Kitchen

[depglass]

To me this is just an example that our schools are failing in teaching simple math. If you can't figure 10%, 15% or 20% in your head you are in trouble. I'll let you off on 18%.

[Southernfriedchick]

I refuse to be told what I must tip! It's not happening.

[IamMrsG]

I already know my comment will be unpopular, but here’s my 2¢ worth anyway: I despise all tipping and believe it should stop. It is an archaic practice and is demeaning to the service provider. Pay your staff a fair wage, and, by that, I do not mean $15/hr for fast food workers.

As one on the receiving end of said service, I also resent being advised how appreciative I should be. For example, why should the person who carries to me a $100 dinner expect more appreciation than the server whose restaurant is seventy-five percent less expensive?

To me, this primitive system has run its course, and surely by now all workers should be paid a wage according to their merit.

[Annabellethecat66]

I am a person who has always eaten out a lot. My late husband loved eating out so much one of his best friends was a Chef at a famous restaurant here in the DC area.

He wanted to buy a restaurant and have his best friend (the Chef) run the thing! Needless to say I put my foot down on that one, especially since he traveled several days a week and wouldn't be able to eat there as often.

Anyway, since he died, I still eat out several times a week (at least 3 or 4 times) often with another widow friend of mine.

Sometimes she pays, sometimes I pay. We are very careful on how we tip. I always give at least 20% tip if the service is good (which it almost always is), no problem.

That said, if there is a problem, I ask to speak with the manager. Depending on the problem the manager might not charge me for the meal or offer me a free desert (something like that). I don't like messing with the tip because it usually doesn't have anything to do with service.

For instance, if the food was cold, (I know it could be construed as a server's problem, but I usually give them a break and cut back on the amount of tip) but I still ask to speak to the manager.

In the OP's case I would ask to speak to the manager and show them the problem. The manager would want to know about the broken plate anyway. I doubt that it was the fault of the server; however he/she should have noticed it.

You can imagine all of the things my friend and I have encountered since we eat out so much!

Here's another thing. She and I often sit and talk awhile longer. I always make sure I tip well when we do that because we are taking up time from others when the server could have someone else in the seat and could be making more money.

If there is any problem always ask for the manager. You aren't doing anyone a favor by ignoring the problem. Most managers want to know so they could fix whatever it was. Just think if you'd accidentally swallowed some glass!

[Marienkaefer2]

On 9/22/2014 IamMrsG said:

I already know my comment will be unpopular, but here’s my 2¢ worth anyway: I despise all tipping and believe it should stop. It is an archaic practice and is demeaning to the service provider. Pay your staff a fair wage, and, by that, I do not mean $15/hr for fast food workers.

As one on the receiving end of said service, I also resent being advised how appreciative I should be. For example, why should the person who carries to me a $100 dinner expect more appreciation than the server whose restaurant is seventy-five percent less expensive?

To me, this primitive system has run its course, and surely by now all workers should be paid a wage according to their merit.

In many European countries, the tip is included, at least it used to be. You could tip.on top of that if you wanted. Actually, I don't think tipping is going away. Servers can make up.to $100 an.hour in some places because of tipping, if they hustle and are professional. Fast food workers don't make tips, so raising their wage, even to $15/hr, doesn't vex me I think some people have this concept of FIFTEEN DOLLARS AN HOUR!!! like it is some huge amount. Well, maybe in 1965 it was, but not today. Today, it's worth much less and the buying power is less. It doesn't seem so unrealistic to me to pay people that.

[terrier3]

On 9/22/2014 Marienkaefer2 said:

In many European countries, the tip is included, at least it used to be. You could tip.on top of that if you wanted. Actually, I don't think tipping is going away. Servers can make up.to $100 an.hour in some places because of tipping, if they hustle and are professional. Fast food workers don't make tips, so raising their wage, even to $15/hr, doesn't vex me I think some people have this concept of FIFTEEN DOLLARS AN HOUR!!! like it is some huge amount. Well, maybe in 1965 it was, but not today. Today, it's worth much less and the buying power is less. It doesn't seem so unrealistic to me to pay people that.

