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
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.
Update: Here’s a rebuttal of the many silly justifications for tipping that people have given in the comments section.
Excellent Post Dude.. American culture Sucks… The points mentioned here are worth to put in any international Newspaper/ Article.
In reply to Annonymous
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.
In reply to Zapious
FYI, you tip AFTER you have your food and service, not before. So how can a server automatically treat you poorly for not tipping when we don’t get tipped until after your experience is done and over with? This job requires ridiculous skills from communication skills to serious time management and multitasking skills. Majority of people doing this work are either in school furthering their educations or are working a job that is the most flexible easily manageable job to have for single parents. There are very few states that pay minimum wage to servers and majority of places automatically claim for their staff on cash bills and of course all credit card tips are automatically claimed. Do your research before you make an ass of yourself in public as you have here
In reply to SL
agreed, what a moron this guy is! Serving is unskilled labor???? I would love to wait on him, yes, just once. Might be the last time I ever work at that place but it would be SO worth it!
In reply to Nancy
It is unskilled labor. Anyone and there grandmother can do the job. What kind of skill is used that is so great that he job is limited to who can do it. That would actually be called a real job, you might want to try one. You comment is exactly why you do not deserve a tip. You should kiss my feet for me to pay you extra money for food that I have paid for.
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
No, not everyone can do this job! I’ve trained many and more and MOST cannot do this job. I want to see you try it, idoit! And I do have a real job!! Don’t go out to eat. You should go to the grocery store and get your food from the deli. And learn to spell while you are at it! “there” grandmother should be “their” grandmother.
In reply to SueD
I am shocked you even know a five letter word. When you actually get an education and a get a real job, then we can talk. Until then keep being my servent when I go out to eat. Actually that probably will not happen I would not go to a restaurant with such trash like you.
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
Servant*
Ha
And you’re talking about educations? Hilarious.
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
dumbass most people serving are in school! how do you think people pay their way through college. and the same people you’re being so condescending to are the Donald Trumps, Bill Gates, and Warren Buffets of tomorrow. You’re the reason why when people make it to the 1% they make sure to shut your ass out.
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
While you are talking about people getting educated, you should focus on spelling. ;)
Just a pro-tip so you don’t look like an idiot next time.
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
Trash? Well hello pot! You don’t like tipping? Great. Let’s have all restaurants play servers a decent wage. Simple right? Oh wait. Then they’d have to raise the menu price to balance the labor cost. Might be a good thing. Maybe then TRASH like you wouldn’t be able to afford to eat there.
In reply to Bri
It’s obvious you’ve never spent a substantial time living in a country other than the US. I lived in Europe for around 2 years & in the particular country which I lived, servers WERE paid fair wages and prices were comparable, if not less. Tips were never expected and in fact, were discouraged because tipping is a sign of showing off one’s wealth. But you wouldn’t know anything about that because of your narrow world experience.
In reply to GetOutoftheBox
Wrong tree but nice back door brag. Not to mention that even one staring through the narrowest crack has enough room to see the light behind it. Unless of course that crack is situated between your two ass cheeks. But even then I believe that they at least can see how much your time traveling, excuse me, living among the rest of your fellow human beings abroad has taught you. Jack shit. (my sincerest apologies to jack, he never moved outside of his house located in middle of being a decent person.)
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
I have a college degree, and waiting tables was how I paid for it. How dare you insinuate that people who wait tables don’t have “an education” and a “real job”. You should really be careful with generalizations and accusations, because they just make you look like a judgmental jerk.
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
you must be cheap and black
In reply to oo
Don’t go there. Stop your shit, stupid.
In reply to oo
I never knew so much ignorance and racism could spew out of so few words.
In reply to oo
wtf? seriously?
In reply to oo
hey hey don’t do that…i think this guy is an ass hat too but as a black female bartender, who pays for her college education…your stereotype of black people not tipping is highly uncalled for…somewhat accurate but uncalled for.
In reply to oo
or Indian
In reply to lin
Racist bitches proving exactly why servers don’t deserve tips lol
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
Servant*
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
Did you know that before getting a “real” job, people actually have to work their way through college?
Obviously someone of your genius intellect (I mean look at the way you spelled servant, obviously you are gifted beyond measure) didn’t have to worry about that, but for the rest of us mere mortals, we have to work dead end jobs to, you know, pay the god damn bills and student loans.
Why am i even wasting my time talking to you? Someone who refers to his fellow man as servants (Sorry, SERVENTS. I know it’s tricky, but I learned in my advanced kindergarten class that not every word is spelled the way it sounds! Crazy, I know. You’ll get there someday, champ. The whole little league believes in you!) and trash is beyond redemption. You are truly scum and I pity you if you are truly this terrible of a person.
Have fun getting food poisoning when one of your “Servents” decides he has had enough of your garbage.
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
This is funny just because as a server that has gotten a bachelors in both social work and psychology, I can tell you that my career now in a field requiring many certifications within itself (added “skills”) is fluff compared to my old job as a server. Serving is a very difficult job despite the fact that you don’t need to have higher education as a prerequisite. I am not sure why that is so hard to understand. But I suppose now somebody will go on to tell me how my current fields don’t require real skills either. The people commenting must be astronauts.
In reply to JennaJenna
You are certainly correct. It does require alot. I have an easy career now, compared to serving. And this is full time too.
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
Since you’re so high and mighty what type of education do you have and what is your “real” job?
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
I have my bachelor’s degree in psychology, my master’s in industrial organizational psychology, and am currently working on my thesis to get my phd in i-o psych. I’m a navy wife who has to move constantly, my husband is deployed 9 months out of the year, we have a 5 month old son, and when I’m not doing schoolwork I’m doing research at Johns Hopkins in the neuroscience department. I wait tables at night because it is the only job that can satisfy my need for very flexible hours. It gives me the cash I need to support my family and it allows me to focus on raising my son while also obtaining my degree and conducting research. I make plenty enough money with my job at the hospital, but serving puts an extra 30K a year in my family’s pockets. That extra money will go towards my son’s future, to ensure that he studies abroad (because that’s what I did and it was the most rewarding and valuable experience of my life…I doubt you can relate), and to ensure that my husband and I can retire in our 50s with a hefty sum of cash in addition to his military pension. Serving is a wonderful job and I have always said I think EVERYONE should do it…people would learn a lot more than they think they would. It’s hard work and it makes it even harder when we have to deal with people like you, but fortunately there are SO many more better people in the world who have the common sense to use just that…common sense. I wish you luck in your life. I really mean that. It must be awful to be you. It seems like you are an extremely disturbed person.
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
You’re a fucking loser and an idiot. I personally am college educated and have a real job and most likely make more money then you’re stingy cheap ass. You’re comments are ignorant and disgusting. Serving is a challenging job and if you want to be a cheap jew then don’t go out to eat and make an asshole of yourself by not tipping the people who are working to earn their money just as you do. You make me sick.
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
I make 300-500 a night in tips, work 6 hour shifts, and work full time. I’ll take it over a real job anyday. ;)
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
Your “education” really worked out for you! You can’t even afford to leave a tip. I bet you do well on dates!! Ha jk you don’t date you just fuck your fat redneck dumb bitch wife who barely like you but she’s such a dumb bitch she knows she can’t do any better than you cheap gutter trash ass.
P.s. Never been a server but go suck your tiny dick
In reply to Rob
Why do morons like you think not leaving a tip has anything to do with being able to afford it? Of course we can AFFORD it.
Hell, the fact that you advocate tipping, ESPECIALLY since you’ve never been a server, just shows what a moronic dupe you are.
In reply to SueD
It’s spelled idiot.
In reply to SueD
Lady I have been a server its not that they can’t do the job it’s that the job isn’t worth learning. You have to be able to write and carry food from a window. As for his “Grammar” that isn’t a spelling issue. He spelled the word correctly just not the right word.
In reply to SueD
Fuck you. Never tip morons like you. Even a monkey can do this job.
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
Learn grammar. Sound less stupid
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
I have never been a server for any restaurant but I have had many friends/family members as servers and it’s not easy. Standing on your feet for countless hours, having the pickiest/demanding customers, having rude costumers (such as yourself I assume). You have to have listening skills, time management skills, be able to multi-task and do it all with a smile on your face if you want the company you work for to continue having customers so that the establishment still exists thus you still being employed. Really, anyone can take orders from countless people for hours and not have any ‘skill’? You don’t want service, then I dare you to go to a restaurant and cook it your damn self or do the restaurants and servers a favor and don’t go to a restaurant. I’m sure they’d be more than happy to have one less asshole on their list.
I take it your job is a one that requires no skills since you used the wrong form of ‘there’ in your sentence. Let me know when you find out how to use proper usage of the English Language and then maybe your comments will become valid.
In reply to AJ
I totally agree
In reply to AJ
You said “use proper usage” while correcting somebody else’s grammar. JS.
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
Obviously you never worked in the industry but you are an expert on it. People like you are the lowest form of humanity. How dare you look down your smug nose on an industry you know nothing about. You deserve all the bad service and Karma that you endure. You are a piece of shit and if you ever park your ass at my bar I would show you the pure hate and wrath that millions of people in the business feel towards a scumbag like you. No one invited your stank ass here so go back to your culture and forego our civil liberties. Fucking die already.
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
I am a server/bartender working to pay my student loans. My education degree doesn’t pay enough to take care of the loans needed to get the degree. So instead of having a rotten attitude towards people in the service industry, why don’t you try and better your own education. Your grammer and spelling needs more attention.
In reply to Dubs
Amen, sista/brotha. I’m so tired of people insinuating that servers are stupid and lack education. That is almost NEVER the case.
In reply to SR
That is almost always the case you may be working your way through college but most aren’t they needed a job so they took it. How smart are you if you work for an employer that pays you less than minimum wage. Especially since you can walk down the street to your nearest McDonald’s and make 3 to 4 dollars more an hour. If you want gratuity (which is the actual term for the tip, which means a free gift) then i had better have had the best experience of my life especially if I’m already paying 200+ dollars for my meal. Now maybe you don’t have any experience working in a field that requires actual skill but, I can promise you that being a server is one of the easiest jobs you can have. Complain all you want about having to stand on your feet for hours on end and, having to deal with shitty customers. That is quite literally no different than any other customer service job. Your job requires you to take orders make sure your customers don’t need anything else and make sure their food arrives promptly from the only person who matters in the restaurant the cook.
In reply to joshuareynolds23
If you can’t afford to tip you can’t afford the dinner. Perhaps your better suited for Subway
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
Your really gonna talk bad about someone who serves you.. Did Jesus not say the greatest thing you can do in your life is serve others. Anybody who thinks that you dont need any skills obviously never did it before. You need exp, moral codes, a good work ethic, and some good judgement. I admit I think its the easiest job Ive ever done, but its cause Im that damn good at it.
I guess one can say that being a parent is an unskilled job since you dont need any *FORMAL* education. Ive been a waiter since I was 18 now, 6 years now.. never had one complaint, was told I was the best waiter people ever had probably over 100 times… yet u try to put me down by saying its a nothing job.. If you knew Jesus you’d never say anything like that… and when I own my own restaurant, I’ll make sure I pay my waiters what I can, and put in 20% gratuity in each check for PROUD ppl who dont believe in tipping. Thanks again for making me get upset over something soo trivial that I never cared about before.
In reply to Servers rule
HAHAHAH oh my god, your rhetoric.. it’s so.. ridiculous.
“Didn’t Jesus ever tell you..”
“If you knew my homeboy, Jesus, then you’d never say that..”
Jesus has nothing to do with the fact that your lack of ambition at 18 has trapped you in a dead-end job at 24. In fact, wait.. I am wrong. Your blind faith in Jesus is probably the reason why you do and say most of the stupid shit that you do.
“When I own my restaurant…”
Nope, you won’t. Jesus doesn’t favor unskilled imbeciles like yourself.
In reply to HAHAHA
Again with the dead end job. I graduated and I have a real job but at 21 I am working my way up the corporate ladder. So why not have a job serving to make some money to pay off my student loans as I go. So I have two jobs and one of those jobs will one day have me in position of CFO. I’ll make sure people like you feel it hard….
In reply to HAHAHA
Now, was that really necessary? To attack someone for no good reason?
As a 24 year-old myself, working as an accountant at a very successful law firm, I must admit I’ve been tempted on multiple occasions to get a weekend restaurant job because I MISS being a server. Don’t knock the job until you try it. Everyday waiting tables was a thousand times more gratifying than any of my “big kid” jobs I’ve had seen earning my degree.
You just made yourself sound like a serious jerk. Calling someone an imbecile, for what? Grow up.
In reply to HAHAHA
Honestly, waiting tables and bringing home 250 to 350 in a 6 hour shift is pretty damn worth it. You can keep your dirty money. You think just because you don’t tip me that its going to just break my heart and I will fail in life. You can keep your 10 dollars and hour and all your taxes. Oh wait, you only see about half of that because they screw you on taxes where I get away with paying the bare minimum by not claiming the shit ton of money I make waiting tables. I have an education, and I have a real day job making 21 an hour. Trust me when I say the extra 20 grand a year in cash (which is probably what you make total) is worth the 2-3 nights a week I work waiting tables. Trust me one douche like you won’t kill our day, other educated people will tip us. Actually, I prefer when your a dick to me and make a scene because 90% of the time my other tables will feel bad that I had to deal and even look at a low grad form of humanity like you and they will just leave me more! Karma is a bitch dude. You better hope it doesn’t kick you in the balls. Or worse, your children’s for their parents ignorance.
In reply to You’re a dick
Well said!!!
In reply to HAHAHA
That’s funny… because my boyfriend’s dad now owns a restaurant and started out waiting tables. The job he had while attending Columbia University. Oh and did I mention it is the best known restaurant in our area?? He is a doctor. As he got older, however, he decided to try out the restaurant business and has been impressively successful! You truly are an idiot. Thanks for the laugh!! :)
In reply to Kaitlyn
We Maybe he should start a trend and pay his employees a fair wage instead of expecting the people who eat there to pick up the slack. It’s not my responsibility to pay the server it’s his.
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
All of these “I don’t tip” posts are just troll-fodder. There is no more to add to the conversation.
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
Your grammar is atrocious.
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
First off, their*
You talk a lot of shit for someone who can’t use the proper form of their/there/they’re.
waiters/waitresses have to put up with your foul miserable little bitch self, I think that alone means they deserve a fucking tip. They are servicing you, and thus deserve a tip. Not much, juts a bit. Like pizza delivery men/women. They are going out of their way to bring you food/drink and to make sure everything is okay with your order. If you don’t like that go to a buffet or a drive through, believe me they probably won’t miss your cheap ass.
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
So using this “logic”, an unskilled labor job is seen as unworthy of pay? Ok, with out proper wages for our unskilled laborers there would be 1000’s of applicants at the Kinko’s you work at doll.
The only thing in life separating you from your superiors is respect. I don’t think you get a whole lot, otherwise it wouldn’t be so hard to give a drop to some poor soul serving you food.
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
Wow. You obviously have not even the slightest clue of how much a server does. I’m guessing your another one of those people that think that all they do is take your order and just bring you food. Ignorant and stupid. I’f you can’t tip, don’t go out to eat.
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
What kind of skills? I’ll tell you.
Multitasking:
Getting drinks for a table of ten while at the same time having to clean the table beside them. The kid just threw up all over the floor and who is responsible for cleaning it? Servers. Don’t forget to find the time to hurry to the bathroom and wash your hands, you are handling food, after all!
Being able to stand for at least 8 hours with little or no breaks in between:
Not to compare a server’s job to a nurse’s, because they’re entirely different but when it comes to bathroom breaks, forget it. You will constantly be running around trying to satisfy people.
Ability to smile even when someone just died:
Servers are always being told to SMILE, SMILE SMILE! What is going on in your life is irrelevant. I have a feeling this skill crosses over into many professions.
Ability to handle customer complaints, co-worker disputes, etc:
Manager getting on your case for not being fast enough? Get one order wrong? Did someone have an allergic reaction due to your mistake? Customer doesn’t like their food? Guess who gets to hear about it? Servers. All while trying to smile and fix the problem. Co worker not doing anything and just flirting with the bartender while you have to pick up their slack? Better hurry up! Those customers don’t care what’s going on. They just came here to eat.
At some places, tips are split and it’s not always fair:
3 servers are working the dinner shift at a medium sized restaurant. They all share their tips evenly, but only after giving half of that to the chefs. Sometimes, tips are decent. Others, not so much.
Example:
Dinner shift total tips: $200
Chef’s tips: $100 split between how many chefs are working.
Waitresses’ tips: if there are 3 waitresses, they split that evenly between $100 for the night.
Not every place works this way, but keep that in mind.
Our job is not for everyone and I hope you and this guy never work in customer service. You’re rude and feel self-entitled to everything and expect everyone to do everything for you. Most don’t beg for tips. Most are just trying to get by. So just go jump off a cliff, kthxbai.
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
their*
A lot of servers are college students trying to earn the money for an education and a “real job”. And you’re just an ass.
In reply to Anna
Serving is a real job!!!!! I know plenty of women who have raised their kids on being a server and has gotten them through college on tips so don’t down grade the profession…k
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
Before u talk shit about skill, y don’t u try to be a server…I bet u wouldn’t last a day! I have been a server for a while and I male pretty good fucking money for what I do and I have seen people come and go because they couldn’t handle the pressure of being a server. I have seen more than one cry because it was to overwhelming…so before u stick Ur nose where it doesn’t belong cause Ur uneducated on the whole thing try it urself…cause I’m sure I make way more than u do! :-)
In reply to dana
Please don’t talk about education when you type like a five year old with broken hands. I have been a waiter and it takes about as much skill as any other minimum wage job maybe a little less because unlike any other profession you have these helpful little things called computers and paper how hard is it to push a button to find out what a particular table ordered and then walk said order to said table. And while it is a fast paced and high pressure job it certainly isn’t brain surgery. If you make good money why are you bitching about tips. Which by the way isn’t for your sub par service its because we feel sorry for you
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
Try to give adequate service to 8 tables at the same time on a busy friday night, memorize all of the orders, and tell me it’s easy
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
Have you ever received bad service? “Anyone and their* grandmother” can not do the job. Obviously. Keep your cheapskate a$$es out of the restaurants because we wish we could refuse service to you just like you refuse to tip us.
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
Kiss your feet? How about I slap you with my cock. Chances are I care a lot less about you than you do me, so please do us all a favor and die. The world needs a lot less of you. You can take that 2% pitty tip and jam it up your ass. Nobody wants your money or your business.
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
Serving is customer service!! So are you saying that anyone that, well, say for instance is a cashier at your local gas station or even the grocery store, doesn’t have a ‘real job.’? Fool!! I’d love to know what it is that you do for a living?!
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
If waiting is unskilled labor, then maybe you should try it。Apparently grammar isn’t your strongest skill.
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
try it once on a busy weekend in any busy restaurant and assure you you’ll stop talking out of you ass
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
Lol you are about as dumb and narrowminded as they come. And to think there are millions more of you out there…its amazing society hasn’t run itself into the ground with idiots like you on the loose.
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
I have to disagree with you here I have been an office manager, a gas station attendant, a restaurant manager, and I have a bachelor s degree in business. I am very educated and have had what you call a real job and I will tell you that waiting tables was on the hardest I have ever done. I currently am doing it know because of having kids and it allows me to raise them as well as working full time. Mentally and physically it takes a toll. You have to remember we are not just handling you but 6 to 7 other tables and all of them need something else when you come back. You have to remember who had what drinking what food and what condiments they want. Plus in between refilling 24 to 30 drinks you have to take to go boxes, extra napkins, pre bus to tables that are finishing up, greet a table that was sat, get their drinks to them then run back grab more food for your other table, grab the checks for the table with boxes grab refills, pre bus blah blah. It goes on and on it takes patients, multi tasking, customer service, math for checks discounts etc, plus knowing how to work the system right. Do it one day and see
In reply to Amy
I was a waitress for a month. Everyone is right. The job was so super easy I would fall asleep from boredom and still make $300 a night on average. I never had to tipout the cooks or bus boys. I would’ve kept the job but my boss was a pervert who tried to have sex with me in the kitchen :(
In reply to SERVERS SUCK
I’ve taken the liberty to give you the lesson that I gave the OP of this article, and customize it a little for your benefit. Enjoy.
I get that you “don’t want to tip” but I figured I would do you a favor and dissect your little “philosophy.”
