It never fails to shock me how a tip is demanded in the US. People simply refuse to listen to reason when we (yes, there are others!) tell them that leaving a tip isn’t necessary. Well, I’m hoping for too much here, but if you’re a waiter, here are 5 reasons why I will try my best not to give any money to you and why the reasons for tipping are crappy.
1. You act as if you’re my best friend
Just leave me alone ok? I don’t want to bloody chit chat with you. I want food. FOOD! Get it? It’s a restaurant. I go there to eat. I go because I want either Italian food, Chinese Food or something else which I can’t get in a McDonald’s. So I come to a restaurant to fulfill my cravings for it. I will pay for what I value – food. Not you.
Christ, you offend me – kneeling down next to my table, pretending to like me and chatting as if you’re my best friend when it’s obvious that all you’re after is the tip! I’m not a bloody money bag you know. I will pay the bill which includes the cost of the food, the environment and the salaries of the people involved – nothing more.
The only way to get money out of me that I don’t have to legally pay is by prying it out of my cold dead hands…
Bottom line: I don’t want to know your name, or interact with you for any longer than I have to in order to place my order. As far as I’m concerned, you’re the equivalent of a conveyor belt that brings me my food and a computer into which I input my order. Of course, I won’t be rude. But don’t expect me to interact with you any more than I would with some stranger.
Image Credit: cafemama
Did you earn this tip?
2. You don’t get paid enough
And this is my problem how exactly? It’s astonishing that customers are expected to make up for your employer’s cheapness in not paying you a decent wage. Please include the full cost in everyone’s bill thank you very much. I’ll pay it because I have to and the charge is there for me to see.
What’s really funny here is that no one seems to criticize the employers! All criticism is reserved for non tipping customers instead of the owners of the restaurant for not paying a decent wage. Wtf! Could it possibly be because you guys know you can make much more by tips and under report your income to the IRS?
3. You’ll spit in my food if I don’t tip you?
And I’ll shoot your kid if you don’t give me a million dollars. Seriously, am I even hearing this right? You’re actually using the threat of blackmail to make me pay you? Well as long as you’re openly claiming to be a criminal it’s all right I guess.
Fortunately that’s why I prefer buffets. Listen apart from it being illegal, this shows your poor integrity. But if you spit in someone’s food because they didn’t give you money you didn’t earn, then you’re a loser and deserve to be a waiter for the rest of your life.
4. Bringing me my food isn’t worthy of being paid extra
Did you cook it? Did you invent it? No. You picked it up and brought it to me. While it might not be easy, there are plenty of jobs which are much worse – shop floor workers for example. And I’ve been a shop floor manager, so I know. Face it – compared to other jobs, being a waiter is unskilled. You get paid what the market will think your services are worth. You don’t deserve more for your work over and above what your employer should pay you.
5. Money doesn’t grow on trees
I expect you to be grateful and pray for me at night if I tip you 10%. Be happy I gave you anything at all. I worked for the money in my wallet and by giving you some I didn’t have to, I’m doing you a favor. Learn to remember that when people give you something they don’t need to, it’s a favor. You don’t complain that they didn’t give you more!
By the way, the same thing above applies to all professions that demand tips including those on cruise liners.
So now that you understand why I won’t give you money you don’t deserve, stop with the “oh how could you?” attitude. I can. And I will.
Excellent Post Dude.. American culture Sucks… The points mentioned here are worth to put in any international Newspaper/ Article.
I am a white Canadian, (since ethnicity seems to play a role in some comments) and am really tired of people putting me down for not wanting to give free money to someone I feel is just doing their job. If you give me bad service for not tipping you, I will no longer patronize your establishment. Does that help pay wages. Employer should not be allowed to pay less than min wages. Remember that your job is UNSKILLED and you get paid as such. In this country, human resources will pay to send you to school (and your daycare), so under-education is NO excuse! When I was young I worked at a Texaco station pumping gas. I occasionally crawled under peoples vehicle to release sticky e brakes and such. My boss gave me shit as these where “shop” related jobs. I was never tipped for this, and considered it pride in my work, and exceptional customer service. When my boss and I had a falling out, and I quit, he told customers (we had many because of the service) I was on vacation.
Good Post Things really need to change.
Daggers drawn,its an all out fight now.Though I see us being heavily out numbered.. :)
No.1 is actually a point to kill waiters ,esp the ones in TGIF..I didnot order an extra dose of sugar,so kindly zip up that artificial smile already please.!!
In my line of work (masked crimefighter), I am continually harassed, harangued and harmed. I have been taunted, attacked, and tainted with the spurious invectives of my enemies.
As such, I have come to have much more respect for the police, my brothers in blue. They put themselves on the line daily.
Of course, this hasn't really stopped my from being fighting the man. But, at least it has brought me a new understanding.
Here's an experiment for you. Get a part time job as a waiter a couple nights a week. Write about that experience. See if it changes you.
I heard an Native American saying once (well, on the internet I read it):
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their moccasins. And if you still feel like criticizing them, you'll be a mile away and still have their moccasins.
Keep ranting, anyway.
Cheers.
@Annonymous
Hey lets refrain from generalisations, shall we? Every culture has its ups and downs. There’s much that the rest of the world can learn from the American culture.
@panaderos: I also used to believe my tip was being shared with the other staff. Many, many restaurants don't tip out the kitchen staff, however. In these parts, at least not the ones I'm familiar with.
Wow, you are a worthless piece of shit. Just because in your country tipping is optional doesn’t mean it is here. People like you should live off of hamburger helper and be struck with lightning every 3 to 4 hours. We live off those tips, if you can afford to eat out, you can afford to tip 15% or more, anything less just qualifies you as a worthless cheap bastard that hopefully will crash in a car accident on the way home from the restaurant. If you had any idea how hard it is to wait on 3 tables full of assholes like yourself, you would reciprocate with a nice tip. Until you experience that fact, please stop sharing your blasphemy with the idiots who overwhelm the internet. It only hurts the hard working server. Don’t worry though, many of us are paying our way through law school with your “10%” tip, and karmas a bitch.
Get a life! You chose the job….so do your J O B! Quit bellyaching to me ( the customer). Go to your boss and demand a decent wage already! I have worked the resturant circuit,, and never once “expected” a tip.
What did you do in the “restaurant circuit?”
Yes I’m a worthless POS….but no more than your boss, he or shes is the bigger POS! Here’s a great idea. Why don’t you and all of your fellow waiters and waitresses go on strike, or work slowdown, or call in sick (all at the same time), or just quit…..form a union or something; then “that ” POS you call your boss just might wake up and treat the employess with respect and a decent wage…the alternative close down.
My point exactly!
“People like you should live off of hamburger helper”
One, I’m Vegan and two, I know how to cook. So guess what? Go fuck yourself.
“We live off those tips”
And you live dangerously
“If you had any idea how hard it is to wait on 3 tables full of assholes like yourself, you would reciprocate with a nice tip. Until you experience that fact, please stop sharing your blasphemy with the idiots who overwhelm the internet. It only hurts the hard working server. Don’t worry though, many of us are paying our way through law school with your “10%” tip, and karmas a bitch.”
If you had any idea how bad I’m gunna rip you a new one, you wouldn’t have post this. Mostly because you’d know to just shut the fuck up. Guess how I’m paying for school which I might lose because of my fucking president. I did six years in the fucking Army. Yeah, buddy. Half of those years I was in the Arctic. Oh man, three tables! Try eight radios in a combat situation. Hard? How about 80 pounds of gear on your back rucking miles in -35 degree weather. Or how about getting shot at, mortared, sniped and rocketed. Or briefing a Colonel about why his birds can’t fly. Or how about fucking up your job and them taking it out of your pay. Not only do you have to keep working, you have to also work on your free time. Your time is shower, shit, shave, sleep, if that. And this job you don’t quit, it quits you and you won’t like it. And guess what. I never got tipped. Not once. Why? Because it was my fucking job. I didn’t like it so guess what else I did. I fucking quit when my CONTRACT was up. And all that was somewhat of an improvement from being a dish washer! Occasionally fucks like you didn’t show up so I waited your fucking tables and I never got tipped. Guess what. I quit that shit, too! You ARE NOT special! Fuck you and your tip. You’re probably a shitty waiter anyway.
You should go fuck yourselves. People that work at restaurants get taxed extra on the notion that they are making tips. Tips they have to claim to the Govt. Its a system in this country so respect it. Don’t give me this “you chose your job” bullshit. We all have to work and sometimes you don’t have many options. Stay at home and serve yourself douchebags. We are servers not servants.
Your employer doesn’t pay you well…and this is my problem how exactly?
you should change your name to dickwad
I guess your view is limited to you, your food, and your money. You don’t even stop to consider the effort people put in to make your dining experience at their restaurant a pleasure. Or maybe you don’t even care at all if you have a pleasant dining experience.
I do tip people as a way to show my appreciation for the work that the waiter, the busboy, and the cook (whom I never see) had put in to make me enjoy my meal. It’s a difficult job given the number of customers to please at certain busy hours of the day. And I thank my God that I’m fortunate enough not to be doing their job. But it’ll also be a big shame on my part if I should ignore all the time and effort they gave just to please me.
Everyone seems to be talking about how difficult it is to be a server and how much effort goes into making a customer's dining experience pleasurable.
Really? Difficult when compared to which other job? Difficult on what level? Physical? Intellectual? Emotional??? I'm willing to change my opinion if someone can really convince me that serving is one of the toughest jobs conceivable. And thus, deserves special compensation as a token of appreciation.
Get real. Its a tough world. Working is a pain. Jobs are tiring. For everyone.
And if I dont think I am getting paid enough for my services, I ask my employer for a hike. Or I quit and find another job.
Why isnt that an option at all in this profession?? Why not bully the employers for reasonable wages?
And if I really want to show my appreciation to someone for making my dining experience pleasurable, I'd like to tip the cook. For the good food. Coz isnt that what we go to restaurants for? Isnt that what really decides how the experience has been.. and whether the restaurant will be visited again or not?
All I desire from the server is that he/she is courteous and gets my order right. Thats about it.
Cooking a good meal – now that's a skill. One that I can show my appreciation for.
Taking my order and carrying the dishes from the kitchen to my table – well, I dont know.. how much SKILL does that really take?
Certainly not more than what it takes to be cooking the meal, right?
So why all these tantrums?
@anupa:
You leave so much material. It's good I'm not waiting tables tonight, taking dishes to and fro, or I wouldn't have time to go tit for tat on blogs.
Tantrums? Best not to throw stones, no? Lest we come off with some shattered windows, ourselves. This is one of the many benefits of us cave dwellers – all of our windows have been shattered long ago.
I would argue that people go to restaurants for myriad reasons, only one of which is the delicious food. We go to spend time with friends, relax, avoid cooking ourselves, convenience and yes, the food. Read reviews on Yelp and you'll see a multitude of references to the prices (happy hour), the service (efficient, prompt, rude, attentive, slow), the ambiance, the drinks, the wine list…I could go on.
The 'dining experience' is the whole event.
Nothing makes or breaks the meal like good service. The waitperson is your key to making it better. The NYTimes had a great blog post last month about the 100 things you should never do when waiting on people. It helped me see it was more than, "1) Write down order, 2) Take order to kitchen, 3) take plates to table."
Like it or not, tips are part of the wait staff's salary. That's how the employers see it and they have managed to get this inscribed into law. In many states, a waitperson's hourly wage is well below the minimum wage since part of their wage is made up in tips. In some states, this is not the case. But in all, they must report their tips as taxable income. (You may cry foul because you may feel that some underreport, but that is not the point here.)
The real point is that tipping is part of the economic system in place. It is how these people earn their living. Good service? 15% Excellent service? A little more. The ability to work hard and earn a little more is capitalism at its simplest form.
Remember their salary is the hourly wage + tips. That's how it is calculated. That's what they signed up for. That's how they figure their own budget for paying their baby sitter, car payment, rent, gas, electricity, phone, food and (apparently) law school tuition.
If you decide to unilaterally remove part of their salary (tips) because you disagree with the economic system, you are, in effect, taking away somebody's wage – giving them an unplanned pay cut that they had no control over (they gave you good service and you did not honor the social contract).
My father taught me that of all the things you can do to a person, insult them, ridicule them, ignore them, never mess with their money.
@the plasticgraduate
I understand where you're coming from. Which is why I do tip in this country. It is a system that I disagree with, but it is a social system nonetheless. And I understand that people derive their livelihoods from tips and so, I do the whole 'when in Rome' thing.
What I am against is the whole attitude of blaming the customer who doesnt tip (enough) while not a single attack is directed towards the system itself.
There are forums over forums dedicated to bitching about people who dont tip. Yet I havent come across even one that says with equal enthusiasm – "lets demand higher hourly wages for servers."
There has to be something to this. Why are servers ok with a system that leaves them at the mercy of the customers if there is such a risk involved? Why dont they demand minimum wages, at least?
I dont understand this.
i like the post for its curt, rude, frankness.. :)
I, for one, tip. but tht's in India where I and most of us, don't treat the 10% rule as sacrosanct.. we tip when the service is good, and at rare occasions, have not paid a penny when the service was poor… when i was a student (not earning to tip generously) a waiter gave such a nasty look when the tip was not enough, after tht belittling gesture i was scared into not being stingy.. :) now i am a little more thick-skinned and less in awe of restaurants, etiquette and such crap and so follow my mind.
I came here from IHM and like your blog.. will read up again
Hm. Isn't a "tip" appreciation for a job "well done, better than normal" and not for "job completed?" I don't get 15% extra pay from my boss when I turn in my TPS reports on time. Why's a kid ferrying food so special?
The way things often are, you tip 15% regardless of service and more if its good. Right. What if it's a job done shittily?
