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!
Be sure and tip your plumber rather than depend on his own motivation to do good and honest work, and I can guarantee you that a plumber can make a much bigger difference than a waitress in what he delivers, in terms of “service”.
According the the pro-tipping crowd, minorities must really be treated like scum when they need to eat outside of the home.
Because it corrects the issue of waiters underreporting their earnings to the IRS?
If the plumber expects a tip, in light of the fact that it is NOT a traditionally tipping business, he’s SOL.
So, that’s a nice straw man.
Would you care to try again?
So how much did you tip your AC repair guy?
You didn’t and don’t even pretend you did.
This policy is awesome. I actually waited tables for years and the Blacks, Women, and Euro trash really heart my pocket. TIPS are out dated. Everyone should get prompt service, period. I did not provide excellent service for tips... I did it to keep my job. There is NO OTHER SERVICE INDUSTRY on earth that relies on tips to pay their staff. IT support don’t work off tips, HVAC, Cable repair, they seem to get by just fine.
I currently work in IT and I provide a service. Are you suggesting that the model of paying me a wage is a failure because that is retarded. I always provide above the bare minimum because I want referrals and customer loyalty. The same goes for the restaurant.
So tell us, what do you do for a living? Are you in a service field? If so, how much was your last tip? Do you provide crap service?
I agree.
We consumers are stuck with crappy service. In our reataurants, our stores and everywhere.
If a waiter or waitress gives you bad service, let the manager know. If the problem is not fixed (immediate discount or free meal the next time in) then let everyone you know what kind of crappy service you received and then never go back.
Problem solved.
Oh so its tradition now? Tradition is your argument in support of this.
Get a clue captain strawman.
Which has led many a waiter throughout the years to say, "Dangit, I just got stuck with a bunch of Canadians at my table."
It isn’t a straw man, your plumber has a vastly greater range of service that he can deliver to you based on how he feels about you, or what mood he is in, or what type of man he is, yet you trust him to just do his job well, while you don’t trust us that have been in the food service business to do ours, unless we have the hopes of a bonus, of a tip.
“Because it corrects the issue of waiters underreporting their earnings to the IRS?”
Or, perhaps, it corrects the issue of the IRS ACCUSING servers of under-reporting their earnings.
Is that so?
When you go shopping for food or clothes, do you tip the clerks? Stores are a service business, we don't tip there do we?
When you buy a car, do you tip the salesman too? How about tipping your undertaker for maybe burying grandma extra extra deep?
Tipping is a strange American custom that needs to die.
You need to work on the sage part of your screen name, FRiend. You appear to have the other part down! ;-P
In my original post, I asked what the link to customer satisfaction was in the server’s motivation, as provided by this system. Perhaps you have an answer to that question, or are you unwilling to actually discuss the issue, preferring to miss it entirely?
We would complain about the cook, complain about the busboys, the dishwasher, the quality of the pre-cooked food product, anything and everything, but for a waitress, we think the only thing that can make her bring us the plates with a smile, is the hope of a form of bribe.
Unions won’t like it. They hate “Piece-Work” because it gives employees an incentive to be very productive, which makes the lazy and inept employees (generally pro-union types) look bad.
Actually tips generally get shared with everybody on your list.
Back in the 70s there was a restaurant in Little Rock that was so popular that waiters could actually “sell” their positions to the highest bidders.
Good idea. The price shown should be what you pay (including tax)
In essence, the price shown on the menu is a lie. There is tax. Then the tip.
But that’s the American way.
I would often say...
"Dangit, I just got stuck with a bunch of New Yorkers at my table."
I am a professional consultant and provide a service. Twice in 25+ years I have received a tip! The shock of getting an “at-a-boy” like that was nice. (Most of my “at-a-boys” come in the form of a call for more work from my clients, or a referral.)
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