Are you guys sick of tipping?

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I'm not disagreeing with or even commenting on anything else you've said related to the actual thread topic, but this statement is false. It's likely true where you live, it's not true across the board - not by a long shot. Laborers and tradesmen in many areas remain very much underpaid and underappreciated. I apologize for the derail, but that issue is a personal pet peeve.

I'm not disagreeing with or even commenting on anything else you've said related to the actual thread topic, but this statement is false. It's likely true where you live, it's not true across the board - not by a long shot. Laborers and tradesmen in many areas remain very much underpaid and underappreciated. I apologize for the derail, but that issue is a personal pet peeve.
Maybe we're an isolated area...

But where I live is towards the bottom of the pay scale for virtually everything.

Apparently except for laborers.
 

illbell

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Tip culture has gotten insane here in America. The burden of paying an employees salary should fall on the employer, not the customer. That said, I always tip well because I know the way the system is set up. I do try to avoid places that add "tip" lines as much as possible though, which has become harder to do.
 

sneaky

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3 dollars? Aren’t waiters guaranteed at least minimum wage? In Colorado I think that’s 12-13 bucks.
The restaurant is supposed to make up the difference if the server's tips for the shift don't average out to that minimum wage. Restaurants are more creative with numbers than the govt is to avoid that happening. I worked at a restaurant that got turned in for manipulating server's declared tips so they wouldn't have to make up the difference. People would eat out far less if the servers made minimum wage or higher as a flat rate because the price of every dish would go up accordingly.
 
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I do try to avoid places that add "tip" lines as much as possible though, which has become harder to do.
That's a system issue, not a place issue.

For most if not all of the point of sale systems tips are a default option.

Custom tweaks to software like that are expensive and frequently problematic.


Granted, it's a symptom of the culture, but in general the local place you love isn't generally trying to ask.
 

Rob5589

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Tip culture has gotten insane here in America. The burden of paying an employees salary should fall on the employer, not the customer. That said, I always tip well because I know the way the system is set up. I do try to avoid places that add "tip" lines as much as possible though, which has become harder to do.
I'd agree with that. I'm not tipping when you grab a pastry from the case, place it in a bag, then hand it to me. Come to my table several times, don't make me wait unnecessarily, keep glasses full, etc, you're getting at least 20%. My wife and I are usually chatty with friendly staff which makes a difference. Probably because we're both in the medical field and are tired of people treating us like shit so we overcompensate 😆
 

JjamesIII

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Anyone else sick of automatic tips applied to the tab? I mean, I can understand a large group but man, one, two people min 20% included is absurd.

Anyways, like that scene from Resevoir dogs…..I can relate….. included tips means shit service more times than not.
Yes- for some odd reason the United States restaurant owners found a way to put the burden of paying their workers a living wage directly on the backs of their patrons. I don’t know how it became an adopted custom, nor why it’s expected for average service to pay a 20% premium. It’s bridged over to so many other areas- I’m over it. Other charges suck ballz also- technology fees for college kids, fuel use surcharges for deliveries, concrete companies around here tack on frickin’ “warm water” charges in the winter around here🙄. Just make the commodity or service more expensive and quit dancing around the issue.
 

treeratslayer24

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As someone who worked in food, I can see both sides.

From the tipping is stupid side: it’s a major pain. How much is enough? And screw owners for being too cheap to pay it.

From the employee side: it usually worked out that if you averaged my week or 2 weeks, I made far more than I would’ve if tips weren’t a thing and employers just paid more. My wife worked in an upscale restaurant, and it was even more clear how ahead she ended up. Plus, a lot of it is cash and what uncle Joe don’t know don’t hurt him.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

MattB

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Yes- for some odd reason the United States restaurant owners found a way to put the burden of paying their workers a living wage directly on the backs of their patrons.
Whose back would it be on if not the patron? What an odd comment…
 

def90

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3 dollars? Aren’t waiters guaranteed at least minimum wage? In Colorado I think that’s 12-13 bucks.
Colorado minimum wage for tipped employees is $9.54, Colorado minimum wage for non-tipped employees is $12.56.

