Comments on: Do waiters always deserve the tip?

By: Scott

Scott — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:51:04 +0000

Natalie,
A waiter is not an entry level, unskilled laborer. Granted, a college degree isn’t required to wait tables, but it usually requires extensive training, if not starting at a lower position and working for months to years to move up, depending on the restaurant. You can teach someone to be a cashier in less than an hour. This post was to previous responses arguing that you tip waiters but not cashiers while both provide customer service, hence the comparison. By the way, at grocery stores cashiers that are union members (which are quite frequent) get paid ridiculous amounts of money for sliding your groceries across a scanner, which takes no skill at all. Wonder why your groceries cost so much? Would you really want your server to get paid more by the restaurant to meet minimum wage (which you would still pay for when they increase menu prices to cover the increased labor cost) but not have the incentive to work quickly to satisfy your wants? And for the record, most servers are not there for a career, but are actually in college to do something different. Personally, when I go out for a nice meal I wouldn’t want someone waiting on me who is only paid minimum wage. If you are out celebrating a special event and having a $30 steak, would you really want the same level of service you get for a $2 fast food steak burrito? Because that is what you would get if you staffed restaurants with minimum wage employees who have no real incentive to work.

By: Anastasia

Anastasia — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 22:30:12 +0000

I totaly agree people dont know anything about tip system in the restaurant.
They dont know you have to give away a pretty big part of your tips to other employees in the restaurant. I worked in the restaurant where you tip out almost 6% of your total sale. If you sell 1000 dollars you tip out 60 to the bar, to bussers, to foodrunners. it is a lot. if you consider people dont tip 20% most of the times. The best it is now 15%.So you make 150 the best on your 1000 sale and you give away 60 dollars anyway. No matter what. So people should be more educated about that kind of stuff.Dont blame our server saying she or he doesnt have skills and doesnt deserve 20%. At the restaurant i work now, servers do dishes, do some prep work in the kitchen, and still get paid 2.oo dollars. If it is slow , you have 2-3 tables, you still maker 2.00 dollars. Owner doesnt want to pay to dishwasher 10$ or cook . So we do it all. So Please have more respect to servers and at least treat them nice . Thanks

By: niko

niko — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 08:45:19 +0000

ashley,
well said ….

By: kl_kl

kl_kl — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 20:07:03 +0000

For states that allow low wages for servers, the total compensation is required to meet minimum wage. So servers will make minimum wage even if we don’t tip. Serving may be difficult. But the difficulty is miniscule compared to any skilled job.

By: kl_kl

kl_kl — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 20:00:22 +0000

$2/hr, $1/hr??? Are you kidding?

In Oregon (and probably many states) servers make minimum wage, which is approaching $9/hr.

With tips servers make closer to $20/hr. That’s an insane amount of money for unskilled employment.

By: Natalie

Natalie — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 03:57:37 +0000

Why demean cashiers? Cashiers and serve staff have fundamentally different tasks to perform, so that’s a ridiculous comparison, but they are both entry-level, unskilled laborers. They didn’t spend years in graduate school, paying for a degree and sacrificing income to get better jobs, so it’s ludicrous for them to think they should earn the equivalent of people who do so . Cashiers get minimum wage, no tips. Serve staff should be satisfied when their tips meet minimum wage, which, particularly at more expensive restaurants, is possible at a much lower than 15% gratuity. I know waitstaff will hate this, but if you want more than minimum wage, develop the skills to get a different job. Our economic system is set up to reward people who use skills or talents (like the stockbroker mentioned below).

By: Zach

Zach — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:15:19 +0000

a more un thought ignorant response has never been said.

By: Zach

Zach — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:12:34 +0000

Ok, I have been waiting tables for around two years now at a mid-range place. What have I noticed about tipping? People do get uncomfortable and feel obligated when they get their bill and realize they just spent 60$ for two people and decide that they will just leave 6$ because hey thats 6$ more than I had before they got there. This is completely untrue. The six dollars gets divided out to my bartender and my bus boy(S) at the end of the night so in actuality they just gave me 5$. Less than 10%. The bottom line is that people can have their bitter opinion about tipping being an unfair practice and go to sub way or mcdonalds where YOU get the food and YOU speak directly to the cashier and YOU get your 3rd or 4th refill of soda and YOU take up your tray to the trash when finished. That is why places are called full service… you are there to be taken care of. If this isn’t provided in a timely fashion by all means do not leave 20%, but be more conscious about what the other side of the table goes through.

By: Ashley

Ashley — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 04:59:15 +0000

Wow, I must say after reading this I am absolutely appalled. It is because of people like you that servers have bad days. Because a prick like you in sitting in their section, asking for refills when you know they are running their a55es off then leaves nothing. If you think I have reduced myself to the level of a slave because I walk almost 2 miles over the night, multi-tasked by taking care of 5 tables, and managed to deal with a person like you with a smile on my face to receive your ‘tip’ then I guess I am just like any other working citizen in the world. I PROVIDE A SERVICE TO RECEIVE LEGAL TENDER (a.k.a MONEY) AS COMPENSATION FOR DOING A JOB.

What ever you do for a living… you are a slave to your own boss who fills your pockets. Do everyone a favor and go to Mcdonalds for your next meal, becuase trust me, you really don’t wanna mess with the people who bring your food.

By: garettowner

garettowner — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:08:53 +0000

i am a server with a degree in buisness and i just got my paycheck for this week it was 57 hours and it was for 52.27 that is what i make with out tips so if you think it is ok to not tip even with good service then stay the f*** home