You’re under the assumption that you are entitled to the service that you get. You claim to “pay for it” and yet you do not tip (the optional amount for the optional service of courtesy.) You can easily choose to dine at places that do not have servers and there you can get your own drinks and pick up your food at the counter, simple and you will get what you pay for. The issue of raising prices for food to pay specific servers additional pay, is the concept of contribution. One server may be more skilled than another, and the market can decide very easily how to properly reward them by giving that power to the consumer. If you think the sever did an exceptional job , then you may “tip” them the amount you think they deserve. Or to put it more plainly, pay the additional amount you think the meal was worth. Some waiters/waitresses work harder and they should be rewarded more, now in the restaurant business (This is the important part here. I own a few restaurants so know that this comes from decades of experience on the matter, so you are in luck as I am going to give you this information for free. You are most welcome by the way.) in the restaurant business, it is difficult to judge the satisfaction of a customer on every level so you must use every tool at your disposal. Poor responses on exit can give you a tell, repeat customers is important but, more often than anything else, TIPS tell you how satisfied the customer is. A server does so much more than just drop your food at your table and slap a drink in your hands. You (as the customer) do not realize the level of expertise it requires for a server to do their job properly. They must judge the customer on who they are as a person (often within moments of entry) they need to monitor the customer and be ready to take care of them at a moments notice, and the must stay in contact with the kitchen, and floor managers to ensure their customers are taken care of, without incident. Now, as difficult as that seems, you would be surprised by the small number of complaints you get as a restaurant owner, no, the customers simply stop returning, if they receive, poor or inadequate service. Therefore it is important for the restaurant to know how well the server is doing, and that is the most powerful and clear connection that a restaurant can have with their customers, and that is with their wallet. If a customer has a problem with the restaurant but leaves a good tip then you need to look internally, whether it be with the dinning experience or the kitchen. If the customer has a problem but leaves a poor tip then it may have been the server. Since the entire product is such social experience you can’t pay everyone the same, as some will be better than others and that wouldn’t be fair. (It’s the same reason that athletes and actors are paid on different scales.) Tipping allows the customers to decide how much the servers are worth as a service. Since most menu items are priced at their base value (some carryout items or even delivery) it would make no sense to release a menu with (up to) 3 different prices on them just to cater to people who refuse to tip on these flimsy reasons. Not to mention, if they did, it would defeat the entire purpose and you would be tipping regardless of what you thought of the service, which would be a far worse system.
You stated that “servers should kiss your feet for you” or agree that “servers are nothing more than conveyor belts to bring you the food” Though I should point out (again from decades of experience, so you would do well to listen, too many young people tend to speak without listening these days.) if you were to get your own refills or pick up your own food at a counter you would consider yourself “ill used” or “demand better service” so obviously you prefer servers over self service. Otherwise you would go to restaurants with self service and this article would be about convincing restaurants to switch to that style, but that is not what you have written so I can’t post about that. Following this we must both accept that you do NOT want to take care of these things, but rather prefer that someone else do that for you, which (if you have been reading up to this point) means you need to pay for that additional (optional) service.
I would like to expand on this previous point, your statement is incredibly insulting, these “conveyors” are actually people, someone’s brother or sister or child or parent. You should, in no way, every consider another human being as you would an object. They are doing a great deal more, for you, and the business, but we’ve already covered that. That being said, the fact that you would say that brings me to another point. Waiters and waitresses also have to deal with difficult people and in a timely manner, this often leads to a level of disrespect for the servers, often tips are used to pay the server for dealing with problems and issues that go beyond their already intricate job requirements. How often have you entered a restaurant in a poor (or “off”) mood and left in a better mood? There were several factors involved in that, more than just the food. After all you do not generally ‘see’ the chef, and it is the server that interacts with you as a human being (a largely ‘social’ creature) and they are right there, dealing with your poor (or “off”) mood seeing you through it by doing simple tasks for you, so you can remain seated and relax, or get your mind set right. It seems almost to slip into the background, which is why this thought of “never tip” come into play so often, people tend to forget or misunderstand the point of tipping in the first place, and often ignore how important the work of their server was in their enjoyment of their meal. (If you come back to the option of paying the servers more and increasing the prices to reflect that, then I advise you to read the above paragraphs again to help with the matter.)
Finally, I will bring up a solution that some restaurants are going for, a solution that you may find to be pleasing. Some places are putting a mandatory gratuity of (15-25%) on dine-in orders, I personally don’t like this system because I prefer to see the customers, voluntary tips, but it is something that you would prefer, as they are doing exactly as you ask, and simply adding the amount to the ticket. In that sense it is clear, you order a 10 dollar meal, you pay 12.50 and the waiter gets their tip. All calculated for you, added to the price of the meal and you get exactly what you always wanted. Though in my mind, it is a lot simpler to just tip the amount you think the server deserves.
This isn’t about culture, or customary actions, it’s an incredibly efficient system and it has lead to amazing customer satisfaction. That being said, servers are not required for every restaurant, it all depends on the market that you are in. Some would do better, and even have higher customer satisfaction if they were built on self service, it is a case by case basis that this should be considered.
I want to point out that I am not trying to anger you, but rather enlighten you on the reasons “Why you should tip.” so you can better understand the situation. More than just arguments of “You’re a horrible person” (Wrong, you are just a person, just like everyone else) or “Tips are customary” (To some degree, yes, but mostly it is based on a system that is used for so much more than just payment, it is a connection that allow for restaurants to improve.) So Hopefully, you, and anyone else reading, can learn from this comment and have an amazing day.
If I have left anything out, or didn’t cover something adequately enough, please let me know, and I can help as best I can. This whole post was kind of ‘off the cuff’ so to speak.
In reply to Nancy
unskilled labor is labor that usually requires no specific education. Cooking the food is closer to skilled labor than carrying the food and conversing
In reply to Nancy
Do you need a higher level of education or certification to qualify for a serving position? NO. That means, by definition, it is an UNSKILLED labor position. That does not mean that it is easy or that experience does not make a difference or that anyone under the sun can do it, but it is NOT a skilled labor position. BY DEFINITION.
Sticking with restaurant industry, being a chef or a line cook? Those ARE skilled labor positions because they require additional schooling or certification to be hired into such a position. The perceived level of difficulty is not what determines a skilled laborer from and unskilled laborer. The fact that any joe shmo who wants to be a server, can apply and try. Same Joe Shmo cannot apply to be a cook because he needs the requiered certifications *first*.
Having said that, servers should be allowed the same minimum wage as people who do not make tips. The tips should go to *all* members of the dining experience (hostess, bussers and holy shit, how about the COOKS?!) and should not dictate the stability of only the servers take home wage.
In reply to Lauren
Wow. Some of you people are complete morons about the whole thing. First of all, I have had all kinds of jobs, including salaried positions that require “skill”. I still had to tend bar to cover my living costs. By your reasoning, since a receptionist only has to answer the phone, it’s a pretty much an unskilled job. Funny how so many places want a receptionist with a degree…
I have worked with people that have been the crappiest servers ever and I have worked with the best. There is a major difference. Incompetence is unacceptable. You NEED skills. You need to be able to wait on 6-7 tables at a time, keep track of food/drinks/all orders/times of orders/etc., know your shit on the menu AND be able to have a good attitude the entire time even if some douchebag (i.e. YOU) is giving you crap. Also, tending a bar requires MAJOR skills. Do you happen to know what is in every drink? Doubt it. I bet you can’t even name the ingredients in something simple like a margarita.
You don’t have to be overly friendly either. I am NEVER trying to be my table’s friend. I am efficient and knowledgeable. I HATE it when customers ask my name. I am the person that is basically the middle man between you and the kitchen. If you do not wish to pay me for this service, go to a buffet. (Even at a buffet someone is cleaning up after you.) I am catering to your every need. I am your slave for an hour. I guess since you don’t want to tip, you are basically a slave driver. Why don’t you bring a whip next time?
BTW- the servers do tip out the other people. we tip out the hosts, bussers, food runners and bartenders. We aren’t stingy. Also tips are claimed every shift. Basically, you think all servers are money hungry tax evaders. What do you do, btw? I’m sure you work for a non-profit and refuse a salary. hypocrite.
I have always said that it should be a Federal law that everyone that would like a high school diploma should be required to work a service job for at least a month. That way they can see what it is actually like AND they can learn how to treat other human beings.
In reply to Lauren
Actually, being a line cook does not require any extra education or skills. Servers receive OJT, cooks receive OJT. They both require a simple $10 food handler’s permit. The server requires ADDITIONAL training to serve alcohol. Why do people talk about things they do not know about?
In reply to Wrong
Actually what you are talking about is being a cook at places like applebees what the person in the previous post was talking about is working as a chef or a cook at any place that doesn’t have a sampler menu and that does require a college degree
In reply to joshuareynolds23
Sorry, my husband is a chef at a country club, no schooling, no certificates, he is just good at his job. The chef owner where i am employed got a business degree 15 years ago, but no culinary degree. You should come in one night. Richland country club in Nashville, Tn. we’d love to have you for dinner. And no spit we promise
In reply to Lauren
Lauren, you obviously have no idea what you are talking about. Plenty of cooks in restaurants ARE NOT certified and did not receive schooling specific to that job. And, plenty of servers/bartenders ARE CERTIFIED. There are a lot of private companies that run schools specifically for service training. So, the same “Jo Shmo” can potentially apply for and attempt either job because many establishments do not require training for either.
I am a bartender and I work for tips. At the end of every shift I am required by company policy to take 3% of my SALES out of the tips I made on that shift. That money is then divided between bar backs, bussers, and the COOKS!!! How about that?! This means that no matter how much I made in tips, I will have to give an amount that is decided based on what customers purchased….not tipped. This means if customers don’t tip, I will end up paying for having provided them service.
Having said that, not all bars and restaurants are the same, but if you’ve never worked in one then don’t act like you know about it.
In reply to Lauren
WOW you really have never worked in a restaurant. You know most BOH cooks are all ex-cons or just sketchy people who never went past high school IF the graduated high school at all. I just think its so funny that you seem to think they’re more worthy of a tip than the 20 year old paying her way through college.
In reply to Lauren
Uh Ur stupid! U don’t need a degree to cook…I was a server turned manager with no schooling and with manager position u have to cook…but I didn’t go to school for that either so Ur story is irrelevant… good bye!
In reply to Lauren
everyone keeps saying it’s untrained work. Its illegal to wait tables without taking a 10 hour $200 alcohol service class to get certified. Then you have to memorize every ingredient in every menu item.
In reply to Lauren
Cooks dont need certificates or skills. My first job at 16 was a line cook. The only skills I had then were none. And it was still easy. Now I serve part time as a second job to help with loans. Is it skilled? Not really. Is it much more difficult? Extremely. Dealing with people like those that see servers beneath them makes up for the fact it is technially unskilled. If a line cook, a bartender, a busser, and sometimes even a manager screws something up the server usually is the one footing the blame. So please, if you think tipping is unnecessary, take a step back, think a little deeper than the surface level and realize how repulsive of a human you truly are.
In reply to Lauren
hey genius, hostesses, bussers and cooks get paid minimum wage, and at most places, they DO get a portion of the server’s tips.
In reply to Nancy
Oh yeah this dude would make me get myself fired. I’ve had one customer not tip in my 4 years as a waiter and I naturally asked if it was for bad service. And his response was that I did a great job and he couldn’t afford it. Perfectly acceptable. Now if this guy had the balls to say any of his 5 “reasons” I would give him a tip. to never return to my restaurant if he would like to avoid ingesting decreaser, raw pork and human fecal matter.
In reply to SL
My first initial reaction to your blog was anger. You sir obviously are unaware of how my industry works. We are kind to you not because we want your money, but because it is our job. Do we demand cash from you? Absolutly not. My guests treat me well beacause I , in turn, treat them well. I remember the little things that they like on their next visit. As far as “we do not claim the money we make to our employer or the irs” that is also untrue. We not only have to claim the money we make, we are allocated for the money that we did not make by guests who share your views. We have to claim a minimum of 8% of our sales. Some houses make you do this reguardless,but if you make less than that, you have to prove to the irs that you made less than that.
I’m not saying that you have to be a brain surgen to do my job, but you do,however, need to be intelligent to do it. Aside from what every other server has mentioned. We must hold our composure while getting yelled at by guest, kitchen staff, bussers, bartenders, co~workers, management, dishwashers…(I think you get my point). That part of my job is the part that not everyone can do sir. If you were being pulled into 20 different directions at the same time, could you still be kind? If your guest was calling you names, or perhaps, recited your blog to you, could you still be gracious? By the tone of your writting sir, I am thinking the answer to those questions would be no.
The next time you find yourself in a restaurant, the person in front of you may just be being kind to you for no other reason than that’s their job. It seems to me that you have had a bad experience with a server in your past. I am truely sorry for that, but not all of us are that way.
In reply to SL
Well said!
In reply to SL
Amen. Couldn’t agree more. I wish I could meet this person. Obviously this person is lacking in the social department if they think that by their waiter/waitress being nice to them means we’re trying to be your best friend? It’s called being friendly and well mannered. You see, most people go out to eat to have a good time. Not sulk around in whatever negative pool you swim in. If you have all of these issues, and enough to write about it then why don’t you just make your own food and eat at home? Spare us your negative encounter because believe me, we have about a million other things we could be getting done.
In reply to Paige
I would give him excellent service. if he had the nerve to return I would give him raw pork and parasites. Maybe some degreaser if he is as unlovable in person as he is in forums.
In reply to SL
I am a delivery driver and I take home on average $15-20 a shift (4-6hrs). My best day was $60 on a six hour shift. We buy all our own gas (minus $0.30/mi). Mileage doesn’t route half the time so we don’t even really get that. Oil changes and tires are on us too, and I put a dent in my car because an apartment I delivered to had stalls so thin you could get in but couldn’t back out at any angle and had a wall less than fifteen feet behind it. Guess who gets to pay for that. And on average we make $5 pre tip pre tax. And unskilled? All of Wichita state university has one address (so GPS is useless) and college kids give horrible directions. Find Ablagh Library when its a half mile away from any roads, you have to go through two building to get to the court yard, and work didn’t have campus maps until I got copies myself. This is not totally unskilled work, and takes a lot of humility and patience (asking for directions and getting bad directions)
In reply to SL
I’m with you 100% I’m a waiter.
In reply to Zapious
When I come to your country I obey by your rules no matter how much on agree or disagree. If you don’t like our customs then don’t come into our country.
Unskilled? You try multi tasking the way a server does. Not all can cut it especially when the majority of the customers are selfish assholes like yourself that think they’re the only one in the restaurant an expect everything down 3 minutes ago. Without servers to help you you’d have to get your food or stay home and cook it yourself. Better yet just go to McDonalds for “quality” food.
Most people in the restaurant business such as my self are college graduates or students putting themselves through school. I’m a college graduate and photographer starting my own business and I need flexible hours to do so. My friends are putting themselves through nursing school and need a job with flexible hours to do inbetween day classes.
Your ignorance is what is wrong with this world and is Americans don welcome I or your kind in our country. So stay home and go to the crappy fast food places.
In reply to Aubrie Judka
It’s not a law or a custom. The vast majority of the world fought tooth and nail, and many even were KILLED for it, to remove these oppressive systems and be paid a MINIMUM WAGE.
You understand this? People actually died fighting for the right to be a paid a working wage for their services and here you are demanding you be given free money by people who also work for it because you refuse to accept that your employer is the one who owes you a wage.
Perhaps if those who are tipped weren’t exceptional at under reporting their tips to the IRS it wouldn’t be a problem. Perhaps if every single state didn’t require your employer to meet the standards of minimum wage if you are under tipped, it wouldn’t be a problem.
We don’t tip when we go to the United States because you are not owed it. You make minimum wage, regardless of what new ridiculous single-mother-working-for-their-doctorate-in-neurosergery story you make up to excuse not declaring your tips to your employer and the IRS. What you’re expecting is that we come to the United States and adhere to a ridiculous worker exploitation otherwise…
What? You’ll spit in our food?
Do you honestly want us to go to places like Afghanistan and slap a woman around if she speaks to us without permission? Because that’s a custom there. Even despite the fact that the rest of the world fought tooth and nail to get rid of it in their country.
In reply to Marius
You, my dear, are an idiot. Bless your poor heart. You are probably better in whatever country you live in because there are enough imbeciles in this country as is. HAve a wonderful day :D
In reply to Marius
whoa…. minimum wage? minimum wage in Florida I believe it’s 8 something an hour… it may even be 7… servers make 4.77 an hour… so we are not making minimum wage by far…
In reply to taylor
$2.25 an hour for cocktail waitress and $4.00 an hour for bartenders. WELL below the minimum wage.
In reply to Luis BERNAL
I am a bartender and I make $23/ hr. + tips….and the tips are better than the hourly
In reply to taylor
4.77 an hour?! Lucky you. In PA it’s only $2.83 an hour!! Everybody should try serving. Then maybe they would understand. And yes, being a GOOD server is not easy. Show some respect!
In reply to Tina
same here in RI and Ma…..this blog just proves that we servers haven’t actually been stereotyping all this time
In reply to taylor
Here in Indiana it’s $2.13 an hour if you’re tipped.
In reply to That’s a lot
One word to most of these responses: WOW! I never respond to such ignorance but this is amazing! BTW…I am a server but have a degree in Psychology and this just makes me laugh. One cannot judge another person’s position until they too have stepped foot in their shoes. In South Carolina where I currently reside, minimum wage is $2.13 for servers. The reason I am working in such an industry is because “skilled” work in my field is unfortunately unavailable in this area and I don’t have the means quite yet to move. However, to all of you who have never worked in the hospitality industry, KEEP YOUR MOUTHS SHUT! You have no idea what others must go through to get to where they need to be in our lives and period and point blank and you all are simply ignorant and uninformed. If you believe that people working for nothing is okay, then why don’t we just go back to slavery because that is simply what that is. If you feel that people should not be tipped, don’t go out to eat. Part of the “dining” experience is to enjoy the atmosphere, the people (including the servers), and appreciate having someone who is friendly and competent wait on you. Other than that, you are welcome to order your food for take out. We don’t appreciate Americans or foreigners coming into our places of business and feel they are above someone else. My thoughts to all of you is to get off your high horse and remember that we don’t spit in your food if we don’t like you and we don’t try to be your best friend. We only try to give you great service so that you enjoy being out. Eating out is a not a necessity so why don’t those of you have such negative attitudes stay home!
And if any of you think that serving requires no skills, please feel free to trade shoes and try it out sometime. I am 100% positive you would not even last an entire shift without walking out.
For those that stated people should be required to take some sort of training course in high school about restaurant dining, I think that would be a great idea. I think foreigners taking vacations should also have to take a course as well because they are coming to our country and expecting things from us Americans. You expect us to value your cultures when we are in your countries, why don’t you all do the same?! If you don’t like how things are here…DON’T COME!
In reply to taylor
texas is 2.13 an hr, it is stated in law that restaurant minimum wage is to be made up for by tips, so there for it is LAW that you or someone more civilized and decent human being, will make up the reduction of our wages compared to “real minimum wage”
In reply to Marius
Seriously? You’re going to use an outlandish comparison of tipping in america to slapping women in afghanistan? Oh well, since you’re so good at the hyperbole game, you obviously know what you’re talking about. Did you know some states only pay their tipped employees 2-3 dollars an hour, WELL below national minimum wage. So no, minimum wage argument is invalid. Even so, minimum wage is still too low to live comfortably or even eek by. So yeah, tips are sort of important.. If we just put 18 percent service charge into the bill you’d be fine with that? Yet you don’t want to follow a custom, and yes, it is a custom. Furthermore, getting the government or even most employers (most restaurants that people work at are corporately owned) to change the wages is next to impossible. So get a new job then! Right?! Some people actually ENJOY the service industry believe it or not, and those people deserve to be paid for doing a difficult job. Imagine if they suddenly cut your wages at the ole dick sucking factory, you’d be pretty pissed! And it’s not fair because you really enjoy that job (ok you’re right, analogies are fun!) You telling a server they don’t deserve a tip for good service is simply just shitty. Just because gratuity isn’t included in the bill the same way it is in other countries does not mean its okay to skip the tip. Oh and so because our employers don’t include that charge its okay to completely ignore it. This IS a custom, it is the norm here. You are a selfish turd. Please begin a celibate lifestyle immediately.
In reply to Marc
Well said!!
In reply to Marc
love it
In reply to Marius
Wrong. Waiters generally make $2.13 per hour. Plus tips. You’re a self important, arrogant prick with entitlement issues. It’s bad enough your waitress has to be nice to a rude customer, bringing everything you want and need without complaint or excuse. Multiply this by 30 customers for several hours straight. To degrade them by denying them the couple of dollars they’re working for? That’s despicable. Tip your server. Always.
In reply to louis
So…
I am a single mother who works at a hospital for 13 an hour, goes to school as much as I can to finish my Masters degree AND can’t makes it from paycheck to paycheck with my “liveable” wage, so, waits tables part time as well. Anyone who can claim being a server is unskilled, had either never done it, or, failed miserably at it. Wake up man! If it wasn’t for our tips, we wouldn’t get a pay. $2.65 an hour covers my taxes for that job AND I pay taxes at my hospital job. I get it twice, as do most people who wait part time because their Jones paying minimum wage doesn’t cover the bills. What you’re truly doing, is being being an asshole and basically saying you’re better than I due to your employmeny status. I say, you’re a dumb fuck amd the one who wants something for nothing. You want someone to run around like crazy, kiss your hairy, sweaty ass all night, clean up after you act like table manners were abolished with slavery and not fork out the change, remember one simple fact: your momma doesn’t work there. Go to her place and stay out of mine. Ass.
