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Posted: Apr 22 2009 01:17 pm

I work at a coffee/fast food restaurant, and we have a tip jar. Usually at the end of the night, we split it between the three remaining employees and we score an average of a buck. Last night was 40 cents, but last week I got $5. Pretty good considering fast food joints aren't a required tipping spot.

Posted: Apr 22 2009 02:21 pm

Dr. Jeebus wrote:

SoldierHawk wrote:

What really kind of confuses/irritates me is that SOME jobs require tipping while some don't. I mean, grocery bagger is at least as low paid a job as pizza guy, but no one ever tips them. Do we tip purely because we hope the food service people don't spit in our food, or what...?

Being a bagger pays more in most cases. When I started working, federal minimum wage was $5.25 (though it was higher in MA, cause we're awesome), so that was what a bagger would make. A pizza delivery guy or a waitress, however, are considered tipped employees, so their minimum wage was $2.63 (So half of whatever regular minimum wage was, and I believe they kept the ratio the same when minimum wage went up). Of course, if they don't get enough tips then the employer has to add enough so that they're making minimum wage, but their hourly rate is still less.

Basically, being a waitress or any other tipped position is like working on commission. How much you make is directly proportionate to how good you are at your job. If you suck at selling furniture, you won't make any commissions. If you're a shitty waitress, you won't get any tips. A restaurant manager can't watch every interaction their wait staff has with every person, but they can track the amount that they make in tips. This lets them know who is good and who sucks, and fire people accordingly so that the dining experience in the restaurant is improved. If you didn't want to tip, then the prices would have to be higher (Which you'd bitch about) to accommodate the higher wages being paid to the waitstaff, but the general dining experience would be worse because there would be no incentive for anyone to do a good job or not spit in your food.

Long story short, if you don't want to tip people then do everything yourself and quit whining. Just remember: if someone does a shitty job, give them a shitty tip. The system only works if people are actually willing to tip based on performance.

Absolutely perfectly written. You completely conveyed my philosophy on tipping much better than I could have.

I once went to a restaurant with a friend of mine and when we got our check, he refused to leave a tip stating "Fuck that man, I'm broke, why should I give her my money? I'm struggling right now too." to which I replied; "If you're broke, you should have went to McDonalds where tipping is not required and the food is cheaper." If times are tough, you should be at home cooking beans. Point of this story is, I refuse to eat out with a couple of my friends as I always end up picking up their part of the tip because I don't want us to collectively look like dicks. I hate my friends.

Joined: Dec 06 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 11244

If the service is anything other than Domino's "Fart on your sub" / "Cheese in the nose" then I give a 20% tip for waiters.

This still doesn't mean I like it though.

So in other words, I conform to a system because that is how it is. I don't like it though and I wish it would change. Until that day though, I won't be a fuckhead who doesn't tip because I'm too cheap. I'd rather be poor than be that guy.

Posted: Apr 22 2009 02:52 pm

My cousin and I frequent this bar. The waitresses are HOT, but beyond that are all really sweet and good at their jobs. We're on basically first-name basis with all of them, so they always get a good 30-40% tip. Other than that I tip about 15%

Posted: Apr 22 2009 05:19 pm

GPFontaine wrote:

If the service is anything other than Domino's "Fart on your sub" / "Cheese in the nose" then I give a 20% tip for waiters.

This still doesn't mean I like it though.

So in other words, I conform to a system because that is how it is. I don't like it though and I wish it would change. Until that day though, I won't be a fuckhead who doesn't tip because I'm too cheap. I'd rather be poor than be that guy.

HEY!

But I agree. If you don't have enough to tip, eat cheaper food. Pizza is fairly expensive. You can buy... what 9 double cheeseburgers at McDonald's for the price of a medium two topping pizza? Another sandwich if you count in delivery?

I just don't understand the excuses people give. It's simple. If you don't tip, it's because you either 1. Didn't check to see if you HAD the money to tip or 2. Don't WANT to tip. I haven't heard a good excuse for not tipping other than for bad service. Not one.

And I am not just saying that as a driver. Or as a waiter (have I mentioned I was a waiter up until a few months ago?). I am saying that as a mature, rational person. I've always tipped. I just tip more money now. I also don't go for things that require as much tipping, because I am now low on cash. No correlation there, no sir.

Posted: Apr 22 2009 06:42 pm

i am a pizza guy my self i usually dont expect a set rate, i usually base it on the appearance i feel alot happier when i get a 4 dollar tip from the ghetto than i do if i got it from the upper class residents mainly its because ghettoites are usually in a worse off financial state but can still show the appreciation (is it called heart?) then again there are the doctors in town who make bu-koo bucks and cant tip a damn thing, as an added bonus our store gives us 1.10(the other 90 cents goes to the business to cover shipping costs((isnt that covered in the sale price of the food ))to get the food to the store) per delivery we take i would venture to say i made like 40 bucks(enough for gas cigarettes and food for a day) a night at least when i work, broken down i about 13.25 an hour factor in hourly wage (decent job if you know your town and can drive supa-fast) even though wages are only 6.45(flippin tip based wages) thats another thing most dont know, most people who work tip based jobs are paid below minimum wage and are expected to make it up in tips while hostess and busboys make more but get a split of the tips i dunno seems kinda crappy got got any insider questions feel free to ask

Posted: Apr 22 2009 10:46 pm

I always feel sorry for people who work jobs that get tips, primarily because it never particularly looks like they're, er, enjoying themselves. I tipped my haircut lady five dollars today.

