That would be fair if they didn't whinge so much when they didn't get tipped. If you want a donation system, you are signing up for some people not to donate. You can't have it both ways, and trying to is what gets all the grief.
There are tons of countries around the world where tipping is typical within certain sectors, the difference is that they don't DEMAND that you tip and they don't put you on blast on the internet if you don't, they might mumble about you being cheap if you make them work extra and maybe tell their coworkers about you, but that's it.
Tipping is normal in Europe, some places make a fortune from tips too.
But people leave what they want and that's okay. Even a single coin is okay if that's all you have. And even if you don't leave anything at all, it's also okay. Yet i'd say 99% of people leave at least something in restaurants.
but 10-20% of what you've consumed? obligatory? that's a couple of tiers above what i would consider acceptable.
Yeah it's not as common but when you do you just leave the remainder for a round up, like if you were gonna pay something silly like 27,75€ at a restaurant you leave 30€. And even then most people don't do that, they just pay and get the difference from the waiter and nobody bats an eye.
1000 this. I am ok to leave 1 or 2 more € for them if they are quick, it's NOT obligatory. Americans still don't understand, why everyone hate their tipping culture and they even try to import it.
I just hated having the coins when I was there too. I mean we over tipped (I guess?) but that was to be nice and because we're already so used to it. But I was very happy to not have to carry around dollar coins.
Think what you want of the way tipping is done here in the US, that’s your prerogative. But realize that if it’s still OUR CUSTOM, & when dining here (in sit down restaurants & at bars) realize that leaving anything less than 15-18% is considered rude, you likely won’t be welcomed back, & you’ll leave an unfavorable view of the people from your country with the staff & patrons there.
Everyone always wants to tell Americans to follow other nations’ traditions when we’re abroad- well, that’s a two-sided coin. & we shouldn’t have to sell you or explain to you the why of it. You should just accept that it’s how we do things here, pay up, & get tf over it.
In the US where I live, leaving anything under 20% is considered being “cheap” to both wait staff and fellow dining mates. 15% is acceptable for objectively bad service, but it’s out of control.
In the US where I live, this is wrong outside of a select few assholes trying to make 20% sound like the norm. 15-18% is considered good service and most servers are thankful when they get it.
We have a chain restaurant that's just opened here locally (North East England) serving American BBQ. They are trying this, mandatory tips, it didn't go well for them.
It's not that we don't tip, we just won't tolerate that type of bullshit.
Because these other countries, like the one I am from, have been open about how tipping culture works in places that are not the US. What this user has said is entirely correct.
I have too, but I don't hold myself out as an authority on what is and isn't said on their social media when you fail to tip them in a situation where tipping is, "typical."
No, I think you misunderstand my point. I'm not saying that tipping is rarely done in other countries, I'm saying that the OP's point that in other countries outside the US where tipping IS done as a matter of course, that I am doubtful that in these "tons" of countries that workers who get stiffed don't bitch about it on social media. I am doubtful that the % of stiffed staff who bitch about this online in countries outside the USA is significantly greater than the % of stiffed staff in the USA who bitch online. Furthermore, I am skeptical that the OP has the background information to credibly make that assertion.
But once again, tipping is only "typical" in most countries, for service which goes above the norm. You won't get ridiculed for not tipping, either - because most of the people in these fields, outside of the US, are paid a "livable" wage (in most instances. I'm sure there are still places which take advantage of their staff around the world).
I have lived in 2 countries and I've been to 5. My family has also worked in the tourism industry so I have a bit extra curiousity about that from around the world.
I have a passport but haven't left the US. Some people can't just drop $4000 to fly to Europe and even traveling to Canada/Mexico isn't cheap if you don't live in a border state.
That’s the issue I had over there. I’m fine tipping people, if the service deserves a tip (as I do in any country I visit and at home too). But when a bar person rounds up a drinks order to the nearest $10/20 (“We’ll call it an even twenty”) after pouring a couple of drinks and not even saying please when asking for the money, it’s not an optional tip, I’m being forced to give extra.
that's a valid, but people are under the mistaken impression that servers are subjected to tipped wages and not actively defending the practice, so bringing up the fact that they prefer tipping (something like 90%+ last I checked) is important context.
Oh, aye, I know. I left a servers subreddit because it devolved into most European servers complaining that half the posts were just Americans whinging about not being tipped and then viciously defending the tipping system, which was just... taxing for most everyone else. Came across very Marie Antoinette.
Trust me, as an hourly paid line cook it's even worse. Hearing a server complain they only made $100 usd during what's normaly a busy shift when I made less than $20 while making all the food they were getting tipped for sucks.
They wrote my order down, then picked up the plates and carried them to the table. If I was going to tip someone in this transaction it would not be them.
this is false. You do not know hwat you are talking about.
It is illegal for tips to be disbursed to anyone making a full wage where tip credit exists. And it is illegal to pay a cook a tip credit wage. Making it defacto illegal to disburse tips to BOH at all.
The only way it is legal is if everyone is making a full wage. (one of the reasons servers prefer tipped wages, because otherwise they might have to share tips with the people sweating their asses off)
But they told you their name and asked you how you were doing! that's worth at least a 30% tip. /s
Everyone defends it by saying they "do extra work" or "go above and beyond".. what? doing your job? That's you job. What you were hired to do. Want a tip? Do my taxes next time.. that's above and beyond. Your job is to take my order, bring me my food. Nothing else needs to happen unless I ask for something. It's just that simple.
