Mandatory Tipping
Nov 2nd, 2006 by Jeremy
When did giving someone a tip become mandatory versus something you did to reward superior service? This practice of glorified begging has always bugged me on so many levels.
I hate tipping. I hate that it has become mandatory in certain “service” industries. I paying this “hidden tax” on things that should be paid for in their published price. I should be free to reward great service when I feel so inclined, not feel like I am a cheat if I don’t provide a generous sum on top of the (usually greatly overpriced) amount I am paying already.
Does this mean I penalize the waiter at the restaurant because I hate the practice? No, that is punishing the wrong person. I actually was a waiter for all of three months. Hated it. Hated dealing with people that were rude and hated when I didn’t make enough to merit the hard work of the night. I live in an area where, in general, people are cheap. Heck, I admit to being a bit cheap myself. What bothered me most, though, is that the restaurant completely takes advantage of the even-lower-than-everything-else minimum waged allowed for waiting tables. At the time it was $2.65 or something like that…PER HOUR. It was expected I would make my money by being a stellar waiter and getting good tips. I did ok, even in the cheap town I college live in. But, after I would work a shift (particularly a night shift) it was mandatory for me to do my counting out, cleaning up stations, floors, etc. as part of my “privilege” for having worked the shift. It would typically take me an hour and a half to close down…at $2.65/hr! That’s slave labor if I have ever heard of it.
Why should restaurants be able to factor in the profits of paying wait staff so little. Shouldn’t this cost be factored into the price of the meal? Tips should be a bonus, not part of the base pay.
Now, what is up with the handouts for even the simplest of tasks. Doormen and bellhops, don’t even get me started on that area. Taxi drivers…is a tip just to say “thanks for not killing me?” What bothers me the most is when I really don’t feel like I have gotten a worthwhile level of service, yet the “service” individual feels includes to hold out their hand or stand there in a very awkward pause obviously expecting a handout. This is nothing more than a high pressure push on your guilt factor. Guess what, I don’t have any guilt when the service sucked. I won’t see you again, so suck it up.
Do I reward great service? You betcha. Often generously. I appreciate when someone goes the extra mile and I’ll pull out the wallet to say thanks. That is what tipping is about. All the rest of you schmucks that expect the dole rather than work for it, you won’t be getting it from me.
Here are a couple of articles I found looking up the history of tipping:
Edit: This one is just for fun - I can’t image spending this much on a meal for six, but hey, you do what you enjoy. The part that sends me for a spin, the mandatory $200 tip. No way the service was worth $200 bucks.
I totally agree with this rant. One of my pet peeves. Although I am a tipper, (and now my husband FINALLY is as well) it makes me cringe to tip. I tip for the poor waitress that gets paid diddly.
What makes me rant is the fact the good service isn’t the norm, and that I generously tip the good service, when it should be the norm. When did things change, when did business owners find that giving great service should be a perk? And then don’t get me started on the automatic gratuity that is added to the bill?!?!? This seems to be a more common practice.
Oooo…this reminds me of a recent trip my husband and I made. We were in London, where tipping isn’t the source of income for waiters. In fact we were told tipping more than 10% was QUITE generous. (Ha, wish that was the case here)We dined at a nice restaurant (Hard Rock I believe ;) )and ate a very good meal, the service was superb and we decided to tip generously, atleast 20%, by placing it on the table for our waiter. Then as we were walking down the street looking at our receipt, we noticed that there was an automatic gratuity added to our bill?!?!?!? Now if tipping wasn’t bad enough, they automatically ADD it??? So we double tipped the guy, I mean, he was good, but not THAT good!!!!
Oh this is one area that really irks me! I agree, tipping should be at the discretion of the customer for good service.
