frostyangel
Bluelighter
that is awsome every time I say that word people are like hun?
Someone actually uses that word beside me!!
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Your philosophy on tipping?
- Thread starter Cyc
- Start date
- Status
that is awsome every time I say that word people are like hun?
Someone actually uses that word beside me!!
I'm in Australia, so tipping is really quite different. I don't eat out at fancy places (I'm a student) but if the service is really good I'll leave a couple of bucks extra. Also, if I ever get pizzas delivered- I manage to rouse up a few dollars- lots of my mates have been delivery drivers, and somehow they seem to get away with paying less than minimum wage.
Normal stuff, no tip though. If I was in the US I'd probably tip about 20%, easier to work out
Normal stuff, no tip though. If I was in the US I'd probably tip about 20%, easier to work out
Larr_E
Bluelighter
I sell cell phones and its not a job where one usually gets tipped but this guy just got two phones off of me with additional features and tipped me $10 for my troubles... Karma kicks ass!!!!!!
keystroke
Bluelighter
Tom green Los Angeles 5 $175.00 / $15.00 8%
what the hell is wrong with a 15 dollar tip? you're only doing your bloody job anyway - I dont understand some peoples views on this.
you are getting paid an hourly rate, then post bad reports on people giving you 15 dollar tips ONTOP of that ?
what the hell is wrong with a 15 dollar tip? you're only doing your bloody job anyway - I dont understand some peoples views on this.
you are getting paid an hourly rate, then post bad reports on people giving you 15 dollar tips ONTOP of that ?
xtcxtc
Bluelighter
- Joined
- May 30, 1999
- Messages
- 1,978
Re: Australia's wages rock
instead of the NA servers complaining about their tips they should get the establishment to pay them a decent hourly rate in the first place ( and increase the price of everything ).
throughout asia a service charge of 10% is normally added to bills but as bisKi says that will not necessarily go to the staff. maybe 30% of same.
same would also apply to tips on top of same or tips in bars. the actual waiting staff may only end up with 30% of same. (shared also the majority would go to owners and managers )
so instead of complaining about immigrants you should find out who ends up with the "tips" in their country of origin.
bisKi said:
instead of the NA servers complaining about their tips they should get the establishment to pay them a decent hourly rate in the first place ( and increase the price of everything ).
throughout asia a service charge of 10% is normally added to bills but as bisKi says that will not necessarily go to the staff. maybe 30% of same.
same would also apply to tips on top of same or tips in bars. the actual waiting staff may only end up with 30% of same. (shared also the majority would go to owners and managers )
so instead of complaining about immigrants you should find out who ends up with the "tips" in their country of origin.
Re: Re: Australia's wages rock
obviously that would be ideal but how, practicaly, would you suggest they do that, alan?
the hourly rate, especially in the restaurant industry, is so entrenched, i can't think of a practical way servers could go about changing it. sadly, there's always somebody else willing to work for the same or less.
alasdair
Originally posted by xtcxtc
instead of the NA servers complaining about their tips they should get the establishment to pay them a decent hourly rate
instead of the NA servers complaining about their tips they should get the establishment to pay them a decent hourly rate
obviously that would be ideal but how, practicaly, would you suggest they do that, alan?
the hourly rate, especially in the restaurant industry, is so entrenched, i can't think of a practical way servers could go about changing it. sadly, there's always somebody else willing to work for the same or less.
alasdair
xtcxtc
Bluelighter
- Joined
- May 30, 1999
- Messages
- 1,978
alasdair
no idea but very very hard. i imagine same might be opposed by the unions representing the staff as they are better off with 20% tips only some of which would be taxable. i would not be tipping any 20% --- apparently many "immigrants" agree with me.
i am vigorously opposed to compulsary tipping as i do not know where the tip is going to end up. NB i own a small share of a couple of bars / discos in HK and even if they do not make a profit the owners share of the "tips" provide some reasonable income.
in HK i would give away about USD10k as lai see to staff every Chinese New Year and sometimes X'mas as well.
