Must read..

By det_melissa
October 21st, 2005 @ 1:23 PM Uncategorized

Tessa over at NYC Metblog posted an awful experience involving tipping. My question is when did tipping become mandatory? The whole concept of tipping is to reward good and exceptional service. They don’t always deserve a tip.

First Post
Update #1
Update #2
Update #3
Update #4
Update #5

10 Comments so far

  1. Jeppy (unregistered) on October 21st, 2005 @ 2:19 pm

    Hey, the guy did deliver the ice-cream…

    But seriously, tipping is mandatory in certain circumstances. Wait-staff make their money with tips, not with a salary… Unless they do something completely evil on purpose, you should give a tip. Even when they spill something, it’s not like YOU have never spilled anything in your life… you should still tip them…

    When “Tipping is Optional” – and you think the person is getting paid decently… okay, don’t tip… but come on… THIS PARTICULAR WEIRD AND FRIGHTENING OCCURANCE ASIDE…. you should see the tip as something for future good service…


  2. MGal (unregistered) on October 21st, 2005 @ 2:21 pm

    Nope, tipping is always optional. Even with wait staff. Their employer is supposed to make up the difference between their base pay+tips and minimum wage.

    I have done my time in the service industry. Tipping should never be mandatory or expected.


  3. MGal (unregistered) on October 21st, 2005 @ 2:24 pm

    Oh yea, and tipping is mostly an American practice. Overseas in some places, tipping can be seen as an insult.


  4. Jeppy (unregistered) on October 21st, 2005 @ 2:51 pm

    Tipping an insult?!

    INSULT ME — PLEASE!!!!


  5. mom (unregistered) on October 21st, 2005 @ 5:31 pm

    Tip is an acronym for To Insure Promptness. So when did it become mandatory even when the service is poor?


  6. Jeppy (unregistered) on October 21st, 2005 @ 7:49 pm

    Well I tried it out, Melissa…

    Tonight I went to “Hudsons” at Marshal Fields with Denise.

    Before we ordered, I told the waitress: “I’d like to let you know, before we order, that a friend of mine does not believe in tipping the waitstaff. She said that your salary more than compensates you for your services. So in honor of her philosophy, I’m not going to give you any tip tonight.”

    After looking at me a bit weird, she handed over the menus, we ordered, I noticed some pursed lips (pissed off) and when dinner came (eventually) my dinner was burnt.

    Needless to say, it might have helped things if I didn’t forewarn her that there was no tip in the wings — but regardless, I do feel that the tip helps to grease the rails of gastronomic satisfaction.

    I can’t wait to go out to dinner with you and Greg and repeat the performance…


  7. Matthew (unregistered) on October 22nd, 2005 @ 9:13 am

    I went on a cruise a few years back, they had mandatory 15% gratuities included into all of the prices.


  8. We touch your food (unregistered) on October 25th, 2005 @ 9:23 am

    According to Federal wage and hour laws, tips may be included in the calculation of the minimum wage. In other words, if your tips, plus your base rate, equals or is more than the minimum wage, your employer is in compliance.

    Michigan law “permits tipped employees such as food servers to be paid $2.65 per hour if they report receiving tips of $2.50 an hour.”

    An employer may credit a portion of a tipped employee’s tips against the federal minimum wage of $5.15 per hour. An employer must pay at least $2.13 per hour. However, if an employee’s tips combined with the employer’s wage of $2.13 per hour do not equal the hourly minimum wage, the employer is required to make up the difference.


  9. Jeppy (unregistered) on October 25th, 2005 @ 1:50 pm

    Well, I’ll just have to feel happy that these hard-working employees are making that big $5.15 an hour and don’t need my tip.


  10. Joslin (unregistered) on October 30th, 2005 @ 11:14 am

    Tipping IS mandatory in places ( cities,states ,or countries ) where the PAY w/o tipping is so low as to beggar description ( as well as the person hauling ass for the customers. )
    If you have a personal need to be served by slaves , it follows that you are probl’y fatuous enough to be able to fool yourself into believing : 1) you are not only generous, but a wise judge of character as you fling coins about in the vicinity of your gravy-spattered bib to “reward ” the deserving & discipline the rest… 2) That anybody but yourself could be taken in by such fakery.



Terms of use | Privacy Policy | Content: Creative Commons | Site and Design © 2009 | Metroblogging ® and Metblogs ® are registered trademarks of Bode Media, Inc.