Tipping....is it optional?
- Thread starter Anneburn
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Yeah, usually $1 a person-ish if they only clear dishes (AKA Old Country) maybe a bit more if they bring drinks. If all they are supposed to do is clear dishes and don't, well they might not get a tip if its only 1-2 of us since they did not do their job.
A Panera worker (not a waitress, since they don't have those) came & cleared my table the other day. Talk about complicated, I had NO IDEA what to do I was so shocked. :lol:
Never feel obligated to tip on tax. If you feel like it or it's easier for you to calculate (I've heard that excuse too) fine but tip should be on before tax amount. :flowers:
I still don't understand the tip angst. I mean, you KNOW. If you don't want to pay someone $40 to bring you a drink, drink somewhere else!
Starbucks employees make well above minimum AND even part-timers receive health insurance. You don't need to tip them. It would be like tipping the lady at McDs. At Sbux all tip money is supposed to be directed to their charities. Employees are not supposed to accept tips.
Starbucks employees make well above minimum AND even part-timers receive health insurance. You don't need to tip them. It would be like tipping the lady at McDs. At Sbux all tip money is supposed to be directed to their charities. Employees are not supposed to accept tips.
See in that situation, you should have written "I paid you to serve me, so now who's the ****?!!!" on the bill.
yep, have to agree w/everyone else...it is NOT optional...used to work in a cafe and deli and all the gross grunt work I had to do was pathetic...and I actually made minimum wage...still NOT enough IMO. I agree if service is REALLY BAD tip less but ALWAYS tip. Just my 2 cents!
1. that was part of your agreement with your employer. Would you have ever taken that job if it was half based on tips?
ETA: again waiters DO NOT make minimum wage.
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If you are ordering a service under which you know there is a set protocol to tip, you tip. If not, you don't. It's just that simple IMO. If at other times, you feel as though someone has gone above & beyond then throw them something extra.
This has only been one time I left no tip. The woman was so bad she actually chased my friends & I down when she got to the table and saw nothing there, but did not realize we had to cash out first at the front of the restaurant before going back to the table to tip out. We were in the middle of cashing out with the manager when she confronted us screaming and hollering and carrying on. I didn't even have to say anything. The manager opened the drawer back up, gave us our $$ back, apologized profusely and fired her right then & there. Boy was that a scene!!
This has only been one time I left no tip. The woman was so bad she actually chased my friends & I down when she got to the table and saw nothing there, but did not realize we had to cash out first at the front of the restaurant before going back to the table to tip out. We were in the middle of cashing out with the manager when she confronted us screaming and hollering and carrying on. I didn't even have to say anything. The manager opened the drawer back up, gave us our $$ back, apologized profusely and fired her right then & there. Boy was that a scene!!
if you don't want to pay the tip, then pour your own damned drink at home. Or order the beer and pay the smaller tip, and have the cognac at home. The bartender is still paying income taxes on the expected tip since the sale is reported to the IRS -- you can't get out of that argument.
Bartenders have a whole separate other slew of crap they have to deal with. They go through training to learn how to pour the spendy cognac properly, and they should be able to advise you on what appetizer (or whatever, I'm not a bartender) to order with that drink, which glass to pour it in, etc. Successful bartenders know how to talk to all kinds of people and mix/pour all kinds of drinks. They're also washing glasses, keeping the nuts/olives/napkins stocked and the bar clean. You're paying for his/her labor and expertise too.
Entitlement is a bride expecting people to cover the cost of their plate in gifts at her wedding. Expecting to get paid when you bust your **** to make your customers feel comfortable, welcome and satisfied isn't entitlement -- it's called getting paid for hard work. Tipping is a social contract, like staying home when you're contagious so you don't infect everyone else. No one is forcing you to do it, but decent people will do it.
IMO you can't compare retail customer service work with foodservice. I put myself through college waitressing, working retail, and working in banquet service. Sometimes I worked two or three jobs at once, but never while waitressing; it was too demanding. Waitressing was by far the hardest, and I believe servers should get paid fairly for the work they do.
I honestly think that tips, like in other businesses, should be extra on top of the wages of employees. Restaurants, are who should be forced to pay their servers minimum wage, and customers aren't responsible for making up the difference. How restaurants, have gotten away with not paying their staff, and shifted that cost to customers is unbelievable. In EU, most servers are paid a minimum wage and anything else is a bonus. No one should be working for 2.XX an hour in the U.S., and all "tips" received should just be extra on top of minimum wage for doing these types of jobs.... The aggressive attitude against those who don't tip(at restaurants), and "certain people" servers assume won't tip is misplaced, and should be directed at the Dept. of Labor.
Regardless of this opinion, I almost always tip, especially when I use services like Groupon. I still don't appreciate it being assumed I won't, and its a constant pause point whether to tip or not, when a server has an lackluster attitude toward you, because they already expect you wont tip.
Regardless of this opinion, I almost always tip, especially when I use services like Groupon. I still don't appreciate it being assumed I won't, and its a constant pause point whether to tip or not, when a server has an lackluster attitude toward you, because they already expect you wont tip.
I am currently a waitress. Everything everyone has said is true...there ia a lot of work that you don't see the waitresses do. But I wanted to add that, not only do waitresses need to be friendly and accomadating to their customers, but also to their cooks. We have to be nice to everyone! If the cooks don't like you they can screw around and get your food out late or wrong. I can honestly say that I am a good waitress, and I don't toot my own horn very often...lol...but even being a good waitress, you still have off days and everyone makes mistakes. I have had tables where I have forgotten to bring them things, and the tip I get is what I expected and I accept that...I screwed up. It's the tables where you do everything right, perfect service, and you get stiffed or $1...it's frustrating...lol.
