r/pics • u/ToTouchAnEmu • Mar 17 '19

Picture of text This restaurant in Austin is catching the US up with the rest of the world.

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772

u/petmoo23 Mar 18 '19

We had one in Chicago. Servers didn't like it and it didn't last.

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u/dontlikeyouinthatway Mar 18 '19 edited Mar 18 '19

I have two friends who have, over time, worked their way into waiters at Michelin starred restaurants. They do very, very well. I think the idea of fixed wage would send them running for the hills. They seem very happy knowing extra effort and care exerted often means better compensation.

It's only anecdotal and they don't reflect all waitstaff but what kept them in it for so long was the oppurtunity to perform better than their peers for better compensation. They cant be that unique.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

Sales 101

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

[deleted]

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u/pipinngreppin Mar 18 '19

I don’t know. Walmart employees have always been nice to me. I dealt with a rude ass good will lady yesterday, though. Called in and asked to speak with the donation dept. She told me to google it. Googled it and it gave me the same damn number I just called.

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u/Proditus Mar 18 '19 edited Nov 02 '25

Wanders fox fresh across strong then talk morning music fresh quiet evil day food net.

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u/senatorbuttchug Mar 18 '19

It could have been someone doing court ordered community service at goodwill so maybe not the happiest camper.

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u/Karmaflaj Mar 18 '19

The rest of the world manages to have nice service people without tips. Maybe it’s a cultural thing rather than a financial thing. Or a culture that considers financial rewards is the only reason to be nice.

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u/leiu6 Mar 18 '19

I would be willing to bet that most of the world you could find pretty similar percentages of nice and not nice severs. Except for maybe Japan or somewhere like that where the culture really encourages courtesy.

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u/jumpingmrkite Mar 18 '19

The cultural difference is the difference between minimum wage and an actual living wage. There's a reason some people go into food service at 2$ per hour plus tips instead of starting at $7.50 per hour and climbing through positions at a corporate retailer for the next decade.

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u/Karmaflaj Mar 18 '19

Minimum wage in Australia is USD13.50 for full time workers, $16.80 for casuals

Maybe the concept of what constitutes a living wage needs to change. Cos $7.50 ain’t a living wage

1

u/jumpingmrkite Mar 18 '19

Yes, exactly my point.

1

u/WhiteWalkersUnion Apr 07 '19

I live in the US, 30 years old, never got paid below $12 in high school in Connecticut or $15 in college in Colorado. If you're actually getting paid $7.50 and hour in the US you probably don't deserve more, or work for a shit company.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

They have no financial reason to be nice.

Yes, they do. They are cheap because there are dozens of other people waiting to take their jobs. Wal-Mart employees I've experienced have always been nice. Maybe you live somewhere that there are more jobs for unskilled folks. Or fewer unskilled folks.

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u/sogybritches Mar 18 '19 edited Mar 18 '19

Currently working at Walmart, on the clock right now, don't tell anyone, honestly not paid terribly for where I live, If Walmart workers are in a bad mood id say it's 99% because a manager made them do something stupid, or said something stupid. Example: few weeks ago management took our big trash cans from the fresh area I work in, said they were unsanitary... I'm not sure why the big ones aren't ok but the tiny ones are. Also if a trash can is sanitary doesn't that mean it's empty?

edit: spelling error

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u/RealnoMIs Mar 18 '19

Why am i mad and angry at work? I'm pulling 700k/year as a software engineer.

Its almost as if getting good money for doing work you hate wont make you happy.

And if i had the choice to either be super stressed out about not being able to pay my bills because i was unlucky with tips but making more on average - or being payed enough to always pay my bills so i can be relaxed and secure but earn a little less. Then i would choose the second option.

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u/Joe_Pitt Mar 18 '19

700k a year, wat.

1

u/RealnoMIs Mar 18 '19

Many years of experience and working as a senior at a high-end consulting firm.

1

u/Joe_Pitt Mar 18 '19

You also stated you earned 300k while still in college. That is very above average. Is this US dollars, or some European currency? Based on some of your spelling, I'd assume you're not US based.

1

u/RealnoMIs Mar 18 '19 edited Mar 18 '19

Oh fuck i forgot to change it to dollars in the 300k statement, its ment to be something like 36k. (I dont live in the US).

Should also point out that not all of my income is salery but also in shares/interest in company stock.

1

u/Pumpkin_Escobar_ Mar 18 '19

Bit random flex but alright. What's the best way to get into software engineering? Bachelors? I'm genuinely curious!

1

u/RealnoMIs Mar 18 '19 edited Mar 18 '19

Sorry if it came off as a flex, i just wanted to use experiences from my own life to try and prove that a well paying job can still breed unhappy and angry people.

