topic Re: Tipping question in Among Friends

Tipping question

dex — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 14:31:33 GMT

In our area minimum wage will soon be 15 dollars an hour.Restaurants will sometimes have the tip automatically added to your bill.Do you think it is fair to expect a tip when the person is earning a fair wage and the service might not have been great.I thought tips were a generous gift from the customer and not mandatory.

Re: Tipping question

Kachina624 — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 14:36:51 GMT

If you feel the tip is too high or not deserved, ask that it be removed. I've done that on a couple of occasions. They complied with my request.

Re: Tipping question

Sunnycorle — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 14:39:25 GMT

Waiters do not make minimum wage. Its much lower and the amount the resturant pays maybe covers tax. Waiters and waitresses live off of their tips. If you don't want to tip don't go out to resturants that require it socially.

Re: Tipping question

Yardlie — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 14:50:47 GMT

@Sunnycorle wrote:
Waiters do not make minimum wage. Its much lower and the amount the resturant pays maybe covers tax. Waiters and waitresses live off of their tips. If you don't want to tip don't go out to resturants that require it socially.

I agree. In our state, waiters and waitresses are exempt from the standard minimum wage. They get paid a very low salary and rely on tips to bring their salary up to what they can live on.

Re: Tipping question

Sweet_Serenity — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 14:58:41 GMT

@Sunnycorle wrote:
Waiters do not make minimum wage. Its much lower and the amount the resturant pays maybe covers tax. Waiters and waitresses live off of their tips. If you don't want to tip don't go out to resturants that require it socially.

They also pay tax on the sales made. Most people unaware of this. Server worked in Las Vegas and Hollywood made very good living. Saved diligently and because of this retired early. Never expected tips my customers gifted me vacations more than once. Of course! My clients high income bracket. California makes minimum.

Re: Tipping question

Annabellethecat66 — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 14:58:54 GMT

I eat out with a friend (lunch late usually) at least 4 to 5 times a week (widow, don't cook). I think I'm pretty qualified to answer some of these questions.

I usually end up talking with our waiters. Many of them are single mothers. I always tip AT LEAST 20% because I know they only make $2.15.

I greatly resent the fact that I'm made to feel like I am responsible for this person's salary. Can you imagine the profit made by the restaurant?

I can say (my opinion and that of my friend I eat with) that (should the hourly rate go to $15) I doubt that we'd tip at all and if we did it would be the minimum tip. We don't tip other's who make that amount of money hourly, do we?

We know the places where the servers are terrible, we know who to ask to sit near and so on. Believe me, it makes a difference.

Some servers are very professional, other's not so much. The other day a server acted like he recognized me (this happens so often it's a joke with people who REALLY know me). I smiled and said, "Hello". I was with my friend whom I eat with. He (the server delivered our food). No problem. But as the meal went on he suddenly pulled up a chair (we were in a booth) and sat and talked with us the entire rest of the meal! I had no idea who the heck this guy was. He over-stepped, to say the least!

We kept saying, "Better let you go to take care of your other tables". He ignored us. I didn't want to hurt his feelings so I wasn't rude.

I can be very 'matter of fact' at times, but I held my temper...

I could write a book on the people we've encountered eating out so often (this is about tipping and restaurants). There have been times when we've left less than 20% but it is rare because usually the service is fair to excellent. (It's not brain surgery to deliver the food).

Due to the economy these days people who once served tables to get extra money now find themselves doing it for a living. Some realize the importance of good service, other's EXPECT a good tip no matter how THEIR service toward us is....

It's a touch situation because we eat out so often we frequent the same places often. This makes us less likely to (sometimes) pay the tip amount we feel like they should get (no spitting in our food).

To summarize. There is no way I would put 20% tip on a bill if I knew the waiter was receiving $15 an hour. I might tip a few dollars, but not much. Why?

