Will expected tip amounts ever get this high?

[Kkb0517]

The federal minimum wage for tipped employees is $2.13 an hour. Think about that the next time you think it's ok to leave whatever you want. I am a strong believer that quality service deserves a quality tip(18-25%). Poor service, no matter how poor, I've never left less than 15%.

Don't forget that at most places, the server has to tip out on the busser and bartender.

If a server doesn't make minimum wage with tips they are required to be paid the regular minimum wage just FYI

 

[Kkb0517]

Yowza. I didn't realize that. However, it seems the system needs to be changed, not the tipping amount. I don't understand why the onus is on the diners to supplement the incomes of staff because the employers won't give them a fair wage. I feel the same way about hotel staff. We (general public who can afford to dine out or go on vacation) are always being made to feel the burden of guilt for employees not receiving fair wages and make up for that with tips. It's one more cost that falls predominantly on the middle class.

Tips are no longer a compliment for good service, they are becoming more like extortion. 25%? A quarter of the bill? Not reasonable. I am still reeling from now paying 20%; my sympathies to those wait people who are underpaid, but tip expectations are getting extreme. It just feels like another tax, and a hefty one.

I agree but if employers paid these employees more they would likely pass the costs onto the customer in higher prices so we would pay one way or the other.

 

[georgina]

I never tip based on a percentage of my bill. It takes the same effort to serve my group if we have a $30 meal as it does a $130 meal. The difference in a 20% tip would be $6.00 and $26.00 based on those food amounts. A server does not "earn" an extra $20 in tip just because I order more expensive food. I tip a flat amount based on the service received and its usually $5 to $10 for a party of 2 or 4 respectively. For larger groups I'd tip more but it works out to about $2.50 a head. I was a waitress for 4 years. Most of the time we had 10 tables each. They are not always full and some days I'd work 13 hour shifts and get $30 in tips. Other days I'd work 4 hour shifts and make over $100 in tips. Being a waiter is not a job to expect to get rich on. Its a job. Thats it. If a restaurant requires a "percentage" tip, I simply don't eat there.

I think it is very sad that you would only tip $10 on a $130 bill. My advice - stick to cheap restaurants and avoid the nicer places!

 

[SirDuff]

It's the law. It's the state or federal minimum wage law. The employer is just complying with the law.

It's a MINIMUM wage law, not a MAXIMUM wage law.

The PP you quoted was asking why servers are paid so little - that has nothing to do with "complying with the law". The employer is welcome to pay them as much as they want. You reply, while technically true, does nothing to actually address the comment you quoted.

 

[Disneyliscious]

The employer is required to withhold taxes based on a certain percentage of a server's check. Your server is being penalized because you are tipping cheaply.

Wait staff are not required (by many restaurants) to report income earnings over minimum wage either. While legally they are supposed to, they are told they do not have to and most dont do it even if they aren't told. So when they make more than minimum wage per hour they are getting tax free income. No one digs through your apron and counts your cash tips each night with you. So it goes both ways. When I was a waitress (at 3 diff places) we were told to figure our # of hours X minimum wage - $2.13/hr we were paid and then report the difference as our tips (which showed on our W2 as taxable income). Anything we made over that was tax free money. They don't have a way to track cash tips. Therefore most of it goes unreported for tax purposes.

 

[cjbcam]

In Canada the waitresses get at least minimum wage. Most have to tip out other people (food runners, bartenders etc.). I almost always leave good tips but I don't feel bad leaving a crappy tip if the service is bad.

 

[JohnDaleswife]

I will add that if most people, like myself, very rarely have cash on hand. Plastic all the way. So the tip goes on the card. So there may actually be less and less of an ability of not reporting it now.

 

[worm761]

The idea that wait staff are paid as little as $2.13 an hour may be true for some places but Florida isn't one.

• Florida Tipped Minimum Wage - $4.91 - Employees who earn a certain amount of tips every month may be paid a special cash minimum wage, but must earn at least $8.05 including tips every hour. For more details, read about the Florida tipped wage.

We still tip according to standards and generally tip well. Though I am not in the camp that even bad service gets a tip. I have no issues with not tipping and letting management know why but I will always let management know. I'll also let them know if someone has impressed me. I stopped going to Olive Garden years ago because of horrible service that we got and when we complained it was not taken seriously. As a restaurant manager it ticked me off. Fast forward a few years and DS wanted Olive Garden for his birthday dinner so reluctantly we went back. The waitress was fantastic and I stopped to let the manager know on the way out and that she was the reason I would be back.

tipped wages by state: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tipped_wage_in_the_United_States

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

I never tip based on a percentage of my bill. It takes the same effort to serve my group if we have a $30 meal as it does a $130 meal. The difference in a 20% tip would be $6.00 and $26.00 based on those food amounts. A server does not "earn" an extra $20 in tip just because I order more expensive food. I tip a flat amount based on the service received and its usually $5 to $10 for a party of 2 or 4 respectively. For larger groups I'd tip more but it works out to about $2.50 a head. I was a waitress for 4 years. Most of the time we had 10 tables each. They are not always full and some days I'd work 13 hour shifts and get $30 in tips. Other days I'd work 4 hour shifts and make over $100 in tips. Being a waiter is not a job to expect to get rich on. Its a job. Thats it. If a restaurant requires a "percentage" tip, I simply don't eat there.