@Thanatos
You're right. I've often heard the phrase "America is a generous nation – so we tip". If that is so, when did generosity become obligatory? That defeats the entire purpose. Generosity is by definition rare – if one is generous all the time, then it becomes expected and loses its purity.
Why don't you ask your employer to pay you a decent wage? When we go to a store, we don't tip the clerk for showing is the wares, then why should we tip you? Your anger is misplaced…@Jason
To everyone that thinks waiters should just ask for more hourly wage, please realize it just won't happen.
I've worked for seven years in restaurants. I've seen managers and owners shave hours off employees' checks, steal tips from the pool, refuse to pay any overtime, and refuse breaks to employees working long shifts. At two restaurants, employees went to the labor board (this is supposed to be anonymous) to file complaints. Guess the outcome? They got fired.
The fact is that restaurant owners are powerful, and servers are not. If I asked any restaurant owner I ever worked for to pay me more per hour, I would have been laughed at. And then there would be a "Help Wanted" post on Craigslist the next day. The owner of the restaurant I currently work in is a personal friend of several local and state politicians. Nobody that isn't a server cares about servers' wages. And if you think you do, then go join a movement for change on this issue, but I bet you won't.
Tips are our wages. You should calculate that in when eating out. It is the system, and it's spiteful to take money from a server's pocket simply because you don't agree with something they have no control over.
I understand the differences in your culture in comparison to American culture. However, it is generally acceptable in America that if you receive average/good service in a restaurant, the tip out is about 15%. More if the service was above and beyond. From what you said, you prefer average service (take order, run order, deliver check, bye bye). However, if you consistently show up at the same establishment and become a "regular" so to speak, and only tip less than 10%, you can expect that when you walk through those doors, the serving staff are probably trying to pawn you off on whoever else they can, such as a newbie just out of training because they know you're going to nearly stiff them. Not to mention, you probably won't even receive "average" service and may find yourself waiting for a long time for your drink, food, etc… because the server is probably more focused on making sure they their customers who aren't cheapskates are getting the best service possible. You are last on the priority list. Why should a server sabotage their money by spending less time on their good tipping customers to take care of a cheapskate whose going to probably leave them little to nothing?
When you go to McDonald's, you are expecting to just get food served at the counter, eat, and go with no interaction whatsoever with a waitstaff, so therefore you obviously don't need to tip. Employees are paid minimum wage there. Same goes at any fast food joint. However, when you go to a restaurant, it is expected that the customer service is better, the ambiance is better, food is better, etc… You're "taken care of" so to speak. The servers get paid less than $4/hour depending on the area because the tip is part of their expected income. Keep in mind, out of what you tip (or fail to tip), we also have to tip out bartenders (whether you drank or not, its part of the tip-out), hostesses and hosts, and sometimes the chefs as well. So if you leave $1.00 MAYBE .40 or .50 goes to the server. That is certainly not going to pay the bills, student loans, or feed the kids.
Don't expect even average service if you're known for being a cheapskate. If you can't afford to tip or are too self-righteous to think that you should tip, then don't go out to eat somewhere that you'll have a server. Your excuses are all cop-outs. I'd never spit in a customers food or do anything like that to sabotage what their putting into their bodies because their cheapskates, but don't expect exceptional service beyond the absolute minimum when I have customers at the table next to you who take care of me when I take care of them.
If you don't like the American customs, you know where to go.
Alright, now I understand that different countries have different customs and all the like. However, as someone said earlier, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." If you don't like having to tip a waiter, then don't eat out. Go home and actually cook for yourself. Waiters are here to provide a service to you and if you don't make it worth their while, why should they bother to do anything for you? From what I understand, over the pond in jolly old England waitstaff are paid a decent amount. Do you know what that means? Servers won't give a shit if their service is good or bad, either way they're getting paid. Here in America, if a server is decent (keep in mind, there are plenty that aren't) they'll work for that tip. And those of you who believe serving is a mindless job, then you've obviously never served at a restaurant before.
Also, for those saying that the kitchen staff should be commended for their work, why not be penalized for their misdoings as well? Who do customers get mad at if their steak wasn't cooked correctly? The cook? Pfft, as if. It's the servers that get the brunt of it. Sorry I don't have x-ray vision to tell if your steak is medium instead of medium-rare, I assumed the cook put it on the grill for the allotted time.
Also, if you're recognized as being a crappy tipper, what makes you think you'll get decent service? If a server knows they're not getting anything worthwhile from you, then why should they bother? As for you doing us the "favor" of allowing us to serve you and feed you for a meal, then shouldn't you scratch our backs as well? No? Then I sure hope I never have you in my section or else I'll be ignoring your sorry ass. Oh wait, that's right, you're the world's gift to us servers. We should be worshiping the ground you walk on just because you came to our restaurant.
Not so much.
[...] if possible, and head out for DOSA breakfast! Cheap dosas and philter kaapi with grumpy waiters who don’t expect tips. Did I mention that we’ll be going on a bike? Oh yes. It’s been well over a year since [...]
@Elias
<blockquote cite="#commentbody-7179">
Elias :
Waiters are here to provide a service to you
IMHO waiters are there to transfer the food from the cook to me. That's not a special service, it's something that is part of the restaurant's offering. The waiter is part of the restaurant, not some outsider who decides to play the good samaritan.
<blockquote cite="#commentbody-7179">
If you don’t make it worth their while, why should they bother to do anything for you?
How about it being their job for which they are getting paid a salary?
@Waitress
<blockquote cite="#commentbody-5975">
Waitress :
To everyone that thinks waiters should just ask for more hourly wage, please realize it just won’t happen.
Playing devil's advocate here:
Just like black people will never see freedom because the white man is too powerful? Or maybe also like the fact that unions won't ever be formed? Think about it..
As for saying it's "spiteful to take money from a server’s pocket." Taking money out of a server's pocket, but isn't it originally the customers money that they worked for? It could be thought that it's not technically the server's. Maybe the rest of worlds jobs aren't easy either and they don't all get fair salaries. Some customers may just want to enjoy a stress free night out and not having to pay a huge tip, but at the same time not having to pack a brown bag lunch from home and then heading out and finding a table somewhere.
What about McDonald's servers? Are they not friendly who take your order and serve you food all the same? I may agree it's not always as nice of a meal and doesn't require as much service, but still the bill isn't going to run $50 for a dinner for two at 15-20%. It will probably be closer to $10 at 15-20% not as much work means not as big of a tip, but still serving food. They however don't get tipped.
Once again I am just playing devil's advocate. I always tip generously.
But think about it.
How can you say that right after the first quote?! It seems very contradictory that you say that someone has obviously never done something before when right before you assumed service in England is terrible. They do a fantastic job!
But yes, tipping originated from European countries to be brought here. However they don’t do that over there anymore. It’s now common to have a service charge automatically added on to the bill which will go to the waiting staff as well as cooks.
You don't know what it's like until you're a server. At my work, Indians ALWAYS walk in right when we are closing, and demand a thousand things, all the while with a look that tells me they're looking down on me because I'm a waitress. I'm human too, hello? I always smile at them and give them my best service anyways, hoping for a miracle, but 99% of the time I'm lucky to even get a dollar out of them, while I get at least $6 for a 30 dollar bill out of everyone else. Same goes for other Asians however they tip $3-4 instead of $1. I make less than minimum wage whenever I get tipped bad. And until you're in my shoes, you don't understand how it is; that it's not easy to quit and get another job when you need a job for school, food, bills, just to live basically. What am i gonna do with $3 an hour wage and $1 tip from my tables?! You're ignorant for writing this without even knowing what it is like, go be a waiter for a few days and you'll know. In the meantime, know that whenever you walk into a restaurant, servers are probably cussing at you behind your back, discussing your lack of etiquette, and you are probably going to get less than the minimum service you desire, because frankly, you don't deserved to be served at all. Go eat fast food please.
Why don't you go work in a restaurant for a week, earning $2.13 per hour, and see how you feel when you don't get a tip from a cheap arrogant customer such as yourself. If you can't afford to tip (whether financially or morally), then go fucking eat at McDonalds. If you don't want to interact with a server, then go fucking eat at McDonalds. Better yet…make your own food and stay out of restaurants entirely.
You know what? YOU trying living on $2.13 an hour! Server's wage does NOT go up with minimum wage, you know!Can't afford to tip? EAT AT HOME, you ignorant people.
So you're saying I must give you money because you don't earn enough of your own? How is that different from begging?
this is a very cheap thought from a false person who wants to be very intellectual without a bit of practicality.
Maybe because I'm an 18 year old student TRYING to get myself through school WHILE being completely on my own. I have no parents, thank you very much.Have you ever waited tables in your life? Probably not. There is so much we do behind the scenes that doesn't get recognized.
You're a bag wad, all right.
Wow, that was one of the most ignorant things I've read in a while.
First of all, a lot of servers are 18-25 year olds in putting ourselves through college. So yeah, we're working to earn money, not to get stiffed and insulted.
It kind of sucks that you think of me (and other servers) as 'conveyor belts.' "I will pay for what I value-food. Not you." I'm not a machine, and I don't appreciate being treated like one. If you send your child to a private school, do you want to pay only for the teacher to lecture, straight from the book? No, you want the teacher to get to know your child, care about him, and make sure he learns in a happy environment. If you merely wanted your kid to be spoon-fed information, you would buy a DVD player and play educational movies all day long.
Long story short, if you're looking for a "conveyor belt" for your food and nothing more, go to a vending machine.
Furthermore, it's insulting that you openly rebuke friendliness and civility. When your server introduces herself, asks how you're doing, etc., that shouldn't be cause for insult. I don't understand why being friendly is such a horrible thing.
I worked in a very upscale old age home that had waitservice at every meal. We were not tipped, as the meals were included in the monthly fee that the residents paid. However, this didn't stop me from smiling, asking how they were doing, wishing them a happy birthday/holiday, etc. I had no motivation to do this, as tips were in fact prohibited, but guess what? I was kind and conscientious anyway.
Maybe, just maybe, your server is smiling at you because he or she is a genuinely friendly human being. All we want is a pleasant dining experience for the both of us. And yeah, tipping is a part of that. But in your case, we'd really just like it if you stopped being a prick.
Wow, I think i waited on you once or twice. And I hated you. You never have to worry that I will pretend to like you. Nope. I don't like you. I'm glad your picture is there. Makes it easier to avoid you in the future.
Could you please put up *your* picture and name where you work so we know which restaurant and waiter to avoid?
Thank you,
Jai
I realize I'm a little late to the game, but I have two points to make.
One, if you think the system of tipping is wrong then you should lobby to have the system changed. It is currently legal for employers to pay waiters $3 an hour because it is expected that patrons will tip, thereby making up the vast majority of the waiters income. In some cases, tips are a waiter's ONLY income. Yes, many restaurants do not pay their waitstaff what they are legally required to.
If you want restaurants to fairly compensate their waitstaff in lieu of a tipping system, then tell them so. Choosing not to tip, or tip poorly, because you don't like the system doesn't hurt the restaurant in any way. You're essentially punishing the person who has the least control over the situation.
Two, if you think the waiter is simply a "conveyor belt" from the kitchen to you, then take them out of the equation. In other words: get take-out. Call up the restaurant from which you would like food, place an order, and pick it up yourself. In that situation everyone who has had a hand in preparing your food has been compensated for it without your tip.
If you should elect to get your food delivered tip the delivery guy, because the cost of the meal does not include a delivery cost.
But Victoria, why should the customers lobby to solve the waiter's problems? I recognize that there's an issue here, but the group that's affected – namely the waiters should be the ones who need to try and fix it without pushing their burdens on to other people.
Take out isn't an option, because when I pay the bill I pay for the ambience, the table, the cutlery and the works. And I also pay for the food to be brought to me. Just conveyed to me. Not served politely or anything. It's really no business of mine whether the waiters get paid or not. They're part of the restaurant. If not, I want a separate bill for the additional services the waiter provides me – which should be included in the menu.
You're taking part in an unfair system that you don't like, and then choosing to penalize the person who is already victimized by it.
That doesn't make you a reformer, it makes you cheap.
Waiting tables is difficult, unpredictable work. Work for which people are not compensated by the management of the establishment in which they ply their trade. The system is such that waiters don't have a choice about their payment – you can either work for tips, or not work at all.
Waiters are essentially freelancers who are working for YOU. The restaurant arranges the relationship in which you buy something from them, the waiter supplies it, you pay for the goods, and then give your waiter a fee for brokering the exchange. If you do not intend to pay the fee then you should tell the waiter that up front. Is it ok for someone who hires you for a job to stiff you at the end?
Frankly, I'm having a hard time understanding why you think it's ok to ask a person to work for you and not pay them. You know you are expected to, and that the management isn't compensating them –you know that *no one* is paying them for their work– and yet you are perfectly comfortable engaging their services.
Why does the waiter not bill me for their services? If they’re rendering me a service I have the right to a receipt. And why isn’t the quantity of the bill shown to me up front? If waiters are truly freelancers, then I want to get a bill just like I get a bill for the food.
Basically, why should I pay for anything when the provider gives it to me and doesn’t bill me for it? Just because someone isn’t getting paid doesn’t make it my responsibility. I just want my food. If the waiter tries to give me more service, then that’s their choice. I don’t ask for it.
Ah, I see! So it's not that you're unwilling to tip, you just didn't get your waiters bill for their services.
It is customary, meaning it is implicit in the arrangement, that you will tip a waiter for a their services. That it is an established custom -one you admit you're fully aware of- indicates no bill is required for payment to be due.
The fact that you have changed your argument from "waiters don't deserve to be paid extra," to "they haven't billed me so I'm no obliged to pay them," reinforces my belief that you are just very, very stingy. You're cheap. And if you were capable of empathizing with the person who took your order, brought your food, and cleaned up after you, leaving some extra cash on the table for their hard work wouldn't take convincing, it would be natural.
