HERE'S A TIP! --> Stop tipping waiters and keep the money for yourself!

[Lalakai]

tips aren't mandatory but very useful for expressing your opinion of the establishment and service. Even with a minor bill, if the service was good the tip is often more then the bill; I appreciate the effort someone takes to make certain I get what I want. Simply serving the food/drinks is sometimes a challenge, but the extra effort is noted in a tip.

maybe you'll change, but I think your response is more weighted by the fact that your age and IQ are probably equal.

ps-make certain to pass it along to the cooks and bartenders when they do a good job also; it's hard to find a good Long Island Ice Tea

 

[tcsenter]

<< No matter how you spin it, or who your wife is, or how little she gets paid, it is not the responsibility of the customer to complete the pay of that waiter/ess--that is the job of the EMPLOYER. Tips are not pay. >>

You can pretend that something isn't true, but that doesn't make it true. This has been THE SYSTEM - REALITY - for better than 100 years now. Not only were tips the ONLY wage service industry workers made before wage laws, tips are the primary source of their income (wages) today. It appears that the only person doing the spinning is the person who is attempting to pass-off their personal opinion as fact, an opinion that is at odds with REALITY.

One little known fact about certain service industry employees, such as the cocktail waitresses at casinos, is the waitress buys EVERY drink she serves. The house/bar takes something like 50 cents out of her weekly paycheck for EVERY drink she serves and DEPENDS on tips to compensate that loss of income. At the end of the week, it is entirely possible for a cocktail waitress to end up OWING the house money, if she serves a lot of drinks for which she received few tips (from cheap self-righteous asswipes like you).

 

[Gaard]

2 points...

I read that during the SLC Olympics, 15% was automatically added to the total bill at most restaurants so the waiters/waitresses wouldn't get accidentally stiffed by all the people from other countries who normally would have a hard time calculating with American currency. Seemed like a good idea. But I hope they stopped the practice after the Olympics.

One morning after an all-night poker game, me and my friend went out for some breakfast. When our waitress came up my friend laid down his bowl of poker change (at least $50...the crazy fvcker was drunk) and told her "This is your tip. Everytime you screw up I take a handful of change back." When she brought us our food he says, "Damnit! I said a LARGE orange juice!" and pocketed a handful of change from the bowl. By the time we were done eating there wasn't much money left in the bowl. Of course he put every dime back when she brought us our bill. She got a hefty tip for putting up with his BS.

 

[BDawg]

I have no problem with tipping. In fact, I always tip very well (20% +) if the service is decent. On the same hand, I tip very poorly if the service is bad. I want to make sure they know I'm unhappy.

What I do have a problem with is the other businesses that now have tip jars such as Starbucks, Panera, or Jersey Mike's. They're already getting paid a full ammount. Geez...in general, they're high school kids. Why do they think they deserve an extra $10/hour in tips???

The last time I had horrid service was at Uno's. The waiter came to get drink orders after we'd been seated for 10 minutes, didn't come back to bring the drinks and take our food order for another 10 minutes. Another waiter brought out our food in 30 minutes (slow for lunch). All this time, we hadn't seen the original waiter since he took our order. Our glasses had been empty for 20 minutes +, and we had even tried to flag down other waiters (on said, "I'll get your waiter" and never did).

Finally, the manager came by and asked how things were. I told her that we had never received even 1 refill of tea, so she brought some. After another 15 minutes, our original waiter finally brought the bill. We sat out our credit cards and it took him another 5 minutes to get our cards.

I left 0.00 for my tip, walked over to the manager and gave her $2.00. I told her that it was the tip I would have given our waiter had he been satisfactory, but since he wasn't, I'd like her to keep it.

If you're short on waiters, or there's some sort of hold up in the kitchen, just let me know. I'm not going to penalize a waiter's tip as long as he lets me know and apologizes for it. This guy said nothing...

 

[GasX]

Epsil0n00 - you are a sad pathetic troll

 

[Pastfinder]

Here's a tip Epsil0n00: Quit being an assclown and grow up.

I'll happily leave a tip when I dine out. I'm sure that if you were the waiter, you would not appreciate being shafted.

