Chastised for not tipping on a to go order

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never heard that you are supposed to tip on takeout until Covid, and there was all that hoopla about restaurants risking their lives for us (never mind other essential workers like me didn’t make extra for going in). I figured it was temporary but this myth has persisted past covid.

Soooo much this.

[Anonymous]

When you draw the short straw and are on To Go, you still make your $2/hr crappy wage + tips.

Not entirely true. The formula for pay is really( $2.something plus tips) or (minimum wage), whichever is greater. The restaurant needs to make up the difference (as required by law) if tips plus $2.something do not cover the full minimum wage for the region. So, all of these "tipped workers" are making minimum wage regardless.

It's harder for me to tips at hotels because I don't carry cash anymore.

This is not the hotel's fault or the maid's fault. Carry cash at least when you know that tips are expected (and people who carry cash should carry small bills for the same reason). Or just carry cash regularly. It is useful for more than just tips.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

When you draw the short straw and are on To Go, you still make your $2/hr crappy wage + tips.

Not entirely true. The formula for pay is really( $2.something plus tips) or (minimum wage), whichever is greater. The restaurant needs to make up the difference (as required by law) if tips plus $2.something do not cover the full minimum wage for the region. So, all of these "tipped workers" are making minimum wage regardless.

It's harder for me to tips at hotels because I don't carry cash anymore.

This is not the hotel's fault or the maid's fault. Carry cash at least when you know that tips are expected (and people who carry cash should carry small bills for the same reason). Or just carry cash regularly. It is useful for more than just tips.

This!! Just went away. Brought $300. $5 each time the valet brought me my car and $20/day for housekeeping. It’s not hard.

[Anonymous]

It's the same team so I would not create a "hard line" there but tip a bit less. You don't have to tip 15-20%- just give them a small tip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New poster here and I haven read the previous 13 or so pages.

I worked as a hostess all through high school and took to-go orders and then boxed them up. I was rarely tipped: maybe one out of every 100 orders. I was paid $10/hour and the servers were paid $3/hour plus tips.

Last summer my 15 year old daughter worked the take-out counter at a taco place and made $9/hour. With tips she made between $16-25/hour, it was a bit nuts for a 15 year old.

Not really. Like 30 years ago you made $10/hour; your kid should be making more than you, not less or the same. What is wrong with you?

Not PP, but how many kids were making $10 an hour 30 years ago? That’s about how much I made in my first post-college job (a job requiring a bachelor’s degree) 27 years ago.
Ok, I’ll play. I had an internship in 1994, and I made $10/hour. No idea what minimum wage was back then. My first job out of college, I made just under $20/hour plus overtime. Almost 30 years ago. I was not taking it in by any means.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Corporations push tip culture because they don’t want to pay their employees. Instead, they pay executives outrageous salaries and prioritize stockholders over customers.

Companies that don’t pay or treat employees fairly will soon see that they can’t find people willing to work for them.

I do agree with this though I also don't think there is anything wrong with tipping, especially for exceptional service.

But I also think that if this is your position and reason for not tipping, then you should have to back it up by choosing to patronize businesses that you know pay and treat their employees well, or to use your voice as a customer to influence businesses to shift from relying on tips to better compensation for employees.

We have a list in our house of restaurants that have either eliminated tipping or where we know employees are making a higher wage and getting decent benefits, and we try to patronize these over businesses who don't have these practices or where we don't know whenever we can. It's a win-win because then we also feel liberated from tipping pressure and can just enjoy our meals there. Sometimes we even still tip because someone goes above and beyond for us. But there's no expectation and also no guilt on our part, like we're stiffing our server. It's actually a more enjoyable dining experience precisely because it gets rid of some of the friction that accompanies tipping. It might be my imagination, but I also feel like employees at these businesses tend to be friendlier and more relaxed, too.

How is the world do you have this information? Are you asking the employees about their salary? Serious question, I’d like to think I’m going to establishments that treat employees well, but I have no idea how to discern this as a customer. And we have 3 young kids so we don’t go out to eat very often (maybe one date night a month), so it’s not like I’m a regular anywhere to get this info.

[Anonymous]

All these highly educated, intelligent DCUM posters using their ivy League smarts to rationalize being cheap. Sad.

[Anonymous]

Here is what I would love to see happen to the restaurant world (if only). No more tipping. Employers can offer a salary. If they can’t hire anyone, they need to raise the salary. If that means raising prices, then consumers can see that up front and decide whether to pay the price. No one can cheap out by not tipping and no one has to play the guessing game as to whether the server/hostess/to go person is making a reasonable wage.

If the price is raised too high, customers will not pay. Restaurants will then have to determine whether to cut profits elsewhere or determine they do not have a profitable business model. The restaurants meant to survive will, the rest will close.

The end.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

When you draw the short straw and are on To Go, you still make your $2/hr crappy wage + tips.

Not entirely true. The formula for pay is really( $2.something plus tips) or (minimum wage), whichever is greater. The restaurant needs to make up the difference (as required by law) if tips plus $2.something do not cover the full minimum wage for the region. So, all of these "tipped workers" are making minimum wage regardless.

It's harder for me to tips at hotels because I don't carry cash anymore.

