Comments on: Do Waiters Always Deserve the Tip? http://moneyning.com/personal/do-waiters-always-deserve-the-tip/ A personal finance blog where we share insights on carefully saving money, investing, frugal living, coupons, promo codes because the little things matter in achieving financial freedom! Fri, 25 May 2012 02:12:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Mario http://moneyning.com/personal/do-waiters-always-deserve-the-tip/comment-page-2/#comment-71809 Mario Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:46:51 +0000 http://blog.davidmillions.com/2007/04/do-waiters-always-deserve-the-tip/#comment-71809 I used to be a bartender and waiter and a damn good one at that. I was paid the minimum at the time, so I made sure to WORK for my tips. Always courteous, always with a smile, always remembering customers. But I am shaking my head at some of you servers who EXPECT 20% just because you guys have a lot to do. Seriously? For all you know, it's that customer's first experience at that restaurant and just because you had a lousy experience at a previous table or have personal problems ruining your day, automatically everyone after should be tipping you like crazy? Sorry, but I have sympathy for all bartenders and waiters, but I draw a line as well. I usually tip a minimum of 20% for decent service, 25% for excellent service or even more... but if you are giving me crappy service, please don't expect the 15%. Yes, I've been there. I've been that guy that gave exceptional service and got 5% and sometimes not even that, but I'd take it in stride and move on to the next table and try to do my best all over again. But I never had an entitlement mentality about it where I just expected people to give me a percentage everytime, because at that point, that only indicates complacency and that's the last thing I wanted to be known for. I wanted to be the bartender/waiter that everyone wanted to go to. That usually meant more money in my pocket at the end of the night. I used to be a bartender and waiter and a damn good one at that. I was paid the minimum at the time, so I made sure to WORK for my tips. Always courteous, always with a smile, always remembering customers.

But I am shaking my head at some of you servers who EXPECT 20% just because you guys have a lot to do. Seriously? For all you know, it’s that customer’s first experience at that restaurant and just because you had a lousy experience at a previous table or have personal problems ruining your day, automatically everyone after should be tipping you like crazy?

Sorry, but I have sympathy for all bartenders and waiters, but I draw a line as well. I usually tip a minimum of 20% for decent service, 25% for excellent service or even more… but if you are giving me crappy service, please don’t expect the 15%.

Yes, I’ve been there. I’ve been that guy that gave exceptional service and got 5% and sometimes not even that, but I’d take it in stride and move on to the next table and try to do my best all over again. But I never had an entitlement mentality about it where I just expected people to give me a percentage everytime, because at that point, that only indicates complacency and that’s the last thing I wanted to be known for.

I wanted to be the bartender/waiter that everyone wanted to go to. That usually meant more money in my pocket at the end of the night.

]]> By: kay http://moneyning.com/personal/do-waiters-always-deserve-the-tip/comment-page-1/#comment-71396 kay Sat, 28 Jan 2012 18:31:13 +0000 http://blog.davidmillions.com/2007/04/do-waiters-always-deserve-the-tip/#comment-71396 While I would never not tip at high-end restaurants, your perspective on tipping is something to which I subscribe. Denigrating someone who disagrees with your opinion is disgraceful and immature at best. That is why I respectfully disagree with your thoughts about not tipping period. I belicve that a person should tip, but that it is at the discretion of the customer. While adding an automatic gratuity into the bill would be a nice thing for servers, staff members, and customers , food would become more expensive and service would go down a bit. Servers would know that they would be guaranteed a 20% tip regardless of service rendered instead of having to provide good service and hope to get a decent tip. I have read that servers and other restaurant staff members have to be given minimum wage if their tips do not give them that minimum wage. I suppose if they do an exceptional job, anything that they earn, above minimum wage, is extra money for them. Not too bad to have extra disposable income for simply doing their job well. While I would never not tip at high-end restaurants, your perspective on tipping is something to which I subscribe. Denigrating someone who disagrees with your opinion is disgraceful and immature at best. That is why I respectfully disagree with your thoughts about not tipping period. I belicve that a person should tip, but that it is at the discretion of the customer. While adding an automatic gratuity into the bill would be a nice thing for servers, staff members, and customers , food would become more expensive and service would go down a bit. Servers would know that they would be guaranteed a 20% tip regardless of service rendered instead of having to provide good service and hope to get a decent tip. I have read that servers and other restaurant staff members have to be given minimum wage if their tips do not give them that minimum wage. I suppose if they do an exceptional job, anything that they earn, above minimum wage, is extra money for them. Not too bad to have extra disposable income for simply doing their job well.

