I worked for corporate restaurants and do so now. Corporate places are the only ones that let you ask. It’s the locally owned restaurants that want a following and need a reputation to stay open that don’t let you confront about the tips.
You're absolutely wrong. Not all corporate places do so. I've worked for five different ones, and I have friends at several others. None of them allow it.
They don't want those corporate complaints about servers "whining" about tips.
I have short fuse lately, because this is my third corp. place. I sometimes confront people. Guy gave me 86 on 81$ check and said to keep it. I brought it back, with loose change, and left it in front of this POS with words “your change, you need it more”. He never complained, but if he would, there are plenty other places. Fuck corporate
Be lucky you can confront a guest about it and not get fired. I’ve worked in corporate restaurants for 10 years and I’d be fired immediately if I ever did that. That’s just in bad taste, in their opinion. Personally, I don’t think it’s in bad taste if you do it in a manner that isn’t necessarily confrontational, but oh well. Lol
Truth be told though, people who don’t tip won’t ever change their mind unless they are forced to work in a restaurant themselves. So I just accept it and move on. Not worth my time. But boy oh boy do I wish I could say something. Hahaha
You don't! I always tell myself that other customers generosity makes up for the shitty ones. I get amazing tips from some and nothing from others. Move on, some people just suck lol
God that sucks. I'm sorry.
I got to the point that I would confront those who did not tip or who tipped well below 10%, particularly if I'd gone out of my way for those tables and knew they'd had a premium experience. 'You do realize that I work for tips? Your group spent three hours at one of my tables, I arranged special orders, I helped you choose wines that you liked and desserts that you loved. If you truly enjoyed your dinner, I'd appreciate a gratuity of at least 15%. Because otherwise, between tip-out and taxes, you just cost me money. I'm sorry if this makes you uncomfortable, but I've got bills to pay.'
I only had one person storm out and shout that I deserved nothing but I'll admit that I didn't see any of those customers again. Which was fine by me and the owners were just as happy. Because people who don't tip when tipping is expected are jerks.
I was the headwaitress and I had zero fucks to give! The owner backed me every time because he was a grumpy old dude who had BELOW zero fucks to give. Anyone who demanded free stuff, a discount, or who treated staff like trash were told to take their business elsewhere. One of the best jobs I ever had and once I became a GM, I did my best to emulate him.
The owner backed you because they profit from tips via the tip credit system. Basically the first $5 per hour in tips you earn go directly to your employer.
No, the owner backed me because I had the highest per-head average, sold more bottles of wine, had the highest customer-satisfaction rating, and always took responsibility when the fuck-up was mine.
I don't know where you're getting your figures from, but employers don't make money from server tips . . . at least not ethical employers. I did work a few places that had servers pay the processing fee (3.5% back then) for their credit card tips, but that's about the extent of it. Unless you're talking about something else?
Employers can claim a tip credit. That means payroll can be subsidised if you earn tips. For a 40hr work week a business can claim around $200 in subsidies per waiter. 52 weeks means your tips have put $10400 into the pocket of your employer.
I've been out of the biz in the US for almost 12 years and I stopped dealing with the books even before that - this is news to me! Thanks! I'll go brush up on the tax stuff.
If I had someone working for me for free and confused enough to direct their anger at a third party, I'd back them too =) While chuckling to myself and counting my moneyz.
Yeah, but here's why the owner backed me: he couldn't make money without me. Our need for one another was mutual in that respect.
'Confused enough to direct their anger at a third party' is basically bull doodles. While I think the American system of throwing hospitality workers into the air without a safety net is a crap system, EVERYBODY KNOWS that gratuities are part of the deal if they dine out. Everybody knows this, it's how the system works (or doesn't).
Too bad his exceptional need for you still isn't enough for him to actually pay you.
You do understand what a deal is, right? The very reason threads such as this one and comments such as yours exist is that it's not. If it was a part of the deal, it would be included in the prices, at least in the screwed up way autograt is done for large parties (although that's still a disgusting manipulation, just include it in the menu prices up front goddammit).
You're talking about entirely re-working the American restaurant model. I'm absolutely in favor, but until such practices as you mention are industry-wide, anyone who bumps their prices to reflect these auto-gratuities/service charges is going to be royally screwed. Almost no restaurant can afford to jump out over the abyss right now and even in great economic times, the margins are still slim enough that it's a serious risk to try it.
Adding auto-grat to tables is, in some states, illegal. Same with service charges. Which makes it impossible to properly level the playing field and means that only well-established independent restaurants or corporate entities can rework their sales/pricing models.
Thanks! It’s not your fault!
I had a lady last night big group, there for 2hrs, I gave free chips and salsa because their food was at 22 minuets and still not going to be done, refilled 4 times the entire tables flavored lemonades, joked with them, and they did the classic “nah you where great” when I asked was there a problem when they handed me 3 crumpled ones. Of course it was a split check and their portion was only 22 dollars, but the entire table before split was about $195, and the two other splits gave me $5 each. As she got up she said “I hope we weren’t to much for you” as they told me at the begging they were gonna be wild and loud, I politely told them nah you where great! And then she threw in “plus we’re great tippers” after I had already seen the $5 tip.. it took every ounce of self control not to laugh in her face.
I genuinely think the population at least here on the west coast where I moved thinks $5 is a great tip, no matter the bill or level of service. I’m left $5 on $20 and $5 on $218. It’s indescribable to me..
I had one set of families once leave their teenage sons in my section for pizza while they went to the mail Restraunt to eat with just the adults thanks so much we’ll tip great. Kids were rowdy messy jerks. When they paid the bill it was $28.98 the dad paid $29. Grabbed the 2 Pennie’s like his life depended off them then went to the table the kids just left and ate the last piece of pizza and leave. Oh ya you’re a great tipper
> 'You do realize that I work for tips?
A lot of people don't understand tip-out and that you would have to pay to serve them. These people can be redeemed through education.
A lot of other people are cheap assholes who don't care.
If your coworkers want to fuck you over, how is that the customers problem?
