Will expected tip amounts ever get this high?

[Dizlvr]

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I never said they should make $50/hr but some here believe they do based on their calculations of tables/tips/hr.

Based on the stats (yes, some my go unreported but tips are taxed based on food run through the system so this is increasingly harder to do) waitstaff seem to make a reasonable amount IMO for the job they do.

That however is based on the tipping standard. Without tips waitstaff make far below minimum wage.

I am curious about the folks complaining about tipping. Would you also complain about a 20% increase in menu prices and no tipping to pay a set wage for servers?

I find the argument of its not my job to pay the staff so interesting. You're paying for it regardless. In tips it's more direct, but restaurant margins are thin. They're not going to start paying waitstaff $10+ per hour and keep menu prices the same so you're still paying for it.

Personally I don't have a problem with tipping, in fact I worry that without it, servers will become the way cashiers have become. Half of them don't pay attention to you, they aren't very pleasant, and they act like a customer is an inconvenience (Not all of them of course, but customer service has changed alot in recent years).
Anyway, I just don't feel I have to tip every Tom, Dick and Harry because they did something that their job required them to do. I also don't feel I have to compensate a waiter/tress salary because they chose a job that pays less than minimum wage. I'll tip you for good service, but not because you only make $3 an hour.

 

[froggibabey]

My husband is the executive chef and manager at a restaurant locally.

And yes, if people who come in often and order a lot of food, but tip horribly (or treat the servers horribly), they are asked to not come back. On top of that, no matter what, word gets around, and service is definitely going to go down if you're only tipping say, 5% each time. Until that's what the service is worth.

On top of that, they've thought about raising the prices and doing away with tipping.. until they realized that a burger would go from $8.25 to 13.75 to compensate.

AND. For all the people saying that a server makes $50 an hour on tables.. no. They CAN make $50 in one hour.. spread out over the dinner rush.

If they get there at 2 and the restaurant closes at 10, they're there until at least 11 doing clean ups. There are probably no tables from 2-4 so they're just cleaning and prepping, then from 5-8 there's generally tables.. and then more cleaning and such, with no tables. SO that money they're making during breakfast/lunch/dinner rush makes up for all the hours without tables.

 

[Lewisc]

Let me ask a question, so it seems that the attitude is we should tip regardless because servers make low wages, if they get a minimum wage salary can I stop tipping? or will they still want tips??

California is one of the states which apply the minimum wage requirements to waitstaff. Maybe a poster from one of those states could comment. Not sure what I'd do.

An increasing number of places have both a tip jar and charity containers by the cashier. Are we being embarrassed when we want to take our change?

I just came back from a 5* all inclusive. Employees were routinely taking our plate from us and taking it to our table. Waiting at the omelet station...Someone takes your plate and tells you they'll bring it to your table when it's done. We don't get, nor expect, that kind of service at Disney buffets. JMO but that's the kind of service Disney should be offering if they expect the same 18% gratuity given in a table service restaurant.

 

[morgan98]

In general, I do not have trouble tipping (generally around 20%) for things like eating at a full service restaurant or getting my hair cut. What I have a huge problem with is tip jars appears at every cash register when you order food or a drink. These people make at least minimum wage are paid to ring me up and give me a coffee, etc. No, I am not tipping them extra.

When is the insanity going to stop? In general, IMO 20% is fine most of the time. I do not feel sorry enough for someone waiting a table to leave 50% because they are choosing to work a tipped position. Sure, some people may not tip or may not tip 20%, but I do not feel like it is my responsibility to make up for that.

This is another DIS boards topic where people come out of the woodwork to tell you what huge over tippers they are, as though it makes somehow better than those that tip even the recommended amounts.

I am sure to some this sounds harsh. But really, I am not a mean person.

 

[Dopey420]

HAHAHAHA, I PROMISE that all you bad tippers are well known to your local wait staffs and you ARE either getting either the least attractive steak, chicken, plate, etc. OR you are getting spit OR WORSE in your food. Enjoy!

 

[Dizlvr]

HAHAHAHA, I PROMISE that all you bad tippers are well known to your local wait staffs and you ARE either getting either the least attractive steak, chicken, plate, etc. OR you are getting spit OR WORSE in your food. Enjoy!

So you aren't okay with people not leaving something that isn't mandatory, but you are okay with the people you feel deserved to be tipped spitting or doing worse to a PAYING customer's food?

 

[kaytieeldr]

except dunkin donuts pays at least minimum wage. So why are you tipping up to 100% on the product your buying ? Well, by my calculations, a dollar is 30%-40% of the price of my coffee, but as I described before - because of the service I get.

