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Why some US restaurants are banning tips

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Re: Why some US restaurants are banning tips

#231

Post by walrus01 »

Tyr42 wrote: post #98
walrus01 wrote: post #33

We need to at least normalize not tipping for counter service. Given the current wage structures and labor laws in the US and Canada, if I sit down at a table and I receive table service, I'm going to tip 15% unless the service was abhorrent. I am not going to tip if I order and take my food from a counter and serve myself (and then almost certainly clear my own table as well), or I buy any other form of product stan…

And you are tipping before you even see the service in that case, as you pay before the food. Of course, the staff also see how you tio before they prep your food...

Using the example of my local chipotle as a typical stand up and order and pay at counter arrangement, the food is made before I get to the POS terminal.

Re: Why some US restaurants are banning tips

#232

Post by irishcoffee »

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?

Most waitstaff attempt to be observant enough to watch their tables for empty plates, approach the table and clear them off, and ask at that moment if they would like to see a dessert menu.

Re: Why some US restaurants are banning tips

#233

Post by bluebarbet »

ghaff wrote: post #171
crazybonkersai wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah much generalisation. Europe is over 40 countries with vast differences in quality of service and restaurant culture. I have been to restaurants in many European countries and the only generalisation I can make is that tip culture does not exist in Europe.

Although in the UK, there is often an "optional" service charge tacked on for table service dining. (Yes, you can get it taken off but I'm guessing most people don't.)

One (more) area where Britain stands apart from the mainland.

Re: Why some US restaurants are banning tips

#234

Post by GJim »

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.

I doubt whoever thinks installing this US software on UK/Irish POS terminals has done their homework. Its simply one way to piss off the customers and embarrass the staff.

Re: Why some US restaurants are banning tips

#235

Post by shellwizard »

jamisteven wrote: post #39
getfacl wrote: post #31

The biggest barrier to ending tipping in the USA is that restaurants are almost always over staffed there. The owner wants the maximum ratio of servers to customers possible. In the typical USA system, being paid primarily in tips means the server is highly incentivized to upsell the customer as much as possible and do everything they can to increase the total bill, and therefor increase their tip. Essentially a comm…

LMFAO, have you ever been to a restaurant in Europe? The service is horrific. Sit down and wait 15 minutes for the menus, another 15 to place a drink order, another 10 for the drinks to get there, another 10 to place food order. Now you finish the meal, good luck getting the waiters attention to bring the check. European dining is the worst, every time I am back stateside I feel like im being waited on in the white h…

Since COVID many restaurants (in Spain at least) no longer offer you a menu, you can view it via a QR code that there's on every table.

Also, those times depend on the place and location. The ones I've been lately were pretty fast

Re: Why some US restaurants are banning tips

#236

Post by inigyou »

philipallstar wrote: post #194
vages wrote: post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm also Scandinavian (Norwegian), and I never tip when going out. I can't think of any long-term outcome of a tipping culture that is efficient for the workers and employers, even if the amount the customer tipped was correlated with quality (the research I've read shows it's got more to do with looks). It is simply more efficient that both parties know what they are agreeing to up front when (1) the worker still ha…

It's definitely efficient for the worker. There's no employee tax or income tax on that money. The worker just gets the money directly.

There is, but they're all tax evaders.

Re: Why some US restaurants are banning tips

#237

Post by ricardobayes »

rglullis wrote: post #208
ricardobayes wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One of the biggest cultural differences - for Spain - is that servers are seen as equals, not as a client-provider relationship. This reflects heavily in the language often used - "when you can, bring me X". Just one of the quirks of a low gini coefficient society.

Oh, please. This reeks of a anglocentric worldview. Most places are like that. The exception to this rule is the US and franchise/chain restaurants that they have around the world.

Well, yes. That's why I labelled it as a "quirk", however as it looks people really seemed to have read a whole lot of other things into it.

Re: Why some US restaurants are banning tips

#238

Post by ghaff »

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?

I get asked (and expect to be) and I usually refuse.

Re: Why some US restaurants are banning tips

#239

Post by GJim »

manarth wrote: post #141
jorvi wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You them everywhere. Most insane are the bars where you have to walk up from your seating to the bar to order, the bartender plops the drinks on the bar and immediately moves on to another customer, and the terminal still displays default tip amounts and you have to do custom → €0. What the hell am I tipping you for? At this point I'm waiting for supermarket self-checkout to add a default tip amount.

I've seen this (UK), albeit "round up to £x.00 and donate the change to charity", which will use to announce "We've donated £X million to charity".

Ah, the charity donations.

Esso petrol stations routinely ask for this, and the staff member ALWAYS clicks the 'no' button before you can offer your card.

Source: Somebody who drives around the UK a lot for work.

Re: Why some US restaurants are banning tips

#240

Post by inigyou »

ricardobayes wrote: post #217
xyzelement wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just yesterday there was a story on HN about Spain's dying villages and a commenter who I assumed was Spanish attributed theow beth rate to income inequality. Which is it - low gini for talking to a waiter, high gini for starting a fam?

In my opinion, low birth rates can't be attributed to income, or income inequality. I feel like it's more about optimism, to have kids you have to be optimistic about the future.

A lot of pessimism is caused by the current inequality.
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