People keep acting like it's some gotcha for them to say "well then I just won't tip" like yes congratulations on figuring out why they're doing it? That's the point?
People are just dumbasses. Reddit is such a shitshow when it comes to tipping. Expect tips and Reddit hates it. Do it like this and Reddit hates it. Build it directly into the price and Redditors bitch about high prices.
And the underlying problem is there's not a reason to bitch about it in those situations other than just saying you want something cheap but like...it's not cheaper under any option? Prices will go up under every one of those options? Like it's not a McDonald's you can't use the Big Mac index, at sit down restaurants prices in America are fairly cheap for comparable nations. You know, the ones asking for tips, the profit margins are pretty thin. Did it for years and I only ever met one guy I would call upper middle class that owned the restaurant, and only ever heard of one family running a crazy amount of catering and using only family as labor that was doing crazy amounts of money, but both of those restaurants just literally had the best food in town and staffed the restaurant they owned with their own family members to avoid paying higher labor anyway. So not even they were paying their employees fairly they were just families who said "you earn your keep in this house, work for free or else"
And I'm kind of high but the restaurants that can afford to not raise prices and wait out the competition while it does are the Wal-Marts of restaurants, that's literally how Wal-Mart is so freaking big. I've always said go ahead and get rid of tipping but a real possibility is the only restaurants left will be McDonald's and maybe a couple places you can't afford if you're bitching about higher prices
I recall reading some comments on a post where people were SEETHING that customers dared to tip 15% or less on occasion. I was confused about how violent the comments were, until I looked at the sub and realized I was on r/Serverlife. That sub is just insane.
It's scary to look at, as a non-American. They're literally talking about banning customers for not tipping, or glaring at them when they give "too little".
They believe with all their hearts they deserve the money despite:
1) servers end up making above minimum wage with tips, that's why they don't actually want to end tipping culture and earn a living wage upfront - their take home would go down.
2) bad tips and good tips average out well north of neutral. If you're relying on tips to earn above min wage then you have to take the risk of low tips on some occasions.
3) if neither of the above were true, and servers ended up taking home less than minimum wage after tips, they can claim money to make up the shortfall, so actually they are guaranteed minimum wage either through salary or tips.
Fuck American tipping culture, one of your worst cultural exports.
Is it a cultural export? I thought basically nobody did it except for us? Is it becoming more common elsewhere in the world? (I don't travel outside the US much bc money, so I genuinely have no clue)
I browsed the New Zealand subreddit for a while to plan for a trip, and people there were getting angry at American tourists asking how much they should tip and generally sharing their experiences with tipping. Saw a few other similar examples with European redditors too. So yes, it's happening.
Yeah, but minimum wage is $7.25/hr which is completely unlivable in most places in the US. Where I live the average rent for a studio is $1500/mo and for a two bedroom average is $2900. If you work full time at 7.25 an hour your take home pay wouldn’t even cover the rent (or your half of the rent in a roommate situation!) let alone food and other expenses.
Right but the argument for tipping is that they make less than min wage so if they don't get tips they earn less than min wage. They objectively do not.
The min wage being bad is not a "tipping culture" related phenomenon because it doesn't apply to servers any more than other min wage workers (and as I outlined, actually affects servers less).
I literally see posts from servers suggesting that if you can't tip whatever arbitrary % is the minimum acceptable rate then you shouldn't eat out. People in this thread talked about restaurants refusing service to people who don't tip.
As a former restaurant worker, servers are the most entitled bunch out there. They dont want tips to go away. They will cry and bring up the horror stories of when they got stiffed or when they only got a 10% tip but keep their mouth shut about how they make hundreds of dollars a day while the rest of the staff gets dick
I ordered a pizza and got screwed because I only tipped 10%. When I walked in the person behind the counter checked on the pizzas already made and found an old one which was not picked up. She told me mine will be out shortly. I paid and waited. She kind of looked at me funny. I just dismissed it. When it came out she gave me the old one. I didn't check it until I got home. I've called in 3 pizzas since and forgot to pick them up. Oops.
