<p>In Washington (state) and Oregon, servers make minimum wage–at state rates, which are much higher than fed rates. (OR is $8.40/hour.) </p>
<p>Why do I tip anyway? Because I don’t think serving tables is an easy job. Because those people are handling my food. Because I go to the same restaurants over and over again and I like what happens when you go regularly and tip decently. (Last night, I got my hot tea the instant I sat down, for example.)</p>
<p>When I first started teaching, I had several students who were very “challenging”–didn’t study, didn’t like school, didn’t like teachers… and there they were, waiting on me in local restaurants. Where they were courteous, thoughtful, pleased to see me, and gave me great service. Of course I tipped generously in return. I’d like to say they were better behaved in the classroom in response–but nope. I always imagined what would happen if I stiffed them, though–my reputation would be trashed among 3000 students.</p>
<p>My mother was a stingy tipper, and she liked to go to the same restaurants all the time. She was so horrible to waitresses (she was much nicer to waiters) that my sister and I routinely went back in to leave a larger tip. On one occasion, I did the ritual trip back inside and the waitress said “oh it’s all right, she reminds me of my grandmother–she has Alzheimer’s and doesn’t realize how difficult she is.” The problem was that I had to tell her my mother was perfectly compos mentis.</p>
<p>My impression is that BirdEye is about 17 and has a store of knowledge obtained exclusively from Ayn Rand novels and the Wall St. Journal editorial page.</p>
<p>Anyway, I agree with those who feel that tipping is weird. I always tip, fairly generously, in waitstaff-service restaurants, never for take-out, and rarely in the tip jar at counter service places. (The only regular exception is the ice cream place on Cape Cod where my wife used to work when she was in college, and the tip jars are labelled “College Fund”. But even then I don’t leave anything like the 20% I would tip at a restaurant.) The fair labor and tax rules presume that servers get a substantial portion of their compensation from tips. If they are not making minimum wage, that’s not supposed to happen.</p>
<p>Most states either (a) condition tip credit against minimum wages by a requirement that the employee average at least $.50 over minimum wage from combined pay and tips, or (b) don’t allow tip credit at all. It’s really only a handful of states that give a generous tip credit to employers without ensuring that tipped employees actually make minimum wage, but apparently the federal rules permit that.</p>
<p>She is ALWAYS very courteous to her customers and gives them excellent service. That being said, how can you justify the party of 8 that came in last week, had a bill of $90 or so, and left my D $4? She worked hard and was very attentive to all of their needs for the hour or so they were there.</p>
<p>They could have not hired somebody to do the same in their own home. Slavery is over. </p>
<p>Any moron knows servers work for tips, and understand it. MANY students of top schools make money doing this, not just the stupid low lifes you are insinuating. My only wish for you is that you never eat at a restaurant twice. I wouldn’t want anybody to eat what would be on your plate. Not even you.</p>
<p>Former Harvard President Neil Rudenstine was very proud of his mother who waited tables to put him through school. There are plenty of Harvard students who wait on tables in Harvard Square–after taking the Harvard bar-tending course. And I learned that at the Harvard Faculty Club, waiters (mostly students) earn $16 an hour (but are not allowed any tips). Lowlifes, all of them! Me, too, as the money I made as a waitress helped put me through Harvard.</p>
<p>Well, the tuition was much lower then, and the tips were very generous (Hint: My French impressed the customers mightily!) But I only worked one summer (it was hard work) and it helped with only one semester’s tuition. Another co-worker was putting herself through Tufts.</p>
<p>Birdeye is reminding me of Steve Buscemi in the opening of Reservoir Dogs- immature, slightly annoying, and determined to skip that tip.</p>
<p>Oh, as a side note: a cousin waited his way through Stanford, and he’s now a multimillionaire lawyer. Stereotyping waiters is dumb, to say the least.</p>
<p>This is rather easy to answer. You are correct that somebody has to do those jobs, and those that will do them are the ones who are young or those than have not advanced themselves. If one has advanced themselves and still cannot find a job, then they simply did not supply the demand of the market at the time. The ratio between need and supply should be 1:1, given that people are always chasing what is best for them at the moment. There certainly are many people, lwho have taken the job of somebody who is 20 years older than them, this while fair, shouldn’t of happened. It shouldn’t of happened and couldn’t of happened if the older worker supplied the demand at the time. </p>
<p>You only need compassion in a system, where you find it acceptable for people to be irresponsible for themselves. </p>
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<p>Its her job to be nice and courteous, is it not? Ya know, she could have chosen another job, maybe a data entry clerk. While you say slavery is over, i really do disagree. I believe every person that does one thing that they dont like is a slave. </p>
<p>I don’t eat out very much. Like I said, when I do, I will give a tip if the waitress is nice and goes above and beyond my expectations. Waiters never get tips. </p>
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<p>Close, but im a good bit older and while I really like Rand, there are far more people who I affiliate with. </p>
<p>If the restaurant has a defined gratuity charge, I will gladly pay it. Ive been to place where it says a 20% gratuity on all orders. I have no problem paying this, as I had the choice to choose or reject the restaurant.</p>
<p>Maybe, BirdEye, one day you’ll make enough money that you won’t begrudge throwing a few quarters the way of the Starbucks staff. One can only dream!</p>
<p>There’s a certain ugliness of spirit about being stingy …</p>
<p>While that may be true at some restaraunts, 90% of the customers at my D’s restaraunt pay with credit cards, and those tips are listed on their W-2’s. D’s student contribution went up $1600 this year because of her earnings last year, and while that is fair, what she is earning this summer is probably 1/3 of what she earned last year.</p>
<p>Getting off topic, do you tip at buffet? A few years back, my friend and I was about to leave the establishment after finishing our lunch and paying our bill when a waiter (?) or whoever came and collected our plates and demanded tips. I was flabbergasted! It’s a buffet, we served ourselves. We didn’t order anything to drink. We only left TWO used plates at our table. Our table was moderately clean since we didn’t eat much. I had no idea how to react. I had never been asked to tip at a buffet before. I reluctantly coughed up another $2-3 because I didn’t want to argue with the person. Is this normal? (I never went back there again.)</p>
<p>I do tip at buffets, because bussing staff also get very low wages. My S tried to work as a busboy one summer (did not last long) and the bussing staff was expected to share with waiters. Or was it the other way around? If tips are not shared with busboys, they can make life difficult for the waiters and waitresses by being slow to clear their tables, or sloppy, etc…</p>
<p>I really get a headache every time I come across BirdEye type of posts. Life isn’t that difficult. Just because you are cheap or can’t afford to pay, don’t use politic or social issue to cover it up. You get a plumber in your house, you pay (yeah, yeah, why should blue collar workers expect to afford three bedroom house, 2 cars, 2 kids), or you could reach in your toilet yourself to unclog it. You go out to eat, you tip, or you get your own food.</p>
<p>Birdeye…you are relatively new to this forum which is actually called “College Confidential”. Will you be contributing information about colleges and college searches…or seeking information to help a future college student in your home?</p>
<p>Yes, I do tip at a buffet. The servers there are usually running getting ice water, tea, coffee, and clearing plates so you can go back and get more! I think 10% at a buffet is customary.</p>
Another co-worker was putting herself through Tufts.</p>