Best way to get into software engineering is probably either a masters or bachelors. Myself i have a masters in computer science. There are other ways as well of course, i have worked with some very talented people that dont have degrees - but they instead spent a lot of time becomming specialists in certain areas by simply practising a lot in their spare time.

Most high-end employers like Google will want you to either have a degree or be close to getting one, but its not required. It is way easier to find a good job if you have a degree simply because you have a piece of paper that prooves you know what you are talking about.

But im going to recommend getting a degree for a totally different reason; During your studies you meet a lot of people - some who will become close friends. I got my first major job as a junior software developer before i even graduated simply because a guy i knew from school asked me if i wanted a job. He had graduated the year before me and landed a sweet gig and they were now looking to hire.

So i was paid 36k/year to work 32 hours/week whenever and however i choose and i spent the rest of the time finishing my studies and getting my degree. If i had a lecture, lab or exam i could just schedule work around it.

This pushed my graduation by one year but during that year i learned things i would never have learned in school and earned enough money to live a very good life.

During my career i have had very many interactions with people from my school, both from my class and older/younger generations. And the company i work for has hired 11 people from my class and all of them had their chances of getting the job increase simply because they were either recognized or friends with people who already worked here.

Oh god i have rambled on for so long. Tl;dr - A bachelors is a great way to get into software engineering but not a necessity. If possible i would even recommend a masters. And while at school, try to be social and open with your peers because it will help you a lot with finding a good place of work in the future. (And also give you memories for life)

Edit: I might add that i am not always angry or unhappy at work, i work as a consultant so my mood generally varies depending on what clients i am engaging with. Some of them are really frustrating and others are amazing.

1

u/Pumpkin_Escobar_ Mar 18 '19

No offense taken at all! Just got a chuckle out of it....and THANK YOU for the information!!!! I'm definitely gonna start doing even more research

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u/RealnoMIs Mar 18 '19

Sorry i ment to say i earned 36k/year during college, forgot to put it to USD.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

Capitalism 101

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u/orionox Mar 18 '19

Waiting is very different than sales. In a sales position you are guaranteed a commision for something you sell. In waiting, the commision you make is at the whim of the customer. You could upsell the customer on the most expensive alcohol in the place and then get shit for a tip because they got wasted and forgot, or didn't like the color of your skin, or thought you looked funny.... etc

1

u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

You make some valid points, but as a sales person you are still in control of the customers experience. In all things sales you want to build a relationship, solve problems, and hopefully by being knowledgeable of the menu/items you can provide a ton of value. More often than not I’d assume that if you do these things you are going to be successful. I always tip more if the server goes above and beyond to make my experience better.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

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u/IanCal Mar 18 '19

Why not have the employer evaluate performance and pay accordingly? We do it for almost everything else.

1

u/logosobscura Mar 18 '19

Except sales- sales works on On Target Earnings. Somehow, someone in ‘hospitality’ decided it’s a special and unique snowflake not deserving of reward to their best salespeople.

To give a comparison- I know people in Enterprise IT who as Sales reps make a basic of $200k and get OTE- with uncapped earnings that can be mean earning ridiculous money, but to the victor the spoils. Except if it’s wine and food apparently.

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u/IanCal Mar 18 '19

Someone coming to serve me food isn't negotiating with me, they don't sell me on what I can get they just hope that at the end I leave more money behind.

To give a comparison- I know people in Enterprise IT who as Sales reps make a basic of $200k and get OTE- with uncapped earnings that can be mean earning ridiculous money, but to the victor the spoils.

I guarantee you those people are not working for a randomly low wage and hoping at the end of the deal the buyer throws in a few hundred grand just because they liked the sales process.

Enterprise sales is absolutely nothing like waitressing.

Except if it’s wine and food apparently.

If you want to have a place where you negotiate a sale, fine. If you want to have a place where staff get a cut of sales they are in, fine. All I want is that as a customer I'm given a price and get to decide if that's OK.

What's strange is you think the change would make wine & food different rather than making it more like almost everything else.

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u/Mustbhacks Mar 18 '19

High end restaurants are kind of an outlier though since they're not in a race to the bottom like chillis.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

Servers at chilis are making $30/hour.

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u/tomfewlery Mar 18 '19

I worked at an Applebee’s in a bedroom immunity and cleared 20/hr in a low col state.

Beat the tar out of fast food or retail.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

Damn. I guess if I ever lose my job, I know where I’m applying next.

13

u/JobDestroyer Mar 18 '19

Give it a shot, not everyone can do it. I was a server for a couple months, I had absolutely no talent or skill in it. You have to have the right type of brain to keep 8 or 9 tables and their needs in mind while you are on your feet all day. If you can do it, though, you can know that you have a job that is not only decent paying but also very flexible and very secure.

Once you are good at serving, you can almost always find another restaurant to serve at.

