Not getting coins/change back at restaurant. Ne w trend?

[TinkPirateMom]

Having your pre-agreed upon salary or bonus which you are entitled to withheld by your employer is not the same as having gratuity (which is optional and not an entitlement) withheld by a customer.

Thanks!

I thought the posters take on not tipping anything at all if there is a mention of it by the server was extreme. Therefore I made an extreme response to illustrate my point.

It is degrading to have one's pay dangled over one's head in any situation.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

When I was a server in a bar, we were supposed to round the bill to the nearest quarter. So if a person's bill was $11.46, we were supposed to give change based on $11.50. I didn't agree with the process, but I'll admit, I did do it a few times, but I ALWAYS gave back more. Like I would have based the bill as if it read $11.25, not $11.50. I'd be miffed if I was shortchanged, no way would I pass that on!

I was also taught as a server you should never beg for gratuity. I was taught NEVER to say, "I'll be back with your change." hoping the guest would say, "No, just keep it." I was told to always say, "I'll be right back with this [tray, folder, etc.]." And also, NEVER to make change at a table.

 

[daughtersrus]

I think it would be funny if someone at your job's payroll held onto your paycheck and if you so much as mentioned compensation or getting paid for your work they said nope sorry you don't get paid, nothing for you because you mentioned getting paid in their presence!!!!

.

The difference is that the customer is not the employer nor are they the one responsible to pay the server. The restaurant is. A customer is only required to pay for the meal.

 

[Metsfan520]

I don't find it offensive. I have had waitpeople ask this question and the reason they ask is if I DO need change they will expedite the ring up, if I DON'T need change, they can take their time without leaving me waiting.

Exactly.

I can't believe how many of you are offended if you're asked if you want change. And then to use that as a reason to not tip just blows my mind. It's your right to do it, but I'm sure glad I'm not your server.

 

[TinkPirateMom]

The difference is that the customer is not the employer nor are they the one responsible to pay the server. The restaurant is. A customer is only required to pay for the meal.

Servers don't get paid actual paychecks at all (in most places) so tips are their only pay and in some places they have to pay out based on sales not tips so they may actually end up owing money to a busboy or bartender or food runner because someone decided not to tip at all rather than just speaking up and telling the server they had a problem with something they did so the server could actually learn what the problem was.

Once again, a pp seemed a bit extreme with the not tipping a dime if a server mentions a tip so I was extreme in my response to that poster.

I can't believe people actually think not tipping anything at all at a sit down restaurant is an okay thing to do.

 

[TinkPirateMom]

Exactly.

I can't believe how many of you are offended if you're asked if you want change. And then to use that as a reason to not tip just blows my mind. It's your right to do it, but I'm sure glad I'm not your server.

Agreed!

 

[daughtersrus]

Exactly.

I can't believe how many of you are offended if you're asked if you want change. And then to use that as a reason to not tip just blows my mind. It's your right to do it, but I'm sure glad I'm not your server.

I think that it depends on how much extra is given. I the case that I was talking about, the change was close to 70% of the bill. It wasn't the she asked if we needed change but made a comment that the change was hers for a tip.

 

[daughtersrus]

]Servers don't get paid actual paychecks at all (in most places) so tips are their only pay and in some places they have to pay out based on [/B]sales not tips so they may actually end up owing money to a busboy or bartender or food runner because someone decided not to tip at all rather than just speaking up and telling the server they had a problem with something they did so the server could actually learn what the problem was.

Once again, a pp seemed a bit extreme with the not tipping a dime if a server mentions a tip so I was extreme in my response to that poster.

I can't believe people actually think not tipping anything at all at a sit down restaurant is an okay thing to do.

Are you saying that the owner of the restaurant/bar pays their employees nothing?

I honestly think that asking a customer if they can keep the change that amounts to a 70% tip is not acceptable.

 

[TinkPirateMom]

Are you saying that the owner of the restaurant/bar pays their employees nothing?

