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Current Events => The DUmpster => Topic started by: Ballygrl on October 14, 2011, 01:35:56 PM

Title: San Francisco Restaurants Want To Make 25% Standard Tip Rate
Post by: Ballygrl on October 14, 2011, 01:35:56 PM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x2115615

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The Straight Story  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Fri Oct-14-11 09:47 AM
Original message

San Francisco Restaurants Want To Make 25% Standard Tip Rate
   

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF/99.7 Now) – It’s a question many of us ask when we go out to a restaurant. “How much should I tip?” Whether your service is good or bad, San Francisco Restaurant workers want to implement a 25% standard tip onto your bill for you. Is this fair?

Many in the food industry say “…yes, it’s about time.” However, many “foodies” are not as happy with the idea. According to an article in the San Jose Mercury News, for the most part, people, on average tip between 15% – 20% and the restaurant worker actually has to claim 15% of that to the IRS.

Opinions that sway against the increase said that “…the whole purpose of a tip is to reward service.” They feel the new tip increase should be earned and if more is needed, then they must step up their service so that the increase justifies a larger tip amount.

Not everyone is against the idea. Some have felt with the state of the nation’s economy is in, that 25% is not unreasonable. And some tip above the average already. Some went a step further to say if you want to reward service, you must start tipping the workers at fast food places as well. Most fast food workers earn minimum wage and rarely get tips.

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2011/10/13/san-francis...

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pipi_k  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Fri Oct-14-11 10:04 AM
Response to Reply #1
5. Me too, except for the other day when
   
I noticed that the waitress's teenaged son had come into the restaurant to see her for a while (the place wasn't busy at the time).

I figured she must be a single mom. She was a very good waitress...polite...pleasant...checked with us a number of times to make sure everything was good.

So I left her a $5.00 tip on a $19.00 order.

I see it this way...if I can afford to dine out once in a while, I can afford to help out a person making minimum wage.

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slackmaster  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Fri Oct-14-11 09:49 AM
Response to Original message
2. They could do that, but IMO it would subvert the system and drive some customers away
   
I usually tip at least that much, sometimes much more (I've been known to leave tips exceeding 100% of small tabs.)

The whole idea of the tipping system is that it's voluntary for most transactions. Restaurants have the right to impose mandatory tips, and the city could impose it as an ordinance. I just think it's a bad idea.

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MADem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Fri Oct-14-11 09:52 AM
Response to Original message
3. **** them. Pay your waiters, cheapskates. Pay your fast food servers, too.
   
I usually tip twenty percent, but don't go telling me how much to give.

If the service is horrible and it's the server's fault, they need to be told that they stink, and the management needs to be advised as well. And they don't merit any reward. I can't remember the last time I've gotten lousy service--it's been over a decade, at least.

Can't make ends meet? RAISE YOUR PRICES and either sink or swim.

What nerve! And how incredibly stupid!

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FSogol  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Fri Oct-14-11 10:18 AM
Response to Original message
7. Time for restaurants to pay their employees more.
   
I tip 20% and increasing tips past that will cause me to dine out less.

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Che Billy Donating Member (36 posts) Fri Oct-14-11 10:48 AM
Response to Original message
9. An excuse to pay the help even less
   
If everyone who had a job in this country were paid a real living wage (I know, that's such a radical thought...) there'd be little need for restaurants and their servers to raise the tipping "standard."

I think it's obvious that the practice of tipping the wait staff is what gives license to restaurant owners to pay as little as they do. And if they can condition us to pay an even higher tip, they can go ahead and reduce wages even more.

The winners? The folks that own the means of production, of course. What else could we possibly expect from our wonderful capitalist system?

This said, I do tip generously when warranted. I just wish it wasn't necessary to do so in order to keep the wait staff from living in poverty.
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IndyPragmatist  (485 posts) Fri Oct-14-11 11:53 AM
Response to Reply #9
20. Unintended consequences. Very good.
   
I was waiting to see if anyone would mention this. Everyone looks at the benefits of a program like this and ignores the potential drawbacks. I'm sure restaurants will argue that if they lower the minimum wage for servers, they can hire more. Since they will be getting a higher guaranteed tip, they will make more overall.

I bartended for a few years during college and I was lucky that my restaurant paid me $10/hour on top of tips. There would be afternoons where nobody came in and if it weren't for the hourly wage, I would have made next to nothing.


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LynneSin  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Fri Oct-14-11 11:13 AM
Response to Original message
14. I am a long time waitress and I totally disagree with this
   
First, I feel that tipping is a way to ensure good service. I lived for 3 years entirely on what I made waiting tables and trust me, making just 15% tips you could barely make ends meet. I worked my ass off to earn an average of 20%.

For me forcing a tip would create give a message to those who are waitpersons that service doesn't matter since you'll get a big tip no matter what. If I tip someone 15% it usually means their service sucked. Normally I add between 20-25% for my bills.

I do not believe in forcing tips on bills unless it happens to be a large party (6 or more). You almost have to add to large parties because sometimes these groups can monopolize all of your time and it sucks if they end up leaving you a shitty tip (like 15%).

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FarCenter  (1000+ posts) Fri Oct-14-11 11:43 AM
Response to Original message
16. A "standard 25% tip" on the bill is a 25% price increase and a 0% tip
   
But yes, we should go to the European system and stop tipping.