here in PI much the same thing --- i hand out a 10, 20 or 40 from time to time to the girls or managers but not much in the way of tips. have not generally included the waitresses in such largesse so will have to correct that.
no idea but very very hard. i imagine same might be opposed by the unions representing the staff as they are better off with 20% tips only some of which would be taxable. i would not be tipping any 20% --- apparently many "immigrants" agree with me.
i am vigorously opposed to compulsary tipping as i do not know where the tip is going to end up. NB i own a small share of a couple of bars / discos in HK and even if they do not make a profit the owners share of the "tips" provide some reasonable income.
in HK i would give away about USD10k as lai see to staff every Chinese New Year and sometimes X'mas as well.
here in PI much the same thing --- i hand out a 10, 20 or 40 from time to time to the girls or managers but not much in the way of tips. have not generally included the waitresses in such largesse so will have to correct that.
TearDownBorders
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2004
- Messages
- 53
woa, for the people that dont think servers need to be tipped automatically, get your head on straight. i get paid 2.13 an hour, which is jsut enough to cover the taxes on the tips i claim (10% of my total sales for the night). i barely get a paycheck.
many people think that serving is easy, "you carry plates from the kitchen and refill drinks". its not easy. sure if it was only you in the restaurant, it would be easy but usually theres alot more customers. depending on how well staffed a restaurant is, servers can have 10+ tables, all wanting their food right then, their drink to never reach the bottom, and the servers to cater to their every need. let's not forget that waiting tables has been listed as one of the most stressful jobs.
it blows my mind at how rude some customers can be. one lady full out threw a fit because i called our soup "vegetable beef" and left out the fact that it also had noodles in it. she didn't say anything when i delivered her bowl ( i only charged her for a cup to be nice). i even asked if everything looked alright. later on after she had picked the noodles out and ate the rest, she told me she wanted her meal free because she didn't like noodles and demanded to talk to the manager. not only did she complain about me, the manager had to discount her entire meal, and i got in trouble for charging for a cup, and serving a bowl. and she left no tip.
and with the percentages...if people continue to tip based on the price of their meals, the servers wont do you any favors. at first i tried to save the customer as much money as possible by working mad skills on the computer we ring things in on. i could change a 50$ check to a 30$ check depending on how i rang things in. but did any of this help? nope. customers tipped 10-15% of what i charged them. This has caused alot of servers to charge customers as much as possible. Keep this in mind the next time your out. Tipping by percentages isn't smart to do. If you tip well regardless, servers will recognize you and can help you out on the check.
many people think that serving is easy, "you carry plates from the kitchen and refill drinks". its not easy. sure if it was only you in the restaurant, it would be easy but usually theres alot more customers. depending on how well staffed a restaurant is, servers can have 10+ tables, all wanting their food right then, their drink to never reach the bottom, and the servers to cater to their every need. let's not forget that waiting tables has been listed as one of the most stressful jobs.
it blows my mind at how rude some customers can be. one lady full out threw a fit because i called our soup "vegetable beef" and left out the fact that it also had noodles in it. she didn't say anything when i delivered her bowl ( i only charged her for a cup to be nice). i even asked if everything looked alright. later on after she had picked the noodles out and ate the rest, she told me she wanted her meal free because she didn't like noodles and demanded to talk to the manager. not only did she complain about me, the manager had to discount her entire meal, and i got in trouble for charging for a cup, and serving a bowl. and she left no tip.
and with the percentages...if people continue to tip based on the price of their meals, the servers wont do you any favors. at first i tried to save the customer as much money as possible by working mad skills on the computer we ring things in on. i could change a 50$ check to a 30$ check depending on how i rang things in. but did any of this help? nope. customers tipped 10-15% of what i charged them. This has caused alot of servers to charge customers as much as possible. Keep this in mind the next time your out. Tipping by percentages isn't smart to do. If you tip well regardless, servers will recognize you and can help you out on the check.
Christian Soldier
Ex-Bluelighter
When i was in Bali i had servers that would tell me to put my tip back in my pocket because it would just go straight to the management.
