Outing your bad tips: awesome blog
- Thread starter BluAffiliate
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How much employees get paid should be between them and their boss.
A tip should be a small, genuine 'thank you' for good service; no more, no less.
I understand why an owner wouldn't pay a high flat rate if the restaurant is empty half the time. But the solution is to pay a low flat rate to employees, and then make it up with a percentage of the takings. That way it's a contractual arrangement and correlates to how hard the staff have to work (ie. empty restaurant = less work = lower pay, busy restaurant = more work = higher pay).
Relying on customers to make voluntary donations to your employees is fucking insane.
A tip should be a small, genuine 'thank you' for good service; no more, no less.
I understand why an owner wouldn't pay a high flat rate if the restaurant is empty half the time. But the solution is to pay a low flat rate to employees, and then make it up with a percentage of the takings. That way it's a contractual arrangement and correlates to how hard the staff have to work (ie. empty restaurant = less work = lower pay, busy restaurant = more work = higher pay).
Relying on customers to make voluntary donations to your employees is fucking insane.
I remember when I took a vacation to Dominican Republic and I signed up with one of those travel agencies where they hook you up with transportation from the airport, and so on. Well the people that greeted me at the airport took my bags (2 bags), and they brought it over to the bus. When I got to the bus, I handed the man who carried my bags $2 for the 1 minute walk to the bus with my bags. This guy literally pushed my hand back and said that he expects $10 tip for doing that. I was so taken back, $10 for fucking carrying my bags for about a minute? I could have done that job myself, I didn't even ask him to carry my shit. Anyhow, he ended up taking $2 and I got onto the bus.
Then I had to tip the bus driver.
Then I had to tip the people at the hotel that carried my bags upstairs.
Then I had to tip the maid to clean my room.
Then I had to tip the bartenders even though all drinks were inclusive with the stay.
Then I had to tip the waiters at the restaurants even though all food was inclusive.
Then I had to tip the tour guides for the places we visited awhile that was also inclusive.
That was quite a vacation.
But staying back on topic, I don't mind tipping. I do think it's shitty that restaurants save money on salaries by increasing the expense for the customer. I feel that all restaurants should pay at least minimum wage to the waiters and the 'respected' tip % should be 5% at that point. I do feel stupid sometimes when I have to tip $30 for a 3 person dinner. Though as long as waiters are getting paid below minimum wage, I feel it's the right thing to do to markup the order by 15% and more. Luckily I've never had horrible service, so I haven't had the need to leave no or little tip. I also tend to eat at the same 4/5 places, so to save face I need to go along with the norms.
When it comes to delivery man, I don't mind tipping at all. Being able to get the food straight to my house without dressing up and driving is great. Considering that usually any food that I get delivered only ranges in the $15-$35 price range, I leave about $5-$8. Enough to cover the gas for the delivery, and some on top.
It's a simple way to keep a restaurant cheaply staffed during poor hours.
Think of it like this, during a day, the average restaurant has a rush at around midday, which lasts for an hour, and another two hours at night for dinner. During those ~three hours, the restaurant makes 90% of it's money, so those hours are important to it. The problem is, they need to be open the other seven hours in the day, and if there is a random rush, they don't want to be stuck with one waiter handling ten tables, or a group of thirty. So, the simple solution is to require staff to work through those times, while they pay them $2/hour, making it easier to afford more staff. If someone doesn't work the shit hours, they don't get the good hours. If the restaurant has a shit day during the bad hours, it's win win since they didn't have to pay much to begin with.
I get better service in Australia, with the exception of 4+ star restaurants, and don't have to tip. Lower paid American's are just fucken lazy.
In the UK it's normal to tip 10% at restaurants and I always do - if I get good service. If I don't then the waiter doesn't get anything, and I generally wouldn't feel worried about going to the same place again in the future. There's not the same pressure to tip and I've never tipped a delivery man, taxi driver or hotel worker etc
I understand the argument that waiters in the US rely on the tips but just because a person's boss is too cheap to pay them full wage why should everyone else subsidise them? Tips should be for good service - posting people's addresses online, threatening them with disgusting food etc just because they wouldn't give you extra money for doing your job is crazy.
Yes, it's hard work but there are a lot worse jobs. How many people have tipped a nurse for example?
I understand the argument that waiters in the US rely on the tips but just because a person's boss is too cheap to pay them full wage why should everyone else subsidise them? Tips should be for good service - posting people's addresses online, threatening them with disgusting food etc just because they wouldn't give you extra money for doing your job is crazy.
Yes, it's hard work but there are a lot worse jobs. How many people have tipped a nurse for example?
I'm not even gonna ask if you guys tip on alcohol.
I tip on alcohol *usually*. Even if I order a really expensive bottle at a restaurant, I do so knowing that the actual cost is the bottle + 20%. I really don't mind tipping. Waiters have a shitty job, and it's not going to make a difference to me either way. With one caveat: I dictate how much I'll tip, if it's is automatically added to my bill, I get a little pissed.
The only time I ever actually flipped out over a tip was alcohol related. I was at a 5-star hotel in Virginia for an anniversary and had a bottle of Cristal and some other goodies pre-delivered to the room before check-in. When I got the final bill they actually put a 25% or something insane service charge for simply bringing it to the room (no personal interaction with me), which I thought was way out of line. I still felt half like an asshole when I had it taken off the bill, but I have my limits. Even if I were to voluntarily tip in that case, there is no way he was going to get $100 for 5 minutes of his time; but to automatically add such an outrageous gratuity had me livid. If anything that tip should have gone to the housekeeper for cleaning up our 'anniversary' sheets.
