The new way of calculating a restaurant tip

[skipro33]

In California, I tip double what the tax is, which can vary from 7.5% to 8.5%, making the tip 15 to 19%.

However, I leave a minimum tip of $5 if it's just me, or $3 a head for a party of two or more when the meal costs are inexpensive enough to warrant.

But, when minimum wage goes to $15 an hour, the premise being that it is a living wage, then I'm not going to tip a wait staff any more than I'd tip any other service worker. (Meaning ZERO tip) Look, I didn't push for the minimum wage for wait staff to jump up that high. I don't consider it my fault that they may loose money on the deal. But I'm not going to tip well compensated employees for doing what they are paid to do right in the first place and paid a FULL wage for it as well.

Hopefully, restaurants will push hard to eliminate tipping when the wages jump to $15 an hour, acknowledging that wages are now at a level commensurate to full compensation, and we patrons won't have to.

 

[Sunset]

....
Hopefully, restaurants will push hard to eliminate tipping when the wages jump to $15 an hour, acknowledging that wages are now at a level commensurate to full compensation, and we patrons won't have to.

I think restaurants will want to keep the tip idea, but will share less of it with the staff being paid $15 whenever possible.

I always suspect when you pay a tip on the CC, that the restaurant keeps some of it for the Manger or profit, as how would a server know what you tipped on the CC ?
I think it's harder to track than cash in the pocket at the end of the night.

 

[Walt34]

I always suspect when you pay a tip on the CC, that the restaurant keeps some of it for the Manger or profit, as how would a server know what you tipped on the CC ?
I think it's harder to track than cash in the pocket at the end of the night.

This is why when I do put a restaurant meal on a cc (which is not often) I pay the tip in cash.

 

[Drake3287]

And those police, firefighters and teachers (do they really make less than $30k per year? ($15X40X52)

You forgot to add in the yearly tip amount. That yearly $31,200. salary could easily include another $20,000. in tips, so yes, teachers and many Public Safety people make the same or less.

Even without tips, a waitress will earn more then those Federal Forest Service Firefighters working their ass off in 100 degree heat.

 

[Music Lover]

You forgot to add in the yearly tip amount. That yearly $31,200. salary could easily include another $20,000. in tips, so yes, teachers and many Public Safety people make the same or less.

Even without tips, a waitress will earn more then those Federal Forest Service Firefighters working their ass off in 100 degree heat.

I know a person who earned $10,000 in wages ($11 per hour here) working 2-3 days a week, and $30,000 in tips. She declared $3,000 to keep the tax people off her back, and of course, paid very little tax on her "reported" earnings of $13,000.

$40,000 in (almost) tax free earnings isn't that bad for a 2-3 day week...

 

[Drake3287]

He/she has a lot of company doing the same thing! A very good waitress/waiter at a decent restaurant can make a good living. There are a lot of people out there with High School diplomas making more then College Graduates that's for sure.

 

[redduck]

...At the local pub where I meet friends, I usually leave around 30% for the bartender. But she's hot and deserving of it.

I hope you aren't serious.

Yeah, I agree with MJ. 30% sounds way too low.

 

[Sunset]

He/she has a lot of company doing the same thing! A very good waitress/waiter at a decent restaurant can make a good living. There are a lot of people out there with High School diplomas making more then College Graduates that's for sure.

Yep, friend of mine, we were both in IT, told me his wife made more working as a waitress than he did, and I know he was paid more than me

 

[Music Lover]

At the local pub where I meet friends, I usually leave around 30% for the bartender. But she's hot and deserving of it.

I tip based on service, not looks. However, plenty of attractive women become servers and remain because of shallow people like you.

 

[marko]

I always suspect when you pay a tip on the CC, that the restaurant keeps some of it for the Manger or profit, as how would a server know what you tipped on the CC ?
I think it's harder to track than cash in the pocket at the end of the night.

In my experience (silent partner in a pretty nice restaurant) the waitstaff has their total sales and tips allotted to the due to IRS (?) requirements.

At the end of the night/week, the waitstaff gets a tally of their sales, a total of their CC tips and it is all accounted for and paid out. Their W2's show their total sales, CC sales and CC tips (and claimed cash tips).

Again, I think (pretty sure) that it's an IRS requirement for the waitperson to claim all their CC sales. From there the IRS assumes a 15% tip against sales--with some leeway-- of that person and looks for someone not fully claiming their income.
The days of waitstaff making $XK a year and claiming half of that to the IRS are long gone.

[Correction Edit]: At the end of the shift your total sales are listed when you punch out: cash and CC, you then enter your cash tips and your CC tips are tallied. If the computer doesn't see something reasonable (10%+) in your cash tips it tells you that you've not entered enough in tips.

You forgot to add in the yearly tip amount. That yearly $31,200. salary could easily include another $20,000. in tips, so yes, teachers and many Public Safety people make the same or less.

Well, around here cops and fire make about $60K and over $120K with overtime and details.
Plus a 70% of salary pension and full HC for themselves and spouse.
Plus a 25% discount on their property tax.
Plus, if they come down with a (ahem) disability within 6 years of retirement, they have their Fed tax paid on their pension as well.

