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I Don’t Tip

By IYCATT (Admin) On February 25, 2013 · Comments

February 25, 2013 at 8:20 pm

The real and sad truth about the practice of tipping is that the restaurateurs have, in essence, obligated their customers to pay their establishments' wait staff wages. Where tipping used to be an option based on quality of service, it's now practically mandatory because the restaurateurs have made it so that wait persons rely heavily on tips for their wages. My resentment at having to pay tips is not aimed at the wait staff, but at the cheap ass owners who refuse to pay a decent wage. This is why I don't out to eat often... but when I do, I tip generously.

Joseph Tucker:
February 25, 2013 at 8:24 pm
So true. Wage slavery is different than real slavery in that things like food, shelter, health care and clothing are now costs passed on to the taxpayer instead of paid for by the employer.
Ryan Appel:
February 25, 2013 at 8:25 pm
Marty, we don't often see eye to eye, but I agree with you 100% on this one!
Stefanie Erschen:
February 25, 2013 at 9:37 pm
marty would you prefer that the resteraunts charged you much more for your meals? do you realize how much more your meal would be? at least now you have the option to tip poorly if the service was poor, and great if the service deserved it
Lorie Harris Gaut:
February 25, 2013 at 9:45 pm
An it dont help thats fucking oprah whinfrey says to america thats its ok to tip 10% or not at all...fucku bitch u live off of $2.13 an hr
Jamie Young:
February 25, 2013 at 10:30 pm
Marty, if you disagree with the policy, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE stay home. You're not only stealing money from me by not tipping, you're stealing money from me by occupying a table. I would rather give a PAYING guest my excellent service.
Tim Schafer:
February 25, 2013 at 10:35 pm
It is only fair to TIP appropriately. If there is a problem discuss it with the management. We would have to charge more to compensate. I have only had one problem in over 25 years. My staff is always proffessional and courteous. I never pay 2.13 I pay more for well trained, seasoned staff! There is alot of crappy servers out there that only serve because it is "easy" cash and that makes us pros look bad.
Marty Nachel:
February 25, 2013 at 10:35 pm
I would prefer that the restaurants go out of business for playing that card. I don't frequent them anyway.
Marty Nachel:
February 25, 2013 at 10:51 pm
Jamie Young: who says I don't tip? I actually tip quite generously. But I disagree with the concept of tipping being a "policy."
Marty Nachel:
February 25, 2013 at 10:53 pm
Jamie Young: No, your employer is cheating you out of a decent wage, then he expects his customers to make up for his cheap assery.
BL Harris:
February 26, 2013 at 12:53 am
Stefanie Erschen: that is b.s....and frankly, sounds like a tea pooper mindset....the real issue here is many restaurants do not pay a living wage because they do not want to cut in on the PROFITS made by the owner...there is no other reason. it's the EXACT same situation as wallyworld NOT paying a living wage so that many of their workers Have to get welfare...thereby, once again, regular citizens having to cover what is essentially pure profit for a family that already has too much money....
Barbara Searles Gregorek:
February 26, 2013 at 1:00 am
Marty you are so right. We need to speak with our feet and our butts, don't go to restaurants who don't treat their staff fairly, you wouldn't go to any other business that abused it's employees if you knew about it. People need to take responsibility for what they can, not for what others refuse to, in this case, honor establishments who do the right thing and tip for good service. Don't honor establishments that don't pay their staff a working wage and don't feel obligated to tip for bad service.!
Kyle Bauman:
February 26, 2013 at 3:32 am
If servers made a decent wage then there is no incentive for you to get good service or any at all for that matter. And you would be paying twice as much for your meal. So what's the greater evil. 20% and good service. Or shitty service and double the price.
John J. Paul:
February 26, 2013 at 4:51 am
I've got some bad news. People open up restaurants because they want to make a profit.
Jamie Young:
February 26, 2013 at 5:40 pm
Unfortunately, if you refused to go to restaurants that didn't pay a livable minimum wage, you would quickly find yourselves eating at Taco Bell and Burger King. Because those are the only "restaurants" that do.

Joanne Coffelt Fowler:

February 25, 2013 at 3:10 pm

Maybe we should go back to original meaning of "TIP" (To Insure Promptness)......because I bet, that if the non tippers had to tip prior to the meal, they would understand good service vs bad service.......we work hard and 99% of us are great at our jobs......wonder what these people would do if their bosses came to them, with a project that they put their all in and then, as an after thought, the boss says, "Oh by the way, you will not be paid for this great job."

Dean Pogatchnik:
February 25, 2013 at 7:02 pm
It was originally paid to the axeman who was going to behead you, not to waiters and waitresses. In many other places, tipping doesn't exist. The EMPLOYERS pay a fair wage. Now we are expected to pay for the food, taxes, and an extra 20% that the restaraunt doesn't feel like paying.
Gavin Bowerman:
February 25, 2013 at 9:48 pm
Still not the waitstaff's fault though.
Barbara Searles Gregorek:
February 26, 2013 at 12:42 am
I think waitstaff should be paid at least minimum wage, no employer should be able to bypass that in our economy! Then tipping should be based on the service provided. Unfortunately I've had bad servers and sorry they don't deserve any tip other than a note which reminds them they are there to wait on the tables not socialize with their friends or fool around with their co=workers while ignoring the customers. Good Service in ANY JOB should be acknowledged and Tips are also for the maids who clean the room you stay in on vacation, bus boys, doormen, taxi drivers, etc. Many people do not tip except in restaurants but expect service many many other places where the staff are paid minimum wage only. Be real people if you can afford to go on vacation, leave a little money for the people who pick up after you and make your bed, open your doors, etc. But the staff need to do their jobs too and realize the tip is for doing it well or doing something exceptional, it is not OWED!!
Joanne Coffelt Fowler:
February 26, 2013 at 4:12 am
In Europe, the tip is already added into your bill and a few of your finer restaurants are begining to think in those terms also because they are unable to keep GOOD help............and noblemen would pay (tip) "servers" so they would get the freshes vegetables and best meat......
Rudi Bracaglia:
February 26, 2013 at 11:56 am
Minimum wage is not the issue. I understand that in order to function, businesses cannot afford to pay the official minimum wage to such low end positions such as serving. HOWEVER. I find it absurd and infuriating that I am also responsible for the tips of busboys, bartenders, and "food runners". Big chunks of what I earned go out to the other workers in the restaurant to the point where they typically make 3x what I make and I am the one fueling the entire system. Restaurants can certainly afford to hire 5 - 10 people at a slightly higher hourly wage so that half of the money I earn is not taken from me.
Steve Burant:
February 26, 2013 at 2:18 pm
@Dean, and if employers started paying a "fair wage," food prices would go WAY up and you'd still be paying more anyway.
Liz Stegman:
February 26, 2013 at 4:10 pm
Dean Pogatchnik - you should never go to a restaurant unless it's McDonald's or partake in any other services that rely on tips. Do it all yourself pal.
Helen Valentino:
February 26, 2013 at 7:10 pm
Dean Pogatchnik Time to brown bag it then! Isn't it nice to not have to cook a hot meal for yourself, or get up from the table to go get it, or wash the dishes and glasses or clean up the napkins and crumbs you left all over? When we dine outside our homes, we are paying, essentially for people to baby us, (except for the chin wiping, maybe), and yet we feel put out by throwing a few extra dollars to the person who was helping us achieve our gastrinomic goal. Tipping is a part of the experience, as a whole, and "we" should feel more grateful in general that we have the privilege of dining out at all! Peanut butter and jelly anyone? ;)
Shae KindleWood:
February 27, 2013 at 3:58 am
Lol... That's not what tip actually means. Cute though.
Barbie Dale:
February 27, 2013 at 5:09 am
I disagree with 'promptness" as you cannont insure the cook's will be on the ball at all times..however so many customers tip on how the food tastes & how long it takes, which is not the waitstaff's issue's..
Seba Shtonki:
February 27, 2013 at 3:45 pm
First off, if you're going to make up backronyms at least have the decency to spell the words in it properly. The idea to tip a server prior to service kind of defeats the purpose of tipping all together since the amount tipped is meant to be in proportion to the quality of the service which was rendered. Second of all if you're going to make an argument pertaining to wage policies you ought to either read up on minimum wage laws or move to a country which has them. Employers are required to pay their employees minimum wage regardless of whether they receive tips or not. Some countries or states allow for tips to be included towards the minimum wage, but should the employee receive no tips the employer must pay the difference. The analogy for paying for the project is equally inapt for the same reason.

