Anonymous
04/01/2025 18:24
Subject: WARNING: Tipping traps – Suggested tips based on total after tax (not your food bill!)
Tipping is such a pain. And the reason I detest it so much is because of the infernal prompt screen. It can range from helpful (restaurant correctly calculates 20% of the subtotal and excludes that $100 bottle of wine that you could have bought at the grocery store for $40), to pushy, to feeling like you are getting taken for a ride. I went to a golf facility where someone comes by to take food orders. The price of the golf was 75% majority of the bill. But the tip suggestion screen still suggested to tip 20%, 22% or 25% of the total. It’s as if you were asked to include the price of your theater ticket when you tipped at the bar. I gave our server 20% of the food and drink bill, but the bill irked me.
Anonymous
04/01/2025 16:30
Subject: WARNING: Tipping traps – Suggested tips based on total after tax (not your food bill!)
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I tip 10 to 20% based on quality of service. I don't care if it's pre or post tax.
Tipping 10% often costs your server money. If you can't afford to tip 20%, do not eat out. If you receive excellent service, feel free to leave more. I doubt you would though.
Sigh. I saw the John Oliver segment on tips, PP. I know. But I refuse to be the one paying that extra tax on meals. I come from a country where waiters and waitresses get fair living wages. If everyone keeps tipping wait staff to compensate for entirely inhumane wages, guess what? Politicians won't do a darn thing about it. We need to pressure politicians to enact fair wages for that population, and part of that pressure means not being left holding the bag. Some states have implemented this already, and it hasn't led to the death of their restaurant industry!
So I think you have entirely the wrong approach. I'm not tipping to get the waiter to a living wage. I want as many American states as possible to pay wait staff a decent wage.
The only person worse than the OP (cheap and bad at math) are those who try to disguise their cheapness by asserting they are making some kind of political statement, or trying to change the status quo (cheap and dishonest about it). Guess what? You stiffing your server does absolutely nothing to "pressure politicians to enact fair wages" - all it does is stiff your server. You are not taking a principled stand, you are being a selfish jerk, and trying to rationalize it.
Also, news flash - if your servers were paid a fair wage, the price of your meal would increase, and you'd be paying the same thing you would be if you tipped. I agree, though, that would be better for everyone, because then servers wouldn't have to contend with a-holes like you, who try to save a few bucks at their expense by claiming they are acting for the common good.
YOU are the one with the problem. You don't get to tell people what to do with their money. Especially to someone who explicitly told you they were ready to bear the taxpayer costs of a law that guarantees higher wages for restaurant workers.
Anonymous
04/01/2025 16:26
Subject: WARNING: Tipping traps – Suggested tips based on total after tax (not your food bill!)
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Tip properly but please stop telling people “if you can afford to eat out you can afford to tip generously”. Do you apply this thinking to everything? If I can afford to pay $25000 for a car then I can afford to pay $28000?
If that additional $3k were going directly to the person who assisted you, and that was built into their expected pay structure, then I'd say if you can't afford the additional $3k, you can't afford the car.
Dining out is a luxury. In my city the restaurants are bursting to overflowing--with people who will tip. Don't take up space and time in a restaurant and then not play the game.
But how am I supposed to know to know what their expected pay structure is? Should they walk around with a sign?
Anonymous
04/01/2025 16:25
Subject: WARNING: Tipping traps – Suggested tips based on total after tax (not your food bill!)
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I tip 10 to 20% based on quality of service. I don't care if it's pre or post tax.
Tipping 10% often costs your server money. If you can't afford to tip 20%, do not eat out. If you receive excellent service, feel free to leave more. I doubt you would though.
Sigh. I saw the John Oliver segment on tips, PP. I know. But I refuse to be the one paying that extra tax on meals. I come from a country where waiters and waitresses get fair living wages. If everyone keeps tipping wait staff to compensate for entirely inhumane wages, guess what? Politicians won't do a darn thing about it. We need to pressure politicians to enact fair wages for that population, and part of that pressure means not being left holding the bag. Some states have implemented this already, and it hasn't led to the death of their restaurant industry!
So I think you have entirely the wrong approach. I'm not tipping to get the waiter to a living wage. I want as many American states as possible to pay wait staff a decent wage.
I saw that too! I also had an issue with it. He talks about waged servers versus non-waged servers. But how do I know if they are getting paid to be a tipped employee? Does the cashier at Cal Tor make $15 an hour or $2? How am I supposed to know who is dependent on tips? And they should complain to their employer and/or quit the job/industry.
Anonymous
04/01/2025 13:40
Subject: WARNING: Tipping traps – Suggested tips based on total after tax (not your food bill!)
Anonymous wrote:Tip properly but please stop telling people “if you can afford to eat out you can afford to tip generously”. Do you apply this thinking to everything? If I can afford to pay $25000 for a car then I can afford to pay $28000?
If that additional $3k were going directly to the person who assisted you, and that was built into their expected pay structure, then I'd say if you can't afford the additional $3k, you can't afford the car.
Dining out is a luxury. In my city the restaurants are bursting to overflowing--with people who will tip. Don't take up space and time in a restaurant and then not play the game.
Anonymous
04/01/2025 13:38
Subject: WARNING: Tipping traps – Suggested tips based on total after tax (not your food bill!)
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I tip 10 to 20% based on quality of service. I don't care if it's pre or post tax.
Tipping 10% often costs your server money. If you can't afford to tip 20%, do not eat out. If you receive excellent service, feel free to leave more. I doubt you would though.
