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Former Labor Secretary Found What Work Is Like Now

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Re: Former Labor Secretary Found What Work Is Like Now

#81

I am always baffled when I read about the tip culture in the states. I find it so belittling for workers. It seems to incentivize a mentality of "the customer is always right", with workers putting an extra effort to always smile and be nice in the hope for a fair tip.

This is much more about low wages than it is about tipping

Re: Former Labor Secretary Found What Work Is Like Now

#82

Welcome to the terrible world of tipping. Subsidize the wages so the employer doesn't have to. I got out of my way to avoid any type of business or service that has tipping. It's getting so bad out there I've seen people talk about getting asked for a tip in a drive thru. Do I tip when I eat out? Yes. But that's cut down to a minimum now. I think we're headed towards a breaking point. Profits and cost of living canno…

Technically the customers are always paying the employee's wages.

I have 3 complaints about tipping:

- It gives bad customers unfair power to dock employee's wages

- It is inconvenient and an embarrassing social interaction. I don't want to think of myself as responsible for someone's pay over lunch, I want to think of myself as eating a taco.

- It hides information from customers, because the tip is not included in the price

Hiding information is the same bullshit as Instacart saying "Same price as in the store!" before adding 50-100% of the order price in fees.

Transactions should start with the highest possible price and add discounts. Starting with a low price is a sneaky backdoor for false advertising, because it gets you to start a transaction with a less-scrupulous company that looks cheaper, and then you begrudgingly complete the transaction even though you realized it actually costs more, because now it would cost too much to switch.

Re: Former Labor Secretary Found What Work Is Like Now

#83

Welcome to the terrible world of tipping. Subsidize the wages so the employer doesn't have to. I got out of my way to avoid any type of business or service that has tipping. It's getting so bad out there I've seen people talk about getting asked for a tip in a drive thru. Do I tip when I eat out? Yes. But that's cut down to a minimum now. I think we're headed towards a breaking point. Profits and cost of living canno…

Nope. When I worked tips were way preferable. A busy night could get me $50/hr just in tips. Maybe $500 in a night if I was lucky.

You could boost me to 2x minimum wage and I’d still make less.

There is a reason why the tipping system still exists.

Re: Former Labor Secretary Found What Work Is Like Now

#84
post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is belittling, and almost nobody except restaurant owners likes it. It's sort of a game theory problem - if we could coordinate everyone to stop tipping, then restaurants would be forced to pay their workers normal wages, and almost everyone would be better off. But if I stop tipping, I'm just an asshole making no impact on society. I guess the only practical approach is to simultaneously keep tipping and push for…

I think you'll find that servers and bartenders are the most adimant supporters of tipping. They make a killing.

Reminds me of the early pro slavery arguments about how people liked to be slaves working in the cotton fields

Re: Former Labor Secretary Found What Work Is Like Now

#85
post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Restaurants can really barely afford to stay open in my (small) region, frankly they are seen as a service to a town not a net extractor. I know the finances behind my locals and can tell you they would not be able to stay open if workers were not also compensated via tips, and workers would not be there without the requisite pay. Tips end up being the difference between having a restaurant or not.

I'm not sure I understand: me as a customer, whether I pay the menu + 20% tip, or I pay a menu 20% more expensive, I end up exactly the same. So why is for the restaurant owner better with tipping, instead of raising the prices 20% and putting an entry sign "no tipping needed here, we pay our workers right"? Even call the restaurant "no tipping place" if they wish. Can someone with experience in restaurant business e…

When did tipping become 20%? The majority of my life it was 15%. Then at a certain point I started hearing 18%. Now it is 20%? Who is behind this?

Re: Former Labor Secretary Found What Work Is Like Now

#86
post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is belittling, and almost nobody except restaurant owners likes it. It's sort of a game theory problem - if we could coordinate everyone to stop tipping, then restaurants would be forced to pay their workers normal wages, and almost everyone would be better off. But if I stop tipping, I'm just an asshole making no impact on society. I guess the only practical approach is to simultaneously keep tipping and push for…

I think you'll find that servers and bartenders are the most adimant supporters of tipping. They make a killing.

You also get to take cash home after every shift.

Re: Former Labor Secretary Found What Work Is Like Now

#87
It's a shame that the comments here are laser focused on the tipping parts of the article, and not the bigger picture items. The author outlines the struggles of getting service jobs filled in high CoL areas, the vicious cycle of turnover in these jobs, and all the commenters here want to discuss is the 2 paragraphs on tipping.

Re: Former Labor Secretary Found What Work Is Like Now

#88

I am always baffled when I read about the tip culture in the states. I find it so belittling for workers. It seems to incentivize a mentality of "the customer is always right", with workers putting an extra effort to always smile and be nice in the hope for a fair tip.

It is belittling, and almost nobody except restaurant owners likes it. It's sort of a game theory problem - if we could coordinate everyone to stop tipping, then restaurants would be forced to pay their workers normal wages, and almost everyone would be better off. But if I stop tipping, I'm just an asshole making no impact on society. I guess the only practical approach is to simultaneously keep tipping and push for…

Restaurant owners do not like it. For them it means a fixed percentage of revenue has to go to the front of house. Also, it means that waitstaff will side with the customer’s interests over the restaurant’s. Consider for example a round of free drinks at a bar—increases the tip but costs the bar.

Restaurant owners that have tried to eliminate tipping find a) customers are uncomfortable and sometimes try to tip anyway and b) would be customers compare prices without taking into account the fact that tip is included.

The people I’ve talked to most inclined to support tipping culture are servers at mid to expensive restaurants and demanding foodies.

Re: Former Labor Secretary Found What Work Is Like Now

#89

I am always baffled when I read about the tip culture in the states. I find it so belittling for workers. It seems to incentivize a mentality of "the customer is always right", with workers putting an extra effort to always smile and be nice in the hope for a fair tip.

Tipping is a contentious topic.

Perhaps counterintuitively, wait staff generally prefers a tipping model over fixed pay when given the choice. Tipping is more variable, but it can pay surprisingly well, especially for staff who are good at their job. It’s rare to find a no-tip restaurant that can match the earning potential of what a good server can make with tipping. It’s theoretically possible, of course, but in practice it doesn’t seem to work out in favor of fixed pay.

Re: Former Labor Secretary Found What Work Is Like Now

#90

Sounds to me like a lot of "customers" in the US are just a55holes and anyone who has to work with them regularly is right to just stop. I'm sure a little common courtesy in everyday interactions is all it takes to make workplaces enjoyable; and a wage that allows you to stay warm and fed while working a _single job_ will get most people back to work. It's really a very low bar to set, I'm surprised this is even such…

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