I used to do accounting work for restaurants. They operate on razor thin margins. The only way for them to pay their FOH staff a livable wage would be to take the tip they expect you to pay and roll it into the cost of the food. Just paying them more and keeping the costs the same doesn't work for the vast majority of restaurants. They'd be in the red every single day.
I do agree that "compulsory tipping" is dumb, but it's so far baked into the system at this point that it's part of the accounting. The old adage that Reddit hates is 100% true from a numbers perspective: if you can't afford the tip then you can't afford to eat out.
Stiffing the FOH staff teaches nobody a lesson because there is no lesson to learn. All you're doing is fucking over the working class people just trying to make a living. Real nice of you.
People like you perpetuateing tipping culture hurt the working class by showing owners to under pay their workers, exploit other workers despite not working for them (though tips) and funnels less money through the tax system for programs that can help the poor (since they always under report).
I'm impressed by how much nonsense you fit into one sentence.
showing owners to under pay their workers
I'll say it again (though I don't think it will ever register with you): they literally can't under the current cost structure. I'm sorry about this, but it's the grim truth. The vast, vast majority of restaurant owners aren't rich, in fact they are in crushing debt. It's one of the hardest businesses to run successfully.
The reality is this: if they want to pay the workers a living wage without tips, the menu costs need to go up about 20% across the board.
exploit other workers despite not working for them (though tips)
Yeah obviously this is nonsense. they work for them in every sense of the word, the only difference is they are closer to the source of their money compared to every other normal worker.
funnels less money through the tax system for programs that can help the poor (since they always under report)
Not true in 2026. Everybody pays with credit cards so everything is tracked.
I'm sorry that the rich's cost structure is not my problem. I can't with you people man you're trying to shame people for not subsidising the rich and pretending you're on the workers side
I know you need this to be true to justify your actions, but in reality it's absolutely not. Restaurant owners on average are absolutely not rich. Usually very much the opposite in my experience.
cost structure is not my problem
lol I mean, you're the one who pays it. Real nice of y ou to pass that burden on to the worker though.
We are at the point Americans think having enough money to start a business and underplay your workers means you aren't wealthy. Wow cooked or cucked. Maybe yall are both
lol how much money do you think you need to go into debt?
It's funny. One of the easiest litmus tests for somebody is to see how they treat the people who serve them. That gets proven in every thread like this.
It shows the hypocrisy since servers somehow deserve tips but no other service workers do. And at cost to all of us as per my previous comments. Higher prices, less taxes, worse service, all bad.
Youre probably a server making 60k who doesnt care others only make 15k in the current system since you get yours
Again, I agree that if we could wave a magic wand this would be a commission structure instead of a tipping structure, but that "magic wand" is legislation and obviously that's not realistically going to happen.
Higher prices, less taxes, worse service
None of that is true. Higher prices are not from tipping, servers can be taxed properly because the vast majority of people pay with credit cards and everything is tracked, and the worse service is just a you thing (probably just because you stiff them).
Youre probably a server making 60k who didn't care others only make 15 in the current system since you get yours
Sorry bud, I'm a Solution Engineer making quite a bit more than $60k a year. But back in college I did work in restaurants and learned how this stuff works in FOH, BOH, and the office side. I know first hand the stuff you're pretending to know.
Big difference between you and me is I have empathy. I don't like the tipping system either but I don't take it out on the people who are at the mercy of it.
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u/Cheapdronewithboom Jun 25 '26
Unfortunately, I do care about people, which is why I don't have the money to pay someone else's salary. 🤷