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The truth about tipping
December 6, 2005 | George

Posted on 12/06/2005 12:33:26 PM PST by George14

It has recently been publicized that a 20 percent tip is now appropriate because servers are usually only guaranteed $2.13 an hour and the tips have to be split. Let me explain something. It is the customer's sole right to determine whether a tip is given, the amount and who will be the recipient of his tip. Such rights are not only guaranteed by our constitution they are clearly explained in the Code of Federal Regulations. Customers may tip any amount they choose. Instead of a higher tip being appropriate, what is now actually appropriate is for the public to start questioning why they are being expected to tip more.

While it has been widely publicized that tip splitting and lowered wages are both creating a need for higher tip percentages, what is not being publicized is an explanation of what these business practices actually are and why they create a need for the public to tip more. You see in both cases, such practices equate to employers being allowed to take part the tips away from the employee to whom the customer has presented a tip. You see, tip splitting is the business practice whereby employers take part of the tipped employee's tips and give them to workers whom the customer had every right and ability to tip but didn't. The $2.13 an hour business practice which has been publicized is actually called a tip credit. The tip credit also allows businesses to take or credit part of their employee's tips for themselves. In both cases the public's tips are being taken by businesses owners. The problem is not that customers should be tipping more the problem is that business owners should not be utilizing their employee's tips for the business's interests.

The truth is, business owners are using the customer's tips which undeniably and indisputably are not intended for the business owner for the business's own interests. Such business practices are being allowed by our government even though such business practices are an illegal dominion over the customer's property. To put it simply, businesses are being allowed to steal the money customers present as tips. Now, the public is being expected to tip more because the workers are not receiving the financial benefits of the tips they have been presented.

What is needed is not a higher tip percentage but some educating of the public of what is actually happening to their tip. Businesses have lobbied our federal government and I believe have probably even paid off many of our judges so they can steal the financial benefits of the tips our public is tipping workers in the service industry. The stories you read on how the public is being expected to tip more are actually stories about how our country is allowing businesses owners an ability to blatantly steal from their workers. If the real issue was resolved there would be no issue.

Employers should be prohibited from using their employee's tips to establish a lower minimum wage for their tipped workers. Customers are not tipping so the business can lower it's payroll expenses and thus benefit itself to the customer's tip. Customers are not tipping so the business owner can decide who should share in their tip. Both these business practices are fraud on the public for they are clearly the misappropriations of the public's property. Because our public has sat back and done nothing as business owners misappropriate the public's tips to their own interests, there now exists an undue pressure on the public to tip more to make up for such criminal acts.

The reason I believe our public has sat back and done nothing as business owners reap the financial benefits of the tips presented to their workers is because the media has also been paid off to avoid informing the public of what is actually happening to their tip when the courts ignore the constitutional rights of the customer and when our federal government so blatantly misappropriates the public's tips. The courts have ruled that employers may share the customer's tip among employees whom the customer had every right to tip but didn't. The federal government has allowed businesses to benefit themselves to the customer's tip through the tip credit without the consent of the customer. Such acts by our federal government and courts are not only unconstitutional but criminal. The media is covering up such crimes by intentionally avoiding the issue and keeping the truth from the public.

The tipped employees of this nation need some help from the public on these issues. The truth of what is happening to the customer's tip is being withheld from the public so that employers can continue to steal our tips while the public is left to foot the bill.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: angrywaitersyndrome; bibletracts; conspiracy; crackpot; deeduhdee; looneytoon; mdm; mrpink; reservoirdogs; tipcredit; tipouts; tipping; tippooling; tips; tipsplitting
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To: wolfcreek
Forget the procapitalism stance. You were talking about team work and yes, people do put up with F'offs.

Well, if cash incentive won't work, what do you think will? Obviously management has to be on top of things. But beyond that, do you really think a waitresses deserves a great tip if your order is all wrong and late and your silverware is dirty?

SD

181 posted on 12/06/2005 2:37:08 PM PST by SoothingDave
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To: BluH2o

I do the same. The meal may be on a credit card, the tip is in cash.


182 posted on 12/06/2005 2:38:15 PM PST by Ditter
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To: BlueStateDepression
this is a socialist scam from the get go, where the elites make out like bandits and the working folks take it in the behind......

You got that right....my kid was @ locally owned steak house here in 'small-town' TX....

She also was FORCED to 'tip share' with the hostess' who after seating the customers, would then sit on their butts & talk on the phone, paint their nails, read a book, etc.....all while the wait staff was to be on their feet tending to all the customers needs.