For everybody that insists that these servers are being paid less than minimum wage, you are mistaken. There is still a minimum wage for tipped employees, currently in IL it is $4.95 after 90 days ($4.65 in the first 90 days).
I get $3.25 an hour plus tips. Granted, if it is busy, I make well over minimum wage when my tips are added in...if it's not busy, well I make crap:lol:
as far as buffets go--i was JUST talking to my niece who has been working at Sweet Tomatoes for the last 1.5 months--if she works the register she gets 9.xx an hour--if she works the floor she gets 8.xx and hour--BUT on a weekend or even busy week night can bring home an extra $125.00 !!--she is getting paid minimum AND making some good money on tips
until recently I didnt tip at places like buffets ( old country buffet) where all they did was clear my plates. I do all the work. No different then McD's ( I cleared and cleaned LOTS of tables at McD's in my 3 years working there and got ZERO tips
--so I struggle with that )
BUT I also just found out ( I am out of the loop I guess) that I should tip my waitress at a banquet--wedding/funeral luncheon etc.. I kinda sort feel bad
I basically always tip around 20 percent --I just double the total ( minus tax) --I round up or down to a whole $ amount --tipping at starbucks or an ice cream place --nah --unless it says "college kids" or something similar
until recently I didnt tip at places like buffets ( old country buffet) where all they did was clear my plates. I do all the work. No different then McD's ( I cleared and cleaned LOTS of tables at McD's in my 3 years working there and got ZERO tips
--so I struggle with that )BUT I also just found out ( I am out of the loop I guess) that I should tip my waitress at a banquet--wedding/funeral luncheon etc.. I kinda sort feel bad
I basically always tip around 20 percent --I just double the total ( minus tax) --I round up or down to a whole $ amount --tipping at starbucks or an ice cream place --nah --unless it says "college kids" or something similar
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as far as buffets go--i was JUST talking to my niece who has been working at Sweet Tomatoes for the last 1.5 months--if she works the register she gets 9.xx an hour--if she works the floor she gets 8.xx and hour--BUT on a weekend or even busy week night can bring home an extra $125.00 !!--she is getting paid minimum AND making some good money on tips
until recently I didnt tip at places like buffets ( old country buffet) where all they did was clear my plates. I do all the work. No different then McD's ( I cleared and cleaned LOTS of tables at McD's in my 3 years working there and got ZERO tips
BUT I also just found out ( I am out of the loop I guess) that I should tip my waitress at a banquet--wedding/funeral luncheon etc.. I kinda sort feel bad
I basically always tip around 20 percent --I just double the total ( minus tax) --I round up or down to a whole $ amount --tipping at starbucks or an ice cream place --nah --unless it says "college kids" or something similar
this is interesting, but i have never done this and don't think i would:surrender: I think it's up to the bride/groom/family to tip at that point since you are a guest. I know when the bridesmaids and i got our hair done for my wedding, i didn't expect the girls to tip, i tipped all the hairstylists myself....
I only found out because I have a few friends who started doing banquets for extra $$--also a good friend of mine said she has always done it --like I said who knew?? LOL
as far as buffets go--i was JUST talking to my niece who has been working at Sweet Tomatoes for the last 1.5 months--if she works the register she gets 9.xx an hour--if she works the floor she gets 8.xx and hour--BUT on a weekend or even busy week night can bring home an extra $125.00 !!--she is getting paid minimum AND making some good money on tips
until recently I didnt tip at places like buffets ( old country buffet) where all they did was clear my plates. I do all the work. No different then McD's ( I cleared and cleaned LOTS of tables at McD's in my 3 years working there and got ZERO tips
BUT I also just found out ( I am out of the loop I guess) that I should tip my waitress at a banquet--wedding/funeral luncheon etc.. I kinda sort feel bad
I basically always tip around 20 percent --I just double the total ( minus tax) --I round up or down to a whole $ amount --tipping at starbucks or an ice cream place --nah --unless it says "college kids" or something similar
I worked banquets for many years. The person paying for the banquet is paying the tip - even back in the 90s, gratuity was added to the bill.
And even though the server rate in IL is $4.65 an hour (less than non-tip MW), everyone needs to understand that even if they make NO TIPS AT ALL, as in there are no customers, etc, they still have to declare up to "regular" minimum wage or 15 percent (depends on the place) so that means if they got crap tips or no tips on an 8-hour shift even though they worked hard, they could theoretically lose money.
Anyway, when I waitressed, that was why when it wasn't busy, I was always totally willing to go home. It made no sense for me to work for ($2.13 an hour back in the day) to have to declare $6.75 an hour on no tips.
Americans did not invent tipping. The Romans did. Go cry to them.
And the whole "because it costs more why should I tip more am I getting 3x better service?" can solve all your problems like this:
1) No reason to pay for $200 Cognac if $2 Cognac will do. Does it really taste 3x better? Is your palate that good?
2) As another example, no reason to pay $60 to get your hair cut at Tricoci when $12 at Great Clips will do. Is it a 3x better haircut? Those people all paid the same for their educations. Why pay more?
3) No reason to gate check your bags ($2 a bag, TIP) when you can drag them into the terminal yourself. The ultimate tip-save!
This is just stupid. People who don't want to tip are just cheap. I don't buy any of the other arguments, they just feel entitled to be served but not have to pay for it, which by the way Americans did invent! It's why the whole rest of the world hates Americans!
Cheap!
Before it gets out of hand: At banquets, weddings, etc: Tipping bartender, YES. Tipping waitstaff, NO. The service gratuity gets added to the bill.
