Comments on: A Quick Guide to Tipping http://www.lifespy.com/2007/a-quick-guide-to-tipping/ analyzing lifestyles Mon, 24 Oct 2011 12:40:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: LonelyTrail http://www.lifespy.com/2007/a-quick-guide-to-tipping/comment-page-1/#comment-487199 LonelyTrail Thu, 13 Jan 2011 19:16:27 +0000 http://www.lifespy.com/2007/a-quick-guide-to-tipping/#comment-487199 I agree that restaurants should be able to pay their employees real wages, but they don't. When I waited tables we made $2.13/hr, FAR less than a McDonald's employee. It's our standard. Tip your server! Now if they screwed up or were rude, they simply deserve your "peer review" of there services, ie: stiff 'em. gbowen99. I'd love to know where you researched (read: made up) your numbers. Restaurants pay substantially higher taxes, esp. on booze. Your numbers aren't reality, but I will agree there is sufficient markup to pay employees real wages. I've known several restaurant owners pulling down REALLY good salaries while paying there people squat. Standard corporate fare here, I'd say. I agree that restaurants should be able to pay their employees real wages, but they don’t. When I waited tables we made $2.13/hr, FAR less than a McDonald’s employee. It’s our standard. Tip your server! Now if they screwed up or were rude, they simply deserve your “peer review” of there services, ie: stiff ‘em.

gbowen99. I’d love to know where you researched (read: made up) your numbers. Restaurants pay substantially higher taxes, esp. on booze. Your numbers aren’t reality, but I will agree there is sufficient markup to pay employees real wages. I’ve known several restaurant owners pulling down REALLY good salaries while paying there people squat. Standard corporate fare here, I’d say.

]]> By: Helsinki http://www.lifespy.com/2007/a-quick-guide-to-tipping/comment-page-1/#comment-124170 Helsinki Tue, 19 Feb 2008 02:22:34 +0000 http://www.lifespy.com/2007/a-quick-guide-to-tipping/#comment-124170 You need to remember how expensive real estate is for restaurants (especially nice locations), utilities (easily over $700 / month), wages for workers, etc. The average restaurant profit margin is only 4%. Keep that in mind when leaving your tips. Be generous or go eat fast food. You need to remember how expensive real estate is for restaurants (especially nice locations), utilities (easily over $700 / month), wages for workers, etc. The average restaurant profit margin is only 4%. Keep that in mind when leaving your tips. Be generous or go eat fast food.

]]> By: Three Traveling Tips for Today http://www.lifespy.com/2007/a-quick-guide-to-tipping/comment-page-1/#comment-50077 Three Traveling Tips for Today Tue, 31 Jul 2007 12:23:52 +0000 http://www.lifespy.com/2007/a-quick-guide-to-tipping/#comment-50077 [...] Tipping. It’s understood that you give tips to the hotel staff where you’re staying. But try giving the tip the moment you start your stay, instead of handing it at the end. This way, the hotel staff will be of more assistance. Here’s an old post on tipping. [...] [...] Tipping. It’s understood that you give tips to the hotel staff where you’re staying. But try giving the tip the moment you start your stay, instead of handing it at the end. This way, the hotel staff will be of more assistance. Here’s an old post on tipping. [...]

]]> By: How to Save while Eating Out http://www.lifespy.com/2007/a-quick-guide-to-tipping/comment-page-1/#comment-44589 How to Save while Eating Out Thu, 12 Jul 2007 00:08:18 +0000 http://www.lifespy.com/2007/a-quick-guide-to-tipping/#comment-44589 [...] skimp out on the tipping though. If the waiter deserves the tip, tip him. Chances are, if you saved a lot during the meal, [...] [...] skimp out on the tipping though. If the waiter deserves the tip, tip him. Chances are, if you saved a lot during the meal, [...]