You're right of course. The reason I want a bill is because I refuse to pay anything I'm not legally required to.
Customs are well and good. I follow customs whenever I can. But I draw the line at spending money. I'll use the correct spoons, greet the correct way etc as the custom demands, but I won't spend money :)
Everyone works hard. The arrangement the waiter has with the restaurant is hardly my business. I just want to eat and pay the bill.
I get it. You’re not going to tip. You don’t want to. But don’t say you’re not tipping because you’re not billed for it, you know you’re expected to do it.
And don’t say you follow customs except when it comes to money, it’s a cop-out.
Why not re-title this post “I’m cheap” and be done with it?
Come on. I don't have to give money just because I'm expected to! There are beggars who try and guilt me into giving them money. That doesn't mean I'm obliged to support them somehow. Life is tough. I have my own problems.
I wish you could see me laughing. Now you're comparing waiters to beggars.
You're right. Life is tough, everyone has their own problems. And yet, I tip waiters because it's how they make a living. I also give beggars money because, like my mother always said, "if they ask they probably need it."
I don't do it because I have to, I do it because it's right.
Personally I think if someone guilts another into giving them money, then that person is a sucker. Moreover, it takes a different turn when the beggars begin to demand money!
I don't feel guilt when someone asks me for spare change (or when I get the bill at the end of a meal), I feel empathy. I imagine it takes great humility to ask a stranger for help when you cannot help yourself.
I'm actually beginning to wonder about you. That you view charitable souls as suckers, and are so vehemently opposed to parting with loose change is strange. I feel good when I hand a homeless person a dollar.
The problem is that waiters demand a 15% tip. I usually leave them the coins they bring me as change and they should be happy with that. But they demand more, and that is what I'm opposed to.
What I usually find is that the waiters don’t even bother with returning the change, and take it upon themselves to round it UP to the next dollar, whatever the amount is. Try that at your local supermarket and see how far that gets you at the cashier.
Waiters don't demand a 15% tip. They hope for a 15% tip. They hope that taking your order, making your drinks, clearing your dirty plates, and facilitating your enjoyment of your meal will result in gratitude from you in the form of money. And when you leave them pocket change, the change you just can't be bothered to put back in your wallet, it's a slap in the face.
Do you want to know why? Because they feel they just got suckered. They just did all that work for you, and you didn't even say thank you. Your coins left behind aren't a thank you. They're so worthless you couldn't even be bothered to take them with you, and so you left them for your server to clean up.
Now, can you tell me why they should be grateful for the pocket change you left behind? You're only leaving it on the table because it's too much trouble to put it in your wallet. Why should they be grateful to receive what you consider valueless?
I feel that waiters should just do their job, bring me my food and leave me alone. I don't care about them as people when they're serving me. If I meet them outside, then yes – they're people. Otherwise I focus on the food and couldn't care less about them.
Next time you go out to eat, ask the waiter where the soda gun is so you can get your own drink. Then ask where the computer is and figure out how to ring in your own order. Then pick it up. Then clear your own table. Then print your own bill. Then GTFO.
We don’t work for free.
You don’t get a salary? Oh you poor thing! No wonder you go begging to your customers for some extra cash.
http://www.dol.gov/whd/state/tipped.htm
The federal government ensures that all service staff make AT LEAST minimum wage. Be clear.
Tipping in restaurants is one thing. I do tip, especially if the waiter/waitress offered me good service. It's begrudgingly sometimes, because I don't like doing it. What gets me is that they feel entitled to a tip. I recall several times when eating out when the waiter/waitress was rude to me, failed to re-fill my glass of water, and then had the nerve to bring me the bill and tell me how much the tip should be. Seriously!!! But, it's getting to the point where everyone is wanting a tip, you go to coffee shops there's a little tip jar. I know it's optional, but why are they even asking? O_O
One of the reasons why I think tipping is demanded is because people feel that being a waiter is a somewhat "menial" job and a tip is a way of assuaging the guilt of the customers for having someone wait on them.
wow, first of all tips are tips for a sevice that was nice, if i didn’t like the service i am not required to tip. i done both served and was served so please spare me the bs. the fact that now all the owners depend on tips to pay the servers. the place should pay the server not me. tips supposed to be extra cause u made an effort to make me feel good. so fuck u all that think tipping is mandatory. they can’t pay the server alot cause then the price of the staek would go up. so the bottom line here is not the server or the customer its the business owner payin 2 bucks an hour. fuck u owners. and no i don’t pay more then 10% . fuck you to that doesn’t like that. i am coming to eat food so if i see the price thats why i eat there. if i have to pay extra 20 dollars i wouldn’t be there. this culture is so fucked up adding tips in the bill and forcing people to pay. fuck u all
Man, you sure got some anger inside you!
Killer,
“Tips are for service that was nice”? What about doing your job? Aren’t you supposed to be professional and “nice” when you take employment at the restaurant? There should be no “liking or disliking” the service, the service level should be the same among ALL of the staff, because as a WHOLE, they represent the restaurant. Imagine that kind of thinking!
Imagine a world where when you walk into a restaurant, ALL of the staff greet you and are ALL there to serve whatever you need, because that is their job. If you especially liked the service of one individual, tell the manager. The same holds true if you didn’t like the service.
With this concept implemented, people are paid based upon feedback from the customers. If the pay does not increase because management is too tight, they risk losing you.
Remember, people come back because of the restaurant as a whole, not just one server.
I don’t buy into your philosophy that owners depend on the tips to pay the servers. The price of food on menus has increased significantly over the years. They are turning a fair profit and can easily afford to pay all of the staff like every other establishment, if it is managed well.
The owner/manager’s job is to ensure a superior customer experience. He trains the staff…all of them, to deliver this. His reward is a full restaurant from new and repeat customers.
This is nothing more than basic business.
no anger my man i called it how i see it. what is good service i had this issue before, what are they doing special. they bring me the food and drink thts in the menu , some later then earlier. so what is the purpose of the server they don’t wait there for u and u only. u not taking their time away from work , that is their work to serve. the issue here is the customer and waiter(S) are the ones that have to deal with this. not the business owners. as i said again if i go to eat something i don’t want to be obligated to tip. to get good service and good food. its like if i go to the place every week i have to tip good or they won’t serve me well since they know i am not a good tipper. clubs do the same shit. if they know u not a good tipper the drinks are more then what they usally are cause they include a tip in ur drink. so now u are the one that has to kiss ass to get good service. shouldn’t it be no matter what i tip i get the same service.
i can understand to give a waiter or waitres extra if they went out of their way and brought me a drink on the house or didn’t charge me for the dessert or gave me on extra. just like u just misread me cause i used the fuck word manny times lol. well as i always say fuck them all
I agree with just about everything you say!
Hands down, the smartest poster on this forum.
So you only tip if you get something for free?
I had a customer like this once. I was working a shift as a cocktail server as a bar downtown. A guy came in, ordered consistently throughout the the night, and was tipping. (Not particularly well. He left MAYBE a dollar per $15 round – this was during happy hour so each round should have been $30. Again, after mandatory tip-out this leaves me a quarter.) I continued to serve him promptly and efficiently, as I was every other customer. He proceeded to get a little drunk and then got angry with me for not giving him drinks for free. I tried to explain to him that I am not allowed to give things for free – only the manager can and this man gave me no incentive to do so anyway. He started telling me that I’m not good at m job and he was going to tell the manager that I need to be fired and replaced with someone who understands customer service.
My manager kicked him out.
Don’t be a dick.
(also, buy a grammar textbook)
Hahaha! So you’re that uptight snot who’s car ends up parked under a bird infested tree, as opposed to the garage or right by the front drive. Oh, and if you drive a manual, it’s even better cause I can destroy your transmission while I’m at it too. Karma is a bitch, huh?
You know what? If you just think of people as machines, then you deserve to have your food spat in. You’re that guy who smells his own farts too. We’re not waiters or valets because we’re lazy and can’t get any other job, it’s because most of us are trying to get an education. Not everyone starts at the top, jerk.
@killer: This isn’t the Post Apocalypse. You can show a little compassion towards others. Though you seem like you smell your own farts too. That’s fine asshole, I don’t know how that scratch ended up on your car, either. Complain to the hotel.
I’m cool with blackmail – as long as you’re honest about it.
I treat waiters with as much respect as I show to any other person – hardly like a machine. Remind me again why I should pay for your education?
Angry Valet,
Why don’t you tip every person you come into contact with, as they provide you service, right? Why don’t you? Tough for you to explain?
They all provide service like yours and maybe they are trying to get money for university too. Ever thought about that? Why should I tip you and not the person who spends time at the grocery store to ring up all of my groceries. The time spent by the clerk at the register is greater than the time you spent to get my car. What gives there? Any ideas?
Everyone is paid to do a job. Tips are where America has gone wrong, and it gives management an edge to pay you only minimum wage mandated by federal law.
By the way, are you declaring your tips to the IRS? It is income, and the rest of have to do so, including the poor guy making the same amount of money as you working the register at the grocery. Think deeper.
Why don’t you tell all this to your server up front? Obviously, in this country, you do enter into a social contract when you sit down at a restaurant table. If you don’t consider the contract valid, let your server know so they will provide you with the basic minimum of service that you desire ( and of course they will, they don’t want to get fired) but at least the terms of the interaction will be “on the table” so to speak, and no one will feel “ripped off”. Seems only fair to me and respectful, as well…..
Probably because so many servers have threatened to not provide even the basic minimum of service unless they get a tip – just read some of the comments!
Wendy,
A “social contract”? Let me read that, unless you drafted it in your head. Where does it say in your REAL contract that you have to provide “basic service” unless you are ensured a tip? If it does, you may have legal recourse.
It appears that you have twisted everything around in your head to create this scenario to work best for yourself.
You are hired to represent the restaurant as best as possible, and at all times. I am quite confident about this. If this is not so, your restaurant will not be in business now. In business, everything counts.
You attitude is nothing short of getting a pink slip to your next job opportunity. Please wake up and think about how you can serve the customer as best as possible with the wages you are paid by federal law. Don’t forget to declare all of your income (including tips) to the IRS too, and that is not a “social contract” between you and the US government, either.
I concur! We should all tell those superficially sycophantic waiters to F.Off.
Bhagwad, you give Asians a bad name. While your job salary is protected by minimum wage, waiters/waitresses are not. They are incentivized to ensure that you have a pleasant dining experience, through the tipping system. So, if you have enjoyed your meal, you should tip them.
I come from a country where wait staff earn minimum wage and I’m not required to tip them. They don’t have to treat me well either because they will get paid the same amount whether they work hard or not. Hence, the service industry here sucks and I much prefer the american tipping system.
Just because the country you came from didn’t tip doesn’t mean that tipping is bad. Don’t be a cheap Asian, tip your waiter.
This has nothing to do with Asians. If waiters don’t get a minimum wage from the employers/government then let them form a union and solve their problems by themselves by changing the laws. I’m not interested in their problems and I don’t want them to be like beggars whining for my money. After all, isn’t this the US? – the place where “socialism” is a dirty word?
So tell me why as an Indian and an Asian, I’m supposed to care about other people’s problems? Let them go help themselves. It’s not my job.
YOU have the choice to eat at any place you want, if that business doesn’t treat you well then don’t eat there. tipping is not going to change anything in your country. If you are being treated poorly and still eating there then you are just feeding the system.
If you were a restaurant owner and is losing tons of business because of your poor service, wouldn’t you change your business practices and make sure your staff is doing their job? Reason why many business like Nordstrom and Macy’s have good service is because they enforce it in their staff members with incentives. It is the business’s job to ensure quality service and not the customers job to ensure their own service. You are not going to tip a Nordstrom worker are you? even though their service is spectacular ?
NotACheapAsian,
I think you are confused about job salary protection. Wait staff ARE protected:
http://www.dol.gov/whd/state/tipped.htm
It is federal law.
If the service is poor at the restaurants you visit, due to no tips (as you say), why do you go back?
In Japan, there are no tips, and the service is excellent everywhere. I am confused with your logic.
The problem with poor service is not lack of tips, but poor training of staff by management, nothing more.
Management will feel the impact of their training efforts, or lack of, at the end of the month. If the restaurant is empty most of the time, what does this reflect? The market is providing feedback about their business and they won’t remain in business for long if they continue to provide poor service.
Tips should be eliminated.
I rest my case:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKqdIDxoWBE
In this case, cheap = smart and is also ethical. In any case, nothing wrong with being a cheap bastard!
Just shows how easy it is to get money out of people. Make them feel that if they don’t give you a tip, then they’re labelled as cheap. And no one wants to be cheap right? That’s convenient…so take out your wallet!
I have a great idea, do the job for a week or 2, you wont be talking the same shit then…..you are an ignorant, rude spoiled rotten thinking the whole world owes you something asshole…..If you dont know how to treat people in their country, stay in your own….
I’ll never be a waiter because it doesn’t pay me enough for the work. And I’m not going to beg strangers to make up for the shortfall.
Seriously servers, quit begging for money. it is the business’s job to provide for you not the customers. You don’t see macy’s sales rep get tipped 15% because of good service. they get paid commission by their employers for doing a good job, not the customers. it is your EMPLOYERS FAULT,
i am a business major in college and this whole tipping system is flawed. i work at women shoes store in the mall which requires me to interact with hundreds of customers a day. I have to walk a min 300 feet per pair of shoes they ask for and some customers ask for at least 15. DO I GET TIPPED? no i don’t and i don’t complain cause i took the job. I signed up for this job that pays min wage and if i didn’t like the pay i could quit and find another.
