Waiters and Waitresses Deserve Good Holiday Tips

[Teren_Kanan]

As for the OP, I've already been getting some "Happy Holidays" bigger tips. Love those people.

As a server you deal with so many disgusting human beings that just the simple extra little kindness shown to you means 10x more than the few dollars more you might be getting from them.

Sometimes that extra tip and a general acknowledgment from another person can completely turn your mood around.

 

[Meat-O-Rama]

Sometimes that extra tip and a general acknowledgment from another person can completely turn your mood around.

This.

I don't expect my larger tip is going to change a servers financial future. But I know that I am not going to miss that extra couple bucks I leave as a tip, while at the same time getting a tip above and beyond can really brighten someones day, if only a little.

 

[RoyTheHammer]

They get paid well already. I speak for experience. Yes, its hard work. Yes, I generally tip well. But only if its warranted, and it being the holidays or holiday season isn't going to prompt me to tip more than usual. Nor should you.

Most waiters/waitresses make 2.83 an hour.. that's considered being "paid well" by you?

 

[ethiostar]

That isn't always true.

How much waitstaff is paid outside of tipping depends upon the establishment, location, and type of patronage they serve (and in some cases what you look like). I've worked at places where I bartended for $2.50/hr, and my take home was very much dependent upon tips. I've known others that have worked at places that pay their staff almost $10/hr, and they would be able to take home a little something even if the tips were poor. I have friends that are in their 30s, still waiting and bartending, and pulling in six figure incomes. I have other friends that are below the poverty line in the same line of work.

How much servers makes depends mostly on where they work. Highly experienced waitstaff at better restaurants, B&Bs, or the like can make excellent money on minimal numbers of patrons, while other have to slew a ton of fried food and brew to equal that take home income....but both can make a living.

Other places can be near impossible for servers to make a living...

^^^^^
Yep, this.

I worked in the business for over a decade in may capacities, e.g., waiter, bartender, and manager.

If my dining experience is poor, most of the time, I'm able to figure out where the problem comes from. It could be an issue with the cooks, waiter, expediter, hostess, manager, or just the fact that it was a very busy day and they were under staffed. In other words, I simply don't blame my waiter for everything.

I am a very generous tipper. Having said that, I have very litter tolerance for poor service due to lazy, impolite, inattentive, and careless waiters.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

This thread always gets hairy.


Adequate service = appropriate % tip

Really good service = a little extra

Outstanding service = I have double down


Sheety service = I have left $1 or nothing and a few times told them so.

 

[Hostile]

Sorry about the hijack Hos.

I'm in full agreement, btw. I don't make much money, but when I choose to have someone else serve me, I make damn sure they're compensated nicely.

What hijack. I was calling it. I am sad it didn't show up.

 

[Reality]

Most waiters/waitresses make 2.83 an hour.. that's considered being "paid well" by you?

How do employers pay them less than minimum wage like that? Most waiters and waitresses I have known make minimum wage and rely heavily on tips to complete their deserved salary. I am just curious how employers can get around the minimum wage requirements. That's a little disturbing quite honestly.

/reality

 

[gambit187]

I really appreciate waiters and waitresses and how hard they work. If you take your family out to eat this holiday season remember to tip well and let them know you do appreciate their often thankless service for a tough job.

I never ever leave a bad tip, I dont care if my service was lousy or not. I will always leave more then the normal because I dont know if that person is having a bad day or not. In my heart of hearts I am allowing currency to flow like it should and making up for the ******* that didnt leave a good tip when their service warrented a good tip.

 

[rocboy22]

How do employers pay them less than minimum wage like that? Most waiters and waitresses I have known make minimum wage and rely heavily on tips to complete their deserved salary. I am just curious how employers can get around the minimum wage requirements. That's a little disturbing quite honestly.

/reality

I think the labor laws vary by state, and some allow lower than minimum wages for servers due to the expectation that tips will make up the difference, and they will still make actual minimum wage or higher.

 

[vta]

What hijack. I was calling it. I am sad it didn't show up.

 

[Diogenes]

How do employers pay them less than minimum wage like that? Most waiters and waitresses I have known make minimum wage and rely heavily on tips to complete their deserved salary. I am just curious how employers can get around the minimum wage requirements. That's a little disturbing quite honestly.