2 points:
The tip you give may get them cash dividens from the next customer!
- I don't tip for water, this includes clubs. I'll be damned if I leave $1 for an 8 ounce $3 bottle of water that the club probably got for less than .50. Nuh uh, that shit ain't working, it's fuckin water!
- A tip doesn't always have to be money. I've left waiters tips in the form of recommendations on a napkin. 'When you see a drink is empty, ask to fill it up. Don't let it sit empty for 10 minutes.', or "Here's an idea, smile once in a while" or "Come by the table every few minutes to see if we need anything, not once a night."
The tip you give may get them cash dividens from the next customer!
Raz
Bluelighter
Man,I am SO glad we don't have this compulsory tipping culture in Australia...to me, a tip is something you get for being exemplary, not for just doing your job. If you've got a problem with what you're being paid, take it up with your manager...it's not MY job to pay you. Along with that, I don't work on a percentage thing....if someone does a good job, I will pay what I think is deserved and what I can afford at the time. I've given buskers as much as $15 and waiters as much as $2. It all comes down to how good I perceive the service I've gotten....
MynameisnotDeja
Bluelight Crew
^seems to me thats the best way to go about it.
I find it best to put a stack of ones on the side of the table at the start of the meal and explain to the waiter that this is the tip. As you fuckup throughout the meal, dollars will be removed one at a time from this stack.
Then you just slowly remove them throughout the meal until they are all gone, even if the person does everything right.
Then you just slowly remove them throughout the meal until they are all gone, even if the person does everything right.
~::Trip'nPuSSy::~
Bluelighter
australia.
in our non-compulsory tipping market some restaurants have introduced a corkage fee for byo customers. if my bill comes with corkage charged i always say to the waiter, "oh, i see youve factored in your tip!"
in our non-compulsory tipping market some restaurants have introduced a corkage fee for byo customers. if my bill comes with corkage charged i always say to the waiter, "oh, i see youve factored in your tip!"
In fact, I can play the passive-aggressive game just as well as any customer and still keep a smile on my face the entire time.
Fuck the tip, I just like winning.
I remember a few times where customers insisted that the menu said something it didn't -- Instead of agreeing, I'll bring the menu back to the table and prove that they are, in fact, totally, absolutely and irrefutably WRONG.
No tip? Screw you bitch, you're still wrong.
Fuck the tip, I just like winning.
I remember a few times where customers insisted that the menu said something it didn't -- Instead of agreeing, I'll bring the menu back to the table and prove that they are, in fact, totally, absolutely and irrefutably WRONG.
No tip? Screw you bitch, you're still wrong.
poopie
Bluelighter
T.I.P.S.
does anyone even know that this is the acronym for "To Insure Prompt Service"?
i have worked in the service industry in floor.i.da for almost 4 years. i make $2.13 an hour. i have worked for the same company for 2.5 years and will never get a raise. i have gotten promotions (but these truly do equal MORE WORK). the only way i can get more money is to go into management (blech- this is why i am in college right now), my company does not offer raises. i do think that my job is a lot harder and more draining than scanning UPC's at a grocery store (did that for 1.5 years). so, i could work minimum wage at a lot of retail places and make the federal minimum wage of $5.15/hour, or i can work in a restaurant and make $2.13/hour plus tips.
i realize that my job is not as "important" as working in a hospital and some office jobs, but it's still important.
also, the standard of living has gone up. federal minimum wage was $4.25/hour about 10 years ago, it is now $5.15/hour. but, alas, that does not mean that our guests tip more. i realize that the price of your filet went up $2 (i also feel that squeeze for more money!). do you think i did that? or that my company feels charitable and puts it in my pocket? no.
