No tip

[NaLisa]

I keep going back to the fact that the waitress did not go back and apologize until late in the meal. An attentive waitress, from what I've read, would have been given a tip.

I didn't say she deserved a tip or that OP should have tipped her, only that I would have tipped her and only because I used to be in the business. I still would've complained to the manager about the service.

I completely agree that this server was terrible. Things do happen in the kitchen, but a server DOES still have some control. If customers have been waiting too long for their food, you should notice that and do something. Apologize to the customer, have the manager go to the kitchen and request the food, comp all or part of the meal, etc. This server did nothing but offer excuses and avoid the table. I would want the manager or owner to know about my bad experience so maybe the situation could be rectified for the next customer.

 

[NaLisa]

Wage depends on the location. I am a server and I make $10.35 hourly as well as tips. No way in hell would I waitress for $3.15!

How about $2.13? The restaurant lobby is fighting to keep the minimum at $2.13 as Congress debates raising the federal minimum wage.

http://rocunited.org/were-not-gonna...n-on-the-tipped-minimum-wage-senate-democrat/

Under federal and state laws, restaurant owners can pay servers and other tipped employees less than the standard minimum wage — and as little as $2.13 per hour — leaving diners to make up the difference through gratuities. Under heavy lobbying from the restaurant industry, the federal tipped minimum wage hasn’t been raised from $2.13 in more than 20 years. - See more at: http://rocunited.org/were-not-gonna...um-wage-senate-democrat/#sthash.Sa3rIa92.dpuf

 

[JRawkSteady]

As a waitress I do understand taking money from the tip as part of the fact she never checked on you. But honestly there ARE fimes where it isnt our fault, I know it sounds like a cop-out but if its busy they do honestly lose tickets. If 4 servers ring in a ticket at once(it does happen) when it's super busy one occasionally does get lost. However it sounds like the server forgot to ring in a ticket and it happens, it sucks, but it really does happen. It's not a sign of a bad server we have a thousand things going on sometimes and it's not milouse it just happens and I'm sure once the server remembered she was staring at the kitchen willing the food to cook faster (really it sucks and for some reason standing in the window staring at the cooks feels like your making the food cook faster even though its not helping what so ever besides getting the kitchen angry at you) its embarrassing. Crap happens and as much as sucks I always feel that I have to give the server the benefit of the doubt and unless food is actually delivered to me wrong or my drinks aren't refilled its not always their fault.

This is true, but it IS the server's responsibility to relay to the customer what is going on. The actual issue may not have been her fault, but had she realized the customer was sitting there an hour for a SANDWICH, the situation would have been resolved. So, in the end, the waitress is at fault for neglecting the situation/forgetting about the customer.

 

[disney1990]

I could never eat in a restaurant and not leave a tip - even if it was just 10%.

It would be like somebody going to work and their boss feeling like they didn't work 110% that day and deciding that they shouldn't be paid at all for that day. Everyday, at work someplace, people are given warnings for some kind of shortcoming, but they are still paid for the day.

As my radio says - not a sermon, just a thought.

 

[Hannathy]

I could never eat in a restaurant and not leave a tip - even if it was just 10%.

It would be like somebody going to work and their boss feeling like they didn't work 110% that day and deciding that they shouldn't be paid at all for that day. Everyday, at work someplace, people are given warnings for some kind of shortcoming, but they are still paid for the day.

As my radio says - not a sermon, just a thought.

Then think of it this way, based on your example.

The person did get paid they just didn't get their bonus.

She got her base pay (hourly rate) she just didn't get her performance bonus (tip for good service)

 

[disney1990]

Then think of it this way, based on your example.

The person did get paid they just didn't get their bonus.

She got her base pay (hourly rate) she just didn't get her performance bonus (tip for good service)

Sorry at $3.63 an hour (in Maryland) that doesn't work for me. Plus, the server pays tax on that money that they did not receive - 10% of their sales.

