Mandatory Tipping?

[SeaCucumber]

I would've thought a thread would've been made about this before. But I will trust Google....don't let me down Google!!!

I was at a birthday dinner at a Greek restaurant last Friday and while I normally don't tip, I was completely peer pressured into tipping merely because it is "what you do"

I don't subscribe to that camp of thought whatsoever :S I find if the service is exceptional then a tip is earned. But I will not tip just because society tells me to tip. I worked at a Fish N Chips place a couple of years ago during the summer and washed dishes. Did anyone tip me? No. Was I an integral part of their service? I most definitely was.

I tipped this woman named "Flora" who came around to our table occasionally and supplied us with a couple of seconds of conversation that usually led to us having to compliment the food she apparently "came up with" to get her to leave. I found it annoying and yet because we all left at the same time, even though we were all paying separate I was practically having money pulled out of my wallet and put into this womans hands.

What do you think of so called mandatory tips? Where society says you have to tip or you are "cheap"? What motivates you to tip?

Edit: I felt like I was in the movie Reservoir Dogs! Lol

 

[Crouton]

Here in Australia you don't tip people in cafes/ restaurants. They are paid by the restaurant and tipping just isn't something we do here. If you tried to tip someone here you would probably get a lot of strange looks, even from the person you are trying to tip because it's just not normal.

I have tipped while being overseas though.

One of my friends went to America last year and she loved it, but she said the one thing she hated was tipping haha. She said you are basically expected to do it everywhere and she had never done it before. So she had trouble figuring out percentages/ how much to give etc.

 

[Zenheizer]

This is true Crouton. And the employees who get tipped deserve it! As a customary practice in the United States and many other parts of the world, if your service is traditionally tipped (i.e. server, delivery, valet, housekeeping) then you're equalized by your low salary in comparison to other jobs who do not get tips. Because customer service and satisfaction is of utmost importance and stressed in the States, tipping should happen at its finest.

I've had friends visit Europe, say they have great food but terrible customer service. USA, from me living here, and comparison to other places, just has a culture of customer service where tipping is the motivation.

I have been a delivery driver and I HATE those cheap asses who stiff me for my effort.

 

[sunrise]

If I am in a restaurant I will usually tip because as you pointed out in Reservoir Dogs that say "do you know how much they make" and usually they aren’t on the best money in the world. But as another poster pointed out I used to work as a KP and NEVER received any of the tip money collected but at the end of the day I was not customer facing so I didn't expect to be.

One place I worked I once was given a twenty pound tip from a very nice elderly couple that I had been waiting on all night and being the honest person I am I asked the hall manager where to place tips. I found out and put it in, another waiter then asked me why and pointed out I had earned it and I should have just pocketed it, I don't remember receiving any tips.

One other thing I do is if I am at the bar of somewhere and the change is anything less than fifty p I will usually walk away without the change and it is understood it is for them to keep but one incident still lives with me and then I will stop this very long ramble.

One evening I was working as a KP and there was a big group of thirty business men, there bill must have come well into the hundreds and one of them as if on a dare slapped one of the waitresses bottoms, handed her a one pound coin saying "there you go love, buy yourself something pretty", when she came back three of us wanted to batter the bloke...

 

[SeaCucumber]

This is true Crouton. And the employees who get tipped deserve it! As a customary practice in the United States and many other parts of the world, if your service is traditionally tipped (i.e. server, delivery, valet, housekeeping) then you're equalized by your low salary in comparison to other jobs who do not get tips. Because customer service and satisfaction is of utmost importance and stressed in the States, tipping should happen at its finest.

I've had friends visit Europe, say they have great food but terrible customer service. USA, from me living here, and comparison to other places, just has a culture of customer service where tipping is the motivation.

I have been a delivery driver and I HATE those cheap asses who stiff me for my effort.

Your SALARY is the motivation though isn't it? Let's face it, jobs such as delivery driving and serving aren't payed very well because they are easy to acquire and require no formal training to maintain.

And it's not like "I've never been there so I don't know how important the tips are." I do know. I delivered newspapers for a year and a half. A job that is supposedly deemed tipworthy, and many other deliverers I know received lots in tips. But I didn't. And my service was not poor in any way. I rarely ever received complaints.