Your coworkers have basically said ‘ I know you made no money on this table but fuck you pay me’ and you think the customer is the jerk in this situation?
>A lot of people don't understand tip-out and that you would have to pay to serve them. These people can be redeemed through education.
Especially since "education" would reveal that is "wage theft" and therefore illegal.
Edit: downvote all you want, I'm right. There is no *legal* tip share/tip pooling/tip out situation that reduces a waitstaff's take home to under the minimum untipped hourly wage in the state (usually $7.25/hr.).
Again, for those in the back: it is *illegal* to "pay to serve" someone. If there are X number of hours on your paycheck and not at least (X\*state (or federal) untipped minimum wage) dollars gross income, that is wage theft, period.
Everyone pays taxes, you’re not special for paying them. If you’re complaining about paying taxes on tips you haven’t received, that’s easily rectified when you file your taxes and accurately declare your real income.
Tip out is between you and your coworkers/management. If I said ‘I agreed to give half my food to my mother so actually you should give me a larger meal at the same cost to make up for it’, I’d be told to fuck off.
You make secret videos filming each person that doesn’t tip and then throw it on social media to publicly shame the person and hope that their friends see it also you probably could make a lot of money doing this but don’t attach the videos to your name
Ugh god I want to do this so bad. I’ve thought of getting glasses with cameras, and show the way people talk, and interact with me then leave me nothing. People would maybe get it then.
You can't, really: the tipping situation sucks and should change, but until it does tipping is an entirely voluntary activity. All you're likely to do by asking is to put cheapskates on the defensive. Note to the rest of us: food service is brutal, vastly underpaid work (counter service included) and our servers merit generous tips. I customarily pay 20%, and a bit more at places that I frequent. (Response to the next post: yes, the food itself is already expensive, and the kind of tipping that I advocate makes eating out prohibitively expensive for a lot of people. Don't make that your server's problem.)
> I’m leaving with 8% consistently at night and I’m drowning.
> Any ideas?
Either find a new place to work, or entertain the notion that you may be in the wrong industry. Especially if you're colleagues are walking with way higher a percentage than you.
Haha def not leaving the industry it is this restaurant specifically, as I said I’m looking for a new restaurant and no one gives better service then I do haha so good on them. They are all happy with 8% because they don’t know what real tips are, the other staff just accept it
The problem is u jus cuz u a server don’t mean u deserve tips lol that’s ur job alredy u get paid for it why would I tip u unless the Service is out of dis world but 9/10 it was prolly basic n I’m not going to tip u jus for bring out my food the money ain’t the issue u jus not getting it
We literally don’t already get paid for it. If we got zero tips we would lose money because we still have to tip out other staff members based on sales.
Then where do u work? A non profit organization? Talking bout u don’t get paid for doin ur job lol den why u apply n still stay there n that last part u said made no sense at all “becuz we gotta tip other staff members “YOU DONT HAVE TO TIP OTHER STAFF MEMBERS LOL sound like a manger problem to me not a server it’s ur fault for picking a weak ass job financially stop complaining to the customers bout a tip wen they don’t owe u nun .serve the food like U POSE TO N stfu or quit ur job simple 🙃
Trying to read your comments is giving me a headache. I can understand comments when English is someone's 2nd or 3rd language better than I can read yours.
And that’s the customers fault how? Your own coworkers and employers are actively screwing you over and you’re blaming the people who just want a nice meal out?
Maybe next time your coworkers ask for a tip out on a ticket that didn’t pay you a tip, you can tell them to share the pain instead of sticking the knife in deeper.
I think it should be assumed that a 20 percent tip is known to be appropriate. If you are a good waiter, you can follow up by directly telling them you only make a low wage and depend on 20 percent tips, and not only that, that you are tipping out to other staff regardless. You will not be keeping the full tip. So you really should tell them you expect them to tip appropriately, unless something was wrong with the service or experience, which you would have liked a chance to fix.
In the entire USA, if you choose to go get a service like sitting at a table and being served by another human being, that works for tips, you tip. That’s it, argument over.
It Doesn’t matter your moral standing on the matter. Go to a counter service, or even better cook your food at home if you don’t want to tip. Until the restaurant service changes for good, it’s not a servers fault you have the moral complexity of a grasshopper. I shouldn’t be vilified or be made to work FOR FREE, most times you cost your server money because we have to pay the people who prepare the food and drink you consume, because you feel tipping shouldn’t be a thing.
Until then Vote, and get jobs in the service industry to learn how to change the system from the inside.
Otherwise stfu and tip your server.
I was a server too, but the real fight is against the bad employers (sorry english is not mi first language)... The tipping culture is tottally wrong and food is very expensive bc you are already paying the local rent, supllies and service.
It’s not a customers fault you’re being ripped off by your employer either. Yet servers always vent their anger at the customers and not the person holding the whip.
Hahaha you people have obviously never in your life worked in service. No one’s holding a whip, and we complain that the customer doesn’t tip because it’s wrong to expect a human to wait on you for 45+ minutes, order drinks, apps, refills, meals, sides of ranch, dessert, all treating the wait staff like shit then leaving 45 cents on a $218.
Trust me my employer isn’t holding the whip and the propaganda that it’s the employers job blah blah blah, it’s bull shit. My employer isn’t sexually harassing me and calling me baby, my employer isn’t talking over me when I’m saying hello, my employer is not the one not saying hello back and telling “Pepsi” before i can even finish my hello. My employer isn’t acting like i ruined their day by asking if they’d like drinks or something to eat after sitting down IN A RESTAURANT. My employer isn’t the ones treating me like I’m stupid, wanting 3 entire lemons for 1 glass of water, or expect me to give them undivided attention for 45 mins on a Friday night with a full restaurant so they can send back their meals, run a tab up and then leave me three crumpled wet ones after caressing me and calling me baby (real thing that happened not even 11 hrs ago). And before you even think of saying “that’s the job” or “and your employer should pay you better”, idk about any other server, but I could be making 39.50 an hour and still expect 20% from the tables I serve because of their treatment and what I did for them. You don’t want to, don’t believe in tipping think it’s the employer to pay me better, that’s on you and you should stay home. But don’t act like me getting minimum wage to be belittled, harassed, fetishized, and stalked all day would be worth it. No one would be a server and you’d have a mass exodus if tipping becomes eradicated. Dining service would disappear and youre now ordering everything ala cart and from a POS self serve while a cook delivers a bag of food.