Posted: Apr 23 2009 01:00 am

I only tip if I like the place enough to actually come back. Also, the person needs to actually have done something while I was there. Sometimes they give me water once and forget about me until I leave.

I always tip the lady that cuts my hair (and well). She always does a good job, always makes enjoyable conversation, itch removing post haircut shampoo are always free. I both fear the wrath of a spiteful woman with the opportunity to wreak multiple week hair damage, and I appreciate the reliability of someone who knows what they're doing every time.

Joined: Apr 09 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 3112

I only tip wait-staff and delivery people. Waiters get paid less than minimum and drivers have to sit in a car delivering to people who want to know if you can split a fifty to pay for that eggplant parm sandwich, so you can only look like a total fuck if you skimp out on them.

Otherwise, I'm out. I really can't think of too many other jobs besides hair-dresser that would require it, unless you build a rapport with someone who does exceptional work that you'd want them to keep up. The whole barista tipping thing is especially insulting about 100% of the time. Okay, you get pissy if I don't give you an extra dollar for pulling on that handle to fill a 12 oz. mug with Colombian? I've got a room full of dishwashers at my place who would murder their own family to do your job for minimum wage twice as well as you could ever do it, so count your blessings that you got hired because your sexy librarian look makes the hipster boys want to come to the coffee shop at all hours.

Sorry, went into a bit of a butthole fugue, there.

Posted: Apr 23 2009 04:05 am

Greg the White wrote:

The whole barista tipping thing is especially insulting about 100% of the time. Okay, you get pissy if I don't give you an extra dollar for pulling on that handle to fill a 12 oz. mug with Colombian? I've got a room full of dishwashers at my place who would murder their own family to do your job for minimum wage twice as well as you could ever do it, so count your blessings that you got hired because your sexy librarian look makes the hipster boys want to come to the coffee shop at all hours.

Sorry, went into a bit of a butthole fugue, there.

No more reading Questionable Content (the webcomic) for you.

Posted: Apr 23 2009 04:41 am

I'm friends with too many baristas hahahahaha

Joined: Dec 06 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 11244

RobotGumshoe wrote:

I only tip if I like the place enough to actually come back. Also, the person needs to actually have done something while I was there. Sometimes they give me water once and forget about me until I leave.

I always tip the lady that cuts my hair (and well). She always does a good job, always makes enjoyable conversation, itch removing post haircut shampoo are always free. I both fear the wrath of a spiteful woman with the opportunity to wreak multiple week hair damage, and I appreciate the reliability of someone who knows what they're doing every time.

With the exception of over priced salons, I agree that a hefty tip for a stylist/barber is important. This is the one type of tip I give that I feel no remorse or conflict about.

Wanna feel better about tipping someone who cuts hair? Go get a shitty haircut and see how you feel about yourself for a few weeks.

Hair, no matter how much or how little, helps define a person. Unlike food, it makes a big impact on how your life will feel.

Joined: Apr 09 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 3112

lordsathien wrote:

Greg the White wrote:

The whole barista tipping thing is especially insulting about 100% of the time. Okay, you get pissy if I don't give you an extra dollar for pulling on that handle to fill a 12 oz. mug with Colombian? I've got a room full of dishwashers at my place who would murder their own family to do your job for minimum wage twice as well as you could ever do it, so count your blessings that you got hired because your sexy librarian look makes the hipster boys want to come to the coffee shop at all hours.

Sorry, went into a bit of a butthole fugue, there.

No more reading Questionable Content (the webcomic) for you.

Don't know what that's supposed to mean (never read it though I heard good things), but that's basically how it works in this town. I saw like 3 "nerd-shic" guys in a row just talking into this one girl's chest while ordering, and then tipping the girl by like 200%.

Posted: Apr 23 2009 10:37 am

I have to say I've never understood tipping people in coffee shops either. I have to work MUCH harder with each customer and give them far more personal attention to get a fucking $3 sale out of them that Dunkin Donuts does, why don't they tip me instead?

Joined: Dec 06 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 11244

Dr. Jeebus wrote:

I have to say I've never understood tipping people in coffee shops either. I have to work MUCH harder with each customer and give them far more personal attention to get a fucking $3 sale out of them that Dunkin Donuts does, why don't they tip me instead?

You don't have a Tip Jar. Without it, you have no way to guilt people.