IMHO, all this stuff about, "Well their employers should pay them more so that I don't have to be expecetd to leave a tip", is silly. Would you rather have your meal cost 15%-20% more on the menu in order to cover the extra labor costs so that you are no longer expected to leave anything extra? At least with the tip system, you have the option to leave more or less than the standard 15% comensurate with the service level. Would you rather be forced to pay a flat 15% rate in the form of price increases regardless of how bad your service is?

I guess I just don't see what the big deal is. You go out to dinner at a resturant. You know the dinner is going to cost you more than the price on the menu. You know there is going to be xx% tax added to it. You also know that courtesy and custom dictates that you leave around 15% extra for your server. It's not a surprise. You know that you are expected to leave it as long as the service was satisfactory.

If you can't afford to leave 15%+ or you have some ethical dilema with leaving 15%+ for average or better service, well then maybe you should just stay at home for dinner. I've been friends with a number of food service staff over the years, and I think that they would pretty much all prefer that the bad tippers would just stay at home. Most would rather just not have waited on you at all than spend 1.5 hrs serving you only to get $2 on a $20 check. It's really considered an insult to them, and the ones I've known take it quite personally when they get a bad tip.

Andrew

 

If the wait staff was paid more by the employer, your cost to eat at a restaurant would be that much more.


[QUOTE=exceltoexcel,Mar 27 2006, 10:21 AM]I just paid $200 for $30 worth of food and $10 - 20 worth of drinks.

 

I agree, all of us should sit at home (even though i do tip) that way all those service workers wouldn't have a job rather than just having them get a honest pay from their employer

 

What? you expect a waiter to make 40 thousand an year
Average dinner for two 50-60 bucks = 11 dollars tip according to your formula. Average of what 5-10 tables per 2hours = 88 bucks for 2 hrs (for average of 8tables per 2 hrs)
Lets say the waiter works an average of 4hrs shift per night for 5 nights per week
That would equal roughly 900 bucks per week

For somone with no college training, no special skills... it's highway robbery

I'm not trying to say waiters don't do any work but I just got tired over 4yrs hearing how bad they had it (my waiter/waitress friends) and got to see how much CASH they brought home every night (that never got reported to the IRS)

Let's try this formula... this time with 10%
average of 5 dollar tip with average of 40 dollars per 2hrs (with average of 8 talbes every 2hrs)
roughly 400 bucks per week x50 weeks per year =20,000/yr... much more appropriate for the education and work a waitress does.
Hell considering a school teacher only makes about 28,000 a yr I would say it's a lot of money

 

[QUOTE=exceltoexcel,Mar 27 2006, 10:26 AM]Pay them appropriately, period.

 

From your statement, it is apparent that you do not appreciate "good service"

Lets just say that not everyone is like you. Good service at a fine restaurant will always be in demand.

 

True they have to pay for overhead, i didn't account for that but lets see 15 pieces of sushi that don't even add up to a whole fish = what $10 they charge soybeans for~ $15 *2 + ~$50 * 2 + a desert for ~$15 *2 + tax Soy beans are what $2 a lb? desert $7 maybe? $50 for 4-6 oz of captian and .50 for the draft coke ! I'm not bitching about the price the food was excellent but the mark up was high, high enough that they should pay their wait staff and since there was 10 of us in total the gratuity was already included in the bill.

None of which I have a problem with but they should pay appropiately regardless.

 

I nearly always tip 20%, read my posts before you assume.

I just think they should pay their staff more than $2-$3.

 

Then don't eat out if you don't like it.
[QUOTE=ccarnel,Mar 27 2006, 10:56 AM]Hell considering a school teacher only makes about 28,000 a yr

 

Maybe I didn't explain myself well, that post was in response to an earlier post stateing that they don't pay well because they though their staff was making too much.

Either way pay the damn waitress a reasonable wage for an average resturant, more for a high end establishment.

If you pay them correctly and you then think they make too much as stated by an earlier poster then you simply you can put a no tipping rule in place.