Tipping

[SalixIncendium]

I tip 20%+, often up to 50% or more, because I know how much servers make and how hard they work. I've at times had my credit card company send me an email asking me if I made a mistake.

What I find interesting is I'm now asked at Panera to tip. Maybe I'm missing something, but since Panera has no servers, how is asking for a tip ethical? Is there a change in ethics that I'm unaware of?

 

[Subduction Zone]

So do the waiters. It ensures that the restaurant can't steal the tips in some way.

I don't carry cash at all these days. Symptom of a modern age I guess.

And they do not have to report all of it on their taxes.

 

[SalixIncendium]

It's very simple. Restaurants should pay a living wage to their employees and recoup that expense through the price of the food. If they want to present it as some kind of "service charge" I guess that's OK, I have some misgivings, but so long as the living wage comes first I'll not argue.

Before someone says it, I recognize that changing the system would be a huge task.

That's it. Comments please. Be polite, I intend to.

As an afterthought to what I said, I think doing so would result in a significant price increase due to the restaurant's payroll expenses.

While I agree servers should be paid more, customers who care should consider when leaving a tip that they do not, and I think if one can afford to do so, they should leave what they can to compensate for the cringe behavior of people that are selfish misers.

 

[Subduction Zone]

We have every kind of tax in MI.

Smart. That makes them easier to raise. Somehow my state avoided that one. Ten percent sales tax though. And it used to be close to seven.

 

[Revoltingest]

A good waiter, just like a good salesman, will make you want what they want you to want, whiles all along making you feel like you are the one calling all the shots.

Perhaps you’ve just had highly skilled waiters who master the art of persuasion to a t…?

Either that

• Or, your waiter is not the sharpest of souls and hasn’t understood that - as it is customary for us to tip in percentage - the higher the guest’s bill, the greater his tip will be.
• Or, your waiter’s hourly pay is good enough for them not to care how little they take home in tips and therefore they have no interest in what your bill amounts to.

Humbly,
Hermit

This post shows remarkable cynicism

Smart. That makes them easier to raise. Somehow my state avoided that one. Ten percent sales tax though. And it used to be close to seven.

Our sales tax was 4%.
Then 5%.
Now 6%.
I wonder what's next?

 

[Subduction Zone]

Our sales tax was 4%.
Then 5%.
Now 6%.
I wonder what's next?

7%.

 

[John53]

I love the logic of.... if we don't tip, prices will go up.

 

[SalixIncendium]

I love the logic of.... if we don't tip, prices will go up.

Why thank you!

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

What are you implying? Are you trying to say those Hooters girls are not really into my 65 years old body? I may have to report your post

Oh, they're into you. I was talking about how they have to act with everyone else.

 

[Subduction Zone]

Oh, they're into you. I was talking about how they have to act with everyone else.

That must be true. since that is the same thing that they told me. Such a relief.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I love the logic of.... if we don't tip, prices will go up.

Reminds me of what a local restaurant chain did: a few years ago, they decided that they would add an ""Honest to Goodness" fee of 3% onto everything as a way of "keeping prices low."

 

[John53]

Reminds me of what a local restaurant chain did: a few years ago, they decided that they would add an ""Honest to Goodness" fee of 3% onto everything as a way of "keeping prices low."

Nice of them. An advertising agency got a fortune to come up with that.

Sounds like a supermarket chain here. My wife has blueberries with yoghurt for breakfast every morning, the frozen berries she likes were $4 a bag at the beginning of the year. They went up to $6 a bag and the supermarket has a sign on them saying "blueberries $6.50 now $6, prices are down and staying down".

 

[Subduction Zone]

Nice of them. An advertising agency got a fortune to come up with that.

Sounds like a supermarket chain here. My wife has blueberries with yoghurt for breakfast every morning, the frozen berries she likes were $4 a bag at the beginning of the year. They went up to $6 a bag and the supermarket has a sign on them saying "blueberries $6.50 now $6, prices are down and staying down".

 

[Hermit Philosopher]

This post shows remarkable cynicism.

Hmm… I mean, yes …but realism too, no? They are, after all, just trying to make their living.

And, the art of persuasion -if done well- is pleasant for all parties, right?


Humbly,
Hermit

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

I am sure some of their customers think that is a bargain.

I am astonished at the price of beer when you consider the minimal cost of the ingredients, and production costs.

 

[Alien826]

The restaurants aren't the ones stealing tips
in my (limited) experience. It's government
that takes the biggest bite.

There have been cases of restaurants not passing on all the money that people give in tips.

 

[Alien826]

A good waiter, just like a good salesman, will make you want what they want you to want, whiles all along making you feel like you are the one calling all the shots.

Perhaps you’ve just had highly skilled waiters who master the art of persuasion to a t…?

Either that

• Or, your waiter is not the sharpest of souls and hasn’t understood that - as it is customary for us to tip in percentage - the higher the guest’s bill, the greater his tip will be.
• Or, your waiter’s hourly pay is good enough for them not to care how little they take home in tips and therefore they have no interest in what your bill amounts to.

Humbly,
Hermit

Well that's an interesting theory, but my experience, and I eat out a lot, is that the typical conversation goes "Have you decided what you want to order?" "Yes, I'll have the steak". How would you like that cooked?" "Medium rare please" "I'll be right back". I must have missed the mind control somehow.

 

[Alien826]

I am sure some of their customers think that is a bargain.

I am astonished at the price of beer when you consider the minimal cost of the ingredients, and production costs.

It's a joke.

There's a huge markup on drinks in restaurants. I just paid $4:50 for an IPA that I could buy in the supermarket for $1:50. If you want to save money, stick to water and have a drink when you get home.

 

[Alien826]

I tip 20%+, often up to 50% or more, because I know how much servers make and how hard they work. I've at times had my credit card company send me an email asking me if I made a mistake.

What I find interesting is I'm now asked at Panera to tip. Maybe I'm missing something, but since Panera has no servers, how is asking for a tip ethical? Is there a change in ethics that I'm unaware of?

Well, there is the person that takes your order and the cooks. Tips are often shared between the servers and other staff.

On the subject of Panera and ethics, there was a class action suit against them a while back. They were advertising a $1 delivery charge and not telling people that the prices on the delivery menu were higher than those charged in the restaurant. I'm not sure how it was settled, but now they tell you about the higher prices on the web site where you order.

 

[Alien826]

I love the logic of.... if we don't tip, prices will go up.

The question is of course, by how much?

One problem is that an increase in salary for the staff involves an increase in other things the restaurant mast pay, like FICA. For non-US residents, that's a tax paid by both employer and employee to fund Social Security (government pensions) and Medicare (Health insurance for retirees). That doesn't happen with tips. The extra tax just applies to income tax on the staff member.