As for the picture: I have already explained why the footnote is misleading. I must however disagree with the conclusion that not tipping makes you a 'cheap piece of shit'. I pay the restaurant to perform a service, which includes making and serving me food. The fact that my meal costs less that it otherwise would because the restaurant can pay its staff less than it by law has to because it expects me to make up the difference doesn't mean I have an obligation to do so. If no one tipped then there would be no exceptions to the minimum wage laws and there would be no such issue for waiters and the likes.

All in all a misleading clusterfuck of ad hominem attacks and poor reasoning, 0/10 wouldn't read again.
April Yoder:
February 28, 2013 at 5:13 pm
Then maybe you should just eat at home and cook your own meal, you won't have to worry about a tip..
Mark Krendel:
March 12, 2013 at 11:17 pm
Dean, that is not an "extra 20%" that the restaurant isn't paying - if they raised the wage of their servers, that would be about how much the price of the menu items would go up to make for the difference.

Add to that the fact that it would also mean the servers wouldn't have the same incentive to be prompt and kiss your arse, resulting in you paying the same amount as you did before but receiving lower quality service without the option of tipping accordingly.
Tiffany Diffey:
April 15, 2013 at 3:53 pm
http://www.snopes.com/language/acronyms/tip.asp
Joan Tunstall:
May 15, 2013 at 6:25 am
Not the customers fault either
Leila Fouzia Ghauri:
May 17, 2013 at 3:44 pm
That is a little ridiculous. Employers SHOULD be paying ALL their workers minimum wage at the very least and the tip (gratuity) should just be.. well, a tip that we can give depending on how we enjoyed the service, as little or as much as we see fit. It's true.. we pay for the food, taxes (13% here in Canada), AND whatever percentage tip the restaurant or place has. I understand that people are trying to meet ends meet, because.. well we ALL Are but why should the customer be responsible for giving the employee their basic wages THROUGH the tips.. That's the employer's job.. and that is why we call it a salary.
June 10, 2013 at 6:03 am
Gavin Bowerman And it's not my problem, either. Little whiny shits think the world owes them something. News flash: no one owes you anything. "Rights" are mythological, you get what you get; if you don't like it, tough. I don't exist for anyone else's well-being. My wallet is not for charity.
June 10, 2013 at 6:03 am
Barbara Searles Gregorek Minimum wage creates unemployment, fucking idiot.

Ralf Beilhardt:

February 25, 2013 at 5:54 pm

I couldn't do what you do simply because the first time someone was cross with me they'd either end up with food in their lap or water on their heads. God bless all of you servers. And yes, I DO tip.

Kenneth Cypret:

February 25, 2013 at 3:26 pm

I agree with the spirit of the picture. However, it is misleading when you say employers are allowed to bypass minimum wage. That simply is not true. If the server's tips don't equal the federal minimum wage, the employer is required to make up the difference and in many states the employer is required to pay the minimum wage with no offsetting allowed.

As I said, I hope everyone tips their waitstaff well. I personally tip between 20-25% for most cases. With more for exceptionally good service. That being said, I don't like misleading information being put out there.