In reply to Marius
Your an idiot the minimum wage for service personnel is lower because of tips and get your facts straight because of people like you most servers have to report more to the IRS then we make in tips because by law in my state anyway you must declare a percentage of your sales as what you made in tips and people who don’t tip add to our total sales and we have to claim money we didn’t even make and the reason it is customary to tip is because we are providing a service for you plus going out of our way to make your dining experience an enjoyable one because its not only the food that makes a dining experience enjoyable its prompt friendly service, trying to make you feel as if you matter to us and the fact that many of us are putting ourselves thru college or working in the industry as a second job to help support a family. I dont expect anything from any one I simply do everything I can to make my customers feel welcomed and like part of the family so they enjoy their experience and I do such and am friendly in hopes that they recognize my effort to go above and beyond to make their evening enjoyable and feel that I am worthy of something extra like in your regular job when you bust your ass and do your best in hopes of your boss recognizing such and giving you a raise that’s how I look at tipping you the customer are my boss and if you feel I made superb effort that I deserve a raise from you so take your cheap ass away from America and fuck off we don’t want you here anyway don’t make arguments as to why I shouldn’t expect or deserve any extra when in reality your just a cheap ass penny pinching money grubber be man enough to state what you really are instead of passing off your cheapness with pitiful excuses
In reply to Marius
No one died to be paid minimum wage you moron
In reply to Jaime
Unions fought for minimum wage and yes a lot of people died in the fight for a right to work and live on minimum standards. People take things like this and good service for granted now because we didn’t have to fight for it just like the freedom to express your opinion as foolish as it may seem… people fought so you could live free and make stupid posts lol. I think the true point that is being sorely missed through out this post and the comments is that it is manditory to tip you tip because services you recieve are quality services. Your not just tipping the servers when tip either your tipping the hostess for getting you a seat on a clean table in timely fashion your tipping the kitchen for cooking your food properly and quickly and your tipping the busser for cleaning up the mess you left as well as the server who got you your drinks and made it so the kitchen knew what you wanted how you wanted it and ensures that it makes it to your table that way in as short of time frame as it can. To me those all seem like good reasons to pay a bit extra. If its all done properly that is if it isnt then by all means don’t leave a tip.
Oh and PS for all the haters on here I’m not a server I don’t envy servers and I couldn’t do it all these pricks that post negative comments here couldn’t either you are skilled and it doesn’t go un noticed
In reply to Marius
You’re right, jerk! ALL servers should quit and go on welfare until restaurant owners pay us minimum wage. I’d love to see you try to eat out with no one to take your order or read the entire menu to you or put up with your one request at a time, freaking idiot!
In reply to Marius
No, we are not expecting you to come to the United States at all…for anything. Please don’t.
In reply to Marius
How in the world can you speak intelligently about what total strangers are claiming to the IRS? You audit them? You’re not even American, you have no idea what you are talking about you complete moronic shmuck! You do not tip? Makes you a cheap scumbag, creating excuses for not tipping makes you an idiot and a fraud. You know you are one of those that stiffs and runs out the door before the server or bartender sees the tips….in a true cowardly fashion. Asshole.
In reply to Marius
Okay, I understand and can respect your objection to our system, but the appropriate expression of disapprobation would be to boycott establishments that don’t pay their employees a living wage, not to just conveniently boycott the tipping aspect of your dining experience. To extend your delicate “slapping women around metaphor,” you wouldn’t deal with that problem by refusing to help a woman up because you so ardently believe she shouldn’t have been knocked down in the first place. You’d take it up with those who had knocked her down! So, write letters to restaurant chains! Tell them you’d prefer to have a higher bill than be expected to tip. Don’t take out your frustrations on servers who are not responsible for the system. And until things change, you probably shouldn’t eat at most U.S. resaturants, since you clearly wouldn’t feel ethical supporting such an oppressive, exploitative system. I honestly see your point, but I don’t really buy it as your true motive for not tipping if you’re not willing to stand up for what you believe through a sacrifice of your own, rather than that of your server.
In reply to julsmcgee
Absolutely brilliant point, and well said.
In reply to Marius
I’m unable to understand how slapping a woman is relevant to food.
In reply to Marius
And this is why I will forever give poop brown people, or other foreigners, shitty service. I dont care if some of you are decent people, because the majority of you look down on others because of your own ignorance to the rest of the world. Way to perpetuate a stereotype, and dont be shocked if you repeatedly recieve bad service. Its called racial profiling, and most servers do it (at least the smart ones) because we know exactly how you look at us so we dont care how your meal goes. Now go roll in some more poop.
In reply to Marius
GROW UP. Do your research? Do you really think that we make tips on top of minimum wage? Yeah waiter minimum wage. Some states that’s only 2 dollars, some thats 4. We work our asses off for dick heads and arrogant people like you day in and day out. What keeps us going are the people that aren’t swimming around in some negative pool of anger you seem to possess. Are you trying to support yourself right now? Are you trying to get somewhere in life? Have you already made it? Did you work a job that you didn’t want to do for the rest of your life so that you could finally get there? WELL GUESS WHAT that’s what most servers are doing. Do you really think we could support ourself off of 2-4 dollars AN HOUR?! And by people like you coming in and ringing up whatever tab you carry and then not tipping WE ARE PAYING FOR YOU TO SIT THERE AND HAVE US WAIT ON YOU HAND AND FOOT. Let me just break it down for you nice and easy since something tells me you don’t understand how it works.
1. An asshole like you comes in and sits in our section and you begin to order.
2. The things you order cost money.
3. By you ordering things that cost money, our sales go up.
4. When our sales go up, we have to tip out more.
5. At the end of every shift each waiter/server has to tip out the bartenders, bussers, food runners, and hostesses.
6. When you don’t tip, (because you’re an asshole who should have just cooked for yourself) our money that was suppose to pay our bills or school fees is now being used as tip out money so that everyone else can have their money.
7. Except us. Because you didn’t tip us. Even though we did everything for you.
8. But I’m sure to you, that whole hour you sat there… The 2-4 dollars we made an hour will surely cover us to make it by.
Stay in your own country if you can’t obide by other customs. Like they always say, if you don’t something, don’t pursue in it. AKA COOK FOR YOURSELF ASSHOLE.
In reply to Marius
Your just a selfish ass. Just don’t go out too eat simple as that. Go through the drive thru or cook for yourself. Don’t waste a waiters time and table if your gonna be this way.
In reply to Lynell Vaughn
*You’re, you uneducated buffoon.
If a server doesn’t want to do the job they’re paid to do by their employer, then they shouldn’t be working. They don’t do anything that a worker at BK doesn’t do, and they get paid the same $7.25 they deserve. It’s not a customer’s responsibility to pay them, and it’s certainly not selfish of a customer to not want to pay somebody who isn’t their employee something they’re already being paid to do.
In reply to Aubrie Judka
When you go to another country, you obey the laws of that country. The customs are your choice.
In reply to Zapious
It’s funny watching the length you’ve gone through to excuse yourself from being considered cheap. It didn’t work by the way.
In reply to anonymous
The only person that’s cheap is the employer…if the servers don’t like their hourly wage…they should probably quit..seems to me like someone is getting phucked
In reply to Ed
It’s not the employer, it’s by STATE. In Wisconsin I get paid $2.33 an hour and I would consider myself a pretty damn good server. I have people’s drinks at their table within a minute, I can do separate checks of up to 30 in a party, I know how to interact with customers, and people in general…it just frustrates me so much when people give poor tips, or nothing at all because it makes me feel as if I did an inadequate job…I ask myself, what did I do wrong? Did they not like my service? If i give you quality service and you give me a shitty tip, it makes me think less of you as a person, sorry, but not sorry.
In reply to Sarah
Apology rejected…federal state it doesn’t matter. My point still stands. It sounds like you picked the wrong job if most of the pay you need to live off is optional. Why don’t you try a regular minimum wage job? Then you won’t need to rely on tips…and you will stop stressing over why you received little or no tips.
In reply to Ed
Your a cheap piece of shit dude. They deserve a tip. If you have any pride in what u did maybe you would understand what integrity is.
In reply to Ed
Resorting to insults diminishes your argument. They deserve better wages not tips. Stop putting it on the consumer for the failure of government.
In reply to Ed
That’s exactly the type of attitude that is saturated in American Culture. Rather than taking action and helping the server who is not getting the bare minimum wage by tipping them, you just say ”It’s not my problem” and you pass the buck and wait for the government to cover your ass, all for the sake of $3-$4, when you probably only eat out once a week. Fuck you.
In reply to Dan
but it isn’t my problem. I’ve got problems of my own that fill up 16 hours a day of my life. You should take care of YOUR PROBLEMS as I take care of mine: family, job, bills etc.
Your wages and social ills concern me not. This is capitalism, not socialism, remember that please.
In reply to Common Sense
well….. then take your cheap ass to burger king, or mc donalds, where tipping isnt expected……you feel like italian? get the italian chicken sandwich …. The norm is 95%(atleast) of customers tip when they dine out….ok… so you have a job where you can make a wage, and jerk off and do nothing for as much time as possible while at the job…if a server isn’t working, they arent making any money…….and yes the wage’s suck….. I don’t think its fair to pay a employee 14 cents for 60 hours of work after taxes…. but they offer extremely flexible hours, and will normally make pretty decent money in tips….. does your 5$ that you dont tip make or break us? No… but it just goes to show how cheap you are, You get what you pay for…. so you know, i have no problem if you were to come into my restaurant , sit down , and as soon as i greeted you, told me you weren’t going to tip…. then you would get what you paid for…. but instead if you go to a restaurant , act like an complete douche bag( as 99.9% of ppl that don’t tip do) and demand excellent service when you have no intention of tipping, then you are just a coward, either man up and tell your server immediately you have no intention of tipping, or tip….. or are you afraid that will effect your service…. you know… the whole thing you are tipping on in the first place…… not the food… not the menu…… nor the prices…. but the service…. man the fuck up
In reply to Ed
While you are right that servers deserve better wages so that they don’t need tips, the way to make that happen is not by refusing to tip. You’re not making a point that the employer is in the wrong, because you’re still supporting the employer. You’re hurting the server who worked hard to make your experience pleasant (even though you report that you don’t need such service and then continue to go to restaurants anyway). I can see your frustration that this isn’t how it’s done in other parts of the world, but don’t short change the server just because you think their employer isn’t handling things properly.
In reply to Ed
The reason servers are paid under min wage and want tips is because it gives them a reason to work better than average. Pay someone min wage and they will work like you pay them, crappy and min quality. Give them an incentive and they will work harder to please and be paid better. Which in turns keeps the customer happy and makes them return helping both the server and the company.
I never served food, but I know many servers that have customers come back directly to them because of the service instead of the other resturant down the street. How often does that happen in min wage jobs?
In reply to Ed
bs rationalization of being a skinflint
In reply to Ed
optional but still CUSTOMARY. No one is trying to plan their life on optional income. And if you feel so right in your choice not to tip, and it is your choice, no one can really argue that, then let the server know from the beginning that you don’t tip and don’t want any more than minimum interaction – just entering your order in the ‘server computer’ and dropping off your food. That way they won’t have to waste your time with all these activities such as being welcoming, friendly, and caring about your dining experience. All things you apparently seem to find obnoxious.
Please remember, that just because you cannot relate to the idea of someone who you don’t know or who is not your friend actually being nice or caring about your experience without some ulterior motive to get at your pocketbook, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist. Your assumption that the server is ‘pretending to like you’ and is ‘obviously after the tip’ is simply a reflection on you and how you view others. It’s cynicism like that – generally by people who cannot relate to the idea of being genuinely invested in another’s experience (even a stranger’s) – that’s what really sad, and hurtful to me.
Come in to my restaurant and I’ll give you good service. And you won’t tip. And next time you come in I will remember you and give you good service again. Why? because yes, it is my job, no matter what benevolent crumbs you decide to ‘gift me’ when you leave. There will always be non-tippers who abuse the system, for their own gain. Just like people who use up government subsidies and welfare programs without an honest attempt to get beyond them. And that is what we as wait staff have to expect. But you as a not tipping customer must own it and realize that our low wages and tip-based status subsidize the low price of the meal that you are consuming. Oh, and when you don’t tip please also realize that in the majority of restaurants out there, you are actually taking money out of the server’s pocket. Yes, I mean that literally. If you don’t tip it’s not ‘break even’ for us, unfortunately – because most of us tip out a percentage of those sales to other staff in the restaurant.
Just some food for thought that you can roll in to your ‘philosophy’ on why you don’t tip.
In reply to John
in market economics, if a job is SOOO bad and pays SOOOO low, normal people find other means of finding their income.
If a restaurant is paying $2.33 and Wal Mart is paying $9/hour, common sense tells us that you go with Wal Mart, since it is paying more.
Why doesn’t wait staff simply unionize, protest or quit the job?
In reply to Common Sense
Because SOMEONE will still have to work that job for you to stuff your fat cock holster of a mouth. Even if the server quits, someone else will replace them, and you will just be fucking them instead. Try not being a complete waste of oxygen for once in your life.
In reply to anon
I don’t think its too much work to walk 5 steps and get my own food from the kitchen. You make it sound as if servers are indispensable when they are merely a luxury, a very expensive luxury if I might add.
In reply to anon
big deal, its called work. not play, work. Now get back into the kitchen and work.
In reply to Common Sense
So you think we should all go and work at Walmart – then how the hell are you ever going to be able to eat out again? Firstly, the reason you are able to eat out as much as you can in the US is because the cost of the food is kept to a minimum, to do that the owners pay minimum wage, agreed to by the govt at 2.33 an hour – so it’s not the owners but the government that allows this, and what most of you haven’t a clue about is that the IRS determines a tax rate for servers based on the area/establishment that you work at – therefore servers get taxed on their tips whether they get them or not – so you are actually stealing from them.
In reply to Common Sense
In michigan, we have had horrible unemployment rates. Even the temporary staffing agencies weren’t bothering to man their offices. Given the choice any job is better than NO job. If you think so poorly about tipping your server why don’t you take a vacation from your high paying job and try it for a few days. I DARE you! Most servers are good people just trying to make an honest dollar.
In reply to Common Sense
This common sense (or lack thereof) guy is a huge tool. Servers actualy make decent money when jerk offs tip them Can you understand how this works? By using the tipping system you pay for YOUR SERVER, where if wages increased you would have to pay for ALL THE SERVERS in the cost of your meal! The tip system makes food cheaper in the end, and incentivises better service. It also gives the customer a sense of control of the situation, making them more comfortable about the food quality and service. Just admit you’re a cheap prick, there isn’t much else to it.
In reply to Ed
Have you always been an asshole, or did you have to take a class?
In reply to Ed
Right. Because you would be willing to pay $30 for a burger so servers could get a living wage. Idiot.
In reply to Ed
Ed, you are an idiot. It is a well known fact that minimum wage jobs do not pay enough for a person to have a home, a car and still have electricity or eat. If ALL servers quit, whatcha gonna do? Go to the kitchen and tell the cooks what you want to eat? Go back to the kitchen to get it? Really? I.D.I.O.T!
In reply to Ed
Employers do NOT come up with the salary/hourly wage that a server makes. It is dictated by the government because we are expected to make the difference in tips. All our tips get deducted from the minimal paycheck we get, and goes to taxes, therefore we never recieve an actual paycheck. everyone who is saying its “servers fault for picking that job” and we are “uneducated”—i paid my way through college by waiting tables. If it wasnt for people like us, there would be no restaurants. everyone would be responsible to cook and feed themselves. so before you get all high and mighty, think about what you are saying. research the job and the pay rates, think about what life would be like if you couldnt go out to eat …. simple minded, ignorant people like yourself is what we deal with daily with a smile on our face. could you do it? no…. get a life.
In reply to Lauren
ummm, yes they do. It is not illegal for your employer to pay you MORE than minimum wage. I can’t believe you just said that.
Again, your social ills do not concern me. I paid college without going into the restaurant business just fine. Perhaps you should work for sanitation–starts at $12/hour high school diploma.
California pays its employees minimum wage PLUS tips, so what gives? Your employer can pay you as much as h/she wants, NOT the government. We don’t live in China, ya know?
In reply to Common Sense
Actually, California doesn’t pay their waitstaff minimum wage, which is $8/hour. Next time do a little research.
In reply to Ed
No, I agree with anonymous. You can only make up so many excuses for being cheap and those aren’t valid. Lord I feel sorry for you guys. Cheap is not an attractive color
In reply to Ed
It’s Fucked man. If you’re going to actually spell a curse word really spell it you Canadian pussy.
In reply to Ed
Seems to me you’re a fucking idiot who should stay home instead of wasting people’s time by going out to eat you piece of shit, cook for yourself.
In reply to anonymous
Wow, what a cheap, stingy, classless human being. YOU COME TO AMERICA FOR A FREE HAND-OUT, & you can’t even tip your server. Go back to the nasty place you came from, you don’t deserve to live or dine here.
In reply to Maddie
you are a racist and therefore don’t deserve to live in my country! this is not about where this man come from or nationality. There are many born Americans that are just like him and believe as he does. and every word you used to describe him, it seems you were describing yourself. you can have a opinion and not fall to the level of name calling.
In reply to Bianca
Bianca please educate yourself. Nothing Maddie said was racist.
In reply to Zapious
Just wanted to let you know that it is the government that makes the rules about servers’ low hourly wages, not the owners of the restaurants. If you don’t want to tip, how about writing some congressmen about raising the hourly wages of servers? Just sayin’.
In reply to bro
Why should the onus be on me to improve the lot of waiters? I don’t care either way. It’s the waiters who should be protesting for their own interests!
How do I come into this?
In reply to bhagwad
I will go out of my way to help other people when I get nothing in return because I want to leave the world a better place then when I came into it.
But lets talk about the tipping part. When I don’t want to tip, I don’t go to restaurants where tipping is expected. Just because you want a certain type of food does not mean you should dock someones pay just to have it. Yes, you can actually COST the server money by not tipping. The server often has to tip out other workers based on the amount of food you purchased. So if you leave no tip, he still has to pay the other workers. In my opinion, servers should be paid a bit more then minimum wage and no tips (like in some parts of Asia). But that’s not how it works here, so I tip what’s expected.
How is this YOUR fault? It’s not, but it’s how the system works and you fuck it up when you don’t tip.
In reply to Holc
Yay! Somebody understands! Thank you Holc!
In reply to bhagwad
If you don’t want to tip or don’t want to be expected to tip, then do something about it. Or better yet, just don’t go out to eat. If you are there for the food and not the service, get your food to-go. The good thing about this business is that you get the good with the bad and the good almost always outweighs the bad. If someone stiffs me, sure I’m upset. But I get over it and move on and am very grateful for my 20% tippers. A man and his mother tipped me $50 on a $45 tab the other day and wrote “Merry Christmas” at the bottom. People like that are what make people like you tolerable in this business. It’s fine if you don’t want to tip, but you don’t have to go on a crusade to try to make people think the way that you do. By the way, have you ever waited tables? Just curious.
In reply to bhagwad
People who are in the restaurant business are in it for the tips. Luckily the majority of people dont agree with or follow what this asshole does or says. Most people in the restaurant industry have the ability to make more than most 9-5 jobs.
Look at this D-Bag’s profile picture. It’s in his blood to not tip good or not tip at all just like every other Indian asshole.
A stereotype is a stereotype for a reason and their track record is not good in the tipping world. And then they wonder why they get shitty service when they go into restaurants. What look at this ugly mug and everyone knows he’s a selfish cheap prick.
In reply to Aubrie Judka
…it’s in his blood? how the fuck is it his fault that waiters dont get paid more- i work hard for my money and i dont want to just give it away in this economy- Aubrie you are a white BITCH and you belong in the 1900’s where your ideals apparently come from
In reply to anon
Yeah they work hard to you stupid fuck. They have to serve assholes like you and smile about it.
In reply to anon
You’re an idiot. Just don’t talk anymore please. Every time I read one of your comments I feel like I lost some brain cells and a bit of integrity.
In reply to Carolyn
That was meant for ANON
In reply to anon
How do you know Aubrie’s white? Oh yea YOU think only white people are racist and that is not racist at all! Idiot.
In reply to bhagwad
I would absolutely love for you to spend a night working my so-called, “unskilled” job. Let me remind you sir what TIP stands for-TO INSURE PROMPT SERVICE. The employees who work at a drive-thru simply hand you your diet coke and big mac with fries through a window and send you on your way, they are not concerned if the burger was prepared to your liking or if the food was cooked to the proper temperature. As a SKILLED bartender, (something you know nothing about) I prepare your drink myself, whether it be a long island ice tea, draft beer or margarita. This takes lots of work considering I have several other patrons sitting at the bar. Second, I do not PRETEND to be your friend, I am simply, kind, courteous, and friendly. In customer service you go by the golden rule-TREAT PEOPLE THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED. When it comes to your meal, it is my job to make sure that you’re food is delivered in a timely and efficient manner. I have to make sure that the cooks in the kitchen have prepared your food properly; whether it be medium rare for your burger, extra crispy wings,
etc. So by the end of your visit yes, I think I deserve a couple extra dollars than one who hands you food through a window. Dining in a restaurant is mainly an experience. I believe I
provide a better experience than an employee at Wendy’s. You tip me because I make your
grey goose martini in front of you in a nice, clean, martini glass and not in a paper cup with a straw. You tip me because I hand deliver you a hot, cooked-to-order meal on a real plate instead of a greasy paper bag. I believe you posted this article on the internet for shock value because after reading it, it made me laugh because you have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. How do you know my job as at Bartender/waitress takes no skill if you’ve never been one? I do believe I earned every penny when I make tips behind my bar. So here is my challenge to you MR. BHAGWAD, I want you to get a job for just one month at either a sports bar or a restaurant chain. Go through the training process and actually become a server. Then come back and write another article about your experience. And if you still feel the same way about how I get paid then I respect your opinion. My point is, before you publish an article on the internet about what you “think” my job is like, DO YOUR RESEARCH GUY. I can’t wait to hear back from you. I hope you accept my challenge, because I know my job will chew you up and spit you out and I can’t wait to hear about how you FAILED because it was too hard. Good Luck to you.
Sincerely,
DON’T TALK ABOUT SHIT YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT :D
In reply to Katie, the angry bartender
HahaHaha “skilled” bartender. Dude you pour things in glasses for a living that’s not a skill. Its a backup plan for when you drop out of high school….
