20% tip is too generous for CA's minimum wage waitstaff (salary, prices)

[Radical347]

Originally Posted by 04kL4nD

Waiting tables isn't all that difficult but it IS tiring, frustrating, repetitive, mundane, and emotionally draining. I was in the restaurant industry for about 10 years, putting myself through school, and it's something that really chipped away at my soul the longer I did it. I sat through meetings for a few hours yesterday, doing absolutely no work, and I thought to myself how lucky I was to be able to sit on my ass for a few hours making 2-3x would I'd make in a typical shift 8 hour shift at a restaurant, running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Some of you either didn't wait tables for very long or have never done it in your life. Try doing it for 5+ years, without many days off, while going to school full time. Better yet, try doing it for 50-60 hours a week like some people do who are trying to support families and keep food on the table. I'll bet a lot of you would change your tune. While it's nice that servers are making $15/hr in some cities, that might have enabled me to work a few days less a week MAX. It's not like I'd be taking trips to Europe or buying a fancy car or anything.

All of this sounds about right. I’ve been on both sides (waitstaff and kitchen) and neither is very glamorous. I’d say as long as you’re fine dealing with people, waitstaff is a bit less grating, and a lot better paid if you’re at a moderate-to-high end restaurant. Even if you have to shell out $20-30 worth of tips to supporting staff, that still leaves about $80 left for a full shift, which is an additional +$10/hour. A bunch of my friends who were waitstaff made 40-50K/year including tips, easily. While this isn’t big money around here, it does make it one of the higher paying jobs that doesn’t require any sort of degree or qualification. It also makes it quite doable if you live with multiple roommates, which is very common in the industry even for people in their 30s-40s or beyond. But cooks do NOT have a base salary of >$10 over the waiters at the vast majority of restaurants, and I don’t see how that’s fair. Both sides are constantly on their feet and under deadlines all day (and sometimes even when they’re not working, as having to be on call is fairly common). Waiter/waitresses often have to put up with rude customers. For cooks, replace the rude customers with many very real dangers (cuts and burns happen almost every day)...or maybe just add it because often time they have to put up with temperamental head chefs/sous chefs too.

While it’s true that many restaurant workers are trying to support families, that doesn’t influence my tipping because the same could be said about workers in any industry. I put up with what I did because I really loved doing it. And of course hard work is required to advance in most cases, but I had to reconcile that for all the work that I was putting in at the restaurants, it would never pay off in terms of salary/ability to live/advancement potential/etc. So I got myself into something else that is completely different, although also enjoyable but in a different way, and also involves much higher pay for much less strenuous work.

[DMenscha]

Originally Posted by LoriBee62

This whole post could have been shortened down to: "I'm too cheap to tip and have found a way to feel justified in screwing someone over."

Bunch of cheap B@@stards.

The ones that whine about welfare and don't tip are the problem. Why not announce to your server before you order that you won't be leaving a tip. Oh would that take some courage?

[High Plains Guy]

In this thread: the reason why certain people wonder why they never get good service when they go out.

(In other words, stop being cheap, and tip your servers. Or stay in and serve your own damn food to yourselves.)

[UKWildcat1981]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

I eat out 7 times a week lol. I cook one meal at home and eat one meal out, but I live in San Francisco, so there are so many great restaurants. I don't dine for the service, I dine for the food.

Who the hell dines for the service man lol.. if the waiter sucks but the food is good I am still happy. If the food sucks and the service sucks then I get upset. If the waiter is great but the food sucks I am still not happy.

[missladytexas]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

If they provided great service then I will tip 20%.

If they just did their job 15%.

If they were borderline rude 10%.

If they were downright rude, I've tipped as low as 0.01%, but I've only done that twice in my entire life.

(I used to work as a server awhile ago, the job can actually be quite stressful during peak times, but I never let that get in the way from at least being friendly.)