]]> By: gbowen99 http://www.lifespy.com/2007/a-quick-guide-to-tipping/comment-page-1/#comment-39949 gbowen99 Wed, 27 Jun 2007 14:44:32 +0000 http://www.lifespy.com/2007/a-quick-guide-to-tipping/#comment-39949 I have a real problem with wait staff depending on consumers' tips for their entire income. Tipping started out showing how grateful you were for excellent service. Now tipping has become the entire income of the person serving you. A tip is supposed to go on top of a fair hourly wage much like a bonus. Restaurant managers have been putting off waiter's incomes onto the consumer for a reason. To widen their profit margins by not paying hourly wages to it's staff. How did they start getting away with this I will never know. Managers most likely saw how much money waiters were making with tips so they decided they could save a buck by not paying an hourly fair wage. Look at the markup of food in a restaurant to see how much money the restaurant is really making and how they CAN afford to pay a fair hourly wage for a waiters' hard work. Filet Minong Steak at grocery store: $6 Filet Minong Steak bought at wholesale price by restaurant: $4.50 Price on menu: $25 Looks like $20.50 wide margin of markup to me. So out of this $20.50 margin of markup the restaurant can't pay 15% to its' hard working employees? I think they can. Look at another comparison this time with beer. 6 pack of beer at grocery store: $7 6 pack of beer bought at wholesale price by restaurant: $5 Price on menu per beer: $3 Wow! Look at that markup! That is a $13 dollar profit margin the restaurant is making per 6 pack of beer. Again I ask why can't restaurants afford to pay 15% of the sale to their hardworking employees. The truth of the matter is they can afford to but choose not to. You can argue that waiters' work hard and that is all the money they make is in the tips. I also work very hard for my money too and feel like I already am paying a lot of markup for food, location, and service. On top of that I am supposed to give another 15% for service I am already paying for? I am sorry but paying your employees is just part of owning a business. When you get food to go from a restaurant do you tip? If you don't then why not? They have checked the food to make sure it is correct and served the food to you warm and delicious. Nothing out of the ordinary from a waiter. The only difference between to go service and in restaurant waiter service is the free bread and drink refills. Is that really worth 15% on top of over priced food? I believe waiters should be paid a fair hourly wage or perhaps 15% out every sale by the restaurant for all their hard work. Tell them that you are really worth a fair pay! I have a real problem with wait staff depending on consumers’ tips for their entire income. Tipping started out showing how grateful you were for excellent service. Now tipping has become the entire income of the person serving you. A tip is supposed to go on top of a fair hourly wage much like a bonus. Restaurant managers have been putting off waiter’s incomes onto the consumer for a reason. To widen their profit margins by not paying hourly wages to it’s staff. How did they start getting away with this I will never know. Managers most likely saw how much money waiters were making with tips so they decided they could save a buck by not paying an hourly fair wage. Look at the markup of food in a restaurant to see how much money the restaurant is really making and how they CAN afford to pay a fair hourly wage for a waiters’ hard work.

Filet Minong Steak at grocery store: $6
Filet Minong Steak bought at wholesale price by restaurant: $4.50
Price on menu: $25

Looks like $20.50 wide margin of markup to me. So out of this $20.50 margin of markup the restaurant can’t pay 15% to its’ hard working employees? I think they can. Look at another comparison this time with beer.

6 pack of beer at grocery store: $7
6 pack of beer bought at wholesale price by restaurant: $5
Price on menu per beer: $3

Wow! Look at that markup! That is a $13 dollar profit margin the restaurant is making per 6 pack of beer. Again I ask why can’t restaurants afford to pay 15% of the sale to their hardworking employees. The truth of the matter is they can afford to but choose not to.

You can argue that waiters’ work hard and that is all the money they make is in the tips. I also work very hard for my money too and feel like I already am paying a lot of markup for food, location, and service. On top of that I am supposed to give another 15% for service I am already paying for? I am sorry but paying your employees is just part of owning a business.

When you get food to go from a restaurant do you tip? If you don’t then why not? They have checked the food to make sure it is correct and served the food to you warm and delicious. Nothing out of the ordinary from a waiter. The only difference between to go service and in restaurant waiter service is the free bread and drink refills. Is that really worth 15% on top of over priced food?

I believe waiters should be paid a fair hourly wage or perhaps 15% out every sale by the restaurant for all their hard work. Tell them that you are really worth a fair pay!

]]> By:   How to Complain of Bad Food or Service in a Restaurant http://www.lifespy.com/2007/a-quick-guide-to-tipping/comment-page-1/#comment-34708   How to Complain of Bad Food or Service in a Restaurant Sun, 03 Jun 2007 14:16:31 +0000 http://www.lifespy.com/2007/a-quick-guide-to-tipping/#comment-34708 [...] for tipping, if you really had a lousy service, then you might not want to tip at all. But don’t make [...] [...] for tipping, if you really had a lousy service, then you might not want to tip at all. But don’t make [...]

]]> By: Alex http://www.lifespy.com/2007/a-quick-guide-to-tipping/comment-page-1/#comment-4878 Alex Tue, 16 Jan 2007 09:10:10 +0000 http://www.lifespy.com/2007/a-quick-guide-to-tipping/#comment-4878 There's this notion of irked waiters and waitresses spitting into rude customers' food. Not tipping can be seen as rudeness on the part of the customer. Well, this will most likely happen if you happen to go back to a restaurant with a vengeful waiter/waitress whom you didn't get to tip the last time. :D There’s this notion of irked waiters and waitresses spitting into rude customers’ food. Not tipping can be seen as rudeness on the part of the customer. Well, this will most likely happen if you happen to go back to a restaurant with a vengeful waiter/waitress whom you didn’t get to tip the last time. :D

]]> By: Nema http://www.lifespy.com/2007/a-quick-guide-to-tipping/comment-page-1/#comment-4877 Nema Tue, 16 Jan 2007 09:00:24 +0000 http://www.lifespy.com/2007/a-quick-guide-to-tipping/#comment-4877 Why would I have to worry over spit in my soup when I pay (and tip) after I have finished eating my meal? Why would I have to worry over spit in my soup when I pay (and tip) after I have finished eating my meal?

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