Servers need to realize that its their choice for taking the job and its their employers that provide for them not the customers. Customers are drawn in by prices and service, if the customers didn’t like the price or service they wouldn’t eat or shop there. If customers knew that they were required to pay a 15% fee on the price of food on the menu then that would weed out your cheapskates, but the business owners are smart. They don’t care about servers well-being, they are out there to make money and thats why they are paying you what you get. because you are willing to work for the wage.
Tell me why should i pay more than what the menu and receipt says? The price of the food on the menu includes all the services provided by the business. YES that includes the server’s services. If not then give me a second receipt or include it into the price of the food. it doesn’t make sense to call tipping optional then demand it.
do you tip the home depot workers that helped you put concrete bags on the cart? no right? because the price of the concrete bags includes all the services of that is provided by the business and the business set those prices. just like store warranties and return policies. you pay more for those policies if you did not know.
why don’t you tip a Macy’s salesmen 15%, and when you don’t your answer is going to be “cause its the macy’s job to provide the service?” hypocrites
I’m a business major too (undergrad and grad) and I believe that the tipping system is also flawed. Honestly, if the service is decent enough, I tip 15% – 20%; however, if the service is excellent, I tip more. The reason why I tip is because I feel obligated to make up for the minimal wage the servers received. It’s a guilty feeling, which I hate. This is why I don’t eat out often. I don’t want to feel guilty; I just want to enjoy my meal. Honestly, I wish tipping was optional so this way I don’t feel burden.
The guilty feeling is a big turn off for me as well. But in all other industries, the workers unionized and got the minimum wages act. The reason this hasn’t happened with waiters is because they want this system to continue. They earn far more in tips than they would earn with the minimum wage!
I take back my last comment, THIS is the smartest poster on this forum.
Just tossing this into the mix… this is an excerpt from Santosh Desai a perceptive and thinky writer:
http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Citycitybangbang/entry/used-to-being-served
“…in India, if born in the right class, we consider it our right to be served, not merely with efficiency but with unquestioning obsequiousness. As consumers of service, we do not merely consume the service provided, we consume the air of servility with which it is provided….”
“…Fortunately, this is likely to change dramatically on a few years time. What this will mean for those used to cheap and quiet service is another matter altogether….”
thanks,
Jai
Read this yesterday. But I feel it has nothing to do with waiters in India who get paid a decent wage and don’t need to survive on tips.
The following comment contains…* moderate hypocrisy *….
I generally agree with you on the main point of this post, and the sense of entitlement seen in some of the pro-waiter comments is appalling. One of them even referred to the customer’s tip (yet to be given) as their money, their rightful due. You’d expect him to call the cops next and charge you with stealing his tip :-) that in his mind he’s already given himself.
While the situation in the US restaurants is beyond my ken, Santosh Desai opened a new front in my thinking with his arguments here. Do we expect to decide to tip so frugally as we normally do (from a US perspective) partly because of some of this stuff that SD alludes to: that the servers are an underclass and it is their station to serve?
IOW what is the decent wage that you speak of. In many cases even upto middling restaurants, the waiter rooms with 4 or more others in a 10×12 shed leaky roof and all. Truth is this is a step up for most of them from their previous situations back in their home-village. Many servers do run away from the smaller restaurants- they just dont turn up one day. It is then surmised that they got a better situation somewhere.
*Hypocrisy disclosure: I mostly go to cheap / middling restaurants. I do tip moderately, maybe better than average at these places, because I have seen the waiter’s quarters and have some idea of their situations. But I dont think those tips allow me to slide entirely.
thx,
Jai
PS: BTW this is just PoV flipping mostly. dont guys do this as frequently as I thought?
Tipping is a social norm in the U.S. A waiter cannot change that fact…a restaurant can’t change it…at this point because it’s so entrenched in our culture, it would be almost impossible to change. You understand this, you go out to eat, and you don’t tip — you’re an asshole. There’s nothing the poor waiter can do about it, because the tip isn’t manditory, and there’s no changing the system. Why are you punishing that person because you dislike the whole system? You should just boycott service restaurants. Instead you choose to take it out on people who get paid based on tips instead of wages, as if they can help that you don’t like that system of payment. You really are the worst kind of person in the world–heartless. Awful.
Lots of bad practices were social norms in their day. Workers never got a minimum wage and used to be overworked. Now because of unions, employers were forced to change their practices.
I suspect that waiters don’t do the same because they like to get tips. It allows them to earn far more than what they actually deserve given the job they do. If waiters really were the victim here, you can be sure they would have gotten together and organized a union to get better wages.
@bhagwad
I completely agree with your points about the Unions. I remember one time when I went to Dave & Busters with a friend of mine and we had just enough to pay for our food, we had to split the bill because I had a debit card and he had money. So we split it and he left $2 and I mistakenly wrote $33. I crossed it out and then processed to write $3. We then left. About one or two weeks after that, I take my girlfriend to the same restaurant, it was around an hour before closing and it was the only place open in our area. The place isn’t even crowded and yet we waited for nearly 15 minutes for our waiter. And when we do get our waiter, well guess who it is, the same guy from yesterday, and he was not pleased with his tip from last time.
Now, he may seem in the right, maybe justified, but he’s not and I’ll tell you why. He is a terrible waiter. He had some of the worst memorization skills I’ve ever seen for a waiter. From the first time I ordered from him, me and my friend ordered three dishes. An appetizer and two entree(plus drinks) and he came back and forth nearly four times to ask us what we ordered.
He had the gull, the nerve, THE COJONES to tell me that I did him wrong for last time and that I should do right this time, basically blackmailing me with a calm voice. And guess what, the service was EVEN WORSE this time around. Again, we ordered three things, the same types of things and he came over around 6 to 7 times to ask what we had ordered. The icing on this cake was that the food was HORRIBLE. I ordered rockfish and it was salty and greasy, fries where it seemed as if they had been sitting out for hours(I’d like to add that I believe he pretended that those fries were hot as he brought them out because as soon as he did sit them down, I tried one) and my girlfriend’s entree(which I can’t remember) wasn’t as stellar as well. She understood why(even though it wasn’t the reason) we didn’t give him a good tip. He’s extremely lucky that he and his other employees were behind us because I would’ve left him without a goddamned thing that time around and I’m never paying for another meal there ever again.
Yup – waiter arrogance is really pissing off…
Goodness me, there are alot of extreme attitudes from both sides of the fence posted here.
OK, I’m from across the pond and things are run a little differently here.
I am a waitress and receive the minimum wage (unlike someone commenting earlier that in the UK we get paid more) This is standard for every restaurant up and down the country.
The etiquette on tipping here is this:
10% is considered a good tip.
If you cannot or don’t believe in tipping that amount but you had good service a thank you and any loose change is acceptable.
Not tipping generally denotes you received poor service.
Waiters NEVER EVER discuss, berate or comment on tips given from a customer except to say a heartfelt thank you and see you soon – this applies to the non tippers along with an apology!
Waiters are proffesional and if a known non tipper comes in he will be treated with the same respect as everyone else. A waiter’s tips are reviewed as a perk of the job, a job that must be done to the best of your ability regardless!
I firmly believe some customers come purely to get fed but most come for the overall experience, both, of course are fine and a good waiter will be able to acknowledge this and adapt their service stlye according to the customers needs. (Alot of the time I am a babysitter, child entertainer, tour guide, direction giver and translator as I speak 3 languages)
This comes naturally to some and they are the good waiters along with a good memory and the ability to cope under short term pressure.
I opened a restaurant in America 10 years ago and I can sympathise with the customer, I HATED being fawned over by a waiter and it was pretty obvious it wasn’t genuine, I have seen waiters chase customers down the street demanding more money it was ugly and crass!
I do my job as I enjoy interacting with varied people from different walks of life and enjoy seeing others gain pleasure from my hard work. The money I get is an extra reward, one that I do not take for granted or factor into my wage.
I do disagree with comments based around shop workers not getting tips but giving good service, they get tipped in the form of bonus’s and targets, unseen by the customer granted but the way they are speaking to you and the products they offer you is all geared around them achieving an extra sale from you and hitting their targets so, indirectly you are tipping them!
The expectations here are so different to to USA thank goodeness! There is no pressure on the customer to give a tip and a waiter would be sacked on the spot for berating a customer for not doing so! Maybe the first blogger should come over to Scotland to get food in peace and quiet and not give a tip! Always welcome here!
Thanks for that informative comment Tessie. Nice to see how things work over in the UK :)
Tessie, I’ve been wanting to visit the UK for almost 5 years now. Please, take me with you. lol
Lol, Anytime guys! I’m part French,Swiss and English but got adopted by the Scotts 7 years ago, it’s a beautiful place with folk so proud of their heritage that they just want to show it off to anyone who wants to know and I guess it’s infectious as I love showing folk around Edinburgh (where I stay) and the Highlands which is truely beautiful. Tip or no tip all folk here are proud to offer hospitality to our neighbours no matter who they are or where they come from! x
Just had to post about my recent experiences at US restaurants.
* 15% “tip” is built into the check for a party of 5. clearly mentioned.
* But they often expect another tip on top of that. (huh?!!!)
* got some bad service at one particular restaurant: the waitress talked back when we found some of the plates and cups to be dirty and asked for them to be changed. She was snappy for the rest of our time there and made sure we didnt enjoy our experience. Funnily enough, she almost looked like she expected a tip at the end of the meal. and we did give a minimal tip.
In slight disagreement with an otherwise great comment by Tessie, I’d like to point out that when a salesperson at a shop earns a commission, its being paid by his/her employer. Maybe it is passed back to the customers but that’s very indirect. The business could very well be absorbing it in their profits.
Maybe tips in the US are a way to get off-the-books untaxed money to people who are very probably at the low end of the pay scale (though I’d think they would be eligible to be not taxed at all here in India. I dont know how taxes work in US). If they pay tax this is a kind of social contract that says “we think its unfair you have to pay taxes on this wage. here’s something the taxman doesnt need to know about”.
If they dont have to pay tax i’m out of reasons why this is put up with.
thanks,
Jai
I don’t understand how those who post here that are “for” tipping seem to think that waiters and waitresses are somehow enslaved into their jobs. If they work this “crap job” that they hate so much for such a risky monetary return rate, with no substantial minimum wage from their employers, why are they doing the job? They take serving positions because they are seen as potential for good money… POTENTIAL. Do not complain or blame the “cheap customer” because they refuse to be a part in maintaining a suitable lifestyle for you because your employer refuses to pay you higher wages. When I go to a restaurant and pay the check, I am paying for what the restaurant has provided me and is billing me for. What that restaurant chose to provide me in the cost of their dishes was a place to sit, the ambiance of the place, silverware, dishes, and SOMEONE to transmit my order to the kitchen and maintain my beverage levels. For someone who CHOSE to assume this role in a restaurant, no, I do not pay extra for them do to their job as expected of every other working citizen. I am sorry servers do not have the backbone to challenge their employers, or find every excuse as to how they are in the only job available to them.
I say this because I AM a waiter. I have waited for the same restaurant for 3 years, paying my way through school. The ONLY reason I accepted my job was because, as it should be, where I work every waiter is given an hourly rate and if tips do not suffice and equate to your hourly wage, the restaurant adjusts what they’re paying you hourly to meet your tips and total into the hourly wage set for you. This is what I DESERVE as a worker. Other servers, you accepted your job because the stereotype is that you’d receive excellent money as a server. This fell through and you decided to blame everyone and force a social norm rather than discover your self-worth and search for other employment.. or challenge your employer. I understand my role in the restaurant. I understand I am being paid to be the face of the restaurant and represent it well and make sure my customers’ experiences are excellent, as expected in any other position. If they tip, excellent. If not, my manager will pay me the wage I agreed upon when I started working. Get over yourselves. Get used to the risk, or find another job. Stop complaining because waiting tables isn’t the cash flow you were duped into thinking it would be.
Endgame post, right here.
Wow – that was one of the most lucid and thorough posts I could have imagined! You have the last word :)
Michael,
Spot on mate! You clearly understand the picture and your comments should be the guide for this post. Please see my comments:
Michael (same name)
August 19, 2011 at 4:14 am
Can I just say that you probably have never served tables before in your life? I don’t think you understand why people tip. We are waiting on you hand and foot so a tip is nice to get. We deal with extremely rude people, like yourself, most of us with a smile on our face. Some of us, like myself, are trying to save up for college. But if you want to be an inconsiderate jerk who won’t tip a great server then you shouldn’t be eating at a place where you tip. It’s mostly about your character. If you can’t spare a couple extra bucks, then you are just selfish. I can see not tipping a rude server, or a server who didn’t do a great job. Sure that’s fine. But a good server should get something. You also need to understand that some things we can not control. Like if we are out of something or if your burger is raw in the middle where we can’t tell right away. Things like that we cannot stop from happening and you as a customer should not be angry with us who are doing our best to please you.
Like I said earlier. Tipping is polite, it does not by any means have to be a huge tip, but if you are a decent person you will actually spring to leave your server an extra couple of bucks. Simple as that. Don’t be a jerk. Get a job serving tables and you will then understand why tips are nice.
How convenient for a waiter that not leaving a tip is “impolite!” The rest of us have tough jobs too. We get paid a salary which waiters choose not to have.
I m an Indian, the only cheap people and no tiping in service indestery are andians, not all of them thanks god, i do tip when i go some where. I wasn suprise about you my brother indian, just admoted you are cheap!!
Looks like racism within the Indian community is thriving!
I work in the social service industry and don’t (and never will) expect my clients to tip me under any circumstances even though I am providing them a service. I do it out of the kindness of my heart, no strings attached. I certainly don’t get paid what I believe I am worth and understandably it isn’t less than minimum wage, but just as others have stated…if you can’t hang with the job, don’t take the job. It’s unfair to blame me, the consumer/customer for you, the waitress/waiter not being properly compensated at ‘your’ place of employment. The wait staff knows how the transactions will go once they’ve signed on the dotted lines when accepting the position. They already know what to expect, so I don’t feel that it is right to expect me to bridge the gap, financially-speaking, for their wages (or the lack of).
