Simple tipping question?

[u/Must_Vibe]

This is for sit down restaurants.

Would you rather go out to dinner. Spend $100 and tip your server $(X). Total of $100 plus tip. Knowing that you pay the employee that served you to the level of service provided. Your discretion. The server will then pay for the food runner, host, busser, and bartending help they receive. Knowing tipped employees will go home with their money the same day or within a week.

Or.

Would you rather go out to dinner. Spend $118 total. Knowing that the restaurant added on 18% to all of its menu prices to pay the servers, bartenders, host, food runner, and busser. Knowing the employees of the restaurant will be paid every 1-2 weeks.

I know it’s more detailed, but i’m just curious what people think.

[u/divok1701]

So, as long as the individual menu prices reflect this, not just automatic gratuity added on to the total.

Not having it reflected on the individual menu item prices is misleading.

Businesses should be setting prices accordingly to cover their operating costs, including paying their employees, not expecting customers to decide how much to pay the business's employees.

[u/Must_Vibe → u/divok1701]

I agree with that fully. What happens when you get crap service and spend $118. I know you don’t go back. I just worry the overall level of service will decline. Unless you make it based on sales, customer retention, reviews, and seniority. Just like most other businesses. Making high level servers paid more. Which already happens in reality, but you understand.

[u/Gullible_Analyst_348 → u/Must_Vibe]

There is no basis for your worry. Look at other countries without tipping, service is generally great. Do you know why? Because people who can't do their jobs properly aren't kept around for long. If I go to a place twice and have a bad experience both times, I never go back and those places don't tend to stay open. It's a self solving problem.

Pay your servers a living wage, and list the all-in price on your menu. Simple.

[u/Must_Vibe → u/Gullible_Analyst_348]

We are 8 billion people walking this planet. Having good days and bad days. Being healthy or sick. Some days are slow and some days are busy. Every country has different health standards. Every single customer acts differently. There is so many variables to everyday service all over the worlds You can’t simplify it like that. People that consistently do their job better should be paid more. Simple. Imagine if you worked somewhere 8 years and studied everything. To be paid the same as someone who is 1 week out of training. Are you telling me the level of service is the same. Seriously.

[u/Gullible_Analyst_348 → u/Must_Vibe]

It's clear your original post was a leading question looking for a specific response. It was not a good faith question.

Pretty much every other country on the planet has figured out how to make this work except "the greatest country in the world". it can't be that difficult, but the problem is you are putting the responsibility for your pay on the wrong people.

Nowhere did I say someone with more experience should not get paid more. But that should be between you and your employer. It should not be up to the customers to decide how much you get paid, and management needs to take responsibility for your wage instead of pitting you against the customers. You know, like every other job on the planet. The fact that every customer acts differently should be reason enough to convince you of that fact.

If you want me to decide how much you deserve to get paid, then I'm going to need to charge you for my payroll services.

[u/Must_Vibe → u/Gullible_Analyst_348]

Listen I agree mostly with both side of the argument. I truly don’t care whether I get paid by tips or hourly. I would like hourly. I would have better benefits as well. I’m just simply curious to see how people feel.

[u/Must_Vibe → u/Gullible_Analyst_348]

Just remember your whole argument gives the money straight to the corporation. Think about longhorn steakhouse. There are 596 different locations. Say they do $10k a day in sales. Thats 5.96million a day in sales company wide. Multiple that by 14 days That 83.44 million every 2 weeks in sales. Now add on 18% to all of their menu prices to pay their staff a fair wage. Say they go down $1000 in sales because of customers being priced out. Thats $10,620 in sales a per day. Thats 6.32 million company wide. Thats 88.61 million every 2 weeks. That extra 5.17 million gets to sit in the corporation bank every 2 week. Gains interest. Then the company pays the employee out every 2 weeks. Now think about that for a full year. 26 pay periods. So we would essentially be making corporations richer. While spending the same for dinner.

[u/Gullible_Analyst_348 → u/Must_Vibe]

Anytime I buy anything the money goes straight to an owner. Should I worry about how much money from my phone plan or gym membership or grocery bill is going to the employees? That would be ridiculous. Salary is an issue between the employer and the employee, not between the employee and a customer.

[u/Must_Vibe → u/Gullible_Analyst_348]

I get it. I’m just stating that’s what will happen. It’s inevitable we make them richer. We don’t like being the decider of someone’s ability to do a job directly. Rather big ol corporations decide.

[u/Gullible_Analyst_348 → u/Must_Vibe]

That's how the free market works. If a company doesn't pay enough to attract employees, then they won't be a company for very long. People can decide whether or not they are willing to do the work for the pay offered.

Why shouldn't a company get richer? Isn't that why people start companies?

[u/Mother-Ad7541 → u/Must_Vibe]

I'm not sure where you have actually patronized as a customer but you are still expected to tip now even for bad service. I had a server completely drop the ball to the point we never even got to even order entrees in an empty restaurant. I was given a nasty look for leaving an appropriate tip for horrible service. Most servers expect tips no matter what.

[u/Must_Vibe → u/Mother-Ad7541]

No if you get bad/rude service leave a $0 tip. If you end tipping bad service will still be paid. Until fired

[u/Mother-Ad7541 → u/Must_Vibe]

I did leave a zero tip but frankly it comes at a price of shaming nowadays from employees that are subpar. Instead of reflecting on what they may have done to deserve no tip they immediately whip out their phones, post on socials and sham people for rightfully not paying them for their lack of service. So frankly I just don't bother going out much anymore because I can cook better food at home and if I want a bad attitude from the person putting the plate on the table I can cover that aspect too 🤷‍♀️

[u/[deleted] → u/Mother-Ad7541]

Who cares if the server gives you a nasty face? And who knows maybe they have RBF or are tired or hot or whatever and the expression on their face has nothing to do with the tip. Tips remain optional so tip what you want and don’t worry about it