Libertarian Tipping

xjx388 said:
If it's a sales job, then the restaurant should be paying them commission.
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That would have been nice.

It's not really a sales job at low end restaurants, but it very much is at the high end restaurants. It certainly isn't high pressure sales, but it is sales. Its all about presentation and the ability to make their mouths water for it.
 
xjx388 said:
People are "insidiously awful" and "cheapskates," because we expect restaurants to pay their servers appropriately and not leave their income to our fickle discretion? That is some high hyperbole right there.
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You expect that restaurants pay their servers 'appropriately'? What does that mean? McDonald's or Walmart wages? Are they appropriately paid?

xjx388 said:
No. Waiting is a low-skill, no-qualifications-needed job. What is truly insidiously awful is the fact that we grossly underpay truly important jobs like teachers, police, firefighters, etc. and nobody argues that we should be tipping these jobs. I say if we are going to give people money for the direct service they provide to us, start stiffing the waiters and tip your kid's teacher.
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Yes, it is a no qualifications, low skill job. And yet it was a 'ladder' job that enabled me to move up in the world. I also know lots of teachers, firefighters and policemen that started out with restaurant jobs including many friends. Earning tips and the evening hours is about the only thing that made the job attractive to me. I had zero interest in it once I graduated from college.

BTW, most firefighters and police are paid damn well. Teachers are a disgrace though.
 
"I still tip because I understand the situation they are in but I question the system of tipping and don't agree with all of the ways it is implemented..."

"Well here's a long form rant about the entire history of capitalism, a bunch of anecdotes about not being tipped well when I was on a waitstaff, a demand you fix the entire wage structure of several industries, oh and you're cheap and probably poor."
 
JoeMorgue said:
"I still tip because I understand the situation they are in but I question the system of tipping and don't agree with all of the ways it is implemented..."

"Well here's a long form rant about the entire history of capitalism, a bunch of anecdotes about not being tipped well when I was on a waitstaff, a demand you fix the entire wage structure of several industries, oh and you're cheap and probably poor."
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Bwaa Bwaa. No one is demanding you fix the entire wage structure. In fact, the point was exactly the opposite. I don't think it can be done and if one really want to deal with income and/or wealth inequalities, why do you think this is the right place to start? Why aren't we starting with CEOs and hedge fund managers?

No, we have to start with poorly paid service people and the first thing we must do is halt the practice of tipping.

You may mean well, but I can't help thinking that it is one plan likely to backfire.
 
I looked up the wine thing. 20% is expected but they are well aware that it makes no sense. The argument is that, "you can afford it." So it does present an issues of signaling wealth. There are permissable woffsets such as giving the sommelier a glass.
 
I think people should tip workers who do services for them that take a fair amount of skill and who are in professions that don't pay all that well: barbers, waiters, and bartenders are the top three that come to mind (that I personally give tips to).

Those are hard jobs, and to do them well and with a pleasant attitude deserves some reward.
 
Dr. Keith said:
Yeah, you're just not paying attention. The best waiters are very good at sales.
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Sounds to me like he's frugal and doesn't go to fancy restaurants. I wouldn't know about waitstaff and salesmanship if I hadn't worked at a super fancy restaurant, at least.

When I go out to eat, Olive Garden is as expensive as it gets, and I'm obviously scanning the menu for the cheapest stuff even there.
 
Actually, the title comes from a story about gifting money to the wait staff.

Can A simple Note Make Tips Tax Free?

Yeah, just make sure you stay pretty close to the mark on those tips and you should stay
audit-free. But if 2016 Libertarian Presidential candidate Gary Johnson swings by your
restaurant and drops a big money tip that he calls a gift, you still have to report it.
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Anyway, the great experiment begins!

No-tipping Policy Begins At NYC Restaurant And Industry Is Watching

After months of preparation, Danny Meyer, whose various New York City restaurants have
won virtually every industry accolade in existence over the years, took the plunge into
the largely uncharted waters of tip-free dining.
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Solitaire said:
Actually, the title comes from a story about gifting money to the wait staff.




Anyway, the great experiment begins!
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The great experiment has already begun. Thomas Kellar's restaurants include service; no extra tipping is necessary. Several other top restaurants do as well. I always do anyway because those places, the service is incredible!

What we need is a major mid-market chain to institute such a policy.
 
xjx388 said:
That does not follow. When I sold a/v equipment, there was no line for the customer to add a commission. The customer paid the retail price for the equipment, plus tax, and the company paid me a commission out of that retail price. If I sold Sony equipment, I got a small percentage; if I sold Bose, I got a much higher percentage.

Waiters don't work on commission; but maybe they should. If a waiter generates more profit for the restaurant, the restaurant should pay them more. The waiter isn't generating more value for me as a customer by bringing me a soup as opposed to a steak but they are certainly generating more value for the restaurant. Why am I on the hook?
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They do though the tip is supposed to work that way. The thing is that if they folded the commission into the cost of the meal going out would look more expensive and so it works that way by the standard practice of tipping. When people tip a percentage of the bill it works exactly like a commission.
 
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