Worst tippers

[Ausbt]

dead easy - The best roundabout advice I've heard was from Rick Steves who said to drive all the way around once before you pick your turn. One complete circle and then you'll know.​

Not that dead easy ...yesterday coming off the A50 onto the M1 I managed a full circumnavigation, and still took the wrong exit. On the positive side, once on the M1 I was cruising at 140 kph. Try that in Oz! As far as tipping goes, I don't think I've tipped at all here in the UK yet. I did briefly consider tipping housekeeping this morning when they replaced my tea and coffee ...but the fact was I had had to leave a note to remind them. Yep - here in the UK some hotels don't replace your tea and coffee (Nespresso pods, admittedly) on a daily basis. My all time favourite was a place in Richmond, who I approached mid-week with a request for another small cake of soap. "Oh you want some more soap? Try Tesco in the high street.". No kidding. And no tipping.

 

[TheBOSman]

I met an american woman yesterday and we got to chatting about just this. She worked in a bar last year and earned $2.16 an hour. Wait staff are exempt from the (already low) minimum wage. Why should they rely on the good graces of a customer to pay the rent?

If the $2.16+tip fails to meet USA minimum wage, then the employer must make up the shortage to ensure the employee makes minimum wage. Of course, whether this actually happens or not is a different story...

Yes Jessica it can get very tough working 60 hours at $2.16 an hour to pay for more than a single room. Without tipping there would be nothing to cover food, clothing, transport and other requisites.
We are leaving a $10 room tip to cover 2 nights at Caesars Palace where the room in the "new" tower is quite lovely. Dinner for four at Spagos came to $325 plus a $50 tip and the food was really good.

I'm at the point in the USA (being a native and lifelong resident up here) where I'm tipping only the people who make an exempted wage. No housekeepers, no delivery people, none of them, they all make USA minimum wage or above and aren't exempted. Many of them are underpaid unfortunately, but that is on the employer and I shouldn't be forced to make up for poor employment practices. Waitstaff and the like who make the $2.13 an hour and are forced to rely on tips, I tip them. Otherwise, no more tips, and I wish we would do away with the entire culture of it here and go to a minimum wage without exemptions as Australia has. Pay people a wage with which they can afford even the remote bare essentials, rather than $2.13+tips. I've never had bad service in an Australian restaurant and never tipped for anything short of really excellent service, although perhaps that is due to the reverse of what is mentioned above and them hearing my American accent and thinking I might be giving 15-20%! But I never have a problem paying Australian restaurant prices either, as I know my waitstaff won't be forced to hustle just to be able to pay any bills that month.

 

[opusman]

I met an american woman yesterday and we got to chatting about just this. She worked in a bar last year and earned $2.16 an hour. Wait staff are exempt from the (already low) minimum wage. Why should they rely on the good graces of a customer to pay the rent?

Did you suggest she go and get another job? That seems to be the standard advice on AFF

 

[opusman]

We are leaving a $10 room tip to cover 2 nights at Caesars Palace where the room in the "new" tower is quite lovely.

If you're going to leave a tip for the "housemaid" you should leave one every morning as there's no guarantee the same person services your room every day.

 

[JohnK]

Yes Jessica it can get very tough working 60 hours at $2.16 an hour to pay for more than a single room. Without tipping there would be nothing to cover food, clothing, transport and other requisites.

All the more reason to make employers pay their staff fairly. Don't rely on customers to subsidy the wages of your staff.

 

[DC3]

All the more reason to make employers pay their staff fairly.....

Unfortunately, it's never going to happen in the USA, I'd suggest. There's no political will.

Work 2 or 3 jobs or you won't survive.

 

[Ausbt]

All the more reason to make employers pay their staff fairly. Don't rely on customers to subsidy the wages of your staff.

How are you going to do that JohnK? Form a union? What is your view on unions, BTW? Maybe march in the street against scumbag business owners who screw their employees over. Let me just state I'm prepared to fight for the right to a living wage.

 

[opusman]

How are you going to do that JohnK? Form a union? What is your view on unions, BTW? Maybe march in the street against scumbag business owners who screw their employees over. Let me just state I'm prepared to fight for the right to a living wage.

Once all the pregnant women are forced to stay home there'll be more money to pay everyone else!

 

[JohnK]

How are you going to do that JohnK? Form a union? What is your view on unions, BTW? Maybe march in the street against scumbag business owners who screw their employees over. Let me just state I'm prepared to fight for the right to a living wage.

Minimum wage.

 

[Foreigner]

In the US there's certainly disparity in income between kitchen staff and waitstaff and cooks are not happy:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...79c38dfc-8691-11e2-9d71-f0feafdd1394&hpid=z13

 

[amaroo]

In the US there's certainly disparity in income between kitchen staff and waitstaff and cooks are not happy:

The problem that’s tearing restaurants apart - The Washington Post

Doesn't surprise me. Anyone who thinks tips are shared probably believes in the tooth fairy.

 

[moa999]

Think that article shows in the US it is illegal to share with the kitchen staff

 

[TomVexille]

Doesn't surprise me. Anyone who thinks tips are shared probably believes in the tooth fairy.

Do you actually know any wait staff in the US? Because I do, and tips do get shared.

 

[amaroo]

Do you actually know any wait staff in the US? Because I do, and tips do get shared.

The article was pretty clear on this point + add human nature.

 

[Foreigner]

The article was pretty clear on this point + add human nature.

I agree. If any do share they're the exception.

 

[Foreigner]

Who keeps the tips?

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeands...oes-to-staff-a-restaurant-by-restaurant-guide

 

[Foreigner]

From today's SMH:

D’Jais Bar and Grill Belmar waitress Jessica Jones left LOL tip

LOL tip from diner.

 

[TheRealTMA]

From today's SMH:

D’Jais Bar and Grill Belmar waitress Jessica Jones left LOL tip

LOL tip from diner.

After waiting an hour for food, why would you tip?

 

[Ausbt]

From today's SMH:
D’Jais Bar and Grill Belmar waitress Jessica Jones left LOL tip
LOL tip from diner.

And only a few days ago another article about kitchen staff complaining that waiters get all the tips. It's a pretty obvious solution here: in the case of the LOL tip - the kitchen staff should have paid the waitstaff! After all, they are probably primarily to blame for the delay.

 

[UP4014]

From today's SMH:

D’Jais Bar and Grill Belmar waitress Jessica Jones left LOL tip

LOL tip from diner.

While a bit of an insult to write that on the docket, you couldn't expect a tip for taking an hour. I would have got up and walked out after half an hour.