TIPPING TIPPING TIPPING

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The hostess or expo boxing up your to-go order likely makes less than minimum wage because the restaurant (and government) expect that you will tip them. If you have a problem with that you should speak to your elected officials, or the restaurant owner. Don’t take it out on the poor hourly employees, who are likely making 30k/year or less.

Hostesses have to make at least minimum wage. Not sure what you mean by "expo" -- assume that's a typo -- but the only people exempt from minimum wage are waiters/waitresses.

DP but expo isn’t a typo, it’s short for expeditor. That is the person in the restaurant who serves as a middle man between the front and back of the house. Sounds like you don’t know much about the industry.

[Anonymous]

OP, do you want your favorite restaurants to survive? Then tip. If the servers don't make minimum wage, the restaurant has to make up the difference. If the restaurant is already on shaky financial ground (and let's face it, EVERY restaurant is right now), they may decide to just throw in the towel. Then your beloved restaurant is gone for good.

[Anonymous]

My favorite pizza place is closed in DC. So I believe the only way for your favorite place to survive now is get help from customers by ordering and yeas paying small tip so they can make it, otherwise we will have only Fast food places left open to choose from. You don’t have to tip them but you get what you get I guess. And yes wait staff made good money before Covid but not so much now . I think eventually tip will be eliminated and servers will be paid hourly rate of at least min wage . But prices of the meal will go up significantly. So going to restaurant will not be such a casual thing anymore . We will have fast food or super expensive restaurants to choose from. Nothing in between .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If it's a restaurant, you should tip. Someone is packing up your food, and they are probably not being paid minimum wage. They rely on tips. At a fast causal place, no, you don't need to tip.

When I worked in a restaurant on “take out” duty (pre pandemic) I was considered Kitchen Staff and was paid an hourly wage at or slightly above minimum wage. When I waited tables I was paid the server wage, which is lower than minimum wage and assumes tips will make up the difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, do you want your favorite restaurants to survive? Then tip. If the servers don't make minimum wage, the restaurant has to make up the difference. If the restaurant is already on shaky financial ground (and let's face it, EVERY restaurant is right now), they may decide to just throw in the towel. Then your beloved restaurant is gone for good.

Not possible
Government has given the businesses a large hand out

[Anonymous]

I asked this question on Tom Siestema's weekly WaPo chat a few years ago and he explained it -- basically, it's usually packaged up by people like the bar tender or someone else that would be making tips and is taking time out from that to package your food and ring it up. I think he recommended something like a 10% tip on takeout at a regular restaurant (not at a coffee shop or fast food restaurant). That is what I was doing until the pandemic.

With the pandemic, I think those people are entitled to sort of hazard pay tipping, so I am tipping more like 18-20% on takeout orders at a regular restaurant, and now doing something like 10-15% at a coffee shop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I asked this question on Tom Siestema's weekly WaPo chat a few years ago and he explained it -- basically, it's usually packaged up by people like the bar tender or someone else that would be making tips and is taking time out from that to package your food and ring it up. I think he recommended something like a 10% tip on takeout at a regular restaurant (not at a coffee shop or fast food restaurant). That is what I was doing until the pandemic.

With the pandemic, I think those people are entitled to sort of hazard pay tipping, so I am tipping more like 18-20% on takeout orders at a regular restaurant, and now doing something like 10-15% at a coffee shop.

Weird
Just because a business is giving you what you ordered

Can that be compared to a cashier' packing your food at a grocery store?

Either way, how much time is that? It is not like the waiter will provide you with extra sauce because you asked or refill your drinks or wipe the table

[Anonymous]

Aren't they being classified incorrectly since they aren't "Serving" anymore? Pay them a normal wage and cut tipping.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of the places we order from seem to include 18-20% automatically. Just picked up bagels, lox and cream cheese this weekend and it included a mandatory 20% service charge. If we are in this for the long haul I think the restaurants are going to need to move away from a tip based model for paying employees - it's annoying for carry out. I was sympathetic 3-4 months ago and tipped generously but now it's to the point where I'd rather not do carryout with a 20% premium everytime. Putting stuff in a paper bag isn't the equivalent to in-house service.

I think 18-20 % is too high . I think 10% is more reasonable. I think most places will just raise their prices to cover employees min wages at least and might eliminate mandatory service charge . Since most restaurants operated in Razor thin margin before Covid . So raising prices will be the only way for them to be able to continue to operate

+1
I tipped a minimum of 20% during the height of the pandemic , when restaurants were closed, and all that they could offer was carry out. However, I tip only 10% now, which is more than generous for what it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The hostess or expo boxing up your to-go order likely makes less than minimum wage because the restaurant (and government) expect that you will tip them. If you have a problem with that you should speak to your elected officials, or the restaurant owner. Don’t take it out on the poor hourly employees, who are likely making 30k/year or less.

Hostesses have to make at least minimum wage. Not sure what you mean by "expo" -- assume that's a typo -- but the only people exempt from minimum wage are waiters/waitresses.

They're actually not exempt. People who perpetuate this myth don't understand the law. Servers are entitled to make at least minimum wage for their shift. If the tipped wage + their tips for their shift do not add up to minimum wage, the employer is supposed to make up the difference. Sh!tty employers don't, and it's wage theft.

