I don't understand tipping culture...

[Ieyke]

Does anyone else find this tipping culture strange and weird, why do we have to give a tip 5-10% of our restaurant bill every time we have a meal even if the service is okay/competent.

I get why a person would tip if they find the waitress/waiter has been really good, but why would we give a tip for okay/competent service. It just seems like serving staff being uppity and entitled. Why should serving staff expect a tip from every single customer and expect a percentage of the bill, isn't it meant to be a voluntary thing, not some compulsory charge for the consumer.

I would tip a waiter/waitress if they went out of their way to help me when something was wrong and were very friendly, but I wouldn't tip for okay/competent service.

Am I just being stingy or do other people feel this way? Also if you do follow the tipping culture could you explain why you do so?

You're looking at it backwards. Unfortunately, waiters and such are paid less than minimum wage on the assumption that they are paid in tips.
Essentially, you're an asshole if you don't tip because you should simply assume the tip to be part of the price of the meal.

I think it's a stupid system, don't get me wrong, but that's how it is.

 

[Lilani]

Waiters pretty much live off those tips so think of it as helping out another human being in rough times. Anyone who has been a waiter will know that it is very helpful to tip good.

Yeah, waiters, at least here in the US, live off of tips. Especially considering how tough times are right now.

Sorta on-topic: I was watching this one episode of Kitchen Nightmares where the owner of this one restaurant actually takes the waiters' tips for himself.

I don't know if either of you realize this, but in the US it is impossible for a waiter or waitress to make below minimum wage. Whatever they don't make in tips the restaurant is required by law to make up for, so that based on the number of hours they work it equates to at least minimum wage.

So while minimum wage is barely enough to live on under ideal conditions and impossible to live on otherwise, they won't go completely hungry if they aren't tipped. Someone else earlier made the assessment that in the US tips are basically a culturally-accepted ruse that causes customers to pay off even more of the staff's wages directly, and I'm tempted to agree with that. If restaurants were forced to simply pay their workers regular, decent wages like every other service-based business in existence then it wouldn't be a problem.

I'm not saying waiters and waitresses don't deserve to get paid enough, in fact it's just the opposite. They deserve to have the same kind of income security and regularity as everyone else out there. And the rest of the world shouldn't trick itself into seeing tips as essentially an extra fee that, under any other system, simply would have been included in their meal to begin with. It isn't a courtesy, just a system encouraged by restaurants to offset the cost of staff wages.

 

[Lilani]

You're looking at it backwards. Unfortunately, waiters and such are paid less than minimum wage on the assumption that they are paid in tips.
Essentially, you're an asshole if you don't tip because you should simply assume the tip to be part of the price of the meal.

I think it's a stupid system, don't get me wrong, but that's how it is.

Oi, you too. I just posted this right before you posted, but I'm replying to say it again because apparently this really is something a lot of people don't know.

Even if a waiter or waitress makes nothing in tips, as long as they worked they are required to be paid minimum wage. Waiters and waitresses document their tips, and if they don't make at least minimum wage the restaurant is required by law to pay them the difference. It is illegal to allow them to make less than the federal minimum wage for their time. The only people who are allowed to be paid less than minimum wage are the disabled, but that's another problem altogether. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GznAli633yA]

In other words, restaurants aren't unfamiliar with the idea of paying their staff. We've just got a lovely tipping culture that allows restaurants to offset their staff wages with what amounts to donations from the general public, rather than every other type of monetary exchange in which the product's price is based on everything required to make and serve it, including staff wages.

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

Waiters pretty much live off those tips so think of it as helping out another human being in rough times. Anyone who has been a waiter will know that it is very helpful to tip good.

Yeah, waiters, at least here in the US, live off of tips. Especially considering how tough times are right now.

Sorta on-topic: I was watching this one episode of Kitchen Nightmares where the owner of this one restaurant actually takes the waiters' tips for himself.

I don't know if either of you realize this, but in the US it is impossible for a waiter or waitress to make below minimum wage. Whatever they don't make in tips the restaurant is required by law to make up for, so that based on the number of hours they work it equates to at least minimum wage.

So while minimum wage is barely enough to live on under ideal conditions and impossible to live on otherwise, they won't go completely hungry if they aren't tipped. Someone else earlier made the assessment that in the US tips are basically a culturally-accepted ruse that causes customers to pay off even more of the staff's wages directly, and I'm tempted to agree with that. If restaurants were forced to simply pay their workers regular, decent wages like every other service-based business in existence then it wouldn't be a problem.