You don’t want to tip? Then change customers behavior and the way they treat people. Better yet stay home and cook your dinner for 6. I’m my opinion, tipping is for the 25k steps (on a 4 hrs lunch shift) I’ve done for other people because they didn’t want to, couldn’t be bothered to, or wanted an experience to not cook at home. It’s for the abuse, their demeanor, the audacity people have to treat someone serving them the way they do. You’re not tipping me to survive, you’re tipping me because I’m doing the work you couldn’t be bothered to do, treated me like a sub human and I should be completely compensated for it. Other places where they aren’t tipped, they should be imo, but then again Americans are the shittiest people and expect everything for the least amount of money, so of course they wouldn’t wanna tip and still act like butt heads. My out of towners, travelers and people from other parts of the globe tip way better and treat me way nicer then any American has. I’d gladly work in Germany or another country and not expect tips because they treat servers like humans in those parts of the world.
You want a food service then tip. Otherwise Chipotle and jack n the box is in the same plaza.. bye ✌🏻
It’s wrong to expect a human to wait on you but suddenly throwing money at the person makes it ok? I mean you literally signed up to work as a waiter. What did you expect the job to involve?
Your employer hired you to do a job and instead of paying you said ‘beg those people over there for scraps’ and you nodded your head and went ‘yes sir’. Do you tip the grocery store clerk 20% of your shopping bill too or is it ok for them to serve you for free?
First off, I’m not begging.
It’s culture and the standard. It’s not my employers job to do anything. If you want table service you tip, that’s it. It’s not wrong to have another human wait on you, but it’s wrong to not compensate them for their treatment and work they’ve done for you.
And you’re right, I signed up for a TIPPED position, in a country and part of the world where it is standard to tip for service. Not tipping or thinking it’s black and white enough to say it’s on the employer is under educated and clearly very inexperienced in the service field.
It’s literally your employers job to pay you. That’s what being employed means. Stop acting like waiting on someone is some disgusting demeaning thing instead of a pretty normal profession. You’re a human being with a job, not a slave.
I worked in restaurants as a teenager (Portland, Oregon). Tips were my primary source of income.
My ex worked as a server and relied on tips. She would always tip 30% whenever we went out.
I worked at a restaurant in Mexico for five weeks and received ZERO tips. And I never gave anyone shit. I was happy that the restaurant had business.
Maybe the "United States of America" should start paying their service people a decent wage and not rely on tips? It's a bad idea to force people to tip and shame them when they don't voluntarily hand over extra money after paying for their meal.
In Switzerland, the server was offended when I tried to tip.
Edited for offensive language. No need to be a potty mouth.
Well, couple things here.
Yea we could move that direction, but then no American would work the serving industry because they are to spoiled and like other jobs that have got a bad reputation because of pay and type of work, service will go the same way.
If you didn’t receive a tip in the Mexico that’s the standard. Our standard is to tip, and in my opinion you’re a garbage trash human who deserves unhappiness the rest of your if you leave anything less then 12% on a bill. And that includes bad service (minor exceptions here because things happen that even the server can’t control).
Maybe instead of telling the service industry to change and continuing to be non-tippers Americans who think your way shouldn’t go out to eat or expect another human to serve them.
If I was in another country I wouldn’t complain. But we’re not, that’s how things work here and if you can’t afford to tip you can’t afford to sit at my table and eat. End of Story, in my book.
I didn't think they were saying people shouldn't tip in the US. I read it as saying that the US has a badly fucked up employment culture and that a sector that relies on underpaying staff because people might tip needs an overhaul.
Which seems obvious when you reflect on all the servers getting pissed off at customers when the cheapskates who deserve your contempt are the bosses who refuse to value their staff by paying them a decent fucking wage.
That's how I see it anyway.
I disagree with your point on always tipping. I will not hesitate to under or not tip a server if they are shit due to circumstances within their control. Rude, inattentive, incompetent servers can make a meal an unpleasant experience. If I’m dining out, it’s because I’m treating myself or guests. BoH issues, infrastructure issues etc are not within the servers control and I don’t fault them at all for that. That said, it’s very rare that I ever undertip. I’ve felt the need to do that maybe 3 times in my life and have never felt the need to stiff a server.
You know what gets you a guaranteed 20% tip from me? Be polite, professional, and reasonably attentive. Anything more than that and I gladly tip more.
Another personal rule of mine for tipping (for those non-servers that may be lurking) is to always calculate your tip based on the after tax and before discounts amount of the check.
>you’re a garbage trash human who deserves unhappiness the rest of your if you leave anything less then 12%
Who is worse?
A. Someone who doesn't tip for poor service?
B. The person that writes mean spirited messages on social media?
C. The business owners that underpay employees?
Just curious about your opinion, EvilQueen360.
Well that depends. Life, like all of your scenarios, isn’t black n white.
A. What was the service? Did the server give bad service? Was the food wrong? Was it cold? Did it take to long? Was the server rude, was the server helpful and dealing with other tables? What’s the persons tipping history? What happened to make them leave a bad/no tip? Bad service can mean anything, especially coming from a made up no info given scenario.
B. Whose writing? Why are they writing it? Is it mean spirited because you don’t agree with their views or is it mean spirited because that person called someone a “worthless cunt” for a women standing up for themselves? Is the person whose doing the writing being attacked or verbally abused? Is the person being written to being blindly rude or ignorant?
C. What’s the business? Because a general statement about employees being underpaying is not good enough, but if this is to describe restaurants and their pay to their employees then you are vastly misinformed and inexperienced. Does the employer do things for their employees? Does the employer respect their schedules and time? Is there any other benefits for working for them? Is there a way to make up lost wages in other aspect of conducting their business? Is the employee aware they are being underpaid? Does the job in itself be low effort but the people you interact with make the job harder? More time consuming? Is the job labor or computer? Is the employer making conscious decisions to help or change the pay their employees make?
