Another Restaurant Thread

[FrankZ]

20% has been standard for at least the past 5 years, Frank. Some folks sadly insist on sticking to the old standard. In 2011, $2.13 an hour is really not a living wage.

And most restaurants, sadly, stick to paying the old standard for a wage too.

The cost of meals has gone up as well, the prices keeping pace with or outpacing wage increases elsewhere. If you stay with the standard 15% you are still increasing the "wage" from 5 (or 20) years ago.

I also find it annoying that a lot of places suggest the tip based on final bill, not pretax. So I really don't think the restaurant industry has a place telling me I now have to tip 20% or I am sending servers to the poor house.

 

[Rocklobster]

When did 20% become the accepted tip? 15% has always been the norm. .

Ahh. Are we going there? Why is 15% the norm? To me, that has become the minimum. Why should someone feel they have to tip 15% as a starting point? It is already a decent tip! Not a bad one at that. If the waiter/waitress is not happy with 15 %, maybe they should get another job.

I just feel that 15% has become the base value of a tip and anything less is unacceptable. I have, on many occasions, tipped more than that, but, for some reason feel I have to have had a bad experience to tip less than 15%. It is like we are pressured into tipping at least 15.

 

[FrankZ]

15% being the norm means the standard base line. Adjustable based on how things go.

For instance, just because you brought my food to the table, and refilled my drink once doesn't mean you provided wonderful service. And just because my glass got empty doesn't mean the service stunk.

Friendly, helpful, attentive. Those are the base line. I don't expect to tip more because you did your job, even when you do your job well. When you do better than ok, then I tend to tip more. I also consider a less of a tip depending on how poor the service is. And if you can't figure out you are ruining your tip with your service by my body language or what I say, you might consider finding different work.

Being a server isn't the same as being a cafeteria worker that plops food out on a tray. It is a people service business, the food just happens to be what you handle. You do need to know your product, but the thing a lot of servers seem to not understand is they are taking care of people.

I don't tip a reduced amount if the food isn't good, I will take into consideration if the server obviously doesn't care that I ordered my sandwich with no mayo, and it is slathered everywhere.

 

[Andy M.]

The real question is, why don't restaurants pay a living wage. The increase in osts is going to come from the consumer. Then there is incentive for management to police server quality as poor servers effect the restaurant's business.

 

[jennyema]

One of my favorite fdbp places is next door to Willi's (same owner) called Maceo. Gorgeous, historic room, fantastic food, exemplary service.... click on the name for details.

we went there, too, on my second trip when we couldn't get into willi's

 

[Rocklobster]

There was a time when the restaurant buisness was a noble and respected buisness. With servers that were proud to make a living doing this. Thanks to franchises, and buisnesspeople trying to squeeze every last penny from their revenue, respect and decency has been lost from the culture. There still are a few well run establishments out there, but for the most part the buisness model is designed to make money first, and a living second.

 

[FrankZ]

There are likely a lot of reasons the restaurant business is the way it is. I find it interesting to watch people in public settings and one thing I have noticed is people come in, sit and chat, order then when the food arrives they shovel. No more talking, just eat. It isn't a wonder that a lot of restaurants shovel the food at you, and expect you to be gone in 47.8 minutes to turn the table. They are staffed by the same people that eat like that.

Usually when I figure a gratuity (as that is what it really is) I do a bit upwards rounding. Cases of the server upsetting me or just being bad I round down.

One place I frequent for breakfast during the summer the bill for me tends to be $10.80 (or so I am fairly predictable for it) and unless they upset me I leave $14 to cover the bill. One morning I had an egg broken on the plate. I don't blame the server for breakage, I blame the kitchen, however she knows I am picky about this. I mentioned it and her response was "Life is hard, deal with it". So I did. I left $10.80 for the bill. The next day I went in and she was nice as pie. I had no issues with her. She might have been having a bad day, she could have been tired, I don't know and frankly I don't care. She could have dealt with it in a much friendlier way.

This same place has told me not to rush and enjoy an extra cup or two of coffee at closing. (Just to bring this all back to topic sorta)

 

[roadfix]

It is a people service business, the food just happens to be what you handle. You do need to know your product, but the thing a lot of servers seem to not understand is they are taking care of people.

I agree. A lot of these servers shouldn't even be in the food business or any other people service oriented job. To them it's "just another job" but their performance affects the rest of the business and to those who truely love working in the industry. It's the management's responsibility to weed these people out.

 

[FrankZ]

It's the management's responsibility to weed these people out.

Aye...

Though I suppose if they make no money they will just blame the cheap customers and walk away.

I wonder with one server and she hated Sundays. Would stand in the wait station and rant, loudly, about the cheap people that came in on Sundays. She made very little on Sundays. The rest of the week she did fairly well. Self fulling? Yeah.. I thought so.

 

[Rocklobster]

I agree. A lot of these servers shouldn't even be in the food business or any other people service oriented job. To them it's "just another job" but their performance affects the rest of the business and to those who truely love working in the industry. It's the management's responsibility to weed these people out.

Yes, but, in most restuarants, the management are just working stiff's themselves. The best establishments, for the most part, are the ones where the actual owners are present most of the time.