Servers get paid so little, tips are figured as part of their compensation, they deserve a decent tip. 20% rounded up to the dollar isn't too much if the service is good and you expect to see the server again. Ain't nobody getting rich in most restaurants, if you've ever worked in one you know it's hard work if done right.
BUT it's my decision. I'll back off on the tip if service is inadequate - hint: try harder or try something else. Inadvertently got stuck in one of those tip added to the bill places. Tip added was less than I would have given otherwise, but if they're satisfied with the lesser amount it's fine with me.
The key elements in human thinking are not numbers but labels of fuzzy sets. -- L. Zadeh
i leave 3 or 5 bucks in cash for the waiter/waitress.
Agree. Most often pay by credit or debit card but always leave a cash tip. Usually more that 3 or 5 bucks but then it depends on the time of the day and the class of the restaurant.
Go tell the Spartans,Travelers passing by,That here,Obedient to their laws we lie.
I'm older now but I'm still runnin' against the wind
Some folks just aren't made for sit down eatin facilities. You know going in there is a 15% tax to the waiters. If thats too much, stick to the drive thru.
Why exactly are you lot paying more money after paying for the goods and services in question?
Because in the US, the food is discounted for the cost of the waiters. Pretty simple to figure out if you realize the folks waiting on you are basically working for tips only. If it's too much money to tip, don't eat in a place that waits on you.
Now in Europe it was completely the opposite and I only left a tip if the waitress was hot and my beer never empty.
I don't believe in mandatory amounts. And it ain't hard to lose your tip if you're an idiot. Plenty of those. I'll forgive quite a bit, but the obvious idiot or slacker gets squat.
I frequent a starbucks next to my work. I've gotten to know the girls there and don't even have to order anymore. They even know that when the weather changes, so does my order. I tip more than the cost of the coffee almost every day. And once a month I throw a $20 in the jar. It's not gonna make them rich, but they do more than the minimum, which is pour me a regular coffee. At Christmas time, they all get an envelope with $25 in it. The manager is the only one who knows it's me. Don't want the girls to feel weird about it.
Having said that, I do not believe tips should be taxed. It's not mandatory I pay it but mandatory they pay tax on it? That's thievery.
They make minimum wage. So do plenty of others that don't get tips. If one of them complained about not getting tips, I'd say get a job that generates tips. Dont like your pay and low tips? Work somewhere else.
When we used to could eat out (present chemo meds make that almost impossible now) it was easy for me to figure what I think is a fair tip. Texas sales tax is 8.25% so I would just double the sales tax on the bill and round up to the next dollar.
Last night was over 20% actually. When I sat down I told her "keep the beer coming" and she knew what that meant because every time an empty hit the table it was replaced with a full.
Travis
Originally Posted by Geno67
Trump being classless,tasteless and clueless as usual.
Originally Posted by Judman
Sorry, trump is a no tax payin pile of shiit.
Originally Posted by KSMITH
My young wife decided to play the field and had moved several dudes into my house
A couple of things to say. A restaurant never sees my credit or debit card. I always pay cash and the tip is left on the table, in cash. Good service gets a good tip and I do cut them some slack, especially when the place is real busy. Being nice to the server pays dividends. miles
Most states have a lower minimum wage for tipped positions. It was about $2.15 in GA, CO, and FL when I was in those states. I believe CO at least is slightly higher now.
WA does not have a tipped wage. Servers get something like $9.80 an hour. What ever regular state minimum wage is.
One constant in every state is servers don't pay chit for tax. Typically you'd see people claim maybe 10% of their sales or their credit card tips, which ever was higher. Maybe. Many claim far less.
Usually individual servers don't get audited, but the restaurant will. Never been involved in one, but have heard of it. Fwiw.
Typical shifts are 4-6 hours. When its poppin', its actually pretty fast paced and takes a fair degree of skill to keep it together. Mostly there is lots of time to fugg off, play grab ass, and catch a smoke. You quickly learn people are weirdos and douche bags, on average.
The stores all expect the service staff to perform work cleaning, prepping, rolling silver ware, polishing glass ware, floors, etc.....all for the $2.15 or whatever they pay.
Most guys in the kitchen get paid slightly over standard minimum wage. Sure a chef, probably a sous or lead cook, will get paid more. Most everybody else back of house gets paid chit. In states like WA they get the same wage as the servers and 90+% of the time, in any state, won't see a dime of the tip.
Depending on where you work you can make a decent penny. You sure as chit aint gonna retire early! I've worked at joints that averaged $50 a shift, which sucks, and I've averaged $150 a shift, which is enough to keep a college kid in booze and puss. Most I ever made in a day was probably about $600. Not bad for a kid working part time.
I know some that make considerably more, $200+ a shift on average here in WA, sometimes much more, while collecting $9 sumptin an hour from the house and claiming practically no tips. A grand or so a week, in cash, for essentially part time work, 25 or so hours.
Since they claim so little of their tips, most are eligible on paper for government aid. Many collect food stamps, have kids on the public dime and other bullchit. Almost none have any health insurance. I've known more than a few to claim indigent care and then drop 5k for a set of bolt on knockers.
I no longer work in restaurants, but still work closely with them. While I've lived off tips in the past, and still tip better than most today, our culture of tipping is totally fugged up. It is out of control.
Service staff on a whole are as greedy as most business owners. The house wants cheap labor but relies on them to represent their business. The staff doesn't want to do chit but take money from you. Some get that going beyond taking orders and refilling drinks is money in the bank, some don't. Nearly all feel entitled to 20%.
There are absolutely great owners and great employees who commit to helping each other succeed, but it seems to be getting more rare.
I always thought it'd be interesting if servers paid the house to work sections and shifts. Kinda like a hair dresser pays to use a chair in a salon. Then the server could negotiate a percentage of goods sold to be paid by the house. 1099 the servers at the end of the year. The house could choose the best to represent them, the server would be self employed and control his/her future. If the house wants to go cheap and hire idiots, let em go broke. The smart ones would hire the best and pay the going (living) rates. Let the house pay some else to do side work and clean.
I dunno, ain't got the answer but don't like the out of control culture of tipping and bullchit that goes along with it.
Just an thunk.
Last edited by MadMooner; 04/17/14.
“Life is life and fun is fun, but it's all so quiet when the goldfish die.”