In reply to anon
hi anon. I first want to inform you that I did not drop out of high school, I graduated with honors (not like that is relevant to the topic). Secondly, insulting me does not back up your argument. I am simply someone who works in the industry bringing you the SIMPLE FACTS about my job. If it’s so unskilled, then can you tell me how many ounces of liquor a person can be served per drink? or, what’s in a cosmopolitan? an oatmeal cookie shot? or a lemon drop? Anon, do you know what liquors are called for all of those drinks and how they are measured? So this brings me to my original point, If you have never been a bartender or server, you have no room to comment on whether my job is unskilled. That would be like me judging a doctor or a walmart clerk. I have never been either, I don’t know what skills they acquire, so I don’t judge. And just a side note, I am a female, not a “dude,” any guy/girl who came to my bar with a lack of simple etiquette like that would get laughed at and probably ignored. So anon my advice to you is to do your research. I don’t think you realize how ignorant you look when you insult a female bartender and you’ve never been one.
In reply to anon
That’s like saying ”Haha skilled builder, all you do is hammer nails in to wood and put them together”. There’s a bit more to bar-tending than just ”pouring drinks in to glasses”. If it’s so easy, you try memorising the exact ratios for every possible drink someone can order, and then chuck you behind a bar at a loud club, dealing with drunk idiots all night, while earning less than minimum wage and all the while smiling like you don’t actually give a shit.
In reply to Dan
And in some places have people blow smoke at you all night. Good restaurant staff work their ass’s off and deserved to be tipped.
Been there, Done your job Dan & Kate and it ain’t easy dealing with pricks like the stingy assholes here.
In reply to anon
Yeah, bartending is a very skilled job; and at times it can be quite lucrative as well. You have obviously never worked in any service position in your life to say something like that; as such it is important to remember that there are two groups of people you never piss off, those who handle your food/beverages and those who handle your taxes. Remember that next time you go out for drinks at your favorite little bar; and when the service there seems to suck it’s probably because you have been tagged as someone who doesn’t tip and therefore doesn’t get the attention that tippers do.
In reply to Dustin
I would like to also point out…. bartenders and servers in many states if not all… are held legally responsible for how much you consume and how you get home…
In reply to bhagwad
Then you should see the fundamental problem with society. Its assholes like you that only care about themselves , i bet if your work.had massive changes that affected your lifestyle you would be crying like a bitch wanting help. You asshole.
In reply to bhagwad
Of COURSE you don’t tip. You’re Indian. Nothing more to be said.
In reply to bhagwad
“Why should the onus be on me to improve the lot of waiters?”
What a fucking cheap piece of fucking cheap shit you are much less the shitty person in general you appear to be. “If it doesn’t directly benefit me then the hell with it” Could your attitude be any less American or Human?
I hope you find yourself in a very deep river and unable to swim as lots of people just walk on by. Why should they bother saving you? It wouldn’t be any benefit to them at all.
I hope you drown.
In reply to Jessica
Generosity should come as a pleasant surprise. Never demanded. Certainly you don’t complain that a person wasn’t generous enough!
The moment generosity is expected of me, you can be sure I’m not going to do it.
In reply to bhagwad
A tip is not generosity you pompous twat, it is a gratuity. If you want to go to a restaurant and have someone wait on you instead of cooking and cleaning for yourself you should show your appreciation. The reason restauranteurs pay such a low wage is that they are not legally obligated to pay more, that all ties into lobbyists strong arming congress in the ’70’s to ensure that minimum wage for servers will never go up. Simply solution to your whining is to stay the fuck home. I ever see your face in my restaurant you will be asked to leave and never return.
In reply to bhagwad
Go back to your fucking homeland you stupid sandnigger you clearly don’t fit in here
In reply to Jess
Jess, you can disagree with this gentleman all you like, and I do disagree with him, but I do NOT appreciate your racist statement. It has NOTHING to do with what he has written.
In reply to bhagwad
Have you ever hear the expression, “If you run into an asshole, you ran into an asshole. If you run into assholes all day, you’re the asshole.” because that’s you, my friend.
I’m genuinely nice to my tables because I enjoy people and interacting with them. Do I make good tips? Yes, because I’m a good and friendly waiter. If you don’t want human interaction, there’s delivery and drive throughs, bud. Maybe stop assuming everyone is out to get your precious money, and enjoy the people and atmosphere that we try very hard to create for you. And reward us for keeping you happy and satisfied and in want of nothing, because it’s not as easy as it looks.
In reply to Jessica
Your comment is spot on. The OP sounds like the typical primadonnas we get in our taxi business.
In reply to bhagwad
You don’t even have to pay taxes for, what is it? 7 years!!!! Then you sell the business to another of your relatives that repeats the cycle. Us AMERICANS born in the USA have to PAY taxes, yet you, an ignorant asshole that does not, decides it’s okay to further deprive the people that bust their ass and are TAXED for it an honest living? I feel that if anyone has no right to deny a tip it’s an ignorant foreigner whom does not even have to pay taxes when the people born here do. Sorry, if anyone wants to call me racist they can fuck off because I am merely pointing out a fact of this person and how his “working for a living” goes. If I didn’t have to pay taxes I would sure as hell sit on a minimum wage job and be rich in 10yrs, but I have to pay taxes even if assholes like you don’t tip me, I have to pay taxes on tips I didn’t get because of assholes like you. Please, and this is in no way a racist comment, GO BACK TO YOUR COUNTRY if you don’t like our culture and how things are. Again, I don’t see you crying about how you don’t have to pay American taxes. Why is it when an American goes to a different country we are expected to respect and follow every little tradition and rule you have but here you can come, NOT PAY TAXES, and then proceed to write an arrogant and unjustified blog about how you don’t have to follow our customs? You and your post is just creating a stereotype among your culture, it’s sad that people like you are the reason everyone of your nationality gets the same rude conduct from so many people.
In reply to bro
http://www.dol.gov/elaws/faq/esa/flsa/002.htm
In reply to Zapious
Ohh, so you want the employers to pay the servers, ok. Lets include that into your meal, you piece of shit. Pay $25 for your burger and $7 for your soda. And if you want a beer, it will cost you 12-15. That’s what would happen to your bill if our salaries were higher.
In reply to Zapious
typical canadian, cheap fucker
In reply to Zapious
I find it really insulting when people say that being a server is Unskilled and especially how this douche decides to put it all on caps upon saying it. You try and study the different types of wines there are in the world from what region, the varietals the vintage, which wine is dry which ones are crisp or fuller bodied than the rest; we cater to every single person that walks in to our establishment from their pallet to their tastes and dont forget to mention those that have dietary restrictions because god knows someone could choke and die if they have glutten allergy so we have to make sure we know the ingredients of the dish that they are consuming that time. When you go out to a restaurant do know that you are not there to eat but to have an experience. WE SELL EXPERIENCE, the food is a given.
Now, if you do not want to tip more than 10% or do not want to tip at all, which is your god given right to do so and that will never change nor will i ever be offended either, but please AS A COMMON COURTESY, PLEASE LET US KNOW THAT YOU WILL NOT BE TIPPING, then we dont have to run around over your table when your glass is empty and we can spend more time taking care of those that DO care about their experience. I can give you your intial drink and put in your order and we can bring your food and that will be the end of it, like in McDonalds, you order and you go simple as that no one is mad and you’re happy, and if you want water get up and get it yourself, if your choking im hoping someone is kind enough to give you a hand because i rather fill the glass of the person who is actually appreciative of the things that i do for them.
Its very simple really: You do want to tip, tell us right away, you get your food and what you need and we dont bother you you eat and you leave simple as that, dont ask me for water, dont ask me for a refill when you’re done and you want your food to take home i will even be nice and bring you a box so you can take your left overs home, then you’re on your way. Now if you want an experience sit tight and relax and maybe i can even order for you and let you know the best thing our establishment can offer. No ones the wiser really, you dont have to be a douche and i dont have to be a douche, i dont offend you and you dont waste my time. You get what you want and i dont have to hate you for it.
Or there is always the simple dont go out and just cook for yourself, i mean this is the best possible thing…
In reply to Zapious
Yea good for you. We pay for education, medical and daycare. Fuck you.
In reply to Zapious
UNSKILLED!!?! You try it for a week and see how you fair, eh! Cheap-ass Canadian
In reply to Zapious
you are a disgusting miserable human being and i cannot imagine you have any friends you loser
In reply to Zapious
Funny…I just dropped some white canadians at the airport…got them at the luxor…your post was very insperational.their ride should have been 12.50 or so…38.70 is what I charged them.thanks for the $26.20 tip…
In reply to johnnycab
What you do is your choice. I don’t know why you think I’m going to be interested in your criminal activities…
In reply to Zapious
Hey, asshole…you’re cheap. Period. It is a VERY skilled job. Taking care of a lot of people and making sure you have what you need is actually a VERY difficult job, especially when they are demanding and obnoxious, as I am sure you are. NO ONE is forcing you to go to an establishment that has servers. You are free to go to McDonalds or some other place where people don’t serve you. But if you’re not going to tip because you don’t like the system, then don’t go to the restaurant, don’t penalize the person that is just doing their job under the assumption that you aren’t some cheap fuck, like you clearly are. Also, remember that George Bush shipped so many jobs over seas with the idea that they would be replaced by service positions…like waiters and the like. So until the system is changed, it is what it is, and if you don’t like it, don’t use it. To not tip is just fucking rude and uncalled for and considering you know you should do it and refuse because you feel you are entitled to service without paying for it, either through increased food prices or tipping, you’re just being a jerk. EAT AT MCDONALDS.
In reply to Zapious
unskilled? I would LOVE to see you keep a table of 20 people happy when you have one cook on staff, the bartender is quitting tomorrow so it takes him 5 minutes to make one drink, and the music is so loud you can’t hear a damn thing they’re saying.
In reply to Zapious
But, the customer is the employer. You keep the lights on and the gas going. At least that’s the line if shit were fed lol. You alsobpay our wages. Oh and not 10, 15, 18 or even 20% You pay a MINIMUM of 50% of the total bill. The fuck you think this is, I’m tryna by a lexus ya dig baghWAD NIGGA BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITCH
In reply to Annonymous
I am not sure where you are located, but it sounds like possibly the UK? If you are in America, then you need a lesson in our culture, because you obviously don’t get it. I agree with you, no one should be paid below the minimum wage, but in our country, waiters are allowed to be given a lower than minimum wage because we are given tips for our customer service. This has been a part of our culture for a very long time. Waiters get paid about $4.65 an hour and depend on their own quality of customer service, in the hopes that the consumer will give them a tip.
Having that said, I think you already know this. So, since you already know this, then you must admit that you just simply don’t care about those that are waiting on you. You are fine with the fact that you are not helping that person make a living. Every time you send them back because your water had ice in it, and every request that you make is very taxing on us, when you are not the only table in the restaurant that we have to run back and forth from.
Like I said, I agree that we live in a shitty society that demands that we rely on our consumers to tip us… yea that sucks. And it really sucks because of ignorant people like you that refuse to assimilate to a culture’s demands and needs. Thankfully, by law, when you enter my restaurant with a table of five or more customers, I am allowed to enforce an 18% gratuity. So in the end, I will pry the tip out of your cold, cheap hands. I deserve it, because I give quality service, and I am sorry that our culture treats us this way. If you refuse to tip in a culture that demands tips, then I am sorry, but you are the asshole, not us! That’s like me going to another country and spitting on the ground when it is punishable by fines etc. I respect other cultures, so please, when you are in our country, fucking tip you cheap bastard.
In reply to Maestrofini
Oh? To my knowledge, there is no legal requirement for me to pay a tip unless I’m explicitly billed for it. And it’s so easy to blame others rather than the stupid culture in the US. Just because it’s the “culture” doesn’t automatically confer immunity from criticism – especially when it involves money and is not some harmless practice like behaving in a certain way or shaking hands with the right hand…
In reply to bhagwad
I agree, the culture is wrong, and I stated that clearly. The point that I am trying to make is that it IS our culture and you live in this country. I plan to travel to Japan and I will adhere to their cultural lifestyle out of respect and not because I have to, but because I do not want to offend those people.
Put simply, I agree that it is a stupid custom that we tip our waiters, and it is not right that we, as waiters rely on tips to survive. The fact that you refuse to tip us, and refuse to acknowledge that we need your tips, is ignorant.
In my case, I abide by the culture that I am currently in proximity with. Like the saying, “when in Rome…” You on the other hand, choose not to tip us, and by doing so you are offending the establishment. You seem to be ok with that, so I will let you think that you are right. I am simply trying to help you understand because you are making a fool of yourself. Just know that while you are eating your food, the cooks, waiters and the owner, are all talking about how cheap you are while shaking their heads in the back of the kitchen.
I just want you to know that while you are correct about our system being wrong, you are not right by refusing to be a part of the system. We need your tips to survive, to pay for college, to feed our kids. Do you tip your cab drivers? Do you tip your stripper? In America, historically we have built jobs that exist because of tips, and that’s just the way it is. If you refuse to tip, then you are cheap.
You live in America, and by the American definition, you are cheap. That is all I want you to know. Americans think of you as cheap, and if you didn’t know already, that’s kind of looked down upon in our society. Welcome to America! Enjoy your stay :)
In reply to Maestrofini
That’s a little too convenient isn’t it? Tipping is not a morally neutral activity which “has to be accepted because of the culture”. In Saudi Arabia, women are looked down upon. That’s the culture. Will you follow it when you go there “just to not offend other people”? No. Or at least I hope you won’t. If a particular country’s “custom” is ethically invalid, you would do well not to follow it and keep your principles.
If a cultural practice is ethically neutral like…say using chopsticks in the far east, then by all mean – do in rome etc etc. Since it’s not an ethical concern. But when a practice is ethically wrong, you can’t just follow it merely because “it’s the culture”. I already gave you the example of Arab countries mistreating women.
So your entire argument falls apart. Tipping is not an ethically neutral activity. It’s bribery. And I won’t be part of it. Enjoy.
In reply to bhagwad
Owned. :-)
I was born here, you racist bastard, and I’m brown as well, and by simply admitting that the culture is flawed then suggesting it should still be conformed to is an absolutely contradictory notion to the foundation upon which America was founded – rebellion for immoral persecution.
Grow some balls, “American”. Don’t ask for free handouts because it’s easier to patronize customers – look your boss in the eye and tell him to go fuck himself.
But I’m guessing you won’t, because you’re a coward, unlike your founding fathers.
In reply to Rob
The other day I went to a restaurante with a friend. I had $20 cash with me and all I purchased were some drinks and some finger food. I followed the menu pretty closely so I wouldn’t go over that $20. It just so happened that the bill was $19.64 with taxes, leaving a tip of 0.36 cents. I just said to the waitress “It’s alright, just keep the change”. On her return she snidely said to me “Gee, what will I ever do with 36 cents”. I was pretty astonished at the way she acted. I saw comments on the post where waitresses are defending themselves saying that they “aren’t slaves” and that they should be tipped. Well… you’re NOT being held hostage as a waitress are you? No. You ARE being compensated for your work by your employers? Yes… Then what the fuck are you complaining about? I work at an unnamed electronics store that rhymes with VestGuy. For minimum wage I approach every customer and look after their needs with the most cheery and upbeat attitude that I can have… I’m not getting tips and I am not getting paid on commission. Really… what makes my job THAT much different from your server job that you require an additional 15% bonus on top of every transaction?
In reply to Jake
You make minimum wage, servers do not. I have worked retail and I have worked multiple jobs in a restaurant and working in a restaurant is much more stressful and fast paced. Servers, bussers, and bartenders are paid less than minimum wage to keep the price of food down, hence relying on tips to pay you. I have also worked in a restaurant were I was paid a salary and did not work for tips, and guess what, I gave shittier service. Incentive based waiting will generally ensure better quality experience for the customers, ever wonder why most of the employees at McDonald’s suck? If you can’t afford to leave 15% take your “brown” ass to McDonald’s.
Also some places have a “tip share” wherein you leave some percentage of your total sales in a pool to pay bussers, bartenders, and hostesses. So when you leave nothing we actually have to pay to serve you.
In reply to Don
You choose to work at tip share establishments, idiot!
In reply to John Doe
Wow! Rude much? If everyone thought like you guys, the only options you’d have left are places like Panera Bread and McDonald’s for dining out, because 99% of people aren’t going to wait tables for $2.13 an hour.
In reply to John Doe
John Doe. No need to call human beings who have a job idiots! They are people who work, regardless what the job is, it’s better than sitting unemployed and collecting, to which u to can say u actually r forced to pay (or tip) that person. Do u and ur non tipping believers breath a different air than others? Did u tip the air?
In reply to Don
Servers do not make minimum wage? Well gee whose fault is that? The customer’s? Hit the streets and demand minimum wage, start a rebellion if you have to, that’s the only way you are gonna get things to change. If you let your employer treat you like a slave, then you can’t fault anyone but yourself.
Without customers your job would be rendered invalid and you wouldn’t even get that less than minimum wage salary you make. So instead of looking a gift horse in the mouth, protest against your employer and demand minimum wage.
In reply to Andy
Andy, Why do you patronize establishments that pay less than minimum wage (which is a crime unto itself) to their employees?
Seems like you are taking advantage of the workers because you know that you can save money there, There are places that charge a base gratuity out there. Maybe you should go there then rather than partaking in the employers monatary abuse of the workers?
And take this author/asshole with you.
In reply to Andy
Jesus have any of you ever tried to get a drink in the U.K.? Yeah they get paid a pretty respectable wage, and they do their job like shit. No please take your sweet ass time getting me my beverage, the conversation you are having with your friends about Man U is much better than me getting a beer within ten minutes of coming up to the bar.
In reply to Don
you just contradicted yourself- i work better if i get paid tips….why? if you have a job you should do the work required no matter what- that is the biggest difference between indian people and lazy ass whites- we work for our money, we don’t ask for handouts
In reply to anon
It’s funny to me that brown people come from fucked up third world countries with their ” better values” to our first world ” founded by and is predominately white” country and criticize our culture and the people who established it. My advice to brown people is get over your self loathing and hate for white people simply because we are better than you with a better track record to prove it……..oh yeah and I give shitty service to all foreigners cause they suck ass when it comes to tipping so feel free to keep being the shitty cheap asses that you are, it’s no sweat off my back.
In reply to anon
Well Anon, the problem with your statement is that you are generalizing…..every race has hardworkers and lazy people, and that includes Indians, I work with many Indians and some of them are the best workers I’ve had the pleasure of working with, but a few of the others are the laziest people I’ve ever worked with and are always slacking off and moaning and complaining about how much and hard the work is – yet it is the same job!
In reply to Jake
To Jake: That server who spoke to you that way was in the wrong……for saying that to your face. Those things are reserved for the back of the house, where we vent about cheap pricks like you and then move on because there are more people in this country who understand and adhere to old customs than there are cheap pricks like you.
TIPS is actually an old acronym that means “To Insure Proper Service”. People used to have to tip before service was provided and that tip determined the level of service you were given.
To all: without servers you would have no establishments to dine at outside of fast food, grab it yourself type places. Karmas a bitch and I’m willing to bet the farm you all have miserable lives. No job is better for a student or single parent than in the service industry. I’d love to see how your perspective would change after you’ve worked in a restaurant for a day, on a Friday night during a rush. Oh yeah, don’t forget how much people need an escape on a Friday night or a place to take a date out and think of how much of an impact it’d have on our society if there were no restaurants. Good luck with your bad karma
In reply to Jake
The difference is that you actually make minimum wage. Some servers make only $2.13 an hour, which is significantly lower than minimum wage. That is all that employers are required to pay them in some states. Some servers don’t count on tips to supplement their paycheck- tips are their paycheck. Also, many systems automatically claim 10% of the servers sales for taxes, so if you aren’t tipping at least 10%, the server is actually paying taxes on a portion of your meal.
In reply to Jake
Well you just cost your server money. 98% restaurants in america have a tip share which its between 2%-3,5% so do simple mathematics 19.64×2%=0.39 cents. So she had such a pleasure to be your server and pull out 3 cents out of her pocket. If more people like you will do the same as you did, by end of the night she will not make any money and worst thing she will have to pay restaurant owner from her savings to cover tip share.
In reply to Jake
No, servers are absolutely NOT paid minimim wage
In reply to Rob
Just served a table of 17 Indians that I were almost sure were not going to tip me, so I had my manager add 18% gratuity to the bill. Got a $40 tip. Call it racism? I call it survival.
owned. and thank you :)
In reply to Maestrofini
Take a look here – lots of pathetic attempts at arguing……………………..the admins have removed some of the more offensive and threatening posts by servers/beggars, after of course taking screenshots of threats to sabotage food.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-NEVER-tip-waiterswaitresses-or-bartenders-EVER/115746235104829
In reply to Maestrofini
Look at this D-Bag’s profile picture. It’s in his blood to not tip good or not tip at all just like every other Indian asshole.
A stereotype is a stereotype for a reason and their track record is not good in the tipping world. And then they wonder why they get shitty service when they go into restaurants. What look at this ugly mug and everyone knows he’s a selfish cheap prick.
In reply to Rob
well said, brother.
In reply to Rob
He was not owned. You guys are just making yourselves look like cheap low life people. Keep on making up excuses for being cheap and try to defend yourselves.
