While online today I came across this old article about tipping. The article gave 5 reasons for not tipping for food service–and I have to admit, some of them were just blatantly rude. The author tried to make the point that tipping is adding unnecessary burden on the consumer, when it really should fall on the employer to pay a higher wage. He also argued that, in large, the server/waiter/waitress did not do enough to merit extra money–he felt that he worked hard for his money, and while he was willing to pay for the food and factor in the cost of the establishment, he did not feel that taking the order and delivering the food deserved even more money.
However blatant the article,it made me think about tipping. I am all for great service, in fact, bad service can ruin a perfectly good meal, BUT, I am kind of getting sick of seeing tip jars pop up everywhere. I mean, should I really have to tip someone at the coffee shop for pouring water over a tea bag? I have even started to see them in the casual dining establishments, where you place your order at the counter, pick up your own food on the tray, and fill your own beverages. Still, I always feel awkward when I sign the receipt and leave the tip spot blank–awkward and a little resentful that I am even being put in a boat to feel awkward. Then, there is the whole bad service thing–if you get bad service do you skip the tip, only leave 10%? It’s a pickle, I tell ya.
Another article I found made the point that tipping actually improves service, by providing incentive. It questioned the appearance of the tip portion on coffee receipts, though, even noting that for now, it is a largely American thing to add your tip to your credit card charge–and it is being met with some resistance in the U.K. and Canada.
What do you think? Do you tip? Do you feel obligated to tip? Do you think picking up a plate of food from the counter and bringing it to a table warrants 20% of the cost of the food? Do you skip the tip altogether if you get BAD service?
~Mavis
Connie Wheeler says
Tips are always on my mind when I go into a food serving place. And, I gauge accordingly. I’ll tip none, 10%, 15% and 20%. No, I don’t tip anything when eating where I get my own food (buffet) unless I get a really good person to keep an eye on my coffee, empty plates or asking if everything is okay. Then I will tip them personally, not in a jar or leave on the table. Fast food, no tip. Coffee places, maybe. And, I will leave no tip if the service is bad and sometimes I’ll write on the bill about bad service.
Lee Ann says
I normally tip 20% for really good service. Otherwise it is normally 15%. What I don’t like, just like you, are the jars set up everywhere.
ChrisM says
Tipping: I always tip for sit-down restaurants. If I get good service, I tip 20 %. This is how these people earn a living and even with great tipping, sometimes these people are just scraping by. When I get bad service, I tip less. Only once did I not tip at all, and that was the worst service ever! If I’m getting really bad service, I usually try to say something to the server or manager before resorting to no tip. I enjoy full-service restaurants and I like to be generous with tips. It makes me feel good.
Do I tip at no-service restaurants? No. Tip jars at fast-food joints annoy me. They are being paid minimum wage and should not be tipped. Eons ago, I worked at McDonald’s and we were not allowed to be tipped, even if the customers offered.
I don’t eat at restaurants where they bring you your tray very often, so I guess I would just give in and tip though.
Coffee shops equal no tip. They are paid like fast-food workers.
But that being said, we only go out to eat about twice a month. Once to a nice sit-down restaurant, and maybe once to fast food or pizza delivery. I rarely go to coffee shops, maybe once every 3 months or so.
I do say beware though, especially in New York City. I found that many restaurants had the 18% automatically charged but we didn’t notice it and we tipped again at one of the restaurants. (Of course they don’t tell you!) Always look over your bill and read the fine print.
Erica says
I tip between 15 and 20% normally and will tip less for poor service. At the China buffet I will tip $2 because they are still bringing you drinks and cleaning up after you. Are buffet workers paid min wage?
We recently visited Japan, where there is no tipping. Everything is included in the prices, including tax. That was awesome. I’d love to see something similar in American restaurants. Raise the prices on the menu and pay people actual minimum wage and no tipping.
