Toyomafia - The Clubhouse. 151.880

Mutually exclusive, so I guess we'll wait.

 

I never got a copy of that picture.

 

But at least he learned the dance.

 

This guy I used to bartend with did it as his career. He used to always say “You know who has been in the business by how they tip.” I’m not close to being rich by any means, I just spend my money really well - but I do tip a lot. I also make it a point to preface any call to a customer service person with, “I know this isn’t your fault…”

 

I guess if I A) ate fast food more often than once every few months and B) got good service when I did, I could tip those guys.

 

I don't think the give them out any more to be honest. They have merged with another company. You no longer have to show your membership card to get in. At least at the store here in town.

 

I think it's a regional difference though. Kids at McDonald's make $15/hr here, they don't need tips. In Texas minimum wage is $7.25/hr, I can see why tipping makes a bit more sense there. When I'm in the States, if the service is great at a fast food joint I'll often kick in an extra buck or two. My friend's wife is Norwegian. When they go back to Europe, there's no tipping at all. In some places it's often considered an insult to tip someone.

 

I travel to Italy almost every other year. I remember strange looks a few times when I left a tip. One time had the waiter come find me in the street to return it. Last time I was there it felt like they were waiting for a tip. This was mostly in larger city's tho.

 

That Texas (along with other states) number is a little more complicated, too. It sounds like toilet paper math, but if an employee makes more than $30/mo. in tips, they're considered a 'tipped employee', and the minimum wage is $2.13/hr. The expectation is that they'll receive the additional $5.12/hr in tips, relieving the employer from having to pay the full $7.25 federal minimum wage. Kinda shitty. If the ee falls short, the employer is supposed to make it up; and I'm sure there are good employers and bad employers, so one's mileage may vary.

I find myself stuck a bit on one topic around this; but usually come through even then. If all the waitstaff are doing is pushing the food over a counter at me, I'm loath to tip. There isn't usually any opportunity to judge 'good' service or 'bad' service, it's just vending. On the other hand, that's usually going to be a fast food situation, and adding a couple bucks onto a $10 bill isn't something that I can feel real harm from. Maybe if I was also making $2.13/hr. But I'm not.

 

I heard the opposite when I was in Europe. The tour companies all have to explain to the Australians that tipping is customary there. But I haven't been to Scandinavia yet.

 

I didn't know about that technicality. That's kind of crazy. In that case, tipping almost works against the employee if they make more than $30 in tips but not enough to make up the wage difference and have a shitty employer.

I really can't get myself to tip a fast food employee here in Canada. It literally is just a glorified food vending machine. I don't tip the guy behind the counter at the gas station when I buy a bottle of water or a bag of sunflower seeds. It's not much different in my book. Thankfully, I don't frequent fast food joints so it's kind of a moot point I guess.

Probably a regional thing again. From what my friend tells me, wages in Norway are pretty high to begin with, I think he said roughly equivalent to $20/hr. That could have something to do with it.

 

That's why you tip in cash, not with debit or credit cards. When I worked as a server/bartender, we only claimed what left a paper trail. So all credit/debit card tips were reported. Cash was just thrown in the pocket and ignored.

 

For sure. When I do tip, it's always cash separate of paying the bill with debit or credit.

 

Another thing about tipped employees that is often forgotten is that benefits such as healthcare, 401k and even taxes are not really taken out of a check because there is simply not enough of a check to deduct from. So on top of a measly wage you have to stay on top of your benefits and often times when it is slow and employers need to make up wage rates those checks for hourly wages are eaten up by things like taxes and benefits

 

I'm not too torn about this, though. There are really two classes of 'waiter' jobs - sit-down-restaurant-waiter - I really encounter. One is the guy at a $50+ per plate restaurant, the other is at some place that requires 'flair' or sings at you for your birthday. I'm sure there's middle ground, but not much. The former I can see making a career. They're pulling down maybe several hundred a night in tips on the nights they work. Wouldn't be a job for me, but it might fit some people just fine. The latter should never be considered permanent by anyone. It may get someone through college, past a bout of unemployment, or could work as a second job to help get mods for their truck; but they should be looking past it and doing something to get there. And with much respect for people who make it work for them; I don't believe an entire economy should need to go through gymnastics and contortions to try and make that type of job worth having as a career.

 

I am a managing partner at one of those sing to you establishments I will say a lot of it comes down to how driven and how you present yourself. There is so much parity in even my staff… and you have to consider they are given the same tools, same kitchen same menu… it comes down to the individual and how they can connect with a guest, it’s not for everyone but that being said…It is not uncommon for servers in our brand to make over 72k a year which someone can easily live off of. It’s all about perspective.

 

When Mrs. Bandito and I did our San Antonio Ghost Tour a few weeks ago, it cost just over $100 for the tickets. At the end of the tour (which was kinda "meh") and before they opened the bus doors, the guide told us that he lives on his tips (the tickets said a "15% gratuity to the guide was standard"). Then he looks at the driver and says "I don't share my tips with him, so his will have to be separate." I was going to tip the guide $15, instead I gave him $10 and the driver $5. I wanted to give the driver the $10 because I liked him more but Mrs. Bandito said I shouldn't.

That's the kind of crap I don't like. It was like we were already being shaken down for tips, but to then tell us we need to tip his driver separately, that was some bullshit.

 

That’s the thing a lot of people now a days feel entitled to a tip… not the way it should work

I’m wouldn’t say I completely agree with mr pink but he has some good points

 

There's a fancy steak house here in town. I was going to go until someone said the tip was included in the bill. Nope, nope, nope. I will never go to a place like that. It's called a tip, not a service fee. I've worked in the industry as a younger man. I will tip graciously if they deserve it. But I've been know to also walk out without tipping if the service was shit. How about you just pay the servers a decent wage and quit relying on tips to begin with. I am not going to go spend $100+ and be forced to tip for shitty service if it happens. People knowing they are going to get tipped regardless of service they give tend to slack on their job. Plus, if it was great service they'd be losing out on a bigger tip than what is mandated I pay.

 

yeah. me too.
But if you show up without it, you just sign in at the front desk...like they'll ever know.

 

This right here.
I’m a good tipper, but if you display anything about requiring a tip or it’s, added to the bill, then it’s not a tip, it’s a service fee.


No one has mentioned tipping delivery folks.
I go out of my way to tip someone well that’s bringing something to my front door.
Tipping Grubhub drivers and such on the order itself is ok, but always make sure the driver gets the full amount.
A number of places only give drivers a percentage of that tip.
This is the reason I make sure theirs is separate from the bill itself.

 

Maybe just because everyone knows who you are in WW?

 

Delivery drivers always get a decent cash tip from me, even more decent if the weather is shitty like in the middle of winter in a snow storm. They really deserve it then for braving the elements because my lazy ass couldn't be bothered to leave the house. LOL

 

I didn’t realize Uber and grubhub would use dog sleds.
Cool.

 

They don't but Skip The Dishes does.

 

Ok, now we need pics or video.

 

Hell yeah!
Safe travels.

 

I'll try later this winter.

 

I was a pizza delivery guy in a past life. Most people tipped, and I made decent cash.
I can absolutely tell you for certain that if you don’t tip, or are an ass in any way, the drivers will remember. They’ll remember forever.