I can speak from my experience and others I know of. My hourly rate was $1.57. Every single check I received in 7 years of serving was "not negotiable". I think most get paid something like $2.13/hour now. I doubt those checks are negotiable either.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Exactly.

I can't believe how many of you are offended if you're asked if you want change. And then to use that as a reason to not tip just blows my mind. It's your right to do it, but I'm sure glad I'm not your server.

Respectfully, pretty much all of us are familiar with restaurant dining and the surrounding procedure - including tipping. I don't even mind being told "I'll be right back with your change" if my "this is all set" wasn't clear. But asking me if I want change strikes me as odd.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Are you saying that the owner of the restaurant/bar pays their employees nothing?

I honestly think that asking a customer if they can keep the change that amounts to a 70% tip is not acceptable.

I can speak from my experience and others I know of. My hourly rate was $1.57. Every single check I received in 7 years of serving was "not negotiable". I think most get paid something like $2.13/hour now. I doubt those checks are negotiable either.

Your check should have reflected your hourly earnings, plus any credit card tips from that pay period, minus tax and SS on your actual hourly earnings and 8% of your actual sales (not to be confused with you actual earnings, let's not get into a discussion about tax codes and ethics ). That 8% accounts for customers not tipping and servers 'tipping out'.

A non-negotiable check in a negative amount would imply a large amount of cash tips that pay period, as would a series of such checks. A non-negotiable check in a positive amount, or a series of them? Would indicate a pay-stub representing direct deposit

 

[daughtersrus]

I can speak from my experience and others I know of. My hourly rate was $1.57. Every single check I received in 7 years of serving was "not negotiable". I think most get paid something like $2.13/hour now. I doubt those checks are negotiable either.

I'll apologize in advance for not understanding. I've never worked in a restaurant.

Are you saying that you get a check but can't cash it? I don't think that is the case here in IL.

What is minimum wage for tipped employees?

Tipped employees must be paid minimum wage, but an employer may take credit for the employee’s tips in an amount not to exceed 40% of the wages. An employer may pay a training wage for tipped employees 18 and over in the amount of $4.65 for the first 90 days if applying the tip credit of 40% or $7.75 if not utilizing the tip credit. After 90 days, the rate must be increased to $4.95 if not utilizing the tip credit. For more information, click here. 820 ILCS 105/4 and 56 Ill. Adm. Code 210.200.

Either way, I don't believe that it is the responsibility of the customer to pay the salary for the server. That falls on the business.

 

[pioneer89]

I have never been short-changed (that I know of) but I do frequently get over-changed to round out pennies or coins.

For some reason that few pennies they give to me makes me WAY over-tip.

Bringing drinks, clearing plates, that's all their job, but that extra $.02 they give me to round my $11.02 meal down to $11.00 is just really, really nice.

 

[TinkPirateMom]

$1.57 per hour is technically a wage so I see your point, but it is not a wage anyone would accept without getting tipped on top of that as it is not even minimum wage.

Not negotiable checks on $1.57/hour doesn't necessarily mean there were good tips especially when you automatically have to claim that you received a 10% tip even if you didn't. Yep that was the system. It was automatically assumed you received 10% tip and you were taxed on that. If you received more than that you could add that but not deduct.

Yes, tipping is discretionary. The point I have been trying to say is that I find it completely unacceptable for guests to tip NOTHING at a table service restaurant. If a server does something that you do not like I find it far more helpful to tell them so they can learn from it and still tip something so they don't end up paying the bus boy, food runner, bartender, and IRS all so you could have a meal without tipping. If a server says do you need your change and that makes someone so angry that they don't tip at all that does no one any good. The server has no idea why they didn't get a tip and may just think the guest is a cheapskate that doesn't believe in tipping, get angry and move on. But if someone tells them what their problem is and still tips them albeit a lower amount than usual then the server has a chance to learn from it and also does not end up owing other money but probably just breaks even.

 

[TinkPirateMom]

I'll apologize in advance for not understanding. I've never worked in a restaurant.

Are you saying that you get a check but can't cash it? I don't think that is the case here in IL.

What is minimum wage for tipped employees?

