Tipping has become crazy since the pandemic

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I get confused about base salaries. From working as a waitress, I remember how pathetic the base salary was. If someone’s providing counter service (like PP’s bakery example), I don’t know if they’re paid minimum or a lower salary based on tipping expectations. As a result, I usually add a tip, because I don’t want to stiff anyone relying on it. I wish there was some clear indicator about the pay structure.

As was expressed in multiple threads before, if the tips do not add up to make minimum wage, the owner is supposed to compensate the wait/counter staff. By tipping every tom, dick and harry you are allowing the owners to pay their staff less than minimum wage and get to keep more profits

Pp - former waitress here

I’m very familiar with that policy. When I worked as a diner waitress, I informed that was the policy. I was also informed that it was assumed that good waitresses were expected to reach that threshold and that if a shortfall was reported, they’d make up the difference, but assume that was an indicator that my service was inferior and unworthy of their establishment. Keep in mind that entrees were inexpensive, no alcohol was served, it was not uncommon for people to just come in for dessert, and working the slow shift, there were times with just a few scattered coffee drinkers. There were definitely times when I made less than minimum, but I never reported it. It was a summer job, and any earnings were better than none.

As a customer, I would like to know if the staff is being paid less than minimum wage so that the owners can keep the profits, leaving their employees dependent on the beneficence of the customers, or if the staff is already being paid minimum wage and they’re trying to guilt the customers into paying more over and above that. As a customer, I want the employees to be fairly compensated, but I don’t want to pay twice - once through higher prices so the owner can pay at least minimum wage, and again in tips as I would if the employee wasn’t being paid minimum wage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is definitely out of control. Just say no! My most refreshing experience recently was buying a granola bar from a little gift shop and cashier saying "ok, just ignore the next screen and then sign after that." The next screen he was referring to was the tip screen.

I want to know where this place is so that I can go and buy a granola bar!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If workers don't want to be dependent on tips, then they should go apply for a non-tipped position. Employers are desperate - working at a restaurant is not the only option right now.

This argument is so dated. What jobs?! It’s not easy to find a well-paying job without a college degree. And even with a college degree, employers want lots of relevant work experience for entry level jobs.

First of all, I never said "well-paying." But its pretty easy to replace restaurant wages. Second of all, everyone I know is paying $100k minimum for a college degree and a baseline of common sense and ownership, no other specific skills needed. And having an impossible time filling the positions. My friend just had to fire a woman who took her baby of out of daycare and moved out of the country to care for her ailing mother (and the baby) without telling her employer, without filing for FMLA and while claiming to still be working "full-time."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep. I don’t tip on takeout. Tip creep is real. I’m also not tipping on a 6 dollar latte at Starbucks.

We tip generously at restaurants. We tip people throughout the resort on vacation who lug our bags and strollers in and out of the car and to the rooms. I tip the hairstylists.

Tipping at my kids preschools has also gotten out of control at holidays, teacher appreciation week and end of year- PLUS we have a dedicated line item for it on tuition and then are ancouraged to give more. Just charge me an all inclusive number and be done with it. I don’t have time for the mental gymantics and I’d rather just know upfront what I can and can’t afford.

Tipping is out of control but preschool workers make very little. If you can go to a hotel that has baggage people you can afford a gift for those who care for your kids at minimum wage.

I hate the “if you can afford X you can afford Y” argument! That is not how spending money works. But also, I think what the PP is saying is that she’s happy to pay more to the preschool worker but just bake that into the bill!

PP here- that’s exactly what I’m saying. You tell me what’s appropriate and charge me upfront for it with tuition. One of my children’s preschools does do that, but they’ve also recently started sending out emails that we can give more if we want. It’s just never ending. I appreciate my children’s teachers. But I don’t want to be in charge of paying or tipping them directly, which is what things have come to with expensive gift cards 3x a year for various things (multiplied by multiple kids.)

You choose multiple kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If workers don't want to be dependent on tips, then they should go apply for a non-tipped position. Employers are desperate - working at a restaurant is not the only option right now.

This argument is so dated. What jobs?! It’s not easy to find a well-paying job without a college degree. And even with a college degree, employers want lots of relevant work experience for entry level jobs.

Not my problem, is it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I get confused about base salaries. From working as a waitress, I remember how pathetic the base salary was. If someone’s providing counter service (like PP’s bakery example), I don’t know if they’re paid minimum or a lower salary based on tipping expectations. As a result, I usually add a tip, because I don’t want to stiff anyone relying on it. I wish there was some clear indicator about the pay structure.

As was expressed in multiple threads before, if the tips do not add up to make minimum wage, the owner is supposed to compensate the wait/counter staff. By tipping every tom, dick and harry you are allowing the owners to pay their staff less than minimum wage and get to keep more profits

This. If there was a way to pin this post, we should. IF YOU DON'T TIP, THE OWNER HAS TO PAY THE WORKER AT LEAST MINIMUM WAGE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep. I don’t tip on takeout. Tip creep is real. I’m also not tipping on a 6 dollar latte at Starbucks.

We tip generously at restaurants. We tip people throughout the resort on vacation who lug our bags and strollers in and out of the car and to the rooms. I tip the hairstylists.

Tipping at my kids preschools has also gotten out of control at holidays, teacher appreciation week and end of year- PLUS we have a dedicated line item for it on tuition and then are ancouraged to give more. Just charge me an all inclusive number and be done with it. I don’t have time for the mental gymantics and I’d rather just know upfront what I can and can’t afford.