Needless to say she only had this job a couple weeks. (& that was too long)

183 posted on 12/06/2005 2:40:19 PM PST by txdoda (Voters to Gov't .......Re: post 9-11 Border Security....... ""The results are Unacceptable."")
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To: SoothingDave

It is questionable in and of itself to follow the law without question when there are legitmate questions that need to be answered. Making it 100% evident to people leaving tips how that money is doled out SHOULD be part of that law. Otherwise it is SHADY. Why be shady if it is so proper? Why not put out a sign alerting customers if it is so proper? Hmmmmmmm?

"Most people don't really care."

I guess you really DO believe that nonsense don't you! WOW!

The only reason tip share has gone on as long as it has is because people like you that ASSUME people won't care have done this underhanded in such a way that the people tipping do not understand that the tips do not always go to the person they gave it to. Hence no signs of this practice to the people doing the tipping!!!

If you are so confident then by all means put out a sign and let everyone that is tipping know EXACTLY where their tips are going. Why do we not see that again???

If I want someone to have a 20 dollar bill at Christmastime, the person I GIVE IT TO should HAVE IT.

The position you take is that someone else ,outside my own knowledge, should be able to TAKE that from them and decide HOW MUCH of it they get to keep. That is, in effect, someone else taking MY money and distributing it as THEY see fit. That removes MY RIGHT to distribute MY MONEY the way I SEE FIT. Employers have the right to divy up funds from the meal I pay for as they see fit. The tip is MINE to do that with NOT theirs. Do you understand the difference?


184 posted on 12/06/2005 2:41:23 PM PST by BlueStateDepression
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To: SoothingDave

How the HELL does it save the customer money???? BWAAAAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH wahever dude.


185 posted on 12/06/2005 2:42:18 PM PST by BlueStateDepression
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To: BlueStateDepression
It is questionable in and of itself to follow the law without question when there are legitmate questions that need to be answered.

Huh? Nevermind, don't explain. I get your point. It makes you angry that waitresses have to share tips. I get it. Why don't you agree to meet the waitresses later and give her the tip then, or get her address and mail it to her?

Otherwise, you are tipping and that is covered by laws and by workplace rules. Sorry. Why not open your own reataurant if you don't like it?

"Most people don't really care."

I guess you really DO believe that nonsense don't you! WOW!

Yes, I do. If I leave a tip and part of it goes to the busboy, I am not out anything. I have not been deceived. If all of the waitresses working the room pool their tips together and help each other out instead of playing "not my table" when I need a refill, how am I damaged?

I am paying extra for the dining experience to be pleasant, and there are many facotrs in that, not just the cutie who talks me up and delivers the plate.

The position you take is that someone else ,outside my own knowledge, should be able to TAKE that from them and decide HOW MUCH of it they get to keep. That is, in effect, someone else taking MY money and distributing it as THEY see fit. That removes MY RIGHT to distribute MY MONEY the way I SEE FIT. Employers have the right to divy up funds from the meal I pay for as they see fit. The tip is MINE to do that with NOT theirs. Do you understand the difference?

Once you give the money away, it is not yours. It belongs to the waitress. But she is bound by law and by workplace rules. She is free to solicit tips elsewhere, but as an employee she must abide by the workplace rules. Do you understand that? Hell, Uncle Sam takes part of it as well, doesn't that just tan your hide?

SD

186 posted on 12/06/2005 2:49:00 PM PST by SoothingDave
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To: BlueStateDepression
How the HELL does it save the customer money???? BWAAAAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH wahever dude.

You imagine lower salaries for busboys all go into the hands of the greedy restaurant owner and are not part of keeping costs down, which translates into lower prices?

Hell, we could pay all busboys and waitresses $50/hour with no tipping, but the food would cost a heck of a lot. So why wouldn't lower salaries mean cheaper food. It's simple economics.

SD

187 posted on 12/06/2005 2:50:44 PM PST by SoothingDave
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To: SoothingDave
It certainly saves employers and customers money.

LOL......I've yet to EVER see any restaurant advertise they pass on the 'saved wages' to the customers.

In fact, in my case this is a 'high end' steak house & quite expensive for 'small-town, TX.

188 posted on 12/06/2005 2:55:27 PM PST by txdoda (Voters to Gov't .......Re: post 9-11 Border Security....... ""The results are Unacceptable."")
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To: George14

Tip somebody in China 20% and watch the fun...


