You know what really grinds my gears?: The moaning thread.

[Losty]

Tipping is what keeps waiters earning minimum wages! Dumbasses!
If people are willing to tip you for 10% of the bill, then why not... here's a crazy idea... increase the prices by 10%, and pay the waiters 10% more?
If no one tips, wages go up, or waiters can't afford their bills and quit to find some job that pays better.

Anyway, that's why I never tip. I work to improve everyone, not just the one guy who happens to be serving me.

Sounds like a stupid excuse to be a cheap jerk to me. You're not working to improve anything at all. If you want servers to earn minimum wage, advocate for that. Write letters or start a petition. Refusing to tip servers who make $2-3 an hour just makes you rude. I love you anyways, but I hope you know if you're a repeat customer at any restaurants your servers are most likely spitting in your food if not worse.

[DramaQueen]

That's evil (spitting in a dish)

[Losty]

That's evil (spitting in a dish)

Yes it is and disgusting. I never did it. I hardly ever worked as a server and when I did it was usually just for a few hours until a late server showed up. I didn't care if I got tips and I was only nice to customers who were nice to me. Do I think it's wrong to spit in someone's food? Yes, I do. Do I feel bad for the person who sits for hours taking up time a server could be serving people who don't suck, being completely obnoxious, and allowing their children to make a huge mess then not tipping? Nope. They kind of deserved that.


On a side note...I seriously loved that job. It was a really weird job. When I wasn't serving I made $8 an hour. Occasionally I would cashier or hostess, but mostly I sat at the bar talking with the manager and the owner, waiting for someone to need me for something. Some of my duties:
Answer the phone (I was one of like 3 employees who spoke more English than "hi, what you like to eat?"
Send and receive fax (I was the only person who knew how to use the fax machine. In fact, I bought that fax machine and the computer with the owners credit card)
Deal with the Wednesday DJ, police, annoying customers or anyone else they didn't want to deal with)
Deliver food to the owners friends (who always tipped me but were also super creepy)
Pick up employees who couldn't get a ride (they always gave me gas money even though it wasn't my car and some of then were also super creepy)
(Did I mention I was only 15? And had no drivers license?)
Run to the nearby grocery and pick up whatever we ran out of.
And other weird stuff.
That was the best job ever when I was 15. I don't think I would like it as much now.

[vorlon13]

That's evil (spitting in a dish)

But a big wet sloppy kiss isn't evil.

Funny world, ain't it ?!?!?!


(that grinds my gears)

[DramaQueen]

In Libya, you can get in jail for kissing (I don't about holding hands though)

[pocaracas]

If they do soooo much more, then why do they get paid the same?
Doesn't seem fair, does it?

That's because it isn't fair. I'm going to go ahead and guess that you haven't ever worked as a waiter have you?

Nor as a cashier...

---

If people are willing to tip you for 10% of the bill, then why not... here's a crazy idea... increase the prices by 10%, and pay the waiters 10% more?

Inertia. The restaurant that raises prices by 10% to pay better wages will go out of business unless its competitors follow its example (and they probably won't be inclined to follow its example). It's a cultural thing here, which is the same reason we are not expected to tip a cashier.

It's also unlikely to change because waiting tables isn't a career; for most people it's a way to make some money until something better comes along. I don't think there's a particularly strong lobby to push for changes because of that.

Inertia indeed.
As long as everyone (or most) do it, there's no pressure.
Cultural thing, I agree... like religion... not so easy to take it out of people's heads... tip these workers who can spit in your food... don't tip these who can pass expensive items through the scanner twice without you noticing it, or be way cool and pass a few around the scanner... Also, don't tip dentists, nor doctors... those get actual gifts!... and, sometimes, get brushed off as non-important, "praise-jeebus for curing me!"

The tipping system is stupid and its perpetuation depends on the society.
You guys are perpetuating it.

---

Tipping is what keeps waiters earning minimum wages! Dumbasses!
If people are willing to tip you for 10% of the bill, then why not... here's a crazy idea... increase the prices by 10%, and pay the waiters 10% more?
If no one tips, wages go up, or waiters can't afford their bills and quit to find some job that pays better.

Anyway, that's why I never tip. I work to improve everyone, not just the one guy who happens to be serving me.

Sounds like a stupid excuse to be a cheap jerk to me. You're not working to improve anything at all. If you want servers to earn minimum wage, advocate for that. Write letters or start a petition. Refusing to tip servers who make $2-3 an hour just makes you rude. I love you anyways, but I hope you know if you're a repeat customer at any restaurants your servers are most likely spitting in your food if not worse.

So, I'm just wasting my time writing this here? huh?
If I can't get traction on a few educated people, how am I going to have the willpower to go to a broader audience with a letter or petition?

And I'm not in the habit of wasting money repeatedly on restaurants. Eating at home is one of the easiest ways to save and eat healthy.

Also, if they do spit in my meal, they deserve to not get anything extra... actually, they deserve being fired.

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Oh yeah... the perpetuation of the tipping system grinds my gears... that's why I replied!

[Tonus]

The tipping system is stupid and its perpetuation depends on the society.
You guys are perpetuating it.

I agree. But as I said, there is little incentive for it to be changed. I won't shortchange waiters in the hopes that a movement will spring up and lead to positive changes, and I'm simply not invested in it enough to care to start one. And I don't have it in me to be a dick to a waiter/waitress over such a flimsy principle.

[pocaracas]

The tipping system is stupid and its perpetuation depends on the society.
You guys are perpetuating it.

I agree. But as I said, there is little incentive for it to be changed. I won't shortchange waiters in the hopes that a movement will spring up and lead to positive changes, and I'm simply not invested in it enough to care to start one. And I don't have it in me to be a dick to a waiter/waitress over such a flimsy principle.

I see.... but it's not being a dick.
It is, actually.... but it's a society imposed dickish behavior.
It is viewed as "being a dick" by society at large, however the same is not applied to other jobs , regardless of wages, where no one tips... no one expects you to tip people for those other jobs.
What makes waiters so special?

That said, I think you should tip, or hand out a bonus, if things actually exceed your expectations.
If the doctor was exceptionally nice and caring and explained patiently everything to you, if the supermarket cashier helped you put the groceries in the bags while you were attending your crying baby, if the waiter that understands your special tastes and advises you to eat something particularly good, if the guy that takes care of your pool goes above and beyond to keep your wife entertained.... that sort of situations.
Not give it out as a rule and be thought rude when you don't. If that's the case, then it should be included in the price... and that should be reflected in the wages.

I need to start the atipist movement.... perhaps start with an online forum for atipists...

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But as I said, there is little incentive for it to be changed.

What would it take to change that?
Don't teach your kids to tip.
Don't teach your kids to expect tips.

Now, does that remind you of something...?

[Losty]

It is being a dick

[pocaracas]

It is being a dick

From my point of view, to expect a tip is being a dick.
See how malleable a dick is?