john_v_h

Did you tell the waiter, or the manager, that he was going to have to do better after the very first mistake? If not, why did you suffer a ruined meal in silence?

Non-praying Mantis

So, it sounds like you got about 20$ from wages and about 200-300$ a week in tips (with one weekend night, more with another weekend night.

Well, I am an adjunct teacher, I have a Master's degree, and I make about 200$ a week.

Perhaps I should put out a tip jar in my classroom...

NPM

Worldtraveller

...except that the waiter/waitress is being paid 1/2 minimum wage (as a general standard) + tips. So if you are cheap with the tips, they make......I believe the word is squat.

That's not to say that there are a LOT of jobs out there that don't get paid what they deserve (teachers are a glaring example) and many that are way OVER paid (can you say pro sports?), but that's a function of our society.

-Lane "the Big Tipper"

PS: And yes, servers usually remember me, and I do get probably better service. FWIW

kkholiday

Or you could wait tables on Friday nights. You could probably almost double your salary.

Shadowy Man

That's a circular argument. The only reason they make less than minimum wage is because there is tipping.

If there were no tipping, the employers would have to pay them a standard wage. Basically, these establishments can get away with paying their staff virtually nothing, knowing that the customer will make up for it.

kkholiday

Now who's throwing around circular arguments? If the restauraunt pays the staff more, then the establishment will have to hike the prices up to compensate. The customers will still end up paying for the service. At least with the current system, the menu prices are kept down and you tip at your discretion.

Shadowy Man

I end up paying more anyway, when I throw in the tip. Yes, I'd be happier just having the items on the menu cost more and not have to tip.

But you don't tip at your discretion, effectively. The gratuity has become obligatory!! And because the waitstaff makes so little in actual salary, you get situations like warrenly described in which the waitstaff feels slighted if you don't give them a discretionary tip.

kkholiday

Well, I guess the whole issue just breaks down to being a preference thing anyway. I've had waiters that have been awful and then acted like a tip was required too; I'm sure everyone has because the system isn't perfect. More often than not though, they bust their respective asses for me and I like that the compensation for this comes from me directly. Usually the difference between an average tip and a really good tip is a few bucks. It makes me feel good to be able to put in that little extra to make the server's night better.

Bree

I'm not sure what you're saying here - servers most certainly do make less than minimum wage. $2.33/hr. is standard for servers and bartenders (at least here in Wisconsin). Minimum wage, or something close to it (here, usually $5.15/hr.) is standard for hosts/hostesses, busboys/girls, and dishwashers who occasionally bus tables. In most restaurants in my city, the waitstaff "tips out" the bar at the end of the night - meaning a certain percentage of their tips goes to the bar because their drinks were bought while they were sitting at table and therefore the patrons did not get a chance to tip the bartender.

As a former waitress, I can't tell you how many times a large party comes in, purchases $200 worth of food, and then leaves $5 for you (usually stuffed in a half-empty highball glass). It's maddening. Then a certain percentage of that goes to the bar, leaving you with barely enough cash to purchase a pack of gum - that's all you've got to show for your two hours of service.

That being said, because I used to be a waitress (and a damned good one), I never tip if I think the waitstaff doesn't deserve it, and I'll speak privately to the maitre'd or host/hostess if the situation warrants it. There are small things that a waitstaff is expected to do for the patrons of the restaurant - keeping glasses filled, removing empty dishes, checking back at least once to make sure everything is all right - that I believe go with the job and if the waitstaff is neglectful, their tip will reflect that. On the other hand, if a waiter or waitress is exceptional then their tip will also reflect that. I've tipped as much as 30% at finer dining establishments because the waiter virtually bent over backwards making sure that I was happy and comfortable all night. There's no substitute for fine service.

kkholiday

I forgot all about tip outs. Depending on the restauraunt, you either tip out a percentage of your tips (usually10%) or a percentage of how much food you sell (usually1%). One of the places I worked at used the latter system and even allowed the busboys and food runners to print out a copy of how much each person sold, so they'd know how much they "should" get.

Meanwhile, this restauraunt was in Union Station, Washington D.C. frequented by tons of tourists who didn't know to tip and lots of DC inner city people who just didn't (and liked to treat the waiter like crap to feel good). One night I sold a thousand bucks worth of food (slightly above average at this place) had to tip out the bus boy, food runner, bartender, and expo chef each ten buck of my tips and walked away that night with $20 for my troubles. I always would tip the guys that help me out well because I knew how it felt to get stiffed, but I usually ran all my own food and bussed my own tables anyway because I hadn't gotten completely fed up with all that crap like most of the waitstaff who worked there as a career.