Tipping in the service industry

haffajappa

Heineken Helen wrote:

well you'll know what to do next time

Ya might wanna have a look at the pics on facebook :eek:

ah damn.
haha...
not that writing research essays isn't fun compared to it.... :rolleyes:

dunkman

joint in a tree wrote:

I hope dunkman goes to a place that has automatic gratuity. Many places in Manhattan do, because there are so many tourists who are either cheap or "don't know to tip".

i'll just remove the automatic gratuity off the bill.. its not legal.

catefrances

if the employers paid their workers a decent wage in the first place we wouldnt have to tip.

Hinny

I've got another term for automatic gratuity. It's called the sales price.

_Crazy_Mary_

God, I love harvest season! Last night, three rastafarians came in and tipped me $130 on $389! :eek:

jasonw

If you live in the USA and you get good service at a bar or restaurant just tip and stop whining. this thread is insanely long and needs to end.

decides2dream

catefrances wrote:

if the employers paid their workers a decent wage in the first place we wouldnt have to tip.

absolutely!


quite honestly though, i think there may be a good # of waitstaff in the US who actually would prefer the status quo. why? b/c a 'decent' wage probably would not equate what they presently make in tips. however, you bet, i agree....they should get better pay, imo in line with retail staff as they are similar in being service industries and skills, no special training, no education requirements, etc. the abolition of tipping would be a great thing, no issues, no wondering, all built into the price of goods and services and a decent, set wage.

dunkman

decides2dream wrote:

the abolition of tipping would be a great thing, no issues, no wondering, all built into the price of goods and services and a decent, set wage.

you just described the whole of Europe... we are such a civilised society are we not? here in the UK we even have our sales tax added into the price at all times... now you Americans might lead the way in things like gun deaths and eating, but us Euros lead the modern world when it comes to our pricing structures

mickeyrat

decides2dream wrote:

absolutely!


quite honestly though, i think there may be a good # of waitstaff in the US who actually would prefer the status quo. why? b/c a 'decent' wage probably would not equate what they presently make in tips. however, you bet, i agree....they should get better pay, imo in line with retail staff as they are similar in being service industries and skills, no special training, no education requirements, etc. the abolition of tipping would be a great thing, no issues, no wondering, all built into the price of goods and services and a decent, set wage.

and don't forget taxes. How many servers do you think underreport their tips

decides2dream

dunkman wrote:

you just described the whole of Europe... we are such a civilised society are we not? here in the UK we even have our sales tax added into the price at all times... now you Americans might lead the way in things like gun deaths and eating, but us Euros lead the modern world when it comes to our pricing structures

do you have differing taxing levels on goods and services in different parts of the country? here in the US, taxes on good and services are determined at the county and state level. hell, i live in nassau, work in manhattan, and both have different tax levels. so while it may seem 'easier' to have taxes built into the prices, i DO understand why they are not....so that the TRUE cost of the goods/services are represented, and a customer can see what the tax level is, if any. some states don't have sales tax at all, many vary exactly what they do/don't tax, etc. so a national company wants to represent their prices across the board, and let the tax levels be completely transparent. i have ZERO issue with that.


in regards to tipping, whole other arguement. i have always agreed it is ridiculous, no idea how or why it truly came about into it's current form and you bet...would love to see it change. however, it is what it is right now...so i follow custom and sure, reward truly excellent, above par service. i would truly love to see change, but again in the scheme of things not really that an *important* an issue.


as to your comparisons, i couldn't care less. i feel no need to say what is better/worse, it doesn't even matter to me. i love where i live, warts and all. however, at least i have actually visited numerous countries in europe whereas you've never even stepped foot on american soil. how great it is to judge from afar.



btw - as far as i recall, tipping DOES exist in many european countries. it may not be as prevalent or 'expected' but it does still exist.

decides2dream

mickeyrat wrote:

and don't forget taxes. How many servers do you think underreport their tips

of course!


and beyond that, it's simply not waitstaff, it's the whole tipping culture is out of hand imo. tip the girl who washes my hair in the salon, then tip the hairdresser, tip your manicurist, masseuse, doorman, valet, etc, etc....wherre does it end? who and when and where and how much do you tip? it gets ridiculous after awhile. tipping really SHOULD be for extra special, exemplary service, not an everyday, expected thing. people should all get a decent wage and it should be enough.

