11 ms·

Restaurants must be happy that I am not the type of person who eats out more than once or twice a year. I don't tip unless there is table service. I withhold ti

by II2II 4y ago

Restaurants must be happy that I am not the type of person who eats out more than once or twice a year. I don't tip unless there is table service. I withhold tips if the quality of the product is bad (sorry servers). Even in social situations. That doesn't mean I don't tip when it is appropriate, but I view it as more of an incentive for good service than to reinforce bad business practices. I'm not sure how I would respond to sneaky surcharges since I haven't encountered it. Most likely, I would pay and never go back. If the amount was excessive and I was on my own, I would likely protest it and never go back.

hadlock 4y ago
Servers make $2.14 an hour in Texas, they're fully dependent on tips. They often/always have zero control over the kitchen or management's ability to do staffing. Keep this in mind when you eat in that state.
- ApolloFortyNine 4y ago
  Still required by law to pay the difference up to minimum wage. Still only 7.25 but let's be accurate.
  - seadan83 4y ago
    Law and practice can often be different. Often "the agreement" is cash tips are not declared on taxes, and you don't hassle the company when you make an hourly shortfall. My impression is that arrangement is far more common than companies actually making sure you get minimum wage every hour.
    - kmoser 4y ago
      The IRS assumes servers get a certain amount of tips, so if you don't report close to what they expect, you run a high risk of being audited.
      - seadan83 4y ago
        True. The loophole is that most tips are on credit cards and hence automatically reported. There is no distinction of cash vs CC tips when reporting. So effectively zero dollars in cash tips is being reported. In the 90s I delivered pizzas for one of the big companies. I raised that if I didn't make tips the company was supposed to pay me $5.50 instead of the $3.25 that was my wage. The boss said, ok, but if we do that then you have to report your cash tips" - the "agreement" was quite explicit
- thayne 4y ago
  That is not unique to Texas.
  - red-iron-pine 4y ago
    Several states. Official Dept of Labor breakdown: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped
- jdkee 4y ago
  Obligatory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4sTSIYzDIk&ab_channel=Peacock https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4sTSIYzDIk&ab_channel=Peaco...
- seanmcdirmid 4y ago
  In WA (and I think CA) they are required to make state/local min wage ($15/hour) before tips are considered.
  - joveian 4y ago
    Same in Oregon, other than minimum wage being lower (and variable depending on where you are).
- red-iron-pine 4y ago
  That's if and only if you make enough declared tips to bring you over minimum wage for that period. Otherwise they have to give you minimum. But it also means that if you snag a $40 dollar tip or something you're basically down to $2 an hour for that day. By comparison some states like California requires minimum wage + tips.
chottocharaii 4y ago
If you live in America you're an asshole if you do this. Tipping is the well-established cultural way for servers to make income. It is -not- something reserved for situations where good service is to be incentivized. Maybe in other countries ... but not the United States.
- Quarrelsome 4y ago
  > Tipping is the well-established cultural way for servers to make income. One could also argue that its a means for companies to intentionally under-pay their staff while also re-directing any anger at being exploited from the company to the consumer. Perfect divide and conquer tactics that has somehow become culturally engrained to the point that if anyone refuses to be part of this macabre tragedy they are framed the villain.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - berniedurfee 4y ago
    Either way, sticking it to the man by denying waitstaff a tip is a poor method to fix an inequity. Just tip, so your server can get closer to a living wage for their hard work.
    - Quarrelsome 4y ago
      I don't live in that place so the advice isn't important. Also I think its fair to argue that joining this macabre dance is also a poor method to fix an inequity. If its true what others say tips are deducted so their employers pay below minimum wage then why not pay the server outside of the transaction so the employer is forced to do what they should have been doing in the first place?
      - berniedurfee 4y ago
        I always tip cash when possible.

by II2II 4y ago

hadlock 4y ago

Servers make $2.14 an hour in Texas, they're fully dependent on tips. They often/always have zero control over the kitchen or management's ability to do staffing. Keep this in mind when you eat in that state.

ApolloFortyNine 4y ago
Still required by law to pay the difference up to minimum wage. Still only 7.25 but let's be accurate.
- seadan83 4y ago
  Law and practice can often be different. Often "the agreement" is cash tips are not declared on taxes, and you don't hassle the company when you make an hourly shortfall. My impression is that arrangement is far more common than companies actually making sure you get minimum wage every hour.
  - kmoser 4y ago
    The IRS assumes servers get a certain amount of tips, so if you don't report close to what they expect, you run a high risk of being audited.
    - seadan83 4y ago
      True. The loophole is that most tips are on credit cards and hence automatically reported. There is no distinction of cash vs CC tips when reporting. So effectively zero dollars in cash tips is being reported. In the 90s I delivered pizzas for one of the big companies. I raised that if I didn't make tips the company was supposed to pay me $5.50 instead of the $3.25 that was my wage. The boss said, ok, but if we do that then you have to report your cash tips" - the "agreement" was quite explicit
thayne 4y ago
That is not unique to Texas.
- red-iron-pine 4y ago
  Several states. Official Dept of Labor breakdown: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped
jdkee 4y ago
Obligatory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4sTSIYzDIk&ab_channel=Peacock https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4sTSIYzDIk&ab_channel=Peaco...
seanmcdirmid 4y ago
In WA (and I think CA) they are required to make state/local min wage ($15/hour) before tips are considered.
- joveian 4y ago
  Same in Oregon, other than minimum wage being lower (and variable depending on where you are).
red-iron-pine 4y ago
That's if and only if you make enough declared tips to bring you over minimum wage for that period. Otherwise they have to give you minimum. But it also means that if you snag a $40 dollar tip or something you're basically down to $2 an hour for that day. By comparison some states like California requires minimum wage + tips.

chottocharaii 4y ago

If you live in America you're an asshole if you do this. Tipping is the well-established cultural way for servers to make income. It is -not- something reserved for situations where good service is to be incentivized. Maybe in other countries ... but not the United States.

Quarrelsome 4y ago
> Tipping is the well-established cultural way for servers to make income. One could also argue that its a means for companies to intentionally under-pay their staff while also re-directing any anger at being exploited from the company to the consumer. Perfect divide and conquer tactics that has somehow become culturally engrained to the point that if anyone refuses to be part of this macabre tragedy they are framed the villain.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- berniedurfee 4y ago
  Either way, sticking it to the man by denying waitstaff a tip is a poor method to fix an inequity. Just tip, so your server can get closer to a living wage for their hard work.
  - Quarrelsome 4y ago
    I don't live in that place so the advice isn't important. Also I think its fair to argue that joining this macabre dance is also a poor method to fix an inequity. If its true what others say tips are deducted so their employers pay below minimum wage then why not pay the server outside of the transaction so the employer is forced to do what they should have been doing in the first place?
    - berniedurfee 4y ago
      I always tip cash when possible.