TIPPING~ a way for restaurant owners to employ cheap service labor?

1. 60

   EstellaGraceposted 12 years ago

   TIPPING~ a way for restaurant owners to employ cheap service labor?
   
   While I am a tipped employee, and often times my tips+ minimum wage equals about $20.00/hr, I wonder how you all feel about having to tip?  If a heating contractor is sent to your house by a company, you pay the company, and they in turn pay the contractor.  In a restaurant, the owner pays the server a minimal hourly wage, leaving the "value" of the server in the hands of the customer.  Is this unfair to the customer?

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2. 59

   MadWhiteWaitressposted 12 years ago

   I believe this answer 'should' hopefully vary depending on which state/city/restaraunt we are talking about.  In NJ, atleast where I work, we start out at a base of 2.14 per hour, after being there several years, I still haven't broken $3/hr... Now, I have to figure in my $42 a week for health insurance, automatically deducted, plus my 401k, and sometimes I am left with a negative balance, in which I have to pay the insurance company or I will lose my coverage.  I know some servers in other states get minimum wage, but not where I work.  We also have to claim our tips, and we get taxed upon how much we claim, so that is also taken from our measly base pay.  I believe tips should be based upon the service received.  When my husband and I go out to eat, we won't leave less than $5 for the both of us, for standard service.  Usually we end up giving more if the service is excellent.

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3. 61

   nightwork4posted 12 years ago

   yes it is fair. i doubt many people would go to restaurants if the servers made $20 an hour because the food would cost way too much. also, it motivates servers to do a better job.

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4. 52

   msherrettposted 12 years ago

   No, actually this is very fair and it is also an age-old practice whose time is not yet outdated.

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