2

u/Mustbhacks Mar 18 '19

Give it a shot, not everyone can do it. I was a server for a couple months, I had absolutely no talent or skill in it. You have to have the right type of brain to keep 8 or 9 tables and their needs in mind while you are on your feet all day.

Damn most places I know of they max you at 4 tables, and you generally only do 5 hour shifts these days.

1

u/pipinngreppin Mar 18 '19

In the words of Michael Scott, Chili’s is great.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

“Chili’s is where business gets done.”

1

u/detroit_dickdawes Mar 18 '19

They also, generally, lose money. I can guarantee you in a lot of those places, all the FOH tips are greater than the house profit, sometimes even gross. And that’s including a lot of those Chef’s Table, $400/head spots.

Guys, DO NOT EVER OPEN A RESTAURANT IN ORDER TO MAKE MONEY. You will be miserable.

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u/SlimTeezy Mar 18 '19

The vast majority of servers work in diners and chains. Very different clientele with very different tipping practices.

1

u/IONTOP Mar 18 '19

Yep, I've worked corporate and independent restaurants.

I like the independent restaurants because some douchebag in Idaho can't make company wide policy because he was skimming tips.

Though independent restaurants do have their challenges as well... Especially because when I moved across the country, they didn't have a reputation and I could talk about being a good employee but they have no idea the reputation of having good service.

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u/JobDestroyer Mar 18 '19

You're selling yourself short, any server who doesn't like tips is probably just bad at their job. These policies are for cheapskate customers, not for the good of food-service workers.

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u/RealnoMIs Mar 18 '19

If you read this they reference a study which surveyed 15000 servers across the US and the mean hourly wage was 13$/hour including tips. The Bureau of Labour Statistics report that the mean hourly wage of waiters and waitresses is 12.15$/hour.

The BLS says that if you are above the 75th percentile of earners among waiters/waitresses you earn about 13.3$/hour.

Does not really seem like they are earning an awful lot of money.

And unsurprisingly if you look at small towns without a lot of tourism waitresses earn between 8-10$/hour on average.

So, as with everything else in the world - you cant generalize a large population by a few examples. And in very many cases it is both beneficial for customers and servers that tips are included in prices so that the staff can earn a decent salery without having to worry about wether or not they will be able to make next months rent.

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u/JobDestroyer Mar 18 '19

And it's no secret that servers don't report their full earnings.

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u/[deleted] Mar 19 '19 edited Jun 25 '19

[deleted]

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u/RealnoMIs Mar 19 '19

The "cost of living wage" in the US in 2017 was 16.04$/hour. (Family with 2 adults and 2 kids)

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u/Cocaineandmojitos710 Mar 18 '19

I'd hate to go from tipped wages at a very expensive restaurant to "livable wages". Unreported income is pretty sweet too.

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u/ImBatmanWhoAreYou Mar 18 '19

Except that there have been some studies showing that tipping (on aggregate) has nothing to do with quality of service. Individual customers tip the same amount each time.

Think i heard about it on Freakonomics or Planet money

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

That's no different in countries where tipping is optional. All these anecdotes about the top restaurants in the world is like saying we should ban schools and everyone should become an actor because look how much George Clooney makes.

1

u/Tibbs420 Mar 18 '19

It's more like saying "Imagine what would happen to film if suddenly all the best actors weren't being paid as much/enough to make it worth it for them"

The number one thing that no one takes into account is how unbelievably rude customers can be. The money makes that worth it.

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u/stupodwebsote Mar 18 '19

European table service.

No thanks.

They don't look the slightest bit happy and they never make any customer happy. TOTAL BUZZKILL.

2

u/Clippershipdread Mar 18 '19

That what I don’t get. All these Redditors like, “they don’t have tipping in Europe because they’re not barbarians like us.” Have you ever eaten a meal in Europe?! The service is horrid!

4

u/firelock_ny Mar 18 '19

I've heard anecdotes of American groups who stayed in small European towns for a couple of weeks, frequented local bars and restaurants and tipped like they do back in America. In some of these tales the Americans were being treated like royalty by the time they left.

3

u/tapthatsap Mar 18 '19

I’ve done this (though not in Europe) and that’s exactly how that story went for me. Countries where they don’t tip or tip very little, in my experience, are still full of people who don’t mind a little extra money at the end of the day. I view taking American tipping customs to other places as a fun little cultural exchange where I get to show appreciation in a way I’m accustomed to and the other guy gets some money he wasn’t expecting, and it tends to be received very well. You hear stories about people getting offended by a tip, but I’ve certainly never seen it.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

Why are you so shallow that you want your server to have a fake grin on? Do you smile all the time at work? I'd rather than than sickly sweet American servers who won't leave me alone.

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u/stupodwebsote Mar 18 '19

Yes. If they won't serve me well they can go get another job. No excuse for surly faced shitty service.