]]> By: kay http://moneyning.com/personal/do-waiters-always-deserve-the-tip/comment-page-1/#comment-71394 kay Sat, 28 Jan 2012 18:07:45 +0000 http://blog.davidmillions.com/2007/04/do-waiters-always-deserve-the-tip/#comment-71394 Doesn't your manager have to pay you minimum wage when your salary does not come out to be minimum wage? So in that case, what is your complaint? I've been to a lot of restaurants where the prices go up every few months, the portion sizes are smaller, or the quality of the food has lowered. Are you servers receiving raises every few months and this is the reason why all of these things have occurred? I must say, I was completely unaware that you all have to share a portion of your tips with other staff members. While I feel sorry that you are paid such low wages and you have to share your tips with others, my feelings remain that tipping is at my discretion and that you should be thankful for any amount of tip. That could be the only amount of money that someone could afford to leave. If it were not for the customer, you all would not have a job. So please don't tell us to eat elsewhere. Doesn’t your manager have to pay you minimum wage when your salary does not come out to be minimum wage? So in that case, what is your complaint? I’ve been to a lot of restaurants where the prices go up every few months, the portion sizes are smaller, or the quality of the food has lowered. Are you servers receiving raises every few months and this is the reason why all of these things have occurred? I must say, I was completely unaware that you all have to share a portion of your tips with other staff members. While I feel sorry that you are paid such low wages and you have to share your tips with others, my feelings remain that tipping is at my discretion and that you should be thankful for any amount of tip. That could be the only amount of money that someone could afford to leave. If it were not for the customer, you all would not have a job. So please don’t tell us to eat elsewhere.

]]> By: Helen http://moneyning.com/personal/do-waiters-always-deserve-the-tip/comment-page-1/#comment-70601 Helen Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:48:21 +0000 http://blog.davidmillions.com/2007/04/do-waiters-always-deserve-the-tip/#comment-70601 There's only one place which I don't tip, it is the restaurant that I use to work at for my first job. The reason I don't tip is I know what happens to tips there: Waiters/waitresses don't keep any of their tips, the owner does. He states that all tips are "to the house", and we don't need a cut of it because we were paid enough. Anything over 50 dollars is to be kept by him, and if we need to purchase products like cleaning supplies or extra food products for the restaurant, then we need to use our tip money to buy it at the grocery market. And why am I gonna leave a 10 dollar tip for the good service if the server can't keep any of it? Well anyway the whole staff except for the cooks quit after that, the only "Server" is the owner. Unfortunately I didn't tip him because I figured since he was the owner he didn't need it, besides, when I asked for some food and smiled at him he scowled and threw my plate at me, and I was given a broken cup that I didn't tell him about (I was a bit afraid to say it because of how he threw my plate so I just drank with a napkin around it). I was even afraid to look him in the eye, he's very intimidating. Any way now I'm banned from the restaurant because I didn't tip and I guess that's okay (He didn't need to chase me down in the parking lot though). But I always leave tips for businesses, and I try to leave it in cash because my waiter-friends always say that they really don't receive the credit tips. Servers always work as hard as they can for their tips, so it's always unfair when they don't receive any of tips they've earned. And food service jobs are especially hard; it's hard to deal with customers...it's even harder to deal with customers who are hungry. There’s only one place which I don’t tip, it is the restaurant that I use to work at for my first job. The reason I don’t tip is I know what happens to tips there: Waiters/waitresses don’t keep any of their tips, the owner does. He states that all tips are “to the house”, and we don’t need a cut of it because we were paid enough. Anything over 50 dollars is to be kept by him, and if we need to purchase products like cleaning supplies or extra food products for the restaurant, then we need to use our tip money to buy it at the grocery market. And why am I gonna leave a 10 dollar tip for the good service if the server can’t keep any of it? Well anyway the whole staff except for the cooks quit after that, the only “Server” is the owner. Unfortunately I didn’t tip him because I figured since he was the owner he didn’t need it, besides, when I asked for some food and smiled at him he scowled and threw my plate at me, and I was given a broken cup that I didn’t tell him about (I was a bit afraid to say it because of how he threw my plate so I just drank with a napkin around it). I was even afraid to look him in the eye, he’s very intimidating. Any way now I’m banned from the restaurant because I didn’t tip and I guess that’s okay (He didn’t need to chase me down in the parking lot though). But I always leave tips for businesses, and I try to leave it in cash because my waiter-friends always say that they really don’t receive the credit tips. Servers always work as hard as they can for their tips, so it’s always unfair when they don’t receive any of tips they’ve earned. And food service jobs are especially hard; it’s hard to deal with customers…it’s even harder to deal with customers who are hungry.

