Tips: entitlement or earned?

[DVCisME]

I think there is a big difference between tipping someone who is paid minimum wage and those that are not.
I also think that there are extreme situations that warrant a not so great tip. But I think that people who are stating that for good service they will tip 15% as their high there is something wrong with that,
I waitressed for five years and was only stifed once. I think that as customers and as servers there are preconceived notions. I have heard servers say they don't want to wait on X people; but those people deserve the same amount of service as Y people. And just because you go into a restaurant and have a problem you should think about other factors to that problem besides your server.

 

[Benducci]

Tips should be earned but people seem to think they are entitled. I give what I feel is deserved.

 

[DVCisME]

Tips are earned, but something is an entitlement.
If you have a bad day at work, or are slower than usually; if you have a day at work when no one walks in the door is that your fault? Should you still only be paid $2.13/hour? You still get paid the same amount per hour no matter the volume of work completed.

 

[Chelley00]

i just cant imagine going into a restaurant and leaving less than 15% and shame on anyone who does.

i honestly think people just dont want to tip. so instead they look for crazy reasons not to.

Whatever. Saturday night I took 3 of my kids to Red Robin for dinner. It wasn't typical Saturday night busy and there were a few empty tables near us. We waited 15 minutes for our waiter to come take our order. We ordered our drinks and our dinners at the same time. Our appetizers, and then our food came out, brought by someone in the kitchen, very promptly. But we didn't see our waiter again until he came to take the order of the table behind us, when we were finished with our food, and he didn't say a word to us. No "How was your food?" No refills on drinks. No extra napkins other than the ones we asked the waitress waiting on the table beside us to get for us.

He came and threw our check on the table without clearing off any of the empty dishes, and walked away, coming back 15 minutes later with a receipt, and only because I finally flagged down the manager to take my money. The whole time I could see our waiter, talking at the window with the guy cooking food. Why in the heck should I leave a tip for someone who gave us no service other than to take our orders and spent all of his time BS'ing with the cooks???? I waitressed all the way through high school and some in college, and I tip VERY VERY well, if I have a server who earns it. I did leave him about 5% for the order taking and wrote on the receipt what it was for, then handed a tip to the waitress who brought us napkins and found the manager for us.

Our dinner out, with a 3 year old, took us almost 2 hours from the time we sat down to dinner until we finally walked out the door, and we saw our waiter once for an order, once to throw down a receipt. How does that earn
a 30% tip? This is why I have a huge problem with my family of 6 having to pay an automatic 18% gratuity. I hate being forced to tip when I feel wait staff should have to EARN that tip, just like I did.

 

[DVCisME]

Most times a tip says 18% gratuity it is only suggested and they cannot make you pay it even if it appears that way.

 

[imthatgirl]

wouldnt it be nice if they got rid of tipping all together. then they can charge $20 for a hamburger and everyone will be happy.

 

[chicagoshannon]

my feeling is if a tip is supposed to be counted as part of their wage then the owners of the restaurant should pay them better and get rid of the tipping all together.

 

[imthatgirl]

my feeling is if a tip is supposed to be counted as part of their wage then the owners of the restaurant should pay them better and get rid of the tipping all together.

you would still be paying the servers, they would just grossly inflate the price of the food.

 

[jakoky]

I have already replied to this thread once, but am finding it very interesting...my daughter worked her first waitressing shift yesterday (she hostesses normally)...she worked 6 hours at 8 dollars an hour, then made 62 dollars in tips (smittys-pancake house)...she made 110 dollars in 6 hours, pretty good for a 17 year old...i have taught her that tips ARE earned though, and she has to work hard and be friendly...On our last trip to DL, we were there 10 nights, plus 2 days travel...so that is about 36 meals out....1 i never left a tip at all, and 1 other, i left a small amount...the one i didnt leave one for, it took forever to get anyone to our table, it took forever and ever to get our food, that was freezing cold, only to be never checked on again...how do u leave a tip for something like that...all it takes is a waiter/waitress to come by and say "i am very sorry, we are extremely busy(which they werent) and your food will be out very soon....takes one second and can make all the difference in the world..when you walk out and all your dirty plates are in front of you, you had a terrible meal, and were never checked on, i cant leave a tip...if i tipped, the waiter may get the attitude i can do that to every person, why be good, i make tips anyway...remember, i am a former waitress, and there were a few times i messed up and i never expected anything...99% of the time i got tips and deserved them...
sharon

 

[ahecht]

minimum wage laws by state. http://www.paywizard.org/main/Minimumwageandovertime/MinimumWageTIPRecevers

Alaska-7.15
California- 8.00
Colorado- 4.00
Connecticut- 5.41
Hawaii- 7.00
Illinois- 4.65
Iowa- 4.35
Minnesota- 5.15 or 6.15 depending on size of employer
Nevada- 5.85 or 6.85
North Dakota- 4.39
Oregon- 7.95
Washington- 8.07
Those are some pretty big numbers and I still have to tip beyond that? I get it when someone is making 2 or 3 dollars. But seriously? $8/hour and you want a tip too?