hey, i LOVEd working retail sales. it was work, but i so enjoyed it, the interactions, the various stores i worked for, etc. i was an excellent salesperson, visual designer, etc. however, unless you moved up into management or a full-time position (which are rare!)...no paid vacations, no health benefits, no 401Ks, etc.....and yea not great $$$. so although i so enjoyed the work...i moved on b/c i wanted/needed to make more $$$. and so it goes. obviously, the more education, skills, what have you...the more you make. beyond that, sure, some fields even with that will pay less or more depending on if you are in public service - such as education - or in private sector $$$making. low-skilled work only pays big $$$ if it is dangerous or considered rather undesirable. we all have to make choices. personally, i think waitstaff have it *made* in that they are one of the few jobs that DO get great tips, even though otherwise fit right in line with retail work and all. thus why i don't think waitstaff would ever fight for decent wages, they like the status quo.

dunkman

decides2dream wrote:

do you have differing taxing levels on goods and services in different parts of the country? here in the US, taxes on good and services are determined at the county and state level. hell, i live in nassau, work in manhattan, and both have different tax levels. so while it may seem 'easier' to have taxes built into the prices, i DO understand why they are not....so that the TRUE cost of the goods/services are represented, and a customer can see what the tax level is, if any. some states don't have sales tax at all, many vary exactly what they do/don't tax, etc. so a national company wants to represent their prices across the board, and let the tax levels be completely transparent. i have ZERO issue with that.

17.5% straight across the board... VAT its called.

some stuff isnt vatable, and companies can claim VAT back on purchases... but for customers on the street VAT is already added and its a standard 17.5%

decides2dream wrote:

as to your comparisons, i couldn't care less. i feel no need to say what is better/worse, it doesn't even matter to me. i love where i live, warts and all. however, at least i have actually visited numerous countries in europe whereas you've never even stepped foot on american soil. how great it is to judge from afar.

i'm fond of these things i call 'jokes'.. you should try them sometime.

decides2dream

dunkman wrote:

17.5% straight across the board... VAT its called.

some stuff isnt vatable, and companies can claim VAT back on purchases... but for customers on the street VAT is already added and its a standard 17.5%




i'm fond of these things i call 'jokes'.. you should try them sometime.

yes, see....to me that makes a big difference. and as i said, due to how it can vary so greatly state to state, why i believe our taxes are not added in the purchase price. i think americans like to truly see the prices and taxes, seperately.



i'm fond of jokes too. when they are funny, i laugh.

btw - i guess you missed my ';)' at the end of that earlier statement, thus signifying a tongue-in-cheek comment.




second btw - 17.5% ?!
no wonder it's in the prices, who wants to see THAT!
nassau's sales tax is considered one of the highest in the nation, and we're at 8.65%.

dunkman

decides2dream wrote:

yes, see....to me that makes a big difference. and as i said, due to how it can vary so greatly state to state, why i believe our taxes are not added in the purchase price. i think americans like to truly see the prices and taxes, seperately.

second btw - 17.5% ?!
no wonder it's in the prices, who wants to see THAT!
nassau's sales tax is considered one of the highest in the nation, and we're at 8.65%.

17.5 is nothing ... our gas/petrol prices are about 4 times your price or something ridiculous.

mickeyrat

dunkman wrote:

17.5 is nothing ... our gas/petrol prices are about 4 times your price or something ridiculous.

yes ridiculous. 2.11 AMERICAN for a gallon. Yours would be .........



DAMN metric system conversions

pearljamjen

mickeyrat wrote:

yes ridiculous. 2.11 AMERICAN for a gallon. Yours would be .........



DAMN metric system conversions

you only pay 2.11 a gallon? :eek:

mickeyrat

pearljamjen wrote:

you only pay 2.11 a gallon? :eek:

yes'm Dropped down to that most everywhere in good ole COWTOWN(columbus), AHIA(Ohio)

pearljamjen

mickeyrat wrote:

yes'm Dropped down to that most everywhere in good ole COWTOWN(columbus), AHIA(Ohio)

oh

decides2dream

dunkman wrote:

17.5 is nothing ... our gas/petrol prices are about 4 times your price or something ridiculous.

THAT i knew, and it is ridiculous.....and sure, another topic.
thinking back, i do remember your sales tax was a lot higher as well but i am thinking back 20 years when i lived over there...so not too fresh in the memory. and last year for wembley, wasn't paying attnetion to ANYthing so mundane.


anyhoo....grasping at the topic here .......i DID tip in the UK, just not nearly as much nor as often as in the US, just following the custom. honestly, i cannot think of a country i've visited that i haven't tipped at all, just differently.

haffajappa

decides2dream wrote:

do you have differing taxing levels on goods and services in different parts of the country?.

Its like that here too... always get the albertans bitching about paying BC sales tax.