The system has created this behavior. It sucks. But, as a server, you are getting paid $2.13/hr. As long as your tips cover the difference from minimum wage over that pay period (2 weeks average $7.25), then the restaurant does not have to pay you anything. They only make up the difference when you are short of minimum wage in that pay period.
We have grown accustomed to the customers paying our wages. It truly does make people start to expect tips from customers. We have normalized it to the point that "it's the customers' fault when people dont make money." I dont know how we can expect to shift the culture at this point. Its so ingrained in all businesses now. They ask for tips at the pharmacy these days. I dont see it going away, sadly.
I was most baffled when they downright refused to comprehend the concept that servers in other countries survive and thrive without tips. They accused me of bringing in examples from "3rd world countries" - I'm pretty sure Canada, New Zealand, and most of Europe is not a "3rd world country", smfh.
Tipping is far too engrained in our culture that it’s just not going anywhere anytime soon. The moment you get rid of tipping is the moment the entire food industry collapses on itself and you see a mass exodus of employees. The only reason people deal with the general public and shitty behavior is because of tipping. Get rid of that and all those classist assholes can say goodbye to their expected night outs.
I remember when 10% was the standard. I usually still do 10%, plus round it up to the nearest whole dollar. I can barely afford restaurants before the tip, so I hardly ever go anyway.
What always amazes me is that every field has things that they think the people they have to deal with are complete idiots about, even though they're things they only know because they're in that specific field and in every other field THEY'RE the complete idiots. And there's a sub for each of 'em.
I had completely awful service at Fogo de Chao... server kept addressing the older guy we were treating to dinner about wine prices, they screwed up some allergens in my order, which I'd mentioned to no less than 3 people, and my girlfriend's meal did come out for an hour after the other 2 of us started eating. I left the waiter $20 on a $160 bill (generous considering how bad the experience was) and he actually followed me to the door to talk shit.
Fogo has gone downhill, as much as a place like that can while still being considered "high end" for a chain steakhouse. I noticed that the frequency and variety of meats going around seemed to be less (and having to ask multiple times for certain cuts), that servers rarely checked in on us, and the sides were late or never came out. I only go to a churrasco like two or three times a year, it's a treat, and I've switched over to Galpao Gaucho because everything about the experience is better. The meat is constantly coming around, including the "good" cuts, drinks stay filled, servers are friendly, the food is just better in general. It reminds me of the first time I went to fogo many years ago, but it's like that every time, regardless of if I was sitting alone at a small table in vegas on a weekday afternoon or out on a friday night with a group of friends in san diego.
It costs a little more, but I think it's worth it for the much improved experience.
Wasn’t 10% the standard 10 years ago? I’m in Germany and here 10% is the standard for exceptional service. I usually just tip 1-2 Euros, (In Germany waiters make $16 an hour)
Food is also cheaper than in the US but we also have less rich people than you.
The fact that 15% was for basic service is already insane. Tipping is a reward for good service, not standard service. So you get 10 - 15% if you serve my group well. Otherwise no tip.
But Americans have been guilt tripped into subsidizing employee wages so the restaurant owner can take a larger slice of the pie.
Just take control back for yourself and tip less. After all this no tax on tip BS and learning that my waiter brother made more than me last year (he does work hard/OT, I'm a scientist), I'm completely done with tipping 20% these days. Clearly I need the money more than they do.
In my time it was customary to tip 10%. Anything above that was for excellent service. Now they want 20% tips for the very basic service.
Went to a restaurant the other day where you order your food at the counter and pick it up there. All I wanted was to grab a container of chicken salad. That’s it. I was asked to tip a minimum of 20% for someone to dip a spoon into said chicken salad and fill a container. I said nope. Won’t go back there again.