to ensure prompt service... i want to challenge you guys. here's an exercise: go to the same restaurant for the next two months or so. go there about 2x a week if you can. if and when you find a really nice server, start asking for that server (you will now be considered a "call party"...look at you VIP's!). start tipping "very well", i.e. 25%. as you keep giving that server repeat service and excellent tips, see if your service doesn't get BETTER and maybe they'll "forget" to charge you for those sodas and that soup. they'll tell you that the prime rib looks like shit and give the inside info on how the servers there do it (like mix the ranch dressing and the tangy tomato dressing together- sorry, inside Outback speak!) if you became my call party, you would get incredible service. your drinks would be on the table and as soon as i see your faces in the foyer. if i'm bartending and happy hour has just ended, i can "grandfather" you in. if i make way too much rum rummer in the blender, i'll give you that 6oz. leftover. but if you're not cool, it doesn't bother me to just strain it down the sink. it becomes a symbiotic relationship. i rely on you for my livelihood (and drinking habit) and you rely on me for providing you with excellent service, b/c you don't want to slave away in a hot kitchen.
a couple of other things:
~ i haven't seen "tipping out" mentioned once. when i work the floor, i have to "tip out" 3% to bussers, hosts, and bartenders (i'm not complaining, they deserve this...and more). i usually tip a little extra to the bartender so i get my drinks first. it becomes a mutual understanding. so, when you have a $100 check and you leave $15, i only get to see $12 of that.
~ i regard "going out to eat" (or drink) as a treat. i have never gone out unless i had enough for my dinner and a hefty tip. your gratitude is very nice if you can't afford a big tip, but it's not going to pay my utilities bill, is it? buy some ramen noodles if you're a struggling college student, sit down, and study (like i do)!
~ also, for those of you who are sometimes running low on cash and "can't tip", what did you order? i realize not everyone is like this, but when i see a couple who orders lobster crab cakes for an appetizer, two large filets for dinner, dessert, and not to mention a couple of top-shelf drinks leave a 10% tip, i can't help but think they might need to reprioritize, eh?
~ another thing- high on the list of a server's duties is to "turn and burn". our company expects us to "up-sell" an appetizer and dessert to every table and have that table be ready for the next party in about an hour when we're "on a wait". so, if you're sitting there "just having coffee and catching up with an old school chum", we expect you to compensate us for the time you used our table. i know it may sound greedy, but it's the truth. if you sit there for an hour and have a $12 check, and tip me $3, that's pretty gnarly. i could have had two couples run up a check for about $80 in that time, and *crosses fingers* hopefully tip me about $15-$16. i'm not asking for a 100% tip on your coffee check, i'm just asking you to sit at the bar, or a coffee shop.
~ i realize that the general stereotype for teen servers is a dismal one, it's often true. but, i work with a woman who is a career waitress (she has no education...and- vicious cycle- cannot afford to go back to school because of her pay.) who has been doing this for 20 years. she is by-far one of the worst servers i have ever seen. sweet as peaches, but god help you if she waits on you. =)
~ waiting tables is phyically, emotionally and mentally taxing. you don't hafta be a mensa member to do it, but it gets to you. i have to lift trays that are 30+ lbs, with a 140 degree plate searing the side of my neck, and dodge toddlers whose parents can't control them in the dining room. i am called "sweetheart" by hideous people who i have asked to call me "heather" numerous times. if i can remember your name along with the other 40 or so other regulars i have, you can remember my name, too. call me a feminist, but that shit is condescending. i know that some people realize it was josh the grill guy who fucked up their steak, not me. these people also know i'm waiting on about 16 other people at different tables, as well. i know the words "too fucking busy" shouldn't be in a waitress' vocabulary, but...they are (my fellow "reservoir dog" fans!) =)
~i work at a restaurant that adds 15% gratuity for parties of 8 or more. big parties are exhausting, for me and the kitchen. i have NEVER been to restaurant that added the tip w/o either having the server tell me or it being clearly stated on the menu. 18%-20% is entirely fair for large parties. you guys are a hassle (not personally, but sometimes to seat 15 people at once and join up tables is difficult), and most stay for well over an hour. that's fine, we expect you to. we want you to. just...help us out.
~all of us americans would shit a goddmaned brick if we did away with tipping and the prices of their food went up $10. admit it.
~is figuring out an even-numbered percentage REALLY that difficult? yeah? then pull out your fuckin' cell-phone and use it's calculator.
