Tipping waiters and waitressess

[ReturnofBroccoli]

I commonly tip 20% and I've really not given it a second thought until the other day. Our understanding is that we tip because they make low wages.

Tipping was suppose to be a service, a gratitude. When the hell did it become a part of a restaurants business model that the customer pay for the restaurants employees? It is a business' responsibility. We are paying twice. Maybe I should of added this to the debate thread

[Byrd]

I commonly tip 20% and I've really not given it a second thought until the other day. Our understanding is that we tip because they make low wages.

Tipping was suppose to be a service, a gratitude. When the hell did it become a part of a restaurants business model that the customer pay for the restaurants employees? It is a business' responsibility. We are paying twice. Maybe I should of added this to the debate thread

Blame European aristocracy of the early 1800's and the desire of the American wealthy to emulate them, coupled with the end of the Civil War and Blacks working for sub-minimum wages AND the rise of the railroad (Pullman car) where tipping supplemented the very low wages. https://www.7shifts.com/blog/history-of-...staurants/

In addition to the minimum wage, it turns out that there's a SUBminimum wage in the US that's $2.13 per hour...and that's today.  That's the minimum a restaurant can pay and you're supposed to "make it up in tips."

Two freakin' dollars and thirteen cents.  One hour's labor will buy you a cuppa coffee.

[putnam6]

Blame European aristocracy of the early 1800's and the desire of the American wealthy to emulate them, coupled with the end of the Civil War and Blacks working for sub-minimum wages AND the rise of the railroad (Pullman car) where tipping supplemented the very low wages. https://www.7shifts.com/blog/history-of-...staurants/

In addition to the minimum wage, it turns out that there's a SUBminimum wage in the US that's $2.13 per hour...and that's today.  That's the minimum a restaurant can pay and you're supposed to "make it up in tips."

Two freakin' dollars and thirteen cents.  One hour's labor will buy you a cuppa coffee.

Wow, thats crazy? For even low-end, low-volume restaurants? So this AVERAGE Waffle House server only gets $2.13 an hour from WH?

[ReturnofBroccoli]

I love waffle house. Haven't eaten there since I moved from Louisiana around 2009. I made some calls and it seems a lot of places include predicted tips in their wage listing. Didn't contact waffle house, however, to be fair.

[ReturnofBroccoli]

[ReturnofBroccoli]

I think it varies by city as well, I chose a semi medium town instead of San antonio or larger but I imagine it isn't far off.

[ReturnofBroccoli]

Its "messed up" but its smart business. If I owned a restaurant would I do this too? Hmmmm.... almost an eye of the beholder thing.

[Byrd]

Wow, thats crazy? For even low-end, low-volume restaurants? So this AVERAGE Waffle House server only gets $2.13 an hour from WH?

[Image: https://denyignorance.com/uploader/image...28-564.jpg]

Don't know, and I'm sure it varies with location -- that $2.13 is the MINIMUM sub-minimum wage, but they could pay anything up to regular minimum wage.   I remember ages ago when I worked as a waitress, that I was getting a lot less than the cook and others because I'd "make it up in tips."

Ha.

Oh yeah, I was expected to share my tips with the busboys.

There's a chain of restaurants (Kyle G's) where they DO pay servers a living wage.  Upscale and the menu is not cheap, and they say that tipping is not necessary.  We do tip anyway, because the service is top-notch.

[KKLoco]

I work in the service industry. I also understand how the flow of money/energy coincide (yes, they are one and the same). Therefore, I am bound by the karmic laws of attraction, and most importantly - APPRECIATION when it is due.!

My philosophy is to 'pay it forward'. Even though, I tend to pay it forward regardless if I was compensated accordingly, or not. As an example, I actually guided a tour today. 1 of the 15 tours I've done in the last year. I received a 20% tip. I just got back from dinner where I tipped my incredible bartenders 50%. 

The moral to the story is -- everyone LOVED everyone! Ain't it amazing when everyone gets along, AND passes the love around, by showing their appreciation for what they receive?!

Gratuity is not a given. Yes, there are shitty service employees out there. Which means, when you get a good one - take care of them - they don't make much.....

[UltraBudgie]

Gratuity is not a given. Yes, there are shitty service employees out there. Which means, when you get a good one - take care of them - they don't make much.....

sometimes when a server is frustrated or in the weeds and slow or not cheerfulhappy it is for a very good reason though, and i don't feel qualified to judge the situation and their deservingness, so i end up doing the default flat-rate tip thing, 20% anyway. and i've heard stories of servers actually yelling at people or chasing them to their cars if they get left no tip, so that is something i never do, because even if i were in the right conflict would eat at me with selfdoubt and that's not worth it. at that point it feels like the tipping thing really is sort of a built-in replacement for salary, especially with the "alternative" minimum wage byrd pointed out.