If I go to a bar and get a $3 beer then I'm paying a 33% tip by paying $1 for a tip as you say you do. That is crazy high % for what amounts to almost no work involved. I rarely drink. Sometimes just house wine, sometimes club soda. Sometimes the club soda's free. I still got service. What percentage of zero is a dollar?

The places with some of the best food don't expect tips anyway. Those are the places I go to most.

They most certainly can set their price. the tip os the price of their product. like many other jobs where you work with the public, you, yourself are the product. you sell yourself.

Not the way you described. You sell a product at a set price. The customer agrees to the price or negotiates. You both know the price before the transaction occurs. Not so with restaurant servers.

as I said tipping is not mandatory. it is a common practice nothing more. I have the discretion to tip or not as I see fit. personally I think it should be the servers who take it up with Congress

The people whining about being expected to tip just because minimum wage for servers is so dampened low are the ones who need to work to change the minimum wage laws.

Hourly wage is still a salary.

Salary definition: "a fixed regular payment" So in a job where your hours may change from week to week and so much of your income is directly dependent on customers - no, that's not a salary, it's a wage.

Why should they make 50 bucks an hour??

Can, not should.

We were a party of 9, 7 Disney adults and 2 children, and we ate at lots of character meal buffets. An 18% tip was added automatically to the bill when most of the time the servers did nothing more than bring drinks (and not very promptly, either). It's ridiculous to add that amount to a buffet meal.

First, you knew ahead of time about the mandatory service charge. You could have discovered here that if service is genuinely lacking, management can adjust the amount.

 

[gljvd]

If tipping is such an issue, stay home. Those of you who are opposed to the practice are taking up tables, probably at prime dining hours, and then complain because the industry standard is to tip for service? This would be like the people who dine out on holidays and complain how rushed the service was, food was subpar, long waits for tables. The easiest and most budget friendly option is to make it yourself and dine at home. Same goes for tipping the bartender. Don't like the idea of tipping, drink at home.
Costs for dining out keep rising, surely those who tip lowly amounts are contributing to the increased costs for everyone else.

My problem is that TIPS should be to encourage good or outstanding service. The problem is that there are so many places to dine out now that the likely hood of getting the same server multiple times is very little. So what does the tip do ? Its just a way for a company to get away with paying less money to its staff.

They are serving it to me, as in they are handing it to me.
They are not seeking my table out, bringing me extra drinks, making sure my meal is fine, coming to check on me while I'm sitting there eating and bringing me whatever I need. That is why I tip them. I don't tip them for just handing over my food, there is a difference between counter service, and table service.

I agree that tipping is random, but I don't agree that is silly as a whole concept. I do think its silly to tip someone for handing me an egg sandwich and a coffee though. That is their job.
A waiter/waitress can also just plop down my food and drink, and walk away never to be seen again until I get my check. If they did that, they'd be treated the same as the DD worker- no tip.

And that is all a waiter is doing. They are taking something another person made for you and just simply brining it to your table. The man at DD is making you the sandwich , coffee and what have you. Then he is taking your payment and making sure your food is fine. He is doing a lot more than just handing you some over a counter. Which isn't much different than handing you something at your table.


Tipping well doesn't guarantee you good service , so whats the point of it ? Please tell me that much.

 

[piccolopat]

This weekend I went to dinner at a local restaurant. On the same menu for the same meal I could choose a burger for $11 or a steak for $45. The effort it takes for the server to take my order, bring my plate, check on me and then clear the table is exactly the same. If I choose the burger the tip is $2.20. If I choose the steak, the tip is $9. We're not talking about the difference between a V&A or Rainforest Cafe here. It's the exact same place, at the same day and time. Explain what the server has done to earn an extra $6.80 just because of the meal I might choose?

 

[gljvd]

Not the way you described. You sell a product at a set price. The customer agrees to the price or negotiates. You both know the price before the transaction occurs. Not so with restaurant servers.
The people whining about being expected to tip just because minimum wage for servers is so dampened low are the ones who need to work to change the minimum wage laws.

Salary definition: "a fixed regular payment" So in a job where your hours may change from week to week and so much of your income is directly dependent on customers - no, that's not a salary, it's a wage.

Can, not should.


First, you knew ahead of time about the mandatory service charge. You could have discovered here that if service is genuinely lacking, management can adjust the amount.

So you tip just cause someone gave you a drink and sometimes even if you get nothing ? So why don't you tip when you go to a grocery store ?