Sheri Lovett Mehew:
February 25, 2013 at 3:43 pm
Kenneth, I do not know where you are getting your information. I have been a food server for 20 long years. I have NEVER had an employer make up the difference. Not only am I only paid 2.13 per hour, I am also charged taxes on the tips that I am NOT receiving. I am also a full time student because I can no longer continue to live this way.
Michelle Balsimo:
February 25, 2013 at 3:51 pm
The employer is supposed to make up the difference.....how many actually do? I worked as a server for a few years and often didn't make minimum wage and yet my employer never made up the difference.
Jarod Fon Larance:
February 25, 2013 at 4:15 pm
Kenneth & Michelle are correct, employers are required to make up the difference. However, many will have management adjust employee's reported tips to make it where they don't have to do so - illegal as all hell, but pretty common practice because who's paying attention? Keep records people. If you're able to prove you didn't make what your employer claims, you can get somewhere.
Adam Stevenson:
February 25, 2013 at 6:14 pm
Here's the problem with that system. To even have a hope that the restaurant owner will make up the difference, a waitstaff has to go to them and complain about low tips. In many restaurants the response will be "Really? Then I guess you're not working hard enough to satisfy the customers. I hope you can improve or we may have to find 'another arrangement'." Waitstaff thus don't complain, for fear of losing their job.
Dirk Tailford:
February 25, 2013 at 6:50 pm
based on state in texas they do
Dean Pogatchnik:
February 25, 2013 at 6:59 pm
In my state, servers make minimum wage, the exact same minimum a Subway sandwich artist or Pizza Hut pizza chef make. If their service sucks, there is no law that says you must tip them. Tipping is the customers way to show appreciation toward the exceptional work the waitstaff are doing. If you get someone who is slow, rude, and wrong, you do not have to tip them. You are already paying for your food. Now, before I get blasted on here, I have had some bad service before, but only once was it bad enough where I did not tip at all. That person was exceptionally rude to our table. However, if service is bad, I will tip closer to 10% and if it's good (which it generally is), I tip around 20%. However, don't assume you should get 20% just for showing up with my food.
Christina Clark:
February 25, 2013 at 9:03 pm
do u work at waffle house ? thats what they pay - 2.13 and they take out .35 for food even if u dont eat
Barbara Searles Gregorek:
February 26, 2013 at 12:46 am
Employees can't blame the consumer's if the employer doesn't do what they are supposed to and the employee's don't file against them. How is it acceptable to blame the end user when the employer is not held accountable. No amount of tipping makes up for them not paying you a fair wage. Fight the battle where it belongs!
Patrick Kuhn:
February 26, 2013 at 1:07 am
agreed, i worked at 5 restaurants and if you make less than minimum wage in tips at the end of the week they do not pay you back. they tax you and say you made $500 when you might have only made $300. so now im getting taxed almost double and making less than minimum wage. Do what i did---get a job at a very nice restaurant where the only people going are great tippers no matter what happens to their food or time there they understand that severs arent perfect and make mistakes just like everyone else
Patrick Kuhn:
February 26, 2013 at 1:15 am
mistakes like making no sense in that last sentence. "what happens to their food or anything in the time they are there, they will understand" (correction)
Lucian Xenos:
February 26, 2013 at 2:49 am
@Sheri Then your employer was breaking the law.

http://www.dol.gov/elaws/faq/esa/flsa/002.htm

Straight from the source.
George Sample:
February 26, 2013 at 3:33 am
Sheri Lovett Mehew if you have been a server for 20 years and can't meet minimum wage with tips by now...you are either a liar or you need to go find a different job because you suck as a server...
Becky Moore:
February 26, 2013 at 1:34 pm
Also, this is an aggregate number, so if you have 4 days where you make under minimum wage, but on the weekend you make enough to average minimum wage for the week...no difference for you! I waited table for 20 years, and not ONCE was I ever the recipient of a wage differential...
Liz Stegman:
February 26, 2013 at 4:11 pm
this is news to me.
Dana Childress:
February 28, 2013 at 7:59 am
the difference is averaged out over a week....so if you didn't average min. wage over that week they have to make it up to you....but that never happens...all servers know this because at the end of the week when you average out what you made it will always come to more than min. wage
Whitney Hammertime:
February 28, 2013 at 10:22 am
This applies to the year, not the day or week. As a server/bartender for 19 yrs. I have always averaged over minimum wage for the year, even at the worst restaurants!
Douglas Palmer:
March 14, 2013 at 2:32 am
Cheap people suck. Poor service also sucks. Ask yourself what do I expect a server to do, do I honestly know what is involved in doing it and would I feel it reasonable if I where in their shoes. Life is a Party, don't be such a tight ass and tip. :)
Leila Fouzia Ghauri:
May 17, 2013 at 3:45 pm
Honestly.. These employers or corporations only care about making the money for themselves. But at the end of the day, if people don't demand and fight for their basic rights or are too intimidated too. They'll continue to do so.
June 13, 2013 at 5:19 am
Sheri Lovett Mehew

He speaks the truth. If you are a server then you should certainly learn the laws that protect you.

"Where an employee does not receive sufficient tips to make up the difference between the direct (or cash) wage payment (which must be at least $2.13 per hour) and the minimum wage, the employer must make up the difference."

http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs15.pdf
Stiffler White:
June 15, 2013 at 7:02 am
if you work on the books, they make up the difference. off the books, they don't make up the difference.

Kyle Bauman:

February 26, 2013 at 3:40 am

The gratuity system benefits the customer only. Not the business owners. You are paying 20% gratuity and hopefully gettin good service. If servers made minimum wage then so would bartenders food runners and busboys. Therefore the cost of the food and drinks would skyrocket and you wouldn't be able to afford to eat out. Not only do servers have to pay out a portion of their tips to other employees. They are also paying taxes based on the sale to your party. So if you don't tip the server is being charged to take care of you. That's just goddamn ignorant. And like it says. If you can't afford to tip then goto a McDonald's and bother a cashier for Your extra ranch dressing. So this is the actual sad truth about this situation. That anyone who doesn't know this business should shut up and be proper customers and treat people with respect and understanding because most likely you would fail miserably in a position such as this.

Lucian Xenos:
February 26, 2013 at 3:46 am
And again, that's just not how the law works. No matter what, after taxes, tips, and wages, a server HAS to make minimum wage with tips added to wages or the restaurant is legally obliged to pay the difference. It's misinformation to claim otherwise as the Department of labor's website clearly states the laws on tipped employees.

If you know a restaurant that does NOT cover the difference and is exploiting the ignorance of their server to the law, then please inform that server and report them to the department of labor.
Marty Nachel:
February 26, 2013 at 3:52 am
Rubbish. What the servers do or don't make is not the customer's problem. If the pay sucks that bad, then find work in another industry. Don't guilt the customer into paying your salary.
Jamie Young:
February 26, 2013 at 5:35 pm
Teachers also make less than they should. Should all teachers just quit their jobs to find more lucrative work? Your reasoning is flawed. YOU, the customer, benefit from the gratuity system.
Belinda Bennett:
March 4, 2013 at 8:37 pm
@ Lucian ...And I suppose you believe in the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus. And the Speed Limit is the law as well. Don't suppose you have ever gone over the speed limit.
Douglas Palmer:
March 14, 2013 at 3:00 am
Marty why do you suck so bad? Why don't you go elsewhere? Most people except the custom of tipping for what it is and tip reasonably, some people try to justify stiffing the server.

Stefanie Erschen:

February 25, 2013 at 9:05 pm

if resteraunts paid servers a higher wage, your meals would be much more expensive. i treat every guest like i would like my family treated. yes, i do it to get higher tips, but also because i am very good at my job. we have to tip out bartenders, hosts, and food runners. this is based on our sales, not our tips. so if a table doesnt tip, i pay to wait on them. people need to made aware of this. we are never going to change the fact that guests need to tip, just like we have not gotten a raise in OUR minimum wage in over 20 yrs. that is just sad. $2.13 just doesnt cut it also most of our tips cover our taxes, so we never get a check.

