Tipping servers and other job items with money motivation.

Originally posted by meep-meep
Very well said. I have a question though: Do you think restaurant employers should raise their hourly rate to minimum wage, or be forced to? Also, I wonder how that might affect their business. I for one think servers should definitely be making, at the very least, a few bucks more than minimum wage. And they don't even make half of minimum wage. How is that legal, anyway?

What TDC said. I assure you, an average server/bar tender makes a few dollars an hour above minimum wage. If you're good, you can make quite a bit of money.

tfddssssssssssss

Originally posted by Robtard
If you don't want to tip, then don't eat out or ask for services where a tip is expected. Cheap bastards, the lot of you.

I hate to go back to the old Mr. Pink argument, but why should we feel the need to tip the girl at Chili's, but not the girl at McDonald's? When I go to a fast food joint, I don't feel the need in the slightest to offer extra money to the McEmployee who is woking in a hot kitchen environment, maneuvering around the entire shift of other employees, and, yes, sweating due to all of the moving that she is doing.

I, especially, do not feel the need to offer any kind of tip to the waitress who is bringing me my food at Chili's eventhough she is wearing a fake smile. "If she doesn't make enough money, then she can quit" is a sentiment that I wholeheartedly agree with.

"Party gratuity" is also a sensitive subject for me. Last month for my little sister's birthday, my family and I went out to eat at a local restaurant. When the waitress brought us the bill, the restaurant had added an additional 15% gratuity because there were more than 5 people at the table. There were 6 adults and 3 kids, total. Since my mother was responsible for the bill, she paid the bill and said nothing. Had it been my tab, however, you can rest assured that I would have raised unholy hell and demanded that the 15% be removed immediately.

I don't tip. Period. Pizza delivery, cabs, bellhops, waiters, lawnscapers, anyone.

The fast food employee is making at least minimum wage. The girl at Chili's or the diner down the street is more likely than not only making $2/hour because the rest is meant to be made up by tips.

And the "if they don't like it, get another job"...that's a poor mentality to have at any point, let alone when jobs are as scarce as they are now, and I'm doubly surprised to see you express such a sentiment.

Me, I'm of the mindset that if you can't afford to tip, then you can't afford to eat out. Unless you'd rather restaurants jack up their prices so that they can pay their servers more. Because that's what would happen, you know.

Also, auto-gratuity is generally added to the bill of a large party because a large party is more difficult for everyone involved to deal with - from the waiter to the kitchen staff.

Originally posted by Peach
The fast food employee is making at least minimum wage. The girl at Chili's or the diner down the street is more likely than not only making $2/hour because the rest is meant to be made up by tips.

That's what I have never understood. Why is it that society deems the Chili's waitress tip worthy, but not the McGirl? What is the stigma that divides the two?

Originally posted by Peach
And the "if they don't like it, get another job"...that's a poor mentality to have at any point, let alone when jobs are as scarce as they are now, and I'm doubly surprised to see you express such a sentiment.

Why is it a poor mentality? You do realize that I, myself, and currently unemployed, and I know exactly how hard it is to get a job, even with my resume and CDL. Currently, I'm working at my cousin's locksmith shop as an apprentice until he can find more permanent help and/or I can find a more permanent job. There's nothing wrong with minimum wage. Nothing. If you plan your bills correctly, then you can live quite comfortably. Why? Because minimum wage is a constant. You will always make the same amount of money and, therefore, can keep a state of comfort. In my opinion, if you have a job that relies on tips, then you might as well keep a pair of dice and a deck of cards in your pocket because your are gambling with chance. Who is to say that you won' make enough of a paycheck to pay your bills? Not only because of your performance, but because of poor tips in general? Were it I in such a place, I would never place myself in the situation where I was gambling with my opportunities for gainful employment. I would try my very hardest to find a job that pays steadily and reliably.

Originally posted by Peach
Me, I'm of the mindset that if you can't afford to tip, then you can't afford to eat out. Unless you'd rather restaurants jack up their prices so that they can pay their servers more. Because that's what would happen, you know.

I actually quite disagree with your first statement. I believe that if you can afford to eat out, then you can afford to eat out. Simple. Why should you have to pay Red Lobster prices for a Chili's meal? Because society tells you that if you don't give a stranger extra money that you are a douchebag? I agree with the other posters that tipping is nothing more than a bullying mechanism.

However, I am very inclined to agree with you that restaurants would, indeed, hike up their prices to accomodate for the lack of tips. Thats just........American, isn' it?

Originally posted by Peach
Also, auto-gratuity is generally added to the bill of a large party because a large party is more difficult for everyone involved to deal with - from the waiter to the kitchen staff.