Aside from that, I might spend a total of $7 or $8 in the US for a meal including unlimited drink refills and an additional couple of dollars on a dessert at a typical fast-food establishment. Well, when I go to a traditional sit-down restaurant, I may pay approximately $10-$15 depending upon where I choose to eat (i.e. chain restaurant, buffet, upscale, etc.) for a full-course meal excluding dessert. Now I’m not a mathematician, but from the looks of it, it certainly seems like I’m already paying a part of the waitress/waiter’s wage considering the higher amount that I am paying for my meal (i.e. Chili’s, Olive Garden, TGIF, Applebee’s, Red Lobster, and the list goes on). As others have stated, that would include the meal itself, utensils, drink refills, as well as the wait staff bringing my meal to my table. If they aren’t happy, why not find a job in another industry…one that pays at least minimum wage and above. Colletively, we need to stop being conformists in this hegemonic society and lead our nation in the direction of earning what we’re worth. Waitresses/Waiters…if your unhappy with your earnings, complain to your employer about the unfair treatment, but don’t make me feel guilty or obligated to supplement your low wages. That is your employer’s responsibility, not mine.
Very well put indeed – especially the part about already paying a premium for not eating at a fast food joint.
Folks, can we stop blaming employers for ” not paying enuf to waiters”. Its the law, we can legally pay them 3 to 5 $/hour. And we pay tax on that wage too. If they dont give tax on their tip income, its IRS’s problem to figure out how to make them do it.
And servers can go on strike, but not gonna change anything. There r so many important issues that gov needs to take care of.
My opinion on article; if u can afford eating out 5 days a week u r not cheap and u can tip 10% which i think more than enuf. If u eat out once a week it still wont hurt ur wallet to tip 10%. just a little common sense, we all can b part of solution, not the problem.
And waiters in my place make 100-150 in their 5 hour shift depending on a day. Thats 20-30 $/hour. Its pretty good if u ask me.
Again i think 15% is too much to ask. But u cant not tip either.
And that guy who wrote this article, is biggest POS that needs to get a life. Dude even owners dont want customers like u, so y dont u continue shopping at walmart and cook at home. And u can take ur sweetheart to mcdonald’s for anniversary!
Thanks
So, because it’s the law that means we should just stand by it? I don’t understand how we’re being POS’s if there are other countries(i.e. The United Kingdom) out there willing to give their workers due compensation and understand what the word “tip” means while your arguing for a law that keeps them below minimum wage, last time I checked, the restaurants outside this country are doing fine with their decently paid waiters, you on the other hand, sound like a typical, cheap American business owner who’s complaining about paying taxes for a business that sound like it’s doing fine if their waiters receive $100-$150 on a good, 5 hour shift day. You have the nerve to talk about common sense when you’re obviously ignoring the fact that it’s all around you.
P.S.- Your “But u cant not tip either” comment is fucking stupid, really stupid, so if the service you receive is sub-par and top it off, your waiter’s attitude is absolutely rude, then I should still tip? GTFO with that crap
U guys missing missing smthing here. Y u trying to make America just like other countries. America is America cuz of its unique culture, differences are not necessarily bad u ignorant dums! Differences make it rich. Fuck UK! U want to move there just cuz u gonna save some money not tipping? Be my guest. Oh, maybe u can wait tables there too cuz they pay more to their waiters:) its fucking most expensive place in the world. Y? Cuz they include gratuity In every fucking place u step on.
Besides, u will still pay whatever they ask for your fav ribs at TGIF if they decide to price it 2$ more to pay better wage to servers. And dollar more for ur each drink. At the end of the day money coming out of ur pocket is same. About 10-15% more than u used to pay. Then u gonna be happy? Y argue? Whats the point? Cuz all u gonna achieve is, have all the restaurants add 10% to their prices and give 5% to their servers and keep other 5.
Dude, i dont c why u guys bitching. If u live in USA u tip! If u dont tip, fine. Its ur stupidity and lack of knowledge in this matter.
Thanks
It’s more expensive because they are taxed for services such as nation-wide healthcare, so of course it’s more expensive. Here’s a thought, as someone else said before, why should I have to pay more than the receipt says? Just put it down as “gratuity”(which it fucking isn’t) or as a “service charge” fine, I’ll deal with that. But don’t be shifty, sometimes 10% isn’t acceptable to some waiters and I’ve seen that for myself. That and they wouldn’t make as much as they would.
You mean rich as in the current $14.7 trillion national debt???
I am so over seeing people say “why punish the waiter and not tip them?”
who’s REALLY punishing the waiters? the business that decides to be cheap and pay them below minimum wage? the customer who pays all the required fees? or the waiters that choose to take a job that they know will only pay them below minimum wage? think about that…
I have been living in Japan for over 20 years. Coming back to America and getting reacquainted with the “tipping social norm”, I am nothing short of dismayed with such a nonsense custom.
In Japan, EVERYONE working in the restaurant is there to serve YOU, the customer. No tips are required or expected. It is their job. Service in the US pales in comparison to service in Japan, even with best efforts at the best restaurants, so why should I further encourage such a social norm?
When I ask someone who is not my “designated waiter” for something, they usually freak and say “let me find your waiter”. That is pure nonsense. Structured this way, my service response time in the restaurant has been fractionalized by being assigned only one waiter, who usually disappears for most of my meal.
America needs to wake up to this nonsense social norm. I do not tip the person at the bank who is friendly and spends more time with me than the waiter. I do not tip the travel agent who prepares my itinerary for my trip. Why am I expected to pay 40 bucks on a 200 dollar tab and 10 bucks on a 50 dollar tab when the difference in service levels is almost indistinguishable? Total nonsense. Should I feel guilty for not staying with the social norm? Should I feel some “power” over the waiter’s wages? Should I have a good feeling of generosity and kindness if I tip 20+%? I think not. We are just brainwashed to think that way.
I cannot agree more with this post. Bottom line, if you do not like the money you are receiving at your job, whether it is in tips or wages, find something else. Restaurant owners, take note. If you abuse your waiters you may soon be punished.
I am all for a movement that posts signs in windows stating that ALL STAFF (table wipers and dishwashers too) are paid at least minimum wage and no tipping is allowed.
Am I a cheapskate? No, I am just being fair to everyone else. The guys who prepared the meals in the back, the ones who pick up the dishes, the ones who wash the tables and wipe the floors are not getting tips, are they? Why should you?
The Japan way of restaurant and staff management works very well and I encourage those who are new to this concept to study and perhaps embrace it.
I would just like to make the point that servers are required to tip out. We tip out the bartender and the food runner. Personally, I have also tipped out kitchen staff when they do a particularly good job or when they handle a rush well. So let’s say I have 13 tables going (typical of the dinner rush at my bar.) If by the end of dinner I have sold $200 in drinks and $300 in food, I owe the bartender at LEAST $10 and the food runner $15, and a five or ten to the kitchen staff, as well as some kickback to the bouncers and security if they’re on their game as well. If no one tipped, I would have come in to work and paid the staff upwards of $50 for the privilege of serving you.
SO FUCKING TIP.
To put the math more simply:
in ten minutes you order:
3 vodka tonics & an appetizer: $28
my tipout to bartender & FR: $1.40
your tip: $0.00
my pay: $3.60/hour = $0.60 for ten minutes
my gain: -$0.80
Unionize and get better working conditions just like every other labor industry in the country.
Nora,
Here is a law firm that will represent you, free of charge, specifically on your tip pool issues.
http://www.877tippool.com/
I am 100% behind supporting you to do your best without a single tip. Your performance should be rewarded by management through promotions, increased salary or wages, but not by tips and certainly not by tip pooling.
Better soloution, if no one tips you, you should not be expected to tip-out.
Pay to goto work? that is insane talk.
Nora,
Where in your contract does it say you REQUIRED to “tip out” the other staff?
If it does, there may be some recourse on your side against the employer for such a contract. Perhaps, you “feel” you need to “tip out” the other staff? That seems to be more the case.
Would it not be more simple if everyone just did the job they were paid for and tips were completely eliminated? It is all too ambiguous, which makes it confusing and unfair to those who work just as hard and secure no tips whatsoever.
Tip this person, but not this person. Oh, someone else brought me my plate instead of you…what should I do? Should I still give you 20% when you were only a small part of the picture? Are your talents skilled above the chef? Where is his tip? Why should you be paid when someone else brought me my plate, and what about when multiple people serve the table? You see, it’s confusing and I believe this system should be eliminated completely.
You agreed to represent the restaurant when you contracted with them, and when your service is good, the customer returns, strengthening the business. When the business is strong, management should in turn reward the staff…as a team representing the restaurant. All of the staff represent the restaurant, and service should all come to each customer as one force, involving everyone.
It seems you are thinking you are a an outside sub-contractor to the restaurant, and I believe you are not. You are part of the team, just like the door staff, the chefs, the water staff, and the clean-up staff…all one team.
No matter what industry or what our job description dictates, let’s just do our jobs as best as we can, as this is what we are paid for. Your wages should increase based upon positive feedback from the customers to the management about your service. If not, move on to another establishment or another profession. Isn’t this how people are promoted anyway?
Personally, i don’t tip. I believe all servers are scum bags who just try to leach more money from the customer. You always got that twinkle in yer eyes until you realize you ain’t gettin’ anymore money from me, then you get all mad and pissy. It’s just an act. I don’t get a tip for excelling at my job (which I do, greatly), so why should average waiter joe get one for walking from point A to B with my food? They shouldn’t. I once had a waiter come up to me and get all tough after I paid and didn’t tip. Long story short, I punched him in the jaw after he started getting all up in my face. So not only did he not get a tip, now hes taking the rest of the shift off and going to the ER, which will probably cost him a good $900. I guess you guys arn’t too bright
Agree…never liked the idea of giving tip. It hurts my pocket. I am not smiling while I am giving tip…as I have already paid for what I ordered. They survive on us…as wages are calculated including tips.
Reality:
They may survive on us, but their wages are adjusted by their employer should they fall short on tips. It’s federal law. In California, every waiter MUST earn at least $8.00 per hour. The person working at McDonalds also survives on us appearing at their place of employment, as do the ones at the car wash, Baja Fresh and everywhere else.
Here is a fantastic article on this subject:
http://live.gourmet.com/2010/09/app-exclusive-the-death-of-tipping/
This thread is probably already dead, but I’ll comment anyways. I work as a waiter. As such, I completely disagree with your opinion. You can call me a bigot or incredibly biased, but it’s an experience you don’t truly understand unless you try it. I work to support my parents and I rely on tips greatly. If you’re telling me that I should either quit or demand a higher wage, you have a very limited view. In this economy, it’s hard enough to find a job let alone keep one. So, quitting is out of the option and asking an employer for higher wages is practically asking to be fired. I’m 17 and I can’t exactly find a job elsewhere by the way. What you need to understand is no one wishes to be a restaurant worker. Some people are simply born into unfortunate circumstances that prevent them from succeeding elsewhere. For example, there is a chef at our restaurant who immigrated from Mexico, hoping things would be better over here. He’s dedicated and hardworking, an overall great guy. The only problem is that no one would hire him because he can’t speak English well and he isn’t particularly skilled in much. Now, if you’re saying tough luck then you can try living in Mexico because it obviously can’t be too easy to get an education or live well. There’s also me for an example too. My family’s poor, so I have to work. It isn’t exactly easy for a high schooler to get a job anywhere for the matter because employers are more willing to hire older people. Also, I forgot to mention that we pool our tip with everyone, meaning the waiters, the employers, (who by the way work as chefs too because it’s a small business, which also brings me to the fact that some employers can’t afford to pay well) and the waiters. So, people like you are hurting not just the waiters most of the time. By the way, don’t generalize. Just because some waiters treat you poorly does not mean all waiters will. If you don’t tip me, I won’t spit in your food nor provide you with less service. Also, this brings me to my last point. Sorry I’m not organized. I’m just writing whatever comes to mind. Working as a waiter really isn’t a simple job in my opinion. It’s difficult to remember every single request of the consumer. Like for example, table 1 wants napkins and a bowl, table 12 wants me to refill their glasses of water, table 4 is waiting for me to take their order, table 2 needs me to bring their food, etc. It really requires you to multitask and keep track of what you’re doing. In addition, I have other responsibilities not just limited to bringing food across tables. I have to refill the napkins when they get low and also the plastic bags and chopsticks. I need to wash the dishes and also clean the bathrooms, which includes refilling the toiletries. By the way there’s a lot more I do but I really don’t feel like listing it because this rant is getting really long. Also, this may not be the experience of most waiters but please understand that there are people out there who do deserve tips and it is in your best interest to not group us with all the people who have maybe provided you with bad service( I say maybe because you might be just assuming that you’re waiter is unhappy)
I get what you’re saying Steven. But in principle, don’t you think it would be better for everyone if the employer simply charge us more for food on the bill and paid you better wages? It might not be possible for they system to change now, but are you happy with it in the first place?
Steven,
I can appreciate your situation, really. At 17 you must be confused with the world around you, lacking direction and a real purpose in life. However, the sooner you learn this, the better. You are where you are today based upon everything you know up to this point in your life. In other words, if your world is to get better, you must get better.
How do you spend your time away from work? Are you focusing on a better future or watching TV until it is time to sleep? It’s really up to you and no one really cares if you succeed in life or fail.
You may want to pick up a copy of Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.
http://www.amazon.com/Think-Grow-Rich-Napoleon-Hill/dp/0449214923
If your mind is prepared to receive the content, it could be life changing. Many of us start in dead-end jobs like small restaurant waiters, but it is up to you to change your life and move beyond that. Don’t look for jobs, create them. Imagine that concept. Achieve your own goals, or be doomed to achieve the goals of others.
