Tipping

[cloudy]

I paid most of my way through college waiting tables in a restaurant. I was paid $2.01/hr, less than half the minimum wage, and had to report my tips at the end of the night.

I did very well waiting tables, since I've always been very outgoing and energetic, but I have had people that have run my ass off all night leave me all of a quarter for a tip.

If you get good service, tip your waiter/waitress. I can just about guarantee that they're making much less than minimum wage.

 

[CharleyH]

It does depend on the restaurant. As a busboy I was initially to be paid below minimum wage, as stated before, but supplemented with a small portion of the tips. Our servers basically threw a fit at this, and in the end management saw more fit to give us minimum wage, but not a potion of the tips.

Though in their defense, you forgot to add that they do have to report all tips made for tax purposes.

Legally, a busboy should never be paid under standard min. wage. You probably did not know. I can't imagine any server going nuts about paying out their bus-person unless they had too many payouts (more than 45%) already. Yes, another factor - tips are traced by credit card, and how can a server prove they had to pay-out at least 40% of their tips?

 

[Zeb_Carter]

If you ever find yourself in China...don't try to tip anyone, they get mad.

 

[JagFarlane]

Legally, a busboy should never be paid under standard min. wage. You probably did not know. I can't imagine any server going nuts about paying out their bus-person unless they had too many payouts (more than 45%) already. Yes, another factor - tips are traced by credit card, and how can a server prove they had to pay-out at least 40% of their tips?

Newp, was just 17 at the time -shrugs-. And ours, pfft they just out and out would forget the bussers. There was no payout for them, so yeah there was a touch bit of resentment. I remember one Wednesday night, one server making a comment "its so slow, I think you made more than me tonight" to which, I just glared at her and went "I'll remember that Friday night when you're counting out 4 times my weekly pay, as your tips". -shrugs- the saving factor for most of the servers were that they were friends of mine from school, thus less confrontation.

 

[Katyusha]

I think tips serve as a feedback mechanism.

I do too, for both the individual and the establishment.

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

Re. minumum wage laws and "lower" mandated wages for "tipped employees": In most if not all states the minimum wage is the same for "tipped" and regular employees. The difference is, the employer only has to supply the "lower" amount - as long as tips make up the difference. If they don't then the employer has to do so. I'm almost sure the federal law is the same.

 

[SeaCat]

Most of the places I go to I go to often. Because of this I learn how the place is set up in regards to tipping. (Unless the food is exceptional I don't go back to places that pool the tips.) (I have worked as wait staff.)

Last year my wife and I went out to dinner in a favorite place of ours. We were seated and placed our orders. After a longer than normal wait the waitress carried out our plates, set them down and lifted the covers. My wife, the waitress and myself all looked at the plates in shock. Instead of two medium rare steaks we were looking at two chunks of Charcoal.

I didn't have to say anything. The waitress recovered the plates and hustled them back into the kitchen. By the time she returned with the covered plates we had finished our beers and were getting hungry. Again the plates were uncovered.

This time the steaks looked good. (She had checked this time.) Eagerly I picked up the flatware and started cutting the meat. Or should I say tried to cut the meat? This was one of the toughest pieces of meat I have ever run into. When I finally got a piece off I found the reason. It looked perfect on the outside but had been overcooked like you never saw.

The manager was called and he checked the steaks and declared them inedible even by dogs. This time he went back into the kitchen with the waitress. A short while later the waitress came back out with two more plates and the manager. This time the steaks were perfect. The manager vanished or a minute then returned with two more mugs of beer.

It turned out they had a new guy in the kitchen, one who had started that day and had seriously overstated his skills. (He was fired.)

Our dinner that night was free, as were the beers.

Our waitress who took care of us even though she was busy as hell taking care of several other tables filled with complaining customers somehow managed to keep a smile on her face. (Although she did slip up and cuss a bit when she found out about the second steaks.)

I knew what our tab would have come to that evening. A bit over $50.00. That money was handed to the waitress as we left the place. She earned it that night.

Cat

 

[R. Richard]

It does depend on the restaurant. As a busboy I was initially to be paid below minimum wage, as stated before, but supplemented with a small portion of the tips. Our servers basically threw a fit at this, and in the end management saw more fit to give us minimum wage, but not a potion of the tips.

Though in their defense, you forgot to add that they do have to report all tips made for tax purposes.

Among other things, I used to run a bar. My waitresses and bartenders were required to 'report tips.' Right, they 'reported tips.' The IRS had a guideline, at least at that time, of the minimum amount required to be reported [unless the waitress could prove a lower tip amount.] To my shock and awe, each of my waitresses made exactly the minimum amount of tips required to be reported on a night by night basis.

 

[SlickTony]

Would a cab driver give a lower fee if you brought your own gas?

Nowadays, he might. Who knows?

I once worked as a bartender, so I am mindful of tipping when I go somewhere. On the other hand, I hate it when a place that used to be set up so that you ordered at the counter and then came up to retrieve your food when it was ready changed it so that when the food was ready, it was brought to you, because it meant I had to leave something on the table...

That was an interesting job, bartending. I started out wearing sundresses and got minimal tips. Once I switched to short running shorts and tank tops with nothing underneath (this was 25 years and 45 lbs ago) it was amazing how much more fell into my tip jar, especially when I handled ice.

I give the people who cut my hair about $3 or $4. I have never tipped the postman. For all I know he's making more than I do.

 

[colddiesel]

This thread is entirely American so I'll throw in some facts from a country where tipping is the exception following outstanding service.

In Australia ( New South Wales) We have a strongly policed minimum wage. The rate for waiting staff is $13.92/hour at age 21. Casual rates are an additional 20%. Rates for 16 to 20 year olds vary from 65% to 90% of the age 21 rate. There is therefore less incliation to tip because that cost is built into the bill.

 

[SlickTony]

That makes it simple. I like it. Especially when the built-into-the-bill amount tends to be less than I'd tip on my own.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

In the Old Days restaurants were notorious for over-reporting tips; that is, servers were credited with enough tips to nullify the 'guaranteed wage,' and the restaurant was off the hook for the money, regardless of whether you made the tips or not.