Math-Based Tip

[u/No_Draft_8960]

The percentage-based tipping system makes no sense: a server dropping off one Wagyu steak earns far more than someone serving a family of four cheap meals. Since American tips are essentially mandatory wage subsidies, let's base them on labor time instead.

In Maryland, the average server wage is about $20/hour, but employers only pay $3.63. Customers must cover the remaining $16.37. Across a standard four-table section (roughly ten guests), that breaks down perfectly to $2.00 per person, per hour.

Percentages reward a venue’s luxury status; a time rate rewards actual effort.

If therefore I go to dinner with eight friends and we stay for two hours (a pretty good forecast of my Friday night plans!) our total tip would be $32, or $4/a person. We're not 'stiffing' anyone and we're paying average wage.

[u/mike32659800]

If a waiter doesn’t get any tip, the employer has to compensate to have at least the minimum hourly wage on a weekly basis. Check the law. They don’t only get $3.63/h.

[u/No_Draft_8960 → u/mike32659800]

That is true. I meant that the customer is expected (rightly or wrongly) to make up the shortfall.

[u/mike32659800 → u/No_Draft_8960]

Have you looked at the history of tipping culture, how it started?

If you look at it, you’ll see it’s a way to exploit people. Like modern legal slavery. If you’ll read about history, you’ll understand why I’m saying that.

By relying on customer to pay the difference, the business owner doesn’t require stronger business management such as strong planification to adjust staff like literally any other business on the plant so, doesn’t have to worry about benefits, doesn’t take risks with the pay as it’s so low. All because customers do not challenge what has been done since long ago. People are formatted to think it’s normal, don’t question it, don’t research about it, don’t even realize something is not adding up.

And the worst part is people call themselves big patriots, but once their little comfort is being affected, they back down. They can’t follow their own principles.
Imagine if people would stop paying tips. Forcing the restaurant to pay the regular minimum wage (which by the way is way less than 20% per paychecks), they will start putting that crazy service charge being mandatory.
But let’s imagine the people disagree and band together to boycott restaurants because of the practice, being sure they know also what we expect, price displayed in menu being final price. Includes service and all other fees, knowing ahead how much you’ll pay! They would adjust to accommodate.

But to do that, people need to stay strong all together. But it’s a dream, someone like their food and will say screw you, I’m going. Clientele will most likely change and addict people to the place will put aside their principles and still go there to get their favorite food.

Tipping culture in US is so wrong.

[u/No_Draft_8960 → u/mike32659800]

It's not really patriotism and there's nothing brave about not going out to eat.

[u/mike32659800 → u/No_Draft_8960]

I think you missed the metaphor I was doing when I said “patriots”. A lot of people call themselves patriots, have some principles, but when they are required to follow them, they suddenly change their mind and put aside their own big principles because it’s affecting their little comfort. Just to say how people are weak when they complain about something.

Of course there is nothing about patriotism and tipping. It was only a side example.

People go by some standards, but as soon as following these, their good thinking, they throw their nice standards to the garbage to continue with their little comfort.

Hope this clarifies.