Tipping and the Minimum Wage (employment, gated, price)

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Not sure about Arizona places but in California they give you a suggested amount at the bottom of the bill, either 15%, 18% or 20%. Your bill is $100 so at the bottom of the bill it would say: Tipping suggestion, $15, $18, $20 The amount depends on the amount of your bill though.

As far as pay goes, I don't seem to care if someone is making below, at, or above minimum wage. I have never known how much someone is making when I go out so I don't think it would be relevant if the pay were to increase. Can anyone tell what the server is making? You could just as easily have a server that is making more than minimum wage assisting you.

[JGMotorsport64]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

Not sure about Arizona places but in California they give you a suggested amount at the bottom of the bill, either 15%, 18% or 20%. Your bill is $100 so at the bottom of the bill it would say: Tipping suggestion, $15, $18, $20 The amount depends on the amount of your bill though.

As far as pay goes, I don't seem to care if someone is making below, at, or above minimum wage. I have never known how much someone is making when I go out so I don't think it would be relevant if the pay were to increase. Can anyone tell what the server is making? You could just as easily have a server that is making more than minimum wage assisting you.

Even then, who, with integrity and shame, looks at a server and says, "you know, you're making the minimum wage I don't think I'll need to tip you."

Some people are really shameless about these sorts of things.

I was out a few days ago and one guy dramatically said he wasn't tipping the bartender because "all you did was give me a beer, your runner brought my food to me."

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Originally Posted by JGMotorsport64

Even then, who, with integrity and shame, looks at a server and says, "you know, you're making the minimum wage I don't think I'll need to tip you."

Some people are really shameless about these sorts of things.

I was out a few days ago and one guy dramatically said he wasn't tipping the bartender because "all you did was give me a beer, your runner brought my food to me."

Very true. Also I have seen servers at a night club get tipped a couple bucks if they were dropping off one drink or 8 drinks. I guess some people think it is the single trip. I am thinking some girl (or guy) wades thru hundreds of people to bring you your drink and it is in the same shape it left the bar then that server should get a nice tip. People need to realize that you go to a big club then the easiest way to not get service is to tip bad. Word gets out that your not paying and no one is going to want to visit your table.

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by caitlindwarf

If you can't tip, stay home. If you've never worked in the industry you don't get it. This wage raise will probably negatively affect servers and bartenders because people will tip less now, dramatically reducing their income. It's not a good thing. I tip 30-50% to make up for the people who don't tip and would continue to do so even if I lived somewhere with wage raises like this.

And if you depend on tips for a living, find another job or get an education so you don't need to rely on waiting tables to make a living.

And the reason people don't tip is because a lot of those waiters provide poor service and think they provide great service. Your job doesn't stop with taking an order. You need to check up on your diners, refill drinks, ask if they need any additional items, ask if their meals were prepared to their expectations and box leftovers. If someone has to ask you to do these things, it means you aren't doing your job. Does that sound like a lot of work? It shouldn't because that's what your predecessors did 20-30 years go and what waiters do in most upscale restaurants provide (Ruth's Chris etc).

I would prefer if restaurants built tips into the cost of a meal (15%) and advertised that. Then for average service like you get 90% of the time, you don't need to tip any additional amount. It will then give good waiters an incentive to earn more by actually doing more. Right now, they do the bare minimum and expect 20-25%.

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by JGMotorsport64

I was out a few days ago and one guy dramatically said he wasn't tipping the bartender because "all you did was give me a beer, your runner brought my food to me."

Why does a bartender need to be tipped for giving you a beer? The idea with tipping a bartender was the art of making a drink. Uncapping a bottle and handing it to you requires no service. Making a dirty martini does. Tipping has gotten out of control that people don't know why they tip any longer and it has just become customary. You are appalled that someone doesn't tip for handing them a beer because people mindlessly hand the bartender a dollar bill for handing them a Bud Light. All that does is create a sense of entitlement among waitstaff.

In Europe, they don't tip the bartender for handing them a pint of Guinness or Cider. This is an American concept that has gotten out of control.

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by stevek64

I think you make very good points. To me, tips are about some businesses/industries just pushing subsidizing workers salaries on the backs of customers in a most direct manner. I've always felt businesses should pay a "complete" wage the market can bear in the 1st place to their employees and expect good work out of them.

I think of all the good tips I've lost when I wrote a real good days worth of computer code/designed a slick database.....

I think a major reason Uber has become so successful is the elimination of tipping. When the service was first started, the company even touted the no tipping policy and still has not created a tip line.

It is stressful to receive poor service from a rude cab driver and then feel the pressure to tip well as you hand him cash. Uber removed that.

I own a condo at a resort in Florida that has a no tipping policy. Guests are prohibited from tipping. You can't tip the bell hop, the caddie, the valet....it is all built into your membership. It is a wonderful free feeling. You don't have to carry cash on you. If you try to tip, the employees are instructed to tell you that they cannot receive any tips for any reason. Like Uber, it removes the stress of tipping. The service is actually better than most places and there isn't that stress of having to carry cash or tip for every silly gesture like someone opening your car door.

I know that some restaurants have started to do this. This restaurant pays its servers $27 per hour and raised food prices 16-20% to compensate. I would much rather have this model.

Meadowsweet: No tips, but servers will get $27 an hour - Dec. 23, 2015

Originally Posted by jlawrence01

Personally, I think that it is a moot issue as most wait staff positions as we know them will be eliminated in the next decades as many operators will be converting to a quick service format. That is why you see so many places trying out touch screens and the like.

I agree this is where most places are going. This is good. This will eliminate your 20 year something average frat boy and sorrority girl waiter/waitress that provides average service. What will happen is restaurants will offer waiters that pride themselves on great service like the Four Seasons or the Ritz Carleton. I genuinely think restaurants don't train people how to serve customers any longer. They lack etiquette.

[JGMotorsport64]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

Why does a bartender need to be tipped for giving you a beer? The idea with tipping a bartender was the art of making a drink. Uncapping a bottle and handing it to you requires no service. Making a dirty martini does. Tipping has gotten out of control that people don't know why they tip any longer and it has just become customary. You are appalled that someone doesn't tip for handing them a beer because people mindlessly hand the bartender a dollar bill for handing them a Bud Light. All that does is create a sense of entitlement among waitstaff.

In Europe, they don't tip the bartender for handing them a pint of Guinness or Cider. This is an American concept that has gotten out of control.

Because the tip for a bartender is distributed to the runner. The bartender manages you.

In Europe bartenders are paid higher wages it's not a fair comparison.

Restaurant/retail work should be a mandatory 1 year sentence to everybody to give them some perspective.

[teddyearp]

I'm going to throw a twist on all this 10-15-18-20% tip thing.

You go to a mom and pop restaurant and order say a $10 meal. You go to a high priced restaurant and order the same meal with basically the same quality, but it costs $50. The service was good at both places. We do not know how much the wait staff is being paid at either location. How does or does the 'percentage' thing still apply?

[corydon]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

In Europe, they don't tip the bartender for handing them a pint of Guinness or Cider. This is an American concept that has gotten out of control.

There is no tipping period inEurope. They make a decent pay check.....

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by teddyearp

I'm going to throw a twist on all this 10-15-18-20% tip thing.

You go to a mom and pop restaurant and order say a $10 meal. You go to a high priced restaurant and order the same meal with basically the same quality, but it costs $50. The service was good at both places. We do not know how much the wait staff is being paid at either location. How does or does the 'percentage' thing still apply?

$3-5 at the mom and pop and $10 at the higher priced place. 20% minimum regardless.