It's official! Dark Lord a tin bum!
Oh. My. Gourd.What is the world coming to?
Okay, here in Oz tipping is purely a matter of choice. IF the service is okay, I'll leave the change on the table. If the service is good or great, damn straight I'll leave a tip. Nice words will give you warm fuzzies, but cash is more practical.
Overseas, it's not the same. Much as I think America is a great place, their wages structures leave a lot to be desired. Minimum wages are what I consider slave labour over there, and tips are a means of supplementing meagre incomes.
For a bit of a snicker, check out Bitter Waitress, where the wait staff get a bit of their own back.
And if you're eating out in the States, please remember to tip.
posted by Nilk @ 9:28 PM
4 Comments:
I suppose the idea here in the US is that Waitressing or Waiting tables is not a lifetime career position but rather a temporary job - so there's no sinecure to it, unlike in socialistically inclined Europe where shoddy service is in-built because the arrogant servers-for-life can't be fired.
I know that the offset is the professional service and special attentiveness which can be found in three and four-star establishments, but those are also places where the meal costs generally reflect that same standard, and allow for waiting as a career position. Knowing a lot of people who have waited-tables in their past, I generally tip %20.
Also a point of interest is that here in the US the wait-staff will be charged by the IRS whether they receive tips or not, under the assumption that they do - in order that it go into their Social Security retirement accounting. The immediate incentive to *not* declare tips can be disastrous later because unless you've converted it to gold and buried it in the backyard, or invested the money in mutual bonds minimally equal to the % SSI growth, when you retire you'll only be getting the amount you declared to the IRS and not the full amount you earned - which postpones retirement for some people until a later date, like 70 instead of 65...
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I make it a point to tip someone at a nice restaurant or cafe or anywhere should they give exemplary service. Good service should always be rewarded.
I know it's bad to make the comparison, but you always reward a dog when they do well - it's basic conditioning. Beat someone down only when they do badly and never tell them when they do well and you're going to have a mean & bitter person on your hands.
I just find it unfortunate that the politicians and their lawmaking ways haven't cottoned onto the idea of positive reinforcement rather than the negative ideals that they pursue. How much better would life be on the roads if you were rewarded with cheaper registration each year for not being fined?
So, even though tipping isn't required here - I like to use it as a way of saying "Thanks" when the service has been "above and beyond" :)
ps: Nilknarf, I would like to express many thanks to you for the wishes you sent to me with regards to my mother. They were very thoughtful and very much appreciated.
If they got paid a decent wage (something over five cents a week) there would be no need for tipping.
Forces people to beg for a buck when they have a job. Leave that to the beggars who don't.
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