Would You Forgo Tipping Just To Save Money?

It does get heated and while I respect all the US posters, it is the US culture versus the rest of the world. Tipping isn't supposed to be a part of the wage which is why you don't get arrested if you leave without a tip. Even though I have lived in the US, I still don't believe it is right. Some service industries don't expect tips. High end salons don't accept tips because they expect all their staff to perform regardless.

I used to be a hostess and girls would ask who got what tips at the end of the day and often there were none, but our wages were still good $100 a day plus travel expenses. If people relied on tips, then you wouldn't get quality staff and often you don't.

 

I'm not completely against the idea of requiring employers to pay a fair wage and do away with "mandatory" tips, but I can just about guarantee that service would go down and meal costs would go up, for starters. I think it's just become ingrained here. The places I worked, minimum wage instead of tips would be a big pay cut.

No, it's not a legal requirement. It's just customary. I've head that if a server doesn't make enough to equal minimum wage that the employer is supposed to make up the difference. They don't.

 

I think this issue is so ingrained in the minds of Americans that it is part of the culture and is hard for many to see things differently. Many argue why should they get minimum wage, the same as a receptionist or retail worker? People need to understand wages are based on what a company wishes to pay and the law sets out minimums to protect them.

I get annoyed when people expect tips, I mean a call center person or receptionist are doing their job so you don't tip them for doing their job do you? It's the same with servers, it's just companies exploit the 'custom' and take advantage of this. If prices do go up as a result, a minimum wage means more people will have money and have to do only two and not three jobs to make ends meet.

 

That's why I have the problem - because it is mere custom. I have never been one to follow the rules just because everybody else is following them. I walk to the beat of my own drum and always have. All customs are are ideas that someone may have had at one point in time, and others subscribed to it. Not everyone should be made to adhere to it purely for that reason. When you have the majority of your peers assuming certain things about you or ridiculing you because you give a small tip, or don't want to give one at all, or telling you not to go to an establishment if you can afford the service, but NOT to tip, then that is wrong.

 

If I can't afford a good tip, I don't eat out. I know how poorly service staff in restaurants are paid and how hard they work to give you a good experience. Tipping is an important part of their income, which is why they work to be cheerful and helpful, unlike say...cashiers at walmart. Also, I go to the same restaurants fairly regularly and having worked in restaurants, I know that if someone gets a reputation for not tipping well the service and food quality will often suffer. I may be paranoid but I won't treat someone poorly who has access to my food. The up side of that is that once you get a reputation for tipping well, they're happy to see you and helpful. Little things like remembering what I like to drink and being attentive about refills and knowing which table I prefer.

 

I look at it this way, if you are that broke, why are you even eating out in the first place? Perhaps the reason you don't have money to leave a tip is because you eat out too much to begin with and aren't managing your own finances properly. It's not the server's fault you are irresponsible with your money to the point where you can't afford to leave the tip with your meal. Screwing a server out of their compensation for waiting on you is not a good strategy for saving money.

Yes it sucks that most restaurants don't pay their employees fair hourly wages, and that's not your fault, but the moment you go out to eat and participate in screwing them out of their wages even further by not tipping them, then you're just as much to blame.

 

It's not right to not tip the server no matter what. If you can't afford to tip then you shouldn't be eating out in the first place! People who serve our food in most, if not all cases, get paid very little. And they work hard. So they should be tipped every time. Servers get really disappointed if they're not tipped, most rely on them to get through the week. Also, some restaurants distribute the tips throughout the servers so what you give doesn't always go to your actual server. They will probably only get a small percentage of it. It's like they share the tip. That's why I leave my tips on the table instead of at the register. Because then I'll know it's going to my server for sure.

 

I must admit I probably don't tip as much as I should. I will offer service providers like waitresses at least 10 percent typically. It is not fair to eat out and not tip, as that is the biggest part of their income. I tip at the hair salon but usually only a dollar or two. When I have more money, I tip more...but I need to be concerned about my own finances at this point.

 

I do not forgo tipping when eating out because for me it is customary to do this especially when the server was very attentive and polite in taking and serving orders. In terms of saving money, I do not usually eat out but when I do, I make sure I have enough money for the food and for tipping. I plan my eat outs so that I will be able to tip the servers since most of whom I encountered are really nice and are doing their job well so I do not regret tipping them even if it costs more. There are times that I have bad experiences with servers so I usually don’t give a tip or lessen the tip that I give. Maybe it depends on the person and a personal preference if tipping is a way to save money.