I'm not saying waiters and waitresses don't deserve to get paid enough, in fact it's just the opposite. They deserve to have the same kind of income security and regularity as everyone else out there. And the rest of the world shouldn't trick itself into seeing tips as essentially an extra fee that, under any other system, simply would have been included in their meal to begin with. It isn't a courtesy, just a system encouraged by restaurants to offset the cost of staff wages.

It is the law that they must make minimum wage, however, the reality is that employers will " make it understood" that if you report less than minimum wage, you will not hold that position very long. Sadly this is a common practice in the US as well. Basically they MUST report that they make at least minimum wage, even if they do not or they will make nothing at all at many establishments. So although it is illegal, it is far from impossible, as this is the reality of many in the service industry. In college I bartended at quite a number of places and in every single one of them, this was understood among the staff, and anyone that dared report they made less than minimum wage that week was not there the next. They build up BS files on people to give them an excuse to fire them. Hell one owner used to send in friends to be waited on and make a big scene just to do that.

 

[Lilani]

It is the law that they must make minimum wage, however, the reality is that employers will " make it understood" that if you report less than minimum wage, you will not hold that position very long. Sadly this is a common practice in the US as well. Basically they MUST report that they make at least minimum wage, even if they do not or they will make nothing at all at many establishments. So although it is illegal, it is far from impossible, as this is the reality of many in the service industry. In college I bartended at quite a number of places and in every single one of them, this was understood among the staff, and anyone that dared report they made less than minimum wage that week was not there the next.

Aaaand that's just another reason the tipping culture is screwed up. And what makes me mad is it's almost impossible to say "we need to stop tipping" without sounding like you're implying waiters should get paid less. It's a system that no person who wants to see waiters get paid a decent amount would support, yet everybody's convinced you're an asshole if you don't do this the very thought of not tipping is basically a sin in itself. There needs to be some sort of exposee on this sort of thing :-\

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

It is the law that they must make minimum wage, however, the reality is that employers will " make it understood" that if you report less than minimum wage, you will not hold that position very long. Sadly this is a common practice in the US as well. Basically they MUST report that they make at least minimum wage, even if they do not or they will make nothing at all at many establishments. So although it is illegal, it is far from impossible, as this is the reality of many in the service industry. In college I bartended at quite a number of places and in every single one of them, this was understood among the staff, and anyone that dared report they made less than minimum wage that week was not there the next.

Aaaand that's just another reason the tipping culture is screwed up. And what makes me mad is it's almost impossible to say "we need to stop tipping" without sounding like you're implying waiters should get paid less. It's a system that no person who wants to see waiters get paid a decent amount would support, yet everybody's convinced you're an asshole if you don't do this the very thought of not tipping is basically a sin in itself. There needs to be some sort of exposee on this sort of thing :-\

The sad part is the workers themselves are not in a position to fight it on their own. This has to be addressed legally, and employers held accountable. The system should be fixed, but it isn't going to happen unless the majority make it priority. I don't see that happening though anytime soon, so yea I would think myself an asshole if I didn't tip in the meantime. Until it is fixed, all you do is punish the employees that already have a horrible job with crappy pay making their situation worse.

For an employee who depends on that job to keep them from living in a cardboard box, the risk of exposing their employer and becoming blacklisted by many employers for doing so far outweighs the benefit from exposing them for what they do. It has to be addressed by those not in a position to starve from doing so.

 

[Lilani]

The sad part is the workers themselves are not in a position to fight it on their own. This has to be addressed legally, and employers held accountable. The system should be fixed, but it isn't going to happen unless the majority make it priority. I don't see that happening though anytime soon, so yea I would think myself an asshole if I didn't tip in the meantime. Until it is fixed, all you do is punish the employees that already have a horrible job with crappy pay making their situation worse.

For an employee who depends on that job to keep them from living in a cardboard box, the risk of exposing their employer and becoming blacklisted by many employers for doing so far outweighs the benefit from exposing them for what they do. It has to be addressed by those not in a position to starve from doing so.

Yeah, I agree, and I certainly wouldn't protest the system by not tipping. I can already see the arguments playing out: conservatives will defend the system and say there will be "consequences" if we make restaurants pay minimum wage, and if a few businesses close and prices go up[footnote]Which of course they would because they've either been artificially lowered by them not having to pay all of their staff wages, or they'll raise them just for shiggles with the excuse that they're having to pay more.[/footnote] they'll say it's those "consequences" playing out and that those horrible liberals need to stop ruining our fine dining with their communist European values.