I don't see the difference at all. If you want to give away free money for someone giving you a soda , I will happily mail you a 6 pack . Lets see I will charge you $2 a bottle and I expect a dollar tip . So that $1 I spend at target on the 6 pack I can charge you $18 just cause I gave you a drink.

 

[eliza61]

[QUOTE

Not the way you described. You sell a product at a set price. The customer agrees to the price or negotiates. You both know the price before the transaction occurs. Not so with restaurant servers.
The people whining about being expected to tip just because minimum wage for servers is so dampened low are the ones who need to work to change the minimum wage laws.

Salary definition: "a fixed regular payment" So in a job where your hours may change from week to week and so much of your income is directly dependent on customers - no, that's not a salary, it's a wage.

Can, not should.


First, you knew ahead of time about the mandatory service charge. You could have discovered here that if service is genuinely lacking, management can adjust the amount.

"kaytieeldr, post: 53810330, member: 89931"]Not the way you described. You sell a product at a set price. The customer agrees to the price or negotiates. You both know the price before the transaction occurs. Not so with restaurant servers.
The people whining about being expected to tip just because minimum wage for servers is so dampened low are the ones who need to work to change the minimum wage laws.

Salary definition: "a fixed regular payment" So in a job where your hours may change from week to week and so much of your income is directly dependent on customers - no, that's not a salary, it's a wage.

Can, not should.


First, you knew ahead of time about the mandatory service charge. You could have discovered here that if service is genuinely lacking, management can adjust the amount.[/QUOTE]
Ok, we'll have to disagree , I whine with my pocket book. I tip on service, you got a lousy salary. That's on you to change it. Like i said, Iv ain't your safety net. Want a better tip, do a better job. My cash, my rules.

 

[Dawnlight]

First, you knew ahead of time about the mandatory service charge. You could have discovered here that if service is genuinely lacking, management can adjust the amount.

And servers know ahead of time what their hourly wage will be. It's immoral to tack on such a fee to a buffet meal, whether I know about it ahead of time or no. Honestly, I don't understand why servers feel like they are more deserving than any other service industry worker. They make out a whole lot better than others who don't get tips, that's for sure.

 

[MKMomma]

If they get there at 2 and the restaurant closes at 10, they're there until at least 11 doing clean ups. There are probably no tables from 2-4 so they're just cleaning and prepping, then from 5-8 there's generally tables.. and then more cleaning and such, with no tables. SO that money they're making during breakfast/lunch/dinner rush makes up for all the hours without tables.

Ok. And your point?

 

[MKMomma]

First, you knew ahead of time about the mandatory service charge. You could have discovered here that if service is genuinely lacking, management can adjust the amount.

Servers know before they start the job the hourly rate. They chose to take the job, knowing the wage they would be paid. It isn't the public's responsibility to ensure they are making minimum wage.

 

[eliza61]

And servers know ahead of time what their hourly wage will be. It's immoral to tack on such a fee to a buffet meal, whether I know about it ahead of time or no. Honestly, I don't understand why servers feel like they are more deserving than any other service industry worker. They make out a whole lot better than others who don't get tips, that's for sure.

Lol I wish I could go to work do a lousy job then whine that my salary or wage was low and get a bonus. We're really strange at my job we tend to reprimand poor quality not reward it.

 

[Dizlvr]

My problem is that TIPS should be to encourage good or outstanding service. The problem is that there are so many places to dine out now that the likely hood of getting the same server multiple times is very little. So what does the tip do ? Its just a way for a company to get away with paying less money to its staff.



And that is all a waiter is doing. They are taking something another person made for you and just simply brining it to your table. The man at DD is making you the sandwich , coffee and what have you. Then he is taking your payment and making sure your food is fine. He is doing a lot more than just handing you some over a counter. Which isn't much different than handing you something at your table and whether or not you want to compensate someone for it.


Tipping well doesn't guarantee you good service , so whats the point of it ? Please tell me that much.

I never said tipping well guarantees good service, but I do tip for good service, and I'll tip well for excellent service. Its clear you and I disagree with the different kind of service one gets from a counter service employee, and one who waits tables in a restaurant. That is okay, and pretty much why and how much tipping for any service isn't mandatory, its based on your personal opinion of what level service your receive.

 

[Dawnlight]

Lol I wish I could go to work do a lousy job then whine that my salary or wage was low and get a bonus. We're really strange at my job we tend to reprimand poor quality not reward it.

Tell me about it. I used to be a substitute teacher at a private school. Hourly wage- $10. Yes, $10 freakin' for teaching a class full of kids (k-8 grades). Babysitters get more than that for fewer children, not teaching, and it's cash free and clear. To add pain to punishment, I was considered self-employed, so after paying taxes as both an employee and the employer I had about $5/hr in my pocket, and no benefits. Needless to say, I don't substitute any more.