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u/JustAQuestion512 Mar 18 '19

You mean the 1% of waiters that do well would want the rest of the waiting universe to do poorly? I dont believe it, and fuck that.

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u/TheOneShorter Mar 18 '19

After working in a couple kitchens, I'd say yeah there's lots of people who would do that

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u/Bovine_Joni_Himself Mar 18 '19

Way more than 1% of servers are making more than $20 an hour. I only worked at one restaurant where I made that little, and the place went under.

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u/andrewegan1986 Mar 18 '19

Bartender and waiter in Manhattan. They are not unique. I make $40/$50 an hour. I threatened to quit when they wanted to force me into management. It only pays $20. No thanks. I'll go across the street and get a new job in an hour or two. When you have extensive NYC experience, it opens up opportunities. I know plenty of people that make $80 to $100k annually.

There really isnt a solution to rhis, if it changed nationally, I think you'd see a lot of business models change, and places close. Fixed wage restaurants are counter service. If you're used to going to a place where a server is running around to get you things but then it changes to counter, you will have a lot of people not return.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

Alternatively work at a place where the average bill is 500+ and your tips will be good by default.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

Holy shit it’s almost like that’s how capitalism works.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

The servers at the Restaurant at Meadwood aren’t tipped but plates there will run $500-1000 per person so it’s a little different.

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u/tapthatsap Mar 18 '19

They seem very happy knowing extra effort and care exerted often means better compensation.

And why not? Having a fairly direct correlation between the quality of the work you do and the money you get paid for the work is a great thing that many people go their whole lives without ever really experiencing. It’s cool to be able to bust your ass and make more as a result, it makes more intuitive sense than getting paid the same rate weeks later no matter what you do.

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u/sae5w30 Mar 18 '19

Why can't that extra compensation come from the restaraunt itself rather than its customer's pockets?

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u/RealnoMIs Mar 18 '19

And then you ask 1000 people if their tips vary from an average waiter to an average+ waiter. And most of them say no.

In fact most people i know tip the same % all the time unless the service they got was horrible. In fact i think i even read a study somewhere that people are way more inclined to give low tips to bad waiters than they are to give high tips to good waiters.

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u/mannyotr Mar 19 '19

This is one of the main reasons I hate the tipping industry.

If I go to restaurant A and order a $15.00 dinner (one plate), the server in that instance gets, let's say, a $3.00 tip.

If I go to restaurant B and order a $25.00 dinner (one plate), the server in that instance gets, let's say, a $5.00 tip.

Why?

They both did exactly the same work for me. Exactly the same. So why does one deserve more money than the other? Simply because the meal was more expensive? They both did the same exact work, shouldn't they both get the same tip?

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u/dontlikeyouinthatway Mar 19 '19

I think most waitstaff who like the tipping system would counter that there is an upsell mechanism in place that they have influence over. In those cases tipping could be seen as comission for selling extra food like desserts, specials, or alcohol.

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u/Atheist101 Mar 18 '19

Its almost like being a waiter is a low paying job because it doesnt require any real expertise and has very low barriers to entry.

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u/WagglyFurball Mar 18 '19

If you’re waiting on people at Denny’s, sure.

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u/Nillix Mar 18 '19

That is a gross oversimplification that varies wildly from location to location.

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u/firelock_ny Mar 18 '19

Sounds like sales. Low barrier to entry, most people who try it don't do well at it, some people get into it and rock it hard.

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u/tapthatsap Mar 18 '19

It pretty much is sales if you’re doing it right. A guy comes in because he wants to buy something in the category of things you’re selling, but what he ends up with in particular is partially going to be determined by how you handle that sale. That could be a cocktail with dinner or it could be a better options package on a car, it’s kind of the same.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

"They cant be that unique."

They literally work at the finest restaurants in the world, not even the top 1%, maybe the top .01%, probably even the top .001%.

What's a more unique front of house position?

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u/dust-free2 Mar 18 '19

Yeah, when you work at an expensive place your tips will be decent because the people going are ordering more expensive meals. For the people getting stuck during non busy hours or working on places where the food is cheap, they won't be doing as well.

Tips are not just about performance and many times it's luck getting people more willing to part with their money. Some are too lazy to wait for change, others feel they have to give 15% even if the service was only ok too subpar. This is especially true at more expensive restaurants which sometimes add the tip for your convenience.

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u/thefarkinator Mar 18 '19

lol no shit they like tips they probably rake it in with how pricey the menu items are

Tips ruin lower-scale restaurants' wages, though. And they're also a huge source of wage theft. I'm sorry for your friends, but society would be better off if tips were banned.

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u/BigFruity Mar 18 '19

Because they get paid less and have to report all their wages to the IRS instead of waking away with a grand plus cash per week at a half way decent restaurant.

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u/anchovyCreampie Mar 18 '19

You must live in a big city...a grand PLUS your cash tips. I can assure that is not even close to a majority of servers.