One event that really stands out in my mind was at Disney World. We had taken our family to the top of Cinderella’s castle for breakfast that we had to reserve 6 months in advance. There were five of us (me, my husband, and our 3 children) and the cost was something like $30 each. Ok, we decided to splurge, after all, how often do you get to eat inside Cinderella’s castle? Well, the breakfast consisted of scrambled eggs, a strip of bacon or one sausage, some mini muffins, toast, and orange juice and coffee. No ordering from a menu and all the waiter had to do was bring us our plates, refill our coffee, and take our plates away when we were done. Definitely not worth $30 each, but hey, like I said, we were eating in Cinderella’s castle! My then 8 year old daughter hardly touched her breakfast - she hates eggs! Ok, $30 down the drain, but she did get to have her picture taken with all of the princesses.
So we get handed the bill after our hour was up. $150, plus tax, plus 18% gratuity. We sucked it up and paid the bill. The kids were happy, that’s all that mattered.
The waiter came over for our payment. We handed him our credit card and when we filled out the credit card slip we did not add any additional gratuity - after all he was already getting 18% of over $150 - for hardly doing anything! Well, as we left the restaurant, and said thank you and good-bye to the waiter, he snubbed his nose at us! I couldn’t believe it! He actually wanted MORE money on top of the 18%? Amazing. I’m in the wrong line of work I guess.
I couldn’t agree more about this tipping rant. Why should I have to tip a server when the service totally sucks? You know why? Because if I don’t give them a couple of bucks, the poor sap only gets two dollars an hour. (and yes, it’s still a lousy $2 an hour) I need to be more like my husband when it comes to tipping. He tips more when the service is better and less when it’s bad . I tend to feel bad for them and tip more than I know I should! I need to get up the guts to let them know that their service stinks, and that they don’t really deserve a tip.
Here’s an idea to all the waitstaff/bartenders, etc… if you can’t tolerate the fact that some people tip well and some people don’t agree with the antiquated concept, get out of the industry. OR just shut up about it because you can train a monkey to go back to the kitchen and carry out the food. That’s why it’s a minimum wage job. It’s menial labor not rocket science ! You defend tipping so much cause if you were really paid what you were worth, you’d never get more than minimum wage. Get some education and get in another industry where you don’t have to rely culturally accepted begging and on your customers being your financial planner.
I tip; In restaurants I tip so I don’t look like a dolt, and I really hate that there is that pressure not to look like a **** to those poor waitresses who can’t make money any other way that they live off my $5.
I simply can’t tolerate tipping. In fact, I rarely eat out anymore. I haven’t done so for a couple years now, because the cost is prohibitive. I just can’t see paying the full price for a meal (already high), then another 20% on top of that. I suspect I’m not alone. Pretty soon, the waitstaff who depend on tips for a living will see fewer and fewer customers able to afford to pay it.
This is in response mostly to Byron. I would like to bring a different view to this debate. I agree that tipping should not be mandatory (except for big parties). I believe it is COMPLETELY OUT of context and RUDE to say that “a monkey could go back to the kitchen and carry out the food” and “if you were really paid what you were worth, you’d never get more than minimum wage.” OBVIOUSLY, you have never waited in a restaraunt!!! This is mostly speaking on my behalf and I consider myself a very professional and good waitress. We do not BEG for our tips. I give great service, smile, and I am friendly, I generally care about my customer’s expierence, I DO NOT BEG. I EARN MY TIPS. I would also like to point out that I am a college student paying my way through college, so thank you, I AM getting my higher education, do not assume that all servers are serving for a living and not applying themselves, and even if that is so, what makes you so much better? Here’s a little history for you: The federal minimum wage for food/beverage servers is 2.13 an hour. The owner will then deduct 3.5% of the tab for tip out, and then the IRS and taxes come in. Is this your fault? NO. But this is how the system works. It IS COMMON COURTESY to leave a tip. (and i am talking about restaurants here, leave the rest for someone else) It should not be such a burden to tip people! Give from the heart. If the server did a bad job, by all means don’t tip well. But if they did excellent? What does it say when you leave $5 on a $100 dollar tab? It says you did not appreciate the service and it is a slap in the face to the server that worked hard to give you a enjoyable evening. Customers should be able to choose how much they tip, BUT I think Americans need to rethink what a good tip is. 10% is nothing now days people! 15-20% is much better. If you don’t have the money to tip, don’t go out to eat. Or go to a restaurant or food place where you are not served on. It’s been like this for years, why such a huge problem now? Try putting yourself in someone’s elses shoes for once! It’s sad to see how hard it is to give this days….
