Why Do We Suckers Tip?

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

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Sounds like you and Mr. M. go to some pretty crappy restaurants to eat.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

"Could you imagine having to serve an SOB like you ? Thats worth at least 15%."

LOL. So true. For this reason alone, I usually tip 20%.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

First of all moron, if employers paid their waitstaff, the cost of your meal would simply increase by 15% - 20%. Secondly, "tipping is too french" shows your complete ignorance. Tipping in France is not the norm, other than giving the coins received after paying your bill.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Very good point.

[wimpycat]

In Chile, and in many other countries, the waiter actually buys the food you ordered from the restaurant, then sells it to you. Sort of like beauticians who rent their 'stations' from the owner of the establishment, or cab drivers whose cars are marked with a cab company's logo and phone number, but are actually owned by the cab driver.

So the waiter is, in effect, an independent distributor. It's in his own personal interest for the restaurant to cook good food and to give you good service. If someone refuses to pay for a meal, the waiter loses out, not the restaurant.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

They are much more laid back as far as service goes.

[ghostrider]

....where no tip is involved some employees garnish foods with various bodily fluids gratis. To seek to reduce one's chances of such an encounter is not so much yielding to extortion as it is exercising prudence.

My how the brainwashers have succeeded. If you pay extra our of fear, then you have been extorted. The brainwashing and political programming is blatantly obvious on this thread. Waitron, waitperson, pay so they don't spit or piss on your food...Argh!

[Helen]

We also tip well for a pizza delivery. They get the same dollar amount from us now - pizza minus delivery fee plus tip - and if they want to label a dollar of our tip as a delivery fee, that's up to them.

[Petronski]

"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.

But then, I don't know.

[TommyDale]

Many restaurants pay their employees HALF minimum wage, and expect them to make any income from tips. Until this nonsense is corrected, I feel morally obligated to supplement their income with tips. Since most waiters/waitresses are students, it is even more reason to help them.

[gunnyg]

Ah, the conditioning is so strong!

[The Coopster]

Why Do We Suckers Tip?

Because most of us "suckers" are grounded in reality. You can act all high and mighty, like it's some big conspiracy/scam, but the fact is - that's the system. Most realists know/are ok with not tipping for lousy service. When I tended bar/waited tables, I was grown-up enough to know when I received a poor tip due to poor service.

However-

I made excellent money during those years because I did a good job. And 90 percent of my bad tips came from either: 1.Certain demographic groups who always tip poorly (black folks, nascar hillbillies), or 2. People who come from countries where tipping doesn't happen.

The intent/meaning of your post comes through quite clearly. If you have a problem with tipping, dine at Golden Corral with all the folks from choice 1 in the paragraph above. Don't take your bad attitude out on someone who's simply trying to put there way through school, or support a family.

[Graybeard58]

"political programming is blatantly obvious on this thread. Waitron, waitperson"

...Thanks ghostrider,too much gender "correctness" here for me too.

[The Coopster]

Lay off the heroin, guys. you tip at the END of the meal.

[SunTzuWu]

If the local waitresaurus can't make it to my table in time, I help myself. I have no problem going to the waitress station to help myself to whatever I can find. Tea, coffee, soda, napkins, silverware. It embarrasses the hell out of them. 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.

[Cronos]

First of all moron, if employers paid their waitstaff, the cost of your meal would simply increase by 15% - 20%.

First of all, Mr. Liberal, it is a religion of peace (which bring up other questions), you dont' seem to be able to read: "but refrain from abusive attacks", secondly, you say "if employers paid their waistaff". Well, if they don't then do they keep them as slaves? If the employers don't pay them, it's illegal. Your assertion that the meals would cost 20% more doesn't stand up to the fact that Japanese restaurants don't allow tipping and yet are cheaper than American, why?

[Graybeard58]

"I made excellent money during those years because I did a good job".

...In the summer of 1989 my son was making $100 per day in tips, working Fridays and Saturdays at Steak & Shake. he was a hard working personable young man and that's what it takes. Not bad for a 14 year old kid!

[Cronos]

So, More on, Waiters in those countries make a decent wage from the restaurant, did we say that waiters shouldn't make a decent income? No. Let the employers pay them decently.

[gunnyg]

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