189 posted on 12/06/2005 2:57:55 PM PST by Cyber Liberty (© 2005, Ravin' Lunatic since 4/98)
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To: SoothingDave

But beyond that, do you really think a waitresses deserves a great tip if your order is all wrong and late and your silverware is dirty?

No, that's why I was against the "tip pool". There will always be someone who will take advantage when they know they'll get paid an equal amount regardless their effort.


190 posted on 12/06/2005 2:59:21 PM PST by wolfcreek
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To: billorites

I love bitterwaitress too.

Somebody wrote in that J-Lo tipped 25 cents on a bill of $625 (page 3 on your link).


191 posted on 12/06/2005 2:59:51 PM PST by texasbluebell
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To: SoothingDave

No you don't get it. What pisses me off is that I am lead to falsely believe that when i give a waitress a tip she gets to keep it. In a tip share environment that is NOT the case. Like I said, IF this is such a moral and proper procedure then why isn;t it touted with a sign saying that is the procedure? You have not yet addressed that point have you?

Yes you have been deceived when a tip goes other than where you put it. To say I have not been, is to ignore the reality that I have not been told in any way that the money I give to a waitress is not hers to keep. That is precisely why there are never any signs now ISN'T it!

You wanna take the poisition that once my money is gone I have no say then you are against the very idea of holding congress accountable for tax dollars taken! Same principle applies here dude!

Here is a tip for ya, this policy HURTS the tipping process. I refuse to TIP AT ALL due to this and I would offer to that the more people find out about this the more will join me. Hence (again) why we see NO SIGNS of this practice put out by any that use it. GOT AN EXAMPLE of someone that does yet? NOPE didn't think so.

Uncle sam indeed takes part of it and I already understand that, it is known to all what income taxes are.....can you say the same ting about tip share schemes? NOPE, you sure cannot...and that my friend proves my point.


192 posted on 12/06/2005 3:03:15 PM PST by BlueStateDepression
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To: SoothingDave

OH I agree it saves the owner money in labor costs he shifts to the customers. Where does the extra profit go? To reduced meals? YEAH RIGHT. You know better and SO do I....


193 posted on 12/06/2005 3:04:37 PM PST by BlueStateDepression
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To: Blue Jays
Hi All-

Mr. Pink doesn't tip.

~ Blue Jays ~

194 posted on 12/06/2005 3:07:18 PM PST by Blue Jays (Rock Hard, Ride Free)
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To: BlueStateDepression

That's why I give it discreetly. Then what he does with it is up to him. If he wants to spend it on other waiters or spend it on a new collar for his cat, it's his option.


195 posted on 12/06/2005 4:26:50 PM PST by Bonaparte
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To: SoothingDave; BlueStateDepression
Just two questions SD:
1)what is the incentive to work hard if you know you're possibly going to give half of what you work for away?
2)I guess you're also against "tax cuts" for the rich? ;)
196 posted on 12/06/2005 4:53:44 PM PST by mosquitobite (As the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down.)
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To: Cyber Liberty
They don't think like we do. My company now gives bonuses that are about half of our total yearly income. In China, when the manager there reviewed what US management was wanting to give each employee they said absolutely not. LOL

In China, they said "If you give them that (probably less than $1000) they will quit." Not understanding management asked if it should be more. China manager said "NO! If you give them more than $X, they will quit. The bigger the bonus, the harder they think you expect them to work."

Kinda funny, eh? They equate the job done with the amount of pay. Ahhh...for those days HERE again...

197 posted on 12/06/2005 4:57:54 PM PST by mosquitobite (As the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down.)
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To: mosquitobite; SoothingDave

Question number one was PERFECT.

I have 7 cowns and SD has seven cows. I work my butt off and care for my cows and the following year I have 14 cows. Meanwhile SD plays around and his cows get sick and die. Under SD's logic, the following year I should be forced to give him the fruits of my labor and call it 'sharing' and 'teamwork'. In conjunction with your question number one, SD what incentive to create ambition do I have to bust my butt taking care of my cows over the next year when I do not get to keep them anyway?


198 posted on 12/06/2005 5:09:10 PM PST by BlueStateDepression
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To: mosquitobite

Are they hiring at your company??


199 posted on 12/06/2005 5:29:26 PM PST by Cyber Liberty (© 2005, Ravin' Lunatic since 4/98)
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To: Cyber Liberty

Actually, yes. We're growing like crazy.


200 posted on 12/06/2005 5:36:53 PM PST by mosquitobite (As the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down.)
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