Couple arrested over 'theft' for refusing to tip in restaurant

reply to post by Elostone


Yeah my bad.

There was a recent version of this that just happened in Texas.
I searched for the topic here not realizing I pulled up an old thread.

Originally posted by uwascallywabbit
in the US, servers who work for tips are taxed upon their food sales.

any instance of food sales without tip income is a LOSS to the waiter

I've been in the food service for 15 years, 95% of that time as a tipped wage, also as a general manager, and I can tell you your statement is 100% false

a server has to claim (based on state law) at least 8% of their total sales otherwise the company has to make up the difference to them.

$1000 is sales, only $75 in tips... the company pays the employee the extra $5

this is why managers make such a big deal about claiming all your tips( however, anyone with decent math skills can calculate exactly the minimum they need to claim to not get in trouble)

This whole story is BS!

I worked in food service for years, and I was good enough to average $10-$15 an hour most days, and on good days(prime hours) I would make upwards of $40 an hour

tips are a direct result of good service(although not everyone follows these rules) and if you are good at your job, you can make a killing

*note - I've never worked in a high end restaurant. my experience has been with national and global chain pizza companies. I would imagine people that work in the big deal restaurants make more money than any of you imagine

Originally posted by unicorn1
reply to post by uwascallywabbit

 

'in the US, servers who work for tips are taxed upon their food sales'.

Is this true scallywabbit?
Are you saying that someone who receives a low wage plus tips pays tax based on the value of the food dished up? How could that be? If it's an expensive restaurant they could end up with a deficit!

don't listen to that person, they don't know what they are talking about

tipped wages are generally $2.15+ per hour.
with minimum wages, that means that the server has to average $5.20 per hour in tips to make up the difference
if they fail to make the tips, the restaurant HAS to pay them the difference.
this is why managers stress to servers to claim all their tips
there is also a percentage of total sales that the server must make, usually 8%. if they fail to make this minimum, the restaurant HAS to pay them the difference

the main reason that restaurants add the 18% is so that the server has an automatic big tip that they HAVE to claim, ensuring that the restaurant does not have to pay more than the $2,15 minimum wage

Originally posted by Now_Then
reply to post by mavman

 

Are you sure your not being ripped off by your boss?

I dunno how many hours you work but I'm sure you shouldn't pay $2.13 in taxes etc for every hour you work.. A 40 hour week means your earning and paying $85.20...Over here in the UK I think I would expect to pay about £30 ish in every £100 I earn (but I gotta be honest I can never bring my self to figure it out)..

it all depends on hours worked, and tips claimed

example 30 hours x $2,15 = $64,50 in wages
with an average of $7 an hour in tips, $210 claimed, that brings the total wages for the week up to $274,50
if the state has an income tax ontop of federal income, SS, medicare, you are looking at about 15%-20% taxes
thats about $50 in taxes, leaving a 30 hour paycheck only being for about $14.50

now it is entirely possible that you make enough money in tips that you receive a $0 paycheck, moreso, if you consistantly make more in tips, at the end of the year, you could owe even more taxes, being that you never made enough in payable wages from the restaurant to pay your total taxes due

Originally posted by Sestias
reply to post by unicorn1

 

Yes, it's true. I have worked as a server in restaurants in the past, and you (or usually the restaurant manager) have to keep a record of your sales and pay income tax on the estimated tips, even if you don't get any. And yes, it does leave a deficit. This was instituted during the Reagan administration, which wouldn't raise taxes on the rich and so got more revenues from low-wage workers like us.

the reason managers keep track of sales is because they are required by law to make sure you make a certain % of sales in tips, usually 8%

servers pay taxes on all claimed tips plus their hourly wages

and yes, large groups are notorious for taking up too many tables, not allowing other customers to dine(losing the restaurant $)
large groups tend to not tips as well, because everyone thinks another diner will be tipping
large groups also tend to have poorer service, just because they tend to be more demanding and when you have 16 drinks to rememebr, it can be confusing and a time consuming process just to deliever drinks

I agree with mandatory tips when it comes to large parties, but really to call the cops... this is just stupid

What a load of bs.... I love living in a country where the minimum wage is so high that tipping is not needed. In fact no service job in Denmark are allowed to expect a tip....

What i dont understand is if your restaurant has a mandatory tip rate, then why not just include this mandatory rate into the actual price of the food?

Would make alot more sense and clear all confusion

Originally posted by RoyalCanadian
i never leave tips anyway! this sounds like an abuse of athority.

Then maybe you should educate yourself.

My kid was a server for several years. There were times she lost money and had to pay the restaurant.

Tips are the only way servers make any money. And they put up with crap!

I hate ignorance.

This app would solve their problem! It works for me...

itunes.apple.com...

Originally posted by jupiter869
This app would solve their problem! It works for me...

itunes.apple.com...

I pay 20% no matter what.

Not tipping is insulting - - ignorance - - petty - - etc.

Tips are the only income some servers make.

Originally posted by flice
What a load of bs.... I love living in a country where the minimum wage is so high that tipping is not needed. In fact no service job in Denmark are allowed to expect a tip....

Agreed.

