NastyWoman
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Post by NastyWoman on Dec 6, 2017 23:07:45 GMT -5
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Dec 6, 2017 23:11:16 GMT -5
NW-your link is not working at the moment. Is this about Trump admin reinstating the tip sharing in restaurants? If yes,: The Trump administration wants restaurant workers to share tips. Opponents fear their bosses will snatch them.
Restaurants could soon require waiters, bartenders and delivery drivers to split tips with their co-workers or even managers if a proposed rule from the Department of Labor takes effect. The move would reverse a rule enacted during President Barack Obama's administration, which declared tips the property of the workers who collected them. “The proposal would help decrease wage disparities between tipped and non-tipped workers,” the Labor Department said in a statement Monday. The rule would apply only to firms that pay tipped employees at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour and allow compensation sharing through a “tip pool” with workers who usually don’t encounter the extra cash, such as cooks and dishwashers. Complete article here: The Trump administration wants restaurant workers to share tips. Opponents fear their bosses will snatch them.
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milee
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Post by milee on Dec 7, 2017 6:40:19 GMT -5
This is a sore subject with me. Part of how I supported myself and then put myself through college was waitressing. And - make sure you're sitting down so you're not so shocked you fall over - the restaurant industry was yet another industry where women were at the bottom of the totem pole and had to guard not just their butt from being grabbed but their money from being grabbed, too. It always seemed wrong to have to "tip out" (give a certain portion of tips to bus boys, bartenders and sometimes other staff, depending on that restaurant's rules) when all those people were making many times more than the $2 an hour I made. It was also sucky how most places made waitresses arrive early to do set up work and stay late to do "side work" and closing work... an extra couple of hours' work done before and after serving, so there was no possibility of tips and you were still being paid only $2 an hour.
The most infuriating one ever, though, was one of the few expensive restaurants in town (small town in North Carolina) had owners who were outright predatory with the waitresses. The owners would take a cut of 15% of all tips and that was in addition to the amounts that waitresses had to tip out to other staff. When one of us asked about the owners' 15%, the owner laughed and said it was his "cut" and since he owned the place, he could do whatever he wanted.
And he was mostly right. There weren't many good options. So we just shut up, dealt with it. Same old story...
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Dec 7, 2017 6:50:52 GMT -5
When I tip, I am tipping the Server. I am a very generous tipper. The owner makes his/her money on the meal, drinks, desserts, etc. If the wait staff makes more than the dishwashers, so what? That's life. This isn't money meant for the owner but for the individual server. I don't believe the wait staff should have to share those tips with anyone. So, if they are going to pool tips like this and owners are going to take a cut, then I won't be inclined to tip so well as I don't view that as the point. So, I understand the point is really to deregulate tipping and I would be find with letting individual states decide their own courses of action but in reality, most people understand tipping to be tipping the actual point of contact person. Just my opinion.
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Dec 7, 2017 6:56:55 GMT -5
I think businesses should then be obligated to tell the public if tips are pooled or not. Having to share your tips sounds like redistribution of wealth, so I don't like that. Yeah, the front of house will make more than the back of the house. Boo freaking hoo.
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NoNamePerson
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Post by NoNamePerson on Dec 7, 2017 7:10:46 GMT -5
This is a sore subject with me. Part of how I supported myself and then put myself through college was waitressing. And - make sure you're sitting down so you're not so shocked you fall over - the restaurant industry was yet another industry where women were at the bottom of the totem pole and had to guard not just their butt from being grabbed but their money from being grabbed, too. It always seemed wrong to have to "tip out" (give a certain portion of tips to bus boys, bartenders and sometimes other staff, depending on that restaurant's rules) when all those people were making many times more than the $2 an hour I made. It was also sucky how most places made waitresses arrive early to do set up work and stay late to do "side work" and closing work... an extra couple of hours' work done before and after serving, so there was no possibility of tips and you were still being paid only $2 an hour. The most infuriating one ever, though, was one of the few expensive restaurants in town (small town in North Carolina) had owners who were outright predatory with the waitresses. The owners would take a cut of 15% of all tips and that was in addition to the amounts that waitresses had to tip out to other staff. When one of us asked about the owners' 15%, the owner laughed and said it was his "cut" and since he owned the place, he could do whatever he wanted.