In reply to bhagwad
Hey,
I make $2.65 an hour at my job as a waiter. I work about 40 hrs a week. If no one tipped me, I would make $106 a week. Your justifications are weak, but so is the argument of respecting national customs. Bottom line, if you don’t tip in countries where your servers make such meager wages, you are making a statement: there should be no minimum wage, and you would actively ensure that people make as little as possible. If a minimum wage of say $10/hr were established here in the United States, the food you’re ordering would go from $12 to $20. Take that into consideration. I’m not looking for a handout. I do a fantastic job for my tables, offering them recommendations on food, wine, and beer. I take my job seriously in being extremely knowledgeable about the menu my store has, as well as ensuring all of my guests’ needs are met. If I made a set wage, like $10/hr, I would no longer work as hard. I work hard so I can make tips. If there are no tips to make, my work ethic will gradually diminish.
So, in essence, you gain two things by having a tipping system:
1.) If you tip 20%, the cost of your overall meal is less expensive than it would be if your server made an hourly wage (all of your food prices would be at least 40%-50% higher).
2.) Your service is better. The hope of receiving a good tip make providing exceptional service a very high priority. I have regular customers at my restaurant – I know who tips and who doesn’t. Guess who gets better service?
In reply to bhagwad
Tipping is bribery? Do you consider paying a maid to clean your house or paying a gardener to mow your lawn bribery? Tipping is compensating someone for the services rendered. I do agree that adhering to ones own moral convictions takes precedence over cultural conformity, but voluntarily engaging services from someone, then refusing to compensate them for those services simply because your not legally required to is immoral…in virtually every culture. The practice of tipping shows respect to the consumer by allowing them to assess the service and decide for themselves if it was satisfactory, paying accordingly, rather than having the charge imposed on them regardless of their sentiments about it. By arguing that you don’t tip because you’re not legally required to, you’re saying that you’re refusing to pay for something you received not because it was unsatisfactory, but because you could get away with not paying for it. How is this ethical? You seem to be concerned with the logistics and moral underpinnings of tipping, so wouldn’t it be more ethical to voluntarily pay for the products and services that you engage, rather than only paying for them if someone “pries it out of your cold, dead hands”?
In reply to Kristi
Tipping is bribery because its demanding extra money on top of the wage paid by employers. I pay a fixed monthly wage to my maid and gardener, they don’t expect tips at the end of the day, so there’s no bribery here at all.
I would of been all for tips if the servers didn’t get any wage from their employers and completely depended on customers for survival. Then it would of been criminal to not pay them tips for the services.
In reply to Andy
“I would of been all for tips if the servers didn’t get any wage from their employers and completely depended on customers for survival. Then it would of been criminal to not pay them tips for the services.”
So you agree that you should tip? Or you are more concerned about the legality than the morality? Because servers cannot survive on the wage that their employers can legally get away with paying them. You’re argument is circular. You are also saying to not “look a gift horse in the mouth” but you are making the argument to not give the horse as a gift in the first place because why should you as the consumer have to buy the servers horse. You are saying that the restaurant should be responsible for supplying the horse. But who will pay for the cost of the horse? Certainly the restaurant owner will. But in order to remain profitable they will charge more for food. And you will pay more. Based on your eagerness to argue your point I imagine you believe yourself to be right a lot. So what do you think is a fair wage for your server? Do you think the wage should be the same for every server? And once you determine that wage, do you tip accordingly? I imagine you would prefer to pay based on the quality of services rendered rather than an arbitrary $ amount that pays the server the same regardless.
Also, as stated before, your food cost is subsidized by tipping. BUT if you had any idea how scheduling for a restaurant works, you would realize that prices would have to increase more than what you tip to make up the difference. The restaurant staffs based on sales assumptions and will by nature run a more tight schedule than usual due to the wage hikes and you would get worse service due to the fact that the server would be more likely to have more tables. Then your cold incorrectly prepared food meal may take longer and be less enjoyable but still cost the same as it did before when you tipped. Or the service was impeccable and the food was fresh out of the window, but you’re paying a 25% premium or forced tip.
In reply to bhagwad
If you don’t want to tip for the service then just order TAKE-OUT and eat it in your car or at home.
You just want your food, right?
Funny listening to cheap people trying to justify their ignorant behaviors.
In reply to Really
Actually, in most restaurants (especially non-corporate) the togo person still makes less than minimum wage. Tips – even 10% – makes up the difference. They take your order, deal with your millions of allergies, substitutions, etc, ring it it, make sure it’s right coming out, bag it, etc. And they have to tip out the foodrunners. So stop being fucking cheap. You’re paying for someone else to make your dinner, someone else to bag it, etc. At least shovel out a couple bucks. If you become a regular, it will pay off.
In reply to D
Sorry but only the chef deserves my money for making my food. The chef is the one doing all the work that requires serious skill and his salary is already included in the dish. I don’t have any allergies or special requests, so its ridiculous that you think I should simply hand out $5-10 to someone just to put the food on the table or in a bag as in the case of a takeout. For that little work whatever the waiter or togo person receives per hour from the restaurant owner is enough and that amount is already included in my bill.
If a person is a regular at a restaurant, the tips hurt even more as paying that much extra everyday does make a significant difference at the end of the month.
The only time a tip is really deserved is when more than 4-5 people sit at a table and the waiter is given the run around for all the orders. A tip has to be earned. For a single person ordering a single dish, tips are like handing out free money to a beggar.
In reply to Andy
You are so correct Andy(sarcasm). I cant wait until you are in my bar and its three deep on a Friday night and some drunk idiot is starting a fight with you. See, Im not going to kick him out, I will let him harass you and you can deal with it. You see what I do requires no skill at all. Remembering and perfectly preparing dozens of drinks at once, ringing up customers, making sure that the group of 12 got their 3 cabs(which I called for them), telling the obnoxious guy to stop hassling those nice girls, making sure the band is set to go, grabbing food orders, etc. Im doing all these things at once, so this one time I will not kick out the guy that is about to punch you in the face. Im going to let you handle it.
In reply to bhagwad
First and foremost, if everybody was like you and didn’t tip, then restaurants would be forced to put an automatic gratuity on your check that would probably be about 15% to 18%. If you had ever worked as a server and had an idea what you were talking about you would certainly see things more realistically. Tipping is just an incentive based type of pay like bonuses and commissions with the one major difference being that you are paid directly by the guest rather than from the employer. I have worked as a server for ten years at the same restaurant and I still make the same $2.13 an hour that I have always made because there are no raises. The $2.13 an hour that I get paid doesn’t even pay all my taxes so the only paycheck that I ever get from my employer is my once a year vacation pay. Other than that, not only do I not receive but one paycheck a year, but at the end of the year I usually owe about $700 or $800 a year in Federal Income Tax. So the only money I get is from my guests and fortunately there are some really generous people out there that make up for the fact that you left nothing and in a way I guess you could say that they paid part of your bill. 2% of my sales automatically go to the bartender and busser so when somebody actually leaves me nothing, that money comes out of my pocket and that is just a legal way to steal from me. My tip average is usually between 17% and 18% and that’s pretty much where it needs to be because if I averaged any less than 15% then there is no way it would be worth it to work that job and I think I am speaking for every server that works with me.
In reply to Maestrofini
Fuck me sideways, a waiter makes enough to travel abroad.
In reply to John Doe
How do you know?
In reply to Miranda
Because we see it happening all around us?
In reply to bhagwad
Honestly, do not come to the US if you dont like the culture. I don’t go to shit ass India because it smells and everyone is a total fucking asshole. You think we want your ugly goatee’d mug sucking air in our country? Don’t go to any restaurants, stay home for all anyone cares, you fucking scumbucket douchebag. In fact, just fucking die in a typhoon, in your own piece of shit, fledgling economy country.
In reply to bhagwad
I’d really like to see a follow up article on your opinion of tipping after you’ve worked in the service industry as a waiter for maybe 3 months and made a living out of it, preferably in a corporate ran restaurant with extremely high standards. BJ’s Brewhouse would be an excellent place to start. I’m not saying this out of sarcasm, it’s just that many people with your opinion change it after they’ve had to do it. Hope you’ll consider it.
In reply to Just A Thought
Absolutely agree. I’ve worked at BJs Brewhouse for 3 years now. They are sooo demanding of their servers. Its absolutely ridiculous the steps you have to take with each table, how you have to learn their 160 entrees, 75 drink menu, 15 original brews, and making sure each table has your undivided attention. This guy would just die. He thinks bringing the food from the kitchen to the table is the extent of it. If he only knew! I don’t ever wish bad things on people but this guy seriously needs to have to resort to waiting tables. But to be honest, BJs probably wouldn’t hire him because of his lack of experience! Lol. Yeah, you do have to know what you’re doing to do this job, and do it well. I’ve read so many stupid and ignorant comments on here. But the reality is, as a server I pull in a phenomenal wage. And this guy is not even worth worrying about. His one non tip doesn’t compare to all the great tips that I make. And his ignorance is his own, not mine. Trust me, I will never beg for money from an ingnorant simpleton such as this fool.
In reply to bhagwad
There’s no legal requirement for you to act decent but you do because most people want to be a good person.
If you come into my restaurant with a party of 6 or more they automatically put a 20% grat on the bill and if you dont pay it they call the cops on you.
In reply to bhagwad
Actually by law you do have to tip if it is stated on the menu that a certain number of guest in a party has to tip a certain percent. It may vary I have worked where a party of 6 or more is automatic 18%, and another place I worked for was a party of 10 or more was automatic 16%. And this will be applied to each persons bill if you decide to get individual bills to try to get out of paying the auto-grat.
In reply to lynn hughes
Then it’s added automatically to my bill and I have no problem paying it. I can’t believe that it’s mandatory for the customer to have to sit and calculate gratuity and pay anything other than what’s on the bill!
In reply to bhagwad
so you’re saying you are bad at math? You don’t want to sit and calculate gratuity? I’ve been reading all your comments and now it comes down to algebra? It’s really easy, let me break it down. First, you calculate 10%, that’s easy, just move the decimal point. Example: bill= $42.35, so 10% is $4.23. So, to leave 15%, just divide that by 2 and add the two together. Example: $4.23/2 is $2.11 roughly, added to $4.23 is $6.34. Done! I’m sorry you can’t use your brain, but most phones have a calculator these days. Is your time so valuable that you can’t spend a few minutes to fill out a receipt? What do you do, besides this blog thing. I guess it(this blog thing) makes you feel pretty special to have your voice heard and so many people reading it and commenting on it. Good luck in life. Hope you never have the day where you meet a server that you failed to tip. Like when your best friend introduces you to his new love, and oops! She was your server, but it was years ago and now she is a super successful doctor(because I’m sure in your made up idea of life, the only people you hang with are rich and never servers). How embarrassing for you! That you could be such an asshole!
In reply to Miranda
You just don’t get it. Why should some random stranger demand money from me that I don’t have to give them?
In reply to bhagwad
my God man!!!! Just be courteous!! no one is DEMANDING money because we can’t do that. But throwing a measly five bucks for going beyond the call of duty isn’t that serious. Then, the next time you come in, that waiter will remember you for being KIND and COURTEOUS enough to give them five bucks and they will think about you before some of their other tables. That simple. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to but we sure do appreciate it when you do….. seriously. It’s not freaking rocket science. TO INSURE PROMPT SERVICE (TIP) throw me 2 bucks for making your long island and I’ll make your drink first before some of the other customers at my bar. Otherwise, if you come to my bar with that smug attitude and don’t tip on top of that, count on being ignored because I do have the right to refuse service.
In reply to bhagwad
No one is demanding you pay for anything. Here is the deal though. I make $2.13 an hour. I work 40 hours a week and my paychecks still equate to $0 because everything I make hourly goes straight to the IRS. You make a lot of assumptions in your article; being a server is an “unskilled labor” etc. that show you have obviously never been in the service industry (also quite insulting). It is incredibly tedious and tiring work, but it can also be very rewarding and at times enjoyable, that being said you have to have a high tolerance for dealing with assholes and doing so with a smile on your face.
These are all things I knowingly accept as a server, I accept that my income is going to be based primarily on tips etc. I work my ass off for every single one of my tables. I make sure their food comes out correct, hot, and in a timely manner, I make sure their drinks stay full, and I make sure that at the end of the meal they were satisfied with their food (if they weren’t I have my manager take it off the bill, I don’t let my customers pay for something they didn’t like) I do this for up to 6 or 7 tables at a time. Now if you don’t want to tip me, that is totally fine… But tell me at the beginning of the meal. Because what you are doing is coming into my restaurant, expecting and receiving good service, and then not paying for my services. I work my ass off to malke sure my customers are taken care of, and when I get stiffed I feel used. I agree employers should not be able to pay so little, but by doing so they are subsidizing the cost of your meal. When you come in, get good service, and then don’t tip you are using your server and taking advantage of their service/time. Don’t wanna tip, fine. Tell me in advance so I can dedicate more time to my other tables that are actually going to compensate me for my time and show appreciation for the work I do. I’m not going to be a jerk to you, but I’m naturally going to prioritize my tipping tables ahead of you because I work to make money… Not for fun. We can argue over the wage all day long, but it is what it is. $2.13 an hour, and no amount of talking to manager is going to change that. Also I have to tip out 3% of my sales to bussers, bartenders etc. so when you don’t tip you actually cost your server money.
Knowing all this and still not deciding to tip just seems very immoral to me. No one is demanding anything, but most people have a sense of decency to compensate someone for the services they were provided. I would really like to see you work in a restaurant for 2 weeks, i guarantee your opinion of servers would change. The job is incredibly demanding physically and mentally, and when you don’t tip you are abusing the system and taking advantage of your server.
Also, I stumbled onto this blog because I was googling ways to get better tips from my Indian customers, thinking perhaps maybe I have been doing something or acting in manner that was insulting to them and attempting to figure out a way to better cater to their expectations when dining out. I’m hoping most of them are not as cynical or immoral as you are. I try not to judge people based on stereotypes but it is a pretty understood one in this business that Indian people are the worst tipping demographic. You have not done much to dispel that, but perhaps they all do think like you. Regardless, thanks for the insight.
In reply to bhagwad
Bottom line: Cost of service is not included in your meal. Your meal is cheaper as a result, you are aware of this, not tipping is essentially stealing. Not paying for services received. Not required, not demanded, but you are getting your meal subsidized on our behalf. A little gratitude is, not demanded, but HIGHLY appreciated.
I agree restaurants should not be allowed to pay servers such measly hourly wages, but I also find it incredibly ignorant of the people saying “demand more from your bosses”.
#1 They are going to laugh at you and point you to the door, and every other restaurant out there pays the same.
#2 I think this sentiment shows just how ignorant people are of how the political process in this country works. The restaurant industry has incredibly powerful lobbyists that have fought tooth and nail, at least here in Texas, to keep server wages where they are. In the last 5 years alone three propositions to raise the minimum wage of servers have been defeated in the Texas Congress. If you follow the money it always leads back to the Texas Restaurant Association.
In reply to bhagwad
You just don’t get it. It is a part of the culture of the country you live in. If you don’t like it there are plenty of other countries you can go to, plain and simple.
In reply to Miranda
That’s awesome, because its sooo true. One day, this fool will be “inspired” to tip, regardless of his ignorant blog. One day he will see, because he’s too bold with his thoughts and feelings on this. I’d be surprised if he actually ever had a date in his life. If he has, he’s already been dumped by the mere fact that he’s cheap, and what woman wants to date THAT? WAIT TILL SHE FINDS OUT ABOUT HIS BLOG!!! Bahhaaahha! Loser!
In reply to bhagwad
Really Guy?
Come on. If you don’t like tipping then go to a fast food joint. We don’t need you at a real restaurant. You sit there at your table waiting for your drink, your extra plates, your rolls, your food, your bill, and you wonder why you tip. How about when your mom served you a meal? Did you sit there and tell her not to bother you, just bring the food? Did you not say thank you, because that is what she was suppose to do? I hope she smacked the SH*! out of you!!! There is nothing wrong in saying that we should find another job, but some cannot. So you can sit back in your YUGO as you drive away knowing that someone cant put food on the table because of you. I bet you feel proud of your stance.
In reply to Jackson
I certainly did thank my mother. And I say “thank you” to my waiter as well.
But sorry, no money. That’s a line I won’t cross.
In reply to bhagwad
the writer should be shot, he is disgusting and obviously uninformed. Ridiculous. How about this you idiot, COOK YOUR OWN DAMN FOOD IF YOU DONT WANT TO TIP, DONT GO OUT TO EAT BECAUSE YOU OBVIOUSLY CANNOT AFFORD IT YOU CHEAP DISGUSTING EXCUSE FOR A MAN!
In reply to bhagwad
you can try to justify your point of view all you want but the fact of the matter is that you are stealing from your server, what you are doing might be legal but stealing is stealing whether the law recognizes it or not. You are stealing service and that is a commodity that has value just like in any other business. The person who wastes my time and my table with no intention of leaving a worthy tip has robbed of the opportunity to serve someone who would have left a tip. Fortunately there aren’t many people who see things the way you do at least where I live because on the average I don’t think I even get stiffed but about 1 or 2 times a week.
In reply to bhagwad
Indians have a horrible reputation with waitstaff, bartenders and cab drivers. Whether Hindu or Muslim. When you get cruddy service in restaurants or bars, and cab drivers cross the street to avoid picking you up, and you wonder why the world is so horribly unfair, all you have to do is read your own article. You are only confirming what many already know. Indians are not to be trusted and are only out for themselves.
If it was necessary for me to be in India, for whatever Godforsaken reason, I would conform to local customs, in order to make my prison sentence more pleasant.
In reply to bhagwad
“it’s so easy to blame others”
Wait wait, didn’t you just do this? I’m pretty sure I remember you blaming the employers or government.
‘Not my problem, I blame your employers’
And, after working through the industry for four years (total) as I grab my Masters in Biomedical Engineering (from a great school, actually), I don’t mind if you don’t tip me. But please, just let me know. I won’t ignore you, but I won’t pay attention. The “nicest” word you could probably use to describe my behavior would be “rude”. You said it yourself: you don’t care how you’re treated, and you don’t want “a friend”. Okay, sure, no problem. Again, just let me know. I’ll get to you when I have a second. Oh wait.
Or you know, you could just stop being lazy and cook your own meal. It’s cheaper too. I think a burger homemade is only a few bucks. How’s THAT for saving money?
See? I’m looking out for you, man. And I’m not even asking for a tip.
In reply to bhagwad
I suggest you try living on $4.65 an hour. As others have suggested, please do get a job waiting and serving for a month or more, then come back and relate your experience. Many of us here would be very interested in your ensuing insights.
In reply to bhagwad
You’re a stupid SAND NIGGER, get the fuck out of my country, my culture, my rules. Plain and simple you fucking pumpkin head welfare case. How many degrees didnthey hand you for being brown? Fucking braindead cocksucker.
In reply to Maestrofini
First off, I’m from Canada. And it is YOU who don’t care about waiter/tresses. By being a non- conformist, I will make change so that people aren’t taken advantage. You complying with tipping makes sure the practice (or in your words “culture” ha ha) continues. That’s my polite comment.
Now the facts (brace yourself) Waiter and Waitresses no doubt bust their asses. BUT it is not my fault they don’t want to get educated and keep there legs closed ( or keep it in their pants, for guys) so they don’t have children they can’t afford and expect me to pay or it, or use it as a sob story. People are responsible for their own path. It’s funny, I also use to drive cab (in which I also got very few tips) and some of my fares (who tipped well ) were escorts. Sometimes single mothers doing it to pay for school to make a better future for themselves and their children!
The funny part is the parallel between hookers and “tip wanters” (for lack of a better term) they both will treat you better the more you pay.
In reply to Zapious
Do not assume that someone in low wage job is not educated. Especially in this economy! At the local supermarket here, a lot of the employees went to college and have degrees. One of the bus drivers in my area has an MBA. And do not assume people who are not educated just didn’t want to get an education. A lot of them can’t afford to go to college, or are trying to earn enough money to do so…but that’s usually not possible if they live on their own.
And as for that “people are responsible for their own path”, that’s true to a point. There are responsible decisions in life, and irresponsible decisions, but not all things that turned out to be bad decisions were irresponsible decisions, and not all things that turned out to be good decisions were responsible decisions. And in most instances, anyone who ever got anywhere did have help from someone. Maybe it wasn’t a blatant hand out, but it was a chance, or a program, or a politician enacting a public transportation system. But someone out there did something that improved the life of others. No man is an island.
In reply to AverageJoe
I’m sure these people got college degrees from shit universities.
In reply to John Doe
well sir, i worked damn hard for my degree, and i did, in fact, go to a great school. so if you would kindly go to hell, i would appreciate it. Since going by the hostility and douchebaggery in your tone, i detect a hint of malcontent. Perhaps because you are the un-educated asshole who is trying to deflect his own shame for being an ignorant idiot on others.
In reply to Anonymous
Well said!
In reply to John Doe
I worked with a waiter who had a BA in Mechanical Engineering and participated in nine internships both here and abroad. He was still a waiter. Also, this was in the United States, so he paid for his education. I guess he deserves to be a waiter though, right?
In reply to John Doe
I have a Masters from Tulane.
Owned
In reply to Zapious
You will not make a change by being a “nonconformist”. You’ll just be an ass, then immediately overlooked and forgotten.
Great political movement, man.
In reply to Zapious
stupid, you are SOOOOOO STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In reply to Zapious
Your point is totally ignorant so please allow me to destroy it real quick. So do you not pay the trash collector or the fireman if he doesn’t get a college education. I didn’t realize that it is only employee’s with a college education that deserve to be paid for work that they do. Are you trying to imply that people who don’t have a college education should work as slaves? I don’t think your vision of reality will ever com to fruition.
In reply to Maestrofini
Waiters make, on average, more than minimum wage.
