Tipping the Crew

Now THAT is a cultural failure!

The days of pulling ones self up by the bootstraps is long gone, fewer and fewer Americans can even afford boots.

The concept of forcing an employee to depend on tips is demeaning and mean. It does nothing to promote good service or provide anything other than temporary work for most of those who can't find employment elsewhere.

The old cliche about something being worth what you will pay for it applies here. The employer and the customer place an obscenely low value on service jobs yet expect servitude from servants. This is truly a cultural failure and an economic smokescreen.

We (the U.S.) can't keep an American flagged cruise ship in service because we only pay enough to the service crew to attract children and street people who have no intention of excelling at their job. We don't have the European tradition of service or the respect for those who make it their occupation. This is a cultural failure.

We tip EVERYONE!

I got it from Mom and Dad who tipped everyone - it wasn't always much, but it was something. The postman at Christmas, the kid who packed your bags at the grocery, doormen, bellhops, furniture delivery guys, the cab driver who jumps out to put your bags in the trunk, hotel/motel maids, etc.

In my family it's unthinkable not to show your appreciation in a substantive way.

I still can't imagine a better way to say, "I appreciate what you've done for me", than by tipping. You're backing up your words with with something that costs you something and giving it to someone who probably doesn't earn 10% annually on his investment income.

As to how much to tip, well, there are guidelines, suggestions, expectations, and exhortations - some people will honor them and some will ignore them.

In return for the tip I expect hustle, dedication, enthusiasm, passion, and a willingness to go above and beyond...is that asking too much?

I expect that wherever I take my business. If not, then I prefer to find another provider who appreciates my business more. Only for outstanding service way beyond what can reasonably be expected I'm willing to show my appreciation by giving a tip. I hardly ever tip hospitality staff. If they think they don't get paid enough they should go and ask their boss for more, not me. Their boss can raise the prices on the menu and then I as a customer can make an informed decision wether or not to take my business there.

A restaurant that displays prices without clearly stating that a certain % should be added on top of the final bill is engaging in deceptive advertising. It is misleading potential customers.

OK, Mr. Pink...

You'd be well advised to hire a food taster or at least never go back to the same place a 2nd time. As an independent captain you'd find my schedule always busy and my rate (if I was totally bored) huge. You'd find a generous gratuity a much cheaper way to go. I'd also pass the word to other in my industry. Only guy you'd hire around here would be Capt. Crash.
BTW, you do know that kicking tires hasn't told a car buyer anything about a car since about 1930.

It's pretty much common knowledge that in this part of the world you tip the waitor or waitress at restaurants 15-20% of the bill. Even a 5 year old knows that much. It's also the way it's been for a 100 years.

NYC just got a multi-million dollar gratuity from Wal-mart who wants to do business there. What, only the cities, politicians and rich should get perks? Also, there are different ways to do a job; fast and good vs slow and without a care for quality for instance. If you pay me the same for either which one do you think your going to get. It's equivilent to state workers. No incentive to do a good job, much less your best. Not tipping for exceptional service could also easily be taken as a personal insult. Some might make you pay one way or another. I for one of many who saw will never forget that waitress lambasting the guy as he's trying to duck into his car. She got her gratuity and her pound of flesh in the form of satisfaction and basically running him out of town. I'd tip 50% before I'd be that guy.

He must be coming from the same calvinistic background as I am

Well than it's just to bad that Americans living overseas loose that bit of good American culture. I have never ever received tip from any of my scuba students and many of them are American. They come to take their certs with us because they know that we are the most responsible and dedicated instructors in this area and they know that teaching the PADI courses doesn't pay when you live in one of the most expensive places of the world. Over the last years I've saved several from death by drowning and DCI but never received tip.

This explains a lot, but we do not discuss religion here. Good night.

Hi,

I think this might be a genetic disorder common amongst those from the Netherlands who put the well known scrooges from Scotland well in the shade

Tipping is an Americanism; surely it is best to be paid a living wage rather than to rely on tips; in the UK I will tip between 5-10% if I have recieved good to exceptional service and if I was spoken to by an employee in the manner suggested I would return to the restaurant and ensure that they be given a formal warning; I realise that the USA encourage low wages by using tipping as an excuse; but play the game properly and pay your staff the wages they deserve. I have owned several Restaurants and always paid above the min wage;all tips were pooled and paid out as a bonus at the end of the month equally to all employees pot boy upwards.
Makes for a happy team all wanting to give that bit extra.