Here's why!! That restaurant would have to make up the difference of paying them that amount by raising the cost of the food. The cost of the food would go up sharply. I'd consider that the amount I'd normally tip the waiter. It's not my fault he/she is now getting more money. Obviously, a restaurant isn't going to absorb the increase in paying them, why should I?

This is different but I feel like I have to say it...Because we eat out so much most of our waiters are females. As I said an enormous number of them are single mothers. This is true especially since we eat lunch meals. That means these mothers are working while their children are in school so they can be home when the child gets out of school, saving child care.

If women's groups want to help females, I believe they should work toward making child care more affordable; but more than anything they should lobby lawmakers to make it a LAW that these deadbeat Dad's pay their child support. More than that, enforce that if they don't pay their child support, they will have money taken from their paychecks every week and immediately sent to the ex-wife for their child. It's not for the ex-wife, it's for the child. The stories we hear about the ex-husband buying new trucks, taking girlfriends out to dinner and trips, meanwhile giving the ex-wife (for the child) $200 a month, or even less is unbelievable.

I'll go sit down now...

Re: Tipping question

Q4u — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 14:59:53 GMT

@Sunnycorle wrote:
Waiters do not make minimum wage. Its much lower and the amount the resturant pays maybe covers tax. Waiters and waitresses live off of their tips. If you don't want to tip don't go out to resturants that require it socially.

And this is what has to change. i realize that tipping is well established in our society but how is it that a restaurant (or other tip based enterprise) is allowed to give a base pay to a worker that is well under minimum wage and then that worker has to rely on the goodwill and mood of their customer (no matter how good the service) to make up the difference? And I've heard of customers getting mad at a server and deny them a tip when the issue has been the fault of a cook, or the restaurant itself.

I understand that the tip is a well established part of our society, but iI think it is the Management's responsibility to provide the incentives (like any other business) to motivate the employee to meet the high standards expected.

BTW, even though I don't believe in tipping and think that the company is responsible for their employee, it's the system we have and I DO tip and tip very well.....

Re: Tipping question

ChynnaBlue — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 15:09:09 GMT

@dex wrote:
In our area minimum wage will soon be 15 dollars an hour.Restaurants will sometimes have the tip automatically added to your bill.Do you think it is fair to expect a tip when the person is earning a fair wage and the service might not have been great.I thought tips were a generous gift from the customer and not mandatory.

What does your local ordinance say? Does it say that it includes or omits servers in that $15 minimum wage? (And make sure you check to see who it affects in general. A lot of cities are making the news for passing laws to give city workers and city contract workers a minimum wage of $15 an hour but the law does not affect anyone who isn't working for the city or working on a project contracted by the city.)

Most servers do not make minimum wage, they make just over $2.00 an hour and the tips aren't a supplemental income, they are the majority of the person's income. Unless your local law says that servers must be included in that $15 minimum wage, I would say yes, they will very much need those tips.

Re: Tipping question

Sweet_Serenity — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 11:20:57 GMT

Originally, Customers tipped before ordering.

Re: Tipping question

Sunnycorle — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 15:18:43 GMT

Tipping is part of eating out in resturants and has been forever! Its a great way for a student or young person to get their foot in the door of employment and to work while going to school. I waited tables thru College and learned alot about how to act socially. I paid my entire way thru College and if I didn't have a job like Waiting tables I would never been able to do it.

It also teaches you how to be good resturant patron.

Re: Tipping question

Pook — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 16:14:52 GMT

If servers were given minimum wage and not dependent on tips, I actually think the quality of service would go down a bit as many would become lax in providing great service!!! I think I still would tip good service though.

Re: Tipping question

dex — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 16:17:03 GMT

I live in Washington state and I believe the restaurants must pay the minimum wage here.I know in some states the rules are different.I just believe that the prices of food will be higher and my living costs won't.....so if I decide to stay home to eat and others do too, how does that help anyone.