But like you said, that's a long ways out :-\ We'd either need a big organization to take on the task, or a big scandal like that supreme court case regarding Hollywood interns.

 

[the clockmaker]

You shouldn't "expect" someone to tip.

Instead, you should get off your backside and go after the government for allowing your employers to pay you shit-all.

But no, that'd take work wouldn't it?

Sorry, mate, but your page says that you are just turning 18 yeah? (congrats, have a draught for me btw) I know that you are not gonna like hearing this, but 18 is not the time to be chastising the rest of the workforce for not working hard enough.

Yeah that was a little smart-arsey I guess

Out of curiosity, what is it that you do for a living?

None, studying. Also most jobs are out of the question because an illness. Studying for one that will allow me make an income though.

Then mate, I don't mean to slap you down here, but if you are unemployed, maybe you shouldn't be harping on people who work not working hard enough.

I never meant to imply that. I'm saying that maybe the people "expecting" tips should instead do something about the fact that they're payed next-to-nothing rather than expecting the customers to pay for them aswell as their food.

And I'm telling you that there is fuck all that they can do, I am telling you that you do not seem to understand what workplaces are like.

 

[SaberXIII]

Waiters pretty much live off those tips so think of it as helping out another human being in rough times. Anyone who has been a waiter will know that it is very helpful to tip good.

I'm not disputing that tips are very helpful, but in my experience we don't live off them at all. It's a bit of extra cash, which is great, but what we live off is our actual wage. We probably worked in totally different places, but it's hard to believe the difference would be so big. If it's a waiter working in an up-market restaurant I'd be more inclined to agree with you, though.

You are aware that some places will fire employees who report they make under minimum wage, and will only hire employees who agree to be paid like $2.75 an hour right? Not all establishments are the same. Some are quite harsh.

I usually tip more at the lower cost places than I do at the fine dining places simply because the people working often make more on average the higher cost of the food. I figure those making less need it more since most people tip on a percentage rather than a dollar amount. I left a $100 tip for a $7 meal once. LOL

No, I wasn't aware of that, actually. Damn. I suppose if you were unable to find any other job and you had to accept that one then tips would go some way towards living costs. Still, I'd imagine those people would have a constant eye out for a new job.

 

[immortalfrieza]

It isn't like servers can demand anything. They are considered a dime a dozen and employers just get rid of them and take the next starving person for the job. Hell in non union states, employers will tell you ahead of time that they will be fired if they join a union. You are punishing those that are already unable to feed themselves by not tipping. You STILL tip, but then elect officials that will hopefully change this. That is all you can really do, as in the end, these people can't afford to wait for the system to change to keep a roof over their heads or feed their kids. If they could afford to fight their employers or find better jobs, I am sure they would have done so already.

There is PLENTY that servers can do. Serving isn't the only job who's workers have been paid crap, are "a dime a dozen and employers just get rid of them and just take the next starving person for the job" and yet still took measures to get fair wages at some point and succeeded. In fact, most jobs with large numbers of workers were paying crap wages to everybody a few decades ago until the workers stood up to their employers, sought and fought for better wages, and got them. The fact that the workers are plentiful and thus can be easily replaced is the most ridiculous excuse I EVER hear from anyone as to why they shouldn't be doing this.

According to the education and economic development committee, we are short like 22 million jobs in the underqualifed areas. When you have that many people fighting for jobs, you cannot expect this to get better anytime soon. What are you proposing these people do in the meantime when they need a place to live today and food on the table tonight? If you have the answers to that I would gladly try to speed things up, but since this is not something quickly and easily solved, I care about what happens to these people today.

"but since this is not something quickly and easily solved, I care about what happens to these people today"
This kinda thing has NEVER been something that can be solved quickly and easily, it requires time, effort, and sacrifice. People are going to lose their jobs, people are going to go hungry, people are going to end up homeless, but that's the price that needs to be paid in order to affect change, and people both in the past and now have paid and continue to pay these prices and end up getting what they wanted. If these servers aren't willing to pay the price to get their wages increased to a reasonable level, they have NO grounds to complain about the fact that they're being paid hardly anything.