Oh, I know. Auto-gratuity, however, is not a scenario that I often face due to the fact that I rarely eat out in large groups. The only time that I have actually ever faced auto-grautity is when I was with my family & friends at some little "mom & pop" diner and the "waitress", if you can even label her as such, begrudgingly gave us our check after a very piss poor waiting job. I engaged in an argument with the manager that I was not going to pay "what they felt I should pay" especially since our waitress sucked, for lack of a better word. I told the manager to remove the fee, and rest assured that I would never return to their establishment. She did, and I haven't returned since.

I think tips shouldn't be expected and servers should be paid a fair wage from the start. Since that's not the case in the US however, out of decency one should leave a fair tip.

Hahahaha, no, minimum wage is usually not enough to live on. Not by a long shot. There's a reason why someone making minimum wage and working full-time is considered under the poverty line in the US. And that's assuming you can find a full-time job, which isn't easy. Not to mention that working a min. wage job has zero job security. Most of the US is at-will for employment, meaning you can be fired at any time for any reason...and there's always more people desperate for work so you can be replaced at any time. And trust me, I've worked those jobs where they treat the employees like shit and know they can get away with it because for every person working there, they have a dozen more applicants waiting.

And that doesn't even bring into consideration the cost of living in the area you're in. Minimum wage doesn't always reflect how expensive a certain area is to live in. I live in a state with the third-highest min. wage in the country, I myself make a fair amount over that, and it's still not enough to get by easily with. Sure, I could try and move somewhere cheaper...but that'd require 1) dropping out of school, and 2) losing my job and having no guarantee that I'd find another one that'd pay enough to live on. And I've tried looking for other jobs in this area. They're all either part-time min. wage (hence much worse than I have now), or full-time and want a college degree and a billion years of experience.

In short, minimum wage is not a livable wage.

Originally posted by Bardock42
I think tips shouldn't be expected and servers should be paid a fair wage from the start. Since that's not the case in the US however, out of decency one should leave a fair tip.

Agreed on all points.

Originally posted by Bardock42
I think tips shouldn't be expected and servers should be paid a fair wage from the start. Since that's not the case in the US however, out of decency one should leave a fair tip.

Why is it decent to leave a tip? Say I left $5 on the table on top of the bill for the meal that I just paid. That $5 could be used to put gasoline into my car, but instead I'm putting it into his car. Maybe it seems petty to some, but self preservation is an instinct that I embrace.

Originally posted by Impediment
Why is it decent to leave a tip? Say I left $5 on the table on top of the bill for the meal that I just paid. That $5 could be used to put gasoline into my car, but instead I'm putting it into his car. Maybe it seems petty to some, but self preservation is an instinct that I embrace.

I'm not blaming you, and I agree with you that it is a bullying tactic. However it is one that is performed on the back of servers. It's emotional blackmail, but not performed by the servers, they are just the tools of it. Basically what they are saying is "I'm not going to pay this poor sod for the service he's giving you cause I prefer to keep the money, but he's going to starve and die if you don't give him some money, you heartless monster". It's quite sickening, like I said, wages should just be fair from the start and be included in the dining budget, they aren't though (not always in the US anyways).

Originally posted by Impediment
I hate to go back to the old Mr. Pink argument, but why should we feel the need to tip the girl at Chili's, but not the girl at McDonald's? When I go to a fast food joint, I don't feel the need in the slightest to offer extra money to the McEmployee who is woking in a hot kitchen environment, maneuvering around the entire shift of other employees, and, yes, sweating due to all of the moving that she is doing.

I, especially, do not feel the need to offer any kind of tip to the waitress who is bringing me my food at Chili's eventhough she is wearing a fake smile. "If she doesn't make enough money, then she can quit" is a sentiment that I wholeheartedly agree with.

"Party gratuity" is also a sensitive subject for me. Last month for my little sister's birthday, my family and I went out to eat at a local restaurant. When the waitress brought us the bill, the restaurant had added an additional 15% gratuity because there were more than 5 people at the table. There were 6 adults and 3 kids, total. Since my mother was responsible for the bill, she paid the bill and said nothing. Had it been my tab, however, you can rest assured that I would have raised unholy hell and demanded that the 15% be removed immediately.

I don't tip. Period. Pizza delivery, cabs, bellhops, waiters, lawnscapers, anyone.

You're partially correct in that Mr Pink argument; it has to do with the level of service though. A waiter at non-Fast Food restaurant does(or should) more for you than the 1.8 minutes you spend with the Burger King counter person. They bring you refreshments throughout your meal, they're supposed to ask you during your meal if everything is to your satisfaction etc. The tip reflects the level of service they provided you.

