Posted on 06/09/2014 1:28:05 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd
A restaurant in Newport, Kentucky is making national headlines putting a ‘no tipping’ policy in effect. Packhouse Meats‘ tipping ban may seem strange, but it’s way more awesome than you think.
The restaurant has ‘No Tipping’ signs posted throughout its facility, and when customers pay by credit card, there is no option to leave a tip on the order receipt. Bob Conway, the owner of Packhouse Meats, revealed in an interview that he’s been inundated with negative reviews on Yelp for what appears to be mistreatment of his servers. A closer look at the new policy reveals that it’s not awful–it’s awesome.
Here’s how it works: severs are paid $10 an hour OR 20% of their individual food sales during their shifts–whichever amount is higher. Anyone who has ever waited tables before knows how rad this policy is. It’s basically a guarantee that you’re going to make good money.
Let’s break it down: if you worked a 5 hour shift and brought in $500 in food sales (which is suuuuuuper easy to do at any busy restaurant; TRUST); if you earn 20% of that, you take home $100–that’s twice the amount you’d make at the rate of $10/hour.
I think Packhouse Meat’s ‘No Tipping’ policy is awesome because it works for the restaurant AND its servers; the servers are motivated to push food sales (which means more $$$ for the restaurant), and the restaurant takes care of its employees with a guarantee that they’ll make a decent wage (which means happy servers).
I also think the ‘No Tipping’ policy is awesome because it eliminates what I call the Jerk Factor. There are few things in life more infuriating than busting it to take care of a table who leaves a chump change tip. You hustle like crazy to make sure these people’s drinks stay refilled, their orders are delivered promptly and accurately, their every need is attended to–all with warmth and courtesy– and they repay you with a $5 tip on a $125 check. Thanks, party of six, you guys must all be greaaaaaat people.
Packhouse Meats has taken the Jerk Factor out of the equation and ensured that their servers get the pay the deserve. Their owner gets an A++ in my book, but what do you think? Is their policy a good idea? Tell me how you feel in the comments below!
Me too...it's part of the overall experience, plus many of the servers are late teens/early 20's who are just trying to make ends meet, get through school, etc. They're giving me great service and I feel the whole process works for everyone.
Include you out of tipping or not tipping? I didn’t understand your post, FRiend.
One of the last glories of America is our outstanding customer service. It may strike Americans as sub-par but just talk to British and Europeans who are amazed at the quickness and professionalism of young people who serve in restaurants and stores. We’re spoiled in America - so that any lousy experience in a restaurant becomes a huge story in our mind. It’s only because it is so rare.
In NYC, we have some truly outstanding waiters. I can’t even remember when I’ve had bad customer service. So I tip accordingly. And, believe me, unlike what someone else said, it is not because I like to tip “peasants.” Mostly it’s because I worked as waitress.
I never served, but spent several years in food & beverage...I know how hard /stressful the work is during peak periods. Also, cancel your holiday plans...you’re working! I was doing physical inventory every NYEve & Halloween while my friends were partying.
I am a slow eater and I hate being pressured to finish quickly. Especially hate it when the waitress says “can I take your plate” when I have a fork in my hand and food still on my plate. This policy will encourage more of that.
Also - sometimes we just like to order coffee and talk for an hour. I’ll leave a $5 tip for two cups of coffee.
So - I think this is a bad idea....
The reward/punishment aspects of tipping shouldn’t be taken off the table. I think the post makes that pretty clear.
Thank you for the clarification.
Tipping or not tipping has nothing to do with some idiot owner rushing his customers, and i’m sure that it will always be legal for you to give strangers money if you insist on it, I hope you do it for everyone.
Waiters who don’t like this system can work elsewhere. If it is a good system employees will like it, customers will like it and the restaurant owner will like it. If any of them dislike it enough, it will be changed.
“Tipping or not tipping has nothing to do with some idiot owner rushing his customers”
My point was that the policy gives servers incentive to rush customers - since they would essentially be paid commissions on total sales.
“i’m sure that it will always be legal for you to give strangers money if you insist on it, I hope you do it for everyone.”
Actually I only do this because I would feel guilty leaving fifty cents after taking a table for an hour - knowing the server is working for tips. Perhaps you feel differently.
Never in my life have I held on to a table that a waitress or restaurant needed for a busy period, to to drink coffee and chat, I spent years in restaurants, and giving the waitress $5.00 doesn’t make up for the loss of food and drink business and tips, and people who couldn’t eat.
If a table is needed, then the owner has to find a balance for how to serve his customers who want to eat, without overly annoying people just lingering.
Even a McDonald’s owner had to confront that common food service problem when some elderly customers started killing his business.
So they are making $2500 on $500 in sales? Uhhhh no. Check the math.
DOn’t like it, no incentive for the server to provide great service. They PUSH expensive items, but perhaps not the best, they bother you and rush you to leave.
PLUS, they must markup food costs to cover the tips.
Nope, give me GREAT service and you get 22% plus your salary. Poor service is 10-15% tip- don’t do that.
This just guarantees a 20% tip. If you are good you can average more than that. the restaurant I worked in (bar really) i made on average 20% and if we sold $1000 in a night we would get an extra $100 bonus. This was in the early 90’s so adjust the $1000 for inflation.
The $2500.00 is the total food sales. The hypthetical is that if they sell $2500, they get 20 percent which is $500.00.
Poor service is 10-15% tip- don’t do that.
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Welcome to the thread. Lots of heated points being made here. But your point is one the the most absurd and ridiculous ones yet.
You would tip and reward a waiter for giving you poor service?
I maybe could see it might not be her fault if the kitchen screwed up. And maybe I would tip her if - after speaking to the manager - I got at least one free meal out of the deal.
But you said service. As in from the waitstaff. And only a fool tips a person who served them poorly.
I’ve been known to leave one penny, mostly it’s not directly the fault of the server so i give 10-15 when poor, but if it’s the server, one penny.
Nothing needs to be done....that is a liberal lie. Wait staff have a choice to engage in their chosen profession. If they don’t like the system they can find a different line of work. That’s the free market if I’ve ever seen it.
Do you really think customers will understand that they are being mandated to pay a 20% tip under this scheme? This is a system designed to confuse and befuddle the consumer. It is a liberal scheme to deny choice to the consumer and all legitimate conservatives should be against this. I’m surprised so many here buy into this liberal lie that there is somehow inequality for wait staff in restuarants.
Here’s the deal. This is a matter of free market capitalism. If there is no tipping it doesn’t take much thinking to understand that the price of the meal includes a component for payment of the server. Do you not see that? The wait staff can work elsewhere if they think they can do better there. Customers can eat elsewhere if they don’t like the prices or the restriction on their freedom to reward good service or punish bad service. The restaurant will change its system if it loses too many waiters or customers. Everyone is free to decide— that is the essence of conservatism.
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