Tipping Takes A Hit
As the recession continues, families everywhere are trying to save money and many businesses are taking a hit.
One big problem is that people are tipping less and because wait staff and hospitality workers make most of their money from tips, it’s causing big problems.
The Associated Press said that 15 percent is the minimum for just being served at restaurants, while 20 percent is fair for good service.
If you can’t afford to tip at an expensive restaurant, you may want to consider a cheaper one.
Skycaps should get tipped $1 per bag and taxi drivers should get a 15-percent tip.
Reader Reactions
For those who think tips are ‘under the table’ income, I would suggest they review the minimum wage laws. A nice summary of these laws are posted publicly at most companies. Service personnel, such as waitstaff, may earn less than minimum wage, provided that gratuities and tips bring them up to at least minimum wage. If tips don’t bring them up to this level, then the restaurant, or other employer, needs to make up the difference.
That said, I agree with the general sentiment here. I will not tip for poor service. There are hardworking, competent, even excellent waitstaff, and I have no problem tipping even 50% of the bill in that case.
But the staff of most restaurants I have been in do not seem to care about their customers. Slow service, I once had to wait over an hour to be seated when I was the only customer in the restaurant and the food, when delivered, was cold, waiters (or barbers) who do not pay attention to the order, and numerous similar activities will keep me from tipping at all.
A tip is something earned.
It is not a right.
Please do not forget about the tipping of delivery persons for food industry also (Pizza etc.) they work just as hard for their jobs also.
I left a tip on the table for the server. when I left I payed with a credit card, they added a tip to the total on the slip after I left. I won’t go there again!
Just to let everyone know, I have waited tables for 18 of my 34 years. Being a server is not an easy job and if you think it is then maybe you should try it for a month. When I go out I want to be served in the manner that I take care of my customers. People that are stuck in the dark ages and only tip 10% need a reality check. My bills have gone up just like yours has. For those of you that think that we hide money under the table and don’t report all of our tips, I can tell you that I claim 100% of my tips. If you can’t afford to tip for the quality of service you get , then go to McDonalds where they don’t have to be friendly. I generally recieve on average 20% of my sales, and those of you that don’t tip appropriately just bring down that average. For those of you that realize the lengths that I go to to make your experience exceptional “THANK YOU”
It wouldn’t even cost that much to make the change. A typical family-style restaurant could easily pay a waiter $10-$12 an hour simply by increasing the price of every meal $1.
Sure the waiters will miss that pot of under-the-table gold, but they’ll also be shouldering a more equitable portion of the tax load, which is better for the rest of us.
They’ll also be guaranteed a fair wage for their time, with a little more personal dignity, and be able to collect unemployment if laid off.
PAY SERVERS MORE, AND YOUR SERVice WILL SUFFER. If you didn’t have to tip at a resturant you would lose 3 ways.
1st you will pay more for your food, $2-$5per entree.
2nd Servers will have more tables to wait on to save money.
3rd Why would a server give good service?
Tips are servers bread and butter. Please Tip!
I agree, Landru. I’ve always felt that the wait staff should be paid no less than minimum wage. No other business owner gets to pay their employees less because of tips from the public. The tips should NOT be expected. They should be EARNED and given accordingly. Just because the owner knows that the general public tips their staff they feel like it’s their right to take hard earned wages from their employees and depend on us to pay their wage for them. I also won’t tip a certain percentage just because someone deems it’s the correct amount. I used to wait tables so I know how hard I worked and how hard I want my waiter to work for me. That’s how I determine my tip.
“One BIG PROBLEM is that people are tipping less and because wait staff and hospitality workers make most of their money from tips, it’s causing BIG PROBLEMS.“
That makes things clear: There’s a BIG PROBLEM.
But the real problem is tipping itself. It shouldn’t be my problem to pay someone else’s employees, with money that won’t get claimed for tax purposes. Restaurants should pay their wait staffs wages commensurate with the work performed, and price the meals accordingly.
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