Tips are only in a few coutnries expected or "mandatory", USA, Canada, Israel and Colombia (where you can either give as much as you want or they just automatically add 10% on the bill)
It's not common in most countries as the employees make more than enough money, so they don't have to depent on it. Actually i think what those countries above do is a very flawed and outdated system - just pay those employees a good enough wage - it works everywhere else.

I'm glad that in Europe nobody expects a tip but appreciate it if they get some and even if it's just 20 cents, the employees are happy.
In some countries like China and Japan you can even anger employees if you give them a tip, they completely don't understand it as it's normal for them to give the best service possible. (Unlike in the USA where, when you don't tip 'enough' but return to the same restaurant, you can expect quite a bad service if you happen to get the same waiter)

.

www.thefreedictionary.com...

If anyone is advertising a price and adding to it without prior agreement that is Fraud.

dictionary.reference.com...

Sue the restaurant Sue the person who filed the complaint Sue the city .

.

Some of us are poor, and with kids, we do like to go out once in a blue moon. When we go out, when we give a 2 or 3 dollar tip, no matter what the total is, that is a huge sum to us. So its comparative to income, and many of us aren't wealthy enough to put 18% on a family bill of say 60 dollars a chinese smorg, and we also have the right to have a meal out.

SO NO!!!! I'd tell them I wil continue to go out and tip if and when i can, what I can and any law that says otherwise is illegal. I'd tell the judge that, he is my employee and I am there only to grade his performance, I stand under no one.

Originally posted by ShadowAngel85

Originally posted by flice
What a load of bs.... I love living in a country where the minimum wage is so high that tipping is not needed. In fact no service job in Denmark are allowed to expect a tip....

Agreed.

Tips are only in a few conttries expected or "mandatory", USA, Canada, Israel and Colombia (where you can either give as much as you want or they just automatically add 10% on the bill)

Then people need to not be ignorant of laws in countries they travel.

America is 20%

Tips are the only income some servers get.

reply to post by DimensionalDetective


Well , it is like not paying your food bill because the food was shoddy. Unless something was wrong with the food (allergy , not cooked correctly , contaminated , bodily components AKA Hair - then you have to pay for it).

This why i don't go anywhere that has a mandatory tip service because if you suck at waiting , you aren't getting anything but me telling you need to improve or don't be a waitress. Dont support restaurants that have mandatory tipping and you wont have a problem.

reply to post by Annee


If that is the only income they can get , they better treat it like it is the only income they can get. Meaning , don't spit in my food , please keep my glass filled , don't check back every 30 seconds , but please check in every 10 minutes or so (not including keeping glasses filled) , please don't walk up to the table with out a hint of a smile , and please don't speak in a flat darth vader voice.

Bad service = no tip.
Godd service = tip / good tip.
Mandatory tip = no tip, problably not even entering the place if its advertised as such.

Same as with respect, you need to earn it first, can not be mandatory.

reply to post by Britguy


They can't find enough friendly, fast, and efficient waitresses and waiters anymore. College grads are now taking the jobs and forcing consistent tipping even though they aren't good at their job. They need lots of money to pay off their college loans.

Originally posted by milkyway12

If that is the only income they can get , they better treat it like it is the only income they can get. Meaning , don't spit in my food , please keep my glass filled , don't check back every 30 seconds , but please check in every 10 minutes or so (not including keeping glasses filled) , please don't walk up to the table with out a hint of a smile , and please don't speak in a flat darth vader voice.

The horror stories from people like you - - - are enough to make 20% mandatory.

reply to post by Annee


I have been a bartender and relied on my tips to make money.
I abhor the idea of a mandatory tip.
First that means people will stop going out.
Second those that do will only give the minimum mandatory tip.

Bad service= no tip plain and simple.
I've gotten a tip 2-3 times what the bill was because I gave a damn good tip.
I've also gotten no tip because the person was a jerk.
Oh well that's life, it doesn't change the fact that I did a good job, and if he came in again I would have given him the same service.

My job was to give good service, the tip was a bonus.
Did I need the tips, yes, was I entitled to them?
No.

I am so tired of the sense of entitlement in this country.
We aren't entitled to #, only what we earn with out own sweat and blood.

I've been in the service industry, and I've seen people do a #ty job.
Everyone acts like people are stiffing servers left and right for no good reason.
In my experience 5% or so of the people will never give tips.

Tips= to insure proper service, or prompt(depending on who you ask).

If someone hasn't given proper service they don't get a tip plain and simple.

Don't like it?
Get a different job.
Don't complain that there are no jobs out their either, because there is someone out there who would take your job and do it with a smile.
They will smile because they are grateful to at least have a job.

No one is holding a gun to a servers head and saying they have to work as a server.
You sure as won't hold a gun to my head and force me to tip, I'll simply go to a place that doesn't have mandatory tips.

I find it interesting that it's people who aren't actually servers that demand mandatory tips.
It's their friends, or family, or nanny state advocates that say it's not fair.
Life isn't fair, don't like that there is the exit *points to nearest cemetery*
Is that harsh of me? Oh well, life isn't fair, but it is harsh.
I've been in the service industry, and if you make tips mandatory you will hurt everyone in that industry.

If you feel so bad about servers not getting tips become a big tipper yourself.
I'm sure the servers will appreciate that a whole lot more than advocating for something that will actually ruin their tips.