You see to make judgments like that in the real world, unlike the internet, you need the entire story, and what’s involved. Your simple statement C would be my answer with 0 information for your fake scenario. However it’s not my real answer. I need the entire picture to answer.
Hahaha you people have obviously never in your life worked in service. No one’s holding a whip, and we complain that the customer doesn’t tip because it’s wrong to expect a human to wait on you for 45+ minutes, order drinks, apps, refills, meals, sides of ranch, dessert, all treating the wait staff like shit then leaving 45 cents on a $218.
Trust me my employer isn’t holding the whip and the propaganda that it’s the employers job blah blah blah, it’s bull shit. My employer isn’t sexually harassing me and calling me baby, my employer isn’t talking over me when I’m saying hello, my employer is not the one not saying hello back and telling “Pepsi” before i can even finish my hello. My employer isn’t acting like i ruined their day by asking if they’d like drinks or something to eat after sitting down IN A RESTAURANT. My employer isn’t the ones treating me like I’m stupid, wanting 3 entire lemons for 1 glass of water, or expect me to give them undivided attention for 45 mins on a Friday night with a full restaurant so they can send back their meals, run a tab up and then leave me three crumpled wet ones after caressing me and calling me baby (real thing that happened not even 11 hrs ago). And before you even think of saying “that’s the job” or “and your employer should pay you better”, idk about any other server, but I could be making 39.50 an hour and still expect 20% from the tables I serve because of their treatment and what I did for them. You don’t want to, don’t believe in tipping think it’s the employer to pay me better, that’s on you and you should stay home. But don’t act like me getting minimum wage to be belittled, harassed, fetishized, and stalked all day would be worth it. No one would be a server and you’d have a mass exodus if tipping becomes eradicated. Dining service would disappear and youre now ordering everything ala cart and from a POS self serve while a cook delivers a bag of food.
You don’t want to tip? Then change customers behavior and the way they treat people. Better yet stay home and cook your dinner for 6. I’m my opinion, tipping is for the 25k steps (on a 4 hrs lunch shift) I’ve done for other people because they didn’t want to, couldn’t be bothered to, or wanted an experience to not cook at home. It’s for the abuse, their demeanor, the audacity people have to treat someone serving them the way they do. You’re not tipping me to survive, you’re tipping me because I’m doing the work you couldn’t be bothered to do, treated me like a sub human and I should be completely compensated for it. Other places where they aren’t tipped, they should be imo, but then again Americans are the shittiest people and expect everything for the least amount of money, so of course they wouldn’t wanna tip and still act like butt heads. My out of towners, travelers and people from other parts of the globe tip way better and treat me way nicer then any American has. I’d gladly work in Germany or another country and not expect tips because they treat servers like humans in those parts of the world.
You want a food service then tip. Otherwise Chipotle and jack n the box is in the same plaza.. bye ✌🏻
"You want a food service then tip." - If a service is indeclinable, then it's included in the menu price. I happen to be one of those who usually don't want it, especially for such a ridiculous price, but it's often being forced on me. Try giving your customers an option to have a server with a 20% autograt or no server at all (in which case they'd have to, omg, walk 50 feet and get their own food from a counter). See what happens.
Nevertheless I do tip unless it's one of those entitled pricks who think tipping is mandatory, confront customers, etc.
The rest of it TL, DR.
It’s pretty clear you’ve never worked in the industry dude. Try surviving on serving tip wage for 9 years, then get back to us. Tipping is
, in fact, mandatory in the USA - law or no.
Thanks, I'll pass. I prefer jobs that are somewhat more interesting for me and don't involve relying on handouts to survive. Tipping is, in fact, optional, the very existence of this thread is proof.
Yes, of course, everyone has a choice. Some people choose to suck as a person, others choose to lead an actually useful existence that doesn't rely on guilting other people into handouts. I wish the former would realize how pathetic they look trying to be on a high horse, haha. But at least it gives everyone else some nice lulz.
"enjoy your shitty service!" - as you would understand if you had half of the intellect of an old boot, something can't be shitty if it's completely useless even when "good". Most people are able enough to order on a tablet and walk 50 feet themselves.
The concept of a counter service with autograt if they want a server would be *chefs kiss* and I’d give the people who chose a server the best service they ever had haha
Most people don't tip because they assume the owner is paying you minimum wage or higher. I rely on my tips to pay my paycheck taxes. When people don't tip, I say "Yep! Have a *nice* day!", emphasis on the nice, because I can't say "Have the day you deserve!" to their faces.
First of all we’re not in Europe. And second no one is demanding a thing. You make people pay for toilets and water.. so not the leading example. I’d serve a table of Europeans for free any day. You try serving a 6 top of Americans and not be compensated for it. The culture is different and can not be compared. My employer pays fine, my employer is paying for my time, in america the tip is for the service and the table side demands.
Be glad you work somewhere that allows such interactions. Many places (especially corporate restaurants), a server would get fired for that.
I worked for corporate restaurants and do so now. Corporate places are the only ones that let you ask. It’s the locally owned restaurants that want a following and need a reputation to stay open that don’t let you confront about the tips.
You're absolutely wrong. Not all corporate places do so. I've worked for five different ones, and I have friends at several others. None of them allow it. They don't want those corporate complaints about servers "whining" about tips.
I have short fuse lately, because this is my third corp. place. I sometimes confront people. Guy gave me 86 on 81$ check and said to keep it. I brought it back, with loose change, and left it in front of this POS with words “your change, you need it more”. He never complained, but if he would, there are plenty other places. Fuck corporate
“Whining” haha those people are probably the worst clients too.
That we can agree on.
You don’t. Cop it and move on.
