the waiters,the hairdressers,the taxi drivers,the bartenders...
it almost feels like an obligation,but not the kind of thing you do because you REALLY do feel like,full heartedly.
who came up with the idea of tipping?WHY is it a proper thing to do?
it's their job!they are hired to please the paying customer,so that he will come back again!
i pay for the services,it seems normal that they should fulfil them decently...it's not like they're supposed to lick my shoe,just do the job they were hired for,and get a salary for
and the rules...give x% tip of the price you already paid for...
i'm not cheap,i just don't get it
can anyone enlighten me?

dontknownuthin

People who hire service employees want the payment for those employees to correspond with how busy they are, adn therefore, how profitable. It's like a weird form of commission...no customers, no tips. The restaurant caps their responsibility at minimum wage, which is lower for service employees. That way, if htey have a crappy day, they aren't out so much money but have the service there just in case.

I think it's a terrible system but it's hard to get away from it because the only way establishments can eliminate tips at this point is to raise their prices so they can pay a living wage. Hard to compete if you're the first to do that.

So what to do? Tip based on the service but don't take everything out on that service professional if they do not have control over the situation. If your food is bad, send it back - that's the chef's problem. If you were promised a table and waited far longer than you were told, don't tip the matr'd or complain to the owner. If you waited a half hour after our coffee was poured for the cream? Well, that's the waiters fault.

Speak up so they can fix what you don't like, and give them a chance. No tip means that they were so bad that they owed you the favor of waiting on you on their own time, becaus without tips, they make nothing. Their entire paycheck generally goes into taxes.

That's kind of harsh, so I would only stiff someone if they were terrible and rude to boot. Just terrible at their job? 10%. Mediocre? 15%. Good or better - 20%. Really went out of the way? I'd throw in 25% and a compliment about them to their boss.

boredINmind

I work at a restaurant (have you noticed?) and I'm a manager that has to watch my best employees get "stiffed" table after table! Even tho a dollar is not much, we have decided that regardless a dollar per person should be left, just for the sheer fact that they did wait on you and will be cleaning up after you leave. If the bill is big, say 40$ for 2 people, then you should leave at least 2 or 3 per person.

And as for the tip being added in with the bill for larger parties, more people more mess to clean up! And that tip just ensures that they won't being cleaning all night for absolutely nothing, and I have seen this happen too many times!

No one wants to work as a server, its not an easy job by far, don't believe me then try doing it for a few years. So there must be a reason they would do it, like school for example. They are doing a job, most people hate their jobs, so do you really expect them to be all chirpy all the time!

If you have a complaint, complain to the manager (ME), they will talk to the server, but unless they are just not coming to your table at all, don't STIFF them.

And you don't pay for service when you go to a restaurant, you pay for the ridiculously high priced food, and the employees never see a bit of that money. Its enough to make anyone bitter about their jobs.

startover22

Hey Bored, I also work as a manager, and I LOVE MY JOB!!
Even when I have a bad day, I give people a smile, it makes them happy, and it makes me feel better! It is what you make it, I say!!
I agree though, it isn't fun getting stiffed!

shellyjo68

I have been a bartender, waitress and tavern owner. Yes, tips are figured into your wages but like all wages you need to EARN them. If you are a sucky waitress you get a sucky tip if you are a good waitress you get a good tip. If you ask me for a tip you get NO tip and if you tip yourself out of my money you get complained about.

Just5ofus

I am a tipped employee and have been doing so for many years. I really enjoy meeting new people and I REALLY appreciate your tip in compensating my minimum wage. Yes, the restaurant industry should take care of our wages by paying more than minimum, but then they would have to raise their prices. ALSO, please remember that what you tip DOES NOT go only to us. We have to tip the host, the food runners and the bartenders (yes - even if you just drink water) and then we are taxed on it as well. Server's paychecks are never above a hundred dollars per check. As a server, it allowed me to be at home in the mornings to see my kids off to school and be home close to the time they got home.
This is the career I choose and I don't regret one minute of it.

spinphoto

Ouch. Most of the girl at my restaurant, (including me) have degrees, just some of us felt we should follow our hearts and be educated on some thing we are passionate about, not what makes us millions.. so haha, essentially, we're all qualified for something where there is no demand. Although most of us freelance our talents... The beauty about being a waitress is, we're not tied down by salary and we can do whatever we want when we want. I save throughout the year and travel for most of the summer while a % of my pay check goes in to rrsps. I only make $9/h but the way I see it, if I make $12/h in tips, that puts me up to $21/h, which isn't so bad.

People who don't tip are just plain ignorant, (which I don't blame them because how would they know) the problem is, some provinces (i live in canada) have a 'waitressing wage'.. minimum wage in Ont. is 8/h and for a waitress, $6.85, not much. Waitress are expected to tip the kitchen and bartender (and sometimes, doormen) a certain % of their sales, not tips! So if you came to my restaurant and didn't leave me any love, damn right I'd be pissed because now, money it coming out of my pockets! and you can bet I will ask if there was anything wrong with your service I should know about...

shellyjo68

Don't get pissed; do a better job. My daughter walks out with an average of $132 in tips every night--AVERAGE. She works her butt off. Yesterday we were at breakfast, our waitress forgot my mom's coffee three times--finally my husband took the cup upto the counter, she forgot to put in half of our orders, never brought the bill until we tracked her down, walked away while we were at the counter paying and left my CC slip with the full number on the counter for all to see--I reached around and put it behind the cash register. Does she deserve a full tip?

startover22

Absolutely not!! AND to top it off I may have wanted to speak to a manager as well!!

spinphoto

I was addressing those who do not tips out of ethics whether or not the service is good.. obviously incompetent service doesn't deserve diddly squat.

Sonador101

well most of these jobs pay minnimun wage, and among being polite they need the money.