Rachael Ray's $40 a day and her tipping!!!

[Caradana]

Her tipping is low, but that's the premise of the show ... $40 for 3 meals isn't much in most major cities ...
I love watching her explore the area. I actually thought a restaurant that she went to in Montreal looked so tasty that I made a reservation and went while I was there. It was really good.

 

[chobie]

She's cheap and annoying.

 

[MzDiz]

Tipping is out of control. When I was a kid, 10% was considered a "standard tip". Then suddenly it grew to 20%, which is a huge percentage of the meal.

Ah, but here's why - server minimum wage hasn't changed in that time. When I had my first waitressing job almost 18 years ago, the server minimum wage was 2.52 an hour. Know what it is now? 2.52 an hour. However, the prices on the menu are going up. So if a server is paying taxes based on total sales, they are making less than they were 20 years ago by keeping the tip at 10%.
So while it's not your responsibility to make sure someone's wages are adequate, that's the reason why 20% has become almost standard. It's a problem the restaurant industry really needs to deal with.

 

[disykat]

There are many places where wait staff gets regular wages - minimum or above. I have no problem leaving 15% or even slightly less if I round down. I have also waitressed. It was the best paying job based on hourly wages that I've ever had - including the job I have a college degree for. It was hard work, but no harder than when I worked fast food for minimum wage.

I worked in a nice place. I got paid minimum wage and averaged about 10% for tips (this was in the early 80's). My tips averaged about $20 an hour - and that was factoring in slow times. Making about $25 an hour as a college student in the early 80's was really good money. I think at the time minimum wage was in the 3 dollar an hour range.

The only think I think is silly about the amounts RR tips are the odd amounts. If the tip figured to be $1.36, most people would leave $1,1.25, 1.50, or $2.

Here, wait service people get paid $7.25 an hour plus tip. Figure in an average of 4 tables an hour with people tipping between $2 and $10 dollars and you probably end up with at least $25 bucks an hour. If you work at a busy place, you are going to have more full tables, have to work harder and will also make more.

 

[disneymom3]

I think she gives a straight 15% but I am fairly confident the crew leaves much more behind afterwards. Plus the publicity they just got is amazing for business!

I'd agree with this one. We specifically sought out the ice cream place she went to while we were in Rapid City last month. #1 we would have gone somewhere a lot closer to our hotel if the kids had not seen that show and #2 the ice cream was not that good. A far cry away from the two places we go close to home. Add in that the woman who worked there and seemed to be running the place was the biggest grouch I have ever seen and RR was their only hope of paying the bills!! Since then every time I watch that show it just irks me that she raves over how wonderful every single thing she eats is. Does that woman never have a bad meal??

 

[disneymom3]

Ah, but here's why - server minimum wage hasn't changed in that time. When I had my first waitressing job almost 18 years ago, the server minimum wage was 2.52 an hour. Know what it is now? 2.52 an hour. However, the prices on the menu are going up. So if a server is paying taxes based on total sales, they are making less than they were 20 years ago by keeping the tip at 10%.
So while it's not your responsibility to make sure someone's wages are adequate, that's the reason why 20% has become almost standard. It's a problem the restaurant industry really needs to deal with.

Server minimum may not have changed, but the cost of the meals in restuarants has gone up so even if the 15% stayed the same, it would still be an increased amount.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

You are not suppose to tip on the tax, and I have heard not on drinks either **IF** that is how she tips then it would have been more than 15%.

I've heard that about tax, but not about drinks. Doesn't make sense about drinks since it's something the server has to get, refill, and clear. But I've been wrong once or twice before.

 

[Cool-Beans]

Servers are also making a lot less in tips now that so many people put them on debit/credit cards. Charged tips must be reported and are taxed by the IRS. Cash, as we all know, is supposed to be claimed, but most servers report only the legal minimum.

I don't know who Rachel Ray is, except for hearing about her here, but 15% is fine. It isn't a good tip, but it isn't bad. Nobody needs to feel like a cheapo for leaving 15%. ...that's my opinion, anyway.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I've heard that about tax, but not about drinks. Doesn't make sense about drinks since it's something the server has to get, refill, and clear. But I've been wrong once or twice before.

You guys seriously think people are watching the show, thinking to themselves, "Well, since Rachel Ray only tips exactly 15%, that's what I'm going to do now!"

I think people are smart enough to figure out how to tip on their own (or too dumb to calculate 15% of a bill in the first place )

I've never watched the show, so I don't know, but people are pretty stupid!

