I wonder if people realize...

[Gameface]

I'm not rich

 

[bigb]

What I dislike about tipping is the expectation, like it's an automatic. If it truly depended on the service, I would feel differently. But how many people give significantly less or more than the regular 15 -20%?

 

[Gameface]

What I dislike about tipping is the expectation, like it's an automatic. If it truly depended on the service, I would feel differently. But how many people give significantly less or more than the regular 15 -20%?

Probably not many. But like I've already said a couple times, I got Jack for tips working at a steakhouse. I quit because I wasn't earning enough to pay for gas and I was getting taxed for more than I was making.

 

[fishonjazz]

I totally ain't a gay and I can tell you; if you like the taste of meat in your mouth how it got there and where it came from matters. Not caring, that's how people get aids.

That's what makes ruths chris so good.
They get the best quality meat that there is

 

[colton]

Eh, to each his own. I realize American men have this machismo about how well they can barbecue meat (Freud told me you're all most likely closet gay), but I've never cooked or seen anyone cook a steak anywhere near as good using conventional methods.

There's a reason top steakhouses don't use coals or smokers. Those are now for county fairs and carnivals.

I've never had a steak at a restaurant that's as good as what I can cook myself with a high quality piece of meat (Costco) and my charcoal Weber grill. Seriously, it's to the point where I no longer order steak ever when I go to restaurants. And I don't even do any of the aging stuff that Loggrad has posted about here in the past.

 

[♪alt13]

That's what makes ruths chris so good.
They get the best quality meat that there is

 

[Nate505]

I like tipping. If the waiter was paid wholly by their employer they would be less friendly imo. I tip well(1/3 to 1/2). If the waiter is a complete douche I tell them why they aren't getting a tip.(I've only done that a couple times)

I wish tipping was customary for more service jobs. Nurses are a great example. My childs nurse is really nice but I have had some horrid ones. It would be nice if they were "bribed" to be pleasant.

If the guy was paid a regular salary, like most everyone else on the planet, nothing is stopping you from tipping them. We tipped people in Europe all the time. Just not an exorbitant amount, because their salary was rolled into the price of the meal.

If he sucks at his job he will be laid off, like most everyone else on the planet.

Customers should not control an employees wage directly, much like companies should expect customers to pay 20% more on top of their bill for the labor component of their business.

 

[Nate505]

I like the tipping system. Like I said, I was a waiter at a steakhouse. I sucked at it. I'd go home with less then gas money...I found a different kind of work that I was better at. So the tipping system improved service at that establishment.

Tipping absolutely encourages better service.

Also, at places where I'm a regular I get preferential treatment because I tip well, and I like that because I'm not the schmoozy kind of guy that would get that treatment otherwise.

TIPS stands for "to insure prompt service"

The downside of that is that you're salary is completely dependent on 10-30 (or whatever) people's attitudes, some who may not tip at all, like my Grandmother who grew up in the Depression and was a total tight wad.

Or hell, someone is just having a bad day and cheaps out on the tip. At the restaurant I worked at one many days it just seemed like the luck of the draw on whether the server got paid well or not (which trickled down to me as a buser...part of the reason I hate the idea of tipping is that I sort of enjoy having a consistent salary, yet only in the food service industry is that idea frowned upon in terms of salaried employees).

Also, when did 20% become the standard for tipping? I could have sworn it was 15% when I was a kid. At some point is it going to get to 30%?

 

[colton]

Also, when did 20% become the standard for tipping? I could have sworn it was 15% when I was a kid. At some point is it going to get to 30%?

It was definitely 15% when I was a kid. I think the 20% guideline is a conspiracy so I still do 15% unless the service is just exemplary.

 

[Maneesh]

I have a food bill of 525 and tax is 576 on Tuesday. I give 120. I know this waiter is rich.

 

[Maneesh]

I think it is honor to give them tips if they work hard. I can't imagine if I have to do this job and my kids need my tips. I feel bad. I know it's there choice but if you can go to a nice restaurant should not go unless you can tip 20-25 percent. This is my feelings.

 

[RandyForRubio]

I lived in Bozeman, Montana for a while and I miss the Hell out of a good steak place. There you had several to choose from. I loved "The Mint" in Nearby Manhattan for a plate sized porterhouse for about $13. The Best was from the Montana Rib and Chop House in Livingston (on the way to Yellowstone.) Absolute steak perfection, bison of beef.
Crazy thing is that I noticed that they franchised and now have one in St. George. Putting that on the list for the next time I visit. I doubt it is as good, but even "almost as good" would be divine. . .

Yeah...I'm gonna have to disagree. The Mint used to be good before the owner/chef left, that was years ago. Rib and Chop is average, much better steak to be found. If you ever come back, Land of Magic in Logan has the best overall steak, and the Oasis in Manhattan has the best prime rib.