 

[Yossarian]

<< So she ordered it and ended up in the hospital. Asking the cook later it was clear that the waiter didn't even ask him. And to top it all off, he demanded a 15% tip at the end and felt justified because the usual policy is to include 15% on the bill for groups of 6 or more. >>



Heh I believe there is a clause in the tipping handbook that says you don't have to leave anything if the meal puts you in the hospital.

 

[tcsenter]

<< Even though the waitresses/waitors where payed less than I was, it still was unfair. I Made about $6.50/hr at the place and the waitresses made about $3.30/hr in the place, now who works harder? >>

I had to respond to this. You think the market decides wages on who works "harder"? LMAO!

Well, let's see, which of these people work "harder": a laborer who works construction/ashphalt or a software developer? Who do you think gets paid better (a lot better)?

I'm tired of people whose parents (or whoever) have miseducated them that the "harder" you work the more you should get paid. That's never been true, it will never be true. Wages are decided on a number of different factors that are relevant to the business/industry (the fundamental determinant being supply and demand).

The SOONER people understand this, the sooner they can break-out of that mentality and find better paying work.

 

[Jeff7]

I leave tips based on service. If the waiter/waitress is friendly and gives good service, I leave a good tip. If they're just disrespectful, etc, less tip. I have heard that they tend to get paid less than min wage, and are expected to make the rest up in tips. While I don't like the idea of min wage itself, since we do have it, I find that policy in poor taste. I'm a cashier at K-mart. I need to offer friendly service to people, but it isn't tip based. Restarants should be no different.

 

[insdav3]

Uhmmmm I break my back for my catering company up here in Michigan who caters more like 300+ weddings and 1000+ receptions sometimes. I once worked a 19.5 hour shift. I don't care if you don't tip the watress, or server. It's the busser who break their neck for you, they setup everything that you see at a high scale place.... tables, chairs, laundry, glasses, bar...etc usally 2 guys do all that- for 200-3000 people. You try doing that with just a friend, and then having to WORK the party itself for another 13 hours atop the 5 you've already put in.

Tip the people who break their back for you to have a good time, not the people who just bring you your coffee. :-\

-Dave

 

[tcsenter]

<< It's the busser who break their neck for you, they setup everything that you see at a high scale place.... tables, chairs, laundry, glasses, bar...etc usally 2 guys do all that- for 200-3000 people. You try doing that with just a friend, and then having to WORK the party itself for another 13 hours atop the 5 you've already put in. >>

Been there, done that, for the Holidome Conference and Banquet Center in Flint, Michigan. The gratuity for banquets are figured-in with the rest of the food and beverage bill. The banquet manager figures out who gets what in the end and its all pretty much divided evenly. About the only independent in a banquet is the bar.

 

[Mears]

Personally, I agree with Epsilon00, and I find it quite humorous that everyone is calling him an asshole for his beliefs. I guess I'm an asshole too, but at least I'm not resorting to childish name calling becuase the rest of you don't agree with me.

I feel that waiters should be paid a regular wage and that the patrons should cover the difference in the price of their meals. Believe me, waiters/waitresses don't have it that bad. While I can't speak for all of them, it was rare for my ex to come home with under $100 in tips a night. There were even nights where she made over $200 in tips. I'm not saying that waiters and waitresses don't work hard, but it is rediculous to claim that it is one of the hardest worked jobs out there.

 

[Dually]

I tip 15% if the service is good and drop it down from there if it's bad. If the server is hot and good than I tip up to %25.

 

[mithrandir2001]

I'm not too disturbed about putting down 15-20% tip for good restaurant service, but I get annoyed by the STARES when I put coinage down as a tip for the bartender. If I am buying a $2 draft, why should I leave a $1 tip? 50 cents should be plenty. Heck, a quarter should be enough because a bartender can fill at least 30 orders an hour (unlike waitering), so those 25 and 50 cents tips do add up. If everybody gave a $1 tip, the bartender is just making too much money: $20-$30/hour???