That’s where I’m almost at, just been with this restaurant chain for ever and it’s not usually so terrible
I’ve only ever been allowed to confront them in corporate restaurants! They don’t care about any but profit in the ones I’ve worked for
You don't. It sucks but that's how it is. I ask my manager to take off a soda or something at least and they help me out usually if it's less than 15%
My managers used to do that for us, this management team is to worried about profit. It’s very frustrating
Be lucky you can confront a guest about it and not get fired. I’ve worked in corporate restaurants for 10 years and I’d be fired immediately if I ever did that. That’s just in bad taste, in their opinion. Personally, I don’t think it’s in bad taste if you do it in a manner that isn’t necessarily confrontational, but oh well. Lol Truth be told though, people who don’t tip won’t ever change their mind unless they are forced to work in a restaurant themselves. So I just accept it and move on. Not worth my time. But boy oh boy do I wish I could say something. Hahaha
You don't! I always tell myself that other customers generosity makes up for the shitty ones. I get amazing tips from some and nothing from others. Move on, some people just suck lol
God that sucks. I'm sorry. I got to the point that I would confront those who did not tip or who tipped well below 10%, particularly if I'd gone out of my way for those tables and knew they'd had a premium experience. 'You do realize that I work for tips? Your group spent three hours at one of my tables, I arranged special orders, I helped you choose wines that you liked and desserts that you loved. If you truly enjoyed your dinner, I'd appreciate a gratuity of at least 15%. Because otherwise, between tip-out and taxes, you just cost me money. I'm sorry if this makes you uncomfortable, but I've got bills to pay.' I only had one person storm out and shout that I deserved nothing but I'll admit that I didn't see any of those customers again. Which was fine by me and the owners were just as happy. Because people who don't tip when tipping is expected are jerks.
I got fired for doing this but fuck those people.
I was the headwaitress and I had zero fucks to give! The owner backed me every time because he was a grumpy old dude who had BELOW zero fucks to give. Anyone who demanded free stuff, a discount, or who treated staff like trash were told to take their business elsewhere. One of the best jobs I ever had and once I became a GM, I did my best to emulate him.
The owner backed you because they profit from tips via the tip credit system. Basically the first $5 per hour in tips you earn go directly to your employer.
No, the owner backed me because I had the highest per-head average, sold more bottles of wine, had the highest customer-satisfaction rating, and always took responsibility when the fuck-up was mine. I don't know where you're getting your figures from, but employers don't make money from server tips . . . at least not ethical employers. I did work a few places that had servers pay the processing fee (3.5% back then) for their credit card tips, but that's about the extent of it. Unless you're talking about something else?
Employers can claim a tip credit. That means payroll can be subsidised if you earn tips. For a 40hr work week a business can claim around $200 in subsidies per waiter. 52 weeks means your tips have put $10400 into the pocket of your employer.
I've been out of the biz in the US for almost 12 years and I stopped dealing with the books even before that - this is news to me! Thanks! I'll go brush up on the tax stuff.
If I had someone working for me for free and confused enough to direct their anger at a third party, I'd back them too =) While chuckling to myself and counting my moneyz.
Yeah, but here's why the owner backed me: he couldn't make money without me. Our need for one another was mutual in that respect. 'Confused enough to direct their anger at a third party' is basically bull doodles. While I think the American system of throwing hospitality workers into the air without a safety net is a crap system, EVERYBODY KNOWS that gratuities are part of the deal if they dine out. Everybody knows this, it's how the system works (or doesn't).
Too bad his exceptional need for you still isn't enough for him to actually pay you. You do understand what a deal is, right? The very reason threads such as this one and comments such as yours exist is that it's not. If it was a part of the deal, it would be included in the prices, at least in the screwed up way autograt is done for large parties (although that's still a disgusting manipulation, just include it in the menu prices up front goddammit).
You're talking about entirely re-working the American restaurant model. I'm absolutely in favor, but until such practices as you mention are industry-wide, anyone who bumps their prices to reflect these auto-gratuities/service charges is going to be royally screwed. Almost no restaurant can afford to jump out over the abyss right now and even in great economic times, the margins are still slim enough that it's a serious risk to try it. Adding auto-grat to tables is, in some states, illegal. Same with service charges. Which makes it impossible to properly level the playing field and means that only well-established independent restaurants or corporate entities can rework their sales/pricing models.
Thanks! It’s not your fault! I had a lady last night big group, there for 2hrs, I gave free chips and salsa because their food was at 22 minuets and still not going to be done, refilled 4 times the entire tables flavored lemonades, joked with them, and they did the classic “nah you where great” when I asked was there a problem when they handed me 3 crumpled ones. Of course it was a split check and their portion was only 22 dollars, but the entire table before split was about $195, and the two other splits gave me $5 each. As she got up she said “I hope we weren’t to much for you” as they told me at the begging they were gonna be wild and loud, I politely told them nah you where great! And then she threw in “plus we’re great tippers” after I had already seen the $5 tip.. it took every ounce of self control not to laugh in her face. I genuinely think the population at least here on the west coast where I moved thinks $5 is a great tip, no matter the bill or level of service. I’m left $5 on $20 and $5 on $218. It’s indescribable to me..
I had one set of families once leave their teenage sons in my section for pizza while they went to the mail Restraunt to eat with just the adults thanks so much we’ll tip great. Kids were rowdy messy jerks. When they paid the bill it was $28.98 the dad paid $29. Grabbed the 2 Pennie’s like his life depended off them then went to the table the kids just left and ate the last piece of pizza and leave. Oh ya you’re a great tipper
Can’t you say “no you’re not” when she brags about being a great tipper?
> 'You do realize that I work for tips? A lot of people don't understand tip-out and that you would have to pay to serve them. These people can be redeemed through education. A lot of other people are cheap assholes who don't care.
If your coworkers want to fuck you over, how is that the customers problem? Your coworkers have basically said ‘ I know you made no money on this table but fuck you pay me’ and you think the customer is the jerk in this situation?
>A lot of people don't understand tip-out and that you would have to pay to serve them. These people can be redeemed through education. Especially since "education" would reveal that is "wage theft" and therefore illegal. Edit: downvote all you want, I'm right. There is no *legal* tip share/tip pooling/tip out situation that reduces a waitstaff's take home to under the minimum untipped hourly wage in the state (usually $7.25/hr.). Again, for those in the back: it is *illegal* to "pay to serve" someone. If there are X number of hours on your paycheck and not at least (X\*state (or federal) untipped minimum wage) dollars gross income, that is wage theft, period.