If someone does not believe in tipping they shouldn’t go to restaurants. Period. Tipping is what we currently do in America. Servers are taxed on their “sales” – your food bill. When I was a server I believe it was 10%. So if you don’t tip at least that then the servers are loosing money.
Cecily says
I always leave a minimum of 10% at a sit down restaurant, regardless of the wait staff’s service. The tip does not just go to the waiter but also to the cook and the bartender if you ordered a beverage. Restaurant employees are paid well below minimum wage and rely on those tips. I feel that to not tip is like saying that I don’t value the service I am being provided. I go to a local coffee shop regularly and tip 50 cents per beverage. This is my way of showing appreciation for the good service and quality of the product I am receiving.
Crystal says
Not all restaurant employees are paid below minimum wage. In fact, in Oregon, where I live, all people working in restaurants, including wait staff, must be paid at least minimum- they are not exempt.
natasha says
Depends on your state. Washington state requires all workers make minimum wage, NOT including tips. Tips may not be used to get payment to minimum wage. So, here,they’re being paid at least min wage for the job they do.
Crystal says
Exactly. Oregon is the same. And honestly, it makes me feel cheated to be expected to tip at restaurants. Because I don’t tip the cashier at a store who makes minimum wage- in fact, most stores actually have policies where they will fire employees for taking tips. And yet, a waiter or waitress making that same amount of money in a job that is not all that much more difficult from most other basic, minimum wage jobs in terms of skill level required, is expected to receive a tip.
Cecily says
Obviously you have never worked the dinner rush where you are expected to serve 6-8 tables with kids screaming and running around, patrons cussing you out because the meal they ordered was not cooked the way they wanted and people ordering and then changing their minds and being upset when it takes longer to get their meal out to them. All this must be done in a timely manner and with a smile. You would probably think differently if you had to serve a party of 12 people who demand your undivided attention for half your shift, are loud and vulgar and then leave absolutely no tip, just a lovely note complimenting you on the size of your chest. Not quite the same as ringing up groceries.
Angie W says
Exactly Cecily. My husband is a server at an upscale restaurant, and the stories he tells me are crazy. Being a server is extremely difficult, and a lot more goes into it than just transporting food from the kitchen to the table. They deserve every last one of those tips, and without them, servers and their families would be in a rough financial state. I really have a tough time seeing people on here writing that they don’t feel like they should tip. Even though my husband makes minimum wage here in WA, there’s no raises for him at all, unlike other minimum wage jobs where you typically get scheduled raises. In addition, he’s not guaranteed shifts that he’s scheduled to work like normal minimum wage jobs. If people aren’t spending money and the restaurant is slow because of it (think recession or slow times of the year for restaurants like April), servers can show up to work and be sent home because the restaurant is over staffed. Please tell me how someone can possibly pay their bills not knowing when they might be able to work next. My husband has been with the same company for 9 years and is fantastic at what he does, so he typically gets large tips as a thank you. We appreciate every single one of those dollars, and appreciate when people understand what being a server means. Our family could not survive without those customers.
angel says
I put myself through college as a waitress in a sit down restaurant.
I tip 20% for good service.
for GREAT service I may drop a little more and ask to speak to management so I can let them know.
for terrible service I tip 15% and also let management know unless the service was lousy because the place was crazy busy or short staffed because that’s different in my mind.
in no service places I don’t leave a tip but I thank the person for good service.
M says
At sit down restaurants, I try to tip 20% , but I will do less if bad service. I spent time as waitress and it is not always known, but some areas, they do not make minimum wage. When I did it in early 90s, it was only $2.25
For Carry outs, I usually try to do 15% since they take my order and get it all ready to go. Same way for Pizza delivery.
Buffet places, usually a couple dollars if they are good at keeping plates and drink taken care if applicable.