THE UGLY TRUTH ABOUT SERVERS.
I am from Washington State servers will be paid $9.04 a hour starting January 2011 no tip credit for the employer so………. the server checks will be higher because
the restaurant will have to raise prices to pay the wages. As the check costs go up
the server just gets a larger tip. Once again the server wins . The owner has to pay the higher wage the employee labor and industries tax, social security tax and employment security tax. And no SERVERS you do not pay into unemployment – your employer pays it all !! Servers are the highest paid employee in the building.
Dear server: I might be able to listen to some of your complaints if you had ANY INTEGRITY. Honestly,
do you know one server who EVER claims ALL of their tips. I have never known one and been in the business
for 35 years. You are the biggest group of WHINERS ! Oh, they didn’t tip me !! THEY DON’T OWE YOU A TIP!! If the general public heard how you talked about them they would never tip you anyway. Yes, some of you work very hard but so do a lot of people including the people who cook the food for you over a hot stove.Have you ever ONCE thought about the owners side. We have run our restaurant for 30 years – day and night – this year so far we have lost over 100,000. Not one server has a clue! Frankly most servers are not worth $9.04 an hour so we will let the average ones go. If they go on unemployment their checks would be larger if they would have claimed all their tips. We always know when a server wants a loan from a bank, is considering unemployment or a L & I claim because all of a sudden they start claiming more tips so their income looks larger. WHAT DECEPTION ! Servers seem to have it figured out.
This is the topper. If you servers don’t claim all your tips and the IRS figures it out usually the restaurant has to pay the back tips and the fines and penalties EVEN THOUGH we cannot legally make you claim them FAIR?
you decide.
And just for your information. When restaurants go out of business 30% is caused by employee theft.
Like, eating without paying, giving away free food drinks etc, out right stealing ( OH, i forgot WE OWE YOU!
THERE YOU GO – THE UGLY TRUTH – (their is more, I could write a book)
Finally,Someone who understands me!
Concerning tipping – I won’t comment this, it’s culture thing (in some countries tipping is even strictly forbidden) and You can do what You want (seriously – I don’t judge You here – I’m completely neutral), but actually first reason is kinda stupid – the very idea of restaurant is based on full service it offers – not only food. You wrote that the restaurant owner could put a tip into food price, but that kills the whole idea of tipping – then You would be forced to tip and You wouldn’t be able to raise or decrease the amount of tip (which ultimately is some kind of telling the waiter that You were pleased [or not] with Your whole “restaurant experience”). I understand Your point – I just disagree with choice of first reason :)
I have been in the service business for a few years trying to support my family during financial hardship. I have owned companies and been a cheif executive many times. Karma has found me in position I would have never dared thought. I do believe that service people should at least recieve minimum wage ($8-$9 per) plus the customary America Tip amount of 15-20%. Unionization isn’t the answer look at what that has done for Spain, Italy, Greece, and yes the United States.
I have driven a cab and worked as a concierge I have found that without a doubt there are cultural differences. The Indian, from India tend to not want to part with “any” money, as they feel that they are better than person providing the service, or that they American Way is unfair, so they should not pay anything. I have found that Indians once they become citizens of the US sometimes see the light and go along with customary norms at a minimum level. From experience I have found generally any country previously part of, or currently part of the British Empire, just don’t like to tip, just like back home for them.
I have seen here many reasonable rebuttals to the intial postulate, but lets face it, bhagwad just doesn’t want to pay his “fair” share no matter what anyone says. It is unfortunate that the many other considerate patrons pays “his” way. What is interesting to me is that in other countries – that often even mock our graciousness – would prefer an American patron “every” time, because of our tipping for service pratices.
Yes look what the unions have done for Spain, Italy and Greece – great job !
Alright B-wad. Just ask your server to include gratuity on your next bill so you have a reciept for it.
Then shut the god damn fuck up and get out.
Unfortunately, they won’t include it in the bill even if I ask them. See the problem with not having a standardized price list?
I GUARANTEE you that if I were serving you, I would include gratuity if you asked. Many restaurants require that it be added to parties over 8, so the capability is there. I’m sure if you told the server that you were a jackass and it was the only way they would get a tip, they’d do it for you.
See the problem with being a difficult, ignorant jackass?
And what will you bill it as? Restaurants require a gratuity included in the bill for parties of eight and above only (and you still get a tip!)
So what will you write in the bill? That I’m paying you your salary which your employer is supposed to give you?
Why should I take that burden on myself? Did I come to eat or be Jesus?
Uh, obviously I’d bill it as gratuity. Whatever percent you prefer. Default is 20%. It would show up on the bill included in your total, and when reports are done at the end of the night gratuities are included in not just the waitstaff’s tips but also their SALES.
God damn you are ignorant. You must get your rocks off on being difficult.
Tell you what – the next time you go to walmart, make sure you tip the cashier 20% of your bill too.
Why not spread the love?
That has nothing to do with what we’re talking about?
You asked how you could have a tip included in your bill so you could have a receipt for it, and I responded with the reasonable response of asking for gratuity to be included into your bill.
You misunderstand. You see, I only give money when I get something in return. I’ve already paid the bill which includes the cost of your salary and therefore your services too. So why should I pay extra?
Of course, you can always put an item on the bill saying “Because I’m poor” – cause that’s what gratuity really is – begging.
You kind of remind me of those religious bigots you see on movies like Jesus Camp – it doesn’t matter what arguments are levied against you, you insist on being right. There is no time to be reasonable – you are right and that is that.
Sir, we are done. You are not the kind of person who will come to the establishment at which I work and so I do not need to worry about you any further.
Enjoy your cheap, courteousness-free life, bastard.
Ah the irony of calling me the person ignoring arguments! I’m pretty sure you were describing yourself just there, and redirected your focus onto me since your ego didn’t allow you to admit that they were meant for you :)
Just so you understand, you didn’t respond to even one of my arguments – either in the original post or in the comments.
Who’s behaving like a religious bigot again?
“Why does the waiter not bill me for their services? If they’re rendering me a service I have the right to a receipt. And why isn’t the quantity of the bill shown to me up front? If waiters are truly freelancers, then I want to get a bill just like I get a bill for the food.”
Yes, “SHARE THE WEALTH”
Also, ignoramus, people RARELY tip over gratuity. Randoms don’t as least. Of course, last night I had a customer with a 450$ bill, plus a $92 gratuity add another $200 onto my tip because I gave excellent service for his bottle service table all night.
He’s nice. You’re a dick.
Of course you gave him excellent service – though god knows what “excellent” service means. Did you get his food cooked faster? No. Did you feed him with your hands? No. What did you do? You took the food from the cook and gave it to him!
Yeah – well earned no doubt. I bet you like idiots who just throw away their money at you. But don’t get pissed if the rest of us aren’t that stupid.
I said it was bottle service, there is no food?
Read first, respond second.
So you did even less work than you were supposed to. My bad.
Different, certainly not less.
Did you report the entire tip to the IRS or are you another thief like all the other servers I know?
Or include the price of the worker in the food so the customer can make a rational choice about the price of the total experience. its exactly the same argument but of course… that wouldnt be acceptable because waitresses expect to guilt people into overpaying gratuities so they can make money under the table instead of paying their fair share of tax.
until I see a waitress tip a mcdonalds worker $5-$10 for their happy meal,
NO TIP FOR YOU NORA!
The fact that you run a website specifically for this is ridiculous. Sorry, but no one is going to Unionize. This is how it works here in America, and its been running this way for decades. No one gets a job in a restaurant or bar for any other reason. Why don’t you get a job doing this for a year, here in America, at least as a test and then come post your reasons. The restaurant industry here runs this way. We report all of our sales and are taxed accordingly. You can say “that’s not my problem, it’s theirs for working for someone like that’” but if you knowingly do this, then you are knowingly being a dick. The Just running this site means you are a dick. I know in other countries that gratuity is included in the price of items, and I know that in other countries some get offended if you tip. ITS A CULTURAL DIFFERENCE. IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT THEN DON’T GO OUT TO EAT. We live in a weird time my friend. We can’t change this, the restaurant industry would collapse. I would never spit in anyone’s food or drinks, in fact non tippers still get great service from me, but just don’t expect me to sit in front of you and answer a ton of questions if I could be making money off of someone else. I don’t try to be anyone’s best friend, I just make sure that I am approachable(I am specifically a bartender now). This is a capitalist industry and when you go out to eat and know you are not going to tip, then you are literally stopping that person from making money by sitting down in their table. Waiters work in sections and are allotted a certain amount of tables, each table represents the ability to make more money in a certain amount of time. You can argue until you’re blue in the face, but this is just how it works out here. Hell I go out sometimes and tip cheap if they give me crappy service, but it’s a symbolic gesture letting them know that they screwed up. I never tell customers they need to tip me, but if I’m doing good by them, why not show me some appreciation for my ability. Restaurants are dicks too, they pay minimum so that they can keep costs down, which is why gratuity is not automatically in the bill. You can have your opinions about whatever you want, just know by you doing this, promoting this even, you are doing wrong by the people who are working so hard to make sure you have an enjoyable stay.
So almost every other industry in the US has unionized workers to demand better working conditions and wages, but waiters somehow think these basic rules don’t apply to them?
Don’t unionize if you don’t want to. But then don’t cry when I pay the bill and nothing else and you’re stuck with piss poor wages from your employer.
Oh, and to hell with cultural differences.
There it is… The last sentence just totally made sense of this entire page and all it’s nonsense. You’re just a fucking troll. How often do you go back to an American Restaurant and notice the service hasn’t changed? Do you see yourself with a different waiter than the rest of the area? People are bickering on who wants to serve the cheap-ass Indian dude. I never say this to anyone, but go the fuck back if you’re not already gone.
So your waiter should have to pay extra tax on your meal? What if your super hungry and order a lot? Once again that’s on them to pay that extra out of their paychecks? Shove that’s not my problem up your ass. That’s a cop out answer. The industry runs like this man, if your trying to prove a point against the man, then your doing it wrong. Your only hurting the common man.
I’m not going to reply to anything else you say, I’ll be too busy being a decent human being.
Your language in your previous comment proved that you are anything but decent.Yes, please do not comment anymore. We do not need to read such dirty language.
As a waiter, I have never begged for tips. I do appreciate kindness of others, and living in California, I am taxed 12% of my sales. Regardless of what I make, or what I am required to tip out to others, I am held responsible for a theoretical salary. I do understand the frustration of the customers, but tipping is still optional. No restaurant will deny services to non tipping customers. If you encounter a server who does, speak to their manager. They will be fired.
As for the idea of a restaurant union, sounds nice on paper, but will never work. If restaurants were required to pay their employees a decent wage, an 8 dollar sandwich today will cost 13. Most restaurants fail in their first year of operation. Unions or no unions, the customer will still pick up the bill or everyone will be out of a job.
Most people tip about 15%. Some pay more. Some pay less or nothing at all. That is just part of the job
I bet it actually takes a lot of skill to deal with you when you are eating out… I could imagine you aren’t the most pleasant customer in the restaurant at any given time…
BTW, you can’t just decide to under report your tips (the IRS requires employers to “allocate” tips to bring all directly tipped staff up to at least 8% of their gross reciepts). So, you may actually be costing the servers money for the privilege of serving you.
I acknowledge that you aren’t required to tip, but you should at least get your facts straight before getting on your high-horse…
I love you kevin
Ok Kevin, If you want to get the facts straight lets do that. I own 2 large restaurants. Not one server in either make only 8% in tips. If doesn’t happen. 15% percent maybe -still low. So I guess I can add you to the long list of servers who cheat every other taxpayer in the U.S.
(P.S) if any on you servers make only 8% you should be fired TODAY. And in Washington State minimum wage for a server is $9.04 and hour, plus tips, plus less taxes for the server because they don’t report all their tips. WHO IS MAKING OUT HERE -
Don’t you think it’s fair that people like me make up for those who tip beyond 8% ? Only if more people take a stand against tipping, will we be able to improve the system.
And since I expect nothing from the waiter, there’s no “skill” involved in serving me. Just bring me the food. I don’t care about how happy a waiter looks or what they talk about. Is that not the ideal customer?
OK,
Your points and opinions make a whole lot of sense. So, the alternative, raise the cost of the meal 20% and no tipping. GEEZE, that makes sense. So, you’re out for a nice meal and now you have someone who isn’t motivated to make your experience special.
I agree with your points, however, are you going to pay that 20% more when they raise the menue prices? You know McDonald’s, in their pricing of their products, plan on a 25% labor cost on their food. THEY ADD IT IN. So, every 25c of every $1 you are spending on service. Think about that GREAT PERSONAL CONTACT.
Hey, you have your opinion and I respect that. So, next time I am at the Cabin Club in Westlake, Ohio, I’ll try that ‘NOT TIPPING’ when we get GREAT SERVICE, perfect Wine Suggestions and a knowledgable waiter who knows his job and makes you feel like you are his only table (The guy basically waits on the entire place). Oh yeah, by the way, the cost of a meal there is $150 with a split of wine and a shared Creme Broullete, PLUS TIP, and yes, I tip him $50 because it is an experience. So, while I appreciate your opinion, I, personally REJECT it and offer mine.
What do you want? Do you want to pay the server, or do you want to pay extra for your meal? Regardless of what you choose, you are paying the tab. What are you upset about? American customs? Why did you move here? If you do not like the way it is here, move back. If I went to your country, I would follow the rules of the land. If I did not agree, I would not live there. You should really be happy that the standard of tipping is not enforced, if it was, you would never be served again . So what is. Your problem exactly? Do you secretly feel guilty for your feelings and you need other people to share your feelings? What is it? If you don’t want to tip, don’t tip. Don’t ask other people to agree with you so you can justify your thoughts. You are living in this country, obey their customs. If you hate it so much, get out.
