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

[oh come on!]

If you're paying an extra 20% on your food, you're paying too much in CA, considering the waitstaff makes at least $9/hour doing nothing but sticking to their job description, which is to
1. bring your food and
2. not mix up your order.

Satisfying these requirements is not considered "outstanding."

If you think they did an outstanding job, you should compare it to how you are treated in non-tipped countries, and then reevaluate whether you truly got outstanding service.

Even though I see so many bored-annoyed-looking waitstaff, I would not consider a smile on the face to be outstanding service either.

[payutenyodagimas]

and considering that CA is not a tipped credit state, they should not even expect to be tipped

cant understand also why we need to tip servers. we don't tip staff at walmart and they also paid minimum wage

[V8 Vega]

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

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by oh come on!

If you're paying an extra 20% on your food, you're paying too much in CA, considering the waitstaff makes at least $9/hour doing nothing but sticking to their job description, which is to
1. bring your food and
2. not mix up your order.

Satisfying these requirements is not considered "outstanding."

If you think they did an outstanding job, you should compare it to how you are treated in non-tipped countries, and then reevaluate whether you truly got outstanding service.

Even though I see so many bored-annoyed-looking waitstaff, I would not consider a smile on the face to be outstanding service either.

Where are you going where you are required to tip?

[Mister 7]

Originally Posted by oh come on!

If you're paying an extra 20% on your food, you're paying too much in CA, considering the waitstaff makes at least $9/hour doing nothing but sticking to their job description, which is to
1. bring your food and
2. not mix up your order.

Satisfying these requirements is not considered "outstanding."

If you think they did an outstanding job, you should compare it to how you are treated in non-tipped countries, and then reevaluate whether you truly got outstanding service.

Even though I see so many bored-annoyed-looking waitstaff, I would not consider a smile on the face to be outstanding service either.

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.

[Mister 7]

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.

[Mr5150]

Some people should not eat out. They either find it too expensive and/or too annoying.

[WouldLoveTo]

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.

But that was when waitstaff was paid UNDER minimum wage. I waited tables and bartended for years, and would do it again if I needed to.

Tips would bring you well above minimum wage if you hustled. I did work one place that paid minimum or a bit over and there was a note on the menu saying tips not required. We did get them, but not at the same rate as in other places that paid lower.

[ihatedcu]

Wait, I thought they were making less than minimum wage. That's the only reason I was tipping 20%.

[DriveNotCommute]

Originally Posted by ihatedcu

Wait, I thought they were making less than minimum wage. That's the only reason I was tipping 20%.

There are no servers anywhere in the US that legally make less than minimum wage. In the states where people are nominally paid less than minimum wage [and California is not one of those states] per hour, when their paycheck comes in, if their tips don't bring them to the equivalent of minimum wage or more then the restaurant must make up the difference so that staff will always take home at least the minimum wage on their paycheck.

If I remember correctly, 15% used to be the norm for average service. I have gone up to 20% for okay-ish service because I know that the COL in California is so high. Basically, I am aware that I'm subsidizing the restaurant's wage models.