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!
Parking attendants get tips. And low rent entertainers, like those theme park gun shows and kid party clowns. Taxi drivers. Really tips aren’t that uncommon.
Oddly enough, that's actually backwards. Up until the 20th Century, tipping was generally rejected here in the US, largely because it was considered an old world custom. It was introduced in large part as a way to suppliment the incomes that resulted from the loss of revenues due to prohibition.
The Europeans are actually emulating the practice that was common here for the best chunk of our history.
Service (to me) = valet, waiters, concierges, golf club staff, cab drivers, etc.
This is like asking someone to work a sales position w/ no hope of commissions.
Ask any good server and she would never want to work at this place. So you get the bad ones w/ no incentive. Smart.
That Jerk factor goes both ways. When you get lousey service and are forced to tip sucks too.
That goes for you plumber as well, when you are under a house, in the mud, doing thousands of dollars of work that the customer will never see, and you have all kinds of choices in how much effort you will put into it when you are wet and cold, and exhausted, and which items you will replace or not, choices which only he will ever know, and that will decide a large portion of the time and effort he puts into the already priced job, what makes him deliver a consistent level of quality work?
A waitress works in plain sight, and is evaluated by every diner and the owner himself, an indifferent waitress has no place to hide.
Then why would the server even apply for this job at all?
They are being hired to do a job, if the service isnt good I am certain the management will let them know and will correct accordingly.
Everybody who is against this idea seemed to be under the assumption that servers will get hired and immediately let themselves go without repercussions. That’s a ridiculous assumption to make.
There are many trades that do this. Promise a base wage and bonus for performance.
For instance I used to be an appliance repairman. I had a base salary, and received commission for labor, parts and if needed replacement appliance sales.
My performance didnt suffer. If it did, my ass would have been out the door.
Why in your opinion would human nature be different because instead of fixing an A/C unit they are taking orders for drinks?
^^THIS^^
It seems not only that the amount of tip expected by waitstaff goes up all the time, but the list of those you're expected to tip, period, gets longer and longer. I leave 20+% for decent service and good food (at breakfast, lunch OR dinner), but I do cringe at the "automatic" tips added to the bill. And how do you know who to tip or not? I confess it wouldn't occur to me to tip a plumber or electrician, but I tip deliverymen and the like.
Return sales and customer reviews. Does no good to be a bad server if eventually you have no returning customers because of your attitude. The management certainly wouldnt have it if Jenny came in on her shift everyday on the rag.
The jerk factor are those bosses who refuse to pay their servers and think the customers should do it for them
My negative POV is that the word “awesome” is the most overused word in our vocabulary. When every single thing becomes “awesome” then nothing is awesome. (rant off)
Incorrect.
A plumber’s payback for doing a good job is repeat business. Their payback for terrible service is, at best, lack of repeat business and, at worst, liability for the damage they create by their poor work.
For a food server, who does not have tremendous sway over the quality of the product (the food, barring tampering), the quality of their service is their value to the customer - who pays both them and the establishment.
As I stated in my original post, I am not trying to be negative. I am trying to see how this setup serves the needs of all three parties to the transaction - owner, server, and customer. If the experience under this scenario is good for all concerned, then I would accept it myself. If service declines because there is no direct link to remuneration, I would not patronize the establishment.
I’m actually undecided as to whether it’s a good idea, and simply voiced my question. The analogy to plumbing is not a valid one, because there is no analog to the tipping in the plumbing business. Tipping in food service has been my experience throughout my life. Changing motivations by manipulating money flow is likely to have consequences beyond the intended ones - whether good or bad, I cannot say.
Sorry I’m rambling on, but I have to admit I have been surprised at the vociferousness of the reaction to my question, although I appreciate your engaging in the discussion without making it an attack, FRiend.
How long would a NYC waiter last who’d “sold” only $500 in 5 hours? Or, how long would a restaurant keep its doors open if its waiters sold only $500 in 5 hours?
If they are automatically added to the bill, those aren’t tips they are just making the price on the menu into lies.
I think it’s a great idea! If I were a server, it would sure seem better than relying on tips. Of course, if service starts to slip the owner will have to reevaluate.
Ask any good server and she would never want to work at this place. So you get the bad ones w/ no incentive. Smart.
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How long do you think a business can stay open if they have employees who are bad with no incentive?
I case you don’t know this - tipping DOES NOT insure good service. Better to set prices that pay minumum wage or better to employees and if the staff don’t perform - FIRE THEM.
They can but it is meaningless, those jobs are hired and fired based on work, and that tip sharing was to cut down on resentment, it was not always so common, I still remember seeing it as a fairly new idea in most restaurants.
People should tip if they want, but they shouldn’t feel pressured and it definitely shouldn’t be mandatory
http://www.packhousemeats.com/
Here’s a link to their menu. I don’t eat meat, but the prices seemed pretty good to me.
I find it interesting that I did not express disapproval of the concept, but only questioned what maintained the link between service and remuneration.
I stated explicitly that I would gauge the success of the arrangement by the longer-term success of the business and the experience of the customers.
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