Why Do We Suckers Tip?

Gunny G's Globe and Anchor Sites & Forums! ^ | 27 September 2003 | Dick Gaines

[gunnyg]

Tip means To Insure Promptness, or Tips, To Insure Promt Service... Numerous writings regarding the history of "tipping" would indicate that tipping came about centuries ago, and was paid up front to insure prompt service subsequent to you providing a gratuity. Now, the gratuity is paid after the fact; just another aspect of how backasswards things have become.

Gone are the olden days when the innkeeper's daughter was the servant administering to weary travelers at wayside inns. But today, tipping has grown into an institution unto itself, and we are "conditioned" to this with obedience, and without question, no resistence, not so much as a whimper.

In fact, we Tip with extreme loyalty and pride, as we do paying our "taxes"! Anyone who dares voice an opinion contrary to tipping, is immediately attacked by tippers--the majority--therefore, mob rule prevails. Recently, I chanced to post some of my thoughts on the above to a Internet bulletin board, and was lambasted unmercifully as a tightwad, flake, and just plain mean-spirited (where have I heard that b4?).

Some of these irate responses came from enraged waiters, waitresses, etc. (excuse me, "SERVERS") who felt that they were entitled to tips, since their employers paid them below minimum wage and they needed the tips. I'm not sure that is even so and/or legal.

Others stated that they certainly would not take another job at higher pay and have to pay taxes on that pay, ending up w/less in their pockets; whereas otherwise they did not report their total tips, etc. Hmmm...

This topic is not limited to servers, etc. Today, everybody under the sun seems to be an eligible tippee and expects a tip--and big ones too.

If you are inclined to respond/post on this board, please attempt to do so with the big picture in mind, and not personally biased, e,g., as you would if you just happen to be one of the countless tipped/insufficiently tipped servers, taxi-drivers, bellhops, etc., etc. You may respond/post on any or all of those things mentioned above, and/or related information, questions, answers, etc.

Actually, I may have been motivated on this topic after reading an article on the Internet (by a U.S. Marine, moonlighting) who was badmouthing consumers in general for thinking that they should pay only the traditional 15% tip--this arrogant xxxxxxx was sure he had more coming him, and, indeed, was irritated/enraged that some were daring enough, depriving him of his due.

Personally, I am damned sick and tired of "servers" kneeling at my table, referring to me/us as "you guys," and hearing their "sorry bout dat," (which means xxxx you!) And what really pisses me off is when I'm sitting on the end in a booth, and some jerko waiter stands on my outboard foot w/his size 12 gunboats! No, I'm wrong--what really pisses me off is sitting there waiting for my check so I can get the hell outta there, after being pestered to death from the time I was seated with service above and beyond, only for them to disappear when it is my desired time of departure--this is when they show up after you finally catch their attention and wave them down, and they still pressure you to order desert after you ask for your check! Then, if you want change, there's another wait till they come back again.

Don't get me wrong--I am not opposed to tipping because of the above listed grievances--I am opposed to tipping in principle--I work for my pay like most others--and I don't expect/demand a handout. I just thought I would pitch my favorite bitches here while I'm at it, since the opportunity presents itself.

[Xenalyte]

"Waitron" seems to me to be a term made up by exasperated wait staffers frustrated by the way customers and/or management expect robotic service, and how mindlessly robotic that work can seem.

That's exactly right.

[Xenalyte]

Want the manager to take notice? Go into the kitchen grab a plate and serve yourself and your friends. After he hears why you are there you will be treated like a king every time you return.

You may be getting the royal treatment in the dining room, but I've worked in some of the finest restaurants in Houston, and believe you me, your food is getting the pubes-in-the-paella treatment over by the dishwasher.

[discostu]

I like tipping. Being a generous tipper and frequenting the same places gets one known to the staff and the tend to render very good service. Any way, not tipping well usually means having to wait for change, that few minutes is worth a couple bucks.

[Xenalyte]

My viewpoint on tipping was exactly laid out by actor Steve Buscemi in the opening scene of Reservoir Dogs.

Yo, Pink, they're talkin' about you in here!

[Petronski]

Not so long ago, I bagged groceries.

[sandlady]

If everyone had your attitude, they'd just add to the price of your entree to provide a reasonable salary. At least this way, you're in control of the compensation. Have a positive attitude, I'm sure you can discover a restaurant where good service is not a lost art.

[sandlady]

Why does this guy frequent restaurants that stress him out so badly?