 

[Cool-Beans]

I've heard that about tax, but not about drinks. Doesn't make sense about drinks since it's something the server has to get, refill, and clear. But I've been wrong once or twice before.

Where is that TF when I need her?!

I tip on drinks, and if they contain alcohol (bad Bean), I tip extra. In many places, waitresses have to "tip out" the bartender...share the tip with him. So, I try to make that up. Of course, if I have been a very bad Bean and had many drinks, I tip ridiculous amounts of money.

Maybe the servers should get Rachel drunk.

I've never heard of not tipping for drinks.

 

[HOGFAN]

15% for good. 10% for bad.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Where is that TF when I need her?!

I tip on drinks, and if they contain alcohol (bad Bean), I tip extra. In many places, waitresses have to "tip out" the bartender...share the tip with him. So, I try to make that up. Of course, if I have been a very bad Bean and had many drinks, I tip ridiculous amounts of money.

Maybe the servers should get Rachel drunk.

I've never heard of not tipping for drinks.

So the Bean gets fermented sometimes, huh? Now where's the Tag Fairy?

 

[goofinoff]

I'm all about tipping for great service but a great tip should not be expected! I would never tip less than 15% unless I had a horrible experience...yes, I have left a restaurant without leaving a tip because the waitress was completely rude, however, if the server doesn't bring our food out, doesn't ask us if we need anything else, doesn't refill our drinks, basically only takes our order and brings the bill, you better believe he/she isn't getting 20%! I think the whole tipping thing has gotten out of hand. I believe servers should be paid more an hour and not put so much pressure on the consumer to tip them. That's just my opinion!

 

[Debbart]

Since we'ren the subject of tipping, I always overtip the breakfast waitress...I think they get a raw deal because if you tip on the % of the bill they are doomed from the start considering that breakfast is usually more inexpensive than dinner...and I think they do more running!!! All those coffee refills...?

 

[disykat]

Where I worked, breakfast was the hardest meal. At dinner, we had an extra staff person to do salads, etc. - we just took the order and carried it to the table. But at breakfast we had to do a lot of the prep work ourselves. Make the toast, pour the cereal, get pastries out of the case and warm them, etc. We also didn't have extra staff for coffee refills, etc. like we did at dinner time.

Tips were definately less, but the higher turnover helped a bit.

 

[goaliewife]

This has been a very interesting thread to read.

I heard somewhere, probably TV, that when figuring a tip you should just double the tax of the total bill. I have done that ever since I heard about that, but I think that now I am going to have to pay attention to it and figure out what the exact percentage of that works out to. It has been a very easy way to tip for us though.

 

[Nicolepa]

However, the prices on the menu are going up. So if a server is paying taxes based on total sales, they are making less than they were 20 years ago by keeping the tip at 10%.
So while it's not your responsibility to make sure someone's wages are adequate, that's the reason why 20% has become almost standard. It's a problem the restaurant industry really needs to deal with.

If the menu prices are going up, then their tip would go up too, no matter what the % is. If I tip 10% on a $10 meal thats $1. If the meal is now $15 then I now get $1.50. A percentage is a percentage.

 

[Nicolepa]

This has been a very interesting thread to read.

I heard somewhere, probably TV, that when figuring a tip you should just double the tax of the total bill. I have done that ever since I heard about that, but I think that now I am going to have to pay attention to it and figure out what the exact percentage of that works out to. It has been a very easy way to tip for us though.

I generally use this rule too, but it would depend on where you live. We have always had a high sales tax, but if you are in an area where tax is only 5-6% then you would undertip. Or what about Oregon where they have no sales tax. That would be a really, really bad tip!

 

[summerrluvv]

This has been a very interesting thread to read.

I heard somewhere, probably TV, that when figuring a tip you should just double the tax of the total bill. I have done that ever since I heard about that, but I think that now I am going to have to pay attention to it and figure out what the exact percentage of that works out to. It has been a very easy way to tip for us though.

I guess that works if your tax is 7.5% or more. Some states are still at 4% though. Ours is 8.75%.

 

[mickeyfan2]

This has been a very interesting thread to read.

I heard somewhere, probably TV, that when figuring a tip you should just double the tax of the total bill. I have done that ever since I heard about that, but I think that now I am going to have to pay attention to it and figure out what the exact percentage of that works out to. It has been a very easy way to tip for us though.

It depends on your sales tax rate. We have 6% so doubled would be 12%.

We tip on the entire bill (drinks and tax).