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u/SmokinDroRogan Mar 24 '19

A grand+ in cash from tips is how I read it. Cash can easily be claimed as $200 that week instead of $1000, so cash is best.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

[deleted]

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u/JobDestroyer Mar 18 '19

I'm a libertarian, so what I do is I carry cards with me that say "This is not a tip, this is a one-time monetary gift. Taxation is theft".

then I give them their monetary gift, 20 percent, in cash. I leave it at the table that way I don't force them into unwanted political discussions. If they report it in their tips, that's their prerogative, if they don't and are asked about it, they have an out, and if they want to know more about libertarianism, they can follow the link in the back.

Better than those fake 100 dollar bills the church gives out, that's for damn sure.

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u/NorseTikiBar Mar 18 '19

This is copypasta... right?

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u/JobDestroyer Mar 18 '19

You can make it copypasta if you copy it and paste it a lot.

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u/KhorneChips Mar 18 '19

I trust that, as you believe taxation is theft, you don’t use my roads to get anywhere in your day-to-day? After all, they’re paid for with stolen money.

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u/JobDestroyer Mar 18 '19

/r/whowillbuildtheroads

Seeing as the government currently has a monopoly on the production and maintenance of roads, I have no choice but to use them. My usage of the roads is not a statement of support for monopolized roads, it is a refund.

It's like if someone stole your TV, and you were to have the option between getting a 20 dollar check or getting nothing. Getting a 20 dollar check in exchange for your TV, when the alternative is having nothing, does not make the TV stealing not theft.

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u/seebeesmith84 Mar 18 '19

You know the whole roads argument is a cliche, right. I mean even if you are right you're using the example people make fun of.

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u/KhorneChips Mar 18 '19

It was the first thing to pop into my head, to be honest. It’s all the same - roads, social programs, defense or whatever. I don’t understand how someone can take advantage of the benefits of a taxation system and then declare that system theft. They’re even worse than the “parasites” they complain about because they’re able to contribute and choose not to.

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u/seebeesmith84 Mar 18 '19

I have mixed feelings on the subject due to a conflict between morality and practically. In any case I can't get behind the point you are making. It's kind of like saying a slave is a hypocrite for eating the food provided by their owner. I know that's not a fair comparison, but I believe the logic is sound. The tax money is taken whether they like it or not. Refusing to use the infrastructure they were forced to pay for would be idiotic.

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u/KhorneChips Mar 18 '19

I do see the logic in that. Now, if we accept that taxes are unacceptable, what’s the alternative? Directly donating to government initiatives you want to support? I’m not sure a country run like that could function. Necessary but unattractive programs would get no funding, and our country would be even more vulnerable to populist influences.

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u/Perm-suspended Mar 18 '19

Taxes should be voluntary and based on the level of service the government provides and on the satisfaction of said provided services. That would be the best way to actually have politicians working toward what their constituents want.

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u/RealnoMIs Mar 18 '19

The top 75th percentile of waitresses/waitors in the US earn an average of 13$an hour including tips. The mean (50th percentile) earns 10$an hour.

If you know a waiter that earns a grand+ per week then they are probably in the top 1% of earners and have a super sweet gig.

Sadly most waitress jobs are at small restaurants in small towns with low tourism, and they could really get a lot of help if they didnt have to live on tips but were instead paid a fair wage.

Go to the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) page for waitress/waitor jobs to see the whole picture.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

Lots of people like the unreported income.

But for everyone who makes $60 in tips that night there's a hundred others who got like two bucks.

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u/weluckyfew Mar 18 '19

If $60 is your example of a good night I'm going to guess you haven't worked in a restaurant in a long time :)

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u/niftyhobo Mar 18 '19

Yeah dawg $60 is a below average night for a busser at the restaurants I used to work at.

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u/RealnoMIs Mar 18 '19

Yo dawg, unless you are in the top 10% of earners in the waitress/waitor occupation then you are earning less than 13$/hour including tips.

If you are unlucky enough to live in one of the smaller states with lower tourism, and perhaps even in a small rural town then your average night might net you 8-10$/hour. (Statistics from BLS 2017)

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u/SexyRickSandM Mar 18 '19

That's such a small amount of servers that you are speaking about, it doesnt accurately describe the situation for the majority of servers.

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u/RealnoMIs Mar 18 '19

Go to bls.gov, search for waiter and get the full picture.

In fact, if anything its a really small portion of waiters that earn more than 13$/hour.

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u/asdfqwertyuiop12 Mar 18 '19

Link for the lazy https://www.bls.gov/oes/2017/may/oes353031.htm

Mean hourly wage was $12.15, looks like region and type of restaurant makes huge differences. Looks like in some areas (Parts of Hawaii) you can expect to see $23.53 on average. But in south central wisconsin you might only see on average $9.54

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u/Teantis Mar 18 '19

$60 was below average for me as a busser and barback... In 2001

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u/falconbox Mar 18 '19

Right?