~ one last thing, i think... =) i work near daytona beach, but in a small town. a small town that is incredibly seasonal. during "bike week", "speed weeks", and "spring break", i make bank! but we are now approaching our "slow season". i can expect to work about 6 hours and "walk" with $30 if i'm lucky. so, my $$$ is so much like the ocean i live near: ebb and flow.
i realize all these decisions i've made were BY CHOICE. my back kills me after a night of work, but i have the killer legs to prove i wait tables. i meet incredibly awesome people who make me love my job. and then there are those who have told me "i'm just a waitress" and to "get a real job", that have resulted in me feeling worthless, running off to the bathroom to cry, and souring my whole night (sorry to those who i had to wait on afterwards!). it IS more then running to and fro a 105 degree kitchen (watch how bad your server's sweating on a friday night...and try NOT to tell them it's a "bit chilly" in the restaurant!) but it's our choice and it's not really that much harder OR easier then any other job out there.
if you guys made it all the way through, thank you. and, i would really like you to take the pepsi challenge, that i mentioned earlier.
=)
P.S. READ this book (servers, customers, whoever- it's awesome. it's not bitter at all! really. it's sweet and has a lot of insight.)
waiting: true confessions of a waitress
does anyone even know that this is the acronym for "To Insure Prompt Service"?
i have worked in the service industry in floor.i.da for almost 4 years. i make $2.13 an hour. i have worked for the same company for 2.5 years and will never get a raise. i have gotten promotions (but these truly do equal MORE WORK). the only way i can get more money is to go into management (blech- this is why i am in college right now), my company does not offer raises. i do think that my job is a lot harder and more draining than scanning UPC's at a grocery store (did that for 1.5 years). so, i could work minimum wage at a lot of retail places and make the federal minimum wage of $5.15/hour, or i can work in a restaurant and make $2.13/hour plus tips.
i realize that my job is not as "important" as working in a hospital and some office jobs, but it's still important.
also, the standard of living has gone up. federal minimum wage was $4.25/hour about 10 years ago, it is now $5.15/hour. but, alas, that does not mean that our guests tip more. i realize that the price of your filet went up $2 (i also feel that squeeze for more money!). do you think i did that? or that my company feels charitable and puts it in my pocket? no.
to ensure prompt service... i want to challenge you guys. here's an exercise: go to the same restaurant for the next two months or so. go there about 2x a week if you can. if and when you find a really nice server, start asking for that server (you will now be considered a "call party"...look at you VIP's!). start tipping "very well", i.e. 25%. as you keep giving that server repeat service and excellent tips, see if your service doesn't get BETTER and maybe they'll "forget" to charge you for those sodas and that soup. they'll tell you that the prime rib looks like shit and give the inside info on how the servers there do it (like mix the ranch dressing and the tangy tomato dressing together- sorry, inside Outback speak!) if you became my call party, you would get incredible service. your drinks would be on the table and as soon as i see your faces in the foyer. if i'm bartending and happy hour has just ended, i can "grandfather" you in. if i make way too much rum rummer in the blender, i'll give you that 6oz. leftover. but if you're not cool, it doesn't bother me to just strain it down the sink. it becomes a symbiotic relationship. i rely on you for my livelihood (and drinking habit) and you rely on me for providing you with excellent service, b/c you don't want to slave away in a hot kitchen.
a couple of other things:
~ i haven't seen "tipping out" mentioned once. when i work the floor, i have to "tip out" 3% to bussers, hosts, and bartenders (i'm not complaining, they deserve this...and more). i usually tip a little extra to the bartender so i get my drinks first. it becomes a mutual understanding. so, when you have a $100 check and you leave $15, i only get to see $12 of that.
~ i regard "going out to eat" (or drink) as a treat. i have never gone out unless i had enough for my dinner and a hefty tip. your gratitude is very nice if you can't afford a big tip, but it's not going to pay my utilities bill, is it? buy some ramen noodles if you're a struggling college student, sit down, and study (like i do)!