I tip well. Know why? Yeah part of it is I know they don't make shit so I help cover them for that. Also if I'm at a place a few times as a good tipper suddenly my steak comes out quicker, my food is cooked better and lo and behold my mixed drinks are suddenly 99% alcohol instead of the normal watered down profit making mix they normally sell.
CUZ IM FROM NEW YAWK
.LOL @ the anniversary sheets.
I'm with you on that one man. If alcohol is on my bill, I tip on it. However, the last place I went to, I order a $200 bottle of wine and they added a 7% "luxury tax" to my entire meal because of the bottle. So I tipped based on the meal, and not on the bottle -- Fuck that.
Maybe I do just follow social norms? I don't know, but I like the fact that I can walk into any restaurant/bar that I'm a regular at and they wont spit in my food or ignore my table. It's the small price I'm willing to pay to be taken care of.
Just like when I go to atlantic city, I slip my host a $50 every time I go. I don't pay for meals, I don't pay for drinks, and I get upgraded to suites every time I go regardless of how much I play that night/weekend. (Funny though, the tips on meals are never comped, so that I do pay
).Money talks, and if you want to be taken care of, whether it be at a restaurant or a casino, you can't be cheap. Now I know that people are gonna bash me for saying that, but at the end of the day, I know that I'm not the only person who thinks that.
CUZ IM FROM NEW YAWK
Maybe I do just follow social norms?
This is probably a location thing as well. New York culture is a little different from the rest of the country. Living in Manhattan, I would regularly find myself tipping cabbies, doormen, delivery people, garage attendants, etc, etc. I moved to the South a few years ago, and find myself tipping less, simply because in certain contexts it's now not expected, and even a little awkward when I do tip.
Absolutely, also though -- in New York, you pay for quick service. You wont get speedy service in most places outside of NYC (from my experience as a NY'er lol).
Everywhere else they expect you to chew your food..
I just think tipping in general (ESPECIALLY THE HOSPITALITY AND FOOD INDUSTRY) has gotten way out of hand here in the U.S.
I tip all the time and most people DO deserve it....but setting up expectations for the consumers should not be part of their (owners/managers/employees) job...they (the owners/managers) should be setting up expectations for their employees. obviously "no shirt noi shoes no service" is an accepted expectation, and acting in a civil manner, etc...
Little punks at the hotels in vegas want to to take my money because they literally lift my bag from the ground into the trunk. these fuckers don't carry the bag from the hotel doors...i do. i tip one dude for hailing the taxi. i sit the bag down to converse with the taxi driver..."ohhh here i got that sir" outta nowhere new guy grabs the bag and lifts it literally 3 feet. then, little man just stands there blocking the van's sliding door as I go to close it.....motherfucker just stares at me. after a solid 30 seconds he's like, "do you need me to make change for you?"
once again, the expectations need to be focused on the employees...NOT the consumers. whenever they get this right, they usually do alright.
I tip all the time and most people DO deserve it....but setting up expectations for the consumers should not be part of their (owners/managers/employees) job...they (the owners/managers) should be setting up expectations for their employees. obviously "no shirt noi shoes no service" is an accepted expectation, and acting in a civil manner, etc...
Little punks at the hotels in vegas want to to take my money because they literally lift my bag from the ground into the trunk. these fuckers don't carry the bag from the hotel doors...i do. i tip one dude for hailing the taxi. i sit the bag down to converse with the taxi driver..."ohhh here i got that sir" outta nowhere new guy grabs the bag and lifts it literally 3 feet. then, little man just stands there blocking the van's sliding door as I go to close it.....motherfucker just stares at me. after a solid 30 seconds he's like, "do you need me to make change for you?"
once again, the expectations need to be focused on the employees...NOT the consumers. whenever they get this right, they usually do alright.
Oh hell no. I tip, but the minute you come at me with an entitlement attitude like that is the time I suddenly become stingy.
Very Stingy.
What I think it's more about is how uncomfortable they make you feel when you don't tip or don't tip enough than the extra money you need to drop.
I get exactly the same feeling when visiting the US. I have to make sure I carry a roll of small bills separate from my 'main money' which is annoying. The only other place I had to do that was Egypt.
I both delivered pizzas and waited tables while I was in school. To answer those who asked, "why don't you get a better job?"
1) because being a full time student means you are limited mostly to part time hours.
2) the town i was in had 40,000 in summer time and 65,000 people when school was in session, so not a lot of good jobs around.
I have no idea why people who have so much are so whiney about sharing with the guy or girl busting their ass to make you happy. If they do a bad job, then leave them less, but why not reward those who work hard? If you don't want to tip, go pick it up and eat at home.
1) because being a full time student means you are limited mostly to part time hours.
2) the town i was in had 40,000 in summer time and 65,000 people when school was in session, so not a lot of good jobs around.
I have no idea why people who have so much are so whiney about sharing with the guy or girl busting their ass to make you happy. If they do a bad job, then leave them less, but why not reward those who work hard? If you don't want to tip, go pick it up and eat at home.