Phanutier, regarding the amount of money your ex made, just for a minute, put that into terms that us guys can figure out. A man can go to work in a profession or a trade and make $20 or $25 or $30 or $50 or (in troutman's case) $900 per hour. For a nice, solid 8 hours.
We go to work, we make our salary or our hourly wage (for 8 hours or more) and collect a paycheque on the 15th and the 30th. Wait staff don't. If they're lucky (read: good) they get a friday or saturday night when it's busy for 8 hours straight and then they get their $200 in tips plus wage. Guess what they earn on a tuesday night?
I don't even know why I've waded back in on this ###### fest. If any of you non tippers actually think that these people are going home with $220 every night, why the hell aren't you in on that action? Because you know that they only make that kind of cash one or two NIGHTS per week. In other words, they have to work crappy, dead shifts the rest of the week and then forfeit their weekends to make decent coin a couple of nights. To serve whiners like half the people in this thread their drinks while they comment on their asses.
Seriously, guys. Walk a mile in someone else's shoes.
Believe it or not, this is what they actually make every night. Its not at the local Denny's I'm talking about, they got a pretty good gig where they are. She did Wed and Fri nights, the Wed nights ringing up about $120 in about 4 hours, and Fri nights ringing up $180+ again in 4 hrs. This was ontop of her day job where she was making approx $22 per hr for her summer job.
I wish I knew about that gig when I was younger instead of making the $5.90 that I did in HS. Quite frankly, I'm not in it because the avg salary range for what my university degree is in should be significantly higher.
(As for the tipping, as I said, I tip the standard 15%)
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Last edited by Phanuthier; 09-11-2008 at 12:21 AM.
If any of this actually happened perhaps people wouldn't have such a hard time with tipping.
I know that you are in the industry so are going to paint servers as being the hardest people in the world but from my experience (and when it comes to bars they are pretty vast experiences) this couldn't be further from the truth and it certainly is nowhere near to being one of the tougher jobs out there.
Lol. This sounds like a framer talking about a painter. Unfortunately, the framer doesn't understand that a painter's job isn't as easy as it looks. But he sure do talk like he know.
The amount of people here who say they don't tip amazes me. 4x4 nailed it. Yeah, you may get one or two good nights a week, the other nights usually stink. I worked in bars for years, and without tips wouldn't have made anything.
That said, I tend to tip really well. The two reasons are 1) most of these people make crap. It's not even minimum wage, it's 2.13 plus tips. And 2) I like getting good service. Yeah yeah, someone will say "you should get good service regardless blah blah" reality is you get what you pay for.
I tip about 50% for haircuts, and a bare minimum of a buck a drink at the bar. For restaurants etc, 20% if service is good. True, if the service is bad I'll short them on a tip, but I don't just leave it out there for them to wonder if I was just some cheap prick. I'll make it a point to let them know before I leave that their service sucked and they didn't get a tip.
I dont think anyone is arguing that tipping is dumb and you should never tip (maybe a few people are saying that) but what I dont like is servers expect a tip, even when the service is crap, as it is a lot in calgary these days, and then you feel obligated to tip when you should be free to leave 0%.
I have the balls to leave 0 tip when its deserved and I've gotten called out on it a few times and gladly tell the server why they get no tip.
I think leaving no tip gets the point across, at one bar we used to go regularly we always tipped well. Then one night we get horrible service, same waitress she knew us. We left no tip, she got the message we're not paying extra for bad service. Next time we went back she apologized for the service the other night and we got great service again. Had we tipped a little bit as is expected by society she may have thought hey I dont have to serve these guys very good to still get my tip from them and continued on like that.
So right. Perfect contrast to the BS this post replied to.
What's up, V? Are you choked that your line of work or your uncle's line of work doesn't garner any tips? You can always switch industries. I hear they're hiring waiters en masse.
Sarcasm aside, I can't believe the pure disdain you have for people that get tips. If you don't want to tip, then don't. It's an optional thing. Sure, you're a cheap bugger for not tipping if the service is good, but still, it's your prerogative.
Reading issues, I suppose.
I tip. In fact, I believe that there's a very good reason to tip, namely that if I don't decide what the server is worth, the restaurant sure as hell won't. I've already said that in this thread.
My contention is with the insane idea that servers are worth their tips because the work is really really hard, or that the average person that works as a server is some shlub in need of a handout. Neither of those work, I'm sorry. There are harder jobs, and worse off people. And they don't get tipped.
I have worked in the service industry. And I have worked construction. And I have worked in an office. The office is by far the easiest, service second, and my carpet installation days were by far the worst. Sue me if this is so unreasonable.
That said, I tend to tip really well. The two reasons are 1) most of these people make crap. It's not even minimum wage, it's 2.13 plus tips.
This would be one reason to tip better in the States than in Canada...it is criminal that people can pretty much get paid noting to be a server...in Canada you get min wage to be a server...more if you are around a place for very long, at least in a labour market like Calgary.
I tip. In fact, I believe that there's a very good reason to tip, namely that if I don't decide what the server is worth, the restaurant sure as hell won't. I've already said that in this thread.
My contention is with the insane idea that servers are worth their tips because the work is really really hard, or that the average person that works as a server is some shlub in need of a handout. Neither of those work, I'm sorry. There are harder jobs, and worse off people. And they don't get tipped.
