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No tipping means better business

tastefulventures.com

101–110 of 550 posts

Re: No tipping means better business

#101
Wage slavery is especially rampant in the food and beverage industry where low margins and high competition are the norm.

Including "tips" (you could still tip for extraordinary service) as well as sales tax in the price might be the first step towards more transparency and fair pay for everyone involved (owners to waiters) in what essentially amounts to a luxury service anyway.

Re: No tipping means better business

#102

Unless everyone decides to kill tips all at once, this will never work out. No server will work for a fixed 20% increment when they have the potential to get a lot more than that, especially on Saturday nights. There have been plenty of examples of this not working out [1]. [1] http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/05/15/478096516/why...

Any server who drops out because of that will simply be replaced. Waiters and waitresses are constantly churning through restuarants in any case, so the impact on business ought to be minimal.

Re: No tipping means better business

#103
post #82

I used to hate tipping but now I love it. I spend >100 nights/yr in hotels, and tipping the bellman/doorman well on the way in is one of the best investments in a good stay (calibrating tips for the point where he gives you his name, and ideally phone number, for "if you need anything else"; $10 in most third tier US cities; $20 in a place like New York). Las Vegas basically runs on $5s and $20s -- everything from "v…

Sounds like you like bribery and skipping queues.

Re: No tipping means better business

#104
post #58

As a person who was born and living in a country which has no tipping culture. The tipping sucks. I should have been fully informed how much should I have to pay before I purchase something or some service. Any extra demand from agreed amount should be illegal. I also don't want to waste my precious time on paying the tip for calculating tax. The worker's salary is a employer's responsibility. If the the worker becom…

Add mental strain of thinking should I and how much should I tip. Also hassle if you don't happen to have change readily available. Sometimes it's just easier to go to a place where you don't have to think this.

Re: No tipping means better business

#105

Tipping is great because it provides the customer with some leverage to pay a price they feel is fair. Not to mention it allows many many many many people to live somewhat comfortably despite working in what would be considered a lowly occupation. We haven't even talked about how service workers are salesman and saleswomen who are provided the opportunity to be compensated more for greater achievement, and the busine…

You bring up a huge an often overlooked point. The owner makes the same amount of money if a customer chooses whether or not to tip. But stands to lose money if a customer is unable to afford the meal and ends up not coming in. In a business where every dime counts, it adds up.

Re: No tipping means better business

#106
post #92
post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I don't see why eating in a restaurant should need extra incentives to the waiters, when we expect good service without tips elsewhere. Forget what you "expect". Do you actually GET "good service without tips elsewhere"? My point (and the parent's point) exactly.

Usually the service is worse in 'tip expected' industries.

That hasn't been my experience at all.

From a baseline of having eaten at restaurants all over the world, eating in US restaurants that tip have some of the best service.

Re: No tipping means better business

#107
post #100
post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I don't see why eating in a restaurant should need extra incentives to the waiters, when we expect good service without tips elsewhere. Forget what you "expect". Do you actually GET "good service without tips elsewhere"? My point (and the parent's point) exactly.

Yes? I really dont see the difference here. In both cases they are paid. In non tip environments usually even well better because its a nice salary plus random tips here and there

Whether they are paid better or not is obviously irrelevant.

Somebody can be paid handsomely and do a crap job if there's nothing to motivate them otherwise.

With no tipping better service doesn't buy you much. With tipping better service buys you a larger tip.

Re: No tipping means better business

#108
post #82

I used to hate tipping but now I love it. I spend >100 nights/yr in hotels, and tipping the bellman/doorman well on the way in is one of the best investments in a good stay (calibrating tips for the point where he gives you his name, and ideally phone number, for "if you need anything else"; $10 in most third tier US cities; $20 in a place like New York). Las Vegas basically runs on $5s and $20s -- everything from "v…

But when you realise that tipping is bribing public officials to get service that regular taxpayers do not get, doesn't that take the shine off?

Have you ever actually bribed someone? It's fun. Makes you feel like you're in the movies.

Re: No tipping means better business

#109
post #58

As a person who was born and living in a country which has no tipping culture. The tipping sucks. I should have been fully informed how much should I have to pay before I purchase something or some service. Any extra demand from agreed amount should be illegal. I also don't want to waste my precious time on paying the tip for calculating tax. The worker's salary is a employer's responsibility. If the the worker becom…

One more thinking.

The tipping is dumping.

The seller(who is the employer) offered a product with the price they choose. That price should reflect all the necessary costs of the product, including the salary to the workers.

By demanding the tipping, they make the price cheaper than it actually is.

That is dumping.

Re: No tipping means better business

#110
post #37

> Now what if we were to magically make tipping disappear? Think about the diner for a second. What if, by removing tips from your restaurant, you’ll actually end up delighting more guests, improving your food, and retaining employees? Well, I've dined all over the world (not an American btw), and the US had the most friendly and alert waiting stuff, which I guess it's at least party because of the tipping. Sure, in…

Nah, it's more of a cultural thing. In the US, waitstaff is expected to be attentive and stop by constantly. In other countries, they're expected to leave you alone unless you need them, so you can enjoy your meal without being annoyed. For example, in many countries, they'll never approach you or bring you a check until you flag them down to ask. I think it's less about tipping, and more about customs.

That actually might explain the problem. I live in EU, at my local cafe place which is quite large ~40 tables I usually see 2 cooks, 1 barista and 3 servers even when its 90% full in the evening (1-2 servers in the morning or during day when its 50% full). Yes, wait times are quite long, usually takes good 20 minutes and you only interact with a server 3 times at most, when you make an order, they bring you food and when they bring you receipt.

I can see that to provide the level of service described, frequent checking in on tables etc you would need probably 5-6 servers so the costs would go up significantly. Regarding customs, yes I definitely prefer servers to get me my food and get out of the way, and it is considered normal.

I mainly go out to eat to spend time with friends/colleagues and no to eat, so I guess in Europe cafe is mostly seen as a place to have a chat rather than eat.

I never saw waiters actually try and turn tables even when the place is full and there are some tables where people finished eating, paid for the food and just sit there chatting for a good hour. Yes it is considered rude to do that when place is full but it is more of cultural thing.

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