Should you tip the waitress and how much thread

It's pointless Palum, because he's not even reading what you say. You're also full of shit Quaid - "50-75%"? Haha go roll it up and smoke it, cause that's all your bullshit is good for.

Zuuljin_sl said:

Serious question as I deal with it every so often. Where does the normal 15%-20% tipping fit into restaurants that are going into tablet ordering systems? For instance there is aStackednearby that I frequent, where you order and pay through the tablet. Servers exist just to ask if you know how to use the tablet, or for those who don't technology, but for most of my meal, no one bugs me unless I click the re-fill drink on the tablet. Then at the end of the payment process I see 3 big buttons "Tip: 10% 15% 20%". There's an 'other' of course, but its small print off in the corner. All the staff has to do is just walk my order out to me and that's it. Is that worth 20%?

I usually alternate between 15-20% just because I go there often and they recognize me, but every time I press that 20% button I feel a bit ripped off.

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Wow, the staff is walking your order to you? Way to be behind in technology.

Come to nuremberg, visit 's Baggers.



Order on a tablet, food gets fired to your table on tracks.

OneofOne_sl said:

It's pointless Palum, because he's not even reading what you say. You're also full of shit Quaid - "50-75%"? Haha go roll it up and smoke it, cause that's all your bullshit is good for.

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I'm sorry... Aren't you Australian? And you're telling me what North American tip culture consists of? I'm a 15 year veteran of the hospitality industry. It is extremely rare that servers see more than 75% of the tips guests leave.

Goof.

Aussie? No, there's another guy here named OneOne (I'm flattered, really guy) perhaps you're thinking of. Regardless, while I don't have 15 years experience, I do have relatives who are Servers currently, as well as dating one for several years (how the hell do you think I know that big boobs = ridiculous tips?), so I know a tad. First, tipping out to staff doesn't happen everywhere (though it should). And when it does, I've not heard of it EVER being as high as 50%. Seriously, back that shit up.

And when someone comes in and talks about the "service" they received being the initial order taken, and the bill being brought - and that's all - and I mention you get more service at Macy's, and you retort with "you've no idea how hard servers work!!111!!!", it just shows you are too interested in pushing your beliefs without actually paying attention to what's being said.

Even so, it's an argument you can't ever win, because as hard as you think service staff work, there are far more demanding jobs out there that don't receive tips and are paid less. Just be happy ya'll often get paid WAY too much for what you do, say "thanks bros!", and move on.

Quaid_sl said:

And anyone who thinks a retail job is anywhere near as demanding as a waiter/waitressing job, both physically and emotionally, needs to give their head a shake.

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LOL.

I have this image that you view waiting on tables through the lens of some Lifetime miniseries restaurant in NJ/NYC with fat Italian dudes in wife-beaters that backhand the poor waitresses who are all underprivileged single mothers who live around the corner in a dumpster.

Zuuljin_sl said:

Serious question as I deal with it every so often. Where does the normal 15%-20% tipping fit into restaurants that are going into tablet ordering systems? For instance there is aStackednearby that I frequent, where you order and pay through the tablet. Servers exist just to ask if you know how to use the tablet, or for those who don't technology, but for most of my meal, no one bugs me unless I click the re-fill drink on the tablet. Then at the end of the payment process I see 3 big buttons "Tip: 10% 15% 20%". There's an 'other' of course, but its small print off in the corner. All the staff has to do is just walk my order out to me and that's it. Is that worth 20%?

I usually alternate between 15-20% just because I go there often and they recognize me, but every time I press that 20% button I feel a bit ripped off.

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I would probably tip 10% if it's not full service and only partial service.

OneofOne_sl said:

It's pointless Palum, because he's not even reading what you say. You're also full of shit Quaid - "50-75%"? Haha go roll it up and smoke it, cause that's all your bullshit is good for.

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If you sell $1000 worth of food, you are probably earning about $170 in tips. In a lot of places, you're tipping out 1% of sales to the bartender, food runner, busboys. This essentially drops your earnings to 70%. Some places have you tip out 10% of your tips to each of the listed people. So if you made $170, then $17 goes to each person so you're now earning $119.

That's not even going on to fine dining places that have matre'd that get tipped out or places that tip out to Hostesses. If you're smart, you're always tipping out more to these people (except bartenders). Bussers bus faster, you get more tables. Food Runners bring out more stuff when they drop the food off. Hostesses give you better tables etc.

Then even fancier places have head waiters, and other support waiters that divvy up the tips as well.

So yeah, you never earn 100% of your tips in any restaurant that has any kind of support staff.

Draegan_sl said:

If you sell $1000 worth of food, you are probably earning about $170 in tips. In a lot of places, you're tipping out 1% of sales to the bartender, food runner, busboys. This essentially drops your earnings to 70%. Some places have you tip out 10% of your tips to each of the listed people. So if you made $170, then $17 goes to each person so you're now earning $119.

That's not even going on to fine dining places that have matre'd that get tipped out or places that tip out to Hostesses. If you're smart, you're always tipping out more to these people (except bartenders). Bussers bus faster, you get more tables. Food Runners bring out more stuff when they drop the food off. Hostesses give you better tables etc.

Then even fancier places have head waiters, and other support waiters that divvy up the tips as well.