You wanted to know what we can do? I'll tell you. Here's what the average joe can do to help:
1. Stop tipping "just because," tipping because they do a exceptional job is fine. By tipping just because it is the socially acceptable thing to do, you are allowing servers to get by until they can leave that job, thus giving them little reason to do anything about their crap wages. I've said it before and I'll say it again, if everybody across the country stopped tipping tomorrow, then you'd see servers quitting their jobs in droves, picketing their restaurants, forming unions and so forth to increase wages. Tipping is like trying to help ease a crack addict's withdrawal symptoms by giving them more crack, it's only helping the problem continue, not actually solving the problem.

2. Contact mayors, Senators, and whatever and try to get them to put some pressure on these businesses so that the servers have some ground to stand on if and when they decide to go up against their employers. Sure it'll probably amount to nothing in the end anyway, but changes in the status quo never happened because everybody just sat on the hind ends and did nothing.

3. Raise awareness of the problem in any way we can, small or not. Getting the fact that the problem IS a problem out to general public is needed for anything to happen.

The rest? The rest is up to them, the servers. If they decide to do nothing, there's nothing that can be done. People who are in a Catch 22 situation have to be willing to do SOMETHING to get out of that situation or they never will.

When they have to be paid $2.75 an hour or nothing, it DOES matter how much they are being paid when they have to find somewhere to live. Of course you could vote to have your taxes raised to pay for them to be built homes and fed and not work for these people, but you will have to get the majority vote for this to happen. When you get the majority vote, then we can stop tipping.

...and we won't get majority votes until servers across the nation start doing something about their crap wages, which they have little motivation to do BECAUSE PEOPLE TIP THEM!!! Do you see the contradiction here? Do you see why this is a self fulfilling prophecy? If you don't, then there's little point in me saying anything more.

 

[AnarchistFish]

(3) "They agree to work for those wages, it's not my responsibility to pay their salary." We agree to work for those wages BECAUSE TIPS ARE EXPECTED. Businesses are only allowed to pay that low BECAUSE TIPS ARE EXPECTED.

So?

(4) "I don't tip/don't believe in it." Congratulations, you're a jerk. Don't ever order from my restaurant. Or anyone else's. And don't pass your idiotic idea on to others, either.

Such arrogance.

Don't get why so many people are quick to label people who don't agree with the tipping system as jerks, especially when there are such strong arguments against it.

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

It isn't like servers can demand anything. They are considered a dime a dozen and employers just get rid of them and take the next starving person for the job. Hell in non union states, employers will tell you ahead of time that they will be fired if they join a union. You are punishing those that are already unable to feed themselves by not tipping. You STILL tip, but then elect officials that will hopefully change this. That is all you can really do, as in the end, these people can't afford to wait for the system to change to keep a roof over their heads or feed their kids. If they could afford to fight their employers or find better jobs, I am sure they would have done so already.

There is PLENTY that servers can do. Serving isn't the only job who's workers have been paid crap, are "a dime a dozen and employers just get rid of them and just take the next starving person for the job" and yet still took measures to get fair wages at some point and succeeded. In fact, most jobs with large numbers of workers were paying crap wages to everybody a few decades ago until the workers stood up to their employers, sought and fought for better wages, and got them. The fact that the workers are plentiful and thus can be easily replaced is the most ridiculous excuse I EVER hear from anyone as to why they shouldn't be doing this.

According to the education and economic development committee, we are short like 22 million jobs in the underqualifed areas. When you have that many people fighting for jobs, you cannot expect this to get better anytime soon. What are you proposing these people do in the meantime when they need a place to live today and food on the table tonight? If you have the answers to that I would gladly try to speed things up, but since this is not something quickly and easily solved, I care about what happens to these people today.

"but since this is not something quickly and easily solved, I care about what happens to these people today"
This kinda thing has NEVER been something that can be solved quickly and easily, it requires time, effort, and sacrifice. People are going to lose their jobs, people are going to go hungry, people are going to end up homeless, but that's the price that needs to be paid in order to affect change, and people both in the past and now have paid and continue to pay these prices and end up getting what they wanted. If these servers aren't willing to pay the price to get their wages increased to a reasonable level, they have NO grounds to complain about the fact that they're being paid hardly anything.

You wanted to know what we can do? I'll tell you. Here's what the average joe can do to help:
1. Stop tipping "just because," tipping because they do a exceptional job is fine. By tipping just because it is the socially acceptable thing to do, you are allowing servers to get by until they can leave that job, thus giving them little reason to do anything about their crap wages. I've said it before and I'll say it again, if everybody across the country stopped tipping tomorrow, then you'd see servers quitting their jobs in droves, picketing their restaurants, forming unions and so forth to increase wages. Tipping is like trying to help ease a crack addict's withdrawal symptoms by giving them more crack, it's only helping the problem continue, not actually solving the problem.