 

[RandyForRubio]

Fwiw, I prefer steaks at home. Get my meat from my grandpas ranch, or from the elk, antelope or deer that I kill. Smoke it up, tastes great.

 

[The Thriller]

For just my wife and I the waiter gets a 30 dollar tip. We are usually there for about an hour. So that would be 30 dollars per hour if they only have the one table. Plus my wife and I are probably poorer than the average guest there so most couple probably tip more.
Plus some tables will have more than two people eating.
Then you figure that they probably have at least 2 or three tables per hour rather than just one.
Then you add in their non-tip pay.

I figure, by my calculations, a waiter at Ruth's chris should be making around 60 dollars per hour at the least. (If one table for one hour equals 30 dollars + a couple more tables with one of them having three or four people at it and them being higher tippers than me + their hourly wage)
And it seems that 60 dollars in tips per hour would be conservative.

Plus they probably only work like 5 hours per night so they could even have another job too.

I bet they would make around 100,000 per year if they work every night for like 5 or 6 hours per night
So ya, not exactly rich I guess

As someone who has 4 years of experience in 2 different Utah restaurants, you're lucky if you keep more than 50'percent of your tips.

You have food runners, bartenders, and bussers that you tip out. Basically, working in the food industry as a server, you're going to come out averaging $7-10 per hr. Hardly anything to make a career on.

 

[The Thriller]

The downside of that is that you're salary is completely dependent on 10-30 (or whatever) people's attitudes, some who may not tip at all, like my Grandmother who grew up in the Depression and was a total tight wad.

Or hell, someone is just having a bad day and cheaps out on the tip. At the restaurant I worked at one many days it just seemed like the luck of the draw on whether the server got paid well or not (which trickled down to me as a buser...part of the reason I hate the idea of tipping is that I sort of enjoy having a consistent salary, yet only in the food service industry is that idea frowned upon in terms of salaried employees).

Also, when did 20% become the standard for tipping? I could have sworn it was 15% when I was a kid. At some point is it going to get to 30%?

Yes.

And why shouldn't it?

Are prices for rent, gas, and food moving at a slower rate?

As long as the prices for everything keep increasing greater tips will be necessary until America joins the rest of the industrialized world and forced restaurant owners to actually pay their workers a living wage.

There are a lot of lil politics that become involved in restaurants as well. For example, one place I worked at did not "allow" for combined coupons. However, if a customer bitched, you could call a manager over and get it approved. So then the manager was the good cop while the server merely doing his job was the bad cop. The resulting tip was always a disappointment.

So smart servers (like me) just fudged the managers signature and got approval. No one checked. And we got our tips.

Funny, the restaurant probably lost out on money from the combining coupons. All well, should've paid us living wages. Or if managers had followed through with their own stupid policies.

Utah is notorious for having terrible tippers. Those of you tipping 15 percent still are the high end tippers. With so many cheap *** Mormons (they have tons of kids but don't want to pay for them) and cheap *** college students you're screwed. Then, you must take into account that most of your guests (outside of SL) don't drink (which raises the bill tremendously) you end up with very little money. When I worked at the Gateway I earned 18-22 percent in tips. When I worked in Utah County... My goddess. A good server on a good night might make 13-15 percent in tips.

Servers are often there 1 hr before the restaurant even opens and can be there 2+ hrs after it closes. All of which, you don't receive any tips for.

 

[♪alt13]

If the guy was paid a regular salary, like most everyone else on the planet, nothing is stopping you from tipping them. We tipped people in Europe all the time. Just not an exorbitant amount, because their salary was rolled into the price of the meal.

If he sucks at his job he will be laid off, like most everyone else on the planet.

Customers should not control an employees wage directly, much like companies should expect customers to pay 20% more on top of their bill for the labor component of their business.

Some folks can't afford the extra 20%. Those people wouldn't go out to eat if you raised the price. I think if you can afford to tip you should do it and do it well.

 

[Gameface]

Yes.

And why shouldn't it?

Are prices for rent, gas, and food moving at a slower rate?

As long as the prices for everything keep increasing greater tips will be necessary until America joins the rest of the industrialized world and forced restaurant owners to actually pay their workers a living wage.

There are a lot of lil politics that become involved in restaurants as well. For example, one place I worked at did not "allow" for combined coupons. However, if a customer bitched, you could call a manager over and get it approved. So then the manager was the good cop while the server merely doing his job was the bad cop. The resulting tip was always a disappointment.

So smart servers (like me) just fudged the managers signature and got approval. No one checked. And we got our tips.

Funny, the restaurant probably lost out on money from the combining coupons. All well, should've paid us living wages. Or if managers had followed through with their own stupid policies.

