as a server, i feel a certain anguish towards a particular subject. often at work, i've found myself saying, "i wish we aired a PSA about proper tipping protocol every 15 minutes or so on all of these TVs." and honestly, it sickens me that i should even feel that way, but i work at a job where i rely on the generosity of other people. so i feel it is my duty to inform everyone on the proper way to tip.
i guess we should start out with the basics. personally, i can remember sitting in class and learning how to easily calculate 10% of a number. it was quite simple actually; you take a number, move a decimal point over a notch to the left and voila! so let's do some examples:
sue's bill is $9.86. that makes 10% = .986, or 99cents respectively.
joe's bill is $47.81. that makes 10% = 4.781, or $4.78 respectively.
now often what we servers find, is people are far too lazy for this simple technique. they instead, take the first number and consider that to be 10%. so on that $47.81 bill, where joe and his date ordered drinks, an appetizer, entrees, and a dessert to share, and where his server had to make a bare minimum of five trips to their table (this doesn't include condiment runs or checking back to make sure everything is okay), they left a $4.00 tip. now for some more simple math. most restaurants, if not all, require a tip-out amount be granted towards bussers, bartenders, and sometimes even the hosts/hostesses. this typically translates to about 3% of your total sales. now for joe's table alone, the server has to tip out $1.43, making that $4.00 suddenly become a $2.57 tip. but even at the proper 10% tip, the server would still only receive $3.35. in order for the server to actually receive the 10% joe thought he was giving, he would have to leave at least 13% (10% plus the 3% tip-out).
there's another situation that leaves many servers in a dither. many restaurants, especially larger chains, offer various discounts. at my work alone, i can think of at least nine various discounts that, for the most part, could all be used at once even. so let's take joe's $47.81 bill and add a discount or two. joe takes plenty of his dates to my location and thus has racked up several points on our frequent diner card, so his $7.00 appetizer is now free. he also found a buy one-get one free coupon in the newspaper so the $9.00 salad his date ordered is also free. this brings his new balance to approximately $29.45 with a savings of $16.00(pretax). so now, instead of the $4.00 tip, joe leaves a $2.00 tip, regardless of the fact that $3.00 is closer to 10%, and after tip-out the server will make 57cents. i'm sure it's pretty easy to see why we servers think most people suck.
believe it or not, i've actually heard people say that servers make too much money. this concept baffles me. currently the minimum wage for a tipped employee is $3.25 in missouri and in illinois the rate is $3.90, with a federal mandated minimum of $2.13. i'm sure you're tired of all of the math here, but there's just a little bit more. we'll say that sue leaves a nice $3.00 tip on her $9.86 bill. joe, being that coupon-clipping douchebag that he is, leaves the $2.00 tip. after tip-out, the server will make $3.27 in tips, plus (we'll say they're from illinois) $3.90 for the hour they were all there. that brings their hourly rate up to $7.17, a mere 67cents above non-tipped employee minimum wage.
please consider these aspects next time you're dining out. i think the largest misconception is that 10% is acceptable for all levels of service. 10% is the suggested minimum for tipped employees. please reward service with a substantial and worthy tip based on the level of service received. i find far too often the server is punished for situations out of their control. the restaurant is too loud. the food took too long. their alcoholic drink tastes watered-down. these are all situations beyond the realm of the server, yet we're still the ones that pay the price. far too many people don't pay enough attention to realize that you just got double-sat, and have two bickering old ladies at another table and that is why it's taking you longer to get back to their table.
although greatly appreciated, compliments just don't hold any monetary value. so please don't consider them as a worthy substitute. and this swings both ways, if you think service is sub-par, inform your server- they may have not even been aware of a problem. if the problem isn't remedied, inform management. laws consider 14% of the server's total sales when considering their tips, whether reported or not, so punishing a server by tipping them less than such, isn't just teaching them a lesson, but costing them money.
i don't know how people get lost in their terms and think server is synonymous with servant. this doesn't happen often, but still is a problem that needs to be addressed. we may not have a corner office or drive buicks and we certainly aren't offered a 401k and full benefits simply for signing on, but we're still people. and take it or leave it, but the fact remains that there's a good chance we work twice as hard as you do. i've never heard a CEO complain about how badly their feet hurt from walking around all day on a 12-hour double.
the expression rings true: walk a mile in someone's shoes and then you'll know where they're coming from. it usually takes someone who has previously been a server to truly understand where the server is coming from. but it doesn't have to be that way. in a job where every move you make is judged, it's not easy to get the upper hand. it's not an easy job, period. but if people were a little more understanding of what truly goes on, everyone's lives would be a lot easier. and the world would be a happier place.
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3 comments:
I tend to leave a 15-20% gratuity. and I tend not to leave less than $3. That even includes if my order is around $3 itself.
I let my waitperson know if something isn't right so they can make it right. If it doesn't work out like that, I ask for management. If that doesn't even work, I withhold a tip, but leaving a note explaining why. I think I have only had to do this once (I hate doing it).
On the other hand, there have been MANY times when the service was so awesome that I asked for management and complimented the service and the restaurant fully. I feel that if the server is doing an awesome job, they deserve to have their boss know.
Granted, I could fill out one of those stupid comment cards, but I don't know if they are actually read instead of thrown away. I think they are used more to give the customer the sense that their opinion matters without actually having to listen to it.
I know that servers tend to say that guys are worse tippers, but that is the reason why I tip extra. Maybe because I gave more, that opinion will slowly change.
In the very least, I will get excellent service when waited on by that server again because they know they will get paid well for it.
yes! please inform management. it helps out the restaurant, the server, and the guests... and at my work it even gets us candy!
some comment cards may be malarkey, but the kind that print on the receipt (and usually get you a free appetizer or something) are worth it! the company PAYS for this service so they like to see opinions, or they wouldn't waste their money.
you're doing great. and thank you on behalf of every service industry person.
You, like many other people in the service industry start out by lecturing what a tip should be -- not why one get tips, how to insure getting a gratuity, but that somehow you deserve this custom as it were an entitlement. Just because one has a job and does it doesn't necessarily mean that they should be rewarded with a raise. I am appalled at hotels and restaurants that add a gratuity in the check as if you are going to be thrilled -- beforehand -- by the service. I think this may be a cause of poor service. Heck, if your tip is secure, why bother. I once worked as a bartender and I dodn't especially like it for many reasons. You knwo what I did? I got another job. To hell with the Tryanny of Tipping.
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