 

[Mears]

tcsenter, I agree with you that pay scale shouldn't be judged based on how "hard" they work. However, you are sorta using faulty logic when you compare a construction worker and a software developer since the software developer has education behind their position. Let's face it, both a bus boy and waiter are both considered unskilled workers so you're analogy does not match up. Also, as far as customer service there are many other jobs where individuals are required to do as much or more customer interaction as wait staff.

On a side note, I had a guy in one of my classes last year who was a construction worker who came back to school to get a degree in EE. He told me he knew he was going to be taking a pay CUT by doing so, but he wanted better hours. He had people on his crew who were getting $125/hr. Granted, the company he worked for built golf courses.

 

[tcsenter]

<< There were even nights where she made over $200 in tips. I'm not saying that waiters and waitresses don't work hard, but it is rediculous to claim that it is one of the hardest worked jobs out there. >>

Epsilon is entitled to his "opinion", but that's not what this is about. He can still tip the staff and have his opinion. What this is about is finding ways to rationalizing or justify being a cheap ass by not tipping the staff (as if he's doing it on some matter of principle).

He fancies himself as creating a sort of 'mini-revolution' (I'm going to stop tipping so that employers will start paying wages and this will start the ball rolling...soon there will be no tipping).

Nobody cares about his opinion of the tipping concept, whether it is dumb or whatever. The FACT is that these people WORK FOR TIPS, not the stupid $2.15 they get an hour, and his mini-revolution will accomplish absolutely NOTHING except to jilt people out of gratuity they are entitled to because that is the way the system works and always has.

If he fundamentally disagrees with the tipping concept on some perceived matter of principle, then he should stay home or voluntarily pay higher prices for the goods and services because he is getting a DISCOUNT on those good and services due to the fact that employers don't have to pass along the cost of higher wages in their prices.

Talk about principle, it is the actions of an unprincipled person to both benefit from the lower costs of goods and services made possible by the tipping concept and to reject tipping at the same time.

 

[mithrandir2001]

<< I'm tired of people whose parents (or whoever) have miseducated them that the "harder" you work the more you should get paid. That's never been true, it will never be true. Wages are decided on a number of different factors that are relevant to the business/industry (the fundamental determinant being supply and demand).

The SOONER people understand this, the sooner they can break-out of that mentality and find better paying work. >>


Yup, yup, yup.

Actually, it sounds like you are talking about supply-side vs demand-side economics. The supply siders say you should get paid for your output while the demand siders say you should get paid for your effort. Very different. Of course the supply siders are correct because consumers buy economic output, not economic effort.

I've attended a few art shows where the artists vocally complain about the cheap attendees. "These people aren't buying anything!" Well, that's because your art pieces are too expensive. "Too expensive!" an artist will reply outraged, "I spent 5 weeks doing this piece!" Doesn't matter. That's effort. I can spend 5 weeks ornately decorating a roll of toilet paper. Is it worth a lot of money because I spent 5 weeks on it? Not if the output is unvalued, as a decorated roll of toilet paper would be.

 

[Amused]

<< No matter how you spin it, or who your wife is, or how little she gets paid, it is not the responsibility of the customer to complete the pay of that waiter/ess--that is the job of the EMPLOYER. Tips are not pay. >>



It looks like the tight wad missed my post. Here it is again. Please cure your ignorance.

What ignorant, short sighted tripe (the original post).

The original poster, as well as many in this thread miss some very obvious points:

1. Even if tipping were abolished, YOU'D PAY THE SAME AMOUNT IN INCREASED COSTS FOR THE MENU ITEMS. The restaurant has to get the extra money to pay them from somewhere, and you can bet your blow up love doll they ain't gonna take it out of their own pockets. In fact, you'll pay MORE than you do now in tips, because the restaurant has to match the taxes the employee pays.

2. Yes, tips are considered part of the wait staff's salary, but this makes YOU the boss with the power to pay, or not pay the waiter according to the service you receive. Trust me, you WANT this power. Without it, the wait staff only has to please their boss, not you. Welcome to restaurants with service as good as your local McDonalds and DMV.

3. TIP means "To Insure Proper/Prompt Service." See # 2 for an explaination of why this is so important. It is not "a bit extra" it IS their salary, decided by YOU, not some too-busy-to-care boss.

