Is it financially safe for us to move back to Seattle? (Bellevue: sales, real estate)

[Sleepless from Seattle]

My spouse works as a restaurant waiter / server.

I worked through an employment agency as a temporary office clerical employee.

We lived around and worked in the city of Seattle for 13 years.

Opportunity arrived late 2009 as a potentially prosperous job offer to DH in the California Inland Empire wine country. Well, that job offer fell through during our move down here

It’s been a struggle for us ever since just trying to make ends meet in this State, and there’s not even any nearby bookstores to keep me company

I have been pondering moving back to the Puget Sound Region, however, how are the cities there (Seattle, Bellevue, etc.) holding up economically since the minimum wage went up?

Did restaurants dramatically cut their wait staff?

When it comes to gratuity, do customers still tip their server well, say at least 15-20% of sales?

And what about office clerical temp jobs? I remember there always being job assignments open in Bellevue. Could this probably still be the case? And how about in downtown Seattle?

Is it true that business is slow all around up there?

Anybody else in a similar situation move back? Did you feel remorse or happiness?

[texastrigirl]

IMO, which is totally anedoctal, things seem to have rebounded nicely around here. On the rare occasion I go into Bellevue to shop or eat it seems nearly impossible to get a parking spot or a reservation. Nordstrom is always hopping, people seem to be carrying plenty of bags around. Lots of real estate development starting to happen again.

Other than that, I can't answer your questions...but did want to comment on tipping 30%. People do that? I usually do 20% and I know plenty of people who never do more than 15% so I can't answer to whether that has changed or not!

[Ira500]

I too thought that 15-20% was the standard tipping protocol.

[Sleepless from Seattle]

Originally Posted by texastrigirl

...but did want to comment on tipping 30%. People do that? I usually do 20% and I know plenty of people who never do more than 15% so I can't answer to whether that has changed or not!

EDIT: Spouse just got home and corrected me on that. I guess it seemed so much more to me compared to the chump change he receives for tips / gratuity here in the California Inland Empire.

DH is an excellent and very attentive waiter / server. He receives many 5-star complements, but unfortunately those don't pay the bills.

Thank you for tipping

[eskercurve]

For temp workers and waiters huh? Well I would say the minimum wage hike hasn't impacted business yet. So I think that is still possible. To be honest I don't think the recession impacted here much in that regard. For temp office work, there's bound to be stuff. Amazon is hiring, so is Boeing. So are lots of smaller tech firms.

I've been to inland empire California before. Get out of the desert. Come back.

[David Aguilar]

Originally Posted by Sleepless from Seattle

I guess it seemed so much more to me compared to the chump change he receives for tips / gratuity here in the California Inland Empire.

LOL, I waited tables for 6 years in the IE, and never thought I got chump change (wondering if SEA is really that much better {I turned down a job in Kirkland back in the day}), I was a bomb server to boot. I'm glad I'm not in that business anymore, and don't ever plan on returning. Be glad that you aren't in one of those states that lowers the minimum wage for tipped employees.

If you want to move back to Seattle, just save up and do it. What's the worst that could happen? You'd be back in Seattle........

BTW: my standards for tipping:
20%+ for really good (a good sign is refilling/bringing new drinks without asking for them)
15% for average
10% for crap service

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by David Aguilar

LOL, I waited tables for 6 years in the IE, and never thought I got chump change (wondering if SEA is really that much better {I turned down a job in Kirkland back in the day}), I was a bomb server to boot. I'm glad I'm not in that business anymore, and don't ever plan on returning. Be glad that you aren't in one of those states that lowers the minimum wage for tipped employees.

If you want to move back to Seattle, just save up and do it. What's the worst that could happen? You'd be back in Seattle........

BTW: my standards for tipping:
20%+ for really good (a good sign is refilling/bringing new drinks without asking for them)
15% for average
10% for crap service

An argument I've had forever with my sister is what amount the tip is based on. Taxed or untaxed. She tips 15% of the untaxed amount. I make it way more complicated than I need to. For average service, I take the sales tax (which is 9.5-10% depending where you are in the Seattle area), double it, then subtract 10% of that amount, so if the bill is 30 dollars before tax, and the tax is three, double that is six, subtract 10% of that, and the server gets 5.40.
I know I'm crazy, that's not the point. When you tip, do you tip on the bill before or after sales tax is added?

[seattlenextyear]

Move the decimal point to the left and double that amount. Round up if you need to.

[David Aguilar]

Originally Posted by Ira500

An argument I've had forever with my sister is what amount the tip is based on. Taxed or untaxed. She tips 15% of the untaxed amount. I make it way more complicated than I need to. For average service, I take the sales tax (which is 9.5-10% depending where you are in the Seattle area), double it, then subtract 10% of that amount, so if the bill is 30 dollars before tax, and the tax is three, double that is six, subtract 10% of that, and the server gets 5.40.
I know I'm crazy, that's not the point. When you tip, do you tip on the bill before or after sales tax is added?

I do it on the total bill including tax. Sales taxes are reflective of the environment(s) we live in, so that's why I do it.

I'll add in one more level, I just ate out.
-17%ish, a round number between whatever 15% and 20% is, for above average service, without the preemptive drink strikes.

[Hemlock140]

For decent service I'll do 1.5 times the tax, which is about 15% of the meal
cost. More or less depending on the service.

We currently have about 5 agency temps in my area of the building. Lots of projects going on, not permanent so temps are brought in to help out. I expect that to be the trend as business picks up, but people lack confidence enough to add positions.