~ also, for those of you who are sometimes running low on cash and "can't tip", what did you order? i realize not everyone is like this, but when i see a couple who orders lobster crab cakes for an appetizer, two large filets for dinner, dessert, and not to mention a couple of top-shelf drinks leave a 10% tip, i can't help but think they might need to reprioritize, eh?
~ another thing- high on the list of a server's duties is to "turn and burn". our company expects us to "up-sell" an appetizer and dessert to every table and have that table be ready for the next party in about an hour when we're "on a wait". so, if you're sitting there "just having coffee and catching up with an old school chum", we expect you to compensate us for the time you used our table. i know it may sound greedy, but it's the truth. if you sit there for an hour and have a $12 check, and tip me $3, that's pretty gnarly. i could have had two couples run up a check for about $80 in that time, and *crosses fingers* hopefully tip me about $15-$16. i'm not asking for a 100% tip on your coffee check, i'm just asking you to sit at the bar, or a coffee shop.
~ i realize that the general stereotype for teen servers is a dismal one, it's often true. but, i work with a woman who is a career waitress (she has no education...and- vicious cycle- cannot afford to go back to school because of her pay.) who has been doing this for 20 years. she is by-far one of the worst servers i have ever seen. sweet as peaches, but god help you if she waits on you. =)
~ waiting tables is phyically, emotionally and mentally taxing. you don't hafta be a mensa member to do it, but it gets to you. i have to lift trays that are 30+ lbs, with a 140 degree plate searing the side of my neck, and dodge toddlers whose parents can't control them in the dining room. i am called "sweetheart" by hideous people who i have asked to call me "heather" numerous times. if i can remember your name along with the other 40 or so other regulars i have, you can remember my name, too. call me a feminist, but that shit is condescending. i know that some people realize it was josh the grill guy who fucked up their steak, not me. these people also know i'm waiting on about 16 other people at different tables, as well. i know the words "too fucking busy" shouldn't be in a waitress' vocabulary, but...they are (my fellow "reservoir dog" fans!) =)
~i work at a restaurant that adds 15% gratuity for parties of 8 or more. big parties are exhausting, for me and the kitchen. i have NEVER been to restaurant that added the tip w/o either having the server tell me or it being clearly stated on the menu. 18%-20% is entirely fair for large parties. you guys are a hassle (not personally, but sometimes to seat 15 people at once and join up tables is difficult), and most stay for well over an hour. that's fine, we expect you to. we want you to. just...help us out.
~all of us americans would shit a goddmaned brick if we did away with tipping and the prices of their food went up $10. admit it.
~is figuring out an even-numbered percentage REALLY that difficult? yeah? then pull out your fuckin' cell-phone and use it's calculator.
~ one last thing, i think... =) i work near daytona beach, but in a small town. a small town that is incredibly seasonal. during "bike week", "speed weeks", and "spring break", i make bank! but we are now approaching our "slow season". i can expect to work about 6 hours and "walk" with $30 if i'm lucky. so, my $$$ is so much like the ocean i live near: ebb and flow.
i realize all these decisions i've made were BY CHOICE. my back kills me after a night of work, but i have the killer legs to prove i wait tables. i meet incredibly awesome people who make me love my job. and then there are those who have told me "i'm just a waitress" and to "get a real job", that have resulted in me feeling worthless, running off to the bathroom to cry, and souring my whole night (sorry to those who i had to wait on afterwards!). it IS more then running to and fro a 105 degree kitchen (watch how bad your server's sweating on a friday night...and try NOT to tell them it's a "bit chilly" in the restaurant!) but it's our choice and it's not really that much harder OR easier then any other job out there.
if you guys made it all the way through, thank you. and, i would really like you to take the pepsi challenge, that i mentioned earlier.
=)
P.S. READ this book (servers, customers, whoever- it's awesome. it's not bitter at all! really. it's sweet and has a lot of insight.)
waiting: true confessions of a waitress
Last edited:
michael
Bluelight Crew
cravNbeets
Bluelighter
pa.. said:
you sound like the kind of classless slug that shouldnt be allowed the privilege of dining out
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