In European countries, servers make living wages too...even McDonald's workers make $12 an hour or more - and they have better benefits like universal health care too.

As long as restaurant lobbyists have their way - workers will never make a decent wage here and will be dependent on the "kindness" of the customers they wait on.

[shoekitty]

On 9/22/2014 terrier3 said:

On 9/22/2014 moonchilde said: More and more higher(er)-end restaurants are adding a mandatory surcharge to their bills of $2-5 to subsidize their employees' health insurance - i.e., previously the restaurant offered NO health insurance, or unaffordably expensive insurance, and with the surcharge they are able to offer their employees decent health insurance. I am in two minds about this. We all know how this should be taken care of, but the fact remains that it isn't. And if I can afford the high-end restaurant in the first place, I would not really resent the extra amount, knowing what it is for. Having said that, since so far it's mostly the trendy upscale places that are doing it, it's not something I have been faced with.

That surcharge is a PROTEST fee, designed to make the employees and the gvt. look bad.

It is also a silly move for the owners, taxwise.

If they INCLUDED the cost of HI into their meal charge (like they include gas, electricity, rent, food costs, etc.), they could then consider it as normal cost of doing business and deduct it from their bottom line taxes.

By tacking it on as a "fee", they pay FULL TAXES on that fee...with no deductions allowed.

It's silly, petty and will cost them money.

I really doubt high quality, top class restaurants will do this.

Just disgruntled protestors.

Terrior

ITA. I am sick of disgruntled protesters blaming everything on the AHAA. Geesh! I am in California and my GD is an actress, but serves as well. They get paid 11 dollars an hour and she makes good tips. She works like heck. She is a healthy, active 25 yr old, and she says her "dogs are barkin" after every shift! LOL! It depends where you work. She is in a busy section of Hollywood, by the Pantages. Tips can run 140 to 325 a 5 hour shift. But you have to remember most servers here don't work 40 hours a week. They work 5 hour shifts from 2-5 days a week. rent where she lives is about 1800 for a one bedroom, in a moderate, clean place. She lived in a studio in downtown Hollywood for a couple years, it was 1400, and it was old, old, old! With walk up stairs, and cars honking and sirens running all night.

They do not give health benefits, because no one works full time (not even managers), But they don't surcharge or whine either.

[Financialgrl]

On 9/22/2014 depglass said:

To me this is just an example that our schools are failing in teaching simple math. If you can't figure 10%, 15% or 20% in your head you are in trouble. I'll let you off on 18%.

I'm sure they exist but I don't personally know anyone who does not have a cell phone and even when I had the most basic non-smart phone, it had a calculator. What I find more sad, I've met some cashiers/servers that have demonstrated they don't even know how to figure percentages USING a calculator.

[howaboutthis]

We just ate out tonight and the suggested tips were on the receipt! It was kind of nice because I was tired and not having to calculate it was great! I know it's simple math, but I guess I'm falling into the "the dumbing down of society".

I tip 20% on the full bill, but have recently been thinking, why am I tipping the tax? Maybe I should use the before-tax amount?

Tonight I only gave the server 15% because she rushed us when we ordered, standing there poised with her pen and pad, practically tapping her toe. It really irritated me. If she wasn't spending so much time chatting with everyone else, she would not have been so rushed with us. So 15% for her.

[debic]

On 9/22/2014 IamMrsG said:

I already know my comment will be unpopular, but here’s my 2¢ worth anyway: I despise all tipping and believe it should stop. It is an archaic practice and is demeaning to the service provider. Pay your staff a fair wage, and, by that, I do not mean $15/hr for fast food workers.

As one on the receiving end of said service, I also resent being advised how appreciative I should be. For example, why should the person who carries to me a $100 dinner expect more appreciation than the server whose restaurant is seventy-five percent less expensive?

To me, this primitive system has run its course, and surely by now all workers should be paid a wage according to their merit.

Most Mom and Pop restaurants wouldn't stay in business very long if they had to pay min. wage.