Marty Nachel:
February 25, 2013 at 9:08 pm
"Gratuity System" is nothing but a euphemism for "the customer gets stuck paying the servers' wages." The only winner is the restaurant owner.
Donna Hamblett Lee:
February 25, 2013 at 9:22 pm
While I am not a restaurant owner, I am well aware of the costs of running a restaurant. If you think the winner is the restaurant owner, open one and then we can have this discussion. Trust me, if these restaurant owners paid servers what they are worth then you or I either one could afford to eat out.
Jamie Young:
February 25, 2013 at 10:32 pm
The solution is simple, if you aren't going to tip, stay home.
Marty Nachel:
February 25, 2013 at 10:37 pm
Donna Hamblett Lee: so I should take on the financial burden for the restaurant owner!? I'd just as soon stay home and cook for myself (which I do).
Jamie Young:
February 25, 2013 at 10:38 pm
Marty, I don't know what you do for a living. But I can guarantee you that, should you ever render me any services, and I felt that your employer wasn't paying you enough or the materials were too costly, and I felt it wasn't my job to make up the difference... so I refused to reimburse you for your work...you would think VERY differently about the situation.
Marty Nachel:
February 25, 2013 at 10:38 pm
Jamie Young : wrong answer. Tips should still be based on quality of service.
Jamie Young:
February 25, 2013 at 10:42 pm
Unfortunately, Marty, it isn't. Because people like you have vendettas or "noble" reasons for denying us what is due. I take great pride in my work. I have been at this for over ten years. Last night, I received, as a tip, this note: "Excellent service! Thank you! Sorry, on vacation!" Rationalize that. I did $10 worth of work for you...a mere $10...and this woman decided she would rather apply that to a Macy's purchase or a trip to the Sears Tower.
Jamie Young:
February 25, 2013 at 10:44 pm
If you are going to be a wage vigilante for the nation, perhaps you should reevaluate your consumerism in its entirety.
Jamie Young:
February 25, 2013 at 10:45 pm
Bottom line, should I ever wait on you, please tell me in advance that you don't intend to tip me. And I will give you the service you...deserve.
Jamie Young:
February 25, 2013 at 10:51 pm
OR...you can always move to Europe...where you pay the same for your meal...AND you don't have the option to refuse a tip...because gratuity is included...
Jamie Young:
February 25, 2013 at 10:52 pm
(PS...that's why the servers there tend to be so rude...)
Jamie Young:
February 25, 2013 at 11:37 pm
Last thing: it is highly hypocritical to patronize an establishment that you believe is cheating its employees. You support the cheap employers but not its victims?
Barbara Searles Gregorek:
February 26, 2013 at 1:03 am
Jamie Young If you aren't going to serve the customer then don't get a job as a waiter or waitress, just stand on a corner with a cup and let people show you how much you've earned by your presence!
Jamie Young:
February 26, 2013 at 1:15 am
Barbara, I do my job and I do it well. Very well. Very, very well. But I don't do it FOR FREE. Do YOU do YOUR job for free?
Jamie Young:
February 26, 2013 at 1:22 am
I certainly don't think that BAD service should be rewarded. Hell, that makes me look bad....it makes the excellent service I give obsolete. I certainly don't want to be tipped the same as Shitty Server Sally. But, it takes something EXTRAORDINARILY awful to warrant a sub-20% tip.
Jamie Young:
February 26, 2013 at 1:31 am
What people don't seem to understand is: the job is NOT taking your order, bringing your food, bringing your drinks, etc. It's dealing with all of the personalities and demands of an unappreciative and oblivious public. And doing it with a smile...no matter how poorly we are treated or difficult you make it for us to be nice to you. We also have to have a vast product knowledge...beer, wine, craft cocktails...we also have to know if the dish we serve you is gluten-free or made with butter...we have to know if there are tree nuts in the pesto..we have to entertain your screaming children and pretend we love picking up after them...we have to get you three sides of ranch for your fries and find it adorable that you don't know what you want upon our third trip to your table...
Jamie Young:
February 26, 2013 at 1:34 am
And we have to do this for all of the other 6-10 tables we have...for 10 hours...without breaks...
Castle Bar is the Greatest Bar:
February 26, 2013 at 8:54 am
Geeze Jamie! You sound like you hate your job. What are you still doing there. I understand you have to memorize things, etc but most people who have jobs have to do a lot of things as well to get paid lol!
Francesc Puig-Basagoiti:
February 26, 2013 at 2:04 pm
the same applies to a bad waitress, stay home
Wade Branstner:
February 26, 2013 at 2:42 pm
Customers pay the employee wages everywhere, as well as expenses and profit. That's why people open businesses.
Liz Stegman:
February 26, 2013 at 4:34 pm
Marty Nachel What people are missing is that the food / bar service industry is a tough one. We are on our feet all day, setting up, doing side work, taking orders, clearing dishes, fighting with the kitchen, putting up with sexually harassment and rude people and and getting ready for the next day all while trying to keep a smile on our face and giving the customer an excellent experience in the HOPES of being compensated for it. We do this job because of the tips, not because we have some masochistic fantasy about being treated horribly for $2.16 an hour. Very few would do this job for minimum wage. Get real.
Jamie Young:
February 26, 2013 at 5:50 pm
Francesc and Castle, I am very good at my job. I get very defensive when people try to tell me it's easy. It's not. What people don't understand is, I WANT to make you happy. It's in my best interest to have a happy guest. I WANT you to leave feeling like, "Wow, that Jamie...she really took care of us." I love making a recommendation to a guest and having them say, "You were right! We loved this! Thank you!" I love going the extra mile for guests. I have a great deal of pride in what I do. And there are SO many wonderful servers in this industry. It's infuriating when people minimize the experience of the server. It's an extremely tough job. And it's insulting when someone tries to say it isn't.
Laura Lewis:
March 13, 2013 at 5:50 am
Then stay home!

Gail Rush:

February 28, 2013 at 5:52 pm

Look, EVERYONE knows, when you sit down at a restaurant and are served by waitstaff, you are expected to tip...it is not a surprise feature added AFTER you purchased your meal. If you don't plan on tipping, STAY HOME! 20% is STANDARD now, more if you think the service was worth it, less only if food was spilled on you, or your server was rude, but not if you didn't like what you ordered...not the servers fault. Complain to the chef. Also, parents, keep your kids in their seats...letting them run around is dangerous for them and your server.