/reality

It's a muddy water issue. Minimum wage requirements depend on the class of the employee. Employers are not required to meet federal mimimum wage requirements for "servers." IIRC, the actual minimum hourly wage they must pay them is a little over 2 bucks an hour.

However, if the hourly wage in addition to tips received does not total the federal minimum wage, the employer is required to make up the difference.

I think.

 

[Khartun]

I think the labor laws vary by state, and some allow lower than minimum wages for servers due to the expectation that tips will make up the difference, and they will still make actual minimum wage or higher.

Yep, in Texas the minimum is I believe $2.13 pre hour for tipped employees. Not very much money. Not tipping a waiter/waitress here can really hurt them.

 

[YosemiteSam]

I was never a waiter or anything like that, but my brother used to do it all the time. I remember for one company, his pay was something like $2.14 an hour + tips, (this was years ago) but the company would set a minimum. (I think it was like $300 or something per week) If his normal pay and tips didn't equal a specific amount, they would compensate until it did.

 

[RoyTheHammer]

Yep, in Texas the minimum is I believe $2.13 pre hour for tipped employees. Not very much money. Not tipping a waiter/waitress here can really hurt them.

This is the answer for reality right here.. tipped employees dont' have to be given normal minimum wage, and in most states, from my experience.. waiters/bartenders/etc.. are given around 2.50 an hour.

Now, if you talk fine dining, that's completely different.

 

[ethiostar]

Generally speaking, bartenders are paid more per hour compared to waiters.

 

[Denim Chicken]

It's a muddy water issue. Minimum wage requirements depend on the class of the employee. Employers are not required to meet federal mimimum wage requirements for "servers." IIRC, the actual minimum hourly wage they must pay them is a little over 2 bucks an hour.

However, if the hourly wage in addition to tips received does not total the federal minimum wage, the employer is required to make up the difference.

I think.

This is correct. Per pay period, if wage + declared tips do not reach min wage, the employer must compensate to match.

 

[Faerluna]

This is the answer for reality right here.. tipped employees dont' have to be given normal minimum wage, and in most states, from my experience.. waiters/bartenders/etc.. are given around 2.50 an hour.

Now, if you talk fine dining, that's completely different.

When I was living in NY, I worked for awhile as a server, then as a bartender at a TGI Fridays. I remember most of the time we never got paychecks because the taxes on the tips that we had to declare (I want to say 20% of your check total for the night?) were greater than our income. Most of the time we owed a bit of money at the end of the year as well.

After that, I worked in fine dining, where most tips were on credit cards and had to be declared completely. You definitely never got checks there and always owed taxes at the end of the year.

In short, salary doesn't mean jack to a server for the most part. Just a way to offset some of the taxes you'll eventually pay.

 

[Phrozen Phil]

When I saw this thread, I looked around for Springs1, knowing that her obsession with this topic could unleash a Holocaust on us all. I'm a big beleiver in rewarding good sevice and encouraging wait staff. I want my dinner out to be good experience for me, the people I'm with and the people looking after me.
I find that people who are obnoxious, demanding and insulting generally get the service they deserve. If I have a problem with my waiter/waitress, I look them square in the eye and talk quietly and very directly to them. This has not failed me yet.

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

I really appreciate waiters and waitresses and how hard they work. If you take your family out to eat this holiday season remember to tip well and let them know you do appreciate their often thankless service for a tough job.

I agree. Service people are so under-appreciated. I watched a woman the other day while she was out to eat and she didn't say, "can I please have some napkins?" Instead she said, "napkins." The waiter got some napkins for her. Then later she said to the waiter I'm sorry for being a blank. The waiter shrugged it off. Then she was offended and went on about how much of a blank she could be or wasn't being. Total idiot though. I was embarrassed for her, especially after I saw her leave a measly $2 tip.

I despise these kinds of people. I don't care if you order an $8 cheeseburger. If you can't tip 5 bucks, don't go out to eat.

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

How do employers pay them less than minimum wage like that? Most waiters and waitresses I have known make minimum wage and rely heavily on tips to complete their deserved salary. I am just curious how employers can get around the minimum wage requirements. That's a little disturbing quite honestly.

/reality

It's 2.13 in Texas.. not sure where you are from, but if someone is making minimum wage plus tips, I want to sign up where they're working. Some bartenders makes minimum wage plus tips, but not servers.