If an organisation were to get together many restaurants across the country, all of whom were to make the following changes:
They start paying service staff a living wage
They hike up the menu prices ~15%
They have a clear statement on the front of the menu- "our servers get a decent wage. Please do not feel the need to tip for decent service. If you consider that you have for any reason received extraordinarily good service, you may tip. If you feel you have received subpar service do not pay less than the menu price, instead discuss it with a manager.
As a Brit, I’ve never really liked the look of the American style tipping system, (although of course making a point by not tipping would be jerkish).
If the “living wage” involved is the same as the employees at most fast food restaurants, no thanks.
Because my order is wrong at least half the time. And the only reason I put up with it is because of how cheap it is; if it were any more expensive I’d be far more annoyed.
I didn’t vote because there’s no “I don’t care about the prices or tipping, I just want a good restaurant” option. Because you say in the OP, “If an organisation were to get together many restaurants across the country…” that would imply that it’s not universal, in which case, my non-poll answer above is perfectly relevant. I’m certainly not going to go to a restaurant (all other things being equal) merely because I’m paying 15% more for the service instead of leaving a 20% tip.
Now suppose that our federal government decides to abuse the interstate commerce clause again, and also threatens the states with withholding money so that we can include the small, local restaurants not involved in interstate commerce, and now there’s universal living wages for all restaurant workers. In this situation, I would expect that tipping become much more European-like, and aside from my not having any other options, I would happily dine in such a place.
I usually tip between 15 and 20%, so it wouldn’t really matter to me if I were at a restaurant that included tipping or not. My server would still get a decent wage.
But that being said, I would, out of principle, make a point to visit restaurants that I knew were paying their servers a living wage. I used to be a server. I know it’s hard. I wouldn’t necessarily stop going to restaurants that didn’t have the service fee included (the mom and pop Mexican restaurant down the road has amazing salsa… I don’t think I could give that up!), but I would probably go to them less.
I have a feeling this poll is related to this thread, isn’t it?
Good in theory, horrid in practice, in my opinion.
People who don’t want to tip are cheap, they might say they’ll go to the more expensive ‘no tip required’ place, but they would really choose the less expensive choice and either not tip or tip badly, in my opinion.
The tipping system, while not perfect, works out for the customer because customers come in all stripes. There are business men who just want prompt service, no chatter, beer refilled when empty. There are little old ladies who need, this table, no onions, more bread, plus, plus, plus. There are families who need children accommodated, crackers now, bill now, split the burger whatever.
If you want your staff to always be reaching to give the service each individual customer requires then a flat tip isn’t the way to go.
When the server goes out of their way to clean up a spill your child just made, accommodate the ridiculous demands of your 90yr old mother, gives separate cheques for your party of 12 on a busy lunch - at Christmas time, they deserve to be tipped accordingly. With a flat gratuity where is the motivation for the server to run over and clean up that mess, or be prompt and efficient in difficult circumstances? There isn’t any, the server will make the same regardless. Service would seriously suffer and the sales of the restaurant would too.
I wouldn’t because the way it’s worded it still looks like tipping would be expected. It would be preferable if it clearly stated “no tipping allowed.”
Thats known as doing your job. Don’t get me wrong… I’ve got nothing against incentive based pay, but lots of people manage to do a good job without it, in a wide variety of hectic situations, many far more harrying than those faced by your average waitress. Saying the restaurant business would die it is just silly.
Tbh, I’d like it if more business expected their employess to work for tips. There have been a couple auto mechanics I woulda reeeaaaaallly loved to stiff.
I’m used to getting much better service in Europe than in the US. Among other things, European restaurants don’t have a problem pulling together several tables for a large group, as there is no conflict about which table (therefore, which tip) belongs to which server.
The idea that people won’t do a good job unless there’s bonuses involved seems very strange to me.
I actually think that for most Americans in most situations, the “motivational” aspect of tipping is really quite minor. Tipping is simply a strongly-felt social obligation.
That’s why the OP’s idea is so difficult to implement. Even at such a place, there’s going to be a great deal of pressure to tip, either because you’re not sure whether to believe what the restaurant says about the way it pays its employees, or because you’re worried that the people with you don’t really believe it and will think that you’re looking for an excuse to cheap out.
I think most Americans would prefer to not have to tip at restaurants and simply pay a flat rate. There’s just no easy way to get there from here.
As a non-American, this is the only sort of restaurant I’d visit. In my ideal world, failure to move away from the “under-quote your prices by 13% but expect people to pay the full amount anyway” method would get the restaurant slapped with the Trade Practices Act (or American equivalent).
This sums it up to me. The American system is so ingrained in the American psyche that I can’t see it ever changing.
I am not cheap. But neither do I like feeling obliged to tip because otherwise the server won’t be able to eat that week. I like a business to pay its staff, and to then charge me for the food and service I receive.
But when I’m in the States, I play the game and do the 15%-20% thing because I know I’m meant to. But I find it plain weird that it’s meant to be optional… but kind of isn’t.
Different countries have different cultures. You learn them before you travel, shrug your shoulders at the ones that seem strange, but respect them and get on with it.
Employees at the Yale Club in NYC are not allowed to accept tips, although a “gratuity” is added to your bill. The service is fine, as it is in the rest of the world where tipping isn’t standard.
There’s a no tip salon called O’Hair, I think, in Maryland. They have two or three around. I used to go to them because they wouldn’t accept a tip, period. If you left a tip it was taken off of your next visit. I liked going to them, she actually gave me some of the best haircuts. The only reason I stopped going is because any salon is too expensive for a normal guys haircut.
I asked the women who cut my hair and she said at first she didn’t like it, but it turns out it works out just as well. If we could have restaurants where there was no tipping I’d much rather go to them. I hate tipping and can never figure it out.
On a bit of a hijack, I gave my 4 year old a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese. When the bill came there was no line for a tip and no way to leave one except for cash. I had to leave, walk across the street to the bank and get money out. Was I not expected to leave a tip there? Seems strange for all the work the woman did, but they made it very hard to tip.
I’ve been to these restaurants before, even ones where they say right there on the menu “service included”. And you know what? The servers still expect to get tipped and still get pissy when you don’t, and most Americans are too cowed to actually not tip. I cannot count the number of times I’ve been to a restaurant where there was some bullshit “18% gratuity included” and the fainting goat diners I was with still tipped 15-20%, not because they thought service was good, but because they “weren’t sure if they had to” or “didn’t want to make the waitress mad.” I’ve even been to a place which charged a 20% fixed “gratuity” and had the server drop subtle hints, such as telling the table “you can always add a tip” or circling the “tip” line on the credit card receipt - you know, the line directly below the “20 mandatory gratuity” line. :rolleyes:
I’d be happy to try the place out and judge it on its merits. I do not, however, have an axe to grind one way or the other about our tipping system to where I’d choose (or avoid) such a place just because of its tipless pricing setup.
Another non 'Mercan joining in to say that to me, the whole idea of “you must tip or your waitperson is gonna be surly and lazy” is just weird.
I have spent a good portion of my life working customer service, my father actually used to be a bar manager. To him, the idea that he should be tipped for doing a good job would be actually offensive. If someone wanted to say - pour a beer for yourself, fine - he may join with a beer - but anything else would have felt like some sort of charity.
I will, at times leave a small tip if I feel the service has been “above and beyond” - other than that, forget it.