Just the time I spent years ago doing job, makes me more tolerant if valid reason, less tolerant if they are being lazy and I want to reward and encourage them for doing a good job. My grandmother taught me if cant tip correctly, don’t go. And after being a waitress and having patrons running me ragged with no tip or some card about god loves me, I sometimes try to make up for the jerks out there if they do a good job since there are always jerks.
Jenni says
Currently, in my mid-stay at home mommy years, I work as a barista for a small coffee drive thru. I can’t say it’s exciting to use my college degree in this manner, but it has been eye opening. Why? Because I never realized how much my own behavior towards customers could be changed by those who tip. Yep, you want an better made coffee beverage, where all your little quirky needs are met and maybe even when I see your car in line, do I get it ready ahead of time…tip. My customers who tip get the best of my service, those who do not, well, I don’t go the extra mile. It’s crazy how tipping affects my attitude towards customers. So, there’s that perspective for you. I appreciate those who appreciate me going the extra mile for them.
Cheryl says
I used to deliver pizza way back when in the poor part of town no less. I was working with a guy that was loudly complaining that no one was tipping that night. I remember telling him that it had much to do with his attitude. I bet him that I would get something at every delivery. Now granted a lot of folks gave a tip in the form of keep the change which amounted to 14 cents, but I still got something at every house. I made $42 that night. Everyone deserves to eat out on occasion and I am not going to hold my best service back because you do not tip me. I have been in those shoes many times, I can either eat out or I can tip, but not both. So you will always get consistent service from me and I am happy to see you each time you come in. To me, that is all that matters…either way I will survive.
Jim says
I tip double the sales tax (8.5 % here so 17% tip) for decent service, nothing if the service is bad. Sometimes I’ll tip more if the service is exceptional or the person is very personable and friendly to me. I do resent that it is expected of me to make up the wages they should be getting from their employer. To me a tip should be a bonus, and unexpected treat not and assumed standard. I think food service should pay at least full minimum wage or more and tips should be extra and go untaxed.
Ernest says
If I receive service above normal, I leave a 20% tip. If it is just ho hum I tip accordingly. In the late 70’s and early 80’s as an over the road trucker, I left a note written on a cigarette because of the terrible service. It was a truck stop in Wilcox, AZ and the food was great. Should of tipped the cook.
Jenny says
Our church runs a coffee shop. There is a tip jar there, but the money put in there goes to paying for Free Meal Friday. Every Friday they provide soup and bread or sandwich and chips to any one who comes . The coffee shop does not make any money, in fact, it runs in the red most months. The people who work there do not get paid. It has always been about serving the community and yet people still complain about the tip jar being there.
Preppy Pink Crocodile says
Do people know what the tip jar is for specifically? I think what you are describing is very different from what Mavis wrote. You’re talking about a non profit. It might just be a case of needing better PR. You might want to see if you have a PR or Marketing guru in your group who can help re-vamp the marketing of the tip jar for your coffee shop. Honestly, it might be as simple as new sign that is clearer to read or brighter or more specific or something of that nature. I obviously don’t know anything about your church coffee shop but are you even sure folks understand those working there are not being paid? I work a lot in this area and you really need to assume people are dumb. I don’t say that to be mean. But you need to spell it out. Don’t assume people read an article three years ago or noticed it was next to the church and now understand where the money is going. You are giving people too much credit. People are dumb (good but dumb…myself included) and need to get the message in a variety of ways.
Hope my unsolicited advice helps.
KK
theresa b says
My daughter paid her way through college with the tips she made. What many people don’t realize is that servers often only get a wage of about $2 per hour, relying on their tips. Many people are rude, make unreasonable demands and then leave nothing. What is it worth to sit down and relax while someone else prepares and serves your food and drinks to you? It’s an extravagance and people who eat out are not being frugal but we like the luxury occasionally. If you can’t afford to tip generously, then don’t spend extravagantly. A standard tip is 20 percent. Don’t excuse yourself for being cheap because you didn’t like what you ordered.