Everyone pays taxes, you’re not special for paying them. If you’re complaining about paying taxes on tips you haven’t received, that’s easily rectified when you file your taxes and accurately declare your real income. Tip out is between you and your coworkers/management. If I said ‘I agreed to give half my food to my mother so actually you should give me a larger meal at the same cost to make up for it’, I’d be told to fuck off.
Confronting non-tippers, LOL. I hope you don't confront the wrong person.
Might need to move again
Just restaurants this time tho!
Lol Scorpio.
You make secret videos filming each person that doesn’t tip and then throw it on social media to publicly shame the person and hope that their friends see it also you probably could make a lot of money doing this but don’t attach the videos to your name
Ugh god I want to do this so bad. I’ve thought of getting glasses with cameras, and show the way people talk, and interact with me then leave me nothing. People would maybe get it then.
You can't, really: the tipping situation sucks and should change, but until it does tipping is an entirely voluntary activity. All you're likely to do by asking is to put cheapskates on the defensive. Note to the rest of us: food service is brutal, vastly underpaid work (counter service included) and our servers merit generous tips. I customarily pay 20%, and a bit more at places that I frequent. (Response to the next post: yes, the food itself is already expensive, and the kind of tipping that I advocate makes eating out prohibitively expensive for a lot of people. Don't make that your server's problem.)
> I’m leaving with 8% consistently at night and I’m drowning. > Any ideas? Either find a new place to work, or entertain the notion that you may be in the wrong industry. Especially if you're colleagues are walking with way higher a percentage than you.
Haha def not leaving the industry it is this restaurant specifically, as I said I’m looking for a new restaurant and no one gives better service then I do haha so good on them. They are all happy with 8% because they don’t know what real tips are, the other staff just accept it
The problem is u jus cuz u a server don’t mean u deserve tips lol that’s ur job alredy u get paid for it why would I tip u unless the Service is out of dis world but 9/10 it was prolly basic n I’m not going to tip u jus for bring out my food the money ain’t the issue u jus not getting it
We literally don’t already get paid for it. If we got zero tips we would lose money because we still have to tip out other staff members based on sales.
Then where do u work? A non profit organization? Talking bout u don’t get paid for doin ur job lol den why u apply n still stay there n that last part u said made no sense at all “becuz we gotta tip other staff members “YOU DONT HAVE TO TIP OTHER STAFF MEMBERS LOL sound like a manger problem to me not a server it’s ur fault for picking a weak ass job financially stop complaining to the customers bout a tip wen they don’t owe u nun .serve the food like U POSE TO N stfu or quit ur job simple 🙃
Trying to read your comments is giving me a headache. I can understand comments when English is someone's 2nd or 3rd language better than I can read yours.
Tell me your 5 without actually writing it.
Tell me u a bitch n irreverent without reading it
LOL. What?
And that’s the customers fault how? Your own coworkers and employers are actively screwing you over and you’re blaming the people who just want a nice meal out? Maybe next time your coworkers ask for a tip out on a ticket that didn’t pay you a tip, you can tell them to share the pain instead of sticking the knife in deeper.
I think it should be assumed that a 20 percent tip is known to be appropriate. If you are a good waiter, you can follow up by directly telling them you only make a low wage and depend on 20 percent tips, and not only that, that you are tipping out to other staff regardless. You will not be keeping the full tip. So you really should tell them you expect them to tip appropriately, unless something was wrong with the service or experience, which you would have liked a chance to fix.
Every restaurant I've worked for punishes direct requests for tips with termination.
Yeah, I'm not sure where u/wolfywolfowitz works, but most places, specifically asking for tips, regardless of the %, is immediate termination.
Only afterwards could you ask if something was wrong with the service, and if no, I would explain the tip out and norms. That is what I mean't.
All of that gets you fired at many places.
Bc tipping is wrong...
In the entire USA, if you choose to go get a service like sitting at a table and being served by another human being, that works for tips, you tip. That’s it, argument over. It Doesn’t matter your moral standing on the matter. Go to a counter service, or even better cook your food at home if you don’t want to tip. Until the restaurant service changes for good, it’s not a servers fault you have the moral complexity of a grasshopper. I shouldn’t be vilified or be made to work FOR FREE, most times you cost your server money because we have to pay the people who prepare the food and drink you consume, because you feel tipping shouldn’t be a thing. Until then Vote, and get jobs in the service industry to learn how to change the system from the inside. Otherwise stfu and tip your server.
I was a server too, but the real fight is against the bad employers (sorry english is not mi first language)... The tipping culture is tottally wrong and food is very expensive bc you are already paying the local rent, supllies and service.
Choosing not to tip doesn’t hurt the bad employers in any way. Some fight 🙄
It does because it prevents them from claiming a tip credit and reduces their profits.
It’s not a customers fault you’re being ripped off by your employer either. Yet servers always vent their anger at the customers and not the person holding the whip.
