blue moon (2)

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

To Tip Or Not To Tip Final ©

Here it is the final installment.
This was a long post an I wanted it that way for a reason. I wanted to make sure I got as much as possible on all sides.
There were many good points in the comments from both sides. I kept my comments short because I had a lot in these posts that was coming.
This was the first post I actually went out and researched for. I needed to ask people in the indusrty their views on some issues.
All said my friend was treated wrongly including the waitress that served him initially.

A gratuity is a gift.
It’s a gift to express that you are pleased with the person you are giving it too.
I was going to say a reward but it’s not. The reward is your wages for the work you did. A gratuity is a gift.
Giving a gift should make you happy and you should be happy if you’re giving something to someone and the receiver should be happy to receive something from a stranger.
It means that all parties concerned had a good time in the same space. Services were bought and the customer and the server are pleased with each other.
Why should it matter how much the tip was if it is not required and is a gift?
You should be happy you got something.

You know what?
I’m with the waiters and waitresses.
Fucken right, they DON’T get paid enough money.
They deserve MORE for what they do.
I think they should get at least $15 an hour and forego the tips.
Let management pay them more an hour and they could raise the price on the items on the menu but we won’t have to give any tips so it should all balance out right.
Let’s call the government and get it started.
This way “B” could make more money and the cleaners, clerks and all the minimum wage people can make more money.
This way everyone is happy and equal.
Right…….. nope wrong.
The service people have their hands in the air screaming for Walker to slow down.
But this is what you want more money. You want equality. Here, you can have it. Lets go out and celebrate and I can buy a beer and you can make more money per hour bringing it to me.
Hold on Walker lets not rush this.
Why?
The owners won’t agree with the higher wages they will scream.
NO they won’t they will be making more money because they could jack up the prices 10% and we the customer will pay and we will save 5-10% on the tip. It’s perfect.

But it isn’t really, is it?
You see even at $20 an hour its $160+0 for tips = $160 per day
But at $7 per hour it’s $56 + $300 in tips = $356 per day.
This is more than a nurse makes.
More than a rookie cop or a fireman/woman makes, and the servers are still complaining that they don’t make enough.
Today I went out to my favorite hangout for lunch and to ask exactly what I said above to "T" the owner. I lined it out just as I gave it to you.
His response was, "yes it is a good idea and I would do it but then I would be looking for servers because they wouldn't work for no $15 an hour and no tips and go someplace and work for $7 and tips.
In fact I would make more money because some customers can't afford to buy another drink because they are giving it towards the tip."
Food for thought.

Some places put the price of the tip on the bill.
They tell you how much to tip.
How many people do you let go into your purse or wallet that you don’t know and let them take what money they want out of it?
This is not tipping, it’s a mugging.
In some countries tipping is an insult.
They get $15 an hour in Australia and there is no tipping. If a tip is left it is shared with everyone, usually at the end of the week. There is no tipping in New Zealand, U.K. and in Jamaica.
I saw on someone's post, a person say that if you are European and are coming to the United States that you should find out our tipping rules before you come. Put that on the brochure and let’s see how big the tourism boom will be.
Tipping has become an industry and greed is its bedfellow.

As for me, I tip. I tip how I feel.
I have given a fifty dollar bill for a beer and said keep the change and I have left a shiny penny on one occasion to a waitress that deserved it. I used my cell phone to call the bartender and ordered a drink because she was chatting with another waitress in the corner and not once because that's how I ordered the next beer too.
And if I ever get the tip added to my bill, it’s coming off and I will debate if I leave anything at all because I decide what to do with my money not YOU!!!!
On the same post from above, someone else said if you refuse to pay the tip that was on the bill, the chances of you getting another reservation at that restaurant will be 0%. Sounds like extortion to me and I got news for you, the chances of me coming back are even slimmer.
I worked as bouncer for alot places and I saved a few servers from grief and exacted punishment for a couple of unsolicited tit grabs. Throw in a couple of all out wars and a gallon of my blood on the floor.
I never got tipped and never expected too. I got paid for my work and it's not alot for what I have to do.
Many waiters and waitresses do work hard for their money, many don’t. Serving food is heavy work if you get hit with a rush and lots of running is involved back and forth with orders.
The servers in the bars have less to do and make as much and the ones in the diners, well I guess it’s a job.
Some where some place a good idea (tipping) which was used to help suppliment a shitty wage has become abusive.
When servers are demanding to be tipped what they think they want to be tipped at the top of their voice for everyone to hear and insulting a paying customer, shows only the greed in the indusrty.
Who the fuck are you to tell me to give you my hard earned tipless money.
You have student loans to pay, well so do I and guess what. Some day soon I will have to help pay for my kid's education.
Or will you help me?
I doubt that, your to fucken busy laying in the Cuban sun getting a tan on our tips.
As far as what the norm is for tipping, well that’s simple.
It’s 0%. You get paid for working and the tip is a bonus.
A gift has no percentage, and is not compusory. It's up to me to decide if I want to give you something in the first place, let alone how much.
It comes down to how generous we are and the respect we have for each other as people.
Here I have a tip for all the service people out there.
Treat us proper and you won't be unhappy and be happy for what you get because some people get nothing.


After a week of calling my friend, the bar finally convinced him to come back and they picked up the tab for him and 5 of his friends. I hear it was a good party.
Guess what?
He left the waitress a $60 tip because she deserved it.

Have a nice day.



Walker

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