Tom Dubé:
February 28, 2013 at 5:58 pm
You hear that, Mr. Pink?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4sbYy0WdGQ
Douglas Palmer:
March 14, 2013 at 2:49 am
Very well said. Thanks

February 25, 2013 at 10:35 pm

I have a brilliant idea for all of you cheap people! This is how we do things here in America, so if you don't like it then move to Europe or stay the hell home and cook and serve your own dam meals exactly the way you want it instead of coming into a restaurant and altering everything on the menu so you can eat it! YOU ARE A PAIN IN THE ASS! We in the service industry actually prefer that you do just that because we are fed up with your BS ideas on how or why you just don't want to tip! What is the freaking point of having a menu if the you are going to change the recipe to suit yourself. It is ridiculous! If you don't have money to spend on eating out and tipping at least 20% then STAY THE HELL HOME!

Jamie Young:
February 25, 2013 at 10:49 pm
Great thing is...they would never move to Europe...because gratuity is included!!
Barbara Searles Gregorek:
February 26, 2013 at 1:05 am
Yup, never had a rude or inattentive server there either, go figure!
Ralf Beilhardt:
February 27, 2013 at 5:36 am
Actually, would love to move back to Europe. The history, the architecture, the food.....aahhh.....oh, and you don't wait in line to be seated. You just walk in and find an open space. Wait staff comes around soon enough and takes your order. AND...you still tip whether gratuity is included or not.
February 28, 2013 at 1:19 am
This is really cracking me up. I can't believe the comments you people are saying. If you can't leave a tip, stay at home and cook? How about if you can't live off of low wages, find another job? Whether you all like it or not, included in my meal price is the food, table space, utensils, napkins, use of the restroom, AND a server to take my order and bring the things I need. If you do those things and I pay, then we are even. If a server goes above and beyond to make things nice, I always tip. That is the purpose of a tip, for providing services not already covered in the price of the meal.

Maybe I think differently because I live in a state where servers make minimum wage as their base salary and any tips are just extra. Also, quit complaining about the manager's cheating on what they report. Save your records of what you earn, and if they owe you, they will have to pay.

Jean M Abram:

February 25, 2013 at 5:22 pm

If your waitstaff is caring and attentive,please tip them.Some wait staff work very very hard to get a tip. Your wait staff does not get paid to pamper and care for you,that is something wait staff does on their own because they care.Some wait staff feel if they seat you,bring your drink,take your order,deliver your order,,their service is done.In my opinion they have done the job they were paid to do.They do not deserve a tip. The wait staff did nothing to make me want to return.Why tip. Tip when it is earned....................not because you think you have to... A few encouraging words to good wait staff goes a long way....

Angela Pearsons:
February 25, 2013 at 6:02 pm
some encouraging words may be nice however they do not pay anyone's bills my friend...servers and bartenders are paid the hourly rate for sidework and to cover taxes not to take an order or bring the drink ect...now with that said fine if they are getting paid 2 buxs an hr to do that then their is no reason to go out of the way for anyone...sry most servers dont do it because they care we do it because the better you are the more money you SHOULD GET...im sorry but what u said is ridiculousness...if you got everything you needed my friend then a tip has BEEN EARNED...not everyone deserve special treatment however they deserve to get paid for a job they did...joanne has a very good point
Jean M Abram:
February 25, 2013 at 6:37 pm
Having been a wait person for over 30 years,You make better tips if you are caring and attentive,verses ignoring and rudeness.I would not tip someone just because they were a wait person,and I get bad service.I do tip a wait person for being attentive.I never under tip a wait person,because a cook cooked crappy.A good wait person can make up to 100.00 or more an hour,depending on the area they live in.
Jean M Abram:
February 25, 2013 at 6:42 pm
Even tho the pay can be fantastic,it still feels good to here awesome compliments when they are deserved...

I was not implying a compliment instead of a tip.
Jean M Abram:
February 25, 2013 at 6:51 pm
Being a carhop is in no way the same as wait staff.You still care about your customers treat them all with total respect,even get attached to most of them.A car hop does not get the same respect as a wait perrson.
Maxwell Mendez:
February 25, 2013 at 8:51 pm
No they don't, do they?

Even though they have responsibility for your second most valuable possession while you are inside, and are paid the same hourly rates as the waitstaff, somehow two to five dollars to your valet after dropping two to five hundred on dinner seems like a generous tip to most.
Stefanie Erschen:
February 25, 2013 at 9:45 pm
so Jean, you feel that by my taking your order, delivering food and drinks, and then your meal i am simply doing my job and only deserve $2.13 for that? do you have any idea how hard this job is? how many ppl are on the phone and mime you their order? how many ppl are rude as hell because they had a bad day or are just jerks? how the children scream and make a disgusting mess that parents just leave for us to clean? how we may be understaffed but i still run to make sure these same jerks have a good experience? how it is sometimes really slow and i may just get 4 tables in a shift, so someones lack of tip or poor tip may mean all the difference in the world? how someone who overtips and says kind things is often enuff to bring me to tears because it is so rare? please think before you speak, or work one busy shift and see what we deal with everyday. and yes, i could get another job, but really, someone needs to do this job and i am good at it
Stefanie Erschen:
February 25, 2013 at 9:47 pm
but i do agree that poor service deserves a poor tip, this isnt a job that just anyone can do. and alot of college kids do it while in shool for extra money and alot of them dont care. but this is not everyone
Jamie Young:
February 25, 2013 at 10:23 pm
Excuse me...Jean...but doe ENCOURAGING WORDS pay YOUR bills? They do NOT pay mine. I have never written a check to my landlord saying, "JEAN M ABRAM THINKS I AM A GOOD SERVER." It is also NOT my job to coddle entitled assholes. There is a difference between SERVER and SERVANT.
Jamie Young:
February 25, 2013 at 10:27 pm
In NO other industry is an employee (server) expected to smile in the face of ill treatment. Of course I want to do a good job. Not only should I make more money by being kind and attentive, but it SHOULD make my job easier. I WANT to make YOU happy. But some people make it virtually impossible. I refuse to let anyone treat me poorly because my income is in their hands...
Barbara Searles Gregorek:
February 26, 2013 at 12:50 am
Angela Pearsons I have to disagree. The job of the waitstaff is to wait on the customers and that is what their salary should be for. The tip is for them doing a better job and making me want to come back, it is for the extra effort they put in, that is why I dislike when restaurants pool the tips of everyone who works there and splits them evenly with all the staff at the end of the night, some think this is fair, personally I don't, the tip should go to the person it was given to for the work they did, if the owner wants to pay fair wages for other aspects of the job, they should do just that, the tip is between the customer and the patron for the direct service provided!
Charlotte Anne Cain:
February 26, 2013 at 5:02 am
I don't understand why everyone is freaking out at her, you do realize she said she worked for 30 years as a waitress and she did NOT say pay a compliment INSTEAD of tip she said in addition a little compliment goes a long way. I personally have never not tipped for crappy service, I just tip reflectively. However they way you are attacking her is about "compliments don't pay the bill" and "maybe you should try working in the industry" and both of those are ignorant statements because it shows you didn't pay attention to her post. Also, Jamie, ALL industries expect you to smile in the face of ill treatment. You think teachers don't get shit from their students, parents of students, and bosses and other teachers? And you don't think doctors and nurses have to be polite when someone spits at them? Or any office employee, if a client walked in and was an asshole you still have to smile and say I'm sorry you feel that way or ignore it. No you don't have to go out of your way to pamper them but you cannot treat them rudely in return. Again, read my full comment don't pick out things and take them out of context as you did with Jean's. I DO tip, I make the tip reflective of the service. But your comments are unfair and it's kinda rude too.
Charlotte Anne Cain:
February 26, 2013 at 5:08 am
Oh and not only can you not be rude in return, but you still have to do your job, unless you want to be fired, that is.
Belinda Bennett:
March 4, 2013 at 8:10 pm
Where do you live? In fairytale land. Most servers never make $100 per hour. Then they have the prep work and clean up work before and after the restaurant opens and closes at the $2.13 per hour required by law for tipped employees. I worked in a restaurant when I was younger, and most of the people I know worked in restaurants at least when they were in college, that why I just don't understand what is up with the cheap tip issues. What ever happened to the golden rule. I truly believe that if you don't have the money to tip, then stay at home and let your wife act as your servant.