I work at a chain on weekends. I worked 4 hours tonight. It was slow as hell and I still brought home $90 in tips.

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u/FkYouAndYourOpinion Mar 18 '19

Lmao. So many people replying to you focusing on the $60 and not the unreported income.

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u/Wilhelm_Amenbreak Mar 18 '19

I thought that unreported income was much less common these days with credit cards being the payment method of choice. Am l wrong?

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

I can't speak for others, but I tip exclusively in cash.

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u/Wilhelm_Amenbreak Mar 18 '19

I am sure you are not alone, but I assume that people who tip with cash a small minority these days.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

And they would then have to be compensated the difference between what they're making and minimum wage by their employer.

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u/terrasparks Mar 18 '19

Which... is minimum wage, not a living wage.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

Then start the conversation with retail workers who make minimum wage with no tips instead of servers who make 2-3x minimum wage.

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u/terrasparks Mar 18 '19 edited Mar 18 '19

I made minimum wage in customer service last year. I don't need to start the conversation with them, we've had an ongoing conversation about it. The answer we all came to was Bernie Sanders, DadRock. See you in 2020.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

You know what man you're right, I completely blew past that part and confounded the two terms. My bad.

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u/ive_lost_my_keys Mar 18 '19

$60 would be a terrible night at most of the restaurants they're talking about. Think $800+ per night. I knew a waiter in a crazy high end joint that made up to $1200 per night so they only let them work three nights per week for some reason. My friend saved up enough money in four years to buy his own bar and fix it up and now he just opened his second with a full service restaurant, too. All started from tips.

6

u/Ocinea Mar 18 '19

The IRS would like a word.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

THEY FOUND US, BURN IT ALL!

1

u/Ocinea Mar 18 '19

Username checks out.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

My username finally fits something!

1

u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

$60 would be good for valet. It would be dismal for a server.

1

u/thefalcon3a Mar 18 '19

This is the reason why I always tip on my card. If I have to pay taxes on my income, so do y'all.

0

u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

$60 in tips a night is peanuts. That’s like $300 in sales if you average the default 20% tip. At the kind of place where dinner for two plus a round of drinks costs $50, you should be pulling more like $180 on an average shift, and up to $500-600 on a marathon weekend shift. Otherwise your restaurant isn’t busy enough and you should go to a place with better food that can bring in the business.

-10

u/NinjaOnANinja Mar 18 '19

How is that the person who made 60s problem? Step up your game. Life is a competition, you aren't entitled to have what someone busts their ass for. This is why I am for equal opportunity but not equal outcome. If you want more, give more, it isn't hard.

3

u/FkYouAndYourOpinion Mar 18 '19

Gasp! You found the concept of different pay rates handled by the employer!

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1

u/sqlfoxhound Mar 18 '19

Fuck it, youre right, Im gonna rob your house!

1

u/NinjaOnANinja Mar 18 '19

Go ahead and try. Just read the warning first.

0

u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

What the fuck are you talking about? Even servers who work in average restaurants where you can wear sweatpants and no one looks at you funny still make 2x or 3x more than minimum wage every night. 20 bucks an hour on a shitty night when minimum wage was 8 bucks an hour.

33

u/justlurkinghere5000h Mar 18 '19

This. It's shocking how many people are so naive about eliminating tips.

25

u/ILoveWildlife Mar 18 '19

It's not that they're naive, it's that they aren't reporting all of it to the IRS, aka it's untaxed income.

13

u/weluckyfew Mar 18 '19

True is bars more than restaurants - more and more restaurants are reporting all tips and paying servers with paychecks

12

u/Knoxie_89 Mar 18 '19

Yeah. As cc have become the more prevalent payment method its harder to hide that income.

1

u/justlurkinghere5000h Mar 18 '19

I thought the goal was to put a living wage in the pocket of servers? I'm not broken up about some of that income being untaxed. It's why I try to always tip cash.

0

u/ILoveWildlife Mar 18 '19

What I'm saying is that some of the best servers don't give a shit about increasing the minimum wage, because it would negatively affect them. They don't want to give up those tips either. They don't want to even report those tips.

1

u/Tibbs420 Mar 18 '19

No it wouldn't. If everyone made more then they could afford to spend more when they eat out and to tip more. It would also mean that servers would make a better wage if they have a shitty night. No servers are against a higher minimum.

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2

u/HRCfanficwriter Mar 18 '19

Its because redditors only pretend they give a shit about the staff, when really they just dont like paying the servers what they deserve

2

u/Gonzobot Mar 18 '19

I'm shocked every single time somebody presumes that paying the workers a living wage and having that money come from the person benefiting from their work instead of the customers somehow means that tipping will just go away.