Stacey says
I agree. If you aren’t willing to tip, go to the fast food drive-through or just cook for yourself. Having others cook for you and serve your food is an extravagance. Be willing to pay for it.
Jim says
Every where you look there is a restaurant and the reason is they are a cash cow. The owners don’t pay their help even a standard minimum wage and charge high prices for the food all the while expecting patrons to support the staff with tips. I think it is outrageous that they aren’t required to pay their people a living wage. Tips should be a treat and a bonus for doing an extra good job.
Crystal says
Do you feel the same way in places like Oregon and Washington, where wait staff is required by law to be paid at least minimum wage before tips? Servers being paid less than minimum seems to be the most common reason people use to say that tipping is mandatory and if you don’t do it, you are scum. And yet, many places servers are being paid as much per hour as any other entry level position requiring basic skills- but you don’t tip the cashier at the grocery store (and it you did, most stores prohibit cashiers from taking tips, with a penalty of losing their job if they do take it).
Gardenpat says
Theresa- Similar experience with our daughter when she was in college working @ a restaurant! It opened my eyes to how I should tip. Before that, I was pretty stingy about tipping. Now, I add it in to my cost of eating in a restaurant. 20% is my standard unless the bill is small, then it may be more! Living frugally does not need to be being stingy, imo!
Marcia says
When did the standard go up from 15%?
Alex @ Building A Home on Less says
I’m not a fan of “encouraged” tipping in the first place, but especially not when the service is what you are buying (haircuts, massages) , or there is no possible way that you could get your product without the level of “service” they give you (fast food, coffee shops). However, since I’m not king of the universe, I abide by local customs. I start each dining experience at 18% (when did it creep up from 15? I even hear people say that the standard should be 20%! Yikes! ) and adjust from there based on whether I notice positive or negative things about the service and food. I will very happily tip 30% and more for out of this world food and service, and will happily tip zero if my experience rivals fast food. I don’t owe anybody an education, a living wage, or anything else besides fair compensation for a meal and a bit of service.
Karen Bailey says
I come from a country where tipping is not normal. People will quite often leave a tip in a restaurant but it is not expected. All our serving staff are paid atleast minimum wage, which is much higher than in the States. I agree that if I come to the States then I should understand that you have a tipping society and tip accordingly.
However, my question is, what is normal to tip a bartender? I understand leaving a tip if you are getting table service but I have read that it is normal to tip the bartender $1 per drink when you order a drink from the bar. I can’t understand that, if I get up and walk to the bar and order a $5 or more beer surely adding another $1 to have it poured for you is extremely expensive.
Is this the normal practise or have I been misinformed?
Sherry in Sumner says
Mavis, years ago when my sister was in her 20s and a waitress herself, was eating out and had a bad experience with a very, very rude waitress. It ruined her whole meal. When the ticket came, she laid out the exact amount of money for the bill. And she wrote on the ticket, “Here’s your tip: Get a new job.” She’s actually felt badly about that after all these years and she tips very generously now.
I usually tip 20%, but if the service is very bad I will only tip 10%, no matter how high end the establishment is. We’re paying a premium for food these days and I feel a waitperson should make the dining experience as pleasant as possible.
I do agree with you, though, that the tip jars we see in so many places are getting out of hand, but I will usually toss the coins in there anyway. However, if the $15 minimum wage passes in our state, I will be rethinking this entire tipping scenario wherever I go.
Shell says
I always tip if the service is good, unless it is added in with the bill. 20% for good, 10% for mediocre, nothing for bad. I don’t do jars. I put the money discretely, directly into the waitress or waiter’s hand .I have seen people leave money on a table, only to be picked up by someone else. I always thank them and let the manager know if the service is exceptional. If the food and service are both good, I let them know I will be back. I will usually ask for the person by name that provided really good service.