I hope someone comes in and chimes in, but I think that in waitstaff jobs, the minimum wage does not apply, and that it is calculated taking into account a tip.

Still, even knowing that, I won't tip for bad service.

If you clicked the link, you would see that that chart is for TIPPED employees. The federal minimum wage for tipped employees is $2.13, but many states have it higher. In Alaska, California, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, tipped employees get paid the same as non-tipped employees. In Connecticut, Hawaii, Minnisota, Nevada, and West Virginia tipped employees make less, but still earn more than $5 per hour. In all states where tipped employees get paid less, employers must make up the difference between a tipped-employee's take-home pay and the minimum wage.

 

[Shyvioletisme]

1) To us, tips are earned.
2) Totally earned.
3) We have no problem stiffing a server if they give poor service.
4) If there is an automatic tip, we call the manager and have it removed.

NOTE: When we stiff a server, we mark on the charge slip a quick reference to the reason. Just as a further insult, we leave a nickel on the table. The server doesn't think we just walked out, but knows we actually thought about them.

this sounds like what I've done in the past as well.

 

[imthatgirl]

In all states where tipped employees get paid less, employers must make up the difference between a tipped-employee's take-home pay and the minimum wage.

yes, and this is why we are seeing so many more automatic gratuititees. personally i have only come across this at disney world. we are a family of 6 and have never at home been charged gratuity. i would think that the restaurants that are doing it, are doing it because they were having too many people not leaving enough. therefore they have to pay the servers. which they cant do unless they raise the cost of food.
im also assuming this is regional. when i come to these threads i am always amazed by the way people tip. i dont find the same at home. i am a server. i rarely get less than 18% and usually get more than 20%. of course i get the rare walk out, but i just write them off as not knowing any better. im guessing that the people who are reporting the auto gratuity live in an area where people just werent tipping properly. if this is the case the restaurant has to take action. its the law that people cant work for less than minimum. so they are adding the auto grtuity to counter act the small tips.

 

[Chelley00]

its the law that people cant work for less than minimum. so they are adding the auto grtuity to counter act the small tips.

How nice of restaurants to decide that my family has to automatically tip because of the tightwads.

 

[imthatgirl]

How nice of restaurants to decide that my family has to automatically tip because of the tightwads.

what other choice do they have if people arent tipping?

 

[patsal]

Here's the way I see it. Sure servers make below minimum wage and tips are supposed to supplement that to make a living wage or for many great servers much more. When someone makes the choice to be a server it is because they know they can make far better than minimum wage through earned tips. Those that take these jobs just expecting people to leave 18% or more but who do not work for it or earn it do not just deserve it. The job of server is not "for them" and they need to move on to something they are better suited for. The only way they can know they are not successful doing what they are doing is to not be rewarded for it. It is best when customers share their experiences immediately with management, so that servers can be retrained to meet customer needs. But tips are for a job well done not for simply showing up for work today. We all make career choices, if you choose to be a server and you do a good job you are paid a fair wage when tips are included, if you do not do your job you should not be rewarded.
I tip based on service, I do not blame servers for things that are beyond their control (the cooks job is to cook and prepare my food),but if s/he is supposed to take my order, fill my drinks, bring my order, check to be sure that the order is correct, check to see if I want dessert/coffee and then bring those things then s/he has done the job and will get a tip of at least18% depending upon the location. If the server does all of this with enthusiasm and is friendly as well then it is 20% or more depending upon what extras may have come in to play. It really is as simple as doing the job they were hired to do. If you do your job well you will earn tips and if not then maybe a career change is in order.

 

[hhartill]

...if I get poor service at a gas station, bank, store or on the phone shouldn't I be able to speak to their manager and have a portion of their pay removed for poor service?

 

[Kycha]

i never tip less than 25% and usually tip well over 30%. i just cant imagine going into a restaurant and leaving less than 15% and shame on anyone who does.

Let me guess...you're a server...right?

 

[worm761]

We tip what we want and refuse to bend to "industry" standard. I will not tip what you want just because you want me to. Now having said that we almost always receive good to excellent service. I have never not left anyone a tip. I don't think I have ever tipped less than 10%. But we have been known to tip as much as 50% of our bill. (he was great!) and if the service was that good I also get online and tell corporate what a great job they are doing. I also feel that if you don't like to tip or don't tip that you should not eat in establishments where tipping is an accepted practice.

I should add I have never waited tables in my life. Well other than at home and I don't get tipped around here and I have to cook! Maybe I will start charging. LOL

 

[imthatgirl]

Let me guess...you're a server...right?

yes i am now. but i am 33 and have only been a server for about a year. even before that i knew how to tip.

 

[Kycha]

yes i am now. but i am 33 and have only been a server for about a year. even before that i knew how to tip.

That's what I thought.