On tipping.

[Shiftkey]

First off, I waited tables for a little over a year, so I DO know what I'm talking about here (for anyone who's going to think I don't know what you're going through).

I've worked as a server for a combined 3 years between 3 different restaurants (and a little longer if you count time as a host). I've worked in retail for about 2, and at a desk for 1.

I think it is hilarious how waiters act like they have the hardest jobs on earth. They complain about how busy it gets, as if no one else on earth has a busy job. To be honest, most of us do have busy jobs. The difference is guys like me are busy for 8 solid hours, whereas waiters are actually BUSY busy for maybe 3 or 4 hours.

If you're referring to me, I never said I'm busy for the entire shift. But that doesn't make the job any less stressful. Several other jobs are worse, I'm sure. That does not mean servers should not be tipped. Furthermore, I don't know where you work, but not all 8 hour desk jobs keep their worker's busy. I'm sure you're familiar with the statistics about surfing the web or checking email while on the clock. I did it, my coworkers would do it, and I'm sure you do it and know coworkers who do it. So don't lie and say you are busy for 8 hours

Waiters are so indignant about their jobs because every restaurant is like a high school. This cool kids, the not cool kids, lots of gossip, who ****ed who, et cetera. And they all sit around and ***** about how hard their job is. Which is fine and all, but don't assume that anyone else cares. Trust me, there are jobs that are plenty harder. I've had a few of them.

It's safe to say that anywhere that employs large amounts of young people can be compared to a high school. Hell, I think you'll find that in most work environments. I worked at a company as an assistant manager (one of the desk jobs) and most of the "adults" there were between 30 and 60. I quit that job because the drama was so horrible; it was much worse than any restaurant I've worked at.

On the subject of the post, hate to break it to you guys, but a tip is not a thing you are owed. People don't HAVE to tip. If it was it would be automatically included in the check. People tip because it is a social convention we (in America at least) have decided to adopt. But since it is only a convention, if someone decides they don't want to do it, they have that right. You can call them *******s, or make incoherent, empty statements about karma, but at the end of the day you're not changing anything.

Yeah right, tell that to the IRS. Did you know they expect us to declare at least 15% of our sales as taxable income? If we don't we risk being audited. The IRS isn't stupid, as funny as that seems. They know the average tip a server gets is about 18.5%, so after tipping out the bussers, the bar, and expo, we walk with about 15%. When you don't tip, we're supposed to pay the IRS like you did anyway. So don't tell me it's just a custom. That's bull****.

 

[aftershock]

In Britain tipping isn't really a convention. I only do it if I get good service. Rest of the time I don't bother.

I believe that they have committed a civil and/or criminal offence by stealing your skateboard. Got any friends who are lawyers?

 

[The Forms]

I don't know what made you think that I have a desk job. I don't. I do physical labor. I'm not lying about being busy. And you're a **** for calling a stranger a liar because he doesn't agree with you on some minor etiquette detail like tipping.

I wasn't referring to you specifically when I talked about how busy waiters pretend to be all day. I don't know you. I was talking about most every waiter I've ever known.

And yes, I know what the IRS expects of waiters. Like I said, I waited tables for awhile. However that doesn't change the fact that tipping is a convention. It is not included in the price, because it is not owed. That doesn't mean that I don't tip. It just means that I don't HAVE to. That's a distinction I don't think you quite understand. I DO tip well most of the time. But I understand that I do it because I CHOOSE to, not because I owe you a damn thing.

 

[insanity]

i could never be a waiter. people are just to damned rude. even if you go out to eat and the waiter had a tough night. the service is going to be lousy. i only tip if that person remembers me. i go and order a coffee in the morning and the girls automatically know who it is and they always are sweet. same as when i go to certain restuarnts if the waitress remembers me they get a great tip. being a good waiter means remembering the client and thats how the tips get good

 

[Centaurion]

I never tip the waiters because 1) it is not the local custom here 2) the f*cking waiters make sh!tloads of money here (20 USD/hour).

 

[Latinoman]

Before I tell you what happened to me today, I just have to say, always tip. A waiter that is...


Today I went to a restaurant called On The Border with my friend. I like this place because of their good chips and salsa. Our waiter was a pretty cool guy. He was humorous and just plain cool and looked like he got laid everyday. At the end, after we payed for our meal, before we tipped, we saw the guy walk out of the restaurant (we were sitting outside), with a girl, to his car, which then drove away. Now being our stupid selves, we thought that the guy was either being cool about tipping, or just plain leaving for something. So we thought, this could be a chance to get away without tipping! Considering we were gonna tip him $10 for a $28 meal. That's exactly what we did. Well on our way back (we walked there), my friend forgot his skateboard at the place. So we're like "oh ****" and we run back. Only to not find it. We look around the restaurant (the board was like $150), but unable to find it (we even asked the waiter, but he said nope... but I later saw a smirk on his face), finally we go to the manager and he says he'll ask the bartenders and stuff. Finally our waiter comes out, makes a scene about how "maybe next time you should tip your waiter" which then ends in an "ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" by the people near us. So we walked out of there, I felt like the biggest ****ing jackass in the world, and I only saved $10. Not worth it I say.

You don't need to tip $10 for a $28 meal.