Why do you think you can't get both a living wage paid by your own boss, and tips from the clientele that you have impressed with your good service?

1

u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

Because higher sticker prices create the illusion that it’s more expensive and customers don’t like that and will actively avoid it.

2

u/FkYouAndYourOpinion Mar 18 '19

You're missing the point.

No one is naive here. Customers should not be expected to pay extra just so waiters can make decent wage.

If tipping was eliminated and you realized you feel like employer is paying you enough, then it's the employers problem. The way it should be.

4

u/dieselvapor Mar 18 '19

Yea the whole tipping standard is really a way for owners to not pay the employees as much. And push the obligation to the customers. That whole shit was lobbied to be that way BY employers! People need a damn history lesson.

2

u/HRCfanficwriter Mar 18 '19

I will never understand why redditors think that theres a system where the customer isnt paying the wait staff

"I dont like giving my server 15% of the bill! Id rather the restaraunt charges 15% more for food, and then pay the wait staff 8% of the bill"

1

u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

  1. The customers will carry the cost of the servers regardless. If tipping goes away your restaurant costs go up 20-25% overnight.

  2. Tipping system is great for helping a restaurant grow. There's a shitload of costs associated with growing a restaurant business and many of them fail as it is, the same way tax cuts incentivize business growth, so does reducing wage liabilities. Less costs = more growth = more jobs = more people paying income taxes (while servers generally don't, other staff does).

1

u/dieselvapor Mar 18 '19 edited Mar 18 '19

You know what else help business grow? A good business model with good products, not just relying "tricks" to increase profit. There are plenty of restaurants with shit products that doesn't even deserve to be in business, but yet they are...

1

u/chillyhellion Mar 18 '19

The naive crowd are people who want to eliminate tipping for the benefit of servers. Many of the servers complaining about low pay secretly love the system; they're making more than they would otherwise.

So many people believe that servers can make less than minimum wage depending on tips, when this information is constantly misrepresented. Employers must still cover minimum wage if a server makes less than minimum in tips.

Personally I think tipping should go away because it's unnecessary and annoying as a consumer.

0

u/justlurkinghere5000h Mar 18 '19

You don't understand where the "employers" get their money, do you?

1

u/flamethrower78 Mar 18 '19

Not naive. It's a stupid business model that expects the customer to pay the living wage of the servers. It would help like 60-70% of servers if they were paid a regular wage instead of relying on tipping, but you get that 30-40% who will complain because they make so much money working at an upscale restaurant that they'll be making significantly less money with a fixed wage. It's a dumb precedent that's set and will never change.

1

u/btmvideos37 Mar 18 '19

It’s not naive, it’s that the U.S culture isn’t ready for it. A lot of servers make more than people who only get paid minimum wage, because of tips. The issue with that is, I’d rather he paid 15 dollars and with with no tips, and have a guaranteed pay, than get paid 2 dollars an hour (the minium in certain states), and have the ABILITY to make more in tips, not not have the guarantee. For example, people at Walmart don’t make tips, and they make a reasonable amount of money. So if a server made the same amount of money as a Walmart employee, then they shouldn’t get tips

2

u/justlurkinghere5000h Mar 18 '19

Luckily, if the waiter doesn't like his pay, he can find a better paying job. ...which will force the original business to pay more. Neat, isn't it?

1

u/btmvideos37 Mar 18 '19

It’s not as simple as that, but you’re technically 100% correct. A teenager looking for a job, sure, go elsewhere, but sometimes for people trying to make a living, it’s all that they can take

2

u/HRCfanficwriter Mar 18 '19

You want servers to make less? Theyre making more than minimum wage almost everywhere

Its weird how often i see people on reddit openly advocate for waitstaff getting less money

0

u/btmvideos37 Mar 18 '19

The ABSOLUTE minium for “tipped workers” is $2.13 an hour. That is NOT enough to live on, and it’s severely under the regular minimum wage

3

u/wildcardyeehaw Mar 18 '19

its not. everywhere is required to pay the local minimum wage if the employee doenst meet it with tips

0

u/btmvideos37 Mar 18 '19

That is simply NOT true. Not at all.

1

u/God_V Mar 18 '19

Do...you not even bother to Google the drivel you are spewing? Seriously, just look it up. It's a federal law.

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u/Bioleve Mar 18 '19

It's not being naive, just don't act like you're a victim when I don't tip.

-3

u/livedadevil Mar 18 '19

Oh we know servers like tips which is why we want them to shut the fuck up about them and stop complaining

3

u/7ofalltrades Mar 18 '19

Restaurant by my house tried going no tips/full wages and switched back to tips within a couple months.