It’s not just serving food. It’s knowing exactly what ingredient is on every dish in case you’re allergic, knowing how everything is prepared, exactly what sides and sauces come with what, and what beverage compliments your meal. And that’s in addition to the refills, the extra silverware, and the cleaning.
All that knowledge, plus witty banter, and making you want to come back for that same experience, is how I earn my 20-25% tips.
Julie:
Good for you on trying to better yourself. My beef is really with servers who increasingly come off demanding higher and higher tips with no mention of the level of service. It’s not an entitlement ! They have to earn it. 20% is the new 15%, which was the new 10%. Yet inflation (and therefore the value of the tip %) continues to go up for us customers. People who are or were in the waiting industry are constantly making the point that “you don’t know what it’s like to be a waiter, and that anything under 20% is a personal insult”. You’ll get the usual weak arguments (or should I say misdirection and personal attacks) from those in the industry if you question any part of the process. Such as:
• “The prices will double or triple if tipping is abolished and waiters paid an appropriate wage”. Yeah right. Supply & demand will continue to work. Prices will naturally seek a level where the customer can still afford to eat out, and the restaurant can make a profit. If there’s a niche, it will be filled.
• “It’s really hard work and low pay”. Jeepers, hard work (and stress) can be said for a lot of jobs out there. Face it – It’s primarily menial labor with some basic people skills and memorization mixed in. It’s not rocket science. As for low pay & the below minimum wage stuff, save that red herring for someone else. Many waiters make good money with tips (and not reporting it all).
• “Tipping well gets you better service”. Maybe, assuming you go to the same old place on a frequent basis, get the same server, and they remember you as a regular high tipping customer, but then you should tip every service related profession using that logic. By the way, what is considered “tipping well ?”, as many in the industry consider anything less than 20% an insult. Let’s end the bribery and the veiled threat of inflicting poor service. If an establishment wants my continued patronage it had better give me good service or I’ll go elsewhere.
• “You’re just being cheap, if you can’t afford to eat out stay home”. This is my favorite irrelevant misdirection. Just insult the person asking a question on tipping culture ethics instead of addressing the substance of the question. I can afford to tip 1000 percent on a $200 meal, but what’s that got to do with anything ? By the way, I don’t like lemon pie.
Elle:
I have never had any server in all my years discuss what foods I might be allergic to. That’s a stretch on your part. Most If I need a television, I go out and pay for a television. End of story. If I order a steak from a restaurant, I expect to receive and pay for a steak, and the clean utensils to eat it with. Why then do I need to tip extra for getting the service a business offers ? It’s not like I get a steak and the waiter also details my car. When an ice tea costs 3.00, shouldn’t I expect a refill? Isn’t paying a 1000 percent markup on a product enough ? Your breakdown of every little task is BS ! You forgot to add the cost you expect for handing us the menu !
By the way - what is witty banter going for these days ? Does it raise your tip from 15 to 25% ? unless you’re in a 5-star restaurant, I can usually figure out what I want and order it without your explaining what’s in the sauce, or what type of wine goes with what.
It\’s funny how its always people who have never worked in the restaurant industry serving people, who are always the ones complaining about tipping and/or tip less than average or not at all. I myself have, for a short period of time, and I now work as an Accountant and Financial Analyst and you couldn\’t pay me twice what I make to go back! I also believe my job to be easier and less stressful than that of a server. It takes a special kind of person to have to deal with the public, and the level of disrespect they shell out to the people serving them. As we all know Sh*t rolls downhill, and when someone has been chewed out or had a bad day they generally end up taking it out on someone they feel they have the upper-hand on. Now I live in Texas and here servers were paid 2.15/hr over 10 years ago and they still get paid 2.15/hr. But there is so much more to consider to really have a good idea of what a server makes. At most restaurants, at least in this state, a server has to tip out other employees of that restaurant (usually a pecentage of 3% or 3 dollars each or more!), there\’s the busser, the bartender, and the food runner. Now I stopped working in this industry, like I said long ago, but the main reason was the wonderful law they passed that servers had to claim 8.25% of food sales as their tips, this amount is printed out at the end of your shift and turned in to the IRS! This is outrageous when you have to claim you made tips on a table that stiffed you. I think if servers get paid an amount less than minimum wage then gratuity should be automatically added to bill, then sure let it be your option to give more if you felt the service was above average. But whether or not tipping should be mandatory? this should be a no brainer.