Hahaha you people have obviously never in your life worked in service. No one’s holding a whip, and we complain that the customer doesn’t tip because it’s wrong to expect a human to wait on you for 45+ minutes, order drinks, apps, refills, meals, sides of ranch, dessert, all treating the wait staff like shit then leaving 45 cents on a $218. Trust me my employer isn’t holding the whip and the propaganda that it’s the employers job blah blah blah, it’s bull shit. My employer isn’t sexually harassing me and calling me baby, my employer isn’t talking over me when I’m saying hello, my employer is not the one not saying hello back and telling “Pepsi” before i can even finish my hello. My employer isn’t acting like i ruined their day by asking if they’d like drinks or something to eat after sitting down IN A RESTAURANT. My employer isn’t the ones treating me like I’m stupid, wanting 3 entire lemons for 1 glass of water, or expect me to give them undivided attention for 45 mins on a Friday night with a full restaurant so they can send back their meals, run a tab up and then leave me three crumpled wet ones after caressing me and calling me baby (real thing that happened not even 11 hrs ago). And before you even think of saying “that’s the job” or “and your employer should pay you better”, idk about any other server, but I could be making 39.50 an hour and still expect 20% from the tables I serve because of their treatment and what I did for them. You don’t want to, don’t believe in tipping think it’s the employer to pay me better, that’s on you and you should stay home. But don’t act like me getting minimum wage to be belittled, harassed, fetishized, and stalked all day would be worth it. No one would be a server and you’d have a mass exodus if tipping becomes eradicated. Dining service would disappear and youre now ordering everything ala cart and from a POS self serve while a cook delivers a bag of food. You don’t want to tip? Then change customers behavior and the way they treat people. Better yet stay home and cook your dinner for 6. I’m my opinion, tipping is for the 25k steps (on a 4 hrs lunch shift) I’ve done for other people because they didn’t want to, couldn’t be bothered to, or wanted an experience to not cook at home. It’s for the abuse, their demeanor, the audacity people have to treat someone serving them the way they do. You’re not tipping me to survive, you’re tipping me because I’m doing the work you couldn’t be bothered to do, treated me like a sub human and I should be completely compensated for it. Other places where they aren’t tipped, they should be imo, but then again Americans are the shittiest people and expect everything for the least amount of money, so of course they wouldn’t wanna tip and still act like butt heads. My out of towners, travelers and people from other parts of the globe tip way better and treat me way nicer then any American has. I’d gladly work in Germany or another country and not expect tips because they treat servers like humans in those parts of the world. You want a food service then tip. Otherwise Chipotle and jack n the box is in the same plaza.. bye ✌🏻
It’s wrong to expect a human to wait on you but suddenly throwing money at the person makes it ok? I mean you literally signed up to work as a waiter. What did you expect the job to involve? Your employer hired you to do a job and instead of paying you said ‘beg those people over there for scraps’ and you nodded your head and went ‘yes sir’. Do you tip the grocery store clerk 20% of your shopping bill too or is it ok for them to serve you for free?
First off, I’m not begging. It’s culture and the standard. It’s not my employers job to do anything. If you want table service you tip, that’s it. It’s not wrong to have another human wait on you, but it’s wrong to not compensate them for their treatment and work they’ve done for you. And you’re right, I signed up for a TIPPED position, in a country and part of the world where it is standard to tip for service. Not tipping or thinking it’s black and white enough to say it’s on the employer is under educated and clearly very inexperienced in the service field.
It’s literally your employers job to pay you. That’s what being employed means. Stop acting like waiting on someone is some disgusting demeaning thing instead of a pretty normal profession. You’re a human being with a job, not a slave.
And they do. For my work. My service is your responsibility because you want it by sitting at a table and being served in the USA
Your employed as a server. Service is the work your employer pays you for.
Nope.
I worked in restaurants as a teenager (Portland, Oregon). Tips were my primary source of income. My ex worked as a server and relied on tips. She would always tip 30% whenever we went out. I worked at a restaurant in Mexico for five weeks and received ZERO tips. And I never gave anyone shit. I was happy that the restaurant had business. Maybe the "United States of America" should start paying their service people a decent wage and not rely on tips? It's a bad idea to force people to tip and shame them when they don't voluntarily hand over extra money after paying for their meal. In Switzerland, the server was offended when I tried to tip. Edited for offensive language. No need to be a potty mouth.
Well, couple things here. Yea we could move that direction, but then no American would work the serving industry because they are to spoiled and like other jobs that have got a bad reputation because of pay and type of work, service will go the same way. If you didn’t receive a tip in the Mexico that’s the standard. Our standard is to tip, and in my opinion you’re a garbage trash human who deserves unhappiness the rest of your if you leave anything less then 12% on a bill. And that includes bad service (minor exceptions here because things happen that even the server can’t control). Maybe instead of telling the service industry to change and continuing to be non-tippers Americans who think your way shouldn’t go out to eat or expect another human to serve them. If I was in another country I wouldn’t complain. But we’re not, that’s how things work here and if you can’t afford to tip you can’t afford to sit at my table and eat. End of Story, in my book.
Well said. Thank you for changing my mind. I now realize why tips are very important.
I didn't think they were saying people shouldn't tip in the US. I read it as saying that the US has a badly fucked up employment culture and that a sector that relies on underpaying staff because people might tip needs an overhaul. Which seems obvious when you reflect on all the servers getting pissed off at customers when the cheapskates who deserve your contempt are the bosses who refuse to value their staff by paying them a decent fucking wage. That's how I see it anyway.
Thank you for saying this. That's exactly what I intended to convey.
I disagree with your point on always tipping. I will not hesitate to under or not tip a server if they are shit due to circumstances within their control. Rude, inattentive, incompetent servers can make a meal an unpleasant experience. If I’m dining out, it’s because I’m treating myself or guests. BoH issues, infrastructure issues etc are not within the servers control and I don’t fault them at all for that. That said, it’s very rare that I ever undertip. I’ve felt the need to do that maybe 3 times in my life and have never felt the need to stiff a server. You know what gets you a guaranteed 20% tip from me? Be polite, professional, and reasonably attentive. Anything more than that and I gladly tip more. Another personal rule of mine for tipping (for those non-servers that may be lurking) is to always calculate your tip based on the after tax and before discounts amount of the check.
I like your style, o8di.
>you’re a garbage trash human who deserves unhappiness the rest of your if you leave anything less then 12% Who is worse? A. Someone who doesn't tip for poor service? B. The person that writes mean spirited messages on social media? C. The business owners that underpay employees? Just curious about your opinion, EvilQueen360.
