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Why some US restaurants are banning tips

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Re: Why some US restaurants are banning tips

#281

Post by JohnFen »

dofm wrote: post #151
yostrovs wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No. After you've ordered, it is rare to order anything else. You might ask for a refill of a beverage or something like ketchup, but the waiter is not expecting more ordering. It's simply expected by diners that their waiter is there and will help with whatever they need. In Europe you'll wait 20 minutes to get the attention of a waiter for salt or ketchup until your food is cold. Also in Europe this will be describe…

> In Europe you'll wait 20 minutes to get the attention of a waiter for salt or ketchup until your food is cold. You could ask for the salt or ketchup when the meal arrives. Also Europeans are not, I think, accustomed to asking for salt, or ketchup, on already seasoned food. So your request is actually unusual.

> Also Europeans are not, I think, accustomed to asking for salt, or ketchup, on already seasoned food.

Not all us Americans are, either. The only time I can remember asking for such things is when the server forgot to provide ketchup for some fries.

If a restaurant doesn't season the food adequately for me, I'm not going to fix it at the table. I'll just factor that in the next time I decide where to eat.

Also, the vast majority of restaurants I've been to use far too much salt during cooking anyway.

Re: Why some US restaurants are banning tips

#282

Post by stevekemp »

daef wrote: post #68
sudo-i wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unless it's a bottle deposit tax, then it gets added outside the advertised price ;) 2 Euro bottle of Coke, great, I have 2 euro left, pay 2 euro 20 please... Fawwwwwkkkkkkkkk

yeah, this one also gets to my bones. and then you cant return every deposit-taxed bottle everywhere - but only in stores where it's sold. then some friends leave bottles at your place which you cannot return anywhere near... what a mess

This is obviously regional too; here in finland all stores that sell "drinks" have a machine for accepting returns.

It doesn't matter what kind of bottle it is, or which company made it, all returns are accepted at every point.

Children, unemployed, and elderly people are often seen hunting for stray cans/bottles, by bins, in parks, and similar places, to return them for the cash.

Re: Why some US restaurants are banning tips

#283

Post by yuye »

donohoe wrote: post #110
NoboruWataya wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you are a foreigner I imagine your accent can give you away pretty quickly. Europeans would be far less likely to tip (or tip generously).

It’s not about accents, it’s about whether you look/feel like a tourist. Even so, you can never really tell how people will go. Source: I waited tables in NYC in a past life.

I have got family living in the US. All non-US.

Before they got state drivers licenses, they could only show their non-US ID/passport whenever they got carded for alcohol. A few times, the venue would just tack on a 20% service fee.

One time, they asked the table next to them if they also got a service fee: They didn't. They complained, got the service fee waived, then told them to forget about getting a tip at all.

You might guess a person might be a non-tipper, but giving shitty service or forcing a discriminatory service fee will make that a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Re: Why some US restaurants are banning tips

#284

Post by burnt-resistor »

Tipping in America originates from post-slavery Reconstruction adopting a then European custom, where some categories of workers were paid inferior wages and relied upon the uncertainty of goodwill of customers.

https://time.com/5404475/history-tipping-american-restaurant...

https://www.bunkhistory.org/resources/the-racist-history-of-...

Re: Why some US restaurants are banning tips

#285

Post by getfacl »

jasode wrote: post #170
getfacl wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What you are describing is not team service because the server "owns" the customer and are the one who will collect the tip from that table. What you are noticing is that many chains have a "full hands" rule: if any server with free hands walks past a table with dirty dishes on the way to the kitchen, they are expected to pick them up no mater who's section it is. Also, if they are heading out from the kitchen with f…

>the server "owns" the customer and are the one who will collect the tip from that table. In many USA restaurants, the waitstaff tips are also shared into a pool with the runners, busboys, and kitchen staff. The % may not be equal however. >What you are noticing is that many chains have a "full hands" rule: But that contradicts the idea that "USA restaurants almost always over staffed there." The chain restaurant cou…

> In many USA restaurants, the waitstaff tips are also shared into a pool

This doesn't change anything because the incentive is still to drive up the bill to drive up the tips. This is caused by the staff being primarily paid in tips.

> The chain restaurant could just "overstaff" with dedicated table runners with no need for a "full hands" rule.

Unlike servers, bussers and runners are generally paid minimum wage or close. Only over staffing servers helps make more income. Over staffing support staff runs up costs.

USA restaurant staffing is widely studied and your personal anecdotes don't change the conclusion: compared to most anywhere else, restaurants in the USA are over staffed with servers.

Re: Why some US restaurants are banning tips

#286

Post by yuye »

woadwarrior01 wrote: post #25
ajsnigrutin wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Somehow the "tip culture" is spreading over here too, especially in touristy areas, even the POS terminals now ask you for a tip.

It's widespread here in Ireland. POS terminals have 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% tip options with a tiny and hard to reach dismiss button.

Dismiss button? From what I've seen, it's a "Custom" button, where you then have to explicitly type in 0.

Re: Why some US restaurants are banning tips

#287

Post by [deleted] »

sh0gg0the wrote: post #183
yostrovs wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No. After you've ordered, it is rare to order anything else. You might ask for a refill of a beverage or something like ketchup, but the waiter is not expecting more ordering. It's simply expected by diners that their waiter is there and will help with whatever they need. In Europe you'll wait 20 minutes to get the attention of a waiter for salt or ketchup until your food is cold. Also in Europe this will be describe…

So after you ordered the main meal, after you finished it, is it uncommon in the US to order something afterwards? Like coffee, dessert, an ice cream cup?

[deleted]

Re: Why some US restaurants are banning tips

#288

Post by xyzelement »

kakacik wrote: post #274
xyzelement wrote: post #218

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

Most of the world doesn't tip or does it very casually. Keep this aspect of US culture to yourself please, we see it as crap to be polite and artifact of worker's abuse and exploitation thats typical for US compared to all other western world.

You are entitled to that opinion. But when you are visiting the US you have to follow our custom and tip.

Re: Why some US restaurants are banning tips

#289

Post by [deleted] »

orthoxerox wrote: post #280
TrackerFF wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Used to have a lot of American workers here on some projects here, and mind you - these are very travelled and well-versed ones. The contractors that travel around the world for a solid chunk of their careers. They didn't really mind the the typical service here, where you'll have to wait a bit before a waiter sees you. You get used to it. On the other hand, you have the first time tourists, that will go "excuuuse me…

As a European, I expect the waiter to show their face within 5 minutes, at least to ask if we want anything to drink while still determining what to eat.

[deleted]

Re: Why some US restaurants are banning tips

#290

Post by kakacik »

xyzelement wrote: post #145
criddell wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hate that some workers depend on tips and that creates an obligation on me, but I do like to tip because I know how great it feels to get one. At work I sometimes get a bonus and what’s that if not a tip? I benefit too. It’s a way for me to express gratitude.

Exactly! Thank you for expressing this so consciley. The fact that some people can't imagine enjoying giving (and receiving) a nice tip is really gross.

We prefer paying proper price for the meals with all costs included, to see those prices upfront, knowing that workers are paid fairly already and they just do the job expected from them. It means they can have decent lives regardless of their physical attraction, race, if they are sick or any other reason disadvantaging them compared to others. It also means I don't need to ever worry if waiter spit in my burger just because I look like somebody who won't tip enough.

Do you also tip every single time bus driver, colleague, bureaucrat handling your request or your child because they did their work as expected? Because why stop at some imaginary border.

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