No regardless, I may not pay the tab if I’m informed of the inclusive prices beforehand. I can pick and choose which restaurant I want to go to with the full knowledge of the cost rather than being deceived by lower prices and then paying extra.
Any there’s no law saying I have to obey anything. Tipping goes against my conscience. Customs be damned. When a custom costs me money, that’s where I draw the line.
I am sure you left your country for a reason. What ever that reason was, you chose America . Why not obey their customs?
I obey all customs no matter how silly. When in rome etc etc. Drive on the other side of the road, or anything else that doesn’t cost me money. I’m cheap however and when a custom demands that I take money out of my pocket, I shamelessly discard it.
I’m just going to leave this here. I’ve yet to here a good argument for tipping so now I’m just gonna add an even better argument against.
http://financialuproar.com/2010/03/20/my-rant-against-tipping/
agreed. I dont tip the guy who sells me smokes at the gas station. I buy the product and all the taxes/profits are in the price.
I dont tip that black teen girl at mcdonalds drive thru. I dont tip the sonic waitress even if she remebers to ask me if i want extra napkins or mustard.
I dont tip anyone -ever. My choosing to do business with you is fortune enough -keeps the wheel spinning for all the people there.
You want a tip? Demand a higher salary or get another or better job. Do you see walmart customers checking out and paying their employees social security %age – because hey walmart workers get old and being old is just tough!
I dont care if it makes me look like an asshole – at least im not bending over and taking it like one. I pay taxes on everything. I gotta insure everything or I’m a criminal. I need licenses for every little thing. I get nickeled and dimed enough as is without opening myself up to it.
A person who likes to tip is a person who would like to turn the cash money in their just dead brothers wallet over to the estate for a 50% goverment loss -a complacent idiot who would long be dead if darwinism would ring true.
Count yourself lucky if I tell you to keep the 12 cents change just because I don’t wanna fiddle with my pocket lining.
Your definitely a terrorist. Only a terrorist would go to a restaurant and not tip.
.. and you my friend, are an ignoramus, who does not know the meaning of the word terrorist. If anything, the waiter who said they would spit on the food, if not given a big tip is the terrorist.
I am a server/waiter/cashier at a local restaurant in the US of A and I HATE TIPPING!.
Now dont get me wrong, I love getting the money. But I cannot stand the overflirty smiling and subtle chumminess I have to do to get a fucking tip, and then the feeling of disappointment and betrayal when the nice couple who seemed so cool then don’t leave me extra money for some reason I have yet to fathom out, other than “its what you do, you tip”.
If a shoe salesman, a McDonalds server, a policeman and a worker at Gap clothing is not expecting a top from you, then how come they provide a public service too?
Tipping and it’s onligatory blackmail effect are just awful. I hate the whole persona of having to do it, just ot be a sheep and fit in with everybody else giving $2 for an order under $20. It’s total blackmail. Those people that do it are sheep. And if they DON’T tip they look like cheap tight assed spendthrifts, mean spirited and crafty and always trying to get something for nothing.
THat about right?
Yes it is . I am a waiter/server so I speak from experience. I LOVE it when people put money in the jar or on a receipt, but I also hate the fact I start to look at people with disgust when they don’t. Who the hell am I? And what exactly am I hoping they give me more money for? WHat did I do? What extra thing did I do, that I didn’t need to, in order for them to give me money?
What if someone else wanted the same thing- a child seat brought out, a bottle of salsa, and these new people didn’t tip me? Would I take the chair back? No of course not.
This whole tipping business screams “whore” faster than a pari of fishnets on a tranny on Santa Monica Bld, and I hate the whole sorry mess.
Also, why am I thinking that the guy that gives me $4 is way better than the guy that gives me $2? I can now be bought for money? THis is a fucking joke. And for all those saying, “you have to tip it’s the wages, they’re terrible”, then stop doing it, as you’re only supporting that corrupt system.
I have to ask all those who think that tips mean the server is encouraged to serve you, job motivation etc; what motivation do those other people on min wage have that don’t get tipped? Your motivation is: If I don’t do my job, I will get fired and some other person will have my job, and in these hard times with more and more people being jobless keeping your job is of the highest importance.
If tips are there so you do your job, if you allocate all that tip money to the work that is above and beyond (which is what a tip SHOULD be for) what % is left over is basically you getting paid to sit around and do nothing.
I enjoyed reading through your post and skimming at the comments, and I absolutely agree with you. First off, tipping is a gratuity in general, and should not be forced on by the waiter/waitress. I’m paying for the food, and ultimately, it’s the boss’s responsibility to pay the worker, not me. For all the people who keeps talking about, oh it’s for good service. Look at elsewhere, such as Korea, Philippines, China, Japan, there’s no tipping involved and I get exceptional service so your points are invalid. Force tips down my throat, and I leave you with nothing. My gratuity is a common courtesy, and forcing it down on the customer’s throat will bottleneck their ideologies even more so. It really isn’t my problem you have unfair hourly wage, bring it up to your boss. Ultimately, you decided on your career or short-term job path, not me. If you think this system is unfair, simple. Apply for another job or get some sort of skills because it is hard to find work, but interestingly, there’s no such thing no jobs being unavailable. To the ones who disagree, try your luck with the local military recruiter. To the ones who go, why don’t you? I’ll one up you, I enlisted in the U.S. Navy because of being unskilled after coming out of high school.
Put up with what you get, gifting you with a tip is not mandatory, so stop complaining already.
The minimm wage is 7.45 in Michigan, but the minimum for servers is 2.65 The reason you, as the costumer, are expected to tip is bc in most countries it is built into the price of your meal and the waiters make more an hour. It’s different here. You’re saving on your food so you’re expected to tip. Also, at any chain restaurant you can’t really under-report to the IRS. Every credit card tip is automatically recorded and reported on your pay stub. I would say 75% of my tips are on cards. For cash tips, the computer estimates how mush you made and if you try to report too little or too much, it won’t let you. Please don’t make assumptions when you actually don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re not hurting the restaurant, you’re hurting the waiter. If you don’t like the way we do it in America, don’t eat out here.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but the minimum wages for servers isn’t low because of magic. It’s because waiters haven’t unionized, and demanded fair wages the way every single service industry – or any other industry for that matter – has done in the past.
The question is, are waiters happy to be receiving tips and a low hourly wage, or would they rather have the standard hourly wage and no tips? If the answer is the former, then you have to take the good with the bad and be willing to put up with customers who refuse to tip at all because such is the nature of the game and tipping. If the latter, then the answer is to simply unionize and fight for your rights. Not to expect customers to do it for you.
Servers will not want to unionize because they make more money without a union.
They don’t pay taxes on a large portion of their tips because they are such upstanding honest citizens.
IS THEIR ONE SERVER OUT THEIR THAT CAN HONESTLY SAY THEY CLAIM EVERY
TIP THEY RECIEVE ??
If they answer is no then quit complaining until you pay just like all of the other tax payers do.
Own restaurants – not legal to make servers claim tips from register receipts we can only put on payroll what servers tell us to.
If you can’t afford to tip, stay home. Period. End of story. In America, we tip, and it is rude and disrespectful to not tip. Servers and bartenders don’t make much per hour, so they work on tips. If you don’t want to tip, stay home. YOu’re an ignorant person for not respecting this culture.
Saying something repeatedly doesn’t magically make it happen :) . I will continue to not tip.
And just so you know, you’re only perpetuating the stereotype that cheap, disgusting Indians are rude, disgusting and don’t tip.
Yeah well, I don’t remember taking on the mantle of being the ambassador of India. And anyone who draws that conclusion is a bigot all on their own.
I have been scanning most of the comments and it blows my mind that so many people are against tipping. I make 2.13/hr serving and I give excellent service and almost always recieve a 20% or higher tip. If servers were paid minimum wage there wouldn’t be any incentive for them to give anything more than mediocre service. If I have 5 tables and I have a repeat customer who did not tip me before, take a guess who will be getting the least amount of my attention. Non-tippers are only hurting themselves and making themselves look like jackasses. Word definitely gets around a restaurant when someone doesn’t tip. So I wouldn’t be surprised if your food and refills took twice as long as the people around you next time you came in. I don’t understand the point of “boycotting” tipping. The majority of the public understands the importance of it, why can’t you? I’m guessing none of you have waited tables before..
Regular people usually don’t need any extra incentive over and above their salary to do a good job.
Most people are not against tipping. What they don’t like is the attitude of tipping. The poor me- you owe me a tip. The complaining, whining aND fussing if servers don’t receive one. Mostly the assumption that “WE OWE’ you a tip. Nobody owes you nothing. You are LUCKY if you get a tip just like anyone is. So in Washington state servers get $9.04 and hour plus their tips. Some of them make more money than the owners, all make more than the cooks, the assistant managers, the bookkeepers etc. and never::::::::::::::: do they claim they all on their payroll taxes.
***********************SO QUIT WHINING *****************************
Wow! You sure generated quite a bit of conversation with this. I’ve always viewed the expectation of tipping as sort of an assault, to be honest. Circumstances this and circumstances that… profession is a choice.. Some people choose to be waiters in a restaurant.. some people choose to be bums on the street… I don’t think anyone appreciates being pick pocketed by a bum. Thanks for speaking your mind on this subject. Have a great year!
You are the scum of the earth. What makes you so special? You don’t want to tip someone graciously serving your dinner, then eat at home. You don’t like the system in the U.S. then go to Europe. Do you even realize people are raising families on income made from tips? I’d like to see your wage cut in half and see how you like it. The problem lies with people like you, not bar and restaurant owners. It should be standard that people work in a restaurant before graduating from highschool, maybe then we could weed out people like you from society, and maybe then people like you would learn a little bit about manners and even better, some people skills.
Wow – “graciously serving me dinner”? That’s a new one. How about just doing their job for which they’re getting paid by the restaurant owner?
Yes, I agree with Bhagwad. Why work for tips when I can rip people off with my freelancing skillz yo! 20 dollars an hour? For writing such literary gold such as this? Then you go and dare criticize us? Tell us to unionize? Nah, I’d rather keep working for what I’m making now. I’m sure I walk out with more than 20 dollars an hour.
Sure, let’s go unionize and force all employers that have tipped positions to pay hourly wages. Let me work this out so you can understand. If all restaurants were forced to pay by the hour and kick the tips…a LOT of people will become unemployed due to the establishments making up for that lost income by 86ing jobs. But that’s not your problem, right Bhagwad?
Then smaller family owned restaurants might go out of business from all the extra labor cost. But that’s not your problem that those cheapos might go out of business, right Bhagwad? Families that own restaurants losing everything…man, I hope that thought doesn’t upset your picture up there. I wouldn’t want you to cry a manly tear into that cup of joe.
Also, you think all of these restaurants are going to keep their food and drinks affordable? No, they’re losing money, they’re going to raise prices as well to make up for the shortfall. How happy would that make you Bhagwad? Having to pay an extra $5-10 bucks to go out for dinner? You might have to write for an extra hour or two this week just to take your date out. Oh no!
Seriously Bhagwad, why are you spending so much time here throwing your opinions around for free. I mean, this site and your opinions…I’d definitely give you a nickel for all of this literary gold. I mean, you’re costing yourself so much money by doing this blog for free man.
Oh, and I guess by unionize…you mean, be like the rest of the world. Nah, I’ll pass. I’ve seen unionized servers. Laziest bunch of morons I’ve ever had the displeasure of working with. Hope you get to deal with some of them one day. Have fun trying to get your cup of coffee up there refilled when it’s union break and no one gives a damn.
(And before you come up with one of your oh so witty replies will sitting on your toilet Bhagwad…I like the idea of unions. It’s holier than thou attitudes like yours that make me sick.)
Nice to see you (partially) lucid – do these moments last long? :)
Whoa, whoa, whoa…hold on here. My post said 9:53 am. Your profile says you live in Florida Bhagwad. You aren’t in India anymore. Stop being lazy and update your time zone.
you my friend are a scumbag and sbould not be allowed out to eat. you ever think that the reason your food isnt more expensive is because most servers make anywhere from $2-4/hour. maybe we should get paid $12/hour and jack up the food prices and see who complains then. asshole. we live off your tips. you dont know anything about what youre talking about so shut up and go take your ego somewhere else.
Yes – please do that. Jack up the food prices if you have to. It’s how I buy the rest of my stuff . You know, that outmoded concept of a bill and a receipt?
I have a quick question bhagwad. Do these rules apply to pizza delivery drivers? How bout military members that lost their full-time above minimum wage jobs (due to the business closing down) while away for war and have no choice but to deliver said pizzas? (Mainly for the fact that no matter how many applications he puts in, no matter how great he makes his resume. No one will even call him in for an interview and whenever he calls them he gets the run-around.)
How about when the food is quoted to be delivered in 50 minutes, but it’s there in 30. How about when the driver gets to a hotel, a place of business, a bar or a strip club, he comes with plates, napkins, parmesan, peppers and sauces that the customer somehow forgot to request?
How bout bartenders, who actually go to bartending classes in order to make the great drinks people get from them? Oh, yes, now onto servers. I’m not saying that you should be expected to tip no matter what. I’m saying, hey, if you do see someone go way out of their way preforming their job for you, why not show appreciation?
I’m a delivery driver, when I order food at a restaurant, I tip. Unless the server is doing less than what I expect from them. I expect quite a lot from a server too! As a driver, I go above and beyond. I deal with retards not unlike yourself on a daily basis on the road. I know all the shortcuts in this town in order to get to any place as quick as possible. I preform QC on all orders before I take them on the road. I get my vehicle fixed due to it being worn and torn for my customers.