Tipping is out of control but preschool workers make very little. If you can go to a hotel that has baggage people you can afford a gift for those who care for your kids at minimum wage.

I hate the “if you can afford X you can afford Y” argument! That is not how spending money works. But also, I think what the PP is saying is that she’s happy to pay more to the preschool worker but just bake that into the bill!

PP here- that’s exactly what I’m saying. You tell me what’s appropriate and charge me upfront for it with tuition. One of my children’s preschools does do that, but they’ve also recently started sending out emails that we can give more if we want. It’s just never ending. I appreciate my children’s teachers. But I don’t want to be in charge of paying or tipping them directly, which is what things have come to with expensive gift cards 3x a year for various things (multiplied by multiple kids.)

You choose multiple kids.

Wrong. Any multiplier of 0 is 0. PP is right. There shouldn't be additional expensive charges throughout the year.

[Anonymous]

I agree, tipping has gotten crazy. This is why we don't do take-outs. Instead, we get meals from hot bars at Whole Foods and Wegmans. No tipping!

[Anonymous]

It's hard for me to say no, but for the past few months I've been instead putting a couple of dollars in the tip jar if there is one, and refusing to enter a tip on the machine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last time I spend $100 on a meal for my family, I told them 10% was enough, because we were only there for an hour, and that is $10+ an hour, way more than I was making when I was her age.

You mean back in the Stone Ages?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last time I spend $100 on a meal for my family, I told them 10% was enough, because we were only there for an hour, and that is $10+ an hour, way more than I was making when I was her age.

You mean back in the Stone Ages?

Not to mention, the waitress doesn't get to keep 100% of the tip. They have to tip out the rest of the restaurant staff...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree, tipping has gotten crazy. This is why we don't do take-outs. Instead, we get meals from hot bars at Whole Foods and Wegmans. No tipping!

You don't have to tip on takeout. You just...don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I get confused about base salaries. From working as a waitress, I remember how pathetic the base salary was. If someone’s providing counter service (like PP’s bakery example), I don’t know if they’re paid minimum or a lower salary based on tipping expectations. As a result, I usually add a tip, because I don’t want to stiff anyone relying on it. I wish there was some clear indicator about the pay structure.

As was expressed in multiple threads before, if the tips do not add up to make minimum wage, the owner is supposed to compensate the wait/counter staff. By tipping every tom, dick and harry you are allowing the owners to pay their staff less than minimum wage and get to keep more profits

This. If there was a way to pin this post, we should. IF YOU DON'T TIP, THE OWNER HAS TO PAY THE WORKER AT LEAST MINIMUM WAGE.

Most of the places asking for additional tips are already paying minimum wage. Counter service is almost always minimum wage. That's why it all feels unfair to me. Why work at a table service restaurant and scramble on your feet when tips are most of your compensation when you can get a job at a fast casual counter service place and make way more money because customers are needlessly tipping?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep. I don’t tip on takeout. Tip creep is real. I’m also not tipping on a 6 dollar latte at Starbucks.

We tip generously at restaurants. We tip people throughout the resort on vacation who lug our bags and strollers in and out of the car and to the rooms. I tip the hairstylists.

Tipping at my kids preschools has also gotten out of control at holidays, teacher appreciation week and end of year- PLUS we have a dedicated line item for it on tuition and then are ancouraged to give more. Just charge me an all inclusive number and be done with it. I don’t have time for the mental gymantics and I’d rather just know upfront what I can and can’t afford.

Tipping is out of control but preschool workers make very little. If you can go to a hotel that has baggage people you can afford a gift for those who care for your kids at minimum wage.

I hate the “if you can afford X you can afford Y” argument! That is not how spending money works. But also, I think what the PP is saying is that she’s happy to pay more to the preschool worker but just bake that into the bill!

+1 I was going to say the same thing. That PP needs to get her hands out of other people's pockets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep. I don’t tip on takeout. Tip creep is real. I’m also not tipping on a 6 dollar latte at Starbucks.

We tip generously at restaurants. We tip people throughout the resort on vacation who lug our bags and strollers in and out of the car and to the rooms. I tip the hairstylists.

Tipping at my kids preschools has also gotten out of control at holidays, teacher appreciation week and end of year- PLUS we have a dedicated line item for it on tuition and then are ancouraged to give more. Just charge me an all inclusive number and be done with it. I don’t have time for the mental gymantics and I’d rather just know upfront what I can and can’t afford.

Tipping is out of control but preschool workers make very little. If you can go to a hotel that has baggage people you can afford a gift for those who care for your kids at minimum wage.

I hate the “if you can afford X you can afford Y” argument! That is not how spending money works. But also, I think what the PP is saying is that she’s happy to pay more to the preschool worker but just bake that into the bill!

PP here- that’s exactly what I’m saying. You tell me what’s appropriate and charge me upfront for it with tuition. One of my children’s preschools does do that, but they’ve also recently started sending out emails that we can give more if we want. It’s just never ending. I appreciate my children’s teachers. But I don’t want to be in charge of paying or tipping them directly, which is what things have come to with expensive gift cards 3x a year for various things (multiplied by multiple kids.)

You choose multiple kids.

And the teachers chose a certain profession.