LaDonna:
Being a server isn’t always fun. Did it many moons ago, because it didn’t take much experience, and I could earn pretty good money with tips while I went to school. But like you, I wouldn’t go back.
I still have friends that work at relatively nice restaurants and bring down a professional level pay, in some cases close to the $$ my degrees have brought me, which I personally think is ridiculous.
I often hear them complain of the “losers” that tip less than 20% and don’t get them started if they’re ever tipped. Yet in the same breath, they’ll brag about the big scores they get some nights, and point out that they don’t report the entire take to the IRS. Sure they get an occassional stiff, but they’ve also been honest enough to say that it comes out in the wash, since their average tips are over 20%. So after taxes they still 10 to 12 % in untaxed tips (which is an additional 25 % bump or so).
I’d like like to see the restaurant industry conform with other industry out there. Pay a normal wage to the server for their skill level, have one fair price for the meal (no it won’t go up 10 times without tipping), and let the customer enjoy the experience without the added complication of evaluating and being guilted into financial support for the waiter. Boy… one can only dream.
Until the industry conforms with how normal business operates, why should it be up to the customer to conform & make sure a waiter is paid fairly ? It’s nice, but not our responsibility. If that’s the game the restaurant owners want to play, then why would you expect the customer to give up their only trump card.
Have a good one.
I agree tipping sucks. Why should the customers be forced to pay the servers salary? If you ask me, the owners of the restaurants have it made, basically employing servers for no cost to them. What a joke. I say charge more for the food, and put the extra money into the servers base pay. Then if the servers give poor service, FIRE THEM. Problem solved. Instead of providing good service for tips, the servers will give good service to keep there jobs, like 95% of the other labor force in this country. Because of the added cost of tipping, I find myself eating in more, or getting carry out. I agree it sucks for a server to only be making $2/hour base pay, or whatever it is. But is that my problem? NO! The owner of the restaruant is the one who should feel guilty, NOT the customers. PERIOD.
I don’t get what all the complaining is about.
Ok, say tipping is abolished governmentally, obviously the servers cannot still be paid $2 per hour. Workers’ wages are then raised to a somewhat living wage. Prices are raised 20-25% to cover said wage increase, and most likely add a little something for the owners. Now you are forced to pay the percentage + sales tax on it, too.
As for the comment “…servers will give good service to keep there [sic] jobs…”, that is already an incentive. Service managers do generally care how their staff treats their customers. The only change would be to REMOVE an incentive to provide attentive service and only provide a bare minimum to get by.
I do believe you should be absolutely prepared to tip 15% for restaurant service (I have NEVER, EVER had anyone in the hospitality industry complain about 15%, that may be a regional thing). It’s less for poor service and more for good service. Look at it this way, you get a discount on your meal as a result of this agreement.
Byron, I don’t think your TV analogy is apt. Picking up a TV at the electronics store is equivalent to picking up a steak at the grocery store. If you had someone setup your TV at home, connect it to your DVD player and cable, you’d pay for it.
If tipping is still an issue to you all, you can eat out where there are no servers (fast food, cafeterias, any place you order at a counter, etc). Would you serve strangers and take their abuse for $2/hr?
Bob:
I don’t buy you ecomomics 101 explanation on the cost of the meal going up if you increase server’s pay. There are several states (e.g. Calif., Washington, etc.) that have incorporated higher wages for servers (e.g. $8 to $10/hr). Yet - restaurants there haven’t raised prices much at all, but have made changes to minimize overtime, and cut costs elsewhere. They remain competitive and still attract the necessary customers. So the world hasn’t fallen apart. But servers are still tipped, and as usual still demand 20% or more because of “the high cost of living”. Thank God we’ve lost the old $2/hr sympathy excuse in these areas.
