Tipping Etiquette

[Thedutchjelle]

We here don't tip. We pay for a product. If tipping is obligatory, then raise the price for the product. I'm not going to pay for something which isn't on the bill.

 

[Fappy]

My father may have been a coke-head, but he did teach me one valuable lesson. Tip well. I always tip at restaurants, especially to those who treated me well. I tip even better at places where I frequent often. People remember you and do you favors without your asking.

For example: Just yesterday I came into a pizza place I go to a lot. I don't know any of the people there by name, but they recognize me. The guy at the counter told me my order before I said anything ( I always order the same thing) and then threw in a free drink. He also put my order ahead of some who ordered before me. Bribery is the strongest form of flattery... or something like that.

 

[GrandmaFunk]

Even in american, if tips do not add up to at least minimum wage then the employer must make up the difference to minimum wage.
If you can't be fucked learning the law then you do not have the right to whine if people don't tip you.

Speaking of learning the law, did you know that minimum wage laws in the U.S. are state based?

did you know some states don't even have a minimum wage?

so, which state(s) has this law where employers have to pay out tips to meet minimum wage?

 

[Monkeyman O'Brien]

Speaking of learning the law, did you know that minimum wage laws in the U.S. are state based?

did you know some states don't even have a minimum wage?

so, which state(s) has this law where employers have to pay out tips to meet minimum wage?

A tipped employee engages in an occupation in which he or she customarily and regularly receives more than $30 per month in tips. An employer of a tipped employee is only required to pay $2.13 per hour in direct wages if that amount combined with the tips received at least equals the federal minimum wage. If the employee?s tips combined with the employer?s direct wages of at least $2.13 per hour do not equal the federal minimum hourly wage, the employer must make up the difference. Many states, however, require higher direct wage amounts for tipped employees.
http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/wages/wagestips.htm

I can tell you've never worked in the restaurant business. While, yes, there are harder jobs out there, the waiter/waitress' job is not just "carrying a fucking plate 20 feet".

Its not your fault that your employer doesn't pay you the correct amount, so you aren't allowed to complain. Tell me if that makes sense, mate.

Chef of nine years. So yeah, I guess you cant tell who has worked in hospitality.
And it is your fault if you are too damn lazy to learn the law and find out what you are entitled to. If you don't wanna put in the extra effort, don't go looking to others for a hand out.

 

[GrandmaFunk]

You don't see Joe Average randomly getting extra money just because he does his job like he's supposed to. :/

Joe Average? who the heck do you think works in the service industry?

 

[kortin]

Personally I don't really see the point in giving a tip to someone who's already working for their money.

You don't see Joe Average randomly getting extra money just because he does his job like he's supposed to. :/

Its not giving him money just to give him money.

Think back to your school days. At some point during that time, one of your teachers had to have rewarded you with something when you got an A+ on something, right? Maybe its just a piece of candy or something, but its a reward. Getting that piece of candy made you do what? It made you want another piece, right? Now, you realized the correlation between getting the piece of candy and getting the A+, so what did you do? You strive to get another A+ so you can get another piece of candy.

 

[Azure-Supernova]

For example: Just yesterday I came into a pizza place I go to a lot. I don't know any of the people there by name, but they recognize me. The guy at the counter told me my order before I said anything ( I always order the same thing) and then threw in a free drink. He also put my order ahead of some who ordered before me. Bribery is the strongest form of flattery... or something like that.

This might just be because I live in a small country town, but I get the same kind of service from the local pizza place. I always strike up a conversation and without leaving a tip they know my usual order and ocasionally I get a free portion of chips or a can of pop. I appreciate that the culture over there is different concerning tips but I've never quite understood why it's so accepted that no tip leads to poor service next time, that's a terrible work ethic.

 

[Fappy]

For example: Just yesterday I came into a pizza place I go to a lot. I don't know any of the people there by name, but they recognize me. The guy at the counter told me my order before I said anything ( I always order the same thing) and then threw in a free drink. He also put my order ahead of some who ordered before me. Bribery is the strongest form of flattery... or something like that.

