Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is it that many European countries have lower prices for restaurant food yet manage to pay their employees a living wage? Do their governments subsidize restaurants to keep prices low?

A living wage in Europe is not the same because they don’t have to worry about healthcare costs. Also, “Europe” is a big place. Dining costs are astronomical in London.

Yea such bullshit.
Since when is it cheap to eat out in “Europe?”

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look, I get that these automatic tipper buttons on bills are ubiquitous and annoying AF. I hate them as much as the next guy. But putting them aside, what I’m seeing here are a lot of posters who don’t want to tip generously as a matter of principle. They suck just as much as a tip prompt.

I think you are vastly over-simplifying. I think you are seeing several things:

1) People pushing back against the idea that the "standard" tip is now over 20%. As a couple posters have pointed out, there is no reason for the tip percentage to go up with prices are already rising -- tipping 20% on higher priced items will naturally result in a higher tip. So people are pushing back on the idea that continuing to tip 20% is suddenly no longer generous, when inflation means that it's already a higher tip than people used to leave.

2) Restaurants charging various service fees without making it clear whether that money goes to staff, and people feeling pressured to leave tips on top of service charges, which can add up to 40% to the cost of your meal. There is a feeling of being swindled in this -- where is the extra money going? Who is it for? Why not just raise prices? The lack of transparency and the feeling that you are suddenly being asked to pay much more than advertised at the end of your meal leaves a lot of customers with a bad taste in their mouth, which can make them feel "ungenerous."

3) People frustrated with an overall decline in quality of service. A lot of this is due to things beyond the servers' control -- lack of adequate staffing, for instance, can diminish service even if the servers are working hard. But there's no question that service isn't as good as it was pre-Covid, and to then also be expected to tip more for worse service feels wrong.

4) Related, but the shift towards more automated ordering makes people question what exactly they are paying for when they tip. If I use a QR code to get the menu and order my food, shouldn't I be tipping less than back when I used to have someone bring my menu, take my order, and offer a human touch to the process? It's strange to not only expect the same tip for less interaction, but to expect a higher tip than before.

I also think a lot of people are just tired of the idea that it's up to individual customers to make sure a restaurants employees are adequately compensated. A lot of people are saying they would be fine with higher prices that would enable restaurants to pay their employees more, if it meant getting rid of tips. So the restaurant pays its workers, and then customers just show up and pay the restaurant. Just like at most other businesses. It's a fair argument and has nothing to do with being ungenerous -- it has to do with not wanting to be directly in charge of compensation for someone. Going to a restaurant should feel like hiring an independent contractor.

All stupid. Costs are up at restaurants but so is living costs servers, waiters don’t get the service fees, service reflects on the crappy customers. I went to a fancy steak house as a child men in fancy suits, women in dresses, limos dropping off people, everyone very well polished dresses in their best best and in best behavior. Service was impeccable.

I went back 50 years later and screaming kids, guys with baseball caps, women with pink hair and tattoos. I swear half did not shows it shave. Snapping fingers at waiters, talking loudly, spilling things. Guess what service not the same.

Are you sure you should be eating steak at your age? Apart from that, guess what.. the place is way more busy than it was 'back then', prices have gone up by like 10 times and the 'normal' tip is has now doubled from 10 to 20%. What are you complaining about?

I only went once. Was my holy communion and since we had no party dad took us out

Going to a restaurant was reserved for rich people. It was only time I went to a nice restaurant. But no food was not cheap. My mom made $40 a week as a waitress. Her best tippers always were two business men on an expense account at lunch buying drinks. One was selling other something. And they on expense account order more expense items and drinks and tip big and never complain.

The person getting a salad with glass of water was worse. It would make her lose money. She only gets a certain amount of tables and a dead table is a killer

And no she never once ate in the restaurant she worked at she could not afford it.

Cheap tippers should get take out or go fast food or make own dinner at home.

Guess what- those guys in ball caps and people with tattoos are rich people

No they are not. Just more new money people spending and more trash people.

Back in the day was old really rich money on these place. Now it is McMansion, two income leased car crowd in debt up to eyeballs. Like the Gilmore Girls parents.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tip what you like but remember you are bailing out the rich private equity firm that owns the restaurant - if his servers don't get tips, he will have to pay them more and that hurts his bottom line. Also, Howard Schultz - the owner of Starbucks - is notoriously cheap. He would not tip so neither should you.

This! Restaurants have to make up any difference in tips so that wait staff make at least minimum. My BIL owns a restaurant chain in NY state and they never have to make up the difference. His staff make a minimum of $22 an hour and usually much more. They budget 500k to “bridge the gap” but since it isn’t used, it goes back to the restaurant and he and the other owner take lavish vacations each year. People don’t know this is the law. You think a waiter will stick around making $4/hr completely dependent on tips?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What annoys me - is that for example - when ordering takeout or delivery I am asked to tip before I even know what the service will be like!

Agreed. Never give a tip before the service is provided.

Completely agree. Why am I tipping before I even know if the service/food was good?!?!? It doesn’t make sense! If you want people to pay extra up front, don’t call it a tip!

Agree! The tip was "To insure proper (or prompt) service". Why am I tipping before I even know if the service/food was good?!?!? It doesn’t make sense! I am not here to pay their salary. I've had some horrible service and told the manager about it. I've even been comped meals for bad service and bad food. Why do I still have to tip if I've had a horrible dining experience! It's my money. I will pay where I see fit.

Anonymous wrote:You can afford it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What annoys me - is that for example - when ordering takeout or delivery I am asked to tip before I even know what the service will be like!

Agreed. Never give a tip before the service is provided.

Completely agree. Why am I tipping before I even know if the service/food was good?!?!? It doesn’t make sense! If you want people to pay extra up front, don’t call it a tip!

Agree! The tip was "To insure proper (or prompt) service". Why am I tipping before I even know if the service/food was good?!?!? It doesn’t make sense! I am not here to pay their salary. I've had some horrible service and told the manager about it. I've even been comped meals for bad service and bad food. Why do I still have to tip if I've had a horrible dining experience! It's my money. I will pay where I see fit.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What annoys me - is that for example - when ordering takeout or delivery I am asked to tip before I even know what the service will be like!

Agreed. Never give a tip before the service is provided.

Completely agree. Why am I tipping before I even know if the service/food was good?!?!? It doesn’t make sense! If you want people to pay extra up front, don’t call it a tip!

Anonymous wrote:

What annoys me - is that for example - when ordering takeout or delivery I am asked to tip before I even know what the service will be like!

Agreed. Never give a tip before the service is provided.

Anonymous wrote:Tip what you like but remember you are bailing out the rich private equity firm that owns the restaurant - if his servers don't get tips, he will have to pay them more and that hurts his bottom line. Also, Howard Schultz - the owner of Starbucks - is notoriously cheap. He would not tip so neither should you.

The restaurant holds back 3 percent, sometimes takes a cut if tip back of house employees, then takes SS, UI, Disability, state and local etc. then if kid in college income gets deducted off financial aid if student income to high.

Anonymous wrote:

My only complaint is that tips were normally pre-tax and the 22% being offered now is with the tax. Yes it is usually only a few dollars, but it is still annoying.

How big are your bills? How high is your tax? On a $100 bill with 5% tax, the difference on a 22% tip is $1.10.

I agree that anything over 20% is stupid, but pre/post tax makes very little difference on most normal-size restaurant bills.