New Jersey Diner Adds ‘Teen Tax’ Because Kids Are Bad Tippers

Eater.com ^ | 11/10/2017 | Greg Morabito

[Dr. Sivana]

Tipping is inherently servile.

Well, waitressing IS a service job. No shame in that.

[Lazamataz]

I mean, these ladies aren’t starving to death. They make minimum wage. You know, I used to work minimum wage and when I did I wasn’t lucky enough to have a job that society deemed tipworthy.

Cough up your buck, you cheap bastard, I paid for your breakfast.

[KarlInOhio]

many restaurants put all orders of a large group on one ticket and add an automatic tip.

Stacking the orders never made sense to me with modern computers tracking the bill. When you have a table with "These three an that one over there on one bill, those two on another, and those two each separate" it seems like it would be vastly easier to just run a bill for each person and let the customers group which ones are paid together afterwards.

And while I'm on a rant, if the person at seat three ordered the steak then there should be no confusion about where to put the steak when the server comes out with it. I'm lucky if they get the right table and ask "Who gets the steak".

[Dr. Sivana]

Look at McDonald’s, you don’t see anyone tip them, do ya? Why not? They’re serving you food. But no, society says don’t tip these guys over here, but tip these guys over here. That’s bullshit!

Ray Kroc referred to McDonald's as STORES, not restaurants.

If I went to a McDonald's and sat at a table waiting for someone to take my order, I'd be asked to leave before I'd be asked what I would like. I am expected to clear my own place as well. If I have an issue with the order itself, it would be up to me to walk up and request the issue to be addressed. At McDonald's there is no real tableware to wash. In full service restaurants the tableware is typically washed by the waitresses themselves in smaller restaurants, and by dishwashers/busboys who share a % of the tips in larger ones.

Waitresses are paid far less than minimum wage because good waiting should result in tips to more than offset the lost wage.

The distinction isn't hard to make. Those who don't wish to tip for good service ought to limit themselves to self-service restaurants like McDonald's. Steak'n'Shake is an option too, if you limit yourself to the drive-in-window where you get the same food, but without the cutlery or service.

[Dr. Sivana]

Kids being kids either don’t even imagine tipping or worse yet, realize they have more money by keeping that tip money!

My first good job in high school was as a Pizza Hut cook in one of the sit-down versions more common in the '80s.

I saw what jerks of all ages did (both in bad tipping and general bad behavior). I already knew enough to tip appropriately, but that position would have taught me even if I had not already known.

[Rastus]

[heartwood]

In restaurants where tipping is usual and expected, servers usually make less than minimum wage - around $3/hr is the federal minimum for tipped employees.

McDonalds servers get the standard minimum wage because tips aren’t usual at fast food places.

This applies to camp counselors as well - I knew kids who ended up working the whole summer for well under minimum wage because the camp didn’t tell parents they should give the counselors $100 each on top of the camp fee, but they paid the counselors as if every family was tipping generously.

[ridesthemiles]

When teens show up in packs & fill up a restaurant/diner spaces for a prolonged period, they drive away other customers.

They are loud & boistrous & their raging hormones get them to try & out do each other in ridiculous behavior.

IF I find myself entering a place with such people there, I turn around & leave. I want to eat-—not listen to their lack of manners.

[morphing libertarian]

restaurants report a tendency of people to hide in groups and walk out and not tip

[Bob]

Tipped employees frequently have a wage that’s lower than the state’s minimum.

[Ouderkirk]

I go out with my colleagues, and I’ll tip 20% because the service is usually excellent.

I go out with my wife and two kids, the service sucks. The food is cold, and the drinks are empty. I can;t drink alcohol, because with kids in the car my basic DUI becomes a felony. With the lousy service and he cold food tip amount is zero.

Only place I go with the family is the Olive Garden, at least there...the service is good, and the food is hot, even if it is mediocre for Italian.

[bramps]

I was quoting from a dark comedy by the name of ‘Reservoir Dogs’. (actually quite a few replies on this thread are from the movie.)

[bramps]

Caution: Bad language!...but funny.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-qV9wVGb38

[Bob]

Sorry, I missed that.

[zerosix]

Of course, you are correct.

My daughter once waited tables at a local bar and grill and a nicely dressed couple with two youngish kids, ordered food and drinks (pitcher of beer for the adults) then left without paying, stiffing my daughter $50.00!

At the end of her shift, my daughter had to pay the $50.00 herself, except she hadn’t made $50.00 in tips but her kind employer kept her tips and let her pay the rest the next night when she finished her shift.

A crumby thing for a husband and father to stiff a college kid working for school expenses — and did it in front of his kids!

[joma89]

Yet another example of dealing with this generation we call the millennial. I think the tax is a great idea. It is no different when restaurants passed obamacare costs onto their customers with surcharges.

JoMa

[joma89]

Yet another example of dealing with this generation we call the millennial. I think the tax is a great idea. It is no different when restaurants passed obamacare costs onto their customers with surcharges.

JoMa

[Rembrandt]

Ask any bartender or server what two groups are the worst tippers. Does any establishment have the guts to place a “tax” on them and name the groups?

[Rembrandt]

“I just wish they treated old people with such disgust who are pretty bad tippers themselves and tend to take advantage of any free coffee or senior discounts and sit for hrs I restaurants...”

If you’re a lucky jerk, you’ll one day be old enough to be struggling between Sociable Security checks and perhaps reflect back on your insensitivity. Til then, you can continue to be a young jerk.

[2001convSVT]

If the customer doesn't like it they can go elsewhere.