I have worked in the service industry. And I have worked construction. And I have worked in an office. The office is by far the easiest, service second, and my carpet installation days were by far the worst. Sue me if this is so unreasonable.
I won't sue you, but I'll bet you that you make more money installing carpet than a chick carrying drinks does. Difference is, she can't toss a roll of carpet on her shoulder and hike it up the stairs to do the master bedroom. And if she could, you probably wouldn't want her bringing you drinks.
As I've already said, you bet your arse I didn't. It was pretty much slave labour working for minimum wage with my father. Wouldn't trade those days for anything, though. The old man taught me to work, which has done far more for my career than a few tips. So I don't begrudge the servers their tips. But Trad's reasoning is bullcrap, and that's what I'm calling him on. Not the tipping itself.
Although I still think it's pretty ######ed that you tip 24% for crappy service...
It's not even minimum wage, it's 2.13 plus tips. And 2) I like getting good service. Yeah yeah, someone will say "you should get good service regardless blah blah" reality is you get what you pay for.
much different here in canada, well calgary at least. No excuse to not tip if thats all they make. Is it like that all over the US or does it vary from state to state?
As I've already said, you bet your arse I didn't. It was pretty much slave labour working for minimum wage with my father. Wouldn't trade those days for anything, though. The old man taught me to work, which has done far more for my career than a few tips. So I don't begrudge the servers their tips. But Trad's reasoning is bullcrap, and that's what I'm calling him on. Not the tipping itself.
Although I still think it's pretty ######ed that you tip 24% for crappy service...
I'd have just walked away from this thread for the night with the first portion of your post being a good response. But bringing up percentages in the last sentence forces me to say that you're out of control cheap. 24%, eh? Is that what $2.88 is on a $12.12 bill? I better start packing a calculator when I go to a pub to make bloody sure that a waitress doesn't make 17 cents too much.
much different here in canada, well calgary at least. No excuse to not tip if thats all they make. Is it like that all over the US or does it vary from state to state?
Since I've lived here that's pretty much the standard. I'm sure there is some state that pays staff better, but I've yet to come across it and have traveled all over the states save for the South. Waitstaff are legally allowed to be paid less than minimum wage, with the understanding that their hourly wage will even out to (hopefully) minimum wage with tips. I've yet to meet someone who was paid an hourly rate of minimum wage. Ever. Couple that with the fact that they rarely have health insurance supplied by the companies they work for and have to pay for it themselves, and it may be more clear why I get irritated with cheap tippers etc.
Where the heck is this from? Too funny... it's like hiring actors to enact this CP thread. They basically cover all the arguments, for and against, and despite the fact I recognize a lot of these actors, the performance is painful to watch. Like an 'after school special/the more you know' about tipping.
We could probably assign a CP member to each character in this conversation on tipping in present day society.
Where the heck is this from? Too funny... it's like hiring actors to enact this CP thread. They basically cover all the arguments, for and against, and despite the fact I recognize a lot of these actors, the performance is painful to watch. Like an 'after school special/the more you know' about tipping.
We could probably assign a CP member to each character in this conversation on tipping in present day society.
I hate tipping which is probably why I rarely eat out and avoid franchise type restaurants like Earl's, Moxies etc. Most restaurants have mediocre service at best and tips are expected for this type of service. By tipping for mediocre service you're literally promoting mediocre service.
There are a few restaurants that I am a regular at for business and personal after trying tons of places around the city where I get great service and great food everytime I go. Tipping at these places is well deserved.
I used to tip really well, then I dated a waitress for about 6 months and now I tip less than I used to.
It always pissed me off that this girl made more $$$ than I did and sometimes I was suprised that she could spell her own name. She had no skills to be payed for other than her ability to wear a mini skirt and a low cut shirt. It always irked me that she could make $250 in 6 hrs while I was working 40 hrs a week for $16/hour.
To tell you the truth, I probably tip "hot" waitresses less than I tip the 55 yr old portly woman at Denny's.
Is it true men tip more when the waitress touches them, I mean hand on shoulder, not happy ending touching.
I probably do.
One place i should mention I always tip really good is the golf course. reason being I usually bring my own beer, and then I'll buy one from the Beer girl(who knows I have my own beer) and give her a $10 tip on $5 beer. I've saved that money anyways on bringing my own.
I am wondering if blatant BS should now be considered a "Phanuthier".
Three times you have stated as fact that tips are "tax-free".
No, they are not. If you don't report them, and the gov't sees you are a person who is likely to earn tips as part of their wages, expect to be audited.
Missing documentation If an individual is unable to provide reliable documents to support the income they have declared, the CRA will determine income using other available information. For example, if a restaurant server has neglected to maintain a record of the income he or she received from tips, the CRA will look at credit card and cash receipts or sales to determine the employee's income for a determined period of time. It is the responsibility of the employee to maintain documents supporting their income.
Industry and regional averages Through the use of sophisticated tools, the CRA may look at the average salary in a specific trade in a designated area. When an individual's salary falls well below the average, or if the individual's expenses are significantly above the average, the CRA may request more information and supporting documents.
Interesting, but I doubt people report more than a small percentage of their actual tips, and I doubt CRA has the resources to audit millions of people.