Aj Whitten:

February 26, 2013 at 1:07 am

People forget that this country spent most of its history with no minimum wage requirement.. Owners would pay the staff for the quality and quantity of work, and how difficult the Job is. I tip when the waiter deserves it, which is not often. The jobs not hard, honestly.

Jamie Young:
February 26, 2013 at 1:23 am
Aj, that is spoken like someone who has CLEARLY never done the job. Or if you have, you did it poorly. Serving is an art and requires great skill.
Jamie Young:
February 26, 2013 at 1:24 am
If nothing else, it takes an unfathomable amount of patience to deal with the people who think "the job's not hard, honestly."
Jamie Young:
February 26, 2013 at 1:27 am
If I had it my way, every American would be conscripted into AT LEAST one year of mandatory service in the Front of House restaurant industry...to gain some fickin' perspective.
Aj Whitten:
February 26, 2013 at 1:33 am
I was a cook, at one point, making the minimum, and I helped the waitresses. The ones that struggled had poor social skills and a slow mentality. If you were to break down my salary into a minimum wage, I make a little over 2 dollars an hour and job is 2000% more complex, but you don't see me complaining.
Heather Cornish:
February 26, 2013 at 2:14 am
Actually historically speaking, employers paid their workers as little as possible for brutal, backbreaking, and life-threatening work. Have you never heard of Robber Barons? People working 12 hours every day with no days off, sometime 24 hours in a row in dangerous places like steel factories. Railroad companies imported workers from other countries so they could pay them an extremely low wage. And before that, there was the whole slavery thing, where we flat out owned people and abused them for free labor.

As for how hard the job is, I am on my feet 8-10 hours a day and am suffering several physical ailments because of it. Also, it is extremely difficult to remain kind and cheerful when someone is treating you badly, which happens often. I never realized how awful people could be until I started waiting tables. Most people are actually kind and reasonable, but sooo many are not. And no I am not risking my life, but the job is not necessarily easy, particularly in a high volume restaurant which is extremely busy. You are multi tasking and doing several things at once at any given moment, and remaining positive and kind to the 60-100 or so people you are dealing with every hour.

Incidentally, I also think you should be paid more being a member of the armed services, and be better taken care of when your service is over. I thank you for your service, but please don't be so dismissive of the experience of others.
Andrew Spera:
February 26, 2013 at 6:59 am
i agree with you Aj and to reply to Joanne your customer is not your boss, your boss pays you to sell the customer something and provide the service of the buisness which is what your pay check is, the tip should not be expected or required, if you all perform your jog "great" well that is what i define as average and average deserves nothing special. and the reason tips started comming after insted of "to insure promptness" is people would "tip" and get nothing in return so now its why you fight for tips instead of get them for nothing
Alexandra Nolan:
February 26, 2013 at 9:28 am
It's only hard when waiting on redneck frat boys like you ;0
Taniko Kishimoto:
February 27, 2013 at 3:29 am
AJ, while I have never done the job for pay (I did it in high school as a volunteer "candy striper" for a local hospital), you are full of hot air. No the job is not hard, but it deserves respect. I would hate to meet you in any other aspect of life, frankly.
Taniko Kishimoto:
February 27, 2013 at 3:31 am
Aj, you are way way too self-centered.
Ralf Beilhardt:
February 27, 2013 at 5:25 am
I think the US gov't has dibs on conscripted service; not a bad idea though...

Jim Gray:

February 26, 2013 at 3:18 pm

Agree with the sentiment, but take a tip from this chef: Don't EVER ask, "Do you need change?"

Sandy Webster Hall:
February 26, 2013 at 4:21 pm
I even tip at Sonic, lolol Anyone who has ever worked a service job should tip until their fingers bleed when they have the chance to!

June 10, 2013 at 6:02 am

I don't have to explain myself to anyone, it's my money and I'll do as I damn well please. The server doesn't even work for me, s/he works for the restraunt. If s/he has a problem with their remuneration they should take it up with the boss. Until then, you can go fuck yourself with a barbed wire dildo, you entitled cunts.

Larry Latham:

February 27, 2013 at 6:32 pm

I tip, but you'll never convince me that 11.95 for a hamburger is cheap. McDonald's is cheap. Although I appreciate good service, I do resent the fact that we are subsidizing the restaurant owner, though the truth is that if they paid competitive wages, food would be higher....that is, if you don't count the cost of the tip as part of the price now. Tipping20% raises the price of the above mentioned burger to $14.35. Sorry, nobody makes a sandwich that good. Waitstaff wouldn't make as much money overall, either. Though I know their income varies from night to night, in a good restaurant, they can make more money than they'd make on salary. I am not holding them responsible for this state of affairs, it's the way thing are set up, so when I eat at a nice restaurant I tip. But I also get tired of tip jars at take-out food counters, where the staff merely take your money and hand you the package. Seriously? I don't tip checkers at the grocery store. Nobody tips me for doing the job I'm supposed to do.