2. Contact mayors, Senators, and whatever and try to get them to put some pressure on these businesses so that the servers have some ground to stand on if and when they decide to go up against their employers. Sure it'll probably amount to nothing in the end anyway, but changes in the status quo never happened because everybody just sat on the hind ends and did nothing.

3. Raise awareness of the problem in any way we can, small or not. Getting the fact that the problem IS a problem out to general public is needed for anything to happen.

The rest? The rest is up to them, the servers. If they decide to do nothing, there's nothing that can be done. People who are in a Catch 22 situation have to be willing to do SOMETHING to get out of that situation or they never will.

When they have to be paid $2.75 an hour or nothing, it DOES matter how much they are being paid when they have to find somewhere to live. Of course you could vote to have your taxes raised to pay for them to be built homes and fed and not work for these people, but you will have to get the majority vote for this to happen. When you get the majority vote, then we can stop tipping.

...and we won't get majority votes until servers across the nation start doing something about their crap wages, which they have little motivation to do BECAUSE PEOPLE TIP THEM!!! Do you see the contradiction here? Do you see why this is a self fulfilling prophecy? If you don't, then there's little point in me saying anything more.

Who the hell tips because it is socially acceptable? I tip because I know that those servers depend on those tips to survive. Hell would have to be frozen over and pigs flying around for Texas to turn Union, so I know there is no chance in hell for the servers here to change anything. There are plenty of unions, just not any with muscle here. There ARE unions, but this is a right to work state. All you do by not tipping and blaming servers is ensure they become homeless and starve. Most servers are in school or in between jobs. With the immigration Texas has, those jobs will be filled before the next shift.
Texas has stayed this way because the employers will just hire immigrants if the citizens refuse to accept their terms, not because people haven't tried. I contact my representative, it isn't like they care because I didn't vote for him. Here, those that wish to change these things are simply outnumbered. I would think Texas would be one of the last states to go union, if at all.

 

[Forgetitnow344]

(3) "They agree to work for those wages, it's not my responsibility to pay their salary." We agree to work for those wages BECAUSE TIPS ARE EXPECTED. Businesses are only allowed to pay that low BECAUSE TIPS ARE EXPECTED.

So?

(4) "I don't tip/don't believe in it." Congratulations, you're a jerk. Don't ever order from my restaurant. Or anyone else's. And don't pass your idiotic idea on to others, either.

Such arrogance.

Don't get why so many people are quick to label people who don't agree with the tipping system as jerks, especially when there are such strong arguments against it.

Because the arguments against it aren't very good or they're at least misguided. Jobs that typically receive tips are considered easy from an outside perspective. How hard can it be to carry plates? How hard can it be to drive a car? People enter those jobs for the perceived simplicity and good pay then find out that neither of those things are true. The job is hard and you aren't paid very well.

This is especially true for delivery drivers who drive their own car. We put a lot of money into our job. And we don't even expect to make as much as 15% of the check. $2 is considered a bare minimum tip and no one will get mad at it. Give the driver a whopping five dollars, even on a $50 order, and his face will light up. We don't ask for much and it doesn't feel like much to you (and I can speak from experience since I both receive tips and also tip well on everything). Servers, I can't speak for, but a driver needs tips or else he's destroying his only means of transportation for nothing.

Why don't drivers just refuse to work for that wage? Because as I've already said, the job seems like easy money and there are ALWAYS drivers lining up. I'm doing it because I need the high-risk-high-reward style job to pay for school so that one day I can get an adult job.

 

[sageoftruth]

In response to the idea that tipping should only be for good service, that still leaves the question of what we do for terrible service. We can't just decline to pay for our meals. It doesn't happen all that often, but there are times when I've gotten service so terrible that even refusing to tip at all seemed too generous. Anyway, it's good to know that when a waiter does an offensively poor job, usually involving a bad attitude, I at least have the option not to tip and know that it will mean something.

 

[madwarper]

Trying to explain the concept of tipping in the US is like poorly told a story. In order to understand it, you had to be there.

So, if you truly want to understand the "tipping culture", come to the US and get a job (food server, delivery driver, etc.) that depends on tips, and work the job for a week, a month, a year. Walk a mile in their shoes. Find out what it's like to be the one getting stiffed before you try to reason why you would stiff them.

