[speed797]

I am in the food service industry and tips are important. The servers in restaurants need to pay the bussers, host/hostess, and possibly the maitre'd (if there is one). The also, unless at a very very nice restaurant, get only about $2-$4 an hour. Tips are the main part of their salary.

[iAMfromHuntersBar]

Hi all!

I live in England, where tips don't play such a big part in our social lives, so this thread (and the conversation at the start of 'Reservior Dogs') really interests me!

I don't think I've ever tipped anyone other than waiters/waitresses and taxi drivers here in the UK; and even then it's never been a set amount of the bill, only ever what I can afford to give them.

Here in England people have started kicking off about the fact that some companies don't pay minimum wage because they think they should make that up in tips. Now I agree, that is just plain wrong!

What happens if you can't afford to tip them the amount they expect in the U.S. Should you go to somewhere that serves cheaper food?

I did visit the U.S. once and BOY that was a culture shock! Ha ha! Everyone wants tips!

[KissMe10der]

Tips are reward for good service... Some jobs you don't make much hourly.. you rely on tips and commission for selling product.

[iAMfromHuntersBar]

Funnily enough, a couple of days after I posted my reply, this news story broke;

BBC NEWS | Business | Restaurant tipping law to change

[Just5ofus]

Our company has sent out "free" $15.00 gift cards for a dinner promotion to A lot of people. Now, customers are trying to use them at lunch when I am working and we CAN'T take them. Believe me, I so wish we could because there are at least four times per server per day when people are trying to use them and get mad at us because we can't. So, here comes the bad tip again. Plus, when dinner does start at 3:00 and I'm still there - customers are tipping out on the bill with the $15.00 taken off. These are gift cards, and the $15.00 is not voided off our sales. We still get taxed on the total amount, AND tip out 2% of TOTAL sales to the host staff, AND 1-2% to the food runner AND 1% to the bartender on our TOTAL sales! So, when you don't tip at all - you are costing ME money to wait on you. I "luckily" can count on two hands the amount of times I have been "stiffed" in my 20 years of serving - but, with these promo's I am hearing a lot more server's complaining. Please, if you have any issues with the food, let us know, we really don't want our tip affected by what we have no control over. Our managers do want to take care of you at the time it happens. Not, a few days later in an email. Okay, thank you for letting me vent. I also have a college education and started working as a graphic designer. Then, I fell in love, got married, had babies, wanted to spend more time with the family without jeapordizing our income greatly and became a server. I am pretty happy with the way our life turned out and have three grown wonderful children and an absolutely beautiful husband I am still madly in love with after 25 years. Thank you all you wonderful people for letting me have the chance to take care of you when you visit our establishment, I do greatly appreciate you supplementing my income. And I do believe that I should get taxed on your tips. Just not being required to be taxed on the tips I don't receive.