Tipping in the service industry

JOEJOEJOE · October 2008

chadwick wrote:

no sir,
it was just an experience i had at a job orientation many moons ago.
i became friends with some asian islanders who were hired as i was to work
at this certain company. they all told me this story i just typed out up above.
no taxes, cars, and housing is the deal they all received.
rather it is 100% fact, i do not know.
it is only what i was told by them.

U sure it was a govt program?....sounds more like something the company would do for them....buy them a car/house, and gross-up their paycheck so that it appears as if their net pay = their agreed-upon salary after tax?

chadwick · October 2008

JOEJOEJOE wrote:

U sure it was a govt program?....sounds more like something the company would do for them....buy them a car/house, and gross-up their paycheck so that it appears as if their net pay = their agreed-upon salary after tax?

i have no idea, dude.

more power to them.

i could care less if they pay taxes or not.

whatever it takes i guess, right?

Hitch-Hiker · October 2008

Ok, feelings on the subject of tipping aside, why the fuck don't waiters get paid minimum wage? Isn't that illegal?

Vedderlution_Baby · October 2008

Hitch-Hiker wrote:

Ok, feelings on the subject of tipping aside, why the fuck don't waiters get paid minimum wage? Isn't that illegal?

I don't know how that came about. I know that it's done now because the government assumes that through tips, they'll make up the difference between their lowered hourly wage and the set minimum wage.

Hitch-Hiker · October 2008

Vedderlution_Baby! wrote:

I don't know how that came about. I know that it's done now because the government assumes that through tips, they'll make up the difference between their lowered hourly wage and the set minimum wage.

But you don't know how it started in the first place? It's pretty fucked up. and also the whole reason you have to tip so much too.

Vedderlution_Baby · October 2008

Hitch-Hiker wrote:

But you don't know how it started in the first place? It's pretty fucked up. and also the whole reason you have to tip so much too.

No idea how it started. It's been like that for many, many years.

haffajappa · October 2008

Hitch-Hiker wrote:

Ok, feelings on the subject of tipping aside, why the fuck don't waiters get paid minimum wage? Isn't that illegal?

In cali they make 8... so sucks to you mr. san diego

mickeyrat · October 2008

doin'the-evolution wrote:

In cali they make 8... so sucks to you mr. san diego

Yeah but isn't the min. wage higher than that because of cost of living out there?

wolfbear · October 2008

I found this that is quite an interesting read.
http://www.bridgeandtunnelclub.com/cookery/them/askawaiter/20061010_tip/index.htm
And, this on the IRS and history of the taxing of tip.
http://www.pmq.com/mag/2002fall/mike_roberts.shtml

_Crazy_Mary_ · October 2008

wolfbear wrote:

And, this on the IRS and history of the taxing of tip.
http://www.pmq.com/mag/2002fall/mike_roberts.shtml

wow, thanks for finding that. That's scary. They can look at the credit card tips and assume that I made $320 on Saturday. Which I didn't, since I tipped $113 to the bussers, hostess and kitchen.

wolfbear · October 2008

_Crazy_Mary_ wrote:

wow, thanks for finding that. That's scary. They can look at the credit card tips and assume that I made $320 on Saturday. Which I didn't, since I tipped $113 to the bussers, hostess and kitchen.

Well, this appears to be quite an old posting. I was just trying to find a quick history of the taxing of tips and how it has changed over the years. I know things continue to change and I've been out of the tax part of this for quite a while.

jasonw · October 2008

dunkman wrote:

when i'm in the states next year i fully intend not to tip. I dont care that the service might be shitty next time i'm in there as i wont be in the same place twice. if staff 'feel hurt' that they only got 15% then wait till they get fuck all from me... then they'll know what real hurt is.

Yeah man you're awesome....you'll show 'em!

decides2dream · October 2008

_Crazy_Mary_ wrote:

keep in mind, that we still need to earn a living, even in California. Somebody has to wait tables. Somebody has to support the family. $8/hour x 40 hours = $320. That's less than $1300 a month. A lot of people who wait tables do it because those hours work well with their family schedule/routine or because they are single parents, etc. Rent is $1300/month and up in California. So if you stop tipping, you are screwing all of us over and there will be no reason to wait tables anymore. Service will be shitty from then on.

i live in NY, no need to explain cost of living.