4. Compare the level of service you recieve from hourly workers, to the service you receive from waiters and waitresses. I have a feeling you'll find a HUGE difference.

You have a LOT to learn about life, Jon. Some things are the way they are because they've been TRIED the other way, and did not work.

 

[Mears]

"1. Even if tipping were abolished, YOU'D PAY THE SAME AMOUNT IN INCREASED COSTS FOR THE MENU ITEMS. The restaurant has to get the extra money to pay them from somewhere, and you can bet your blow up love doll they ain't gonna take it out of
their own pockets. In fact, you'll pay MORE than you do now in tips, because the restaurant has to match the taxes the employee pays."

I dissagree. How much do you honestly think an employer would pay their wait staff? I'm pretty sure it would be a lot less than what many of them are currently making.

 

[Mears]

"2. Yes, tips are considered part of the wait staff's salary, but this makes YOU the boss with the power to pay, or not pay the waiter according to the service you receive. Trust me, you WANT this power. Without it, the wait staff only has to please their boss,
not you. Welcome to restaurants with service as good as your local McDonalds and DMV.

Well if people avoided restaurants due to poor service, I think the boss would expect quite a bit.

As far as not working any other way, it does in other countries.

 

[Amused]

<< "2. Yes, tips are considered part of the wait staff's salary, but this makes YOU the boss with the power to pay, or not pay the waiter according to the service you receive. Trust me, you WANT this power. Without it, the wait staff only has to please their boss,
not you. Welcome to restaurants with service as good as your local McDonalds and DMV.

Well if people avoided restaurants due to poor service, I think the boss would expect quite a bit.

As far as not working any other way, it does in other countries. >>



Are you saying the service in European family restaurants is on par with US establishments?

If you are, you obviously have NEVER been there.

 

[MillionaireNextDoor]

How about this? A tip should be placed at the beginning of the meal. Any mess-ups in service and some amount gets deducted from that. Any great service will be met with extra credit being added on to the pot.

I used to help at my family's restaurant but there are so many people that I doubt any waiter can keep track of the customers and how they tipped during the last visit to upgrade their service. Unless there's a personal database, of course. If it's a smaller place, it will be easy to remember.

"You scratch my back, I scratch your back"

 

[Koing]

I before didn't tip as I didn't eat out much if at all. But now I eat out more so I tip. I make a good 10--15% tip. I tip less if the service was just boring or crappy. I tip more if the service was good.

I work in my parents takeaway. This guy usually tips me 50p or £1 or so. I think hes cool for doing that. I am personally happy to receieve any tip as its FREE money! And this girl (good looking about 28 ish) usually tips m e £2 on a order that cost £10!! 25% tip! So I am always happy when they come in and I give them a free bag of prawn crackers.

 

[Amused]

<< "1. Even if tipping were abolished, YOU'D PAY THE SAME AMOUNT IN INCREASED COSTS FOR THE MENU ITEMS. The restaurant has to get the extra money to pay them from somewhere, and you can bet your blow up love doll they ain't gonna take it out of
their own pockets. In fact, you'll pay MORE than you do now in tips, because the restaurant has to match the taxes the employee pays."

I dissagree. How much do you honestly think an employer would pay their wait staff? I'm pretty sure it would be a lot less than what many of them are currently making. >>



Then they'd have a lot less quality employees, AND a lot less paying customers. Good waiting is a skill, and good waiters make good money because they EARN it with that skill. Yes, anyone can "wait tables." But it takes talent to wait multiple tables and make every one feel as if you're their private servant, ready at the call. The waiter that accomplishes this makes the best money.

In fact, I've seen a few posts in this very thread made by current/past restaurant employees (non-wait staff) bitching about how much the wait staff made. All I have to ask is: Why didn't you become a waiter, if it paid so much more?

 

[awanSky]

Foe those who believe TIP is required/mandatory, wake up..... its a CONSPIRACY!!

Its a way for Restaurant Owner to pass some cost to you. I worked in rest before. Owner use the tip factor to lower your base salary. Tip to me is a type of bribe. If you tip really good just to get a good service, thats wrong. I expect to be treated right when I buy something etc.


Like I say, its a CONSPIRACY....