[Axenolith]

I pushed 'Za for them for 2.5 years and we never had a delivery charge, thats lame because you know it's only going to the bottom line. We recieved minimum wage, a $0.40\pizza commision (X2 in snow) and tips. The margin on a small pizza even if it was over 30 minutes and you gave $3.00 off was over 40%

I made 12-15 bucks an hour delivering the sacred hoop (and I got to eat it pretty much every day). It was great. The TOTAL key to success in the food delivery business is to get a cheap beater car thats easy to do routine maintenance on and keep on top of it.

On the tip bit, most people tipped well. I view a tip also based on the sincerety of the tipper. I had a little old lady somewhere north of 80 fold a quarter into my hand with a "and this is for you young man" and I knew that that quarter was still a lot in her mind and I accepted it as if it was 5 bucks. She was tickled pink that you could actually have a hot pizza delivered to your HOME in ~20 minutes :)

[sandlady]

Higher class, higher prices, bigger tip--DOH!

[sandlady]

I guess what you really mean is, "it's for the children"! But you may not even realize that!

Huh?

[sandlady]

A fireman saves lives, he should be compensated adequately for putting his life on the line, you don't tip him after he's done his work. A wiater/waitress provides a needed service -- it may not be in the same line as a fireman but it's needed and they should be adequately compensated.

You know what? You're in control. Don't go to the restaurants that give bad service (and fill out a comment card to tell them why) or don't go to eating establishments where tipping is customary. It's silly to compare a fireman to a wait person. Everything's different-from the "choice" factor down to the wage paid.

[sandlady]

By the way, I believe (as others have stated before me) that tipping is extortion paid to insure that nothing unseemly happens to my food and drink before it arrives in front of me.

For those that call me a monster for not wanting to graciously pay the "protection money" of my own volition, I believe in capitalism. If a person accepts a waitstaff position for $2/hr, then that is what they believe the marketplace views their services as worth. If they believe they are worth more than that, they have two options: 1)convince the marketplace and the employer that they are worth more, or 2) find another profession where they believe their worth is truly realized.

As for "rectifying the minimum wage", why would any of you want to encourage yet another government imposed subsidy that will have a deleterious effect on the goods and services we consume?

I've waited tables and it's not extortion. The instances that "something" happens to your food is rare.

I had customers like you occasionally and I thought nothing more than you were a cheapskate. I was good and sometimes it didn't matter.

Your evaluation of the compensation for waitstaff is off-base. You can't have it both ways. Either you stay in control and tip for good/don't tip for bad or you pay more for your food so the waitstaff can pay bills and the service will suffer because it doesn't matter if you leave a tip or not.

If you don't tip for good service, you're just mean (and cheap).

[Palladin]

Cheapskate!

[TrappedInLiberalHell]

It may have been Papa John' that added the delivery charge, not Domino's. Though I did see or read a story somewhere about how pizza delivery places were trending towards adding delivery charges.

[Xenalyte]

Then you do indeed understand the mindset behind Directives from Corporate.

[Sandy]

Start the evening with a scowl, treat the server as an annoying but necessary intermediary between the kitchen and your table, and guess where you wind up un the servers priority list.

Exactly. Which probably explains why gunny is getting crappy service wherever he goes. The waiters probably have him pegged as a cheap tipper and figure he just isn't worth the hassle.

Gunny, it's simple. Don't be such a dick and you might get better service.

[ladyinred]

I spent many years as a waitress, and if it were not for the tips, I would never work that hard! Perhaps if you haven't done it, you don't realize what a difficult and hard job it can be. I always tip according to the service. It is is bad, the tip is too. I am most likely more critical of service because I know how it should be done.

I don't see a thing wrong with tipping good service. The truth is the truth, you don't get paid enough to put up with that job without tips.

[KneelBeforeZod]

worst thing I've seen was the tip jars at almost every store in seattle. like I'm suppose to tip them for ringing up my purchases.

[Hank Rearden]

Want the manager to take notice? Go into the kitchen grab a plate and serve yourself and your friends. After he hears why you are there you will be treated like a king every time you return.

You do that in my restaurant, you'll head back to your table minus a finger, at minimum. We treat our customers with respect, and expect the same in return.

And we have the knives . . . . . .

[Hank Rearden]

I had a little old lady somewhere north of 80 fold a quarter into my hand with a "and this is for you young man" and I knew that that quarter was still a lot in her mind and I accepted it as if it was 5 bucks.

Attaboy. Keep that attitude and you'll go to heaven.