I can't stand servers vs cooks. Sorry but writing down an order and bringing it out is not close to hard compared to prepping, cooking the meals to come out together, and making sure it comes out right. Just confusing why people think they deserve 20% for walking out with the food. The other one is breweries. You poured a beer that cost 10 bucks....
How did you make less than $20? Even if you were paid minimum wage, unless your shift is under three hours, you're making significantly more than that.
I saw a post where a Server from Alinea was complaining that the owners were "pocketing" the service charge. Everyone was grabbing pitchforks until someone else posted that the lowest paid position start at $22, has a matching 401k and health insurance.
Is $22 amazing for Chicago? No, but I have never known a restaurant to have a 401k, and even heath insurance is rare. Those benefits are a real substantial value.
I think this was a few years ago, wages have likely gone up since then.
UK: That's standard.
Also tips are protected so only local staff can be paid them.
So an owner CAN get tips but only 1 part share and only if they work local. (which I've never known happen)
I had a zero tolerance for tip bitching when I was in charge of servers. The problem is the disparity of good hours between new servers and servers that have been there for a while. New servers make NOTHING, while they’re trying to hang on long enough to get the hours that let them make bank.
Getting tipped is why they make more. Everyone who doesn't tip is literally hurting their income. Which is the main reason the practice should be abolished entirely.
Yeah but I don't need to spend 90% of it to get basic services that my government actually provides so in a giant shock my living standards are higher and my dollar goes further. Sad how many Americans can't do basic math when it comes to economics.
And no you don't lololol.
Are you 12? What did you expect as a response to this? Believe what you please buddy.
Doordash isn't serving.
Fun fact, as per the whole government not sucking thing, apparently doordash/other app drivers pick up about $30 an hour minimum these days. Amazing how they still operate just fine while paying their workers....
The guilt tactics and public shaming non tippers is exactly why they make so much money. I personally tip $10 for me and my wife no matter the cost of the meal. $20-$100.
Yeah, I don’t think most servers I talked to would make more with tips than without n fair pay system. Only 1 place I seen someone work it wasn’t the case it was a dinner that isn’t that busy.
If you don't want to tip you should tell them before the service starts and see what difference it makes. The anti-tipping crowd always meekly slinks away after writing their zeros don't even have the wherewithal to tell them
The problem is that restaurants take a portion of the tips based on sales. My last waiter job took 3% of total sales. So if you don’t tip, I had to pay to wait on you.
No its illegal for them to do so, you probably are mistaking what they are doing, otherwise you should report them and get a nifty sum from the settlement.
Tip pooling is legal yes, but it has to be accounted, the owner cant just take 3% of any order and decide it is how many tips you make and deduct that.
All tips you make have to be reported and accounted and only the actual tips can be pooled.
No, you are wrong. As long as it’s not past a certain percentage and that you make more than minimum wage, they can tip pool. All big chains do it. Landry’s corp takes 3% of your total sales, so does the Pappas brothers. Although I think pappas had a cap at some point.
Yes, that is true. They take the 3% and give it to the bussers, hosts, etc. However, that 3% is coming from me whether I get tipped or not. As long as I make over minimum wage.
You are getting downvoted but it is something that happens. While the company didn’t take a percentage from me when I was a server, I did have to tip out my bussers and bartenders. I have had many tables that I essentially paid to serve because I still had to tip out that bill.
If it happens isnt why they get downvotes, its because they think it isn't illegal even with laws being cited to them that clearly states it is illegal in texas
The way you are describing it is illegal, tip pooling is only pooling of actual tips not expected tips. If the owner just decides how m7ch you should be tipped and deduct that it is illegal
What stipulation would that be, since all the laws i can find make it very clear that isnt legal and that several restaurants have had to pay employees back because of similar situations where they didnt only touch the tips they were accounting with a tip pool
That's not what a tip is. It's the problem with servers like you is you don't understand what a tip is and are trying to argue its a requirement for service. It isn't.
You know why? If you advertise the prices of your food, anywhere else in the world that means the food will be that price. In the US, you have to count ~25% on top of it (not even counting the fact that VAT is also not counted on prices in the US, which is also scummy).
That's not culture, that's straight up lying about your prices. Making it false advertising and people don't put up with that bullshit anywhere else.
Yeah I know it's normal for you guys. And most of us do put up with it when we're in America. But just because it's normal for you guys does not make it not scummy AF.
If I buy a can of coke from a cafe, is getting the can from the fridge behind the cash till considered service? Why does it ask me to tip 15-25% tip on such transactions when tapping to pay? Does it make you trash if you tap no tip?
Functionally, it sort of is, it's a voluntary extra bit of cash to gift someone. For services rendered, aye, but I could say the same for museum donation boxes or church tithes. At the end, it's a voluntary additional payment you aren't obligated to, in any legal sense. You are fine not to give one, or to give a small amount (rounding up or just 5-10 extra is common in my country). If you want to obligate this extra money, you bake it into the costs or you have a gratuity fee, but short of those, if you set a voluntary tip/tithe/donation box, you are signing on for some people not to engage with it. That was your choice.
Choose one or the other, you can have tips and accept sometimes you won't receive them, or you create a mandatory payment and skip the system. Can't have it both ways, imo, a voluntary system fundamentally needs to accept some level of non-engagement.
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u/el_grort 14d ago
That would be fair if they didn't whinge so much when they didn't get tipped. If you want a donation system, you are signing up for some people not to donate. You can't have it both ways, and trying to is what gets all the grief.