<p>D got a summer job as a waitress and loves it. We are both amazed that so many people do not tip at all. She does not work at a fancy restaurant just a glorified fast food place but still I never knew so many people stiffed the kids. There are many generous people also that really over tip so that mitigates some of the zero tip people.</p>
<p>She actually makes more money at her slightly over minimum wage retail job than she does at the waitress gig.</p>
<p>Oh, I asked if she was messing up and said no. The menu is simple and the place is not busy so it is easy to take care of everyone. She says you can tell who will stiff you by how much they leave the table a mess. She says she learning how inconsiderate people can be. Fine do not tip but don’t dump all the salt all over the table.</p>
<p>Wow that stinks. My D manages an ice cream shop and usually brings home about $70 per day in tips in addition to an above-minimum wage salary. Maybe people are more generous because the total bill for ice ream is pretty small. Oh, and most of the customers are regulars or neighbors, so they probably feel obligated!</p>
<p>zmom- what I like is even while the tips are not great she still is not complaining. She had me worried that she would not get the value and importance of working but so far so good. She is working the two jobs and coordinating with the managers about her availability etc. We are lucky in that what ever she earns is a bonus. The experience of being committed to an employer is more important for us than the actual pay.
I was very disappointed in her first part time job. I felt the manager allowed poor work habits and that could actually do damage to kids because they would have false expectations about what was required of them in most work places.</p>
<p>Probably lots more people aren’t tipping now because of the economy. That sucks, but at least they are going to the restaurants. If they stayed home, even more restaurants would close and more people would be out of work.</p>
<p>I’m surprised to read that so many do not leave tips. I worked one summer while just graduated from college. It was a “niche” restaurant, not expensive, but popular with tourists. I made quite a bit in tips at the time, nearly 40 years ago.</p>
<p>My friend’s D who is home from college works at the Olive Garden in Times Square. She rakes in $1000 per week in tips because the tourists in this neighborhood are still spending. Also huge turnover in tables.</p>
<p>Tom, you and your daughter both have wonderful attitudes. You’ve clearly taught her well and I’ve no doubt that she would be an asset to any employer. Great job by you!</p>
<p>“If you can’t afford to tip the waitress, you shouldn’t be eating out where there is table service. Seriously”</p>
<p>Normally, I’d agree, and that’s certainly the policy that I follow.</p>
<p>However, in these economic times in which lots of restaurants are closing due to lack of business, I think it’s better to eat out and not tip than to not eat out at all.</p>
<p>In my small city, several wonderful restaurants have closed this year due to the economy.</p>
<p>NSM I disagree. If you can afford a $30 dinner, you can afford at least a $5 tip.</p>
<p>Waitresses don’t get minimum wage and by not tipping, you are making them work for free.</p>
<p>Personally I think people eat out WAY too much. I think there are WAY too many restaurants and I have always wondered how people could afford to spend on 1 meal what I spend to feed myself for a week. I figured these people had more money than me and if that is the case they can afford to tip the waitress (or order takeout - I never do, but I wouldn’t tip for that).</p>
<p>$2.13 an hour. I think they must guarantee she makes at least $5 with tips. If she does not get tips to bring it to $5 the restaurant needs to make it up. So by not tipping the customer actually cuts into the restaurants profit. Essentially the restaurant subsidizes the non- tippers meal.</p>
<p>my son is also waiting tables for the first time. It is a fairly nice place and the customers generally tip nicely but because of the economy the numbers are down. Quite frequently the management sends people home mid shift:( to make up for this i recently had lunch there and left him a 27% tip:)</p>
<p>As a former waitress who helped put myself through college and law school, I also agree with Sue. If you can eat out at a restaurant with waitress service, you can tip. I only was “stiffed” once in seven years. I followed the customer out to talk to him about why he hadn’t left a tip (this was a fairly nice restaurant and I wanted to make sure I hadn’t screwed something up) and he told me that his girlfriend had been bugging him to take her out and he didn’t have enough money to buy the meals and then leave a reasonable tip. He decided not to leave a tip rather than leave 50 cents, because he thought that would be an insult. I understood and thanked him.</p>
<p>I tend to “overtip” in restaurants, but if the service is lousy, watch out! ;)</p>
<p>But are you supposed to tip in a “glorified fast food” restaurant? I’ve been to the ice cream shop where there is cup on the counter and I do tip there sometimes but I’ve never tipped anyone at McDonald’s. In fact when I worked at McDonald’s in 1979 I never got a tip.</p>
<p>If someone can’t afford to tip on a $20 meal, they should buy a $15 meal and leave a tip. (They will still have saved a few dollars more than if they did a $20 meal with no tip, by my calculations.)</p>
<p>That stinks when folks don’t tip. BUT here is another issue. At some places, if folks walk out without paying the bill (yep…that happened to DS…ONE TIME)…the waiter is stuck paying the tab. I think THAT really stinks.</p>