 

[Lorelei Lee]

There's a trend towards no tip restaurants. Not sure if it will catch on, but it does raise interesting possibilities.


http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/06/nyc-restaurant-bans-tips/

http://thelinkery.com/blog/no-tipping/

http://boingboing.net/2013/10/01/lessons-learned-from-a-flat-ra.html

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-end-of-restaurant-tipping-2013-08-19

 

[disney1990]

There's a trend towards no tip restaurants. Not sure if it will catch on, but it does raise interesting possibilities.


http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/06/nyc-restaurant-bans-tips/

http://thelinkery.com/blog/no-tipping/

http://boingboing.net/2013/10/01/lessons-learned-from-a-flat-ra.html

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-end-of-restaurant-tipping-2013-08-19

We have a local restaurant that doesn't allow tips for their servers. According to the posting, all tips left are donated to a charity. Their meals are only slightly more expensive than other area restaurants.

 

[declansdad]

I didn't say she deserved a tip or that OP should have tipped her, only that I would have tipped her and only because I used to be in the business. I still would've complained to the manager about the service.

I completely agree that this server was terrible. Things do happen in the kitchen, but a server DOES still have some control. If customers have been waiting too long for their food, you should notice that and do something. Apologize to the customer, have the manager go to the kitchen and request the food, comp all or part of the meal, etc. This server did nothing but offer excuses and avoid the table. I would want the manager or owner to know about my bad experience so maybe the situation could be rectified for the next customer.

That is what one of the things that is wrong about tipping. Tipping is supposed to be for good service, that didn't happen in this case and yet you personally would tip. Getting the tip without providing the service takes away the incentive to provide the service.

 

[Lorelei Lee]

I like to grab a bite at a place called Noodles & Company.

It's very casual dining. You order at the counter and the server brings the food to your table. You get your own soda refills from the Freestyle Coke machine, but the server brings beer and wine to the table.

They have a "no tipping" policy. I've never had a complaint about the service.

Granted, it's a hybrid, neither full service nor exclusively counter service. But it does seem to work well.

 

[JRawkSteady]

I could never eat in a restaurant and not leave a tip - even if it was just 10%.

It would be like somebody going to work and their boss feeling like they didn't work 110% that day and deciding that they shouldn't be paid at all for that day. Everyday, at work someplace, people are given warnings for some kind of shortcoming, but they are still paid for the day.

As my radio says - not a sermon, just a thought.

I disagree with your analogy. The waitress will still get paid for the day regardless of her service. I do not pay my waitresses salary, the restaurant does.

Using the same analogy, the boss will still get paid...but not get a bonus or incentive for that week because his performance was subpar.

 

[NaLisa]

Then think of it this way, based on your example.

The person did get paid they just didn't get their bonus.

She got her base pay (hourly rate) she just didn't get her performance bonus (tip for good service)

If the server does not make enough in tips to get her/him up to the federal minimum wage ($7.25/hour). the restaurant is supposed to make up the difference. How often do you think that happens? Employees don't ask for it because they fear being fired.

So a tip is not a bonus; it's added to the crappy base salary to (hopefully) get them up to at least minimum wage.

 

[Hannathy]

Sorry at $3.63 an hour (in Maryland) that doesn't work for me. Plus, the server pays tax on that money that they did not receive - 10% of their sales.

And one $5 tip in an hour puts them over the min wage.

If I knew I was going to have to pay tax on 10% of my sales then you better believe I would be busting my butt so I received it! No different than salespeople working on commission.

Tips are to be earned not guaranteed.

 

[declansdad]

If the server does not make enough in tips to get her/him up to the federal minimum wage ($7.25/hour). the restaurant is supposed to make up the difference. How often do you think that happens? Employees don't ask for it because they fear being fired.

So a tip is not a bonus; it's added to the crappy base salary to (hopefully) get them up to at least minimum wage.

It's not a customer's responsibility to pay the direct wage of the restaurant's staff.

 

[summerblue]

Let me pose a question, then.

Who would you blame for the following error/situation?


A group of us were in a chain restaurant. There were 10 of us, we ordered appetizers for the table, and each of us ordered an entree.

Several of us ordered the surf and turf.this was a steak and lobster tail combo. The tail, when served, was cut into two pieces.

When the entrees were served, only 9 entrees were brought to the table. The missing entree was a surf and turf combo. When the manager was notified, the entree was replaced. However, it was clear that the two pieces of lobster tail came from two different lobsters. One piece of lobster was fine, but the other piece was inedible.

