As a waiter, it’s not uncommon to serve a table of teenagers only to receive a $2 tip on the table for an hour’s work on multiple meals. Far too often, teenage patrons cheat waiters out of much-deserved pay, claiming that they are too poor to tip, they don’t know how to tip, or that their parental figures haven’t modeled what respectful tipping implies.
Servers depend on tips to make a sustainable pay to support themselves and their families, being that the majority of states don’t require restaurants to follow federal minimum wage for their servers. Many waiters are paid less than $3 per hour; thus, they rely on tips as their main source of income.
Olivia Baldock, a Bowling Green High School senior, says, “Everyone should tip because waiters’ wages are dependent on getting tips.” Not only that, but most waiters do not have health insurance or needed benefits imbedded in their pay. Health insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, etc. has to come out of their own paycheck, and to add insult to injury, waiters are often required to split their tips, meaning that a portion of the tips they recieve have to be given to the hosts and bartenders.
The status of the food is a common excuse non-tippers and sparing tippers use, whether it came out late, didn’t taste right, or defied expectations in some other detrimental way. However, the fault for these deficiencies rarely falls on the server. Waiters have very little control over what the kitchen produces; they are merely the messengers, so cutting their pay does little but make their lives more difficult. And even if it is their fault, give them the benefit of the doubt. Everyone has bad days, and it’s crazy to degrade their pay when in any other profession their pay would remain constant.
Servers do much more than bring out food. Often times, their job requires that they open and close the restaurant, and they have many other duties, such as stocking the shelves and sweeping the floors, that make or break a dining experience. The majority of servers also work long, late hours, often including national holidays and periods of religious observation.
A courteous minimum tip is 15% of the total meal price, 20% if possible. This translates to $1.50-$2 for every $10 spent. Discounting should not affect a tip, but modifications, substitutions, or replacements should.
Diksha Mishra, senior, says, “The way a waiter behaves changes how much you should tip them, but you should always tip.” Serving is difficult because it requires an ability to interact socially even in difficult situations and to remain composed throughout tense and stressful events. These workers deserve to make a sustainable living while working so hard to create a pleasurable atmosphere, so tipping is a crucial practice in an economic atmosphere that will not otherwise compensate them properly. If students cannot afford or refuse to tip, and tip well, they should not go out to eat.
Servers depend on tips to make a sustainable pay to support themselves and their families, being that the majority of states don’t require restaurants to follow federal minimum wage for their servers. Many waiters are paid less than $3 per hour; thus, they rely on tips as their main source of income.
Olivia Baldock, a Bowling Green High School senior, says, “Everyone should tip because waiters’ wages are dependent on getting tips.” Not only that, but most waiters do not have health insurance or needed benefits imbedded in their pay. Health insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, etc. has to come out of their own paycheck, and to add insult to injury, waiters are often required to split their tips, meaning that a portion of the tips they recieve have to be given to the hosts and bartenders.
The status of the food is a common excuse non-tippers and sparing tippers use, whether it came out late, didn’t taste right, or defied expectations in some other detrimental way. However, the fault for these deficiencies rarely falls on the server. Waiters have very little control over what the kitchen produces; they are merely the messengers, so cutting their pay does little but make their lives more difficult. And even if it is their fault, give them the benefit of the doubt. Everyone has bad days, and it’s crazy to degrade their pay when in any other profession their pay would remain constant.
Servers do much more than bring out food. Often times, their job requires that they open and close the restaurant, and they have many other duties, such as stocking the shelves and sweeping the floors, that make or break a dining experience. The majority of servers also work long, late hours, often including national holidays and periods of religious observation.
A courteous minimum tip is 15% of the total meal price, 20% if possible. This translates to $1.50-$2 for every $10 spent. Discounting should not affect a tip, but modifications, substitutions, or replacements should.
Diksha Mishra, senior, says, “The way a waiter behaves changes how much you should tip them, but you should always tip.” Serving is difficult because it requires an ability to interact socially even in difficult situations and to remain composed throughout tense and stressful events. These workers deserve to make a sustainable living while working so hard to create a pleasurable atmosphere, so tipping is a crucial practice in an economic atmosphere that will not otherwise compensate them properly. If students cannot afford or refuse to tip, and tip well, they should not go out to eat.
By Olivia Johnson