<p>I’m sorry, I disagree. First of all, there are large numbers of people under 25 who have already graduated from school and supporting families. Some need to work in order to help out parents, siblings, etc.</p>
<p>Also, school isn’t exactly cheap. I will be attending an instate public university in the fall and know that several of my textbooks are in the $200 range. How many hours of working minimum wage will it take to buy one textbook? </p>
<p>College students may also have other bills - car insurance, etc. I know a young woman who worked 40+ hours a week during her senior year in high school to pay for her car, all of her own insurance, her clothing, and because she wanted a little money left over for things like eating out.</p>
<p>musicamusica wrote: "I will give a tip if the waitress is nice and goes above and beyond my expectations. Waiters never get tips. " Tough luck boys!! And I shudder to think what “nice” means. </p>
<p>I think “nice” is a euphemism for the Hooter’s girls.</p>
<p>I always tip wait staff male or female,-- so yes, employees at buffets get some $$. The one I find myself uncomfortable with is like the tip jar scenario–Its when paying by credit card at a counter where they assembled something directly (like at Subway) or where I order an item and then pick it up (eg Panera bread co). The credit card slip has a line to add a tip. I sometimes add a little-- but not always.</p>
<p>I also wanted to add that I worked at the counter at a snack shop this year where we had a tip jar. In this situation, I did not expect tips but was appreciative when I got them. Of course, I was making .50 more than the Massachusetts’ minimum wage, which is already one of the highest in the country.</p>
<p>In NJ a server gets paid $2.10/hr. plus tips. An owner can pay more but that is the state minimum. And for this, some people are extremely demanding and then use the excuse of insufficient service to not pay a tip. Very self serving. </p>
<p>If you require constant attention while dinning go to a fancy restaurant and pay the prices. But I suspect the complainers are too cheap to do so and can not resist the opportunity to cheat a poorly paid working person out of their humble due.</p>
<p>It’s better for customers to eat out than stay home simply because they cannot afford to tip the server. If no customers came out then restaurants would go out of business and those servers wouldn’t even have a job. If anything, people should be ENCOURAGED to go out whether or not they have enough money to tip. Servers should be happy they even have a job.</p>
<p>There was only one time I didn’t tip. That was because the waitress was mean to me and messed up my order three times in a row. I had to complain to management.</p>
<p>I disagree. If the wage is only 2.1/hr, it’s cheaper to stay home. There is expense associated with working. Why are we concerned about keeping a restaurant in business if majority of people working there couldn’t make a living. People that can’t afford to tip are taking advantage of people that do tip. Frankly I don’t think I would want 2.10/hr people to handle my food.</p>
<p>I wait tables at a local Italian chain that has been struggling with the economy and new restaurants opening nearby. I think we have the best service and certainly the best food in town though, and it shows by the amount of regulars we have come in. Because sales are down, our managers allow no room for error in terms of getting food out on time, keeping drinks filled, prebussing tables, and selling as much wine/liquor as possible. I always follow up on everything to make sure everyone’s doing okay, food turned out alright, etc. and it usually shows in the tips I’m left. If I’m particularly busy one night and can’t be as attentive as I usually am, it shows in my tips. </p>
<p>If anyone is wondering, servers VERY MUCH appreciate tips going above 20% when service is really good. And 20% itself is appreciated since many leave under 15%. I’ve never been stiffed on a tip (knock on wood) but if it does happen I lose money because we tip out to bussers and hostesses based on our sales for the evening. If you leave me $3 on $100, I break even since all of the $3 goes to tipshare.</p>
<p>Birdeye: “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.”</p>
<p>Wow, you really are drinking the Kool-Aid, aren’t you? </p>
<p>Since when does chasing equal catching? And what if the “demand of the market at the time” is for unskilled laborers? Gosh, we’ve got enough investment bankers right now, what we need is a few janitors. Are we still supposed to pay them $.25/hour, like your theoretical McDonald’s workers?</p>
<p>How funny–to tip a TA!!! My S would have loved that. Actually, he assisted his math teacher in her summer class at local college, and class chipped in to get him a $10 gift certificate. Nothing thru college</p>
<p>Having waittressed in Harvard Sq thru college, I relied on tips and broken muffins for food. Only once got a note from young man saying he was poor college student and couldn’t tip.</p>
<p>You two really need to have the word “clueless” tatooed on your foreheads. I’m betting that neither of you has ever worked a minimum wage job and, if you have, I suspect that it’s for spending money, not for supporting yourselves. Rule number one of economic theory is that market forces don’t always produce an equitable result. That’s why we have minimum wage laws and government regulation of insurance companies, banks and the financial markets, etc. I can’t figure out whether you two are mean spirited, stupid or just incredibly naive.</p>
<p>Isn’t that the crux of the entire problem? Customers believe that tips are either at around 15% or at their discretion. This seems to be confirmed by the policy to add tips to tables of 6 or more patrons. On the other hand, waiters and waitresses somehow expects to be rewarded with tips that exceed the customary 15%. Further there is an entire debate about the tips on expensive wine and liquor. Some believe that tips on expensive wines should NOT amount to 15% and others believe it is OK to expect not only a full tip but actually and extra tip for a “sommelier.” Considering the example of a family celebrating an very special event (say a graduation ) and a very nice uncle orders a bottle of Dom Perignon. It is reasonable that the $200 bottle also carries a $30 or $40 “tip” for bringing out and picking up 6 glasses? Especially since the dinner will add another $500 and a tip of around $100.00? Lastly, some silly (and formerly fancy) places cling to the notion that customers should increase the regular tip for a “captain” or “maitre d’.”</p>
<p>All of that is nonsense created by fools who have lost all sense of reality! Waiters are aboslutely correct to expect a reasonable wage and reasonable tips. And customers should expect proper service and not expect to have to pay extra and beyond a VERY respectable 15%. While it is wrong for anyone to deliberately stiff a waiter or waitress, it is even more wrong for the waitstaff to have unhealthy expectations of the value of their services.</p>
<p>Thumper, could you share the Cliff’s Notes?</p>
<p>Haha. I read the comments on Amazon. Picked up that line “And guys, if you’re taking a girl out on a date, the Waiter suggests tipping at least 20%, because she will know.” </p>
<p>Obviously, I am pretty certain that the book will be filled with what I described as … non-sense. :)</p>
) and a very nice uncle orders a bottle of Dom Perignon. It is reasonable that the $200 bottle also carries a $30 or $40 “tip” for bringing out and picking up 6 glasses? Especially since the dinner will add another $500 and a tip of around $100.00? Lastly, some silly (and formerly fancy) places cling to the notion that customers should increase the regular tip for a “captain” or “maitre d’.”</p>