Tipping and the Minimum Wage (sales, landlord, taxes)

[cjseliga]

Originally Posted by Lexethan

Exactly. Why not tip your mailman/woman, trash collectors, greeters at Walmart, the janitors that mop the floors in stores so you don't step in something unpleasant, etc? Where does it stop? I'll tip if I want to. I don't train people to expect a tip and a percentage at that.

Aren't there websites/apps (like EatStreet) where you can order take out online from a local restaurant, then go pick it up, with no interaction with people until you pick it up. Are you supposed to tip the computer that took your order?

[Lexethan]

Originally Posted by cjseliga

Aren't there websites/apps (like EatStreet) where you can order take out online from a local restaurant, then go pick it up, with no interaction with people until you pick it up. Are you supposed to tip the computer that took your order?

Don't forget to tip the 20 something year old guy with the homeless sign that waved at you. He's making a truly minimum wage. Also, the crossing guard that get your kids across the street safely. Oh, those street lights; so underpaid.

[phx1205]

Originally Posted by Lexethan

Don't forget to tip the 20 something year old guy with the homeless sign that waved at you.

The guy standing at the Thomas off ramp from the 51 this afternoon was checking his phone when I pulled up.

[cjseliga]

Originally Posted by Lexethan

Don't forget to tip the 20 something year old guy with the homeless sign that waved at you. He's making a truly minimum wage. Also, the crossing guard that get your kids across the street safely. Oh, those street lights; so underpaid.

Aren't some restaurants, local and national chains, experimenting with no waiters or waitresses and you just order from an iPad located at your table. Of course you still need servers to bring the food/drink out, but I'm pretty sure they will have robot servers in the not too distant future and you will probably be able to order right from your phone, instead of having an iPad at the table, once you are seated.

I guess you can tip the robot server if you wanted or caress and pet the iPad, if you so choose!

[cjseliga]

Originally Posted by phx1205

The guy standing at the Thomas off ramp from the 51 this afternoon was checking his phone when I pulled up.

Maybe he's doing a little day trading/short selling with his penny stocks!

[Lexethan]

Originally Posted by phx1205

The guy standing at the Thomas off ramp from the 51 this afternoon was checking his phone when I pulled up.

It's people like him that deter people from giving to the truly homeless. You just can't trust what you see anymore.

[stevek64]

Originally Posted by asufan

minimum 10% on takeout orders. They still have to take the order down, get it to the kitchen staff, make sure it's all correct and pack everything up and then ring you up. Sure it's less work than a dining room waiter/waitress but they did provide that service and I believe they are paid the same as the others working in the dining room.

Using that logic, for people working in a grocery store checkout line/the bagger who aren't paid much, no more than someone serving/preparing takeout orders in a fast food place/takeout restaurant type place, shouldn't we tip both the cashier and the bagger 10% because they have to scan all the items in one's cart, scan coupons maybe, get a price check if something is wrong, a person has to bag/pack it all, etc., often lifting heavy bag into one's cart, being nice and friendly to the customer while performing their job, etc.

Where does the tipping concept end I suppose is the bigger question.

[asufan]

Originally Posted by stevek64

Using that logic, for people working in a grocery store checkout line/the bagger who aren't paid much, no more than someone serving/preparing takeout orders in a fast food place/takeout restaurant type place, shouldn't we tip both the cashier and the bagger 10% because they have to scan all the items in one's cart, scan coupons maybe, get a price check if something is wrong, a person has to bag/pack it all, etc., often lifting heavy bag into one's cart, being nice and friendly to the customer while performing their job, etc.

Where does the tipping concept end I suppose is the bigger question.

What I am describing are social norms - they are things you are expected to do but not bound by law. By all means, you do not have to tip the waitress putting your to-go order together for you. Once you pay the bill in full you are free to leave. Some people do like to abide by these social norms once they learn the situation, but it is all personal choice.

[GraceKrispy]

A lot of great points in this thread. I, too, don't understand why we are suddenly seemingly expected to tip cashiers at fast food types of places. And the tips for delivery drivers-- we don't tip truck drivers who deliver goods to stores. I completely agree about the idea that why are we tipping based on percentage? I don't see that the person handing over pricier food is really doing any more for me than the person who brought me the burger.

I've been a waitress, in two different places. Neither was high end (Pizza Hut and Holiday Inn), but I still made way over minimum wage with the tips I got and my $2.25 an hour or whatever the wait staff rate was at that time (less than half minimum wage in the day). As long as I had a few tables going at all times, and each table gave me something, I made out better than I would have as a cashier. I busted my a$$ as a waitress. I appreciated my tips. I worked just as hard as I would have at a fancier place (with less help). At that time, 10-15% was expected for decent service. Now it seems the "norm" is 20%. When will it end?

There is a local restaurant that doesn't do the tip thing. The prices are built in such a way that you pay them and that's that. No tipping. LOVE that concept. I feel like tips are expected in so many situations now. I'd rather just pay up front for whatever the charge is, with the expectation that the person performing the service job is doing it well. As someone else said, there are plenty of positions in the service of others. To be clear, I do tip, and I generally tip around 18% for good service. I dislike that we are such a tipping society, though. I'd rather the prices were clear upfront and tipping went away. All workers who do their jobs well should be getting a livable wage, period.

[stiffnecked]

So if you're a waitress waiting on folks from Australia how do you shame them into leaving a tip???