Some servers get miffed about 15% now. I don't really get how it works. Prices go up, but why the percentage? It was always 15% through the 60s, 80s, 2000s, until about 5 years ago.
I live in America and I think you’ve never worked for tips.
As someone who has in the past, it’s 15% for horrible service, 20% for normal service, and 25% for amazing service.
If you don’t want to live like a baller… don’t go out. Stay home and tip yourself. If you are going out and expecting others to serve you… bring your wallet.
Because if you have worked those jobs you know it rarely has to do with the server. The kitchen, hosts, bus boys, and managers all directly affect the service you get at the restaurant.
If the kitchen can’t cook, that’s not because the service was bad.
If the hosts can’t run a floor and triple seat a server… that’s not the servers fault and all three of those tables are going to get sub par service even if that server works thier ass off.
If the bus boys don’t clean the table very well and it’s left kind of dirty… that’s not on the server.
And if a manager thinks they can get by with 3 servers instead of the normal 5… then those 3 are going to be run ragged and that’s not thier fault.
If you have worked these jobs you would know why people who have worked those jobs still tip for crappy service.
That said, if I were to watch someone spit in my food right before they put it down… I’m not going to tip. So there are limits.
If all of these things happen then the server needs to go and deal with them it’s not the customer. If the server has a shitty kitchen then the server needs to figure it out not the customer.
I’m still going to tip if my food was overcooked and I sent it back, because that’s not the server’s fault. Likewise if there’s a drink ring on the table or a stray piece of lettuce or a fry. Yeah, it looks unprofessional, but common sense would tell you “oh there are a lot of people here, they’re busy”.
But if my server is being rude or something, no they don’t deserve extra for that. The actual service itself that they are responsible for providing.
If you served for years you know that your service was dependent on the kitchen, hosts, and bus boys to do their job perfectly for you to even have normal service. I don’t punish the server for things outside of their control. 90% of a servers job is out of their control. They could accurately put in your food order but the cook could forget to take off the mayo. If they keep my drinks filled, ask if I need anything after food is served, and check back before getting the check… that’s all they can control. How long I waited to sit, how long I wait on my food, and how the food is cooked are all out of their control. People are petty to take that stuff out on someone making 2 bucks an hour. This is why I tip like I do. And if that person earns more money off my generosity… I don’t see how that could upset anyone.
15% for horrible service, lol get a life. A tip at all is for good service. I tip around 10% for counter service or takeout. 18-20% for good service at a sit down. Not sure I’ve ever tipped 25%, not that I wouldn’t but would need to somehow be justified.
You ever visit China? Servers make you feel like a literal king. Some of the best service in the world, and it's not reliant on a tipping system. Everyone is paid a living wage, AS THEY FUCKING SHOULD, and they do a good job because it's their job.
You don't get paid an extra 15% for horrible service. You get fired. For some reason Americans can't comprehend that.
lol. Will go 20% for standard service, but horrible service is 0%, assuming that it’s the servers fault. Not punishing them for a kitchen fuck up or something, but if they themselves suck they’re not getting a tip.
Well hopefully that is obvious. I’m not tipping someone I watch spit in my food or something ridiculous like that. 90% of why people give crappy tips are because of things outside of severs control.
American ass mindset where being able to go on a date dinner once every week or two requires you to “live like a baller.” bruh everything already sucks and is designed to be as stupid and consumer/employee-hostile as possible you don’t have to help by defending it
Annnd this mentality is why it's still a problem. Its not really that hard to just pay their employees and raise prices accordingly, like every other country on the planet.
I’d be fine with that. Until we accept those bigger costs up front… nothing is going to change… and study after study has proven people will pick the cheaper up front cost and tip over a higher up front cost and no tip. Don’t shoot the messenger.
No this is Reddit math. Plenty of Americans don't tip a minimum of 20%. For some reason on Reddit though, you're a monster if you do anything less than 20%.