I deal with the possibilty of being robbed by gunpoint every day. In fact I was robbed by gunpoint delivering pizzas. However I was a good little employee and had just the $20 I’m supposed to carry. I report all my tips, cash or credit. But I also make some serious damn good money. Do I ever complain or treat a customer different face-to-face? No. Let’s be hypothetical for a moment. If YOU ordered from my establishment 10 minutes before another customer did. You were known as a no-tipper, they were known as good tippers, or even 2 dollar tippers. I’m going to deliver to them first, before you.
You don’t deserve to have your food delivered to you quicker than the time frame we quoted to you to begin with. I’ll gladly go get fuel, get a soda, read a blog at the side of the road until 5 minutes before I’m supposed to be at your home(provided we’re slow). I’ll arrive “on-time” and no one will know the better. We have heat bags for our pizzas, they keep them hot. The other person however, deserves to get their food as quick as possible. I’ll gladly deliver their food and be extremely happy about it. Guess what, I’ll also gladly deliver your food and be extremely happy about that too. Want to know why? Cause I still met expectations, because you are too niave to know that there is something better than “average”.
Also, please don’t try to tell me that delivery fees are tips themselves. Being experienced in this field, I know that the majority of that fee goes to advertising for the corporation, maybe a small portion goes to the driver, if they’re lucky.
You know the kicker? Even though drivers pay for wear and tear and fuel for their vehicles, they still get paid less-than minimum wage.
You know what else is rather interesting? In mexico, they don’t tip drivers, but they tip servers. They don’t see how a driver did anything, but they do see that servers work hard and tip them generously.
On another slightly related note-
I’ve tried and am still trying to get myself another respectable job. However, right now, I’m kind of stuck, no one seems to be interested, even when I bug the shit out of their company. No one seems to give a shit anymore that you fought for your country.
Sincerely, your happy go-lucky, NEVER angry neighborhood delivery driver. By the way, my customers always ask me what a good tip is. Want to know what my response is? “I am not allowed to offer my opinion.” Most ask me why. My response is, “It’s rude and against the rules to mention a tip, even if a customer inquires about it. If you are real curious, call the pizza shop and ask the manager their opinion.” I love my customers, even if a very small amount of them are cheap and inconsiderate.
So, you are not a Pizza Delivery man; you are a blackmailer. State your profession accurately.
How does that make me a blackmailer?
Blackmail:- -( from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/blackmail)
— to extort money from (a person) by the use of threats.
— to force or coerce into a particular action, statement, etc
You just tried to blackmail, when you said you would deliver food quicker, and in a hotter condition, to the one who tips, and delay it to the maximum possile, for the one who does not. That is Blackmail.
Elementary, my dear Mr. Watson.
Jake says “Also, please don’t try to tell me that delivery fees are tips themselves. Being experienced in this field, I know that the majority of that fee goes to advertising for the corporation, maybe a small portion goes to the driver, if they’re lucky.”
So whose fault is that? The customer has paid his dues. Now you want to fleece him for more, through tips , because you do not have the guts to demand from your employer, what is rightfully yours. So you prey on the weak link, the customer, by blackmailing him, for more. You prioritize the one who pays the larger tip, to the one who pays just $2.
So, a millionaire who pays you $3, will get his pizza quicker than the 99% who can only afford a $2 tip.
Way to go, my man! I salute your service for the country.
Honestly, it’s not whether or not they tip, it’s whether they DON’T tip out of spite. By the way, rich people don’t tip, neither do poor people. The people who tip all the time is the middle class, at least in Omaha, NE. I never blamed anyone for the delivery fee, so don’t put words in my e-mouth. I never said that I want to “fleece” my customer, neither do i blackmail my customer. If he chooses not to tip me, whatever, not a big deal to me, the next customer will most likely make up for it and then some. I don’t have a sad face, I don’t try to look the poorest I can look. In fact I try to look good, ask the customer how their day was, inform them of upcoming specials, comment on their pets or their lawn, etc. All positive comments by the way. If they choose not to tip me, I don’t care. I leave knowing I fulfilled my side of the deal PLUS extra. Whether they choose to appreciate that with a tip or not is none of my concern. Why? Because I walk out with over $120 every night after a 4-5 hour shift. AND it’s ALL reported to the IRS.
I like claiming deductions, so I claim all my tips, I get almost all my taxes back that way. So I’ll stay the straight path, because it’s ME dicking the IRS by using the system CORRECTLY.
So fuck anyone who think’s I’m trying to screw the customer, hell no. Tip or no tip, I’m smiling, but if you make a ritual of complaining about perfectly fine pizza (to get more free pizza), for instance, watered down dough!?!? (How the hell can you water down dough, cook it, crisp it in the oven and cut it when it’s “watered down”) or not tipping, ever, then yes, I’m going to put my more appreciative customers first. I give every customer 5 tries before I push them down or up my list. If the orders are within 5-10 minutes of each other, the tipper gets it first. If they both tip, the first one that ordered gets it first.
I’ve witnessed first hand, customers lying to my manager about what was wrong with their pizza, when, I made it, cut it and delivered it myself. And you know what? I have my customers OPEN the boxes BEFORE I leave to make sure it’s to THEIR satisfaction. And still, they have the gumption to call and complain!? Obviously if it’s something that you can’t see from opening the box, we’ll replace it. But if you say the cheese was stuck to the top and the toppings were flailed around the box, when I personally watched you open the boxes and check the pizzas to see if it was to your satisfaction, you’re a lying piece of shit who should be shot.
By the way, I keep a list of all the customers in my phone, there’s an app for us pizza delivery drivers. Makes it real easy to keep track of the customers and of the average in tips I get from each household or the whole day/week/month/year. Not to mention my mileage and pay is recorded into it.
It’s also good to mention the customers who don’t tip, but are very nice, courteous, and appreciative when I deliver to them. THEY will always be #1 to me, because they REALLY appreciate what I do. I’ll always volunteer to take those deliveries because they always brighten my day up, regardless what’s going on. I love it when they call and tell the manager how awesome I was to them. I know it won’t get me anything, but it’s good to know people who don’t tip still care enough to try to get me a raise for what I do.
By the way, I do have the guts to demand to my employer. I have also, demanded from my employer, but I got nothing. However, I still enjoy what I do, however “menial” it might seem to you. I hope this clarified some things for you as to where I am standing on this matter.
By the way, blackmail is when you go up to a person and tell them “if you don’t tip, you’ll get your order later”. I don’t do that, the customer has no idea that’s going on, therefore, it’s not blackmail, it’s protocol. Learn to use your “defined” words correctly. I don’t go to a customer and say “if you don’t tip next time, your order will be delivered later”. I don’t tell the customer anything except “Hello, how was your day! Wonderful, Your total is $15.06, I appreciate the be business, Thank you for ordering, please order again soon!”
Bhagwad,
While I agree with some of the comments posted here by waitstaff, I wholeheartedly understand where you are coming from and agree with most of your article. I am an American who grew up in an area reliant on tourism, where a majority of the jobs are in retail and food service. I just wanted to say a few things about this issue as it is a pet peeve of mine.
1. Too much entitlement
I think that far too many waiters and waitresses feel that they are entitled to a 20% tip regardless of their performance. It’s one thing to earn a tip through performance and an entirely different thing to expect something from me for just doing your job. I am sorry, but carrying heavy trays, remembering orders, and sometimes putting up with rude customers is a part of your job. In my line of work I have to put in long hours (10-16 hour days at times), deal with some very frustrating clients at times, spend more time than I would like with prisoners, and in some cases I have had things thrown at me, and have even been attacked by a client. I don’t expect a tip for that, it was part of what I signed up for. Just like when I was in college I didn’t expect a tip when I worked in retail. You do your job to the best of your abilities. If you don’t like how much you make, either find a better paying job or put up with it like everyone one else does and work your way up the ladder. I specifically avoided food service when I was younger because of the conditions and the low pay, you can make that choice too.
2. Tipping seems to encourage a breach of the customer-employee etiquitte
This is something that is relatively new to me, but it seems as though wherever I go out to eat there are three ways that waitstaff seem to act. (1) They are curteous, prompt, and respect my space and privacy. It’s mostly the older waiters and waitresses that do this. (2) They act overly friendly, do not respect my personal space, or feel free to but into conversations going on at the table. Probably the most bothersome thing I encountered was where the waiter proceeded to pull up a chair next to me to get my order. This is mostly younger waitstaff that do these things. (3) Another trait of younger servers is to do their jobs with indifference. They do the bare minimum, often not coming back to see how the food is or if anyone needs a drink refilled. I think they generally act this way because they expect a reward regardless of how they performed.
I will post my third and fourth remarks later today when I have more time.
- Rob
Thanks for the analysis Rob :) – no one here has mentioned any correlation with the age of the waiters yet.
I understand why the system was put in place – its a commission. Making part of the wage dependent on the customer’s opinion is a strong incentive to do a good job. Less waiters would care about your dining experience if they were paid the same for giving less service, and dining experience is what you pay for, even if some care for it more than others. For that reason, I think people should tip, but lately I have been having my doubts, which is why I searched “don’t tip” for some insight.
I have come to the conclusion that it is a circular argument, that there is no real answer morally or otherwise. The reason why is because the tipping system doesn’t make economic sense. The relationship between a buyer (customer) and a seller (server) in any rational economy is for the seller to want the highest price (waiter gets the largest tip), and for the buyer to want the lowest price (customer gets a bargain). The tipping system messes up those roles to put an unfair risk on the server and an unfair expectation on the buyer.
Naturally, the customer should want to pay less money. That is in the customer’s best interest, economics, and part of the human instinct of self-preservation. All money comes from somewhere – tipping benefits the server just as much as it hurts the buyer, and how can server expect the buyer to be hurt in order to help him? The answer is he can’t.
On the flip side, as much as survival is part of human nature so is empathy, and that drives us to follow through in tipping. We all know that like it or not, tipping IS a part of the bill, black and white. If you don’t tip for no better reason than because you don’t want to, it is just the same as running out of the restaurant without paying anything. Stealing is stealing even if you don’t get caught. You can’t say it is entirely the waiter’s fault for accepting the job, because life isn’t so easy as to let us choose to be anywhere we want to be.
The only thing to do in a question with no right answer is to accept and respect both sides without judging. Understand the full complexity of the situation.
Stealing is stealing, because you take something that does not belong to you. When it is well publicized that tipping is optional, then it is the waiter who is stealing, when he/she expects it as a right, even when service is poor. The waiters are demanding 20% as a right.
If tip is meant to replace a waiter’s wages, then why should it be a percentage of the bill? It does not require any more effort for the waiter to serve me a $20 dish vs a $10 dish. That itself tells me the waiters are out to fleece me, and are not just demanding their minimal wages.
It used to be that a 10% tip was customary; the waiters then created their own campaign, to demand a minimum 15%; then it went to 20%, and Oh! by the way, you can freely give us 25% or more, if we act well and pretend we are so concerned about your dining experience! Now with inflation, meals cost so much more, and yet 20% tip is demanded for the same service.
I agree with Bhagwad, that the waiters do not campaign for minimal wages because tips are so much more lucrative. So, they use their energy to demand higher percentage, and create a situation, that the public believes that anyone not bowing to their demands are cheap or stingy
It does not take more than a 10 min job, on the whole to serve a table of 2-4. However the 20% tip would work out to about $20-30. So the hourly rate would be around $120. How many professions get that much?
By the way, I tip 20% even for poor service, due to the above blackmail and for the well-founded fear that waiters will stereotype Indians/ Asians as being stingy.
As promised here is part 3.
3. I think that another part of it is the demographics of who is waiting tables today. Traditionally it seemed like you had three or four demographics that were waiting tables before the recession, and since it I think there are another two. The original groups are part-time working parents, people working a side job for more spending money, students and first time workers, and then there were the dregs. The first two should be self explanatory, these are people doing it as a secondary income source. Personally, I think they make the best waitstaff as they do their job without complaints, comments, or fake pleasentries. In my experience it is the second two groups that have issues over tipping and performance. I am more understanding of students and people in their first jobs for a couple of reasons. They are typically not very experienced and just learning the ropes, are workign their way towards something better, sometimes really don’t understand the necessary ettiquite, and because they work alongside and are judged against the last category. This doesn’t mean I open my wallet more, it simply means that I am more understanding of their mistakes. The other side is that this is the group that tends to breach etiquitte more than the others. I think part of it is that they view patrons as their peers, which in many cases they actually are outside of the resturant setting. I also think this group plays a significant role in tipping culture later on, after they have moved on to “real” jobs and careers. The last category is exactly what is sounds like. These are the people who for some reason just cannot move past that point in their life. Often they have serious problems with some part of their life. Maybe substance abuse, alcohol problems, a criminal record, or they simply have no motivation to do better for themselves. This group gets no sympathy from me. In my experience these are the types that give bad service, don’t care, and then get upset when not given a tip.
The two other categories that have come into play since the recession are the “limbo graduate” and the “survival job employee”. These share characteristics with each other and with the other categories. Generally I think they do poorly in the service industry. Not because they are bad workers or because they lack work ethic, but because they don’t really belong there in the first place. These are people who have been displaced by economic conditions. I know several people in the first category and a couple in the second. They tend to hate their jobs and seek to get out of them on back on track as quickly as possible. As such, they tend to put minimal effort and energy into doing them, allowing them to focus on moving on with life. I don’t really think they bother as much with tip mania, and generally want to do their job and leave.
I will put up comment 4 shortly.
Agree with bhagwad. If the restaurant gives the option to not pay the waiter, as opposed to paying them and charging more for the food, I’ll take that option. Either i’m losing money or you. You may say that’s unfair, but if you had the choice to pay 15% less for something if you knew it was coming out of the worker’s salary, wouldn’t you take it? Easy decision.