And servers are payed so low because the employers factor in the fact that they will get tips, which they shouldn't. But the fact that they're paid low makes us tip them. It's a weird cycle... And what if two waitresses are doing the same job and yet one keeps getting customers who don't tip and one doesn't? Theoretically it should even out but what if it doesn't? Now it's unequal pay for the same amount of work and effort :S

If you tip the person who brings you food why don't you tip the person who brings you electricity? When an electrician comes into your home, why don't you tip him? Sure he's paid well, but he paid a lot for school and went through a lot of training to get to where he is. My server? No training.

I will never understand why some jobs deserve tips and some don't...

 

[Iris]

I think they do deserve tips. Yeah, they require no training, byt pay is so low that no one can live off of that... The electrician can.



And I only tip if the service was good.

 

[SuiGeneris]

Your SALARY is the motivation though isn't it? Let's face it, jobs such as delivery driving and serving aren't payed very well because they are easy to acquire and require no formal training to maintain.

Come to an upscale restaurant in the US and try to say that. I challenge you to get a job. I had a job at "Jack Stack BBQ," it's considered an upscale restaurant where I am, and we had a 4 page test every day for two weeks.

Plus all the classes taken as requirements for Wine, Food Safety, Customer Service, First Aid. All of which I got paid a whopping 2.15 while going through.

Tips are mandatory because these people go more out of their way and deal with all your bullshit and get paid 3 times less than the minimum wage.

(To explain, I don't mean "your bullshit" explicitely towards you, I hope you get what I'm saying.)

And it's not like "I've never been there so I don't know how important the tips are." I do know. I delivered newspapers for a year and a half. A job that is supposedly deemed tipworthy, and many other deliverers I know received lots in tips. But I didn't. And my service was not poor in any way. I rarely ever received complaints.

Since when do newspaper delivery people get tipped? Hell here they just throw the damned paper out the car window.

And servers are payed so low because the employers factor in the fact that they will get tips, which they shouldn't. But the fact that they're paid low makes us tip them. It's a weird cycle... And what if two waitresses are doing the same job and yet one keeps getting customers who don't tip and one doesn't? Theoretically it should even out but what if it doesn't? Now it's unequal pay for the same amount of work and effort :S

Welcome to the world of jobs. I work as hard if not harder than many people that make 60,000 - 70,000 dollars a year. I make...19.

If you tip the person who brings you food why don't you tip the person who brings you electricity? When an electrician comes into your home, why don't you tip him? Sure he's paid well, but he paid a lot for school and went through a lot of training to get to where he is. My server? No training.

Again, servers recieve training, especially upscale places that are known for their FOOD and SERVICE. You tip the server because they literally wait on you hand and foot. If you need something, no matter how idiotic or nonsensical the waiter gets it for you with a smile.

I will never understand why some jobs deserve tips and some don't...

Does your doctor give you anything and everything you want? I think not.

 

[Zenheizer]

Seacucumber you come out all brash and boastful but how many jobs have you had? SuiGeneris hits the nail on the head!

 

[Bosox04]

I want to preface this by saying I am a decent tipper (usually 20-25%). That being said, I have a real problem with tipping. There are two types in my eyes. General tipping (at a restaurant/bar) and mandatory tipping (where the restaurant tags on 'gratuity')


I will tip bartenders somewhere around 30% typically. By doing this, they will usually make the drinks stronger, or sometimes slip you a free one--especially since they work strictly for tips, tossing you a free beer isn't coming out of their pay--but they'll still get the tip (I hope that made sense). I will tip waiters/waitresses somewhere in the 20-25% range. I will also tip based on service. If you give me lousy service, I'll tip in the 10% range (and if it's terrible, I won't leave one--but that's rare).

Now, here's where I have the biggest problem. Restaurants in the US have started to put a mandatory gratuity on the checks for parties of 6 or more. This is utter crap. The server gets a tip based on performance...you can't automatically tell me that they are going to give me good service. You might as well call it a "My employer is too cheap to pay me" fee. If a mandatory gratuity is on a bill (which tends to be in the 8-12% range), I will refuse to leave anything else. A rule of thumb that is meant to help the server can also come back to bite them. Then again, there are some places that won't tell you this until you get your bill, and most people don't notice, and tip in the 20% range on top.

Plus all the classes taken as requirements for Wine, Food Safety, Customer Service, First Aid. All of which I got paid a whopping 2.15 while going through.

Tips are mandatory because these people go more out of their way and deal with all your bullshit and get paid 3 times less than the minimum wage.

(To explain, I don't mean "your bullshit" explicitely towards you, I hope you get what I'm saying.)