The reality is that a lot of these folks are making well above minimum wage, given how tip crazy Americans are, and how everyone believes the myth that tips are required for their livelihoods. That's why you get a lot of resistance from servers whenever there is discussion of getting rid of the tipped wage. A lot of them are making bank with the current system.

You don't have to feel guilty for not wanting to subsidize the wages of someone else's employee for doing nothing more than the job they already get paid to do (and usually barely that), and the service/goods you already paid for.

^^ This is entirely correct. Other points to consider:

The research has pretty conclusively shown that tipping is a highly discriminatory practice, with minorities regularly receiving lower tips. Not surprising considering its roots are based in employers not wanting to pay their non-white staff (see e.g. https://time.com/5404475/history-tipping-american-restaurants-civil-war/). And the amount of sexual and other kinds of harassment servers and bartenders often endure as part of the expected level of 'service' by entitled customers is really gross.

In addition to the point the PP makes about rotten employers not being willing to make up the difference to staff when they don't receive enough in tips to make minimum wage, they also often instruct employees not to claim MORE than minimum wage, because then they have to pay additional employer FICA taxes accordingly and they don't want to do this. This has long-term repercussions for servers' Social Security earnings, which a lot of wait staff don't realize. I worked for an employer like this in college. Sure, it was illegal, but who was going to report them just to get fired for their pains?

Tipping doesn't improve service for the customer, it doesn't improve working conditions for the servers, it doesn't serve anyone except the restaurant owners who get away with pushing both performance management analysis and wage costs onto their customers, who are then put in the uncomfortable and unreasonable position of trying to determine what someone who isn't their employee "should" be paid. It's a stupid and harmful practice, and it needs to end. Which it won't do as long as deluded Americans continue to buy into this myth (which, yes, is often perpetuated by the relatively few servers who do make better money than they might do otherwise - white male bartenders show up in these conversations a lot). But employers should be required to pay all their employees a fair wage and price their offerings accordingly. If they can't stay in business working that way, then they're crappy business owners and deserve to go under.

[Anonymous]

To the previous NP , if your employer asked not report above min wage Tip that was just So stupid . Because they could have just take Employer FICA credit fir anything they pay above min wage. Basically they get money back on their tax return . Most restaurants are not C Corp . If anything servers saved up on taxes due this kind of stupid management. As for paying min/ hourly wage to servers the only way accomplish that is to raise prices as I mentioned earlier. How many of you willing to pay price increase and what percentage you would consider fair 10 %, 15, 18, 20 increase ?
And anyone here is server what do you think your hourly rate should be now that you packing food as main job ? Is minimum wage fair ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the previous NP , if your employer asked not report above min wage Tip that was just So stupid . Because they could have just take Employer FICA credit fir anything they pay above min wage. Basically they get money back on their tax return . Most restaurants are not C Corp . If anything servers saved up on taxes due this kind of stupid management. As for paying min/ hourly wage to servers the only way accomplish that is to raise prices as I mentioned earlier. How many of you willing to pay price increase and what percentage you would consider fair 10 %, 15, 18, 20 increase ?
And anyone here is server what do you think your hourly rate should be now that you packing food as main job ? Is minimum wage fair ?

I would rather pay the actual price for my food/service, whatever that may be, than continue to play the tip game. I'd rather know that servers are being compensated fairly, and not face the societal guilt about tipping them more and more. When I was a kid, a tip was 10% for exceptional service. Then it was 15%. Then it was you must tip no matter the service or your servers will starve. Then it was 20% no matter what. Now some people are saying 25% and everyone and their mom wants a tip for doing the service you ALREADY PAID FOR.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the previous NP , if your employer asked not report above min wage Tip that was just So stupid . Because they could have just take Employer FICA credit fir anything they pay above min wage. Basically they get money back on their tax return . Most restaurants are not C Corp . If anything servers saved up on taxes due this kind of stupid management. As for paying min/ hourly wage to servers the only way accomplish that is to raise prices as I mentioned earlier. How many of you willing to pay price increase and what percentage you would consider fair 10 %, 15, 18, 20 increase ?
And anyone here is server what do you think your hourly rate should be now that you packing food as main job ? Is minimum wage fair ?

My preferences would be for businesses to charge what they need to enable them to pay their staff a reasonable wage.

If that is 20% more so be it.

I would also like sales tax to be included in the advertised price. But that is a whole different argument!

[Anonymous]

I never use to tip for carry out but started when restaurants were closed to inside dining.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a nanny and no one is tipping me for risking my life. I haven’t taken a day off during pandemic and my employers aren’t staying home. I’m not tipping extra, no way! I tip the same as I did before, and I don’t tip for pick up unless it’s somewhere I go regularly.

You are getting paid. Different jobs.

So do servers and restaurant workers.

No, the minimum wage for most servers is significantly below the minimum wage for other workers. I don't know the exact amount but a restaurant server will make something like $2 or $3 an hour, with the remainder of the wage coming from tips.

And if their tips don't equal out to the regular minimum wage, their employee is legally required to pay them the difference. They are still making minimum wage, usually well beyond minimum wage. You've fallen for an oft-pedaled myth.

How often do you think the employer makes up the difference? I'm not being jerky but I really don't think they do. So, yes, I tip.