]]> By: chads http://moneyning.com/personal/do-waiters-always-deserve-the-tip/comment-page-1/#comment-69396 chads Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:54:49 +0000 http://blog.davidmillions.com/2007/04/do-waiters-always-deserve-the-tip/#comment-69396 At the place I work at, the servers at the end of the night, they have to tip out 1% to front of house, 1% to the EXPO and another 1% to bartender. They are also expected to claim 12% for tax purposes. However, this does not come from their tips it is taken from their total sales of the night which can be really high if they had a lot of tables. But because they have to tip out from their total sales, if they are not tipped or not tipped well which happens quite a lot because of sure enough sterotypes and assholes that already decided not tip even if they were given the best service ever, the server still has to tip out from their total sales. So if they don't get tipped they still have to give out the percentages meaning they end up having to pay out of pocket because they tip out according to total sales for the evening. At the place I work at, the servers at the end of the night, they have to tip out 1% to front of house, 1% to the EXPO and another 1% to bartender. They are also expected to claim 12% for tax purposes. However, this does not come from their tips it is taken from their total sales of the night which can be really high if they had a lot of tables. But because they have to tip out from their total sales, if they are not tipped or not tipped well which happens quite a lot because of sure enough sterotypes and assholes that already decided not tip even if they were given the best service ever, the server still has to tip out from their total sales. So if they don’t get tipped they still have to give out the percentages meaning they end up having to pay out of pocket because they tip out according to total sales for the evening.

]]> By: EMoney http://moneyning.com/personal/do-waiters-always-deserve-the-tip/comment-page-1/#comment-66729 EMoney Tue, 27 Dec 2011 17:32:53 +0000 http://blog.davidmillions.com/2007/04/do-waiters-always-deserve-the-tip/#comment-66729 First off there is no way in hell that you work harder being a server than the cooks I can tell you that right now...but true about the tipping people don't realize how little you make an hour they think you make minimum wage of $7.75 or something along those lines, they are sorely mistaken. First off there is no way in hell that you work harder being a server than the cooks I can tell you that right now…but true about the tipping people don’t realize how little you make an hour they think you make minimum wage of $7.75 or something along those lines, they are sorely mistaken.

]]> By: EMoney http://moneyning.com/personal/do-waiters-always-deserve-the-tip/comment-page-1/#comment-66728 EMoney Tue, 27 Dec 2011 17:29:36 +0000 http://blog.davidmillions.com/2007/04/do-waiters-always-deserve-the-tip/#comment-66728 Well, servers in the US also only make $2.65 an hour as their minimum wage so they really are surviving off of your tips. Well, servers in the US also only make $2.65 an hour as their minimum wage so they really are surviving off of your tips.