Regular wages for servers = Bare minimum service ? Yeah, that’s brilliant. How many businesses thrive on giving mediocre service ? More business 101 Bob ?
You say “If you had someone setup your TV at home, connect it to your DVD player and cable, you’d pay for it.” True, I’d pay for the service, just as if I had my car into a mechanic. But your statement does not complete the obvious. That if you pay for a service in most industries, its a flat rate (NO TIP). Why is the restaurant industry so unique ? We paying for the meal (i.e. service) at a resturant and still a tip on top of that ?? Sounds like a racket to me.
As for the baloney about eating where you don’t have to tip (if you disagree with the tipping custom ). Hey - I can afford to tip 1000 % on a $200 meal, or give out $20 bills to every checker at every shop and grocery store I go to. So what ? That’s irrelevant ! Just cause I can, why should I. As I’ve seen on numerous blogs, the system adds complication for the paying customer, and I think the custom should be eliminated.
If you don’t want to tip, don’t go out. And how dare you claim that “a monkey can do my job”? I tell you what, do it for one night. remember three tables drink orders, make sure all the food gets fired in the correct order, get everything right, and be sure to be in a good mood no matter what happens. Breaks? HA. Forget about it. If you work in an office you take your regular breaks. I’m lucky if I can grab a smoke. I work at a high end restaurant and I make close to 100k a year. I wouldn’t be doing this job if people didn’t tip. I’m a professional, giving you an evening out that is pleasant and memorable. I’m there to make sure you have a good time without having to work for it. I think a tip is the least you can do.
Well go to it. Take on the legislatures. All but I think 7 or 8 states make these acommodations. I have waitressed (many, many, many years ago) and it isn’t an easy job and no any monkey can’t do it. But it put me through college and I am thankful for the experience. I taught me a lot about people. The work is difficult, the pay is limited depending on where you work. Waiting on a huge party and having a $200 tip may seem like a lot but it is probably split among 4 people who catered to your every whim and until we pay people fair wages it is just how it is. Once we do, we’ll be complaining about how high the prices have gone up in restaurants. Tipping doesn’t bother me. I have only stiffed someone twice, both times when the server was off the charts rude or down right insulting. Mostly I am in the realm or 15-20% leaning more toward the latter. The thing that REALLY makes me nuts (and usually accounts for an automatic 5% reduction) is when my server asks me “Do you need change” No I don’t NEED change, it is my change, give it to ME then I will leave you a tip. I think this was a practice that started in bars and now seems to have permeated the world. That is MY pet peeve. Tipping I think is here to stay. P.S. there is always take out if you want to avoid it.
Great Scott !!
If you are truly bringing in 100K… there’s something wrong in the world. More power to you for beating the system, but the idea of a menial labor job (yes… even at high end restaurants) warranting that kind of income is a outrageous. I don’t care if you can memorize the specials, have a great knowledge of wine, or have a degree in nuclear physics that you’re not using because waiting pays better. You’re still taking my order and shleping that order out to me, maybe with a little small talk on the side. Big deal. Maybe you can stop monkeying around long enough to enlighten us as to what you actually do that’s worth $100K.
Servers, stop trying to call yourselves professionals. It’s still considered an “unskilled” job, because for the most part it doesn’t require a degree, apprenticeship, or certification. Try not to take the word “unskilled” literally or personally (I know that’s a hard one). Individual servers can be personable, efficient, and may be over educated in other areas, but a waiting “job” doesn’t warrant a professional type salary !
Finally ….Golly & Jeepers you’re right - you work hard and the least you are “entitled” to is a tip ! After all, slackers like auto workers, construction workers, teachers, fireman, policemen, blah, blah, blah don’t work nearly as hard as you, which is obviously why they’re not tipped.
Now go have an intelligent day !
I never tip and encourage others not to tip, UNLESS, they go above and beyond their job duties which in most cases they do not.
Tipping is a bogus way of panhandling frak them, they choose their job and the customer has the right to not tip. A waiter or waitress’s job is to provide superior customer service, they should not be tipped for doing their job.
