often). If you think about the cost of their meal and the tip they leave (20%) compared to the cost of a meal at IHOP or Denny's and a 20% tip there, who is going to lose out in a HUGE way if this passes?

For those who work in fast food with no tips, it's great. According to local radio talk shows covering this, (I'm in MD), fast food workers would benefit the most while servers in high end establishments would be hurt; same with bartenders.

Consumers, however, are thrilled. It's an interesting debate and will definitely change things within the industry on many levels.

Re: Tipping

Cakers3 — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 15:02:05 GMT

@Isobel Archer wrote:
@Cakers3 Thank you.

For the record, I didn't even mention whether I would stop tipping, but apparently even suggesting that anyone might somehow makes me greedy and entitled.

What is interesting to me is that the whole rationale for the vote was that servers "deserve" minimum wage - along with the strong implication that they are not now getting it - which apparently is not entirely true.

So once they get what they "deserve," - by their definition, then suddenly when the realization sets in that this may be "exactly" what they will get - oh wait that's not fair. We deserve minimum wage PLUS what we already get in tips too. And anyone who disagrees - or stops eating out due to the higher prices - is as one poster said "greedy" and "entitled."
'

@Isobel Archer It's the poster, not the post.

Some people have to scrape to eat out; it can be a treat. Rising prices can certainly curtail some folks/families enjoyment of a nice meal out once in a while.

Heaven's sake-even McD is expensive today.

I would no more condemn a person for cutting back on eating out than I would condemn those who can afford to continue.

Re: Tipping

RetRN — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 15:07:51 GMT

The number of millenials tipping is already way down.

Re: Tipping

TenderMercies — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 15:19:52 GMT

Tips should be added automatically to bills in restaurants. The idea of tipping servers came from the need for servers to be complimented equally during shifts that may vary in attendance of guests. The idea was that you get paid for the work you put in rather than getting a flat rate to sit around doing very little during certain hours while others run around busting their humps during other hours. Put a sign on the door that says the restaurant adds 18% gratuity to the bill, and if the guests don't like it, they can eat somewhere else.

Re: Tipping

Isobel Archer — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 15:23:35 GMT

@TenderMercies wrote
@TenderMercies wrote:
Tips should be added automatically to bills in restaurants. The idea of tipping servers came from the need for servers to be complimented equally during shifts that may vary in attendance of guests. The idea was that you get paid for the work you put in rather than getting a flat rate to sit around doing very little during certain hours while others run around busting their humps during other hours. Put a sign on the door that says the restaurant adds 18% gratuity to the bill, and if the guests don't like it, they can eat somewhere else.

So then tipping has nothing to do with actual service.

Re: Tipping

Cakers3 — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 15:25:23 GMT

@TenderMercies wrote:
Tips should be added automatically to bills in restaurants. The idea of tipping servers came from the need for servers to be complimented equally during shifts that may vary in attendance of guests. The idea was that you get paid for the work you put in rather than getting a flat rate to sit around doing very little during certain hours while others run around busting their humps during other hours. Put a sign on the door that says the restaurant adds 18% gratuity to the bill, and if the guests don't like it, they can eat somewhere else.

@TenderMercies I disagree with the automatic 18% although that is common in restaurants serving parties of 6 or more. The 18% is added to the bill, no questions asked.

It isn't up to the restaurant to decide how much a customer "should" tip; tips are about service, although I agree about the large party.

I think putting up a sign put all the emphasis on the tip and not the service.

Talk about greed and entitlement on the flip side of the coin.

jmoymmv

Re: Tipping

TenderMercies — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 15:26:52 GMT

@Cakers3 wrote:
@TenderMercies wrote:
Tips should be added automatically to bills in restaurants. The idea of tipping servers came from the need for servers to be complimented equally during shifts that may vary in attendance of guests. The idea was that you get paid for the work you put in rather than getting a flat rate to sit around doing very little during certain hours while others run around busting their humps during other hours. Put a sign on the door that says the restaurant adds 18% gratuity to the bill, and if the guests don't like it, they can eat somewhere else.
@TenderMercies I disagree with the automatic 18% although that is common in restaurants serving parties of 6 or more. The 18% is added to the bill, no questions asked.

It isn't up to the restaurant to decide how much a customer "should" tip; tips are about service, although I agree about the large party.

I think putting up a sign put all the emphasis on the tip and not the service.

Talk about greed and entitlement on the flip side of the coin.

jmoymmv

@Cakers3 People are heathens, and as this thread progresses, this will be proven. Tips should be added to the bill.

Re: Tipping

Alison Wonderland — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 15:28:10 GMT

@Isobel Archer wrote:
Just read another article that Starbucks is closing in 150 locations due to rises in minimum wages.

Those of you upset about oppressed servers might want to direct your wrath there.

It's about more than minimum wage. They're closing stores in markets where they aren't seeing growth and that are already saturated with Starbucks stores. When they were growing a lot, they made a habbit of opening two stores on the same street on opposite sides, so that it was easy for drivers in either direction to stop and get back on the road. Where my parents live, they've got a Starbucks in the main grocery store and a full Starbucks across the street from the grocery store. There's also a Peet's coffee in the same strip mall as the grocery store that's across the street from the Starbucks. And less then a mile down the road there's another full Starbucks.

Where I am, there's a Starbucks inside the grocery store and around the corner from the grocery store in the same strip mall there's a full Starbucks.

They also had a lot of unexpected expenses in the last two quarters. They took a big hit after some of the things that happened in their stores and faced boycotts, then took a financial hit when they closed 8,000 stores for a few hours this quarter to do some training that I imagine cost them a considerable amount of money to develope on top of loss of the stores closed for the training. They've had a rough 2018.