So yeah, you never earn 100% of your tips in any restaurant that has any kind of support staff.

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I like how servers micromanage the entire staff with their tips so they actually do their job. Is a restaurant owner doing anything in the US besides counting the money?

Quineloe_sl said:

Is a restaurant owner doing anything in the US besides counting the money?

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Once again, restaurants are a very thin business in the US. They fail, a lot. Hard. Often. It takes many years to get a place into the black and most owners spend their lives working constantly. I really think many of the people in this thread think of restaurants as big corporate chains, which as mentioned are driving good unique local joints out of business in many areas. The chains can absorb poor performing individual franchises on a macro level and still make money. And that's worth it to them because they are overall better off by having extreme market saturation.

At any rate, this tipping issue is apparently as bad as religion or politics. You cheapshits are very rigid in your thinking despite the hard facts presented by Draegan and Quaid.

It reminds me of piracy. You can rationalize the hell out of it but at the end of the day the reason people do it is because with the option of easily not spending money or spending some money, people opt to not spend anything. So do your mental gymnastics rationalizing away all your wonderful reasons you don't "believe in tipping". But it would be really nice once in a while if anti-tippers and pirates would just admit that they hate letting go of a single extra dollar if its not absolutely necessary.

(Disclaimer: I pirate the hell out of music. Don't care. Also don't pirate anything else though, including games.)

Famm_sl said:

At any rate, this tipping issue is apparently as bad as religion or politics. You cheapshits are very rigid in your thinking despite the hard facts presented by Draegan and Quaid.

It reminds me of piracy. You can rationalize the hell out of it but at the end of the day the reason people do it is because with the option of easily not spending money or spending some money, people opt to not spend anything. So do your mental gymnastics rationalizing away all your wonderful reasons you don't "believe in tipping". But it would be really nice once in a while if anti-tippers and pirates would just admit that they hate letting go of a single extra dollar if its not absolutely necessary.

(Disclaimer: I pirate the hell out of music. Don't care. Also don't pirate anything else though, including games.)

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So I have to drink the KoolAid and agree with a retarded system or swear off dining in the US? No, I think I'll just continue to point out how retarded it is.

EDIT: Let me clarify. I have no problem with 'tipping' as a concept. I tip all the time. For instance, when dudes deliver furniture. It's their job, but I know they deserve more than they invariably get paid when I make them shimmy a dresser into a retarded corner. Of course, I also tip in restaurants. Except in restaurants, it's dumb because there's '15%' that's expected. Not 'yea they did extra for me' but they didtheir fucking joband I'm expected to pay them as though they were my independent sub-contractor instead of a restaurant employee. It's just dumb.

Quineloe_sl said:

I like how servers micromanage the entire staff with their tips so they actually do their job. Is a restaurant owner doing anything in the US besides counting the money?

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You do realize that "counting the money" is pretty much a full time job at even a single restaurant and is usually only item #1 on a long list of an owners responsibilities, right?

Pointing out your complaint? Or using it to excuse being a cheapass who won't participate or punishes the employees who didn't create it? Two different things. You can bitch about it all you want but when people decide they won't do it or nickel and dime over stupid bullshit its just penny pinching. Have fun counting your money, Scrooge.

Non-tippers are free-riders in a system that benefits them. No matter the logical problems with the systems in place, this reality persists. They just don't like to admit it.

It is possible to both tip and still think the system is shitty. There is no doubt that non-tippers are scum. However, the tipping system is shitty and should be gotten rid of.

Famm_sl said:

Pointing out your complaint? Or using it to excuse being a cheapass who won't participate or punishes the employees who didn't create it? Two different things. You can bitch about it all you want but when people decide they won't do it or nickel and dime over stupid bullshit its just penny pinching. Have fun counting your money, Scrooge.

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I very rarely don't tip, because that's the way things are. I'm paying other people's employees because of some nebulous distinction between bringing food to a table and... every other occupation in the US. But yea, bro, challenging something on a conceptual level is DOOMING THE ENTIRE SOCIETY! I found a website more friendly to your logic:The Flat Earth Society - Index

khalid_sl said:

It is possible to both tip and still think the system is shitty. There is no doubt that non-tippers are scum. However, the tipping system is shitty and should be gotten rid of.

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Totally agreed. It's just not going to happen until the current food consumption/value perception culture exists. A Burger and fries SHOULD cost $15+. Your server SHOULD be getting paid $18/hour. But until then, shut the fuck up and pay your %15 like every other non-aspie in the world.

Palum_sl said:

I very rarely don't tip, because that's the way things are. I'm paying other people's employees because of some nebulous distinction between bringing food to a table and... every other occupation in the US. But yea, bro, challenging something on a conceptual level is DOOMING THE ENTIRE SOCIETY! I found a website more friendly to your logic:The Flat Earth Society - Index

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You're the one escalating this shit into extremes. I never said the world will end, just that people who don't tip are tightwads and shouldn't try to pass it off as some moral high ground.

Quaid_sl said:

A Burger and fries SHOULD cost $15+.

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Right, so I'll stay home and cook.

Arbitrary_sl said:

Right, so I'll stay home and cook.

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You illustrate my point perfectly. Thanks.