In the US your employer, you’d be VERY hard pressed to find a place not covered under these laws, is required BY LAW to match what you make to the point of minimum wage.
If you are making under minimum wage? You are not declaring your fucking tips.
There has been no argument for the apologist idiots that defend tipping for quite some time now, even before such laws.
Don’t like it? CHANGE THE LAW LIKE THE REST OF THE WORLD.
Or you can not and continue to bitch about how “hard” it is when people don’t tip, along with the typical American bitching about “socialised” healthcare and workers rights.
In reply to Marius
Change the law? I’ll get right on that.
Let me draft up that bill right here. Should be done on Sunday. I’ll give you the progress.
In reply to Maestrofini
With an attitude like that…calling people cheap bastards and what not, I can very well imagine the kind of service you provide. One thing’s for sure you, culture or not, you ain’t never getting a tip from me. Waiters need to demand atleast minimum wage from employers instead of demanding tips from customers. It may be cultural or traditional but an outdated and obsolete custom can always be changed. It’s upto you to bring about that change. If you let your employer treat you like shit then its your fault. You signed up for the job knowing what you’d get didn’t you?
In reply to Andy
Okay. I’m going to walk in to work tomorrow and demand my employer pay me minimum wage. He’s going to laugh at me and point his finger at the door. It doesn’t work like that, man. You are forgetting that the cost of your food is subsidized and would be much higher if servers were paid a decent wage. Not to mention the restaurant industry, at least here in Texas, has very powerful lobbying groups that have defeated the last 3 attempts in the Texas congress to raise the minimum wage of servers.
In reply to Marc
Of course he will laugh at you and show you the door if you demand a raise. That’s why we have been saying that your job is unskilled. It doesn’t require a degree/diploma/certification. Any Joe, Harry walking down the street is eligible to do what you do and hence the employer doesn’t have to fear losing you.
I am a firm believer that the paygrade of a job should be decided by its worth i.e. complexity, difficulty, skillset required and manpower available. If you do a job that just about anyone can sign up and start doing, then obviously you have to accept a low salary. On the other hand, if you do a job that only a handful of people can do, then your paygrade automatically increases and you become more valuable to your employer.
Remember, it is you signed up for this job with the full knowledge of the hourly pay rate. So its entirely your problem. The customer is being unnecessarily & unfairly dragged into your problems and is made to feel guilty.
Also, you have to realize that you alone cannot demand a raise and expect result. It never works for any unskilled profession where the employer has no fear of losing you. That’s why you and your server buddies need to unionize and demand better wages. But its a lost cause saying that as by now way too many servers in this thread have admitted that they earn $30-50 per hour with tips and demanding minimum wage would be counterproductive. Since most servers working in ordinary restaurants are earning that much, your arguments just falls apart.
In reply to Andy
I agree, I don’t make nearly that much. I would say I average about $15 per hour, which is a lot better than most jobs out there that do not require a college degree. I take issue with the idea that servers “demand” money though.
The cost of any given meal at a restaurant has essentially been subsidized by the restaurant paying low hourly wages. So you are getting your meal subsidized on your servers behalf, plus your server is providing you with a service, again it is surprisingly very demanding work (something I sincerely underestimated before entering into the industry). So to me, not tipping seems very disrespectful. you are receiving a service which you are not paying for. I don’t demand a tip from my tables, but I do feel that I provide them with a service, a quality one at that, and when I am not compensated for that I feel disrespected and used.
In reply to Marc
There are countless jobs in the service industry but most of them are not tipped. What makes you so special as a waiter that you feel you deserve tips? The sense of entitlement is off the charts when it comes to waiters. I happen to work in the service industry too, work just as hard or possibly even harder than you and yet have never received a tip in my life. You don’t see me bickering and cussing do you?
Just in case you forget, you are providing service on behalf of the restaurant. The customer didn’t hire you. If the customer hired you personally, only then do you deserve to get paid by the customer for your service. You already proclaim to earn $15/hour, a lot more than most people working harder than you, so please take your bickering elsewhere.
In reply to Andy
I guess I do feel partly entitled. As stated earlier. I am providing people with a service, the cost of their meal is reduced based on the idea that they will pay me according to the quality of service provided and I tip out other employees based on my sales (also allowing for further reduction of prices). Not tipping is telling me that you are either A. Not satisfied with my service, or B. You don’t feel my service was worth a few extra bucks and you don’t have gratitude for the job that I did. 80% of the positions in a restaurant receive tips or tip share (and almost all of that tipshare comes from the servers). If everyone had this attitude of “I don’t tip” everyone in the restaurant would suffer
The table may not have hired me, but they understand that my wage is almost entirely dependent on their gratuity and that THE COST OF THEIR MEAL HAS BEEN SUBSIDIZED ACCORDINGLY. therefore they shell out a few extra bucks at the end to show appreciation for my service. Again, you are welcome to not tip, just let me know at the beginning of the meal so I can prioritize accordingly.
I think what this whole argument really boils down to though, is selfishness. I tip almost everywhere I go. I tip the guy that makes my sandwich, and I know he makes $9 an hour. I don’t do it because he made me an awesome sandwich, I don’t do it because his income depends on it. I do it because I know how much it means to him when after paying out I drop a dollar or two in his tip jar. I do it because I have compassion for my fellow man and I want to make life easier for him if at all possible, and I know how far the extra dollar or two in his tip jar will go in terms of making him feel good. It seems like a further perpetuation of almost everything that is wrong with the world when people simply say “I don’t tip my servers because XY or Z”. If a table at the beginning of the meal pulled me aside and said “hey, I’m really sorry. I really appreciate the service you are about to provide me, but I am just not in a position to throw out extra money on a tip right now, I’m struggling financially etc.” I would 100% not have any problem serving that person. Unfortunately all the reasons I have heard here are “they don’t deserve it, they are entitled, get a real job” etc. etc. very unappreciative and disrespectful of the job servers do. I’m not saying I perform brain surgery. But for fucks sake I work hard, just as hard as the next joe, and some god damn appreciation verbally or economically goes a long way
In reply to Andy
I think the basic principles here are that people do not agree on what the proper compensation for the food service industry employees we’re talking about. If people think employers should pay them minimum wage then they don’t understand that minimum wage is not living wage in nearly every state. CA pays $8.00 but I pay twice what my parent’s mortgage is in rent. So minimum wage is not enough. If servers make too much money then why isn’t everyone signing up to be a server? Also, a lot of servers suck at their jobs, so I would much rather pay based on services rendered rather than have to pay a flat 15% markup for service that’s gonna suck a third of the time.
I started out as a dishwasher when I was 13 and worked my way up to bartending while in college and I still work part time in the service industry to level out income from my design company. Just as a reference I went to school for accounting and design. And I STILL work a service industry job. The hours are flexible and I can focus on my design work when I need to. But to assume that servers are unskilled is ignorant. Some are, but people from every walk of life are. Some design work I’ve had to follow has been crap and they charged more than I do for low quality work. Don’t you think the company that hired me after would much rather have paid tthat designer based on the quality of their work. BUT maybe designers would be taken advantage of and not be paid accordingly for some work. Maybe the author of this article would only pay the least amount legally possible even though the work was great because they wanted to save some bucks and it’s not their problem if this great designer can’t make a living doing what theyre great at.
So instead of the tipping service, we should pay servers what we feel is a fair wage. Since people disagree about what that wage is, let’s leave the choice in the hands of the consumer. Which is what we do. It is true that servers bitch a lot about when they don’t get tips, just as public service UNIONIZED workers do the same thing when they don’t get the wage they feel is fair too. It’s all about people getting paid what we as society feel is a fair wage.
if you feel like minimum wage is a fair wage for both fast food workers and full service restaurant employees then I would question your judgement right off the bat anyway.
It’s funny that people like the author of this blog like to bitch about how bitchy servers are about how hard their job is, when the server is complaining about people like the author of this blog.
A tip for life that my uncle told me (who was CEO of a very large company before he died of cancer, not Steve jobs) if you go through your day and encounter a multitude of assholes…maybe you’re the asshole.
In reply to Andy
Yes, exactly. Thank you.
In reply to Annonymous
This blog was terrible and your thought process is very close minded. For one thing many waiters dont try to be your best friend and simply do their job in complete response to the way you act. Many waiters dont even see a paycheck. I understand this by no means requires you to tip, but you need to remember that when you eat out at a restaurant with servers you are paying for service and product not just the product. Perhaps when you want to go out to eat and dont wish to tip you should go to self-serve restaurants or ask for a manager and let him know that you would like to place your own order, pick it up, and get every refill/condiment/misc item you want during the course of your meal. Also most servers wont spit in your food, they will pass judgements and think badly of you but honestly they are worried about the other tables they have because its likely that they arent half the dick you are(sorry your not that big of a deal bro). Serving is the worse job in the world, I did it to get through college and biting your tongue is one of the most dehumanizing things one can be forced to do. Especially when your are being treated like a sub-par citizen by mouth breathing retards that actually are sub-par citizens. You keep on bringing this point up , “change the law change the law change the law”. ARE YOU A FUCKING IDIOT? how does a server have the power to do that? Gays can’t even get married in this country and you think that a group of servers are going to be able to get the law changed? You need to think deeper and come up with better reasons not to tip, you look like a class A babbling twat looking for a cheap way to justify your shitty behavior. Oh well, Karma is real.
In reply to YOURADICK
Servers can unionize just like the employees of every other industry in the US have. Problem solved.
In any case, their problems are not my problems.
In reply to bhagwad
Cool! Judging by your winning attitude, it won’t be your servers problem when you find the secret sauce in your food order :D
In reply to bhagwad
Yes, just change the culture. Just make new laws. The only reason you’re not spending ten hours a day writing letters, petitions, backing candidates for server wage reforms and disseminating information and propaganda while getting most of your coworkers fired for so much as mentioning unionization (yes, dear, that is legal for part time workers) is because you’re lazy.
Stupid, lazy Americans.
In reply to bhagwad
Again…selfishness. they’re problems are not my problems. This whole argument has boiled down to this. I have respect for you, sir. For voicing such unpopular opinions and opening yourself up to criticism.
But know this. We are all 100% responsible for the world we live in. We live in a world where thousands of people starve to death every day, genocide takes place on a global scale, and the gap between the haves and the have nots grows wider with each passing moment. We have gotten to this point through lack of empathy and passing of the blame. “So what if thousands of people die everyday from starvation….not my problem”. I’m not saying we can all wake up tomorrow and end world hunger, but all things must change first on a local level and within ourselves. We must have empathy, understanding, and compassion for our fellow man. Only then can we begin to create a world that serves the betterment of the collective vs that of the individual.
In reply to bhagwad
So if you’re start choking on the cheap food you’re supporting the production of by not paying the people you essentially hire to serve you by sitting in a resturant instead of a fast food place or cooking at home, no one has to worry about helping you because it’s not their problem? Gotcha.
How very ignorant you are. Nothing in your life has ever been anyone’s problem, yet they helped you, didn’t they? Your parents could’ve dumped at an orphanage because you weren’t technically their problem, yet they CHOSE to help you by keeping you in their lives. It wasn’t technically your mother’s problem that you starved or not, yet she CHOSE to help you by feeding you. It wasn’t your teachers’ problem if you learned anything or not, but those that cared CHOSE to help you by making sure you learned. It isn’t a pilot’s problem if you get to your destination if you fly, yet they CHOSE to help you by making sure the plane worked and directing it in the direction you wanted to go. It isn’t a doctors problem if your health goes south, yet they CHOSE to help you by seeing you and diagnosing you.
See, if you knew anything about anything, you would realize that you wouldn’t be able to live your life if there weren’t people who took your problems on as their own and CHOSE to help you. So saying that someone’s problems aren’t yours, while true, shows that you’re a selfish jerk that won’t do anything to help your fellow human in the smallest of ways (i.e. not tipping someone who gave you a service because you didn’t feel like preparing your own meal, or standing in like to pick it up). So why are you inconveniencing anyone by not simply doing everything on your own? Move to a desolate part of the world where there’s no one else and do everything yourself. That way no one’s problems will bother you, and you won’t be a parasite on human kindness. See how long you last.
Also, if you’re so hell bent on not paying a server for service, then get your own drinks and your own food from the kitchen. It’s that easy. Considering most of the money you pay goes towards the cost of food, you won’t have to worry on paying for a service you clearly don’t want. So next time you go to a restaurant, tell the server who approaches you not to bother, get up, put in the order on the system you probably have no idea how to use, try to gain access to the bar to get your drink, then try to enter the kitchen to get your food. Afterwards, clear your own table and pay the bill. There, problem solved. You’ll never have to pay a tip again.
But I doubt you ever would. You’re just as lazy as most people who like to get waited on without bothering to acknowledge the reality of those serving you. You’re all bark, but no bite. How lame.
In reply to bhagwad
And it is not my problem when you walk into my bar wanting service and I and all of my coworkers pretend you don’t exist.
No one in the service industry wants to help a bad tipper. The vast majority of us would never be so unprofessional as to spit in for food/ drink, or otherwise sabotage the quality of our product. However, we reserve the right to not give you what you are not paying for, which is the service.
If you had any experience whatsoever in the service industry, you would understand that you are paying for an experience. I am not demanding or telling you that you necessarily need to tip 20% in every transaction, but if your server/ bartender provides you with a good experience and helps to facilitate you having a good time with your friends, don’t you think you should give him or her some kind of compensation for that? We are all trying to make a living, and it is our choice to use our interpersonal skills to do so. This is the way the industry has developed, and the way it works. If we were to unionize and demand certain conditions, it would be impossible for our cost/ benefits would stay profitable? You would get stuck with the McDonalds and Wendy’s of the world because prices would be so high it would be impossible for anyone to make a business work. Please get informed on the subject before you write about it.
In reply to Annonymous
yeah, america sucks. but yet, many people come here. Our culture sucks. but everybody wants to steal a piece. whether it be music, television, sports, ideals, people like it here, bozeholio. As I have commented before, it is an option to tip. So for those of you who do not want to tip, don’t do it, please. It is completely optional. And when, all of a sudden, is Canada in the discussion? America is ten times the size of Canada. It is easy to govern a nation of 34 million people. We have over 300 million individuals here. From all walks of life. Everybody wants to compare there country to ours. Well, there is no comparison. This country is not the best in the world by paper standards, but is unique in many ways. Dipshits, the U.S. has existed for a mere 237 years, and that is on average a few hundred years younger than most European countries. But funny how in that time period we have surpassed some european nations and most certainly all of the African, middle eastern, and southeast asian countries in terms of civil rights, equality for women and minorities, standard of living, higher education, etc….I can go on and on. We do posses some of the brightest minds in the world, despite the ineptness of our educational system, and apparently, we have some of the finest universities in the world, which many of you foreigners seem to want to attend. I live in Colorado. We have school of mines, du, cu medical, msu denver….i see so many foreigners here. guess what else I have seen dickheads? I have seen these people on many occassions go out of there way to tip, BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO….they are from everywhere, korea, china, saudi arabia, australia, fucking everywhere. again, i have traveled this fine globe, and tips are accepted everywhere, whether it is a custom or not…..so everybody, lighten up, let those who tip tip, let those who don’t don’t…..geesh….
In reply to Annonymous
Once again…tipping is absolutely optional. American culture does not suck…just because you don’t agree with some portions of it…
In reply to Annonymous
Cheap hindi,what can you say to a people so cheap they invented zero?
In reply to adam
the greeks invented zero
In reply to bone
Lol.
In reply to Annonymous
Imagine if you got your way and tipping was automatically factored into the price of your meal. There would be no need (although not right) for the server to give the best service, because he’s already getting paid in full. Now what if the server takes a smoke break as your food is ready. Now that’s 5 minutes minimum before he brings your food unless he makes a phone call and has to wash his hands. You see, tipping is the customers way of controlling the service they receive. Sure, the restaurant can fire him, but wouldn’t you want to hold that incentive for good service? I manage a restaurant, and I can tell a server is more inclined to bend over any which way for a friendly generous table then a regular known to stiff guaranteed. I step in to make it less obvious, but I know the person serving you and they’re family, so ill help out just to keep your business, but you’ll get nothing more.
In reply to Annonymous
Servers make below the minimum wage, roughly between $2.63-$2.89. Tips is what balances out the so called unskilled job. People are mislead to believe these servers spit or have any contact with a customers/guest’s food should not watch the movie “Waiting” or be so paranoid, servers are human beings with morals and should not be deemed as worthless slaves. They work off of tips to turn their 2 dollar wage into more. Hours are flexible. I have 2 degrees and I’m a server. As degrading as your beliefs towards the service industry are, you continue to dine out. Dining out and eating out are different. Most restaurants value the customers as guests to which u must treat them as if they were in your home. Non tippers are everywhere, along with ignorance. Without my unskilled job, my mortgage would not be paid. Therefore, why would i want to wait on a non-tipper. Even with my full-time professional career, i still serve part-time. I can suck it up as you get bad service w your reciprocal gratitude, because non-tippers are irrationally rude, annoying, and everyone knows ur face when u leave. The job is easy if you are a skilled person. You need organization, patience, sense of urgency, respect, confidence, good w numbers, timing and to be a social chameleon. I want my guests to enjoy the environment and its variables, along with the food and I do my best to create a wonderful atmosphere for them. I read my guests, some want a conversation and others don’t. Personally, I rather not, but it’s part of the job.
In reply to Annonymous
I totally agree, but you left out some big reasons. Servers think they are entitled, and that makes me wonder if there is a deeper psychological issue in them choosing that profession expecting to always get “gratitude” and lavished with thanks for…doing exactly what workers at fast food restaurants do. I don’t tip them, yadda yadda–Quentin Tarantino said it through Steve Buscemi twenty years ago and it still stands. I have yet to hear a decent excuse as to why servers get paid that 2.13 or whatever an hour they always throw in the faces of people who criticize tipping. If I ran a restaurant I would pay a base wage in addition to their tips (but I’d only hire cute waitresses anyway and it would be an incentive to keep them around.)
In reply to Annonymous
i’ll quickly sum up why this article is a complete waste of opinion. no matter how you feel this is how people make money. if you dont want to tip then do not sit at a table. get that shit to go. if you dont want to tip then please feel free to get your own drinks go personally hassle the cooks, clean your own mess, such as sweeping and wiping down the table and area. and wash your own dish. you dont have to go sit in a restaurant. if you dont wanna tip take your shit to the couch in your house.
In reply to Anonymous
People get paid to do that by the employer. You don’t like your wage? Quit.
In reply to Ed
Then who would wait on your table? You?
In reply to Ed
Think this was addressed somewhere else, but this is a state law. Go check the history.
In reply to Annonymous
American culture doesn’t suck. You suck you stoopid monkey. Valid points for selfish fucks. This is the greatest country not because were fat cocky basterds but because we fought for freedom from assholes like you always shitting on the little guy
In reply to Annonymous
Go back to where you come from if you dont appreciate our land of opportunity. No point of arguing with stupid.
In reply to Annonymous
I find it really insulting when people say that being a server is Unskilled and especially how this douche decides to put it all on caps upon saying it. You try and study the different types of wines there are in the world from what region, the varietals the vintage, which wine is dry which ones are crisp or fuller bodied than the rest; we cater to every single person that walks in to our establishment from their pallet to their tastes and dont forget to mention those that have dietary restrictions because god knows someone could choke and die if they have glutten allergy so we have to make sure we know the ingredients of the dish that they are consuming that time. When you go out to a restaurant do know that you are not there to eat but to have an experience. WE SELL EXPERIENCE, the food is a given.
Now, if you do not want to tip more than 10% or do not want to tip at all, which is your god given right to do so and that will never change nor will i ever be offended either, but please AS A COMMON COURTESY, PLEASE LET US KNOW THAT YOU WILL NOT BE TIPPING, then we dont have to run around over your table when your glass is empty and we can spend more time taking care of those that DO care about their experience. I can give you your intial drink and put in your order and we can bring your food and that will be the end of it, like in McDonalds, you order and you go simple as that no one is mad and you’re happy, and if you want water get up and get it yourself, if your choking im hoping someone is kind enough to give you a hand because i rather fill the glass of the person who is actually appreciative of the things that i do for them.
Its very simple really: You do want to tip, tell us right away, you get your food and what you need and we dont bother you you eat and you leave simple as that, dont ask me for water, dont ask me for a refill when you’re done and you want your food to take home i will even be nice and bring you a box so you can take your left overs home, then you’re on your way. Now if you want an experience sit tight and relax and maybe i can even order for you and let you know the best thing our establishment can offer. No ones the wiser really, you dont have to be a douche and i dont have to be a douche, i dont offend you and you dont waste my time. You get what you want and i dont have to hate you for it.
Or there is always the simple dont go out and just cook for yourself, i mean this is the best possible thing…
In reply to Kimo
Holy shit, are you actually serious right now? People who go out to eat, are there to EAT. To have an experience? What with you? With the fabulous restaurant decor? Seriously just leave. People go out to eat. Not to bask in your entitlement and amazing drink pouring skills. And you want us to let you know, so that you can ignore us, and not do your job. Is that what you’re saying? Because based on your argument, you just told me that I should tell you to pay less attention to me. Wow. You serious? Your whole argument is shit. People go out to have experiences with their families and friends. To eat food that they can’t make themselves. It is your job, to make sure that each individual is well taken care of. You can’t just pick and choose because someone doesn’t or even CAN’T pay tips (also tips, which are gratuities you fuck, not given for mediocre service). Moreover, you are being a douche. A serious douche.