 

I was talking to my friend from California, and she was telling me that they only really get like 15% of their tip, but it doesn't matter to me at this point. People can throw out all the numbers and statistics that they like at me, but the fact of the matter is that we have people working a job, and expecting customers to pay for more than what they have to pay for, otherwise they are bad tippers and cheap, and are going to get bad service the next time, because they did not give away extra money, after already having paid for the service that the establishment provides.

 

I completely agree with you. I would never go out to eat if I couldn't pay the tip, because a) if I can't pay a tip, I most certainly can't afford to eat out. And b) if I can't tip, I'll be thrown out of my country or something lol. It's a HUGE no no! And it's on us, not on the restaurant who should be paying their employees what they deserve and not rely on us to make their ends meet. And don't get me started on the wages they deserve. I hate tipping. I think most people working with the public deserves it, but we're required to tip the waitress or become a cheapskate social pariah. Of course they deserve it.. they work hard with a lot of nasty people. But something needs to be done about restaurants and how they pay. It should not be up to us.. we're already paying for our meals, why do we need to pay their wages too? And way to make it harder on people just starting out in life or the ones who obviously need the work.

 

I don't eat out.. I was just saying lol. But yes, it's expected of everyone. If you don't do it, everyone's radar goes off. I haven't been one of those people, but I've witnessed it and hoooo boy! lol. I get it.. they rely on the tips, but everyone has to remember WHY they rely on the tips and it's not because of the customers. Delivery guys too, yes. You don't HAVE to, but you're a douchebag if you don't.

 

My sister used to work as a waitress, and for one month (that's as long as I could stand the owner's wife), I waited a few counter stools as part of my overall responsibilities at a part time job. as @LeopardJones posted, the amount waitstaff and other workers who rely on tips are paid is well under the minimum wage, which I believe right now is $7.50/hour. Here's a little excerpt: "The American federal government requires a wage of at least $2.13 per hour be paid to employees that receive at least $30 per month in tips.

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" . This is why many restaurants and bars require that waitresses pool their tips and share with other lower paid employees, which ultimately lowers their wages, despite possibly giving outstanding service.

Since I know how little many of them make (unless they're working in the most upscale of restaurants), I will tip 15-20% if the service is good. The tips my sister and I relied on were from wealthy customers, and sometimes they would leave a few cents, or a nickel, regardless of how difficult the order was, or how high the bill. These employees work their butts off, and often rely on food stamps (government assistance) to feed their families, since their wages are so poor.

I rarely can afford to eat out these days, but when I do, I make sure I have enough money for whatever I'm ordering, plus a tip. If I can't afford that, I will order something less expensive, so I can leave a tip. However, if the service is horrible, I won't leave a tip.

 

It's this kind of attitude I really don't find logical or even moral. People may tip well because they put it on expenses not because you are actually a good server, and there are some people who can't tip well because they are on a budget.

This whole 'don't go out to eat if you can't tip well' defies logic. That means people shouldn't go out for birthday parties or celebrations just because they are short on funds. What about travelers on a budget that have to eat out? Should they be tipping and then have no money left to get a room for the night or be left to hitch a ride. You have to understand some people budget to eat out on the road. I know when I worked in promotions and on the road I was given an allowance, but if I was going to tip it would come out of that, so I would have to deny myself a starter or dessert. Is that right, no of course not unless I choose to.

 

Why would people go out to dinner if they're short on funds? "Happy birthday friend, here's my last dime!" lol, no thanks, I'll figure something else out. I understand they might be left embarrassed, but they'll be embarrassed when they don't tip as well. At least where I am. I'd rather not go out than have everyone at my table think I'm a cheapskate. As for budgeting on the road, you do what you gotta do and if you don't want to tip, don't.. here, you'd be a bad customer and the mean cheapskate dinner companion lol. Personally, I'd be raiding grocery stores instead.. cheaper and healthier (if you're eating the right stuff anyway). Why is eating out the go-to for everything? It's such a huge waste of money. Surprising, considering the site we're on lol.