minor things that make you fume

[Baines' left foot]

Yes, the system does benefit the employer, I agree.

In terms of it not being compulsory, true, but it's ingrained in the US attitude to service industries like bars and restaurants.

In the UK tipping is very optional and often down to service exceeding expectations. But in the US, it's more like you tip as standard, and don't in the case of bad service.

I just think the whole system is wrong and broken. Haven't got the time to search right now but if I recall correctly one state has scrapped the compulsory tipping system and replaced it with a higher base wage. Not sure how tips work with this but it seemed to be fairly well received at the time.

 

[jal123]

Who told you that? the Daily Mail?

Actually a bar tender in Brooklyn told me that in January.

 

[Kenshin]

No. You always tip. Many things you may consider bad service are out of the control of waitstaff.
Additionally, tip earners are required to pay income tax on a certain percentage of their total sales....whether they are tipped or not.

Would it be silly to suggest the idea that by a compulsory tipping mechanism in place you are essentially paying more for your orders than what is advertised and as a result, the customers are paying the wages of the waitresses rather than the restaurant owners?

 

[Huyton Layne]

i always tip less on drinks because wait staff are limited in their amount of people they can serve at once. I was a bartender here and could easily deal with 20+ people all drinking for a few hours. I used to get $7 an hour as my rate and would take home $150 in tips on a Saturday night for about 5hrs work.

 

[The Cowboy]

Would it be silly to suggest the idea that by a compulsory tipping mechanism in place you are essentially paying more for your orders than what is advertised and as a result, the customers are paying the wages of the waitresses rather than the restaurant owners?

Well, the customers always pay the wages, if you think about it.

 

[Nobby Nobbs]

My sister forgot to leave a tip in a restaurant in San Francisco a few years back and was chased into the street by a member of the staff demanding his tip the nerve of some eh.

 

[Kenshin]

Well, the customers always pay the wages, if you think about it.

In the philisophical sense that would be a correct way of looking at it yes, What i meant by my previous comment was the system means the money you pay for your meal or drinks goes to the owner for their profit and the tips you compulsory give pay the wages of the staff. Different to the way it works in England because there is more of a two way system with tips, the waitress will get paid whether you tip or not and you can express gratitude through tipping here which sends a positive message to the staff working on your table. You probably know that bit if you are from England also but i am just highlighting the idea difference between the two.

I believe if the system is set up for employers to not have to pay more than a small amount towards their staff with the customers contributing then there is a serious slave labour flaw taking place in some sense of the term. to me, a waitress should go home with a lot of tips because their customers have had a great experience, not to be able to pay the bills from it.

 

[Toast]

the fact I never find large drugs hauls washed up on a beach is rather annoying right now..

 

[The Cowboy]

the fact I never find large drugs hauls washed up on a beach is rather annoying right now..

I never find anything interesting, ever. Not even a dropped fiver on the road. Disappointing.

 

[chrismpw]

It's effectively just performance related pay. Be nice, provide good service, reap benefits.

The US model actually makes more sense in a customer-facing business. It's not the greatest job in the world serving people, but give them a straight salary and you'll just get surly folk slamming food on tables and walking off. People come back if they get good service, and you'll only get that if there's an incentive for the staff to be nice.

Only if they're savages.
Pay people a decent wage and they can actually be quite nice and civilised.
I know this us an alien concept in a capitalistic culture, but I reckon there's mileage in it.

 

[chrismpw]

No. You always tip. Many things you may consider bad service are out of the control of waitstaff.
Additionally, tip earners are required to pay income tax on a certain percentage of their total sales....whether they are tipped or not.

Crikey, you lot really did let the mafia take control over there !

 

[The Cowboy]

Only if they're savages.
Pay people a decent wage and they can actually be quite nice and civilised.
I know this us an alien concept in a capitalistic culture, but I reckon there's mileage in it.

I was exaggerating, of course. Most often servers are perfectly nice. But they don't really need to be.

There's a pizza place in North London (pizza pappagone on Stroud Green Road, @Baines' left foot ) which has the most wonderful service, manager will personally come and offer you a drink at the bar if he can relieve you of your table when you're finished, everyone is always so happy there. And the queues are out the door every night, cos you know you're gonna be treated really well there.

And it almost compels you to leave an above-average tip.

 

[RAFUH]

Would it be silly to suggest the idea that by a compulsory tipping mechanism in place you are essentially paying more for your orders than what is advertised and as a result, the customers are paying the wages of the waitresses rather than the restaurant owners?

That is exactly what it is but if you pay waitstaff more prices of the meals/drinks will go up accordingly. Customer is paying for wait staff salary regardless.

 

[RAFUH]

See, this is the bit that does not compute. If you're on a very low minimum wage and reliant on tips to boost your income, then surely you do your best to offer a good service. That's how the model works, isn't it. To suggest that the customer must always tip, even if service is bad, renders the model ridiculous. And most people have worked as wait staff or behind a bar at some point, so most people understand what is under the control of the staff and what isn't.

Good service gets tips, bad service does not. That way the industry is staffed by people who can do the job and those that can't... well, they move on to different work.

You should always tip...15-20% would be usual service. Bad service or great service adjust accordingly. To not tip means server loses money.

Plenty of folks provide crap service in other industries, but still get paid the same amount. No reason wait staff should get screwed just because the US system is set this way.

I disagree with "most people" having done the job. I know very few that have.

 

[RAFUH]

Hey Raf, you helped advise me on my job in another thread, are you some sort of director of a company or ITK about working conditions ?

Not even remotely.
Just a big know-it-all apparently