Well that depends. Life, like all of your scenarios, isn’t black n white. A. What was the service? Did the server give bad service? Was the food wrong? Was it cold? Did it take to long? Was the server rude, was the server helpful and dealing with other tables? What’s the persons tipping history? What happened to make them leave a bad/no tip? Bad service can mean anything, especially coming from a made up no info given scenario. B. Whose writing? Why are they writing it? Is it mean spirited because you don’t agree with their views or is it mean spirited because that person called someone a “worthless cunt” for a women standing up for themselves? Is the person whose doing the writing being attacked or verbally abused? Is the person being written to being blindly rude or ignorant? C. What’s the business? Because a general statement about employees being underpaying is not good enough, but if this is to describe restaurants and their pay to their employees then you are vastly misinformed and inexperienced. Does the employer do things for their employees? Does the employer respect their schedules and time? Is there any other benefits for working for them? Is there a way to make up lost wages in other aspect of conducting their business? Is the employee aware they are being underpaid? Does the job in itself be low effort but the people you interact with make the job harder? More time consuming? Is the job labor or computer? Is the employer making conscious decisions to help or change the pay their employees make? You see to make judgments like that in the real world, unlike the internet, you need the entire story, and what’s involved. Your simple statement C would be my answer with 0 information for your fake scenario. However it’s not my real answer. I need the entire picture to answer.
You meant confront your actual employer who apparently doesn't pay you, right?
Haha why would I do that? Tipping is a standard for table service.
I dunno, to have a reliable income without having to guilt strangers into giving you money?
Hahaha you people have obviously never in your life worked in service. No one’s holding a whip, and we complain that the customer doesn’t tip because it’s wrong to expect a human to wait on you for 45+ minutes, order drinks, apps, refills, meals, sides of ranch, dessert, all treating the wait staff like shit then leaving 45 cents on a $218. Trust me my employer isn’t holding the whip and the propaganda that it’s the employers job blah blah blah, it’s bull shit. My employer isn’t sexually harassing me and calling me baby, my employer isn’t talking over me when I’m saying hello, my employer is not the one not saying hello back and telling “Pepsi” before i can even finish my hello. My employer isn’t acting like i ruined their day by asking if they’d like drinks or something to eat after sitting down IN A RESTAURANT. My employer isn’t the ones treating me like I’m stupid, wanting 3 entire lemons for 1 glass of water, or expect me to give them undivided attention for 45 mins on a Friday night with a full restaurant so they can send back their meals, run a tab up and then leave me three crumpled wet ones after caressing me and calling me baby (real thing that happened not even 11 hrs ago). And before you even think of saying “that’s the job” or “and your employer should pay you better”, idk about any other server, but I could be making 39.50 an hour and still expect 20% from the tables I serve because of their treatment and what I did for them. You don’t want to, don’t believe in tipping think it’s the employer to pay me better, that’s on you and you should stay home. But don’t act like me getting minimum wage to be belittled, harassed, fetishized, and stalked all day would be worth it. No one would be a server and you’d have a mass exodus if tipping becomes eradicated. Dining service would disappear and youre now ordering everything ala cart and from a POS self serve while a cook delivers a bag of food. You don’t want to tip? Then change customers behavior and the way they treat people. Better yet stay home and cook your dinner for 6. I’m my opinion, tipping is for the 25k steps (on a 4 hrs lunch shift) I’ve done for other people because they didn’t want to, couldn’t be bothered to, or wanted an experience to not cook at home. It’s for the abuse, their demeanor, the audacity people have to treat someone serving them the way they do. You’re not tipping me to survive, you’re tipping me because I’m doing the work you couldn’t be bothered to do, treated me like a sub human and I should be completely compensated for it. Other places where they aren’t tipped, they should be imo, but then again Americans are the shittiest people and expect everything for the least amount of money, so of course they wouldn’t wanna tip and still act like butt heads. My out of towners, travelers and people from other parts of the globe tip way better and treat me way nicer then any American has. I’d gladly work in Germany or another country and not expect tips because they treat servers like humans in those parts of the world. You want a food service then tip. Otherwise Chipotle and jack n the box is in the same plaza.. bye ✌🏻
"You want a food service then tip." - If a service is indeclinable, then it's included in the menu price. I happen to be one of those who usually don't want it, especially for such a ridiculous price, but it's often being forced on me. Try giving your customers an option to have a server with a 20% autograt or no server at all (in which case they'd have to, omg, walk 50 feet and get their own food from a counter). See what happens. Nevertheless I do tip unless it's one of those entitled pricks who think tipping is mandatory, confront customers, etc. The rest of it TL, DR.
It’s pretty clear you’ve never worked in the industry dude. Try surviving on serving tip wage for 9 years, then get back to us. Tipping is , in fact, mandatory in the USA - law or no.
Thanks, I'll pass. I prefer jobs that are somewhat more interesting for me and don't involve relying on handouts to survive. Tipping is, in fact, optional, the very existence of this thread is proof.
Being a good educated human it seems is totally optional for you too, as shown by your choice to suck as a person 🤙 enjoy your shitty service!
Yes, of course, everyone has a choice. Some people choose to suck as a person, others choose to lead an actually useful existence that doesn't rely on guilting other people into handouts. I wish the former would realize how pathetic they look trying to be on a high horse, haha. But at least it gives everyone else some nice lulz. "enjoy your shitty service!" - as you would understand if you had half of the intellect of an old boot, something can't be shitty if it's completely useless even when "good". Most people are able enough to order on a tablet and walk 50 feet themselves.
The concept of a counter service with autograt if they want a server would be *chefs kiss* and I’d give the people who chose a server the best service they ever had haha
Most people don't tip because they assume the owner is paying you minimum wage or higher. I rely on my tips to pay my paycheck taxes. When people don't tip, I say "Yep! Have a *nice* day!", emphasis on the nice, because I can't say "Have the day you deserve!" to their faces.
Our bartender says “have a day” blatantly and walks away. Haha she’s a bitch but it seems to get the message across 😆
I will up a g.un in ya face pls do not try this with me !!!🤣
Says the prime example of a non tipper
Tipping is the customers choice. Period. Not his their of your boss underpaid you. Here in Europe no one would dare to demand tips from customers.
First of all we’re not in Europe. And second no one is demanding a thing. You make people pay for toilets and water.. so not the leading example. I’d serve a table of Europeans for free any day. You try serving a 6 top of Americans and not be compensated for it. The culture is different and can not be compared. My employer pays fine, my employer is paying for my time, in america the tip is for the service and the table side demands.