Title: Re: San Francisco Restaurants Want To Make 25% Standard Tip Rate
Post by: Wineslob on October 14, 2011, 01:42:38 PM
No mention that this system may be where everyone working in the restaurant gets a share of the "pot"? Hummm?

Unintended consequences DUmbDUmbs.
Title: Re: San Francisco Restaurants Want To Make 25% Standard Tip Rate
Post by: GOBUCKS on October 14, 2011, 01:42:57 PM
The only time I don't tip is when earwigs are crawling all over the table.
Title: Re: San Francisco Restaurants Want To Make 25% Standard Tip Rate
Post by: Bodadh on October 14, 2011, 01:51:38 PM
Could someone please tell me how much a "living wage" is supposed to be? And would it be the same for for a person in NYC as it would be for a person in Rotan Texas?
Title: Re: San Francisco Restaurants Want To Make 25% Standard Tip Rate
Post by: jtyangel on October 14, 2011, 01:52:46 PM
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pipi_k  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Fri Oct-14-11 10:04 AM
Response to Reply #1
5. Me too, except for the other day when
   
I noticed that the waitress's teenaged son had come into the restaurant to see her for a while (the place wasn't busy at the time).

I figured she must be a single mom.
She was a very good waitress...polite...pleasant...checked with us a number of times to make sure everything was good.

So I left her a $5.00 tip on a $19.00 order.

I see it this way...if I can afford to dine out once in a while, I can afford to help out a person making minimum wage.

Yeah, because no kids of married women ever come in to see them at work :whatever:

She's a liar, she tipped good because she thought she was one of the downtrodden DU heroes(in this case a single mother, likely never married. How pathetic! I hope she was a married, conservative woman and (d)ipi_k just helped put Sunday's tithe into the church plate or helped make a donation to Herman Cain's presidential campaign.  :fuelfire: :tongue: :-)
Title: Re: San Francisco Restaurants Want To Make 25% Standard Tip Rate
Post by: Bodadh on October 14, 2011, 02:03:02 PM
Yeah, because no kids of married women ever come in to see them at work :whatever:

She's a liar, she tipped good because she thought she was one of the downtrodden DU heroes(in this case a single mother, likely never married. How pathetic! I hope she was a married, conservative woman and (d)ipi_k just helped put Sunday's tithe into the church plate or helped make a donation to Herman Cain's presidential campaign.  :fuelfire: :tongue: :-)

How does she know that was the waitress's kid? He could have been her pot connection. :tongue:
Title: Re: San Francisco Restaurants Want To Make 25% Standard Tip Rate
Post by: DLR Pyro on October 14, 2011, 03:26:15 PM
one more reason to avoid travel to san francisco...
Title: Re: San Francisco Restaurants Want To Make 25% Standard Tip Rate
Post by: Carl on October 14, 2011, 03:30:44 PM
I don`t care what they claim,they lie.
My bet is most DUmmies are miserable customers to deal with and stiff on tips most of the time.
That is why they don`t like the idea.
Title: Re: San Francisco Restaurants Want To Make 25% Standard Tip Rate
Post by: bijou on October 14, 2011, 03:32:53 PM
How does she know that was the waitress's kid? He could have been her pot connection. :tongue:
Because she made them both up and that's the way she wrote the story.  :-)
Title: Re: San Francisco Restaurants Want To Make 25% Standard Tip Rate
Post by: DumbAss Tanker on October 14, 2011, 03:47:34 PM
One more reason to stay out of Kalifornistan.  Like I needed another one.

 :thatsright:
Title: Re: San Francisco Restaurants Want To Make 25% Standard Tip Rate
Post by: thundley4 on October 14, 2011, 04:17:28 PM
How much is already added to the meal for taxes?  Here in my town, there's an 11% sales tax.
Title: Re: San Francisco Restaurants Want To Make 25% Standard Tip Rate
Post by: 67 Rover on October 14, 2011, 04:48:33 PM
Will the restaurant knock 25% off if the food sucks or the service slow?
Title: Re: San Francisco Restaurants Want To Make 25% Standard Tip Rate
Post by: Erasmus on October 14, 2011, 04:54:49 PM
I have the same reaction to this as I do to the Buffett tax.  If Buffett wants to pay more, nobody is stopping him.  If that restaurant wants 25% gratuity, they should just start charging it on their own.  And if nobody eats at their restaurant as a side effect, well, shit happens.
Title: Re: San Francisco Restaurants Want To Make 25% Standard Tip Rate
Post by: Ballygrl on October 14, 2011, 06:24:03 PM
San Francisco is very progressive, so basically they want this law because progressives are stiffing the working class?
Title: Re: San Francisco Restaurants Want To Make 25% Standard Tip Rate
Post by: BlueStateSaint on October 15, 2011, 05:10:29 AM
San Francisco is very progressive, so basically they want this law because progressives are stiffing the working class?

That's a very good point, Bally!  H5!
Title: Re: San Francisco Restaurants Want To Make 25% Standard Tip Rate
Post by: formerlurker on October 15, 2011, 06:51:28 AM
Will the restaurant knock 25% off if the food sucks or the service slow?


I was thinking the same thing.  I think I can count on one hand how many restaurants in this area that have exemplary customer service.   It's just important for businesses to provide that anymore.