And he was mostly right. There weren't many good options. So we just shut up, dealt with it. Same old story... Wasn't there a law suit years back against one of the famous TV chefs doing basically the same thing? I can't recall who at this moment and to lazy to go google but it blew my mind that he would pull crap like this on his employees but greed knows no boundaries!!
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Dec 7, 2017 7:11:46 GMT -5
I’m not a fan of owners taking employee tips. Or even of pooled tips. You always get a server who sucks and no one wants to share their tips with them bcuz they get lousy ones. Deserved. I found out clubs make their servers pool tips and take a cut as well. Tips are automatically added so if you want your server to get something for themselves you need to give them some cash on the side.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Dec 7, 2017 7:12:41 GMT -5
Didn’t Starbucks catch some crap over this?
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Lizard Queen
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Post by Lizard Queen on Dec 7, 2017 7:55:36 GMT -5
I don't know. If your utensils aren't clean, are you going to tip as much? What if your food sucks? The back people do have some effect on your dining pleasure, but get paid a lot less overall. The stupid discrepancy between server wages confuses the issue, though, but servers usually end up making much more than the cooks, which is crazy of you think about it. Employers who take tips are just greedy bastards.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Dec 7, 2017 8:02:05 GMT -5
The dishwashers and all are supposed to get the legal minimum wage, just like the hostesses.
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NoNamePerson
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Post by NoNamePerson on Dec 7, 2017 8:17:16 GMT -5
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trippypea
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Post by trippypea on Dec 7, 2017 8:32:28 GMT -5
Where's the proposal to help decrease wage disparities between CEOs and all of their workers? Are they willing to share their profits with every else to make things more even? I thought Republicans were against distribution of wealth. Why is it ok for the underpaid waitress to have to share her tips, but the billionaire CEO gets to keep his?
Get rid of the tip system altogether and pay a fair wage. If you have to raise your prices, so be it. People will either come to your restaurant or not.
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Dec 7, 2017 8:35:41 GMT -5
If this goes in to law, I will tip my favorite server on the sly in cash and tell her it is a gift from me to her. I have asked and tips are not pooled where she works because the kitchen help, hostess, etc. are paid a higher hourly rate.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Dec 7, 2017 9:40:40 GMT -5
It would make way more sense to do away with tipping all together and go to the European system.
I know I know "oh but service would be so terrible if we did that because there is no incentive to do a good job!". Having worked as a server for 10+ years I am going to tell you there is no incentive to do a good job as it is because most people are like my husband who won't go so far as to leave no tip because they "feel bad". Servers don't have only one table in a night. Even if every table only leaves you a couple dollars you still end up having a pretty decent night.
Redistributing tips provides even less incentive to do a good job because you know no matter how shitty you do you will still get a cut. Where I worked the bartender got 2% from every server. PLUS she would be tipped by customers who sat at the bar. She'd ignore the servers waiting for drinks to pay attention to her own customers. Didn't matter if we ended up with a crappy tip because of it, she still got 2% of whatever we ended up with.
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Value Buy
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Post by Value Buy on Dec 7, 2017 9:47:25 GMT -5
I have always wondered when you are in a rather expensive restaurant or bar drinking $8 and $12 drinks at a table, does the server share with the bartender or is it all given to the server? Does anyone base the tip before or after the sales tax total? It has been years sine we have set at the actual bar, where you know the bartender gets the tip.
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andi9899
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Post by andi9899 on Dec 7, 2017 9:47:58 GMT -5
Anyone else find it ironic that DT happens to own businesses where servers are tipped.