The Europeans all use this method maybe thats why we have the best restaurants in the world with the best service
Paul

I applaude all those generous employers that pay better than the minimum wage, but it's meaningless. NYS minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. IF one can find F/T employement, that's $290 per week. After deducting 28% tax ($81.20) that leaves $208.80. (x) 4 = $835.20 per month. The cheapest rent I've heard of is about $1,300 for a 1 bedroom. Average is well over $2,000. Now throw in those pesky little items like food, cost of getting to work, health insurance and kids, etc. If an employer says (not shows) that an employee can receive $7.00 an hour in tips that minimum wage goes to $2.10 per hour. So what's the terrific rate you employers pay that makes it so your employee doesn't need gratuities to live well, and could you live on it? Think about those numbers as you drive you $60K car to your million dollar boat and and throw your line to the dock hand or stiff that waitress.

I don't know if you have ever run a business with a number of employees but suggesting that employers should and are able to pay higher wages while remaining competitive is at best naive. Employers facing higher and uncertain labor costs is why unemployment is remaining high

But to understand that, someone need to have run a business and have to make payroll once in there life. Sadly, thats something some people have never done incl professors/lawyers/community organizers

Hi,

Pascal I think you missed one important group from your list.

Politicians

Should someone who is trying to just feed their child be more concerned that their employer can't afford a new yacht than the employer is about that child staving? As I put it to one CEO, 'If he loses everything he ends up living in a house like mine. If I lose everything I end up under a bridge with no food in my mouth.' Sorry if I find it hard to empathize with a guy who may not be able to afford his annual vacation in the Med, and has to go to Vail instead. Maybe if he stiffs a few more of his crew and a few waitresses he can get back to the Med next year. Unemployment remains high because of greed; not because of someone making $2.10 an hour nor even someone making $20 an hour. It's amazing how easily greed replaces conscience.

Wait staff has the highest incentive to give the best service that they can, when the bulk of their income is coming from the tip that they recieve at the end of the meal. The better service they give, the more a person is likely to tip?

There a few threads on this site discussing this subject and I think I even started one. K1W1 watch out for that guy from Scotland coming after you.

On the thread that I started I was asking how can one justify the expected tips on a yacht charter, maybe I should have asked what is a fair price for that service. If you earn $1000 per foot as a Captain which seems to be about the standard rate in South Florida is it right that if your boat is chartered for $15,000 for the week you expect a tip equaling your wage or there abouts.

On a 80 footer you make $1600 per week as a wage how can you justify making what equals to about 100% tip on your owners boat when you have not invested in that boat.

Is a fair tip 20% of what you earn for that week of charter.

NYCAP123, talked to my friends daughter at the weekend who has started a job in New York (down town) on 38,000 per year but has to live away out on Long Island to be able to make ends meet. 4 hours travel every day.

For the pleasure of riding the trains for 20 hours a week and working 40, she makes 27,360 after taxes. Now deduct $5,200 (minimum) a year for transportation to work, $5,200 (minimum) a year for food, phone, electric and oil, and $15,600 a year for rent (if she lives in a slum). That leaves her a whole $1,360 a year ($26.15 a week) to splurge with (as long as she doesn't repay her student loans). So how many people is she forced to live with, and where is she waitressing on her 2nd and 3rd jobs so the banker won't miss his vacation. I'll be sure to stop by and leave a good tip to make up for some of the cheapskates in their Lexus' that stiff her on her overpaid $2.10 an hour other jobs.
BTW, that charter tip is (supposedly) split by the crew, most of whom earn way less than $1,000 a foot.

The all too familiar evil capitalist liberal rant... You seem to forget that a very large number of people are employed by small businesses, not evil corporations... These small business owners have a lot more on the line than you think... When business is slow, guess who gets paid first, The employees or the employer?


Business owners