This is me. I tip 18-20% if the service is good. 15% if it's just so/so but they were a bit negligent. 10% if they sucked. Very rarely have I left no tip and i can think of once that I did that and it was a horrible and unusual service situation.

I am wondering though if I missed the mark on maids. I saw that some people leave them tips and I honestly have never thought about it. I rarely stay at hotels (like 2 times a year tops?). I think I am going to try and remember to leave a tip from now on as long as I remember cash. I honestly suck at bringing cash with me places.

[rosa surf]

Originally Posted by Podo944

Serving can be very stressful and it's hard work. (Been sent to physical therapy on more than one occasion! Tennis elbow, carpal tunnel, shoulder injury) I've worked on and off part time in restaurants most of my adult life, and I've seen a few servers literately flee in tears in busy restaurants over the years.

People who've worked this job know how it is. But as a server, I don't automatically leave 20 percent if the server is poor or mediocre. Also because of my experience, I know if a server is doing all they can within a rotten situation like being understaffed, or an unusually large crowd comes in so I'll still be generous. But on occasion I'll come across a real brat with a rotten attitude, and they have no business working in service. No mercy for them!

Exactly- some are doing the best they can in a tough situation (you can tell), some are deliberately aloof and brats. I'm not going to leave a 20% tip to just anybody.

Its a tough job serving people, but many of us have tough jobs serving people in places where there are no tips.

[Robsteel17]

Many of the cheap-asses on this thread seem to miss the point of why minimum wages have been raised in many places. It reflects the cost of housing. When you say "I shouldn't have to tip because a server's base wage went up" what you are really saying is "The state finally acknowledged that it was impossible to make a living on the old wage, so I should use that as an opportunity to reverse those wage gains by being a cheapskate."

Another way to look at it is: "I bought my house in LA 30 years ago. It's increased in value by over 200% which has been great for my bottom line but has made it near impossible for the server bringing my meal to afford to live. But screw that guy for getting more in wages that he used to. I'm taking it out of his tip."

That being said, some of the entitlement mentality oozing out of some former servers on this thread is completely off putting. Don't act like 20% is the minimum you should always expect. You set yourself up for constant disappointment that way. And yes I worked in restaurants for many years.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by V8 Vega

When Min. wage hits $15 all tips stop. Actually when its at $12.

Everyone sees things differently, but I have to agree with posting before you: I think 20% is a bit over the top when the servers are making $9 an hour. Except for the upper end restaurants servers really do not do a lot and most are college kids or young people that, like those who work fast food are working for spending money or extra income. Remember, I said "most" not all. Yes, there are those who support a family on what they make waiting tables, but I still can't justify 20% tip.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by AJT123

Go back to Europe. If you can't afford to tip your server 20% as part of your restaurant bill, you aren't worth even talking to.

People DEPEND on tips to make a living; I know, as I used to do this while working my way through college.

If you wanna be cheap and stingy bc everything is expensive here, I understand, but don't stiff your server for it.

Seriously.

Who said anything about not being able to afford to tip? I don't think this is the point, it is more about who we tip and how much. I didn't see anyplace the OP mentioned being from another country. Maybe you are so young that you haven't had an opportunity to travel abroad, but many of us, born and raised in the USA have also traveled to other countries.

Let me add, I am, by no means cheap or a lousy tipper. I was a car hop in college (the olden days) both my girls were servers as was one of my granddaughters and one of their husbands.

there is a huge difference between being a server making below min wage and being a server making $9 an hour..

[blktoptrvl]

Originally Posted by AJT123

Also, 90% of the time, servers can spot the non-tippers the second they sit down. We're not stupid. Don't tip, then don't wonder what that flim is floating in your water.

Superior service... I can see 20%. Average service gets no more thqn 15%.

The attitude expressed above, that's reason enough to stop tipping everyone immediately until people get over the idea the are owed anything beyond their pay for doing their job. Anybody who thinks messing with anyones food deserves to receive nothing except jail.