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Dec 7, 2017 9:54:38 GMT -5
Anyone else find it ironic that DT happens to own businesses where servers are tipped. Trickle up economy.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Dec 7, 2017 9:55:19 GMT -5
I have always wondered when you are in a rather expensive restaurant or bar drinking $8 and $12 drinks at a table, does the server share with the bartender or is it all given to the server? Does anyone base the tip before or after the sales tax total? It has been years sine we have set at the actual bar, where you know the bartender gets the tip. Depends, it's up to the individual establishment. I was assured that having to give the bartender "only" 2% of my tips was a bargain compared to other places in the area. That was even if you didn't have a single table order alcohol during your shift.
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movingforward
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Post by movingforward on Dec 7, 2017 10:05:01 GMT -5
I agree with Drama, I wish we would go to the European style where tipping is not necessary. Is the food a little more expensive, yes, but with no tipping it all evens out. I have been to Ireland and Italy. The service did not seem to be effected by no tipping (of course, they are also used to it). In Italy you just had to make sure you asked for the check when you needed it because otherwise they just assume you want to sit there for 3 hours sipping wine . On a side note, I am getting extremely annoyed by certain places in my area where you order from the counter asking if you would like to leave a tip when paying via credit card. There is one place in particular that pays the people who work there $11 an hour. No, I am not leaving you a freaking tip. I watched you put my burrito together. You didn't bring my food to the table or get me more drinks, etc., plus you are making what is considered a decent wage in the food service industry.
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Miss Tequila
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Post by Miss Tequila on Dec 7, 2017 10:59:46 GMT -5
I hate tipping and I have no idea why bartenders or waiters are paid that way. Pay them a fair wage and include it in the price of the food. And no, service will not suck if there were no tips involved. I've never worked a job where I depended on tips but my co-workers and I were always expected to do our jobs or we got fired.
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alabamagal
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Post by alabamagal on Dec 7, 2017 11:21:21 GMT -5
You may think you are tipping the wait staff, but you never know. If you tipin cash, the wait staff may be able to pocket it, but may get fired if they get caught.
DS worked in a nice Japanese steakhouse where they cook at the table. The owner was terrible to waitstaff, who really only took orders and served drinks. Chef got 15%. If customer tipped less wait staff had to make it up. They would only get amount over 15%. They also had to be on early and do setup work. Rarely made over min wage.
Starbucks pools tips and distributed weekly to all hourly based on how many hours you work. They did get in trouble a while back because they were also distributing to shift managers and had to stop that. I don't know how this would be impacted if you stopped pooling. Why should the person who takes your order get tipped and not the one who makes your coffee.
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engineerdoe
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Post by engineerdoe on Dec 7, 2017 12:11:14 GMT -5
My favorite Thai restaurant clearly lets you know that the kitchen staff gets a 2% service charge. It is written in the menu so people can't say they didn't know and with how delicious the food is they definitely deserve it and is why I keep going back. I've not had to send any food back so I really don't know what they would do in the situation if you didn't like the food and didn't want to pay the service charge. I still tip the waitress/waiter as it is their job to make sure I get what I ordered and keep an eye on if I need more to drink and if I am enjoying my food. I'm one of those weird people who also tips when I get take out as well.
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Dec 7, 2017 12:57:03 GMT -5
I would be glad if we could find some other way to tip or to eliminate this altogether. A tip is like incentive pay for a server. However, if they have to pool and share them, then what is the incentive if you have to share it? I do agree, there are a lot of things that go into great service and a great meal. Yes, you want the facility to clean, the utensils to be sparkling, the food to be great and on and on. But, in reality we assign monetary values to all of those things. If you go to a hospital and it isn't clean, you may die of an infection. There is no question as to the importance of the housekeeping and janitorial staff. However, they are not going to be paid at the same level as others. That is just the reality.
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alabamagal
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Post by alabamagal on Dec 7, 2017 15:28:25 GMT -5
The reason for sharing tips is that your experience is rarely impacted by just one person. Host/hostesses are important. A lot of places use food runners.