 

[Xdeser2]

As I understand the US tipping culture is an elaborate ruse by restaurants to make customers pay their staff's wages for them

Pretty much. Its just employers exploiting a common courtesy so they have an excuse not to pay servers even Federally mandated minimum wage.

Personally, I tip. Its just courteous, and I don't want to be a dick, besides, alot of these people dont even get paid in anything more than tips. However, I do see the irony of wanting to help people while enabling their employer to straight up say "Hey look, he/she gets a tip, they don't need our pay!"

 

[Rylingo]

The fact that there is a standard expected tip tells me all I need to know about how broken the tipping system is. I'm glad I don't have to abide by it in the UK/Ireland where they pay the staff more than buttons. I'll still tip if the service is outstanding. You get a quid if it's acceptable and I'll complain if you are bad at your job.

The real trouble for me was trying to understand how much to tip in which countries. I was in Norway recently. I have no idea how much I am expected to tip and whether the staff are well paid. Granted the only time I noticed any problems was when I didn't tip at a TGI Fridays. The delivery of my drinks was very slow (they actively seemed to be avoiding me) until I paid tips. It seemed ridiculous since popping the cap of a bottle and walking it over to me should not require a tip of any shop.

 

[shootthebandit]

Think of eating out like fixing your car. You get charged parts and labour. The food is the equivelant of the parts and the waiting is the labour (its a loose analogy but stick with it)

You can go to a garage and just get the parts and fix it yourself ( a buffet where you help yourself) or you can pay parts and labour (waited restraunt). You dont get a bill for the parts and then decide if you want to pay the mechanic or not....so why treat waiters the same?

 

[AnarchistFish]

(3) "They agree to work for those wages, it's not my responsibility to pay their salary." We agree to work for those wages BECAUSE TIPS ARE EXPECTED. Businesses are only allowed to pay that low BECAUSE TIPS ARE EXPECTED.

So?

(4) "I don't tip/don't believe in it." Congratulations, you're a jerk. Don't ever order from my restaurant. Or anyone else's. And don't pass your idiotic idea on to others, either.

Such arrogance.

Don't get why so many people are quick to label people who don't agree with the tipping system as jerks, especially when there are such strong arguments against it.

Because the arguments against it aren't very good or they're at least misguided. Jobs that typically receive tips are considered easy from an outside perspective. How hard can it be to carry plates? How hard can it be to drive a car? People enter those jobs for the perceived simplicity and good pay then find out that neither of those things are true. The job is hard and you aren't paid very well.

This is especially true for delivery drivers who drive their own car. We put a lot of money into our job. And we don't even expect to make as much as 15% of the check. $2 is considered a bare minimum tip and no one will get mad at it. Give the driver a whopping five dollars, even on a $50 order, and his face will light up. We don't ask for much and it doesn't feel like much to you (and I can speak from experience since I both receive tips and also tip well on everything). Servers, I can't speak for, but a driver needs tips or else he's destroying his only means of transportation for nothing.

Why don't drivers just refuse to work for that wage? Because as I've already said, the job seems like easy money and there are ALWAYS drivers lining up. I'm doing it because I need the high-risk-high-reward style job to pay for school so that one day I can get an adult job.

I don't understand. How are they wrong or misguided?

I think you're arguing about people tipping within the system, but this is about the system as a whole. And it's been shown to be discriminatory (in that tips are given disproportionately based on factors outside the control of the employee) and exploitative (by the employers). It's problems could be solved by giving decent wages but people seem to be ignoring that as a possibility, and just labelling people who want to fight the tipping culture as jerks and idiots.

 

[madwarper]

Think of eating out like fixing your car. You get charged parts and labour. The food is the equivelant of the parts and the waiting is the labour (its a loose analogy but stick with it)

You can go to a garage and just get the parts and fix it yourself ( a buffet where you help yourself) or you can pay parts and labour (waited restraunt). You dont get a bill for the parts and then decide if you want to pay the mechanic or not....so why treat waiters the same?

Analogy fail.

Buying the parts and fixing it yourself is more like preparing your own dinner.
Paying a mechanic to fix it for you is more like getting take out.

Neither is like going to a sit down restaurant, where you're being served, because the mechanic is not continuously checking up on you, making sure the repair is to your satisfaction and immediately acting rectify the situation if it's not.