Sakura says
I tip according to the service. In restaurants I usually tip 20% or less, takeout zero, buffet style $1-$2 per person if the server helps. Valet, room service, and skycap completely different. I used to be a server a long time ago and we were paid 1/2 of minimum wage but we had to include a percentage of our total sales as tips on our W2. I’m not sure how they are paid now in Utah, but I understand how demanding that job can be. I think that in the end it’s whatever your comfortable with leaving or not leaving.
Rebecca R. says
Like any other job when you are not happy in it, or think you are not earning enough, you have the right to quit and find another job. (Can you tell that I don’t like the expectation of tips everywhere either?) Like paying insurance on postal mailings… Why should I pay extra to insure that what I am paying for to begin with is actually done correctly or successfully?!? It is a server’s JOB to provide service. (Also, since food quality has gone down hill and portion sizes seem to have shrunk at many places, as I noticed at Red Lobster and Pizza Hut when last there, I’m even more offended at having to pay additional money in those establishments.)
Having said that, I do tip at sit-down restaurants (15% or more if I like the server) and, usually, at coffee shops. But as it is figured in, in my mind, that I have to tip and I know about what the bill will run us… We do not go out to eat at those type of establishments very often as my dining dollars can get my family more elsewhere. It’s just simply math, folks. Where does it end? I have family that work as CNA’s. Anyone that does that work knows that they’re not paid well for the jobs they have to do. Could you imagine if they expected tips to do their jobs WELL? One of those family members has been in the process of starting a new job as he feels the work’s too hard for the pay. Yes, looking for a new job. Not putting out the tip jar.
gc says
As a server for my second job, I would rather earn a full minimum wage (I make 2.33/hour) and not be judged by every customer. If you do not want to pay/tip for service, go somewhere without service. Here are a few things to think about: There are no restroom breaks, if I excuse myself (or cannot be located promptly) I will be skipped in the next seating rotation. Does your real job does deduct your wages every time you p. I plan my liquid intake to work a 6 hour shift. There are no sick days, ever, anyone who has not shown up for a shift has never returned, no excuses, ever. I must tip bartenders and bussers a percentage of my sales (sales, not tips). Bussers minimum wage is reduced accordingly, keeping them at minimum wage (unless we have a REALLY good night) so I would NEVER short change them. For every alcoholic drink I must tip 11%, regardless of how much tip I receive. In the event of an audit, the IRS assumes I receive 11% of sales, so the restaurant will not let me report less than 11% of my sales (including t-shirts and to-go orders). If I receive less, I loose money paying income taxes. Tomorrow, while at work, think about your wages being reduced every time you stop smiling, are less than cheery, mis speak, reach for your mouse and miss, or set your stapler down a little too hard. Mine will be.
Stacey says
We always left a tip, but after a friend told me about the reality of being a server, at least at some places, we were much more generous. I think it is sad that we have to be put in the position to make sure our server is paid enough, but until that changes, I will tip and not complain about it.
Preppy Pink Crocodile says
I always tip at a sit down full service restaurant. Unless the service is terrible, I tip @20%. But I do not tip at coffee shops, etc. I think it’s ridiculous. If I paid in cash (rare) and I have a bit of change in my hand and notice the tip jar (also rare), I might toss in those pennies. But honestly, that’s a once a year thing. I don’t have an issue with the tip jar being there but I don’t feel obligated to tip for ever cup of coffee or Moe’s rice bowl I pick up. I would rather see servers earn min wage and the prices go up than feel guilty about not tipping. Like you, I resent the guilt trip it plays with my head. But come on, a Starbucks latte is like $5 already. A tip on top of that is just crazy.
I’d also like to point out that if you go through the drive through, there’s no tip jar. So it’s just inside that you get the guilt trip.