Sigh. I saw the John Oliver segment on tips, PP. I know. But I refuse to be the one paying that extra tax on meals. I come from a country where waiters and waitresses get fair living wages. If everyone keeps tipping wait staff to compensate for entirely inhumane wages, guess what? Politicians won't do a darn thing about it. We need to pressure politicians to enact fair wages for that population, and part of that pressure means not being left holding the bag. Some states have implemented this already, and it hasn't led to the death of their restaurant industry!
So I think you have entirely the wrong approach. I'm not tipping to get the waiter to a living wage. I want as many American states as possible to pay wait staff a decent wage.
The only person worse than the OP (cheap and bad at math) are those who try to disguise their cheapness by asserting they are making some kind of political statement, or trying to change the status quo (cheap and dishonest about it). Guess what? You stiffing your server does absolutely nothing to "pressure politicians to enact fair wages" - all it does is stiff your server. You are not taking a principled stand, you are being a selfish jerk, and trying to rationalize it.
Also, news flash - if your servers were paid a fair wage, the price of your meal would increase, and you'd be paying the same thing you would be if you tipped. I agree, though, that would be better for everyone, because then servers wouldn't have to contend with a-holes like you, who try to save a few bucks at their expense by claiming they are acting for the common good.
Anonymous
04/01/2025 13:37
Subject: WARNING: Tipping traps – Suggested tips based on total after tax (not your food bill!)
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I tip 10 to 20% based on quality of service. I don't care if it's pre or post tax.
Tipping 10% often costs your server money. If you can't afford to tip 20%, do not eat out. If you receive excellent service, feel free to leave more. I doubt you would though.
Sigh. I saw the John Oliver segment on tips, PP. I know. But I refuse to be the one paying that extra tax on meals. I come from a country where waiters and waitresses get fair living wages. If everyone keeps tipping wait staff to compensate for entirely inhumane wages, guess what? Politicians won't do a darn thing about it. We need to pressure politicians to enact fair wages for that population, and part of that pressure means not being left holding the bag. Some states have implemented this already, and it hasn't led to the death of their restaurant industry!
So I think you have entirely the wrong approach. I'm not tipping to get the waiter to a living wage. I want as many American states as possible to pay wait staff a decent wage.
If you just don't tip the server, no one is getting the message and all you're doing is stiffing the person who just helped you. Call over the manager or owner, tell them you're not tipping, and explain why. This is the only way they will understand your intentions and potentially make a change. Don't be a stingypuss while wrapping yourself in the cloak of "looking out for the little guy." Your servers will not thank you, and the rest of us see through your self-serving behavior.
Anonymous
04/01/2025 13:36
Subject: WARNING: Tipping traps – Suggested tips based on total after tax (not your food bill!)
Tip properly but please stop telling people “if you can afford to eat out you can afford to tip generously”. Do you apply this thinking to everything? If I can afford to pay $25000 for a car then I can afford to pay $28000?
Anonymous
04/01/2025 13:30
Subject: WARNING: Tipping traps – Suggested tips based on total after tax (not your food bill!)
Anonymous wrote:15%, 18%, 20%, next year it will be 22% or you're a skinflint. then 25%.
The standard has been 20% for decades.
Anonymous
04/01/2025 13:28
Subject: WARNING: Tipping traps – Suggested tips based on total after tax (not your food bill!)
Anonymous wrote:If you care about the cost, just don't eat out. Eating out is for entertainment, not nourishment. If you're worrying about the money, you aren't enjoying the experience. If you can't pay the bill, tip generously, and walk out thinking "I'm surprised it costs so little!", that means it's not worth it to you.
Isn't the tip to judge how well you were entertained?
Anonymous
04/01/2025 13:21
Subject: WARNING: Tipping traps – Suggested tips based on total after tax (not your food bill!)
15%, 18%, 20%, next year it will be 22% or you're a skinflint. then 25%.
Anonymous
04/01/2025 13:20
Subject: WARNING: Tipping traps – Suggested tips based on total after tax (not your food bill!)
If you care about the cost, just don't eat out. Eating out is for entertainment, not nourishment. If you're worrying about the money, you aren't enjoying the experience. If you can't pay the bill, tip generously, and walk out thinking "I'm surprised it costs so little!", that means it's not worth it to you.
Anonymous
04/01/2025 13:14
Subject: WARNING: Tipping traps – Suggested tips based on total after tax (not your food bill!)
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I tip 10 to 20% based on quality of service. I don't care if it's pre or post tax.
Tipping 10% often costs your server money. If you can't afford to tip 20%, do not eat out. If you receive excellent service, feel free to leave more. I doubt you would though.
Sigh. I saw the John Oliver segment on tips, PP. I know. But I refuse to be the one paying that extra tax on meals. I come from a country where waiters and waitresses get fair living wages. If everyone keeps tipping wait staff to compensate for entirely inhumane wages, guess what? Politicians won't do a darn thing about it. We need to pressure politicians to enact fair wages for that population, and part of that pressure means not being left holding the bag. Some states have implemented this already, and it hasn't led to the death of their restaurant industry!
So I think you have entirely the wrong approach. I'm not tipping to get the waiter to a living wage. I want as many American states as possible to pay wait staff a decent wage.
Anonymous
04/01/2025 13:10
Subject: WARNING: Tipping traps – Suggested tips based on total after tax (not your food bill!)
Anonymous wrote:I tip 10 to 20% based on quality of service. I don't care if it's pre or post tax.
Tipping 10% often costs your server money. If you can't afford to tip 20%, do not eat out. If you receive excellent service, feel free to leave more. I doubt you would though.
Anonymous
04/01/2025 12:59
Subject: WARNING: Tipping traps – Suggested tips based on total after tax (not your food bill!)
I tip 10 to 20% based on quality of service. I don't care if it's pre or post tax.