Utah is notorious for having terrible tippers. Those of you tipping 15 percent still are the high end tippers. With so many cheap *** Mormons (they have tons of kids but don't want to pay for them) and cheap *** college students you're screwed. Then, you must take into account that most of your guests (outside of SL) don't drink (which raises the bill tremendously) you end up with very little money. When I worked at the Gateway I earned 18-22 percent in tips. When I worked in Utah County... My goddess. A good server on a good night might make 13-15 percent in tips.

Servers are often there 1 hr before the restaurant even opens and can be there 2+ hrs after it closes. All of which, you don't receive any tips for.

I don't agree with Thriller often, but it is clear he has worked in a restaraunt.

I was a waiter for a little while. I sucked at it. But my mom waited tables from the age of thirteen until she was well into her thirties. My sister was a waitress and bartender for several years and my wife was a waitress at the Chili's in Fort Union and a trainer there for several years.

I was raised on tip money.

Doing math on a napkin figuring out how much these guys are raking in is not at all the reality. They do not keep all the tips they get. Like Thriller said, they're lucky if they keep half.

I'm not rich by any stretch, but when I go out to eat I'm going out to have a good time. When my wife and I started dating as boyfriend and girlfriend (I had known my wife and gone out with her a lot before we started dating) I realized she was scanning the menu for the cheapest thing, even though I was paying. I had to put a stop to that. I told her we were out for a good time and that the cheapest thing on the menu is pure ****. The cooks know it's the cheapest thing on the menu, the server knows it's the cheapest thing on the menu, everyone knows when you order that you're not trying to have fun, you're trying to spend as little as possible. I told her to order the lobster, or the chef's suggestion, or really whatever it was she really wanted...and add a damn drink order to it. If we want to save money (and we were poor as ****) we'd stay home and eat ramen noodles. If we went out we'd do it right.

I never stress about little **** I think the server should have done. I don't try to find reasons to leave a bad tip. But if it's just unavoidable, I will absolutely leave a **** tip. That's only if the service is so bad that as hard as I tried to just chill and enjoy myself the server ****ed it up at every turn. If that's the case then not only am I willing to leave a bad tip, I feel duty bound to leave a bad tip. Like I said, I've received more than my fair share of bad tips. I know it sucks. But **** service gets **** tips. If I had a good time I'm an easy 20% tipper.

My wife usually asks for recommendations if we're at a new place. Saying "everything is good" doesn't hurt the tip, but being honest and saying, "don't order that, this one is better" and you're on the fast track to a 30%+ tip with me.

I love eating out. It has been a staple of my marriage. I love to discover new great restaurants. I love to reward the good ones with frequent visits. When that happens and they start to recognize me I get preferential service. I'm not rich, but I can tip well. I was raised on tips. I'm happy to give a good tip for good service. If that appreciation is reciprocated I'm happy to receive it. My mom worked hard as **** at a stupid little Dee's Family Restaurant in the middle of downtown SLC. I loved my mom. She deserved every ****ing penny her customers could spare for her exceptional service. Her family owned a little diner back in Joplin, Missouri. She started waiting tables there when she was thirteen. I can remember her talking about her regulars who asked to sit in her section. The ones that tipped well and the ones who didn't. I remember her collection of two dollar bills that she kept.

Anyway, crazy rant over.

Tip for good service or eat at home!

 

[Nate505]

Some folks can't afford the extra 20%. Those people wouldn't go out to eat if you raised the price. I think if you can afford to tip you should do it and do it well.

So the people who can't afford 20% should go out and eat anyway and just not pay part (not just "part", but a substantial percentage) of the labor costs? Because when you don't tip that's what you're basically doing.

I was a buser in a restaurant. I tip when I go out to eat. My objection is not that I want to get out of tipping, it's more that I'm unsure why the food service industry is pretty much the only industry where the customer is expected to pay the labor costs in addition to their bill. Why isn't it rolled into the cost of the product like just about anything else in life? Would anyone else love it if they went to the grocery store and were expected to pay 10-20% on top of their grocery bill to the checkout clerk who scanned all your groceries? Even if the grocery bill were reduced 10-20% most people would find that irritating.

 

[The Thriller]

It's not often I agree with game face and even more rare I pos rep him. But my friend, that was one fantastic post up above.

Game Face, you are one marvelous SOB.

 

[Nate505]

Yes.

And why shouldn't it?

Are prices for rent, gas, and food moving at a slower rate?

The reason it shouldn't is because customers will become more resistant to tip if the percentage gets too high. Imagine if the custom gets to be 50%, and that's "needed" due to cost of living expenses. All of a sudden one has to pay $30 out of pocket for a $20 plate, and psychologically I don't think many people are willing to do it.

Of course I'd prefer to see servers make $10-20 an hour (in 2015 dollars) and just get a buck or two there if the table feels the service was worth it.