]]> By: Ash http://moneyning.com/personal/do-waiters-always-deserve-the-tip/comment-page-1/#comment-65881 Ash Fri, 23 Dec 2011 09:04:13 +0000 http://blog.davidmillions.com/2007/04/do-waiters-always-deserve-the-tip/#comment-65881 I would not wait tables if there were a set wage. I make $10/hr on average, it's not a fine dining restaurant, more like a diner. It's better than minimum wage at the mall. I do a good job, but it doesn't bother me too much when I have a table that doesnt tip, because I always get tables that tip over 20%. I don't give anyone any extra attention because I think they will tip more, because I might be wrong, and then I have wasted my time. I don't care if you don't tip because I will probably never have you in my section again, even if you eat at the restaurant all of the time. I don't care if you are rude, because other customers often hear the negativity in your voice and tip me more for it. The worst part about working in a restaurant is not the customers, it is working with the other servers. Some do not run their or others food, or refill ice/glasses/teas/sodas and get by without managers getting on to them, because there are 20 other servers who need coupons processed, food comped etc that have the attention of the managers at the time. If I only had to listen to customers, and not other employees complaining or chatting about things I don't care about my job would be much easier. I would not wait tables if there were a set wage. I make $10/hr on average, it’s not a fine dining restaurant, more like a diner. It’s better than minimum wage at the mall.

I do a good job, but it doesn’t bother me too much when I have a table that doesnt tip, because I always get tables that tip over 20%. I don’t give anyone any extra attention because I think they will tip more, because I might be wrong, and then I have wasted my time.

I don’t care if you don’t tip because I will probably never have you in my section again, even if you eat at the restaurant all of the time. I don’t care if you are rude, because other customers often hear the negativity in your voice and tip me more for it.

The worst part about working in a restaurant is not the customers, it is working with the other servers. Some do not run their or others food, or refill ice/glasses/teas/sodas and get by without managers getting on to them, because there are 20 other servers who need coupons processed, food comped etc that have the attention of the managers at the time. If I only had to listen to customers, and not other employees complaining or chatting about things I don’t care about my job would be much easier.

]]> By: thisguy http://moneyning.com/personal/do-waiters-always-deserve-the-tip/comment-page-1/#comment-65375 thisguy Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:12:29 +0000 http://blog.davidmillions.com/2007/04/do-waiters-always-deserve-the-tip/#comment-65375 I've been in the business of hospitality for over six years now, I'll tell you what, when you've done it all that tip is what makes the difference. If your doing a good job, your ass-busting gets noticed. The 2.10 an hour IS justified as thus: it covers the taxes of your tips for the week providing your offering good service. In this "case of the steak" Rainne is correct in saying, "Taking out FOOD problems on the server’s tip is absolutely NOT the way to go about that." I have a culinary degree and it's true, mistakes happen back there. It is the responsibility of the guest and the server to bring and food discrepancies to the attention of a manager. Bottom line: If the steak was ordered at 9oz and the server brought a 7oz instead without realizing (which they should have), the guest should have noticed the problem and requested a manager. I’ve been in the business of hospitality for over six years now, I’ll tell you what, when you’ve done it all that tip is what makes the difference. If your doing a good job, your ass-busting gets noticed. The 2.10 an hour IS justified as thus: it covers the taxes of your tips for the week providing your offering good service.

In this “case of the steak” Rainne is correct in saying, “Taking out FOOD problems on the server’s tip is absolutely NOT the way to go about that.” I have a culinary degree and it’s true, mistakes happen back there. It is the responsibility of the guest and the server to bring and food discrepancies to the attention of a manager. Bottom line: If the steak was ordered at 9oz and the server brought a 7oz instead without realizing (which they should have), the guest should have noticed the problem and requested a manager.

]]> By: Justyna http://moneyning.com/personal/do-waiters-always-deserve-the-tip/comment-page-1/#comment-64209 Justyna Sat, 17 Dec 2011 01:02:13 +0000 http://blog.davidmillions.com/2007/04/do-waiters-always-deserve-the-tip/#comment-64209 OMG TONY!!! Taxes are eating almost whole paycheck. You do not understand the most simple thing...Please stop commenting because it is very hard to read.... OMG TONY!!! Taxes are eating almost whole paycheck. You do not understand the most simple thing…Please stop commenting because it is very hard to read….

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