KK @ Preppy Pink Crocodile
Karen says
I’ve been a server for the past two years, and let me tell you, it is HARD work. We get paid about $2 an hour, so without tips we’re making nothing. Taking orders, carrying trays, bussing tables, sweeping floors, and dealing with unpleasant guests all while keeping a smile on your face is no easy task. I personally think that the amount you tip should have way more to do with the level of service you received rather than the price of the food. The server has to work just as hard whether your lunch costs $5 or $20. It also bothers me when I’m tipped badly because something went wrong with the food that I have no control over (it takes too long, the steak wasn’t cooked right, etc.) Most servers genuinely want their guests to have the best experience possible and do everything in their power to make that happen.
Deanna says
I tip about 15% at sit down restaurants all the time, good service or bad. (Although if it is exceptionally good or bad, I will alert the manager.) Having said that, however, I am not a fan of tipping – I think it is the job they signed up for so if they don’t like the way they get paid, leave. My husband rarely tips. He feels it is not necessary at all. I am aware that this is seemingly how the restaurant industry is structured, and it seems wildly unfair. I know all the people who have ever waited tables or received a majority of their wages from tips will HATE posts like mine, but really… we are all allowed our own opinions.
Shona says
Unless service is bad, I tip anywhere from 20% to 30% (DH and I have our hardworking favorites we always try to help out). If it’s really bad, I’ll still tip, but only a couple of dollars (everyone has a bad day now and then). I also tip the employees at the farm supply store if they help me carry anything out to the truck.
Dottie says
I have correlated this expectation of tipping to the general rise of entitlement that I feel the younger generations embracing (I am 32, for perspective). In the past I have tipped out of guilt, but as I get older I am more confident tipping or not, based solely on my level of service received. I agree that your chosen profession is not my problem and I do not owe you anything. But, if you go out of your way or somehow provide above average service I have no problem showing appreciation via tip. It is not fair for people to feel obligated to tip (reward) for sub par or even regular service. A tip is a gift. Thanks for barely doing your job, here’s 15%, really?
Sherry in Sumner says
Right on, Dottie. I love your perspective, especially for someone your age.
Kamiko says
exactly!
Kamiko says
– buffets dont get tipped unless they are exceptional, some workers just go a bit further on service than others.
– Coffee Shops, unless i am sitting at the counter getting waited on, no.
– tips jars are a No-No, because a waiter with a bad attitude gets tips from those that worked their butt off and got short changed from it. plus many times the owner keeps those tips, many people just dont know that.
– a sit down meal, now it really depends on where we go, and the service. bad service – no tip, i dont reward bad attitudes, slow service, a place that over crowds customers and dont treat them right. decent service, nothing remarkable, 15% no more. Excellent service, or our bill was over $100 (which hubby and I do just the 2 of us at times), will will usually drop a $20 tip if not more.
– i have been at coffee shops where 5 people couldn’t handle 6 customers, and i gave them no tip. i was also at a red lobster on a very busy night, seated next to a family with screaming kids, but my meal was served fast, hot, and with a smile! many times its the skills, attitude and ability of a good waiter that makes all the difference, and they get the good tips!
Over Senior Citizen status says
In California, the management is allowed to deduct from worker’s wages for tips; generally at a sit down restaurant, coffee shop or cafe, the server makes about $2.65 per hour that the company pays. At these restaurants (and/or at bars), I tip 20% to 25% for good to excellent service, 15% for adequate service and 10% or less for less than satisfactory service and I don’t go back. Places with poor service do not get a second chance. I don’t ordinarily tip at places with a tip jar unless the employees are especially helpful and nice in which case I will leave a small gratuity. Buffets where we more or less serve ourselves only get a tip if the server has been especially attentive to the coffee and drink service and has picked up plates promptly; then I will leave a dollar or two. I am down to one or two nice restaurants in my small town where the service is good to excellent. Otherwise, it is pizza (if delivered I tip the driver since they have to pay for there own gas) or fast food where I never tip. Often, servers neglect older people, especially women. or talk down to us like we are stupid. These places never get my business a second time and I usually inform management whether they like it of not. I have been in the food and beverage service myself so I know what these people put up with. I also know what it takes to get good tips and I don’t cut them much slack. I treat servers with respect and I expect the same from them.