Now for the kicker “Or there is always the simple dont go out and just cook for yourself, i mean this is the best possible thing…” You know what would be hilarious. If every person that didn’t want to pay tips (and I admit these people are assholes sometimes) and… … stayed at home! Then they wouldn’t have to deal with you and you lose a customer.
In reply to Annonymous
You do realize that the reason wages for servers are low is to keep the price of the food down. If the restaurant had to pay every server $7.50, even during slow business hours, it would cost just that much more to make the food and keep the doors open. Do people even think?
In reply to Anon
Not only this, but many owners are trying to save the amount of money they have to pay you. That saves cost for the restaurant, and keeps many low-tier restaurants afloat. Really, this argument can graduate up to the ownership level, in which case you shouldn’t be taking it out on us servers, you should be arguing to the manager or owner. They’re trying to keep food prices down so you come back. If they pay us more, they have to raise the price of food to compensate.
Again, I’m just the middle man.
I’m sooooo unskilled, all these big words just straight up disconcert me.
In reply to Annonymous
Cough up your buck like everybody else, you whiny baby.
In reply to Annonymous
the writer should be shot, he is disgusting and obviously uninformed. Ridiculous. How about this you idiot, COOK YOUR OWN DAMN FOOD IF YOU DONT WANT TO TIP, DONT GO OUT TO EAT BECAUSE YOU OBVIOUSLY CANNOT AFFORD IT YOU CHEAP DISGUSTING EXCUSE FOR A MAN!
In reply to Annonymous
This post is so stupid. Yes it is the employer’s job to pay employees the right amount, but this job is not unskilled, You need math skills to figure out the price of the check, time management skills, Measurement skills to make the drinks, not to mention servers are running from the time they clock in until they clock out. Do you know that most servers are lucky to get one or two breaks (nevermind a lunch break) in an eight hour shift? before you go popping off at the mouth maybe you should think about what you are going to say.
In reply to Annonymous
I’m a cook and could never be a server. i make 10/hr and the servers pull in close to 100 a night on average by tips. The reason they deserve a tip is because of people like you. Although I’m in the back and pissed off because of how incredibly labor intensive my job is, they have to deal with us being pissed of and have to deal with you people while always smiling. You think they’re just trying to get a tip out of you? The have to act that way or they’ll get fired.. duhh… although it can’t hurt the tip. Can you believe they actually have to act like they’re best friends with some unappreciative, judgemental person like you. I’ve seen too many girls run into my kitchen crying because of unruly customers trying to get free meals, or just being plain rude. They run the restaurant buddy, everyones in the back.. wonder why you don’t see the managers around really? Theyre in the back working on inventories, dropoffs, and their own higherups. The waitresses have to deal with the entire customer populous which include a surprisingly high amount of your type. go eat at mcdonalds where they put your meal into a slot, take it out and hand it to you. Not where us hardworking foodservice employees bust our bodies to make you and your family happy for an hour. they’ll even drop everything and sing you happy birthday if you want. Stop being bitter and tip your waitresses 15%.
In reply to Annonymous
“American Culture Sucks”? In every other country they add the tip to your bill, it’s usually 20%. In america we give you the option to tip dependent of the service you receive. If there weren’t servers, you wouldn’t get food
In reply to Annonymous
Good news, cheap people! Tipping IS optional! No law, or hell, no reasonable social mandate can tell you to tip. Here’s the bad news: by not tipping, you are announcing to the world that you are a PARASITE. Let me explain.
The reason that there is a waiter there to bring you your food, keep your drink filled, split your checks and keep you happy is because they are getting tipped. It’s their income. Without the tips, they would be forced to do something else, and you’d have to find another way to have food cooked for you.
If you utilize the service a waiter provides, and are content to let other people pay for it, congratulations. You’re a parasite. Let it sink in. Get a mental picture going. Think of a the best picture you’ve ever been in; and then imagine the word PARASITE planted right the fuck on it.
So what are they getting tipped for? A good question if you’ve never worked in the industry. There are people who work on their feet all day, and there are people who take care of customers, and there are people who work hours that prevent them from having weekends, holidays, or nights off. Waiters happen to do all three. You might say some others do the same thing, and that might be true, but I bet they’re getting paid a hell of a lot more than 2.13 an hour. Luckily, there are people who understand that they have to tip people, not because it’s a societal norm or out of some misplaced sense of generosity, but because they like to go out to restaurants, and have too much self respect to let somebody else pay for a service that they’re using.
Bhagwad, you are, by definition, a fucking parasite. Leech. Tapeworm. Thanks for letting the world know.
In reply to Annonymous
I worked as a server for 3 months and serving sucks, is just a shit job. Most of the servers are just lazy under educated people. Get a better job, or go and get an education.
In reply to Annonymous
If you don’t like the American Culture.. go fucking some where else!!!!!
This is how it works in this country. We don’t go there and complain that the tip is included in the food when the service sucks… Dumb Fucks!!!!
To the writer: This is why people want to blow up Brown people, because you’re a negative, cheap, judgmental person. GO back to eating dog shit !!!
Have a lovely day MEN!
In reply to Annonymous
I’m happy you’re a wealthy business owner, but how do you decipher the teachers who have serving jobs on the side to help make ends meet? Or the college students just trying to make it through with a job that will work around their schedule? How do you know your server is just a servant? Because of thoughts like this, I had to strip my way through college to not exit in debt. I was accepted to Stanford when I applied to colleges, the only reach school I applied to, but because of money I went to a cheaper, less known university. I am neither dumb, nor am I a servant. I scored incredibly high on the GRE and the LSAT, yet I can’t go to graduate school because I can’t afford it. Yes, I received scholarships, but I don’t want to strip anymore just to receive an education because when I was trying to earn an honest living, people like you refused to give me a decent wage. Yes, it’s partially the employers fault, and yes there are other jobs, but those jobs either don’t pay enough or aren’t looking to work with your class schedule. As a wealthy individual, I hope you consider these things next time you are at a restaurant. I would have made a great lawyer, but I would have to continue to sell my body to do it. Trust me, I worked two other jobs while stripping to break even. Tip your servants please, so maybe in the future another girl won’t end up in my position.
In reply to Annonymous
I’m sad you have access to any source of electronic that gives you the ability to post your opinion. This article is beyond stupid and should only be relevant when using the restroom
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.
In reply to plasticgraduate
YOU CHOOSE your line of work, little breh.
In reply to John Doe
And YOU sir, CHOOSE to be a cold, incompassionate individual! You can also CHOOSE not to dine out! You will NOT be missed!
@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.
In reply to Jason
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.
In reply to SantaD
What did you do in the “restaurant circuit?”
In reply to SantaD
Hey bud, just FYI for the next time you want to lie, no one in the industry says, “worked the restaurant circuit.” Better luck next time.
In reply to Jason
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.
In reply to SantaD
My point exactly!
In reply to bhagwad
You should call this blog “Nan-sense – One Indian’s Rationalization for Disregarding the Culture of the Country He Lives In”
In reply to bhagwad
with the amount of people who are looking for a job right now if every server went on strike, theyd have a new team of them in a day and a half. It’s a tip job because customers usually tip them. if everyone was like you maybe theyd make a normal set wage. the customers chose for it to be a tip job by tipping. its like tipping your pizza guy. They get paid for gas by the company.. so do they deserve a tip? the have to deal with more people for less time per person. a server comes in and deals with you guys and runs the dining side of the restaurant by themselves. they do a lot more than you give them credit for. closers dont leave until 12-1 every night and at the restaurant i cook at, they bus the tables, set the tables, deal with customers, handle all the cash, seat customers, and then come back to get unappreciated by customers like you.
In reply to SantaD
Seriously? You’re suggesting that rather than you comply with the well known system of restaurant tipping, paying for services that you accept and expect when entering a restaurant, that servers should rally and go on strike so that their boss would be forced to raise their salary by over %300, forcing them to drastically raise the cost of food, and resulting in you paying the same amount or more than you would have had you just tipped the server? Actually, that’s how that situation would play out ideally. Realistically, though, those servers would just be immediately fired and replaced by the hordes of unemployed people in our desperate workforce. Even if the boss did concede to their demands, boldly attempting to single handedly revolutionize the way the restaurant industry has operated for decades, they would still have to raise the servers salaries by over 300% to even meet minimum wage requirements, factoring that money into their overhead and ultimately raising the cost of food. The restaurant industry, like any other, is competitive. An establishment that has to charge $13 for a hamburger so they can pay their employees minimum wage, when surrounded by other places that can charge $6 for it because their servers rely on tips, is going to go out of business. Your suggestions, while I’m sure a nice salve to sense of integrity, is wildly impractical, short-sighted, and when given even the most cursory examination, is just a cheap rationalization for you to avoid paying for services that you willingly engaged by entering the restaurant.
In reply to SantaD
Nailed it.
In reply to Jason
“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.
In reply to TheScaryKid
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.
In reply to Maxon primly
Your employer doesn’t pay you well…and this is my problem how exactly?
In reply to bhagwad
you should change your name to dickwad
In reply to Maxon primly
Your employer doesn’t pay you enough.
Your government taxes you.
Grow
Some
Balls.
Don’t ask other hardworking people to compensate for a profession you decided to embark upon that is continually getting ass-raped. Idiots!!!!
In reply to Rob
Rob:
When everyone is out for themselves, it makes life more difficult for everyone.
TheScaryKid: Last time I checked, no wars have been fought in the Arctic any time in recent history, and military gear they would make you walk a few miles in usually tops out at 50lbs. But hey, soldiers get a lot of perks….I guess the question is, should the military pay soldiers at all or should able bodied citizens be required to serve their country without pay? You do want your freedoms right? Someone has to fight for those eventually.
In reply to bhagwad
Bhagwad, or whatever your name is. It is your problem because you require their service every time you go out to eat.
I love how you pick and choose what comments you respond to. I notice you only respond to arguments you think you can win.
What about the comments responding to your solution on waiters demanding minimum wage? Why don’t you reply to those?
You know, where you say waiters and waitresses should demand minimum wage… Well, dear friend, that money that the employers are stiffing from their employees (or so you say) will end up coming out of your wallet when you order your meal, not the businesses. And ultimately, you will have paid more for that meal with their minimum wage included, than if you would’ve just tipped. So why not save yourself the money and just tip like a decent human being?
Of course, you have yet to respond to ANY of those comments, because you know you have no defense to them, and your view is illogical and in the wrong.
Just another cheapskate trying to justify being a shitty human being.
In reply to Brittney
Because I prefer to pay money legally even if it may be higher instead of paying a bribe to lower costs.
And I don’t respond to everything because this post is running close to one thousand comments as of this moment and I do have a life you know…
In reply to bhagwad
So, in other words, you have no good reason! Something in your nature just makes you stingy! Positive re-enforcement has been proven to work!! I guess they didn’t give out gold stars when you were a child! How sad! You tip because it feels good to help someone else too! I thought ya’ll invented Kharma over in India!
In reply to bhagwad
Fella, you are not paying $25 for a burger that should rightfully cost you $12. Or likewise for a plate of spaghetti.
In reply to Maxon primly
I hate how all these waiters/waitresses think that it is their god given right to receive tips. No. Congratulations, you did your job, and now you want me to give you a bonus too? Really, if you have that much of a problem with it then go get a job at McDonalds. As far as I’m concerned they are as busy as most restaurants of not more and they get paid minimum wage without even the idea of tips…
In reply to Eric
Let me dumb it down for you. Actually servers are paid 2.13 to 4.00 an hour. If they don’t receive tips they are considered to be giving bad service which leads to write ups. Write ups lead to being fired. No if NOBODY tipped guess where that would lead you? Without a server. So yes. It is their god given right to receive a tip Unless you just had the most awful dining experience of your life. And if that’s the case just eat at home.
In reply to Jessica
God given right? That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve read on this comment thread. It’s just shameful how greedy people get.
Here are some of my other issues :
Tipping is a custom started and mostly supported by white americans to favour their fellow white servers. Nobody else in the world is doing it.
Tipping is economically inefficient. It tricks the customer into thinking the food is cheaper cuz service fee isn’t included in the price.
The unattractive server gets lower tips.
Most servers try to guilt trip the diners into giving them more tips.
Servers pay way too less tax than normal citizens.
The effort involved has nothing to do with the amount of money spent.
In reply to Eric
People, tips are not required in the United States, either. It is completely optional, and waiting tables is not always the last resort for someone looking for a way to make a living. Some of us actually enjoy doing this type of work, and to the untrained eye, the work is UNSKILLED….but requires great skill and ability. Ive always served on the premis that if a customer pays for food or drink, they deserve the same service as someone that leaves a sizable tip. Waiters, remember….you never know who you are serving. For every person that has an unfavorable view of your profession, there will be ten other patrons that enjoy your unadulterated company, customer service and smile. Individuals that do not tip just do not tip, they actually do not require “reasons” not to tip.
So waiters, shoot for the stars. I was a waiter making somewhere between 40k-and 45k after taxes per year from 1996-2010. I know hundreds of people, who not only frequent our establishment, but have made the staff part of their family and community. We are a gathering place for old friends, monthly meetings and just fun times….so the tips flow naturally, even though we dont necessarily expect them.
For those of you who do not tip, please dont dehumanize us. It is absolutely ok for you not t0 tip, but dont presume to know why we work where we work. Some of us make more than you! Some of us have college degrees too….our small little community restaraunt made over 3.6 million dollars last year only employing 75 people. Restaraunt work is also something that your kids one day want to choose as a career path. They could become chefs, managers, accountants or even owners or entrepenuers…so keep your personal views on tipping and restaraunt workers to yourself, get your meal, and move on with your life. We will do the same, once the door hits you on the way out and the next person comes into the establishment.
Maybe with the insight gained from this forum, some of you can open up a restaraunt where the cost of insuring, compensating, bonusing and employing people is built into the price of the food. Pay your waiters accordingly, like they do over in Europe (and we see how thats working out). Then the next big gripe will be having to pay $20 dollars for for a hamburger and fries (which in most decent establishments is cut by a meat cutter, mr main blogger, you can keep your mcdonalds processed stuff). Another way to totally avoid tipping (as someone who works in a restaraunt….GET IT TO GO LOL
In reply to bob timmons
I am a delivery driver, while I may not be bringing you your drinks, or cleaning up after you I do drive across town to bring you your food. I make a server minimum wage plus delivery fees because I use my own vehicle. I work in a Chinese restaurant in the states, where I’ve done just about every job. I’ve cooked, I’ve served, I have even prepped and ‘packed’ to go orders. I like what I do every day, And I know what its like to be apart of and run a small business.
A good part of the year its just not realistic to pay people the ‘without tip’ minimum wage, becasue with all the taxes, rent for the building, and costs to run a resturant it is hard enough to keep the lights on some of the time. Knowing all this, I realize that the blame for unequal wage for servers compared to other jobs doesn’t sit alone on the buisness, but is comprised of many factors. So a worldwide server ‘revolution’ wouldn’t change a whole lot except get the revolutionists fired.
I do not expect a tip, though I always welcome it. And I don’t go around sucking up to people just to get a tip, I great everyone with the same smile and the same ‘Hello, how are you?’ because I have manners. I know who in town tips me and who doesn’t, just like the waitresses at restaurants do. If you don’t tip, that’s your decision, but I will still say ‘Hello, how are you?’ and try my best to bring you your food in 30-45 minutes just like everyone else. You shouldn’t get treated any better because you tipped or anyworse because you didn’t.
Maybe I look at it differently because I refuse to grovel, or because I know how hard it is to find and keep a job right now. If you choose not to tip, that is fine. All we ever ask is that you treat us with respect like you would any other job, and don’t be a dick, we are trying to make just trying to make a living too.
By the way bhgwad not a bad blog, while I may not completly agree with you on this point, it was well thought out and written none the less.
In reply to Thomas
Thanks for your comment Thomas :)
In reply to bhagwad
Damned bhagwad. What a suck up you just became.
You only honed in on him because he told you what a great article you wrote. NOT because you actually agreed with what he wrote. I’m pretty sure you and you’re family are going to have a RAGING case of food poisoning in the future. As a matter of fact, I can Guarantee it. FUCKER.
In reply to Eric
It never ceases to amaze me how many people are apparently ignorant to what I always considered was the well- known practice of reduced minimum wage for servers. Servers do not get paid the national minimum wage. These laws to not apply to them. It is totally legal for restaurants to pay their servers $2.13 an hour, and they have to so they can competitively price their food and stay in business. When you are paying for food at a restaurant, that’s all you’re paying for: the food. The price of service is not included in it. If the establishment had to pay their servers normal wages, and the price of service was included with the meal, the meal would be much more expensive. So the price you pay is simply for the food and it’s up to the consumer to assess the service they received and pay for it accordingly. So, the tip paid to a server is not a bonus above and beyond their salary, it is their salary. It is the only payment they receive for the service they provide you. I have worked as a server and I have worked at Mcdonalds, so I know the wages paid to both. Basically, at Mcdonalds there is a mandatory charge for the services. It’s reflected in the price of the food. The price you pay for the food goes towards paying for the product and the salaries for the people who work there. In the sit down restaurant world, this is not so. The price you pay is just for the food, and you are given the option to pay for service if you deem it satisfactory. I understand not tipping for poor service, but refusing to tip on principle is refusing to compensate people for the work they’re doing for you. Refusing to pay people for the services you’ve accepted from them simply because you’re given the option to may not be illegal, but it’s despicably unethical.
In reply to Kristi
“Tipped employees” are a class of employee for which the standard federal minimum wage does not apply. Instead, employers must pay a tipped employee at least $2.13 / hour. HOWEVER, the law also states that if an employee’s wage plus that employee’s tips do not equal at least the standard minimum wage (currently $7.25 nationally, higher in some states), the employer MUST make up the difference. This is non-negotiable, FEDERAL LAW that the employer cannot ignore.
So, regardless of whether someone tips 15% or nothing at all, the employer is REQUIRED by FEDERAL LAW to ENSURE that the employee earns AT LEAST the standard minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. This is absolutely a fair wage for the labor performed.
A lot of tipped employees are either not told this, or feign ignorance when trying to whine about how their wages are dependent on their tips, which simply is not true. They are GUARANTEED the standard minimum wage ($7.25 per hour) under FEDERAL LAW.
So tipped employees are guaranteed the standard minimum wage per hour even if they don’t get a single tip during their entire shift. So as a tipped employee, if you want to earn more than $7.25 per hour, stop whining and get a better-paying job, otherwise be thankful for the minimum-wage earnings you make as someone with no other marketable skills or higher education.
If you are employed by a restaurant as a tipped employee, and let’s say you are on the schedule to work from 2pm to 10pm on a Saturday, you will be there for the full 8 hour shift regardless of whether the place is packed with customers or not, and your employer is still required under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) (United States) to ensure you are paid at least the standard minimum wage of $7.25 per hour in the event you do not make enough tips to bring you to that level from the minimum required cash wage of $2.13 that the owner normally pays as salary.
So if the customers do tip generously and your hourly wage (including the minimum required cash wage of $2.13) is over the standard minimum wage of $7.25, then your employer (in most cases) will only pay you as salary the minimum required cash wage of $2.13, and the rest of your wages are comprised of tips. Tipping in America is basically nothing more than a scam perpetuated by business owners to place the burden of their employee salaries on the paying public. If I go into a restaurant, and I pay for a meal, the “service” is assumed to be included in the cost of the meal. I should not be expected to pay “extra” for the privilege” of someone doing their job, being courteous, and not tampering with my food. That is what is expected of you as an employee in your position, and is not something the customer needs to pay “extra” to receive as part of their dining experience.
If I don’t tip, you will still be guaranteed a wage of $7.25 per hour, which I believe is acceptable for not only the actual “work” a tipped employee does, but also the amount of time spent actually doing anything related to me or my meal.
The total amount of time spent by a tipped employee dealing with me, my meal or my table very rarely ever surpasses 5 minutes total. I feel it is ridiculous to tip someone 15% (in some places 20% is expected) of my meal cost for spending a total of 5 minutes throughout my entire meal to simply:
1. Inform me of the specials or whatever they are trying to push (Required by the restaurant, as I don’t want to hear it)
2. Take my order
3. Bring drinks
4. Bring the order to my table
5. Ensure drinks stay filled (which in many places doesn’t happen)
6. Spend 10 seconds every 15 – minutes to ask if the table needs anything
7. Bring the bill
8. Clear the table for the next diners
The issue is that tipped employees, like everyone else I suppose, wish to earn far beyond the standard minimum wage of $7.25, but do not perform any function or work to actually justify that. The other issue is that restaurant owners in America charge rather high prices for their meals, and then through sheer greed pocket all the profits, and attempt to pass on the burden of the employee salaries onto the public.
There is not a huge difference in price between the cost of a decent meal in a decent restaurant in America, and one in Europe. Yet in many parts of Europe, tipping is discouraged if not openly frowned upon, because the restaurants pay their tipped employees a full wage commensurate to the position, and the cost of that employee salary is built into the meal cost. The difference is that in America, the restaurant owner simply keeps it all for restaurant expenses and profit. That in turn becomes a burden on the tipped employees to receive enough in tips to allow them to live well.
The funny thing is, that in Europe you will often find that the full cost of a meal (without paying a tip…
and the tipped employee is paid a full wage by the restaurant) is still less than the full cost of a meal in
America with an added %15 tip, which simply further illustrates the point that the American system of tipping simply perpetuates greed on the part of the restaurant owners.