Below average or even bad service....would get the person a 10% tip. Or $2.80 (you move the decimal point ONE time to its left).
For average or good service...that's 15% tip. $2.80 + half of that is $3.20.

For VERY good service...that's 20% tip. Or two times the 10% one. That is $2.80 x 2 or $5.60.


Note:Why tip with a bad service? Because you stayed and ate the food. Bad service requires for you to LEAVE and/or COMPLAIN to management. But eating means tipping.

 

[diplomatic_lies]

Note:Why tip with a bad service? Because you stayed and ate the food. Bad service requires for you to LEAVE and/or COMPLAIN to management. But eating means tipping.

Why would you tip for bad service? Doesn't that encourage bad service in future?

And doesn't the price of the food pay for the food itself? I thought tips were purely for service.

 

[Shiftkey]

Why would you tip for bad service? Doesn't that encourage bad service in future?

And doesn't the price of the food pay for the food itself? I thought tips were purely for service.

If you just want to pay for the food, go to the kitchen and get it yourself, and while you're at it, buss your own table, clean your own dishes, and get your own drinks.

That said, I don't hold it against people for not tipping for ****ty service. I've done it myself. But if the service was good, at least tip around 18.5% (the average).

 

[wootapotky]

If you just want to pay for the food, go to the kitchen and get it yourself, and while you're at it, buss your own table, clean your own dishes, and get your own drinks.

That said, I don't hold it against people for not tipping for ****ty service. I've done it myself. But if the service was good, at least tip around 18.5% (the average).

Ummmm, no. That's what waiters are for and guess whose job it is to pay them. Their employer. If their employer isn't paying them enough then quit the god damn job. The only people I ever tip are waiters or waitresses that are above and beyond what they need to do and haircutters because I don't want them cutting my hair horribly.

 

[Shiftkey]

Ummmm, no. That's what waiters are for and guess whose job it is to pay them. Their employer. If their employer isn't paying them enough then quit the god damn job. The only people I ever tip are waiters or waitresses that are above and beyond what they need to do and haircutters because I don't want them cutting my hair horribly.

Maybe employers pay servers a decent wage in your little fantasy world, but outside of lala land, here in the real world, no restaurant other than top of the line 5 star country clubs will pay more than minimum wage. Fortunately the rest of the US doesn't think like you, and I usually get great tips.

If you don't want to tip, go get fast food.

 

[wootapotky]

Exactly, because dumbasses keep paying their waiters for them. If they stopped then they would have to pay higher wages or they would have no waiters, just like in the rest of the world. It's amazing how people forget that they have the power in their hands if they choose to take it but I guess the majority of people are morons. If people would just stop and think about why they do are doing something then maybe our world wouldn't be so fvcked up.

Also if I don't want to tip luckily for me I can go to a sit down restaurant if I want and still not tip.

 

[diplomatic_lies]

If you just want to pay for the food, go to the kitchen and get it yourself, and while you're at it, buss your own table, clean your own dishes, and get your own drinks.

That's called "eating at home". Remember, the huge prices we pay for food at restaurants are supposed to cover their costs. Tips are just the extra we throw in if we're impressed by the waiter.

I mean, a piece of beef at a decent restaurant costs $30. Now a piece of meat only costs $10 at the supermarket. Which means the restaurant is making $20 off me. Now, if waiters aren't serving me, what's that $20 for? The tablecloth?

Maybe employers pay servers a decent wage in your little fantasy world, but outside of lala land, here in the real world, no restaurant other than top of the line 5 star country clubs will pay more than minimum wage.

Actually, in the real world, waiters get paid quite a lot. The US is one of the few First World countries who pay crappy wages, because their waiters get enormous tips.

In fact, the irony is, if people stopped tipping waiters, then waiters would all threaten to walk, and restaurant owners would be forced to pay higher salaries. Y'know, like $15/hour, which is the norm over here.

 

[Oxide]

I mean, a piece of beef at a decent restaurant costs $30. Now a piece of meat only costs $10 at the supermarket. Which means the restaurant is making $20 off me. Now, if waiters aren't serving me, what's that $20 for? The tablecloth?

Come on... how about the electric bill, the heating bill, the real estate, the loan, the owner's car, the water...etc

 

[diplomatic_lies]

Come on... how about the electric bill, the heating bill, the real estate, the loan, the owner's car, the water...etc

The basic fact is that I've just paid an extra $20 for my food. If the restaurant owner refuses to pay you legal wage, shouldn't you be talking to your state business commissioner? Generally, most jobs (excluding commission based jobs) in first world countries should pay enough for an employee to live on.

 

[Oxide]

My brother drew up some economics explanation for why the wages have to stay low.

Something like if you up the wage - you have to up the prices (which you can't actually do because there is so much competition around) - your customers leave - you fire people.

 

[diplomatic_lies]

My brother drew up some economics explanation for why the wages have to stay low.

Something like if you up the wage - you have to up the prices (which you can't actually do because there is so much competition around) - your customers leave - you fire people.

That's odd. In Australia, the average waiter's wage is quite high (about $15/hour). And funnily enough, restaurants here aren't packing up. In fact, they seem to be expanding.

Unless American restaurants have truely low prices (like $1 for an upscale meal), I don't see why you can't pay normal, First World salaries.