Sally says
I have just returned from a trip to NYC and I found tipping to be very stressful. At home, the usual tip for good service is 10% and you wouldn’t tip in a coffee shop/self service place. In NYC, it was helpful to find the tips worked out for us (Maths is not my strong point) and whilst I didn’t mind too much for when we sat down to eat, I felt ripped off when 3 of us had 2 glasses of wine each and the tip was $18. Is this usual? Should we not have paid it. We did and it spoilt the evening – mind, I was very tired from pushing a wheelchair round NYC for 3 days (so feeling grumpy already). I felt that it took seconds to pour the wine and we paid through the nose for it. What I don’t understand is why servers aren’t paid a decent wage in the first place and then tipping is a reward for good service. Hope I haven’t put my foot in it, but from an English point of view tipping in the US is confusing.
Angela says
I am shocked that people tip so LOW!
dblee says
Minimum wage is 7.50 in the us (sure some states are higher, I think 10.50 I’d the highest) tipped workers, for example the person serving you your food it it 2.13…. an hour. even if they make the high end, it is not decent amount to be paired not even close to being a livable wage.
pretty much makes me loose faith in humanity when I hear people, crying they don’t deserve a tip… Even with horrible service I tip 10% and leave a note to help them serve me better, like try smiling. Or a general if the service were better the tip wool be bigger. 20% for average. If the server was great, I go 30%. Holliday’s I get a little nutty and go high as 50%
when, I get my hair done, I usually go to a inexpensive place with a coupon so I tip at least the value of my coupon.
for deliveries I always ask if they get the delivery fee, if not 10% or match the fee…. If they are prompt and friendly I give more…
yeah, I’m frugal. But compassionate, I figure if I can afford to go out and have things done for me I can afford to tip, otherwise I stay home and do it myself.
I have never worked for minimum wage, i can’t imagine how it feels to be paid the least amount allowed by law, however I can imagine how it feels to be financially rewarded for hard work, so yeah I think tipping is great.
MGBetz says
Tipping is nonsense. If workers are underpaid for what they do, change the job title, the job, the expectations. Do low wage earning factory workers get tipped? NO! Why should food service workers be tipped?
Tip jars even showed up at the Farmer’s Market!
Practical Parsimony says
My exbf gets out a pen and paper to figure 15%, not a penny more for a tip. I can do it in my head for him and do. But, he has to check my mental math with pen and paper. Even if he paid cash for the tip, he still will leave the exact amount, fishing out pennies to lay down $4.80 for the tip instead of $5. I am totally embarrassed. I wish servers were paid minimum wage and allow customers to leave what they wanted to instead of a percentage.
When I go to a local coffee shop for a Frozen Hot Chocolate, I know it will be about 16 cents less than $5. (I know that is expensive, but I do this maybe four times each year.) I drop the 16 cents in the barista tip jar. She does not one thing extra for me. She even calls me to the counter to get my drink even though I can barely walk, she know that, and she has no other customers. Sure, I can afford 16 cents with much resentment thrown in.
One night I was there when my internet was down. I plugged in my laptop, bought a sandwich, coke, and bottle of water, tipped for that, and tipped the free band. The wife of the owner chastised me later, telling me that they did not allow laptops to be plugged in because it costs them to furnish electricity. The power board said it cost them no more than $0.13. So, I have not been back in three years to eat and listen to the band.
I think owners of establishments are the cause of so much inequity in take-home pay.
Lisa Millar says
I remember travelling through the States in my younger years and feeling out of my depth when it came to tipping (In Australia we don’t have tipping as a matter of course… altho some people will tip if they are exceptionally happy with service)
Our minimum wages for (20yrs and over) is $16.37/hr full time or $20.30/hr for casual employees (as they aren’t getting paid for sick days or holidays)
I asked my husband about tipping (restaurants in particular)(as he is Canadian and had lived in the States) as I thought restaurants got a pretty good deal… they pay their servers next to nothing (ok not in all cases… but in a lot of them from what I have read) and expect the customer not only to pay for their meals, but also to supplement the wages of their staff!
