What, No Tip? Service Charge Faces Struggle at Restaurants

[Onkel Neal]

Is the right to stiff the waiter as American as apple pie?

Thomas Keller, chef at the extravagantly priced Per Se restaurant in the Time Warner Center in Manhattan, does not think so. Indeed, he is taking tipping off the table at Per Se starting next month and replacing it with a flat service fee of 20 percent.

But in doing so, he is trying an approach that chefs and restaurant managers say has never caught on in this country for a simple reason: American diners relish the power of the tip to reward or punish their servers, and the servers want them to have it.

I've never been a big opponent to tipping, but it's getting out of hand. I'm tipping the car wash guy, the pizza delivery boy, even the Sonic girl these days.

How much do you tip? How is it tied into the level of service you get?

[SteamWake]

Thomas Keller, chef at the extravagantly priced Per Se restaurant

Need we say more?

Eliteisim personified.

[Skybird]

I have always rejected "rules" for tipping, or seing them as a mandatory and/or polite thing. When the service was just okay, I give a small or medium tip, depending on the mood I'm in. If the service really got my positive attention, I give a generous tip.

And if I was unsatisfied or pissed, I give none. and I don't care a bit whether or not that is according to local traditions or economic structures in which expected tips have been substracted from regular loans - which is especially sick a system, imo.

A restaurant that takes no tips but raises prices by a hefty 20% in general, would see me moving in huge circles around it (not that I went to restaurants often. Longer time ago I have worked in a kitchen myself for some weeks when I was at university. Since then I have no more appetite to eat in restaurants. If you want quality meals - prepare them yourself, don't trust on restaurants and foreign people preparing the meal hidden from your eyes).

[Dowly]

Ow boy, I wouldnt even go to a restaurant with that name.

[Fincuan]

Originally Posted by Dowly

Ow boy, I wouldnt even go to a restaurant with that name.

Lmao

Apparently they haven't consulted any Finns before deciding on the name...

[RickC Sniper]

My base is 15%. I give more if the service is great, less if I feel they didn't earn it by being prompt or attentive enough.

I hate the concept of tips, period but I have a son who works weekends at a hotel\restaurant and he works damn hard for what he gets.

[mookiemookie]

Originally Posted by RickC Sniper

I hate the concept of tips, period but I have a son who works weekends at a hotel\restaurant and he works damn hard for what he gets.

Agreed. I'd gladly welcome the whole system being scrapped and the tip being added into the menu price and have the wait staff paid a living wage instead of their $4900 a year "salary".

[Thomen]

Originally Posted by Skybird

I have always rejected "rules" for tipping, or seing them as a mandatory and/or polite thing. When the service was just okay, I give a small or medium tip, depending on the mood I'm in. If the service really got my positive attention, I give a generous tip.

And if I was unsatisfied or pissed, I give none. and I don't care a bit whether or not that is according to local traditions or economic structures in which expected tips have been substracted from regular loans - which is especially sick a system, imo.

A restaurant that takes no tips but raises prices by a hefty 20% in general, would see me moving in huge circles around it (not that I went to restaurants often. Longer time ago I have worked in a kitchen myself for some weeks when I was at university. Since then I have no more appetite to eat in restaurants. If you want quality meals - prepare them yourself, don't trust on restaurants and foreign people preparing the meal hidden from your eyes).

Well.. don't forget: In Germany, this 'service fee' is allready included in the price on the menu. However, I do still tip if it is appropriate and according to the service.

[Onkel Neal]

Originally Posted by Thomen

Well.. don't forget: In Germany, this 'service fee' is allready included in the price on the menu. However, I do still tip if it is appropriate and according to the service.

Good point. Are the prices in your area already adjusted for wait service?

Here, you must realize that the way it is set up, the restaurant only pays the server $2.35 an hour. (I do not endorse this scheme at all) If you do not tip at all, he is working at slave wages. How about all you "help the people" types, can you stiff the server just because he doesn't refill your tea as quickly as you wish?

[Thomen]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

Good point. Are the prices in your area already adjusted for wait service?

Here, you must realize that the way it is set up, the restaurant only pays the server $2.35 an hour. (I do not endorse this scheme at all) If you do not tip at all, he is working at slave wages. How about all you "help the people" types, can you stiff the server just because he doesn't refill your tea as quickly as you wish?

If the server is bad, you don't tip. Many servers, though, still seem to think that tipping is mandatory.. hehe

Servers do not make that much in Germany either, mind you. Depending on the Restaurant, most of your income is based on sales commission.

Also, if I remember correctly, here in the US if you put the tip on the bill, with lets say your credit card, it will get taxed.

[mookiemookie]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

Here, you must realize that the way it is set up, the restaurant only pays the server $2.35 an hour. (I do not endorse this scheme at all) If you do not tip at all, he is working at slave wages. How about all you "help the people" types, can you stiff the server just because he doesn't refill your tea as quickly as you wish?

You can, but you will end up costing the server money. The IRS assumes that waiters are tipped 10% on every table and are taxed accordingly.

I tip 20% if the service was pleasant. If there were some hiccups, I'll tip 10-15%. I remember tipping a waitress a nickel before, but that was completely disastrous service.

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

Good point. Are the prices in your area already adjusted for wait service?

Here, you must realize that the way it is set up, the restaurant only pays the server $2.35 an hour. (I do not endorse this scheme at all) If you do not tip at all, he is working at slave wages. How about all you "help the people" types, can you stiff the server just because he doesn't refill your tea as quickly as you wish?

Yeah but that is two fold Neal. How much of the tip is declared on the tax each April?

[mookiemookie]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

Yeah but that is two fold Neal. How much of the tip is declared on the tax each April?

By law, servers are supposed to report all of their tips on taxes. Since many do not, the IRS set up the ATIP program in 2006 which, amongst other things, says that servers are to claim that they were tipped 10% of their sales each day. Now, a businesses participation in the ATIP system is voluntary, but in actuality most participate since non-participation increases their chances of being audited.

So if a waiter or waitress brings home less than 10% of their sales in a day in tips, they actually lose out since they're paying taxes based on the assumption they did. Essentially being taxed on money they never made.

[danlisa]

Different approach in the UK, especially in Restaurants etc.

The commission is actually built into your bill. What would you prefer in this instance?

The option to tip based on your service, giving more if you feel it deserves it or just to have a fixed percentage deducted from your wallet by default.

Other than that, exclusively looking at the catering trade, I understand that US waiter/waitresses survive on tips, while in comparison the UK equivalents earn enough to not worry about it.

I don't agree with tipping because of public perception or the position of the person expecting a tip.

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by danlisa

Different approach in the UK, especially in Restaurants etc.

The commission is actually built into your bill. What would you prefer in this instance?

The option to tip based on your service, giving more if you feel it deserves it or just to have a fixed percentage deducted from your wallet by default.

Other than that, exclusively looking at the catering trade, I understand that US waiter/waitresses survive on tips, while in comparison the UK equivalents earn enough to not worry about it.

I don't agree with tipping because of public perception or the position of the person expecting a tip.

Problem in having the tip built into the bill is the server can do whatever they want and still get paid. That is awful. Like anyone else, they need to work for their money. Sluffing around and dragging butt is not the type of waiter I need.