that said, that is still utter bullshit.
so you would take no pride in your work and only perform up to standards b/c of tips otherwise EVERYone would do a shit job? i think not. there are ALWAYS people who need work and who would take said jobs, and be happy to do so...and yes, still provide excellent service. i've gone to fast food restaurants, talk about making a shit wage, and have friendly, courteous, very good service. some of the 'best' restaurants there has been shit service. it depends on the waitstaff and their attitude.

and i STILL say $9 dollars an hour really does not 'deserve' a tip on top of that. imo, waiting tables is extremely similar to working retial in that the hours usually suck, no benefits, and the pay varies, usually a bit sucky. waiters i think actually make more than the average salesperson - if they don't work on commission. $9 an hour is pretty damn good $$$ for straight retail sales, and i think the same for being a waiter. want to make more $$$ w/o tips? get a different job. most waitstaff, along with most retail staff that i know of are college-age kids, some seniors, and some women making extra $$$ or supplementing their husband's income.

if one makes a 'career' of waiting tables, usually in very high-end restuarants...or low income areas/diners and such. if tipping came to an end, i would see better pay. you are already pretty decently paid b the hour for waitstaff imo. obviously, just my opinion. however, when compared to similar work with simlar requirements, it's decent pay. i expect good service in a store or i won't go back...i expect the same in a restaurant, so no...i don't see the end of tipping creating shitty service, except from servers who share the same attitude as you. i'd think you'd simply move on to other work, and other servers willing to work for that pay sans tip would quickly take the jobs, and sure...still manage to give excellent service simply b/c it's their work ethic to do so.

here in NY and elsewhere that waitstaff are still underpaid, i will happily continue to tip, and tip generously for excellent service. even here tho, as i said, if i ever was faced with a waitperson who clearly demonstrated the attitude they 'deserve' more of a tip...fuck that.

haffajappa · October 2008

decides2dream wrote:

i live in NY, no need to explain cost of living.

and i STILL say $9 dollars an hour really does not 'deserve' a tip on top of that. imo, waiting tables is extremely similar to working retial in that the hours usually suck, no benefits, and the pay varies, usually a bit sucky. waiters i think actually make more than the average salesperson - if they don't work on commission. $9 an hour is pretty damn good $$$ for straight retail sales, and i think the same for being a waiter. want to make more $$$ w/o tips? get a different job. most waitstaff, along with most retail staff that i know of are college-age kids, some seniors, and some women making extra $$$ or supplementing their husband's income.

-

here in NY and elsewhere that waitstaff are still underpaid, i will happily continue to tip, and tip generously for excellent service. even here tho, as i said, if i ever was faced with a waitperson who clearly demonstrated the attitude they 'deserve' more of a tip...fuck that.

My thoughts exactly....
I know busting your ass for table is hard... but busting your ass for customers can be demanding too.
I worked at a large department store and barely saw a raise in over three years... (if you constitute .10 a raise then, well i got a raise

)
i didn't get tips on busy days? I didn't really expect any... even though the bastards left me to train people and run the dept myself half the time!

decides2dream · October 2008

doin'the-evolution wrote:

My thoughts exactly....
I know busting your ass for table is hard... but busting your ass for customers can be demanding too.
I worked at a large department store and barely saw a raise in over three years... (if you constitute .10 a raise then, well i got a raise )
i didn't get tips on busy days? I didn't really expect any... even though the bastards left me to train people and run the dept myself half the time!

exactly.
spare me the sob story over wages.
i taught part-time, and worked retail part-time to pay my way thru grad school.....i got shitty-ass private school pay at the time, made shitty-ass retail wages...busted my ASS off working both....and never got tipped. so i do agree to an extent that tipping certain fields is quite arbitrary. $9 an hour does not constitute a tip-worthy job imho. and to say one needs to make a living, to support a family, etc....how do all the immigrants do it? how do other people manage to support their families? if waiting table isn't enough $$$ to support your family, go get another job!

haffajappa · October 2008

decides2dream wrote:

exactly.
spare me the sob story over wages.
i taught part-time, and worked retail part-time to pay my way thru grad school.....i got shitty-ass private school pay at the time, made shitty-ass retail wages...busted my ASS off working both....and never got tipped. so i do agree to an extent that tipping certain fields is quite arbitrary. $9 an hour does not constitute a tip-worthy job imho. and to say one needs to make a living, to support a family, etc....how do all the immigrants do it? how do other people manage to support their families? if waiting table isn't enough $$$ to support your family, go get another job!