Again, servers recieve training, especially upscale places that are known for their FOOD and SERVICE. You tip the server because they literally wait on you hand and foot. If you need something, no matter how idiotic or nonsensical the waiter gets it for you with a smile.

Once again, I preface by saying I consider myself a decent tipper...however, it is the profession you chose, correct? I mean, I work in pharmaceuticals...and I deal with crappy patients all day long, and I've been through tons and tons of training. When a new drug comes out (which tends to be weekly) I have to test on it.

The point I'm making is, it is your choice to work in your field. It is not my fault that restaurant owners in the US are too damn cheap to pay you a decent wage---so they literally pawn it off on the customer. You choose to "literally wait on you hand and foot." If you aren't satisfied with it, move on to something else.

I say this with everything-if you don't like a TV show, change the channel--if you don't like a movie, don't watch it...if you don't like the food somewhere, don't eat it. If you don't like cigarette smoke, don't go to bar.

Please don't think I'm knocking your profession. I was in the service industry for many years. The point I'm making is, it's your choice to work in the industry.

It's irritating sometimes to hear from service industry people. I don't understand the concept that someone should pay you because you chose a job that is hard. It's almost a sense of entitlement. You are entitled to get that money. The concept of a tip is hard work is rewarded. Not entitled.


Try retail...I got paid less than what most servers get with tips, and I had to deal with the same group of people--but work just as hard.


Side Note:

Does your doctor give you anything and everything you want? I think not.

A doctor's job isn't to give you what you want, but give you what you need. If a doctor fails to do so, and it causes you meidical problems, they are financially liable. People may need food...they don't need to go to a dining establishment to get it. (I think that came off as a bit arrogant...and that's not how it was meant. I was just making the point that comparing a doctor to a server is like comparing apples to oranges)

 

[SuiGeneris]

Now, here's where I have the biggest problem. Restaurants in the US have started to put a mandatory gratuity on the checks for parties of 6 or more. This is utter crap. The server gets a tip based on performance...you can't automatically tell me that they are going to give me good service. You might as well call it a "My employer is too cheap to pay me" fee. If a mandatory gratuity is on a bill (which tends to be in the 8-12% range), I will refuse to leave anything else. A rule of thumb that is meant to help the server can also come back to bite them. Then again, there are some places that won't tell you this until you get your bill, and most people don't notice, and tip in the 20% range on top.

The reason why it's mandatory is because "6 tops" or more typically take up ATLEAST two tables, and when a server has a section of only say 4 tables that's half of their potential money, not to mention the fact that bigger parties tend to take longer, so you're killing more time for the server to make money.

Once again, I preface by saying I consider myself a decent tipper...however, it is the profession you chose, correct? I mean, I work in pharmaceuticals...and I deal with crappy patients all day long, and I've been through tons and tons of training. When a new drug comes out (which tends to be weekly) I have to test on it.

No actually not correct. It is not always a persons choice to work in a certain field. No offense, but that's a very naive thing to say. I have a newborn so I work where I can with my lack of a college degree. I bust my ass off with a job I hate, not because I choose to, but because I have to, to ensure that my son is taken care of.

It's very arrogant to say that we all choose where we work. Because so many people choose to work at a Ihop or Denny's. I mean I can totally see people lining up in groves to work for disrespectful and drunk people, who don't give a shit about you, and think that giving you money is rediculous.

The point I'm making is, it is your choice to work in your field. It is not my fault that restaurant owners in the US are too damn cheap to pay you a decent wage---so they literally pawn it off on the customer. You choose to "literally wait on you hand and foot." If you aren't satisfied with it, move on to something else.

Wrong again.

I say this with everything-if you don't like a TV show, change the channel--if you don't like a movie, don't watch it...if you don't like the food somewhere, don't eat it. If you don't like cigarette smoke, don't go to bar.

not eveyone has the luxury,.

Please don't think I'm knocking your profession. I was in the service industry for many years. The point I'm making is, it's your choice to work in the industry.

Uhm, is it? I know you're not knocking servers, I just largely disagree with you

It's irritating sometimes to hear from service industry people. I don't understand the concept that someone should pay you because you chose a job that is hard. Try retail...I got paid less than what most servers get with tips, and I had to deal with the same group of people--but work just as hard.

There will always be a job where you work as hard and don't make the same amount of money. I already said that. What I don't understand is how people don't think they should be paid. And don't forget, a lot of retail places pay commission.