Tipped employees must be paid minimum wage, but an employer may take credit for the employee’s tips in an amount not to exceed 40% of the wages. An employer may pay a training wage for tipped employees 18 and over in the amount of $4.65 for the first 90 days if applying the tip credit of 40% or $7.75 if not utilizing the tip credit. After 90 days, the rate must be increased to $4.95 if not utilizing the tip credit. For more information, click here. 820 ILCS 105/4 and 56 Ill. Adm. Code 210.200.

Either way, I don't believe that it is the responsibility of the customer to pay the salary for the server. That falls on the business.

I'm in NJ. I worked in the same restaurant for 7 years. The wage was $1.57/hour. That all went to taxes. The computer system automatically assumed you received 10% of your sales as a tip and based paying taxes from that. At the end of the night you could enter in any additional tips you received for tax purposes but you could not deduct. Therefore, a pay stub was given but no check no direct deposit no money at all from the actual restaurant to the server. In addition to this, we had to pay 1.75% of our sales to the food runner and 2% to the bussers. Again all of this is based on sales not tips. So if someone dined and left absolutely no tip it actually cost me out of pocket to serve them.

You can believe a business should pay a server all you want but that belief does not actually pay the server your tip does.

 

[daughtersrus]

I did some checking. The minimum wage for a tipped employee in IL is $4.95 for those over 18 and $4.65 for those under 18.
Edited to add...

I have always left a tip. I just think that it's rude for a server to ask if she can keep $40 as a tip on a $60 bill.

 

[Free4Life11]

I have always left a tip. I just think that it's rude for a server to ask if she can keep $40 as a tip on a $60 bill.

Sounds to me like she was joking

 

[brerrabbit]

It's been 30 years since I waited tables but I think the principle is still the same. I was paid 2.01 an hour by the resturaunt. Each night when I checked out there was a summary total of what I had sold that night in food and drink. From the total I would present charge slips to cover some of the sales, gift certificates for some of the sales, and cash for the rest. The cash I paid at the end of each shift would have all the tips included on charge receipts deducted from what I owed in cash. I would then have to pay out of my tips a tip share of 3% which was split between the door hostess, the busboys and the bartender. That meant that if I got 0 tips in a night I paid 3% of my total sales for the pleasure of working that night at $2.01 an hour. The last thing I had to do was declare how much I made in tips. This was prior to the IRS entering the fray and requiring a percentage of my sales be declared as earnings each shift. The rule of thumb for us was report 100% of tips received on charge slips and little if any of the cash. In the end the real reason for paying us the $2.01 an hour at all was to make sure they had some company controlled cash flow from which to deduct taxes from. Typically my check that I got every two weeks was pretty dang small due to all the items they witheld on. After it was all said and done I made about $8 an hour. No where near what I figure waitstaff makes today but then again our average ring per person back then was only around $12 to $14 and this was in a steakhouse. With prices having gone up so much since then I would estimate waitstaff makes considerably more money for essntially doing the same work. I write it off to inflation.

 

[tlbwriter]

I was also taught as a server you should never beg for gratuity. I was taught NEVER to say, "I'll be back with your change." hoping the guest would say, "No, just keep it." I was told to always say, "I'll be right back with this [tray, folder, etc.]." And also, NEVER to make change at a table.

How odd. Saying "I'll be back with your change" isn't begging for a gratuity. Saying "I'll be back with this tray," as if I cared at all about the tray, just seems silly to me.

 

[Tara922c]

I waited tables for years. (I would rather poke my eye out with a hot fork than wait tables ever again) We had to carry around our own banks and at least once as shift I had to find someone to break a dollar. If a person's bill was 11.16 cents and they gave me a 20, I would just give them back 9 dollars. I wasn't worried about 16 cents. However, if someone's bill was 11.95 cents, I would always find a nickel. I would have NEVER not given someone back all of their change. (I am sure I made a few mistakes and short changed someone but never on purpose). I think that is rude, and I also hate when servers ask me "do you need change?" It puts people on the spot. (I tip, and I tip well)