Restaurant Tipping

i don't see how you can't understand it, bird. i guess where you live, wait staff make minimum wage or better.

here they don't. they get like 2 or 3 bucks an hour plus tips. it's a part of our culture.

but a key part of it is - they should do a really good job if they expected to get a nice tip.

maybe food prices are more expensive where you live?

 

Yeah, and to be honest... I don't think I've had exceptional service more than a handful of times in my life.

I've had mediocre service plenty of times.

The fact is... the food service industry attracts crappy workers. It's only people who have failed at life or students who work in food establishments. It's hard to expect much out of them, and they should not expect much in return.

 

I know of a couple of restaurants here that tried to implement a regular wage for the waitstaff instead of tips, and the waitstaff wouldn't have it. They would rather have tips (mostly because a lot of stupid Americans are guilted into tipping 15-20%.)

 

This is what he didn't understand I think. Why not just pay them a normal wage.

 

I'm going to start leaving these things instead of tips from now on:

 

Well, culture or not, I think they should just tell their boss to fuck off and pay them a regular salary. Why won't they have to pay minimum wages anyway?

I don't know if food prices are more expensive here, I guess on average I would have a bill of around 20 euros when I go out eating to an average restaurant.

Also probably the waiters here aren't sucking up as much to their customers and leave them alone, but that is what I prefer anyway. I don't come there to get asskissed by someone who doesn't give one fuck about me. I come there to eat.

 

They attract a lot of musicians who can't make any money anymore because everyone is ripping them off by illegally downloading their CDs.

 

Ok fair enough, if the guilt tripping works it's indeed probably better for them.

 

The cd is not actually downloaded, sunfighter

 

Real musicians make money from touring, not from CD sales. Illegal downloading of music is the only reason why the indie music scene has been so thriving lately. None of these bands would have made it if people had to pay for their music (because no one would have.)

Also, I don't see how them being musicians makes them any more deserving of my tip. Most musicians I've met have been huge douchebags.

 

Yeah, it depends on the restaurant too. A waiter at a nice-ish restaurant can pull a whole lot more money in on a night through tips than on salary. Plus, this way, the waiters feel that they can actually "earn" their tips (by kissing extra ass) and therefore perform better than other waiters.

 

You must have been into indie a lot? And metal of course

 

So in addition to insulting wait staff, you are also into ripping off musicians. I'm beginning to see the kind of person you are.

 

Waiters in America must really hate foreigners. My parents for instance would be completely ignorant of the tipping culture and the waiters must think they are huge douchebags.

 

You are really not insulting wait staff by default if you pay a 10% tip.

Haha yes, this crossed my mind too.

 

Well, I hate indie. Metal is pretty sweet though.

One of my friends' bands is getting kinda big in the doom metal scene. They would have never made it if they didn't make their music freely available on the internet. It gave them exposure and now they make their money off shows and merch.

 

But he is hot, so that kinda makes up for it.

 

Yes. They fucking despise foreigners.

I get shit service sometimes because I have an accent.

... I then perpetuate the stereotype by not tipping them shit.

 

So I'm ripping off musicians by not tipping waiters 10%. This is all too much. You must be so preocuppied with all of these social norms. Do you even have free time to drink some tea?

Also, I'm hot, so it's ok.

 

If you travel, you should buy guide books that tell you what's expected.