I worked as a waitress for year while studying for my degree. The most stressful part of it is dealing with the percentage of uncivil people of the general population! So if I do go out to dinner and can afford it and the service is above expectation, I tip.
Tip jars here work well, because really, it is the luck of the draw to get a tip at all, (regardless of how good or bad service is) so then it can be shared about all the staff, including those who work hard behind the scenes.
I have also been an employer, and paid my staff above minimum wages in most cases. If your employee is paid well enough, then they can afford to pay rent, eat, pay bills etc without either working a second job (then they are too tired to work properly at their work) or leave for a higher paying job, and as an employer I would much rather keep happy employees long term, than be constantly losing them and having to retrain new ones, which is not cost effective and a total pain in the nether regions!!
Kat says
Being in the service industry my whole life, it helped me raise my daughter all on my own, with no child support, no family help and no government help (even if I was eligible). It was seasonal so I had to save for the off season. Sometimes I went to work and made less than I had to pay for a baby sitter. One time I ran after a party that I spent a lot of time with and who praised me to management and who stiffed me and their reply was ” yeah but you get to live in paradise. “. when I asked them why. (No they didn’t tip anything even then)
All servers have horror stories to tell
Do I think it is fair for a upper management at a big box store to make 1/2 a million dollars a year? No. Can I ask that I pay less at said big box store because I don’t believe that person should make that much? No….
There is always another side of the story.
Don’t go out to a restaurant if you don’t want to tip, make the meal at home (remember it’s cheaper) .
Joanne says
Not living in America, I find this viewpoint perplexing. When someone is legally & legitimately entitled to financial assistance from an elected government charged with caring for the well-being of its people, they choose not to take that help. BUT, when a complete stranger who has no legal obligation to support u or ur child, leaves ur workplace after paying in full for the service that they received, u think nothing of chasing them down the street & making demands of them?
People in ur country are so accepting of being underpaid that they make their fellow citizens responsible for it. It’s not their problem – it’s urs. If somebody has saved up for 12wks to take his wife out to dinner, it’s not up to u to expect more of him than he can give. Instead of diving for each others throats, u shld be supporting each other to get the large corporations to pay fairly. Once the ball starts rolling, fair pay will become the norm & nobody will have to demand the contents of someone else’s wage packet to feed their own children.
Joanne says
Having lived in Australia, Scotland & England, I must point out that tipping is not an expected part of life in all parts of the world. In fact, when I travelled in China,it was expressly forbidden. In British & Australian culture, a tip is not an entitlement, it is a gift or gratuity given as thanks for exceptional service over & above what is expected. People are not poorly paid here, experienced service staff can earn over $20 per hour.
I spent years working in hotels in the UK & hotel or bar staff were rarely tipped. If they were working bar, regulars would buy them a drink for when they came off duty, or buy them a drink for Christmas, but tipping is not commonplace, except when Americans stay (then u try not to be the one to serve them because they tip every single time & u don’t want to look like ur money-hungry). The act of tipping is actually considered quite vulgar & embarrassing in many cases, because showing that u have money to give away isn’t ‘the done thing’ in England & also u can insult someone quite badly by undervaluing them in a tip. It’s often best not to tip at all, than to leave a an insulting one.
I remember about 20yrs ago, myself & another girl worked bar at a function 1 night, & after the matriarch had settled her bill & paid her 15% on top of it (which the boss always pocketed), the lady came over & handed us each the equivalent of $20, because she said we deserved it … we tried to give it back! LOL Well, it was a lot 20yrs ago, especially in an environment where they don’t tip! 🙂