Then of course, you hear the argument from tipped employees that, “If you can’t afford to tip, you shouldn’t dine out”, because they are not satisfied receiving $7.25 for unskilled labor that does not require higher education, and are attempting to entice the consumer into feeling some type of moral indignation that might prompt them to tip generously.
When I dine out, I pay for the meal (with the service included in the cost of the meal), and am not legally obligated to supplement the salary of the tipped employee simply because the restaurant owner chooses not to do it. The functions the tipped employee performs in no way justifies a voluntary 15% increase in the amount I pay.
In America you see this same type of setup in many salons as well, where you pay anywhere from $15 – $30 for a haircut, and then are expected to tip the barber / stylist $5 – $20 on top of that, because like tipped employees, their employer does not pay them a full wage, and treats them as “tipped employees”. If I pay $15 for a haircut, the expectation is that it would be done well and look the same regardless of whether I tip or not, because I am paying for the service of receiving a haircut in a professional manner in a style that I describe, just as at a restaurant I am paying for the meal and it is expected to be delivered to the table in a timely and courteous manner without being tampered with, without me paying anything beyond the actual cost of the items I consume to receive that service.
Bottom line, if “tipped employees” aren’t happy receiving $7.25 an hour, which they WILL receive as it is guaranteed under United States Federal Law, they should seek employment elsewhere without whining about the tips they receive, as they are not legally entitled to them, and the customer is not legally obligated to provide them. The problem “tipped employees” have is with their employer, and not the customer, if you really think about it.
I realize this was a little long, but I felt it was necessary to fully explain so people understand that
“tipped employees” in America WILL receive $7.25 per hour even if they don’t receive tips, and that people also understand the justification for not ever tipping a tipped employee or any other type of “tipped employee” in America. The burden of paying an employee salary is on the business owner that employs them, not the public.
The meal prices in different countries are comparable, yet in America there is somehow a sense of
entitlement on the part of waitstaff that are underpaid by their employers that are still collecting fees
that could compensate waitstaff without the use of a tip system.
There is no need for me to pretend that tipping a tipped employee is not my responsibility, because it
absolutely isn’t. It’s not about “taking something for free”, or not being altruistic. If it was my legal
responsibility to financially compensate a tipped employee 15% of my bill for 5 minutes of work, then it would be included in my bill and it would not be optional, it would be mandatory under law. You don’t work for me. You work for a greedy restaurant owner…your salary issues lie with them, not the public consumer. The cost of my meal absolutely includes you taking my order on behalf of your employer, because if you didn’t, there would be no sale. The cost of my meal also includes the responsibility of the restaurant to deliver the goods I purchased to me. Performing those services that are required on behalf of your employer in no way entitles you to compensation by me for performing them.
If you are not satisfied with an unskilled minimum wage job, then endeavor to get a higher education, or some marketable skills, that will allow you to earn a wage commensurate to your skillset or education. Being deserving of anything has nothing to do with it. Just because you cannot survive off minimum wage does not mean that the public consumer is in any way responsible to supplement the income that your employer is too greedy to pay you to ensure you can make $15 – $50 an hour (and yes, I have met waitstaff that make $50+ an hour totaling several thousand dollars per month).
At a decent American restaurant, a typical dinner for two is in the neighborhood of $50…at a more upscale establishment, the bill is typically $100+.
A tipped employee spending 5 minutes with me throughout the meal to take my order and deliver the food will never justify $7.50 on a $50 tab, and certainly not $15 on a $100 tab for literally 5 minutes of their time. The issue is not about being cheap, or trying to get something for free (which we are not). The issue is that I refuse to directly pay a full hourly salary for someone that only serves me for 5 minutes. Doing so is simply akin to me giving money to someone that neither earned it, nor frankly deserves it based on the service performed directly for me.
At the rate of the standard US federal minimum hourly wage, which is $7.25, you are entitled to earn 12.0833 cents per minute (60 minutes x 12.0833 cents = $7.25). If you spend 5 minutes taking my order, bringing the food and refilling drinks, then you are entitled to 60.4165 cents to compensate you for your time, and not a preposterous 15% of my bill. I would be courteous and even round it up to 75 cents, or perhaps a full dollar if I have no change, but that is realistically all you “deserve” for what you do and the time it takes you to do it.
The functions a tipped employee performs are simply not worth more than the standard federal minimum wage, which was basically established to regulate the minimum wage for unskilled labor such as waitstaff. Sorry if people that work in the service industry take offense, but if you think
about the issues in a logical manner, instead of reacting emotionally, you cannot dispute the law or the logic. Your salary is in no way the responsibility of the consumer just because your employer doesn’t want to pay you.
You are willingly choosing to basically perform volunteer work at a restaurant in exchange for the privilege of receiving charity from patrons. It’s not their responsibility to pay you for doing a job, as they do not employ you. You are employed by the restaurant, and they should be paying you. My legal obligation for a financial exchange for goods and services is solely with the restaurant.
If you were to not work for tips, and received in salary of $7.25 per hour from the restaurant, and a
customer decided to tip YOU, they are still tipping YOU directly, and NOT the restaurant. The restaurant wouldn’t legally be entitled to any tip left. The truth of the matter is that waitstaff simply feel they are somehow entitled to earn exorbitant amounts of money for unskilled labor, and then make pretty weak arguments as to why they should, and why their earnings are the burden of the public consumer and not their actual employer.
As a purely charitable act, I will tip 12.0833 cents per minute to supplement your income that is the
responsibility of your employer. Now earn your pay. Someone commented that being a tipped employee requires “lot of skills, effort, patience, social intuition, and experience to provide the service that is expected of you”.
I have to disagree with that. The only skills required are being able to read, write, speak a few basic
phrases, and carry food without dropping it.
The effort is nothing beyond what any unskilled laborer performs.
Patience is simply something that is expected of any human being with normal brain functions, and is not a point to consider when attempting to justify earnings.
Social intuition is not necessary. Tipped employees try to make it sounds as though their social interaction is needed or wanted. It’s not…simply take the order, bring the food, and keep the drinks filled. I’m really not there for the conversation with a tipped employee. If you want to use social intuition in your daily work then become a therapist or counselor. I don’t care if you smile or not, or even have an overly pleasant demeanor…you won’t be sitting and dining with me. All that is expected is civility and courtesy extended on behalf of the restaurant that employs you.
It’s really not that hard, and minimum wage is a fair compensation for the type of work performed.
Someone stated: “in larger restaurants, waiters pay hosts, food-runners, and busboys to take care of your table as well. since the waiter is responsible for them doing their job, you pay for the overall dining experience, not just facetime with the waiter.”
The Fair Labor Standards Act clearly states regarding a “tip pool”: The requirement that an employee must retain all tips does not preclude a valid tip pooling or sharing arrangement among employees who customarily and regularly receive tips, such as waiters, waitresses, bellhops, counter personnel (who serve customers), bussers, and service bartenders. A valid tip pool may not include employees who do not customarily and regularly received tips, such as dishwashers, cooks, chefs, and janitors.
Read that carefully. Legally, you are not required as a tipped employee to share tips with personnel who would not “customarily and regularly receive tips”. So if you willingly and voluntarily opt to share your tips with personnel not legally entitled to them, that is of course your choice. However, the customer is in no way obligated legally, morally or altruistically to compensate you for your decision.
I don’t agree with the American system, and I choose to never support it, as I have no legal obligation to do so. I will not willingly give my money away to people that have no legal entitlement to it under the law. And I feel no guilt about that whatsoever. If you cannot survive off minimum wage, then change your situation and circumstances. You are performing unskilled manual labor, so how can you realistically desire or expect to earn white-collar wages? Seriously, people…this is the ridiculous sense of entitlement that people in other parts of the world ridicule Americans for. Just because you choose to perform unskilled labor for whatever reason, that is regulated at minimum wage, does not mean that you are entitled to have others supplement your income, or that customers are responsible for ensuring you make above anything that you are legally entitled to.
Whatever wage you want to earn, find a job that pays it in salary and EARN IT, and do not expect or rely on the charity of customers to compensate for a greedy employer that DOES make enough money to actually pay you a fair wage of $7.25 for your unskilled labor, but chooses to pay you slave wages. If you can’t find a job that will pay you $30 – $50 an hour in salary for unskilled labor, then might I suggest you learn and develop marketable skills, or get a higher education?
You should not be angry with customers that do not tip…you should be angry at the restaurant owner that WILLINGLY participates in this system, since they do not have to use the tip credit system…they are simply greedy.
I personally find it appalling when people take the attitude that because they choose to work at a low-
paying job, they are somehow entitled to a salary normally earned at a higher class position of employment, and everyone other than their actual employer is obligated to pay it. Simply appalling. You are paid and entitled to a salary that your work warrants, not what you unrealistically prefer to earn.
Oh, so there’s no problem with the system, so long as we simply go along with giving you our money for no valid reason, eh? So far you have utterly failed to provide a convincing argument as to why or how you are entitled to tips when you are already guaranteed minimum wage regardless of whether you are tipped or not. If you can’t survive off the minimum wage salary that you are entitled to, that is in no way my problem or concern. Get a better job, and stop complaining and expecting everyone but your actual employer to support you.
I’m not complaining about the commodities I buy. I’m actually not complaining at all. What I am doing is informing you that any cost associated with taking my order and delivering my food to me is included in the cost of the meal, otherwise there would never be a sale to begin with. You MUST take the order, or there is no sale. You MUST deliver my food, or the restaurant has not fulfilled the terms of the contract. You’re not serving me, you’re serving the interest of your employer.
Just because someone tells you, “this is how it works here” doesn’t make it so. If I was legally responsible for a service charge, then I would pay it. Since I’m not, I never will. THAT’S how it really works, under the law…which people like you seem to like to ignore when it’s convenient for you to get other people’s money that you aren’t entitled to.
Just because someone tries to force a responsibility on me that I don’t voluntarily agree to, doesn’t make me responsible. You don’t work for me, so I will never pay you. My legal contract for payment of services and goods is directly with the restaurant, and not a volunteer laborer, which is basically what you are under the tip credit system.
I have legally and logically demonstrated why your salary is not my, or any other consumers responsibility. You are guaranteed minimum wage under federal law…you will never get free money from me simply because you aren’t satisfied earning minimum wage in a job you willingly choose to do.
Stop taking the stance of a charity case with your hand out for something that is not due to you. Your
employer has your salary, not me. US Federal Law is my validity. I do not have to tip because I am not legally required to do so. Your livelihood is not my responsibility.
At a restaurant, the same level of service is to be expected from a tipped employee whether they are tipped or not, as you are an employee of the restaurant and you represent them. I guarantee that any business owner would agree, and would likely fire YOU for stating otherwise. The expectation of a tip will not determine the level or quality of service that a customer receives…dispute that with a business owner and see if you’re working there tomorrow.
Your “service” of taking my order and delivering my food is MANDATORY for the sale of your employer’s goods, and does not entitle you to extra compensation from me, which is why I am not legally obligated under the law to do so. THIS is indisputable fact, not opinion.
In any restaurant, I can inform you before I even order that I won’t be tipping you, and you WILL still serve me in order to sell the goods of the restaurant. THAT is fact, not opinion. You will complete the sale of goods for your employer or you will be fired.
Seven out of 50 states currently ban a tip credit, and more will likely follow in the future, because both the public and lawmakers realize it is nothing more than a scam perpetuated at the expense of a gullible public.
I’m not tipping you for doing your job, or to compensate you for willingly working a low wage job.
Giving you hand-outs and charity is barely a step above you being on welfare with my taxes supporting you anyway. The only difference with tips is that we are cutting out the welfare office as the middle-man.
In reply to rcr
Brilliant response, arguably the best in this thread. I don’t think waiters are ignorant about this law of being guaranteed minimum wage no matter what, its just that they feign ignorance to guilt trip the customers into paying hefty tips. That’s the bottom line and its been said many time before in this thread. Its also the biggest reason why waiters will never unionize and ask for better wages because it works to their detriment. Why settle for $7.25 minimum wage for paltry labor when you can afford to scam the customers and earn $60-100 Grand per year?
I think Bhagwad needs to write a better article highlighting these points. People need to be educated. Far too many people are ignorant to these scams. I don’t think many people will go through thousands of comments, so the valuable information provided by rcr and other posters like Common Sense will never reach the public. It’s better to post a summary of all this in another article which will receive millions of hits from Google. C’mon Bhagwag do it!
In reply to rcr
Ok, now please explain to me how Hairdressers come into your argument. Hairdressers go to school and must be licensed by the state which requires them to pay yearly fees in order to stay employed. Also, 90% of hairdressers have more overhead than you know, some places of employment require $300 a week station rental, or the employer can take and keep 50% of the service charge. If you don’t want to tip than buy some fucking clippers and shave your god damn head yourself. We know who tips and who doesn’t, so when you really need me to “squeeze you in” for your “important last minute event that you need to look good for” or if you want me to “come in early or stay late for you” because I’m already booked, I wont.
In reply to rcr
Unfortunately, there are some restaurant owners that do not adhere to federal law. They come from foreign countries for better opportunities, start their own businesses, but they just don’t follow the rules. Why don’t their employees turn them in? Because we’d get fired.
I was not paid for my training hours, and when I don’t make $7.25 an hour, that’s just how it is. So yes, I would say that my life depends on my tips because my employer doesn’t feel he has to adhere to federal law. Is it fair? Absolutely not. But do I want to keep my job because it is next to impossible to get another one in this economy? Yes. So I don’t complain. I WILL complain, however, when someone comes in, requires my service, and refuses to pay for what was rendered. If you do not want to pay for SERVICE, go to another establishment that doesn’t provide one.
Why do employers not pay their employees more than what is required by the state? Because they want to keep their costs down as low as possible, so that they make money too, which is completely understandable. Am I complaining that I don’t get paid enough? No, because I understand their reasons for keeping my hourly wage what it is. Why don’t I just quit and get a better paying job? Because in an economy like this one, I am unable to find another minimum wage job within a 25 mile radius. Have I applied to every place I could possibly think of? Yes. The problem? They have all the employees they need and are not hiring. So am I stuck? You could say that.
So while I’m stuck in a job that is very taxing, especially on the feet and back (and believe me, I’m not exaggerating when I say that at the end of every day, I lie down in bed and can’t move because the pain in my back is so paralyzing from standing all day long), I would very much appreciate anything you leave on the table. It means that you understand that I need to make a living too.
In reply to Molly
It’s quite clear from your comment that the problem you have is with your employer. He is the scumbag who refuses to follow federal laws and pay you accordingly. But since you don’t have the guts to fight your employer, you try to make scapegoats out of customers and put all the blame on them for not fulfilling the role of your employer. Do I really need to say how stupid you sound?
I work in the service industry too. I only get paid by my employer. I don’t have any monetary relation with my clients. So if my employer suddenly refuses to pay my salary, should I start extorting money from clients or should I look for another job?
In reply to Andy
Excuse me for sounding stupid to you. I was aiming for reasonable.
Why don’t I fight my employer? It’s not because I don’t have the guts. I simply wish to keep my job because I have no other way to make money. I am not making scapegoats out of anyone, as I do not DEMAND tips. They are nice, and I feel like I deserve them, because without me, you wouldn’t be receiving your food, your glass filled, your check added up and handed to you. You wouldn’t be receiving the nice experience you get every time you sit down at my place of work.
Would you like to know what happened when I mentioned to my employer that not paying me for training is illegal? I went from working 35 hours a week to 15. He did not like me even mentioning that something he does is illegal. Can you imagine what would happen if I tried to fight him even more? I wouldn’t only lose hours in his contempt, I’d lose my job entirely. So I don’t fight because I need my job.
I suppose you didn’t really see when I said why I don’t look for other jobs. I’ve been looking for another job for over a year and have come up empty handed. So while I am working in service, I would very much appreciate tips, which most people do give. If I don’t make tips, my bills don’t get paid. I could lose my house. Is it my customers’ problem? No, but it’s nice to know that there ARE compassionate people out there who do care.
In reply to TheScaryKid
Listen, just because you were in the military does not give you the right to be an incredible cock sucker. Honestly it would have been better if you get hit by one of those mortars or rockets or suffered from frost bite. I hope your testicles froze off so the world doesn’t have to deal with your moronic children.
In reply to Jason
Wow buddy.
You have convinced me that if i ever go to america, that i should not go to any restaurant at all.
And i really hope that all the people in america that normally go to restaurants see this post and actively stop or reduce eating out as much as possible. Your boss pays you, end of story, anything, even 1 cent extra is a bonus and you should be grateful. If you dont like the rates, work elsewhere for the minimum wage.
I really hope enough people from america read your post and just stop going to restaurants all together -> that should make you happy right? Im sure your boss will keep you on and keep paying you the full rate even if there is no clients? Or would you rather your restaurant be in business and be grateful for having a job, even if you are not paid any tips.
For me, if i was a waiter paid the minimum wage, i would treat each customer like a king, not because im a beggar and want a tip, but because without customers, the business would close and im left with nothing.
In reply to Jason
LOL… how’s your 4th tier law school, bro? Or is it one of those online or unaccredited pieces of shit? T14 or don’t go at all!
In reply to Jason
Please tell us your name and place of work. We will all make sure that you get 200% tip with a free ride home and a foot massage too if you want.
In reply to Andy
Come on. Just email me and maybe you can have your dream come true
In reply to Jason
This is simple. You don’t like your wage? You should probably quit. Don’t expect tips, they are not mandatory.
In reply to Ed
So I got a story for ya.
I took my friends out to a restaurant, our first time…and our waitress’s service wasn’t that outstanding, but we had a good time eating until the bill came….we all paid separate transactions, 2 credit cards and the remaining balance ($9) in cash. my bf and his friend tipped on their receipts..So my buddy here gave her $20 bill for the remaining balance…The waitress comes and takes it away from him and didn’t come back…we waited and waited..she came back and was like, “oh you wanted your change back?” we looked at her and was like no shit. so she comes back with $2 in change (the change was supposed to be $11) and said, “wait…so if you want your change back then you’re leaving me with $8 tip??” My other buddy told her that we didn’t have to tip here, in Europe they don’t tip, even in Japan too, but we tipped her 12% anyway. I mean she should be happy that we left her some money. She was so shocked that she just walked away with $11 added to her tip, which was 20% tip and she did not deserve that much at all. How f**king dare you! first of all, you’re supposed to give him the change back and THEN he tips you. we were just so shocked with her attitude that we just left and called the owner of the restaurant. we told the owner that we are gonna dispute our transactions because our waitress was so rude, and he apologized and sent us a gift card. what a rude bitch. I’ve never encountered such a rude waitress ever! who the hell do you think you are telling us how much we should tip you. We tip base on service, and her service was not excellent at all. This situation makes me not wanna tip at all!
In reply to Judy
ya i have people i work with like that, the thing is alot of countries already have a built in gratuity into the bill, or pay the servers 25-30 dollars an hour to compensate for not being tipped… fine.. i get this. BUT…… i tip out 8 % on my total sales, bussers, hostesses kitchen guys food runners etc… so if you dont tip me at times or not sufficiently then well you fucked the server or bartender because we tip out a percentage on our total sales and the avg tip percentage we get means nothing. and tipping 18-20 % now days is pretty standard so thats probably why she was shocked and doesnt make it right. Ive served for very 6 years and it is very rare that i receive anything less then 15 % unless they are kids, different ethnicity’s or cheap people
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?
In reply to Anupa
Exactly this.
I’ve seen so many servers comment on how their job is the most difficult beyond any. If that’s true, then why not get a *much easier* job like a C programmer?
In reply to Anupa
I work in finance now, but in my previous life I bartended on the Upper West Side in NYC for nearly 8 years. My current position is very hi-stress, but I can honestly say that the service industry is probably the most demanding industry that I have ever worked in. It is mentally, physically and emotionally draining. Those of you who have never served a table or worked a shift behind a busy bar, please refrain from commenting about how easy it probably is. Better yet, go do it for 3 months and then come back and tell your servers how lazy they are. I guarantee that you will be singing a different tune. Crumby service gets a 20% tip from me, and good service gets even more. I am very financially fortunate and I am not afraid to pass that fortune along when I know it is well deserved. Come on people, try to have some decency and treat others as you would like to be treated.
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?
In reply to Anupa
The skill comes in when the server has too refill your drink, make sure the tables clean, make sure everyone enjoys the food, clearing dishes, explaining specials, possible helping you decide on a dish/wine, help with paring issues, check the quality of food/drink, and etc. while also doing the same with 1-6 more tables. Timing is everything, and the server is the one who makes that happen. If you think it doesn’t take skill to keep 30 people completely content at one time you are mistaken. More so, the cooks do the same thing every night on repeat, but servers have to deal with every type of person and issue that comes along with actually executing a perfect meal. Yes without the food their is no point, but most restaurants want to give a full amazing dining experience and without the servers that is impossible. \
The skills I personally gained from being a server: Interpersonal communication skills, multi-tasking skills, Food/Wine Knowledge, Food/sanitation laws, Beverage laws, Standard Operations procedures, patience and probably more .
The tantrum come from the huge amount of disrespect that comes with being called a conveyor belt.
@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.
In reply to the plasticgraduate
“The NYTimes had a great blog” Great to see that your entire career can be learnt just by reading 1 blog. Clearly your profession requires an obsecene amount of years, training and tuition fees.
In reply to matt
Matt; I really like how you honed in one one line of their comment and then completely twisted their words to make a point. The plasticgraduate said they read an article relevant to this discussion and talked about how it impacted their perception. Did they say that that made them a professional on the topic from that one blog? No. Clearly you need to re-evaluate how you perceive other people’s statements.