Greig Oldford:

February 26, 2013 at 1:39 pm

The job of a construction worker sucks and they generally get payed a pretty good wage because of it. The job of a trash collector sucks, too, but they at least get above minimum wage. Both these jobs are essential and both don't require a lot of specialized education, like a food server. There is no reason why the food service industry should not be banding together for a higher base wage, rather than moaning about 'cheap-ass customers'. It's your cheap-ass bosses, too!

Lucian Xenos:
February 26, 2013 at 5:03 pm
When did food servers become "essential"?
Jamie Young:
February 26, 2013 at 5:37 pm
When people like you decided you wanted a dining EXPERIENCE. Otherwise, there wouldn't be restaurants. Imagine your "dining experience" without a server.

Michelle Guliano Riley:

February 25, 2013 at 9:21 pm

Have you ever gone out to eat an had an amazing experience because of your server? This is because they make a descent amount of money to put up with the 50% of their guests who are rude and overly demanding. I can promise you that even if the restaurant payed a little more then minimum wage, it would not be enough to keep the really good ones coming back to work. If the restaurant paid them enough, the food would be grossly over priced. Tipping is a great compromise. Lets also remember that you get what you pay for. Tips are based on a percentage of your bill. If you want to tip less, skip the appetizer or

Michelle Guliano Riley:
February 25, 2013 at 9:23 pm
It cut me off...expensive martini. Or go to a cheaper restaurant. Cheaper bill, less tip. But once again, remember you get what you pay for!
Marty Nachel:
February 25, 2013 at 10:40 pm
The "based on percentage" model is deeply flawed. I've seen many breakfast waitresses work far harder for their smaller percentage than dinner servers at swanky restaurants gettting their bigger cut.
Jamie Young:
February 25, 2013 at 10:47 pm
We agree on this.
Wade Branstner:
February 26, 2013 at 2:47 pm
You just don't know what you are talking about! The hard working waitress at the diner gets to keep most or all of her tips. The server at a high end restaurant has to tip out the extensive support staff a huge percentage of his/her tips! At some places up to 40%. Servers who work at the high end weren't selected at random. They got there because they are excellent at it.

Allison Rothermel:

February 26, 2013 at 1:29 am

Servers tip out of tips the back of house people!!! You leave nothing that server PAYS out of pocket to have you eat there. People like that should be shot.

Lucian Xenos:
February 26, 2013 at 3:20 am
That's not true at all. A server has to make minimum wage whether the employer pays the difference or not (If their tips and salary aren't the minimum, the employer legally has to pay the difference) and most of the "behind the scenes" guys get paid minimum wage to start with. All tips of a restaurant are pooled together, tallied, then distributed and the paycheck is adjusted accordingly. The department of labor says quite clearly that if tips AND salary do not add up to be minimum or above that the employer must pay the difference. If your employer isn't, then you can report them because it's illegal for them not to.

http://www.dol.gov/elaws/faq/esa/flsa/002.htm
Cindy Lu:
March 7, 2013 at 2:34 am
The boh should be paid by the owner. I see nothing wrong with giving a cook a tip when he helped me earn well on a shift. A lot of the time it is the boh that causes the bad experience for customers but the front of house staff are the ones hurt in the pocket.

Joan Tunstall:

May 15, 2013 at 7:09 am

Owners should have to be made to pay at least min. wage just like every other job. It is so exspensive to eat out now but most people want to every once in awhile even if they don't make much on their jobs either, so even though I tip, I think it should be your own choice because other types of jobs don't get tips no matter how good you do your job. I think it all goes back to the owners. I work hard for my money too and when I go out to eat that money is taken from something else, so I can't go much. With the cost of your meal it is hard to tip much at all.I have worked hard my whole life and was a single mom and had no tips, most of my life it was min. wage jobs and sure would have liked a few tips. It's not the custermers fault they don't get paid right so why should we have to make up for what the owners should be paying? I do tip what I can because of what they do make and I do tip more if they are friendly.This is nothing against the workers. I think it's a shame the way they are paid.

Dan Isaacks:

February 28, 2013 at 1:08 am

The concept presented here is purposefully naive. The only reason anyone would state (prior to ordering) that they weren't planning to tip is if they really wanted bodily fluids on their meal.

If pre-warning is such a great idea, how about a waiter telling me up front that they aren't planning on providing me anything other than the bare minimum of service, so I have the option of going elsewhere in advance?

Fair's fair right?

Debbie DeltaDiva Bivens:

February 25, 2013 at 7:35 pm

Years ago, I worked as a short order cook/waitress (coffee house) and during that time we were allowed to keep whatever tips we earned. 'Earned' as in promptness, personable professionalism and courteousness of service. I had to bring a heavy sack to load my TIPS into to carry home each night (somewhere in the neighborhood of $40-50 dollars). Nowadays, I'd hate to think of me providing that same type of service to someone who walks away without leaving a TIP. Some people are shameless and mean-spirited.

Earning a clean, crime-free living is STILL a noble thing to be commended for dammit! It incenses me to see people walk away and not leave a TIP. But, that's only when they have been provided great service. I have been known to leave ONE PENNY on the table for BAD SERVICE and I still DO!

I'm glad that employers now provide a 'cushion' for their workers who don't do well in TIPS.

Maxwell Mendez:
February 25, 2013 at 8:59 pm
They don't though. They are required to, but they universally calculate your per-shift hourly for the entire 'pay' period, which strikes me as illegal for the same reasons employers on a biweekly pay scheme aren't allowed to average your hours for both weeks before paying overtime.