Re: Tipping question

NicksmomESQ — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 16:37:08 GMT

Where I live waiters/waitresses don't get paid minimum wage.That being said restaurants around here charge high prices & make a fortune!!

I tip according to service!! I don't consider it my responsibility to pay my server's salary!! The restaurant owners who make the money selling overpriced food should pay their help!!

Places I frequent often where I've known the servers for years & get excellent service I tip generously.Other places where service is so so I tip much less.If the service stinks I don't tip at all!!

Re: Tipping question

Nightowlz — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 16:44:29 GMT

I looked online & it shows the highest wage is $11 for 2017 in Washington. It shows Baltimore $15 in the Year 2022 but it's not a done deal yet. Even if it's $15 an hour in 2022 I seriously doubt the wait staff will be making that.

If you feel they don't do their job complain to the manager & don't pay the tip. We have only ever had 1 person that got smart with DH talking back to him & he would not leave him a tip.

If it does go up to that by 2022 it would really need to be more then that because in 2017 $15 is not a living wage. For those that think it is try to pay your monthly expenses with it & see how you like it.

Re: Tipping question

chickenbutt — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 16:53:27 GMT

For me, as to the original question, it wouldn't be contingent on what they get paid per hour, but more on the actual service provided. For THAT reason, no, I don't think it's right to automatically include a certain amount for tip.

We tip pretty well for good service - 25-30%. But we also tip appropriate to por service. That's the way it goes.

If somebody does a good job, and we are NOT at all demanding, we want to pay for that. If they clearly don't care about doing a decent job, and that's about their work not if the food comes out krappy or something, we go anywhere from a low percentage to zero (zero only if it is REALLY bad).

Re: Tipping question

chickenbutt — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 16:54:54 GMT

I forgot to say - another thing with which I most vehemently disagree is 'tip pooling'. I know some places do that, and that is just wrong.

For somebody who doesn't do a good job to get paid as much as somebody who really hustles and cares is so very wrong.

Re: Tipping question

LilacTree — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 16:57:40 GMT

@Sunnycorle wrote:
Tipping is part of eating out in resturants and has been forever! Its a great way for a student or young person to get their foot in the door of employment and to work while going to school. I waited tables thru College and learned alot about how to act socially. I paid my entire way thru College and if I didn't have a job like Waiting tables I would never been able to do it.
It also teaches you how to be good resturant patron.

@Sunnycorle

My three college grads (all magna c*m laude) all waited tables after class when they were in high school. That, with Pell Grants, some scholarships, and student loans got them through school. They were in their early 40s before the loans were paid off.

All of that would not have gotten them through one semester nowadays.

Re: Tipping question

lulu2 — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 17:37:43 GMT

My sister owns a restaurant in a western state. The state's minimum wage is $10/hour. Her wait staff starts at $3/hour

Here is a break down for minimum wage for tipped employees in the US. (by state)

There are countries that pay waiter/servers/etc decent wages. These countries do not tip. Australia is a one of the countries. Most European countries do not believe in tipping. They may add service fees (15%) to restaurant checks.

Re: Tipping question

Nightowlz — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 17:49:00 GMT

@chickenbutt wrote:
I forgot to say - another thing with which I most vehemently disagree is 'tip pooling'. I know some places do that, and that is just wrong.

For somebody who doesn't do a good job to get paid as much as somebody who really hustles and cares is so very wrong.

@chickenbutt IMO that's not fair. There are always those slackers out there that don't do their fair share of the work.

Re: Tipping question

Nomorebirthdays — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 18:00:05 GMT

Our favorite restaurant is busy, wait staff have multiple tables, our bill averages 50$ for 2 people, 20% is 10.00. If she or he have 10 tables that's about 100 dollars an hour plus her wage. Of course not everyone leaves 20% and a breakfast server would get less. I heard Stewart Varney waited tables when he first came to this country and made over 60 thousand per year. And cash tips, do you think they declare all of it on their taxes. That said it's hard work.