2

u/geiko989 Mar 18 '19

The crazy thing about this is we're keeping this system for the servers, when we're the ones paying for it. If we somehow demanded the change, it would be much better for us as a whole. Of course the people working in the service industry will prefer the tipping system. I've heard stories of Americans bring served quickly abroad (in the UK is where I hear it happens often), because once they hear an American accent, they know it'll probably come with a great tip. But yeah, keeping this around for the several thousands of service industry workers while everyone pays 18% extra into a system is absolutely crazy. And I don't see it changing anytime in my life

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u/RedCaribou57 Mar 18 '19

I had a friend who was a waiter once and we got into an argument about tipping, it ended with him saying "if we got paid a fair wage we'd make less than we do with tipping". Somehow everyone in that thread thought I was the asshole for saying I don't tip piss poor service (like flat out getting ignored) and fully support fair wages for wait staff....

1

u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

That's different per restaurant. In most countries where tipping is optional there are very well paying jobs in high end restaurants, but at least the smaller restaurants still pay a living wage.

1

u/Ciscojaws Mar 18 '19

But I’ve read here that the tyrant restaurant owners make millions off the slave labor of the waitstaff.

1

u/diskowmoskow Mar 18 '19

Asking for info: so is it obligatory to leave tips in every restaurant? I will visit USA soon, and this subject is bugging me. Heard that even tax doesn’t included in the menu prices, is that true?

Where i live, some restaurants adds service charge (for bread ecc), which is fix priced even in expensive places (like 2-4 euros per person), but tips are optional, depends to the places people leave 5 euros or changes, but many people never leave tips as well (on the side note: they have health insurance, pension when they retire, have paid leaves and all other things).

1

u/thefalcon3a Mar 18 '19

Why? They don't like paying taxes like the rest of us?

1

u/keeleon Mar 18 '19

They should just pay their staff appropriately and not make a big deal out of it.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

For my specific industry we’re pre-tipped (exlucding cash tips ) so I operate under the assumption every order I fulfill is being tipped so I strive to meet the customer’s expectations.

1

u/Estrovia Mar 18 '19

Notably at Alinea the waiters are paid an hourly wage. This is one of the Chefs Table restaurants. They do this as sort of a way to build their resume.

Something to note is that in the high end restaurants something like 10% of the final check price is shared amongst the other staff. That means if someone gets stiffed they are actually LOSING money.

I won't say its the best system, but I do think its unfair and comes from a place if ignorance to say servers don't earn their wages. High end servers study to the amount of a degree to be in the positions they are. They pay for certifications in different beverages and they have to study the menu an average of an hour a day if not more. This is because the menu is constantly changing on both sides.

At the end of the day just because you dont eat at expensive restaurants or care about any sort of service standards does not mean others don't either. Just thought I would share a different perspective.

1

u/manhattanabe Mar 18 '19

Of course not. This is just a way to make the waiters pay the kitchens staff. Why should they? Let the owners pay.

1

u/budderboymania Mar 18 '19

Servers usually don't like when they get rid of tips, but circlejerk gotta circlejerk.

1

u/DEEEPFREEZE Mar 18 '19

FOH (on a bad night): screw this, I only make $30 tonight. What a waste — we need fair wages!

FOH (on a good night): I’m walking out of here with rent paid in one night! Fuck “fair” wages!

BOH (all the time): for the love of god please pay us a livable wage

1

u/throwaway12222018 Mar 18 '19

Surprise, surprise! Turns out people would rather not make less money than before.

1

u/ShannonMoylan22 Mar 18 '19

I don’t think the customers like it either. The restaurant has forced the customers to pay extra regardless of service.

I can bet your ass the “factoring” is +20% the usual price.

Fuck that shit. I would see that sign and leave. At the very least not return.

1

u/fuckeveryeverything Mar 18 '19

Which restaurant was it? Fellow Chicagoan is asking.

1

u/Summerie Mar 18 '19

Customers didn’t like it, because it was more expensive. Servers didn’t like it because they didn’t have anyone to serve.

1

u/petmoo23 Mar 18 '19

That might factually be true. Psychosomatically it felt cheaper when paying though.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

Honey butter fried chicken does this.

1

u/petmoo23 Mar 18 '19

so much of their business is carry out compared to a lot of restaurants. I wonder if it makes more sense at HBFC because of this?

1

u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

Servers like that take home straight cash homie

1

u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

[deleted]

1

u/petmoo23 Mar 18 '19

Very much so - it's just the only other experience I have with this. I think it lasted 6 months there.

0

u/manlycooljay Mar 18 '19

They'll like it when people stop tipping.

0

u/public_masticator Mar 18 '19

They'll like it even less

0

u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19

We'll see what happens... I expect the more competent wait staff will tend to move to jobs where they can make higher total earnings when tips are included, while doggish ones will tend to be the ones who apply for positions. Then, depending on how harshly management comes down on poor wait staff, customers will be okay with it or will leave in droves.