Tipping is Dumb

Tipping helps the ones who service you. Waitresses don't get paid much. Here they get about 4 dollars per hour, but only work part time. Tips help increase their earning and it shows that they did a good job. Yes I know it seems silly and stupid to you, but in fact you are helping that person out. You don't have to tip, but I do tip. I find it to be courteous.

It does seem silly that it is necessary to pay extra for the service and that people can get away with paying someone $2.83 an hour (that's what waitress minimum wage is here) - at the same time if you are good at it, you can actually earn a pretty good living that way - I was making about $80 in 5-6 hours each night when I was a waitress, my brother who is a waiter makes much more than that each night as he works in an expensive and busy restaurant. He makes nearly $150 each day he works, which for a 20 year old college kid is pretty dang good! I wish I would have done it when I was his age.

In most ways I agree. I do think it's ridiculous that the restaurant gets away with slave labor, barely even paying the waiter/waitress to come to work and making them beg for their tip. But on the other hand it's a way to applaud or boo a service provided. You're more likely to get good service when they know you are the one handling their pay, yet some people will and do abuse this ability and often under tip.

well i check out firt if there is a service charge... if there is already a service charged in my billings, i will give tips to the waiters/ waitresses. most of the time too i dont lieave anything, except if i feel really satisfied and happoy with the serive given.

It isn't fair that they get a lower wage. They work too hard for such a low amount. If the waitress did a good job, she deserves a good tip.

I think its unfair of employers to pay less in expectation that people will tip. I tip but i know theres those out there that refuse to tip for anything.

I don't believe in tipping either. I think it's crazy that it's EXPECTED!!! Tipping used to be about exceptional service, now some business owners underpay their staff, because tipping is EXPECTED!!!

Ok tipping people because it’s “expected” is a real bugbear with me. I don’t tip for the sake of it in restaurants. Here in the UK it is not compulsory to leave a tip in a restaurant and often I will check if a restaurant adds a “discretionary” service charge on their bill before I sit down to eat. I do not believe I should pay extra for good service. I expect the service to be good in the first place, if it is good, I will come back and spend money there again, if it’s not good, I’m not coming back, simple as. I do tip in some places where the service has been really good though but I would add that I am a very nice customer wherever I go, whether it’s a bank or clothes shop or railway station or bar or restaurant. Most of those places serve me politely and efficiently, so why should I be expected to tip the person in the restaurant just because they smiled at me or did their job properly? Everyone in the customer service industry is expected to provide good customer service. I’ve worked with varying types of customers throughout my career and didn’t expect a tip from any of them for just doing my job!

First of all, let me say that I think that waitresses deserve more than their minimum wage. However, I also think that most of them work really hard to give good service just because they know that the customer is the one who will pay them. Also, I must say that I don't know of any waitress that doesn't make more than minimum wage for the day as they always make more in tips than they would if they were paid $8.00 an hour. My daughter works in a restuarant and it is a small place that is family owned and in a small downtown area and it is nothing for her to make over $200 on Friday night in just 4 hours from her tips. People do tip and they do very well in money so don't feel sorry for them.

Oh my...we think alike. I wrote a discussion just exactly like this 3 weeks ago. You should tip because you want to and then only if you can afford it. I work in a convenience store and I deal with customers and it is not expected for us to get tips. My job requires just about the same as does a waitress or a bartender. I do run and do extra for the customers and I take time and treat them all special. my tips are in their kind words of appreciation. Only very occassionally will I get a monetary tip. I don't even expect it. My boss pays me and it is part of the job. My gripe lies with the employer who gets away with paying such a small raise as to make us all feel obligated to pay a tip whether the service is good or not. WE literally are paying his employees as well as paying for the service and the product.

in my country tipping is not a part of our dining custom but service charge is imposed (10-15%) plus some 5% govt tax. so that would make it 20% just like in the US where 20% is the normal rate. except that you don't have the option to pay lower for crappy service :P i believe you should tip her extra if she treats you nicely and tip her lower if she treats you badly but not tipping at all i believe is not acceptable among the servers. at least give them 5-10%. at least she did her job

I agree, it does not make sense. I guess the only thing I can think of is that it makes the service person try harder to do their job well in order to earn tips, but it can backfire, too, as some people, like my mother, are cheap tippers. I tip at 20% for wait staff, unless they are not good. They will be told why they earned a small tip, too, as I will leave them a note. I have worked for tips and sometimes I worked my butt off to do a good job and was stiffed. You make a valid point but unfortunately, I doubt that it will ever change.