Tipping: I can't be the only one, right?

[rOmiLaYu]

I won't disagree with the subsidy characterization but I don't know if you've thought this through. What if waiters were subject to the same minimum wage laws?
1) What do you think would happen with menu prices?

They would go up, obviously. But I'm not sure that they would increase anymore than the total bill is now with a tip.

2) Do you REALLY want minimum wage earnings serving you food?

Why not? Minimum wage earners are MAKING the food. Or at least close to it.

 

[rOmiLaYu]

I suspect people's propensity to tip is tied to whether or not they ever held a job that relied on tips. My first job in high school was as a dishwasher. The wait staff put a certain amount of their tips in a pool and split it with the rest of the staff, even the barely 15 year old who was scrubbing burned cheese off of nacho plates at 2a.m.

Then you worked at a nicer place than I did. Waitresses alone got tip money.

 

[atljetmech]

I typically ONLY give the tip....the rest is just to difficult to handle

 

[rOmiLaYu]

Insures that going forward they will take a little extra time to be sure you don’t look like you’ve been to the barber college for your cut.

So a tip is coercion money? That's like organized crime stuff, man.

"That's a nice head of hair you got there. It'd be a shame if you was to look like you've been to barber college for your cut."

~tips woman who cuts his hair~

"See you next month, Lou. Tell the wife I says hello."

 

[GeauxLSU]

Then you worked at a nicer place than I did. Waitresses alone got tip money.

It was a bar/restaurant. I worked at 4 different restaurants through school and everyone got a share of the pool. The waiter gets grief if the food is crappy or the table isn't clean, or the utensils etc., so everybody had an incentive.

 

[GeauxLSU]

They would go up, obviously. But I'm not sure that they would increase anymore than the total bill is now with a tip.

So you'd rather the price increase be NON voluntary? Crappy service, great service, burger is still $15?

 

[rOmiLaYu]

It was a bar/restaurant. I worked at 4 different restaurants through school and everyone got a share of the pool. The waiter gets grief if the food is crappy or the table isn't clean, or the utensils etc., so everybody had an incentive.

That's wild, man. I worked in a pizza joint. Cooked and cut pies for 5 years. Never once got a tip.

 

[GeauxLSU]

Why not? Minimum wage earners are MAKING the food. Or at least close to it.

I can't think of a place where tipping is customary and the cook(s) is making minimum wage. I assume that even Waffle House cooks make more than minimum wage. Could be wrong I guess.
Granted, when I think of tipping at a restaurant, I'm not thinking of waffle house.

 

[rOmiLaYu]

So you'd rather the price increase be NON voluntary? Crappy service, great service, burger is still $15?

I mean...kind of. As someone who has lived abroad - where tipping isn't a thing - to have to do it here and then get all the crap about not doing it everywhere else. Yeah, I kind of want the whole thing to burn down.

For story time, a few years ago I had a thing in NYC. I had a car pick me up (before ride share, so it's a company) at JFK and drive me into the city. I'm getting out of the car, gathering my things and the driver has already popped the trunk and gotten my bag out. He's extending the travel handle thing, hands it to me, and then extends his hand.

In retrospect, he was looking for a tip...but being Mr. Pink and not knowing it, apparently, I didn't read it that way. I saw a dude looking for a handshake so I gave it to him. He then proceeds to cuss me out. "The **** do I want a handshake for man? I got you here on time and everything and you want to shake my ********** hand??! The **** outta here with that, man." Or something along those lines.

Yeah. I don't tip.

 

[rOmiLaYu]

I can't think of a place where tipping is customary and the cook(s) is making minimum wage. I assume that even Waffle House cooks make more than minimum wage. Could be wrong I guess.

I suspect you are. I know I was for awhile.

Granted, when I think of tipping at a restaurant, I'm not thinking of waffle house.

You should be, though. Because those waitresses and waiters are making the federally approved cut rate of pay the same as the folks working at Ruth's Chris or wherever you want to think.