Tipping Culture

[X4NRSA]

What are your thoughts on tipping culture in North America?
10-20% in tips is usually the norm over here. I find it absolute bull crap.
Restaurants need to pay their workers instead of having them rely on tips for their wage. We also need to tip delivery drivers which is ridiculous as well.

From where I am from (South Korea), there is no such thing as tipping.
Delivery charges? What's that. You just pay for the food and that is it, they give you free delivery and what not. They also give a lot of service, meaning free food/drinks/entertainment.

 

[Dom]

The culture of tipping stems from entitlement in my opinion. After it was sought to "tip" servers because of the service they provide for you, such as bringing you drinks, bringing you food, cleaning up your dirty plates/glasses/cutlery, owners now felt like they could just rely on paying servers a lowered wage and let tips fill in that gap. It's a practice that is beyond stupid because any table that doesn't pay for their meal comes out of the server's paycheque.

Workers get paid minimum wage already ($10+ depending what province) in Canada. I don't always feel the need to tip, unless I'm with a big party.

 

[Sypherz]

I work in a restaurant so I'm defffinitely not complaining. $25+/hr sometimes because my state requires the restaurant to pay minimum wage. Even bussers sometimes go home with 30 or 40 bucks a night in tips.

 

Haven't seen this thread before...

"Tipped Employees" are different
There is no one particular standard "minimum wage". Rather the idea of "minimum wage" is the lowest amount an employer can pay a particular class of employees.

It's this "class" of employees that results in your question. Very specifically, "tipped employees" are a class of employee for which the standard federal minimum wage does not apply. Instead, employers must pay a tipped employee at least $2.13 / hour. HOWEVER, the law also states that if an employee's wage plus that employee's tips do not equal at least the standard minimum wage (currently $7.25 nationally, higher in some states), the employer must make up the difference.

Basically there is a loophole that allows employers to pay their employees way less than the federal minimum wage just by classifying them as tipped employees, although they must make up the difference otherwise their employer can be in some heat. This is why there is a bare minimum in some restaurants regarding mandatory tips, ranging from 15-20%. Some employees make MORE than the minimum wage.

I personally have no problem with tipping.

 

[Ternox]

I only tip if the waiter/waitress is SUPER nice and goes out of their way to make me/my party feel comfortable, not just the normal refilling your drink, taking your plates etc.

 

There was another thread for this, but I'll go ahead and respond anyway.

Tipping for service is a good thing. It gives the staff an incentive to be friendly, quick, and helpful. If they paid them more, that'd just mean what used to be an optional tip was added to the cost of the food. Meaning if you receive terrible service you're still paying for it.

I've lived out of the country, and they really will just disappear after giving you your food. Checking in minimally, and good luck getting a refill unless you flag them down.

 

I only tip if the waiter/waitress is SUPER nice and goes out of their way to make me/my party feel comfortable, not just the normal refilling your drink, taking your plates etc.

WHAT THE FUCK? You always leave a tip! How cheap can you be?

 

I don't think that we should have mindset that it's necessary to leave a tip every single time.Tip should be appreciation of friendly and warm service.

 

[X4NRSA]

There was another thread for this, but I'll go ahead and respond anyway.

Tipping for service is a good thing. It gives the staff an incentive to be friendly, quick, and helpful. If they paid them more, that'd just mean what used to be an optional tip was added to the cost of the food. Meaning if you receive terrible service you're still paying for it.

I've lived out of the country, and they really will just disappear after giving you your food. Checking in minimally, and good luck getting a refill unless you flag them down.

oh okay, i didnt realize there was already a made thread, I was just having a conversation with my girlfriend and wanted more opinions. Thanks for your input nevertheless.

 

Yeah. I hate the tipping culture. I'm currently in a country where there is no tipping and it makes spitting bills and costs so much easier. I guess the waiters are naturally nicer and more friendly than those back home in the US though

 

I work in a restaurant so I'm defffinitely not complaining. $25+/hr sometimes because my state requires the restaurant to pay minimum wage. Even bussers sometimes go home with 30 or 40 bucks a night in tips.

That's amazing pay for a waiter!

 

[Nightblade]

I always tip 5$, unless the girl is a complete biatch.

 

[Sypherz]

That's amazing pay for a waiter!

Well we also have almost $10 minimum wage so it adds up pretty quickly ahah

 

[Silver]

I personally feel the need to tip if you're at a restaurant every time. At least 10%. However, if the waiter is terrible, that's a different story.

And yeah, in Canada, the minimum wage is like $10+ so it's not that bad.

 

[Wafer Man]

If the service is good I always tip atleast 10% but if im on a date I tip more like 20% to not look like im broke as fuck in front of my girl =)

I don't see the problem with the subject of leaving tips. My thing is if you cant afford to tip your waiter you shouldn't be eating out anyways.

 

[Thepath]

It shouldn't pay for salaries all it is, is a token of appreciation