Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire The Restaurant 'Server' Tipping Con

Went to Chili's today for lunch. Had a chicken caesar with a water. They had this new gizmo (a tablet type thing) sitting on the table that let's you pay right there with your debit card. Your server.....who actually did take and deliver your order.........is no longer involved after you chow down. I tried it out. After sliding my card........the gizmo summarized my order and bill and prompted me forward with a 'default tip' of 20%. It did, however, allow me to scroll back to 10% or so........with some figuring out.

WTF??? Server doesn't have to wait on me to bring me the check and take my money.............but still gets 20%? I want my balls sucked for 20%.....or even 10% for that matter......anywhere. This machine doesn't do that. Whatever happened to the good 'ol days when Betty would actually wait on you?

Can't even call the fawks waiter or waitress anymore. They are now 'servers'.......cuz the other names are degrading to them and make them feel less than you and like they may have to actually cater to you. Classic liberal and modern societal political correctness. YOU gotta make THEM feel good in order to tip them.

Also.......who decided that the old standby waitstaff tip of 15% wasn't enough? First it went to 20%.........and now they don't even have to wait on you for that?? WTF??

Go to a buffet these days and all you say at the entryway cashier is 'buffet bar with water' and you pay there. The wait staff brings you plates and a few extra napkins (if you ask)......and doesn't even discuss food. You always have to ask for extra plates, too. You've already paid at the check-in, so the waitstaff doesn't even bring your check and process your payment. Why is a tip even due here?

Oh, but the poor waiter and waitresses in this country. They are sooooo hardworking. Most are single moms and college students.........true American sufferers. After all, why shouldn't they be due 20% without having to actually work for it..........or even be thought of as what they are?

The restaurant business as a whole has really struggled since the economy crash for these very reasons. But most restaurants still ain't gettin' it and changing their ways. I have absolutely no sympathy for the biz.

I'm gonna stick to fast food for a while. Foods cheaper........and the tipping pressures and bullsheet are non-existent.

You seem to be the type of customer my kids (all waiters/waitress while working their way through school) used to tell me about.

Yeah, I stick with fast food joints if I were you.

Do the math. At 20% they'd be making a heck of a wage per hour. Ridiculous.

I noticed that our check at Red Lobster on Saturday had the amounts for 15%, 18%, and 20% of the bill figured "for our convenience".

Any pill stuffed drunk that goes to Chili's gets what he deserves.

Sounds like a great deal to me! When I'm ready to go I am ready to go and I hate waiting for a bill or for a server to bring my CC back to me. I love the convenience of something like that

$2.10 per hour plus tips. Taxed 8% on every sale and taxed on the hourly rate.

So, you give 'em 10% 0n $20. less $1.60 tax, net on your ticket .40

40 friggin' cents! WOW! WE NEED TO WAIT TABLES!

Sure they're gettin' rich.

I don't enjoy eating out anymore. Mostly because of the frozen, processed foods, food not cooked correctly, teenagers getting orders wrong, listening to their apologies and how sorry they are, $6 beers, $11 drinks, and the expected 20% tip.

So, I just stay home and cook.

My niece works at a restaurant part time. Sunday and Monday were especially busy and she made $500 in tips for 2 days.

You are all wet on the math... They are taxed on the amount generated by an 8% average tip, not 8% of the total... huge difference. And where can you go eat for $20 these days?

So the restaurant owner implements some hokey set up and you take it out on the servers? Seems logical to me...

You probably paid $8 for leaves and water. That's the stupid part.

Why exactly are you lot paying more money after paying for the goods and services in question?

Playing the devil's advocate, here is an idea. How about figuring the amount of actual time that the wait person spends taking your order, bringing it to you, providing refills and other services, then convert it into an hourly rate and tip on the basis of the hourly rate paid them by the establishment?

I took a friend to Chili's tonight. The food was good and there was plenty of it. I had the Caribbean salad. My friend got chicken strips with fries and corn-on-the-cob and couldn't eat it all, had to get a to-go box.

The bill came to $23.75 and I left a $6 tip. The kid who waited on us was prompt, attentive, and polite.

They had the on-table devices that the OP wrote about but I didn't use it.

10% ? when has that ever been part of the standard tip?

I admit, I was behind the times at 15% - I didn't realize until recently most of the people I know now tip at 20% . I guess the math is easier.

My son worked his way through college waiting tables. At one time, he was working for a Perkins restaurant where they have a guarantee that if you don't like the service, the meal is free. Needless to say, there are some out there who will ALWAYS find fault. My son worked hard to be exceptional and get the maximum tips. They had 2 old women who were the bitchy type who could always find something wrong so when they came in, my son was appointed to wait on them. They never got a free meal from him but they never left him a tip either. He hated to see them come in because he knew that he'd have to do twice the work for half the pay. He finally told the boss to kiss off when they came in. He was tired of working for nothing.

wondering why that troll spanky hasn't chimed in here

Tipping is not a secret or rocket science. If you can't afford it, stay home. If you can afford it and choose to stiff your waiter, you're a freeloader.