This might just be because I live in a small country town, but I get the same kind of service from the local pizza place. I always strike up a conversation and without leaving a tip they know my usual order and ocasionally I get a free portion of chips or a can of pop. I appreciate that the culture over there is different concerning tips but I've never quite understood why it's so accepted that no tip leads to poor service next time, that's a terrible work ethic.

I didn't mean to imply that tip = being treated well. Returning costumers is guaranteed money and you can rely on them. Plus, people in the service industry are people too, so its no surprise that they'd want to be nice to someone they like. I think my point was: tipping never hurts

 

[GrandmaFunk]

a chef of nine years that considers the wait staff's job to consist solely of "carrying plates 20 feet"

your staff must've fucking loved your ass.

 

[kortin]

For example: Just yesterday I came into a pizza place I go to a lot. I don't know any of the people there by name, but they recognize me. The guy at the counter told me my order before I said anything ( I always order the same thing) and then threw in a free drink. He also put my order ahead of some who ordered before me. Bribery is the strongest form of flattery... or something like that.

This might just be because I live in a small country town, but I get the same kind of service from the local pizza place. I always strike up a conversation and without leaving a tip they know my usual order and ocasionally I get a free portion of chips or a can of pop. I appreciate that the culture over there is different concerning tips but I've never quite understood why it's so accepted that no tip leads to poor service next time, that's a terrible work ethic.

Its not. A tip is sort of a thing that encourages good service. Anyone who leaves a tip because they feel obligated to do so obviously doesn't understand the system. No one is every obligated to leave a tip. I have a friend who works as a waiter and he doesn't expect a tip, regardless of his service. He does his job and does it well. Just because of that, some people feel the need to give him some extra money as a thank you.

 

[Irridium]

-snip-

The thing is though, in the US at least, a waiter/waitress' salary is way below minimum wage (the lowest amount of money an employer can pay you). At least it was when my friend still worked as a waiter. Back then minimum was about $7/hour, and his pay was about $3/hour. The tips are the majority of their pay. Things might have changed, but I'm pretty sure tipping is their main source for money.

Fair enough, but may I ask about one thing then... What about the other lowpaying jobs? There must be other jobs that pays just as low but does not get that tip. Why tip your waiter/waitress but not... For example supermarket employees. You read a lot about them being below minimum wage... Now I do not live in the US so I cannot completly understand everything, but for me it seems strange.

For other jobs, I believe if they get payed below minimum wage that means they're working there part-time. I think minimum wage applies only to full-time jobs. Not 100% sure on that though. Things might have changed since I last had a job, which was about a year and a half ago, and it was full-time, so I got minimum wage.

 

[thiosk]

While all this discussion is wonderful--
no one has actually addressed my primary question:

what do you tip at restaurants withOUT standard table service, excluding fast food style joints?

 

[Images]

I think a tip should only be given if you excel at your job. Just doing an assigned task isn't enough. That is your JOB. It should really only be given to someone who goes beyond the base level of what they have to do the more they excel, the more they get. Going over 15% is a no no.

 

[Hulyen]

States without a minimum wage default to the national minimum wage. Service industry minimum wage is lower than the standard, because the difference is expected to be made up in tips.

Every single state has to meet or exceed the national minimum wage on both fronts, but can have a higher minimum wage.

Yes, it's a broken system, and I don't agree with it, but until it gets fixed, I'm not about to stiff the person busting their ass for low pay.

As to the original point: In those type of mostly self-serve places, I don't tip.

 

[Hulyen]

Also, if tips are expected as they are for people doing you a service then why don't you tip EVERYONE such as the person at the bank, the person in the shop, the person in the hospital.

As stated previously, in the states waiters/waitresses make a lower minimum wage than every other job out there. It's a draconian and broken system, but tipping is expected as part of their pay, and it's seen as very poor form not to do so here.