Generally my bill is higher when I order multiple drinks and an appetizer and/or dessert in addition to an entree. All of which involves more work from my server. It probably makes my meal last longer too, which keeps them from being able to turn over my table as quickly.

 

[MinnieForMe]

We pretty much always tip 20%. Last year in Aruba, we were at a restaurant on the pier and the wind was blowing more than we expected. Our 9 year old daughter was in a sundress and the waitress noticed that she was cold. She ran into the kitchen and asked if she would like to wear her sweatshirt. She saved the night as it allowed us to linger for a meal and the entertainment. Her tip was around 40%.

 

[kaytieeldr]

But I wonder how long it could be before the cook, shift manager ect, will be added to that list.

These positions make at least minimum wage, if not (much) more. They're not service positions, they're not tipped positions, and they haven't been tipped positions in the history of restaurants. So, never.

 

[kaytieeldr]

It's a MINIMUM wage law, not a MAXIMUM wage law.

The PP you quoted was asking why servers are paid so little - that has nothing to do with "complying with the law". The employer is welcome to pay them as much as they want. You reply, while technically true, does nothing to actually address the comment you quoted.

Servers are paid (at least) the legal minimum wage set for restaurant servers, which expects (at least) the difference between that rate and the actual minimum wage will be made up by diners' tips and that if it's not that the remaining difference will be made up by the restaurant.

So "why" is that's the minimum wage for servers.

 

[ronandannette]

The federal minimum wage for tipped employees is $2.13 an hour. Think about that the next time you think it's ok to leave whatever you want. I am a strong believer that quality service deserves a quality tip(18-25%). Poor service, no matter how poor, I've never left less than 15%.

Don't forget that at most places, the server has to tip out on the busser and bartender.

Why?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Their cooperation helps improve the service waitrons provide to customers. Ten percent is typical, so where someone tips $5 for four diners, the bartender gets 50¢, the busser gets 50¢, and the server gets $4. And if the food is delivered by a runner instead of the server, that person gets tipped out as well.

It'd be interesting to know how much someone who tips a flat rate for a restaurant meal tips for just drinks.

 

[JohnDaleswife]

Their cooperation helps improve the service waitrons provide to customers. Ten percent is typical, so where someone tips $5 for four diners, the bartender gets 50¢, the busser gets 50¢, and the server gets $4. And if the food is delivered by a runner instead of the server, that person gets tipped out as well.

It'd be interesting to know how much someone who tips a flat rate for a restaurant meal tips for just drinks.

These positions make at least minimum wage, if not (much) more. They're not service positions, they're not tipped positions, and they haven't been tipped positions in the history of restaurants. So, never.

Never say never. Seen too much in reguards "new wages" in the past 5 plus years.

 

[gljvd]

Its going to go down.

Two things will happen in my opinion.

1) Resturants will go tipless at least higher scale ones (we see some already doing this in new York and San fran)

2) More chains will have automated ordering systems which means less intereaction with the servers and less tips

 

[JacknSally]

Why?

This. I won't reward people for not doing their job.

 

[manning]

My aunt used to be a waitress. You would be surprised how much she made. More than you think.

One secret weapon of hers was she gave the bus boys 10 . They hustled to turn her tables around. The ones who didn't did not make as much. Her motto was keep the bus boys happy.

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

Why?

Because it isn't always the fault of the server. I don't know the reasoning behind the lack of great service. If they are purposely being rude that's one thing and in that case I will probably leave less.

I sympathize for these people trying to make a living. I believe in karma. I work in the service industry as a massage therapist and understand the importance of providing great services. Sometimes things happen to my clients that are out of my control and it's taken out on me by them giving me a gratuity based on their entire experience rather than my performance.

When I don't feel like spending an additional 20% on my food, I'll order take out or make dinner myself.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Wait staff are not required (by many restaurants) to report income earnings over minimum wage either.

But every server is required by the IRS and the individual states' revenue departments to report all earnings - not just up o minimum wage.

When I don't feel like spending an additional 20% on my food, I'll order take out or make dinner myself.