Servers.....not so much.

 

[Big_Hitter]

I tip based on service, not looks. However, plenty of attractive women become servers and remain because of shallow people like you.

so I guess you don't frequent places like Hooters or Tilted Kilt?

 

[Sunset]

so I guess you don't frequent places like Hooters or Tilted Kilt?

Are you saying Hooters and Tilted Kilt servers are ugly

 

[ivinsfan]

deleted double post

 

[ivinsfan]

5 pages on a tipping thread,that seems like overkill but I guess it's a hot topic.

Those of you who call cheap for not tipping on the tax, I guess I'm cheap..I tip on the meal cost. Tip on the total including tax, round up a couple of bucks and don't be so cheap. It feels like tip shaming. I assume my waitperson works there of their own free will and that they make a decent living on my 20% of the food costs tip.It's like I'm supposed to feel guilty that I'm eating out and that someone is waiting on me.

 

[Music Lover]

so I guess you don't frequent places like Hooters or Tilted Kilt?

Nope. I've been to Hooters just once...and that was to meet some friends coming from different directions before we all went to a hockey game. The food sucked, so I won't go back. Some of the women were attractive, but that's not how I decide where to dine...

 

[Big_Hitter]

Nope. I've been to Hooters just once...and that was to meet some friends coming from different directions before we all went to a hockey game. The food sucked, so I won't go back. Some of the women were attractive, but that's not how I decide where to dine...

I like the wings myself, although the one here closed so I no longer go there

 

[Big_Hitter]

Are you saying Hooters and Tilted Kilt servers are ugly

depends on the location - the hooters on mangum road in houston was pretty bad, the one on Kirby totally rocked

The others I've been to around the country are all pretty good

 

[Philliefan33]

I tip based on service, not looks. However, plenty of attractive women become servers and remain because of shallow people like you.

It may be shallow, but it probably happens to all of us. If an average-looking person provides good service and is pleasant and friendly, he or she will probably get an average tip. If an attractive person provides the same level of service and is also pleasant and friendly, he or she probably gets higher than average tips. It's human nature and happens subconsciously.

I've become a better tipper as I've become more established financially, and since DD worked as a server for a few summers. Like others have stated, a couple of extra bucks is not going to make a difference for me, but it might brighten someone else's day. DH is still a little on the cheap side. I might borrow the technique of a previous poster and start leaving some extra cash on the table after DH fills out the CC slip.

At my hobby job this summer (whitewater river guide), I've seen how some workers depend on tips. We get paid a flat rate per trip. It usually works out to barely minimum wage here in PA ($7.25/hr). I'm not doing it for the money, but for some of the kids, this is their summer job and they are lucky to get work three or four days a week. There are not a lot of options for employment in the area; this outfitter is one of the best for HS or college kids

We are allowed to accept tips, and there are some signs posted that "if you wish, gratuities may be given to the trip leader and will be shared with all of the guides on your trip". Some trips we get nothing; the most I have gotten from one trip is $37. Even though I don't need the $, it is disappointing to get nothing because I feel like we didn't do enough to make the guests appreciate us. Or we did plenty but the guests didn't care. I'm averaging $11/trip in tips, bringing my hourly rate to just over $8/hr..

I find myself hoping for good tips so the kids I work with get that extra cash. When I can, I plant the seed for tips without really asking. For example, yesterday was a gorgeous day on the river and one of the guests said to me "this must be a dream job". I replied, "It is, until it's time to pay the electric bill". I went on to say that I'm retired from my career job and doing this to keep out of trouble, but the kids here are trying to get by and it's tough to do on guide pay.

 

[ivinsfan]

I've done a few guided trips and in this case I think the tipping model is broken. I've done some water trips where the guide could be responsible for your well being and can make or break your trip.

Why can't the outfitters simply charge an extra 5 or 10 bucks per person and pay the guides properly.We had a young kid on one trip that did guiding during the summer in Moab and spend the winters working in the ski areas,he was a happy camper. It's the guides that get caught in the middle and guests trying to figure out a correct tip price for a service that is essential to the trip and should be figured into the cost upfront.

 

[Bestwifeever]

DS was a bartender in college and said he noticed and appreciated the occasional over-generous tip (not that he didn't appreciate all of them). He pays it back by tipping $5 whenever he gets a drink from a bartender.

 

[Big_Hitter]

I usually tip a dollar a drink at a bar, well except for my club which has forced tipping...

 

[Bestwifeever]

I usually tip a dollar a drink at a bar, well except for my club which has forced tipping...

DH does the same as you--it's just DS's little quirk.

 

[RobbieB]

I go 3 dollars a drink. The drinks are fifteen dollars each.

 

[W2R]

Since I don't drink any more, I guess I could say that in recent years I always tip $1,000/drink at bars.

$1,000 x 0.0 = $0.00

 

[RobbieB]

I don't drink any more either. But I don't drink any less.

It's important to drink exactly the proper amount -