There are big discussions regarding the tipping on cruise ships.
On a cruise ship, you are assigned a certain table in the main dining room, that will remain empty the entire cruise if you don’t eat there. Long time cruisers seem to have the idea that even if the table remains empty, that we should tip anyway, even though we don’t receive any service at all, and have never even came face to face with anyone. They go on the fact that they get paid pittance, and deserve those tips anyway, because the table sat empty, and they miss out on that pay. That is ridiculous.
If one decides to pre-pay the gratuities, they will charge $140 and the tips will be split between the waiter, head waiter, Maitre De, and cooks. So, if I don’t eat in the dining room, they are receiving tips for doing absolutely nothing. Needless to say, I don’t pre-pay the gratuities anymore. I wait until the end of the trip and tip accordingly by the service received.
I totally disagree with automatic tipping. I don’t care how many people are in my party……I still should be in control of what tips I am paying depending on the service.
Tipping should be at the discretion of the passenger, and they shouldn’t have to pay anything unless they receive some “good” service. And if the service was bad or rude….I shouldn’t have to pay anything.
Don’t get me wrong….we are very generous tippers…..but only for good service. Especially when we are on vacation….we love to help out whenever possible.
Our country should be ashamed of themselves for the extremely low pay to employees in the service industry. Restaurant owners, cruise ships, etc. should be paying a decent, reasonable wage, and not be dependent upon the workers getting their salaries from tips….that’s just wrong.
And, for those of you who say…”If you don’t want to pay extra, then just don’t eat out at fine restaurants and go to fast food”. Boy will you be in deep s*** if that were to happen because without the revenue, the restaurants won’t survive.
Again…..tipping should only be dependent on exemplary service…..not mandatory. Ever.
Tipping adds politics to what should be relaxing situation, and I have never had a relaxing political discussion. “He pulled the chair out for me” “she was quite prompt taking my order” By now I am already feeling hustled. When it comes to asking for the check I am supposed to have analysed how much of a tip I should leave, based on the level of service I have recieved.
The worst is a bartender that takes a crown cap off of a bottle of beer and then expects you to just give them a $1 on a $4 purchase. Thats 25%! What have you done to earn that dollar?!
I dont blame all servers. I blame the greasy slimey maggot servers that want to brown nose you for your hard earned money in your wallet, with a cheesy smile as you walk out the door, thinking to themselves I am going to make $100k out of suckers like you this year.
If I am not mistaken it was the chef that created the excellent food, whether you work at a fancy restaurant or not, you did the same job as someone who works at a not so fancy restaurant. I think I might leave you $5 then walk in to the kitchen and slip the remainder of the 20% in the chef’s top pocket. After all I did go out to eat.
tipping is an arbitrary social convention that should be abolished through continued customer refusal.
$2.15 is indeed ridiculous so pursue other work instead of fostering economic reliance upon ill conceived guilt tripping. Why not start tipping everyone from the doctor to the lawyer, the baker, the comedian, etc…
In Washington state, all severs must be paid the state minimum wage, so the rational for tipping is diminished. Nevertheless, I pay a base of 10% for tips. The amount increases depending on the level of service. I think I paid less than 10% once, and that was when the waiter was rude to me (I really don’t care if he had a bad day).
However, I do NOT tip at a cafeteria style place. I also refuse to tip the postman (he has a pension, I don’t) or the drycleaner. In short, I need to be getting some personalized service in order to tip.
Bryon, . . . The rest of the country tips as a social grace to say thank you for the nice evening. No I really don’t think a waiter/waitress should bring in six figures no matter where they work, but whatever. If you don’t want to tip then don’t. It just bothers me that you like some are ignorant, and I wait tables and have to unfortunately wait on obnoxious people day in and day out in Los Angeles. Let me tell you with all those over privileged house wives and elderly I wait on I really do believe I deserve a gratuity for put up with their crap. You think if I don’t like it find another job. No if you don’t like it eat at Mcdonalds I’m sure the quality of food and service there is much better, cheap-o.