yeppers.
i worked 2 retail jobs, now that i'm in school i've dropped one and still working the all-in-one store. granted, i picked it because it was the more slack job. but i get paid decently to work hard when its busy and do what i want when its not...and i'm not complaining.

people have tipped me before at that job, why? i have no idea. but it doesnt happen often and i spend half the time trying to politely tell the person i don't need a tip and i'd feel guilty taking it... but i've heard that people enjoy me working there and i've had customers say they'll stop going if i quit...the food service industry isn't the only place where the workers are friendly, provide good service, are efficient, draw back regulars, etc.

some times it feels like food servers think they are the only people who deal with the paying public, and the only ones who do it civilly...

i hsould also add that when people tell me to keep the change (this happens often) i just put it in the charity tin.

Vedderlution_Baby · October 2008

doin'the-evolution wrote:

yeppers.
i worked 2 retail jobs, now that i'm in school i've dropped one and still working the all-in-one store. granted, i picked it because it was the more slack job. but i get paid decently to work hard when its busy and do what i want when its not...and i'm not complaining.

people have tipped me before at that job, why? i have no idea. but it doesnt happen often and i spend half the time trying to politely tell the person i don't need a tip and i'd feel guilty taking it... but i've heard that people enjoy me working there and i've had customers say they'll stop going if i quit...the food service industry isn't the only place where the workers are friendly, provide good service, are efficient, draw back regulars, etc.

some times it feels like food servers think they are the only people who deal with the paying public, and the only ones who do it civilly...

There needs to be a tipping thread for each region. I keep wanting to say "Yea, but..." then I remember we're from two different regions and our arguments are moot points to each other.

haffajappa · October 2008

Vedderlution_Baby! wrote:

There needs to be a tipping thread for each region. I keep wanting to say "Yea, but..." then I remember we're from two different regions and our arguments are moot points to each other.

What, people in retail say "fuck you serve yourself" where you live?

Haha, but we'll ask Kat anyways

Although with some regions you might have confused people wondering why we're talking about restaurants and not cows!

Hinny · October 2008

Trailer wrote:

I used to be a server, and whenever I got foreigners like dunkman:p.. who I assumed might not be accustomed to tip... I would sometimes just add on 18% by writing it on the bill with my pen (even though it was against my restaurant's policy). I would only do this if they racked up a bill above $250 and it was a good portion of my nightly sales. If I got caught I could have been fired for doing that... but I wasn't about to let someone not tip me.:D It was mainly for people from Japan who didn't really speak english.. because I've been over there and know that they don't tip.

So be on the lookout when you come to the states dunkman.. they can sneak that tip in on you.;)

See, this is why I'm one of those bastards who spends 5 minutes to make sure I'm getting charged exactly what I'm sposed to.

dunkman wrote:

1. to revolutionise the food service industry
2. you have immense rollercoasters
3. to spread the word of Scotland.
4. see if some people really are that fat in real life
5. appear in a porno, in ohhh lets say, Hollywood

So quite different to mine, except for the fat people bit
1. Fat people
2. Gun shops
3. Huge servings of greasy crappy food at truck stops
4. Gospel churches
5. Bible thumpers
6. People who chant USA USA USA
7. People who say y'all
8. People like these http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=iDIsOqq6yko

Seattle was pretty disappointing, only saw like a few fat guys and they were out-of-town tourists hanging round Pike Place. Must branch out next time.

Heineken Helen · October 2008

mca47 wrote:

No tip on a carry out.

I generally tip $1 per order min. from a bartender. Whether it's a beer or a couple drinks. If they go out of their way or make a drink really nice, or strong, etc. I'll tip more.

Last night I was on the road and wanted a drink. I went down from my room to the hotel bar and asked the guy for a drink so I could take it up to my room and drink it while watching baseball. I ordered a double Jonnie Walker Black on the rocks. They guy literally filled a big glass to the rim with booze! He got a $4 tip.

I feel if you treat people for doing nice things like that, they will in turn keep it up. Kind of a karma thing. If he continued to get shit tips, or no tips, why would he go out of his way to fill a glass like he for me? He wouldn't!

Once he got his tip, he was very much appreciative and I know for a fact if I wanted another drink he would have done the exact same thing.

Remember this cheapskates...because of you we all get shitty drinks and shitty attitude!

he just stole from his employer though

Tipping in the service industry

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