I am not a fan of the tipping culture either but it is here to stay. I have heated of places trying the no tipping places and just raised prices 15-20% and they were not successful. A lot of it is mental where it makes the food seem more expensive. Instead of a $20 steak and $4 tip, the menu now says the steak is $24.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Dec 7, 2017 15:40:31 GMT -5
The reason for sharing tips is that your experience is rarely impacted by just one person. Host/hostesses are important. A lot of places use food runners. I am not a fan of the tipping culture either but it is here to stay. I have heated of places trying the no tipping places and just raised prices 15-20% and they were not successful. A lot of it is mental where it makes the food seem more expensive. Instead of a $20 steak and $4 tip, the menu now says the steak is $24. Here's the problem though. I owed 2% of my tips to the bartender regardless of how well she does her job. Same with the bus boys, same with the cooks. I can't force any of them to do a better job. Even if they screw up to the point of where I don't see a dime in tips they still have several other servers to skim off of, plus their $7-12/hr salary. They know there is nothing they could do that would cause them to not walk out the door with a fat wallet. Yeah that's a super fair system.
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andi9899
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Post by andi9899 on Dec 7, 2017 16:01:40 GMT -5
Meanwhile you also get to deal with customers asking for your number and asking if you're on the dessert menu.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Dec 7, 2017 16:07:14 GMT -5
We had a dish on the menu called Cajun pasta. The kitchen would create spice packets that were kept near the stove for the cook to use during prep. What we did not know is the night before they had run out of several of the blackening spices. The linemen on duty had the brilliant idea to substitute equal amounts of cayenne pepper because that's totally the same thing right? He didn't bother to tell anyone he did this. The packets ended up containing about 1/2 a cup of red pepper per serving. There is no way to tell the red is not paprika like it's supposed to be without tasting it. Servers are not allowed to taste the food. Since it looked like the picture I took it out to the customer. I am honestly surprised we didn't kill someone. It was after the sixth person that day sent it back that the manager decided to taste it and we found the mistake. Guess what that did to my tips? All that happened to the lineman is he got a talking to. He still walked out the door that night with a full day's wages.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 7, 2017 18:20:22 GMT -5
The way I was reading it was that the owners were going to use the servers' tip money to help pay for the minimum wage that they had to pay the rest of the staff. So essentially the owner is getting a reduction in his/her payroll costs. The servers are subsidizing the other employees.
Or do the minimum wage employees get their regular wage plus tips, meaning they could conceivably earn more than the servers in a low-end restaurant?
I think people are so sick of tipping that they are going to eventually stop. Yes, prices will go up, but it will be a trade-off. Tip correctly, and you are already paying 20%+ more than the check reads.
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wmpeon
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Post by wmpeon on Dec 7, 2017 21:03:32 GMT -5
I don't like the idea of tip sharing, because I recognize how ripe it is for abuse. Yet at the same time, I was very grateful for tip sharing when I worked at a hotel restaurant many years ago. I worked in room service, and I earned a standard wage plus tip sharing. I took the room service orders, assembled the trays for the attendant, and did most of the prep work. The rule was I wouldn't be tipped unless the room service person earned above a certain amount. Room service wouldn't have been able to make as many deliveries, nor get as many tips, if I hadn't prepared the trays for them.
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hoops902
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Post by hoops902 on Dec 8, 2017 9:46:19 GMT -5
I don't like the idea of tip sharing, because I recognize how ripe it is for abuse. Yet at the same time, I was very grateful for tip sharing when I worked at a hotel restaurant many years ago. I worked in room service, and I earned a standard wage plus tip sharing. I took the room service orders, assembled the trays for the attendant, and did most of the prep work. The rule was I wouldn't be tipped unless the room service person earned above a certain amount. Room service wouldn't have been able to make as many deliveries, nor get as many tips, if I hadn't prepared the trays for them. You can really extend that to any service though too right? A waiter/waitress in a traditional restaurant couldn't serve as many tables if they also had to seat people, or bus tables, or cook the food, etc.
That's why I think the entire idea of the waiter/waitress getting all the tips is kind of silly. In many cases they don't even bring you the food. I can definitively say that my tip amount is not based on just what the server does (if the host gives me a desired seat, that helps, if the food comes out quickly that helps, if the restaurant has a nice atmosphere, that helps, etc).
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