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

To me, this is my opinion and belief, karma will take care of poor tippers. Easy as that. No sense in arguing for either side. Poor tippers will continue to tip poorly and great tippers will continue to tip well.

I'm ok with tipping someone for taking my order, bringing me and my family our 2nd, 3rd and 4th drinks, getting me a side of ranch, extra bread, ketchup, bring and clear our food. Having friendly conversation helps to make it an overall enjoyable experience. I get it. Some of you take it for granted. I don't. I'm appreciative of their service. I'm just glad I don't have to lift a finger and prepare and take orders at home.

To each their own. I like knowing my extra 5-10% might keep that person from living in poverty. A lack of college education shouldn't deem them inferior to someone WITH a college degree. We're all humans. I, however, respect those opinions who think otherwise. Honestly.

 

[kamik86]

For buffets I deal with the tips at disney although I do think they are stupid. At home I don't do buffets... The food isn't as good. I only did them at disney for the characters. Although I do agree other places do MUCH better buffet service then disney! (The cruise I was on for example)/

The other reason I hate automatic gratuities is I have definitely been to places where the management is just as bad as the server. I had a server bring me the wrong drink and then swear about me under her breath when she went to fix it (she swore just as she past my husband which is how I know about it she was out of my hearing but not his) She told the manager I swore at her so the manager said she was intimidated by my behavior which is why she never brought the drink back. If that place had an auto gratuity you know they wouldn't have removed it. I haven't been back since though.

Another place I go has excellent staff, when I was going often (once every two weeks at the same time) she would often see us in the parking lot and have our drink orders on the table we liked before we ever got there. She got amazing tips. 25% normally and generally around 50% around holidays.

 

[eliza61]

To me, this is my opinion and belief, karma will take care of poor tippers. Easy as that. No sense in arguing for either side. Poor tippers will continue to tip poorly and great tippers will continue to tip well.

I'm ok with tipping someone for taking my order, bringing me and my family our 2nd, 3rd and 4th drinks, getting me a side of ranch, extra bread, ketchup, bring and clear our food. Having friendly conversation helps to make it an overall enjoyable experience. I get it. Some of you take it for granted. I don't. I'm appreciative of their service. I'm just glad I don't have to lift a finger and prepare and take orders at home.

To each their own. I like knowing my extra 5-10% might keep that person from living in poverty. A lack of college education shouldn't deem them inferior to someone WITH a college degree. We're all humans. I, however, respect those opinions who think otherwise. Honestly.

Actually no we don't take it for granted. that is our point. We don't like our servers taking us for granted. that's what mandatory minimums do.

I totally agree, I do tip well when the server works well. in your scenario I have absolutely no problem with tipping them well. THE DIFFERENCE is the tip should be on how you perform.

You said the exact key word "enjoyable"experience.
The problem with mandatory minimums, is why should the serve have to do any of the things you just mentioned.

Why should I have to tip 25% because some one rang up a cup of coffee?? or a picture that I wanted to purchase?? How is it enjoyable if I can't find my waiter, takes 20 minutes to even get him to introduce himself and his barely civil. That's what you accept?? cool no problem. I do not.

That's what mandatory tipping does and using that nonsense that they get paid a low salary is extortion, plain and simple.

I don't think anyone said that folks who don't have a college education are inferior. My oldest son will not have one, but and this is the big difference, he understands that his not having one will decrease his chances at getting a good paying job. Seems you think that someone who flips burgers should get paid a cpa salary.
My son accepted that and decided to go to trade school because he didn't want to have his standard of living based on a 3 dollar an hour salary. He is in a 5 year plumbers apprenticeship.

I don't even know what the appreciation statement means??? heck, I lived in jersey, I appreciated the fact that I didn't have to pump my own gas, doesn't mean I want to pay 25% extra for the privilege.


LOL, don't worry about Karma, believe me if there is such a thing, I've got enough good karma to take care of any under tipping I may have done and if I've got bad karma coming it's going to be for waaay bigger mess ups than stiffing someone who felt they should have gotten a bigger tip.
What does Karma say about the server that does a crappy job??

so yes for me it is very easy. regardless to wage.

Do a poor job. low tip and I complain to the management exactly why.
standard job (you take my order, bring my food and disappear to bill time or I have to keep hunting you down to get some thing) 15%
great job you're pleasant, keep my glass full without me having to ask, talk about the food, come back and check if every thing is ok or if I need any thing 20%

take up you low salary with your boss.