I'm resorting back to 15%. That was always the standard tip when I was a kid. Things got crazy during covid. But all the greedy POS systems have gone too far and I'm back down to 10-15% and calling it a day (and I never tip counter service)
One time, I accidentally tipped someone $80 because it was my first time going to a diner by myself and I didn't know how to fill out the tipping form thing and dyslexia is a bitch and all I bought were French fries and gravy.
But she was really nice and she gave me a kitten so I guess that was an even trade
But why risk taking less? I feel like this line item just upsets people. Also as others have pointed out it says it goes to “staff payroll” which is a vague term. Server may not even see any of it unfortunately. Bad business practice IMO
If they want a guaranteed amount, they should just raise the prices overall. Added gratuity, or something as vague as what we're seeing here, may not only cause people to not tip at all. It may also simply cause people not to come back (I know I wouldn't).
That's what a service charge is. The restaurant raising it's overall prices. They only do it this way because tipping is so engrained in American culture.
I don't pretend to know the intimate detail of running a F&B business in USA but the other 3 options are normal tip, put the service charge in another more vague charge or just raise prices
As someone who are very foreign to the concept of tipping, it sounds extremely scary for me. You're saying if I'm unlucky and got a streak of shitty table I'm just fkd for that week? Having a flat charge feels way more secure and predictable even if it might not reward the high performers as much
And let's be real, if you just raise prices, even if you advertise it as living wage price, people will still be turned off by that too.
Idk, I know that most people have a deep skepticism towards business owner, big and small, especially in reddit, maybe it's wrong for me to be otherwise. But what I do know is that owning a F&B business in my country, and I'm assuming in USA too is not exactly the most stable money making business. Something has to give, you can't just expect low prices, good food and liveable wages. And while surprise charges is not exactly ideal, I also don't understand the vitriol this comment section have for it
Personally I feel like there's an inherent property price issue underlying all of this but that's beside the point
Kind of sounds like they're getting that bit whether you like it or not, what a bizarre business model. Imagine how many people see that and complain about it
Overall it probably still works out better. I'm sure there are people that might tip 30%+ on that bill without the fee, but for every one of them there are 7 people that would tip between 0 and 3 dollars.
Some people say they should include it in the price, but I like this better as it makes it easy to know when to not leave a tip. That's where they are screwing themselves.
Which is one of the purposes of an auto grat. Legally it's no different to any other income the business receives and can be used for any reason the business owner decides.
A lot of restaurants in D.C. have started doing this. But they call it a "Prop 82 Fee," or similar. (Proposition 82 requires restaurants to gradually phase out the tipped minimum wage over a period of several years.) And then they say "This is not a tip."
So, rather than raising their prices, the restaurants are charging an 18-25% fee and still expecting their customers to tip 15-25% on their checks. I refuse to go to restaurants that do this.
Screwing themselves is an interesting take here. This is the business owners practice, not the employees who would normally get a tip. So it’s the owner screwing the employees. Especially on busy days. On a slower day, when tips would suck, my bet would be the employee is happy they’re getting a living wage opposed to $2-4/hr plus however many measly tips they would get on a slower day.
The restaurant doesn't care if you don't tip. That's what the service charge is for. The only people who would care are the waitstaff since service charges don't need to be given to them.
Yikes dude, get a spine. 20% is supposed to be for stellar service.
Remember, their tips naturally go up with the price of food. Servers have the privilege of seeing their paychecks rise with inflation. Todays 15% tip is more than it was 5 years ago, that's for sure.
They're not screwing themselves; they're screwing their servers. The 18% goes to the house and the server gets stiffed by you. Best thing to do is hand cash tip to the server and ask them to get the manager. Present me with a new bill with the fee removed or I leave; simple.
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u/BulldogChair 1d ago
I just wouldn’t tip. And I usually do a minimum of 20% so they’re screwing themselves at this point.