Tipping and the Minimum Wage (credit, hotel, income)

[JGMotorsport64]

Originally Posted by jlawrence01

You are making an assumption that is not valid. I have tipped nearly every waitress who has served me my entire life.

I paid my undergraduate tuition and room and board as a carhop for a Big Boy.

I asked this question for several of my tax clients who make significant income (>$50k) as wait staff who are concerned that as the minimum wage laws increase substantially whether people are going to continue tipping in the 20% range.

I intentionally did not state my opinion upfront so that people would answer my question as opposed to commenting on my opinion.

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.

On this particular board, there always seems to be someone who is less interested in a discussion than starting trouble.

Not likely, there is more to eating out then putting food in your mouth. I don't go to Durant's to use IPads I go for an experience. I know I'm not alone. I don't sit at a bar to go get my own beer and food I go because I know the bartender.

The touch screen format might work in a place like McDonald's or Wendy's or Chili's although I haven't heard good things, but not in formal restaurant settings.

As for the minimum wage hike affecting people tipping, see my first post. It is a sad day when you look at somebody and say, "you know what? in the hour i've been here you earned 2 more dollars than you otherwise would've, I think i'll trim some of your tip off the top."

There is an out of control disdain for food service workers in this country. I will never understand it.

[DetroitN8V]

I eat out regularly and have never seen a touchscreen. I don't think the idea of waitstaff is going anywhere. Maybe at McDonald's but those types of places aren't relevant to this topic.

[Voebe]

It would be very interesting if tipping were gradually phased out entirely.

[stevek64]

Originally Posted by jlawrence01

You are going to pay the salary and benefits of the wait staff whether there is a tipping system or if all servers are paid a "complete" wage.

I think that's true to a degree but not so directly as in the realm of tipping wait/service staff.

For example, when I worked as a computer programmer, yes, someone/customers were paying for me indirectly to code, passing their costs to fund my salary to an ultimate end game customer(s). But it wasn't the same scenario as the employer paying me a very low wage and expecting my clients to tip me to make up a big chunk of my take home pay just because I wrote bug free code, was quick and efficient, etc in delivering the program to the customer.

In the end, I play the game and tip well but it's just a bit bizarre to me how it all came to be with wait staff/certain service industries while others are paid a straight wage, no tips expected. I think in the end service staff/waiters who make a big chunk of their income on tips should be paid a wage without relying on tippers and raise the price of some menu items in the end to compensate if that's what it takes. Saves me/others from the expected formality/that crazy complicated calculation game of 20% tipping of a bill for decent service. Yes, very complicated.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by JGMotorsport64

The touch screen format might work in a place like McDonald's or Wendy's or Chili's although I haven't heard good things, but not in formal restaurant settings.

Olive Garden already has the tablets at the table as does Chili's/

Buffalo Wild Wings originally was a quick service format and could easily return to that format.

There are at least a dozen other major SIT DOWN chains that have active projects investigating the use of technology.

[wit-nit]

I've seen the touch screens I several places, Chili's and Red Robin recently. I've told the servers I didn't like the machines and I'm not going to use them. They said those machines are one of the biggest complaints they get. They are difficult to manipulate, they sometimes add charges not wanted and are basically a PIA.
As far as tipping I always tip 20-30 percent unless there is some really bad service/food. The majority of the wait staff work exceptionally hard and have to take a lot of gruff from people at times.
Minimum wage makes no difference as far as tipping goes IMO, those are separate issues.

[Lexethan]

I rarely tip 10-15% unless the service is exceptional and the person look like he/she is having a hard/tough day. I may tip several bucks not percent. Tip is tip, it's not a bill and I don't have to give if the service is average or poor. People need to stop expecting a tip for a job they're hired to do.

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by Lexethan

I rarely tip 10-15% unless the service is exceptional and the person look like he/she is having a hard/tough day. I may tip several bucks not percent. Tip is tip, it's not a bill and I don't have to give if the service is average or poor. People need to stop expecting a tip for a job they're hired to do.

While I doubt you're being serious, if you actually are, I hope people go to your job and negatively impact your income as you boast about doing to others.

[LBTRS]

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

I eat out regularly and have never seen a touchscreen. I don't think the idea of waitstaff is going anywhere. Maybe at McDonald's but those types of places aren't relevant to this topic.

They are all over the place. If you eat out regularly I find it hard to believe you have not seen them. They are at sit down restaurants with tipped waitstaff, not fast food places.

[JGMotorsport64]

Originally Posted by LBTRS

They are all over the place. If you eat out regularly I find it hard to believe you have not seen them. They are at sit down restaurants with tipped waitstaff, not fast food places.

They're in larger national chains that can afford them. They're a huge complaint by customers so far.

Maybe n8v does t eat at the large chains? I know I don't. I was a "chef" at one in college. I know enough about those restaurants to know I can buy and nuke food myself. I got chef Mike in my home too.