Another steak, ordered medium rare, was so well done as to be almost burnt., and had to be replaced.

FYI the manager comped the two meals and we tipped on the price of 10 meals.


So what went wrong and who was at fault?

It is the fault of multiple people, obviously the kitchen, for overcooking a steak, and subpar lobster. Next the expediter (if they have one) for not double checking the ticket to make sure things were done correctly, and also the servers fault. A good sever should be trained to look at a plate before taking out to make sure it is how it is supposed to be. I worked as a waitress for many years, as well as an expediter (and hostess), I could tell by the look ( and if not by the look I would pull a glove and touch test) to make sure steaks were cooked as ordered, I knew what all my dishes should look like and if not appropriate they didn't go to my table until fixed. Only one time in my career did I get stiffed, and they were jerks who stiffed everyone (worked at the business next door). When I started and didn't have seniority there were many waitresses who pawned off clients who "bad tippers and difficult to deal with" to me. I never had problems, I cared about my job and did whatever needed to be done to make sure they had a pleasant dining experience. I also built a good relationship with the cook staff so my orders came up right and they also knew to pay attention to my orders because unlike other servers, I knew how and made sure my food was proper before going out. I even went as far as to go back and show a new cook how to cook and properly test a steak for doneness. I was good at my job and it showed, I worked lunch shift mostly which is typically the lowest tip making time, I could easily leave a lunch shift (11-3) with $200 daily, and that was after my 10% taxes and 3% tip share. I worked a Friday and Saturday double (lunch and dinner) shift one weekend and took home $875. this was not at a high end establishment, but a Colton's Steakhouse.

I personally have no problem not leaving a tip for shoddy services, and can usually determine whether it is a server that doesn't care or truly kitchen or management issues. My brother and I are probably the worse people to go out to eat with because he was a server and then a kitchen and general manager, so we may have pretty high expectations, the best though was when a restaurant served us rolls that had a bite taken out of them, just so happened it was the chain my brother had worked for. Not pretty at all.

 

[NaLisa]

We have a local restaurant that doesn't allow tips for their servers. According to the posting, all tips left are donated to a charity. Their meals are only slightly more expensive than other area restaurants.

I would really love it if we moved to that model. Workers are paid at least minimum wage and they know exactly what they're going to make per hour.

 

[NaLisa]

It's not a customer's responsibility to pay the direct wage of the restaurant's staff.

Didn't say it was. Again, the restaurant is legally responsible for making up the difference to ensure the server makes minimum wage. They don't, but they're supposed to.

If the restaurant was to do away with tipping altogether, they would have to pay minimum wage to their servers. That cost would be passed onto the customers with increased menu prices. Pretty simple.

 

[NaLisa]

We have a local restaurant that doesn't allow tips for their servers. According to the posting, all tips left are donated to a charity. Their meals are only slightly more expensive than other area restaurants.

I'd happily pay extra and patronize restaurants like this. I worked in busy restaurants where I made lots of money, but there are plenty where the servers don't.

 

[MIGrandma]

If the server does not make enough in tips to get her/him up to the federal minimum wage ($7.25/hour). the restaurant is supposed to make up the difference. How often do you think that happens? Employees don't ask for it because they fear being fired.

So a tip is not a bonus; it's added to the crappy base salary to (hopefully) get them up to at least minimum wage.

The owners at the restaurant where I worked didn't make up the difference.

It was always s-l-o-w in January and February. Many nights we didn't make minimum wage, especially if it was snowing. We would sometimes just have half a dozen tables all evening. We did ask them about it and their reasoning was that it "evened itself out" during the busy times when we made much, much more than minimum wage.

 

[disney1990]

I'd happily pay extra and patronize restaurants like this. I worked in busy restaurants where I made lots of money, but there are plenty where the servers don't.

Funny, even places like McDonalds can manage to pay their employees minimum wage. This tip argument comes up about once a month. Yes, in the past, a gratuity was added for exceptional service. But, most recently, because of our wage laws, the tip only allows the server to rise above the poverty level. I, too, would like to see all restaurants move away from servers that make tips and to a salary - like in other civilized countries. If it works there, certainly it can work here.