This is not the hotel's fault or the maid's fault. Carry cash at least when you know that tips are expected (and people who carry cash should carry small bills for the same reason). Or just carry cash regularly. It is useful for more than just tips.

It is not the maid's fault but it is the hotel's failure to adapt to changes in our society.
They need to keep up with advances in technology and evolution in our society. They need to provide ways for customers to tip electronically.
We are living in a society that is getting more and more cashless. I remember when you could pay for your hotel room with cash. Most hotels wouldn't even accept cash payments anymore. Cashless payments will continue to be more popular with the success of mobile payment apps.
I know many people that would normally tip the maids but can't because they are no longer used to carry cash.
I remember that I even once asked the receptionist if I could add tips for the maids on my bill. They said their billing couldn't handle it.
Workers that can only receive tips in cash like maids are the big losers here.
Hotels don't care because the tips don't go into their pockets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is what I would love to see happen to the restaurant world (if only). No more tipping. Employers can offer a salary. If they can’t hire anyone, they need to raise the salary. If that means raising prices, then consumers can see that up front and decide whether to pay the price. No one can cheap out by not tipping and no one has to play the guessing game as to whether the server/hostess/to go person is making a reasonable wage.

If the price is raised too high, customers will not pay. Restaurants will then have to determine whether to cut profits elsewhere or determine they do not have a profitable business model. The restaurants meant to survive will, the rest will close.

The end.

+1 billion
It took 15 pages for someone to finally say it loud and clear. You make much sense.
That system works well everywhere else in the world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is what I would love to see happen to the restaurant world (if only). No more tipping. Employers can offer a salary. If they can’t hire anyone, they need to raise the salary. If that means raising prices, then consumers can see that up front and decide whether to pay the price. No one can cheap out by not tipping and no one has to play the guessing game as to whether the server/hostess/to go person is making a reasonable wage.

If the price is raised too high, customers will not pay. Restaurants will then have to determine whether to cut profits elsewhere or determine they do not have a profitable business model. The restaurants meant to survive will, the rest will close.

The end.

+1 billion
It took 15 pages for someone to finally say it loud and clear. You make much sense.
That system works well everywhere else in the world.

Well, something like this will happen in DC over the next few years—DC is raising its minimum wage for tipped workers to match the DC minimum wage. Restaurants are likely to respond by increasing prices and adding service charges to cover the increased cost. Does this mean we don’t need to tip at all in DC anymore, because of the service charges and higher wages?

Discuss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is what I would love to see happen to the restaurant world (if only). No more tipping. Employers can offer a salary. If they can’t hire anyone, they need to raise the salary. If that means raising prices, then consumers can see that up front and decide whether to pay the price. No one can cheap out by not tipping and no one has to play the guessing game as to whether the server/hostess/to go person is making a reasonable wage.

If the price is raised too high, customers will not pay. Restaurants will then have to determine whether to cut profits elsewhere or determine they do not have a profitable business model. The restaurants meant to survive will, the rest will close.

The end.

+1 billion
It took 15 pages for someone to finally say it loud and clear. You make much sense.
That system works well everywhere else in the world.

Well, something like this will happen in DC over the next few years—DC is raising its minimum wage for tipped workers to match the DC minimum wage. Restaurants are likely to respond by increasing prices and adding service charges to cover the increased cost. Does this mean we don’t need to tip at all in DC anymore, because of the service charges and higher wages?

Discuss.

I do not tip at places that have a service charge. I assume that is meant to be in place of the tip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is what I would love to see happen to the restaurant world (if only). No more tipping. Employers can offer a salary. If they can’t hire anyone, they need to raise the salary. If that means raising prices, then consumers can see that up front and decide whether to pay the price. No one can cheap out by not tipping and no one has to play the guessing game as to whether the server/hostess/to go person is making a reasonable wage.

If the price is raised too high, customers will not pay. Restaurants will then have to determine whether to cut profits elsewhere or determine they do not have a profitable business model. The restaurants meant to survive will, the rest will close.

The end.

+1 billion
It took 15 pages for someone to finally say it loud and clear. You make much sense.
That system works well everywhere else in the world.

Well, something like this will happen in DC over the next few years—DC is raising its minimum wage for tipped workers to match the DC minimum wage. Restaurants are likely to respond by increasing prices and adding service charges to cover the increased cost. Does this mean we don’t need to tip at all in DC anymore, because of the service charges and higher wages?

Discuss.

I would not tip in this situation, however, most servers make more than minimum wage, so those type of places will probably have terrible service like Cheesecake Factory or buffalo wild wings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You were both rude. You are supposed to tip on takeout. The server was also rude for asking directly for a tip.

No. —from a bar/restaurant family

No, what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is what I would love to see happen to the restaurant world (if only). No more tipping. Employers can offer a salary. If they can’t hire anyone, they need to raise the salary. If that means raising prices, then consumers can see that up front and decide whether to pay the price. No one can cheap out by not tipping and no one has to play the guessing game as to whether the server/hostess/to go person is making a reasonable wage.

If the price is raised too high, customers will not pay. Restaurants will then have to determine whether to cut profits elsewhere or determine they do not have a profitable business model. The restaurants meant to survive will, the rest will close.

The end.

Just liek with universal healthcare, you know what will happen? Restaurants will close. No one is going to med school to make $120k a year.