Quote:
Originally Posted by Imported_Aussie
This post needs a clip of the diner scene from Reservoir Dogs...
I am used to tipping now, but coming from Australia, where a tip is an optional gratuity, not a wage supplement, the whole phenomenon in north america confused me. So you pay your employees less, charge less on face value of the meal, and then rely on a customer to cover the shortfall in wages as an extra tax on their meal?
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I'll make it clear that I tip. I tip a minimum of 10% (10% being crappy service). I generally tip 15-20% for servers, a loonie or so per drink order a bars, I tip my hair dresser 18%. I, unlike Mr. Pink, tip.
However, I agree with Mr. Pink that it is arbitrary. Why tip servers for good service and not for bank tellers? airline attendants? lawyers? doctors? because they earn enough?
So call it what it is, a wage supplement, but who else should get that? janitors don't make much and they have a ####tier job than servers. Why not tip the janitor when leaving a place? Why do taxi drivers expect tips now?
The whole structure of tipping is deeply flawed and as you said help suppress wages by making us either (a) feel guilty into tipping or (b) berate someone who does not wish to tip.
At the end of the day, tipping is optional. You are not forced to do it, yet we speak of it as a mandatory wage supplement.
So do the smart thing and get rid of tipping - have restaurants pay better wages (this would undoubtedly increase prices, but you pay that increase through tips anyway)...