Another one of those ways employees get nickled and dimed. If they make decent money and enjoy the environment, it isn't much of an issue, but for slow businesses it turns into manipulating 10-30% of their income away.
Barbara Searles Gregorek:
February 26, 2013 at 12:57 am
Your point is well taken, but this is something that needs to be addressed with the owners, not the customers. Customers need to support the good service they receive and the good servers need to work in places where the employers are honest and treat them fairly. No matter how good a meal is if the service is bad I'm not going back to that restaurant. I've enjoyed plenty of good food in diners and left good tips for the staff who made the meal enjoyable outside of it's taste, etc. I've also seen managers act like jerks to their staff in a restaurant and although I left the server a good tip and enjoyed the food, I've never stepped foot in the restaurant again. I won't support someone who doesn't treat their staff right. If more people followed that the cheapskate cheating restaurant owners would go out of business and the good servers would have good places to work in...think about it...
Jamie Young:
February 26, 2013 at 1:20 am
Unfortunately, Barbara, servers don't have the luxury of working ONLY for employers who "treat them fairly" and I have yet to meet a server (outside of California or Washington state) who makes minimum wage plus tips. You may as well be saying that servers should strike. Well, we won't. We can't. If you are truly that enlightened, boycott all restaurants that don't pay their waitstaff minimum wage. I doubt you will.
Anna Neal:
February 26, 2013 at 2:52 am
a penny face up means good service and face down is bad service along with a tip. I also have been a cook and waitress and bartender and as a customer I tip according to service attentiveness and politeness. As a senior handicapped on social security now there are times I can't afford to tip as much as I would like to but do tip some. as far as saying if you can't afford to tip you can't afford to eat out well we like to eat out once in awhile if for no other reason but to get out of the house not everyone has a lot of money and you can turn the resturants into the labor board for not making up the difference in pay . I have been treated very badly by waitstaff who says my wheel chair gets in their way and have overheard them say we should not be allowed in the place and other rude things well needless to say they did not make as much tips as was planned to give them and I never went back either also told all my friends .Olive Garden serves adults before children I know from experence their my grandson never did get his food he had to eat some of our food and they said oh well sorry.
Bruce Walker:
February 27, 2013 at 1:01 pm
Or better yet, if you're not going to tip go to a grocery store and buy some food, cogk it and clean up after yourself.
Leila Fouzia Ghauri:
May 17, 2013 at 3:47 pm
Hell, I'm ready to boycott any restaurant or any place that doesn't pay their workers minimum wage.

Jb Mullett:

February 25, 2013 at 8:56 pm

most "waitstaff" are kids that want to do as little as they can to get the most they can. how about refilling a glass or ask if they need anything else other then serving food then leaving. i will not tip unless the "waitstaff" earns their tip. but when i do tip i tip well... but for the most of them.... GET BETTER AT YOUR JOB AND STOP BEING LAZY!

Jamie Young:
February 25, 2013 at 10:31 pm
You are clearly not dining at the right restaurants. But then again, I don't want you at mine.
Barbara Searles Gregorek:
February 26, 2013 at 1:01 am
If the waitstaff are kids, you need to help them understand what got them the good tip, being rude won't teach them anything except that you are rude!
Andy Hendin:
February 26, 2013 at 3:59 am
There are certain restaurants - PF Changs here in Albany is the worst for this - where the food is excellent, but the wait staff just doesn't seem to understand what constitutes good service. I've waited fifteen minutes for a refill or to pay a bill and when I've walked over to the kitchen/bar (no, I'm not shy) I've found my server chatting up other staff or a regular customer. On the other hand, places like Cracker Barrel, Golden Corral and the Blue Ribbon Diner consistently have excellent service. I always tip at lesat 20%, but I will let my server know what I think of his/her service when I pay. "Thanks for the great service" or "This was a disappointing visit" comments seem to get more positive results than stiffing the server at tip time.
JoAnna Leah Ward:
February 26, 2013 at 2:56 pm
you are an idiot... most waitstaff are hard working parents that do have an education trying to suppport their family and be a parent, often a single parent. I have waited tables for 20 years, which paid for my college education, and I am one of the hardest working people I know...
Taniko Kishimoto:
February 27, 2013 at 3:16 am
JB I don't know where you are eating, but I suggest you find new horizons. I've found great "kids" who are excellent and attentive servers.

Elizabeth Reszke:

February 27, 2013 at 2:51 am

If the money you make at your job sucks so much that you have to complain... Here's a great idea: FIND A BETTER JOB!

Elizabeth Reszke:
February 27, 2013 at 2:51 am
And yes, I do tip. So don't start that bullshit with me.
Dawn Kruckenberg Cousins:
February 27, 2013 at 5:55 am
Great idea! We are silly to expect to at least be paid minimum wage so yes, we should all just quit immediately as good paying jobs are so easy to come by! Oh, and have fun the next time you eat out and there is no server there!

Barbie Dale:

February 27, 2013 at 5:04 am

TIP= TO INSURE "PROPER' SERVICE...

Wendy Fitman:

February 28, 2013 at 4:54 pm

Aint nobody forced them to take a job that depends on tips...A tip is suppose to be a nice gesture for good service,But no one should never just expect it & surely one should not depend on a tip to survive & feed their family,Thats just stupid there..... Its the servers job to give good service upon being hired at $2.00 per hr,Tipping is NOT mandatory,its NOT law, so a customer should never tell a server upfront if they dont plan on tipping unless of course they want shitty service...It pisses me off to no end,servers whining about tips,u give them 10% of the check,they want 15,give them 15,they now want 25%....Tipping is a nice gesture & i Always tip but when the server is standing at my table throwing hints & bitching about the last customer only giving 20% ,they can kiss my ass...

Stacey Miller:
February 28, 2013 at 7:59 pm
Ain't nobody taught you about proper grammar and double negatives.....just a lowly server. ;).
Stacey Miller:
February 28, 2013 at 8:01 pm
I can't stand ignorance that is why the state minimum wage in Florida is $2.13, because we are expected by our patrons to receive the remaining which would bring us up to the federal minimum wage. It does not happen that way, just tip, or don't go out to eat, you obviously can't afford to.

February 28, 2013 at 1:06 am

In some states, such as Washington state, servers get minimum wage BEFORE tips, so tips really are extra. Either way, I have done away with tipping. I provide better customer service than 99% of waitstaff who have served me, but I am not in an "industry" of tipping. Not my fault you picked a career that doesn't pay much. I am sure you have to work your tail off sometime, but waiting tables is a pretty low-skill job. Minimum wage seems appropriate. Change your website to: If you can't afford to make minimum wage, change careers.

Randy Waltrip:

February 26, 2013 at 4:18 am

According to Payscale:

" PayScale's survey of restaurant owners and operators finds a range of annual pay from $40,493 to $98,967 as of 2010. This range includes profit sharing income, which can span from $4,888 to $28,005 for owners. PayScale derived its results from data from 115 restaurant owners.

Experience

As is often the case with entrepreneurs, PayScale's data supports the fact that more experience as a restaurant owner means more take-home pay. With one to four years in the business, salaries range from $36,000 to $72,414. After five to nine years owning and operating, the range's high end stretches to $88,711. Top average salaries grow to above $100,000 for those who have owned restaurants for 10 to 19 years."

I don't know. Where tipping is expected, it's not really a "tip" for good service, it's a charge. I suppose if a customer knows that and automatically factors in the tip to the cost of a meal, then he or she can decide if they want to spend that much. But I'd prefer if it were all upfront, because I do inwardly grumble when I'd expected to tip generously when someone has simply carried a pizza and a glass of water to my table.I guess that's why I tend to eat at places like Fazoli's, where I refill my own softdrink or water glass, and there is a sign on every table that reads "Please do not tip".