The federal tipped minimum wage is $2.13 while the federal non-tipped minimum wage is $7.25.

Every state is different but I believe the majority of states follow the federal minimum wage guidelines.

Edit.. just looked up the stats, it looks like in 2021 the number of states that have higher minimum wage than the federal standard jumped from 21 to 30.
 

def90

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Yes- for some odd reason the United States restaurant owners found a way to put the burden of paying their workers a living wage directly on the backs of their patrons. I don’t know how it became an adopted custom, nor why it’s expected for average service to pay a 20% premium. It’s bridged over to so many other areas- I’m over it. Other charges suck ballz also- technology fees for college kids, fuel use surcharges for deliveries, concrete companies around here tack on frickin’ “warm water” charges in the winter around here🙄. Just make the commodity or service more expensive and quit dancing around the issue.

Well, you are going to be the one paying the wages it whether it’s tips or increased meal prices.
 

woods89

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Whose back would it be on if not the patron? What an odd comment…
This.....

I wonder what food service would be like if wait staff just got a flat wage. I'd guess service levels would drop. I think a good waiter or waitress who is pleasant, attentive, and takes care of his or her tables should go home with a nice chunk of money. It can't be easy.
 

CorbLand

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This.....

I wonder what food service would be like if wait staff just got a flat wage. I'd guess service levels would drop. I think a good waiter or waitress who is pleasant, attentive, and takes care of his or her tables should go home with a nice chunk of money. It can't be easy.
Probably wouldn’t change all that much to be honest. Some will still do a good job and some won’t.
 

JjamesIII

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This.....

I wonder what food service would be like if wait staff just got a flat wage. I'd guess service levels would drop. I think a good waiter or waitress who is pleasant, attentive, and takes care of his or her tables should go home with a nice chunk of money. It can't be easy.
Everywhere else…..the service was always on par with, or better than the service I receive in the United States where the patrons dictate the wage of the waiter rather than the employer.
Do you underperform at work because you make a set hourly rate- or even, god forbid, a set salary?
 
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I Think we should move to a system where a tip is appreciated but not expected and worker wages and costs are included in the upfront price. That would still incentivize good service and hard work, while not placing burden on customers to tip just because a crappy server won’t get payed otherwise.

That being said most people would probably tip anyway, and therefore servers, guides, ect would begin to expect to be tipped- thus basically putting us back where we started.
 

woods89

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Everywhere else…..the service was always on par with, or better than the service I receive in the United States where the patrons dictate the wage of the waiter rather than the employer.
That's a fair point, and yes, really motivated people will still over perform, I'd imagine. To what degree would be the question.
Do you underperform at work because you make a set hourly rate- or even, god forbid, a set salary?
I'm self employed, so my performance is pretty directly tied to my earnings.:)

The last few years I worked for another contractor he put together a hourly+profit share plan. We made an hourly rate, and if we worked efficiently there was a percentage bonus off every project's profit. I loved it, and honestly it probably did at times affect my performance, even though we worked hard before he started that. It's not apples to apples with tipping maybe, bit similar. Maybe that's why I kind of like the tipping option.

The customer is going to pay either way.
 

illbell

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This.....

I wonder what food service would be like if wait staff just got a flat wage. I'd guess service levels would drop. I think a good waiter or waitress who is pleasant, attentive, and takes care of his or her tables should go home with a nice chunk of money. It can't be easy.
Ummm.... I think it would actually change for the better and service levels would rise. Instead of essentially begging for extra money by providing good service, imagine if your server was making 70k a year.....

If service sucks, they lose their job, and someone else comes on for 70k a year. Also comes with the perk of not having to be nice to dipshits that are sat in your section, simply to pay rent this month.
 
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