I feel you with that 'Party Gratuity' nonsense, tips left should reflect the level of service, not a standard, what if the service person at your party did a terrible job, or what if they went above their calling and your mother felt they deserved a bit more. This is coming from a guy who leaves 20% almost every time.

Do what you gotta do; I don't hold it personal to me, as I've never worked a job where I gathered tips. I'd just advise you to not eat a lot at the same places, waiters begin to remember non-tippers. But in reality, going to a restaurant where you know tipping is the norm and requesting services with the mindset "I never tip", is little different than shortchanging your mechanic after you agreed to the charges and the work was done to your satisfaction.

Personally I'm with Bardock, expected tipping should be done away with and the wages of the service industry should be scaled up. In the end, the customer is getting ****ed, he/she has to pay more for a product while the company/owner of said restaurant gets to hire people at the cheap.

/end rant

I dont see anything wrong with tipping wait-staff. However, the auto-gratuity is irritating. I, myself, as an previous waitress/server know what it's like to bust your ass trying to make your customer happy and trying to stay in a good mood while they sit there and b*tch at you because their food isnt fully cooked to their liking even though you're not the one who cooked it. So you stand there listening to them complain about it...repeatedly apologizing for the "poor service". That crazy woman from "Waiting" comes to mind.

YouTube video

I mean...I wouldnt do all the stuff to her food...but dont think it hasn't crossed my mind once or twice. 😛

I think personally, waitstaff deserve some type of tip. I dont mean %10-%15 gratuity....thats stupid....auto-gratuity pisses me off and I think the customer should be the one to decide how much he/she tips depending on the type of service they received.

Originally posted by Impediment
Why is it decent to leave a tip? Say I left $5 on the table on top of the bill for the meal that I just paid. That $5 could be used to put gasoline into my car, but instead I'm putting it into his car. Maybe it seems petty to some, but self preservation is an instinct that I embrace.

Not again

Unless service has been particularly bad, I'll tip 15-20%. I can afford it, and it helps them out.

Originally posted by Impediment
I hate to go back to the old Mr. Pink argument, but why should we feel the need to tip the girl at Chili's, but not the girl at McDonald's? When I go to a fast food joint, I don't feel the need in the slightest to offer extra money to the McEmployee who is woking in a hot kitchen environment, maneuvering around the entire shift of other employees, and, yes, sweating due to all of the moving that she is doing.

I, especially, do not feel the need to offer any kind of tip to the waitress who is bringing me my food at Chili's eventhough she is wearing a fake smile. "If she doesn't make enough money, then she can quit" is a sentiment that I wholeheartedly agree with.

"Party gratuity" is also a sensitive subject for me. Last month for my little sister's birthday, my family and I went out to eat at a local restaurant. When the waitress brought us the bill, the restaurant had added an additional 15% gratuity because there were more than 5 people at the table. There were 6 adults and 3 kids, total. Since my mother was responsible for the bill, she paid the bill and said nothing. Had it been my tab, however, you can rest assured that I would have raised unholy hell and demanded that the 15% be removed immediately.

I don't tip. Period. Pizza delivery, cabs, bellhops, waiters, lawnscapers, anyone.

In other words: you're cheap. Like Alan from Two and a Half Men. Do you also try to worm your way out of helping out with the tab, when you go out for drinks with the guys? By the way, the 15% wouldn't have been removed. And if you had caused a big enough scene about it, the manager would have just let you all go to save the trouble and hassle, and everyone at that table would have been 86'd permanently.

Waiters and delivery drivers always remember people who don't tip. If you frequent any restaurant, when the waiters see you they probably say "Oh, its that guy again. Hey Bob, I ain't gonna do his table, find someone else". (Advice: don't order clam chowder at any place you're a regular.)

i have my moments where i dont feel ppl should be rewarded for doing their job.. nor do i feel i should tip when its put in the tab as part of the bill. that is crossing the line big time and i dont pay it even if i had great service.

on average i give tips out of guilt most of the time its well above 15% usually about 30% for good service.. 15% is just the minimum for me..

when i go out with my friends its like the jackpot for the waiters and waitresses... we all throw about our own 15% and let it add up usually being a good portion of the bill in itself.

i've also used the tipping as motivator usually putting a nice stack on the table telling the person this is your tip lets see how much of it you'll end up with at the end of the night...

usually if we plan on misbehaving..

I'm opposed to tipping baristas. Pouring hot water on beans is by no means something that warrants a gratuity.

If the service/food/drinks is excellent, I tip graciously. If it's so-so, I don't. No gray area.

i have refused to pay when gratuity is automatically added on the bill... i dont yell or make a seen but that to me is unacceptable

Well if baristas get tips I don't see why a sandwich maker shouldn't get one, sandwich makers put more work into making a sub than a barista does into making a coffee.