TIMES: New Laws about tip sharing now in effect

[Bobster]

NY TIMES: New Rules Impose Systems For Sharing of Tips

Will this change how you tip? In the last year, I've made an attempt to tip with cash in at least the finer restaurants. I know that's not much but it's something...

[technophile50]

I usually tip extra in cash for above mediocre service. I figure that since a tip on the credit card leaves a paper trail, it is likely pooled and apportioned (maybe even to the benefit of owners and management not directly involved in "service").

If servers pocket the cash as unreported imcome, which has the effect of shifting income taxes from low paid food servers to higher income investors, that's between them and the IRS - I'm not the tax collector &;>)

I also will give wait staff tips explicitly for the kitchen when they have met special requests - my wife had celiac disease(gluten allergy), and couldn't eat wheat. Once, when she asked a waiter about which dishes were wheat free, he said he would have to ask chef. The chef came to our table and spent about 5 minutes determining what kind of dishes my (mostly vegetarian) wife liked; he then said "I could make you a meal that would have this and this, like these dishes on the menu, but with risotto con funghi instead of pasta, and we have some of this(cappesante, vongole, gamberetti? I can't remember) not on the menu that I could include - does that sound like something you would enjoy?" It was excellent; the price on the bill was average for the menu, and we tipped handsomely.

[Edward J]

Not much thought went into this "law"....

EVERYONE you see working in a restaurant is neccesary, and if they wren't, they wouldn't be there. Therefore, every staff member has contributed to the dining experience.

Social custom demands that we tip a percentage of the entire bill, or, in an other view, the entire dining experience. Why are only the wait staff "allowed" tips? True, they work very hard, but like I said, every staff member contributes toward the entire dining experience.

Heaven forbid that the owner is entitled to tips! Every owner knows fully well that once a customer knows that the person who served him is the owner, by some magical law, the owner is not entitled to tips. Most owners put in 80 to 100 hour weeks, and the business is constantly on their minds, even when they are not at work.

I dunno, the cynic in me doesn't see anything in the article about paying taxes on tips.....................

[LPShanet]

Not much thought went into this "law"....

EVERYONE you see working in a restaurant is neccesary, and if they wren't, they wouldn't be there. Therefore, every staff member has contributed to the dining experience.

Social custom demands that we tip a percentage of the entire bill, or, in an other view, the entire dining experience. Why are only the wait staff "allowed" tips? True, they work very hard, but like I said, every staff member contributes toward the entire dining experience.

Heaven forbid that the owner is entitled to tips! Every owner knows fully well that once a customer knows that the person who served him is the owner, by some magical law, the owner is not entitled to tips. Most owners put in 80 to 100 hour weeks, and the business is constantly on their minds, even when they are not at work.

I dunno, the cynic in me doesn't see anything in the article about paying taxes on tips.....................

It is important, when discussing this issue, to keep in mind that some employees (e.g. servers) have wages that reflect the fact that they're likely to receive tips. In other words, they are paid less and their legal minimum wage is lower because they receive tips. So while there may well be many deserving people in other positions, the system is set up so that those who are paid less based on the expectation of tips are compensated accordingly, rather than distributing that money to those who are already paid more, regardless of how hard they work. Before you start "recognizing" everyone who works hard by including them in the tip pool, you need to make the base wages equivalent. In countries where tipping is considered optional, the base pay of a server is noticeably higher, and at a level where they can make a living on their salaries alone. (N.B. It also may be why you often receive such crappy and indifferent service in some of those countries.) For what it's worth, that would also raise the overall price level at restaurants by quite a bit.

[Edward J]

This is a point I'd like to discuss.

Compare "X" and "Y". "X" is a waiter paid minimum wage or less than that, and works an 8 hr shift on a Saturday night in a "White tablecloth" restaurant. "Y" is a cook--not a Chef, but a cook, paid in the range of $14-$20 / hr who works the same 8 hr shift in the same place.

What does X take home- that night, not at the end of his pay period, how much of it is tax free, and how much does "Y" take home at the end of the pay period?

North America is a truly unique place: We have no standards or qualifications for waiters, cooks, or bakers. We have had ample opportunity to do so, and have ample Hospitality Unions to do so, but...... Also there are no qualifications or standards needed to open a restaurant, other than money.

Stop to think why the hospitality industry is one of the poorest paid insustries.

[Holly Moore]

More regulations and paperwork, because restaurant owners don't have enough to do in a day.

[Edward J]

More regulations and paperwork, because restaurant owners don't have enough to do in a day.

Ah pshaw....

Back in the late '90's B.C.'s then-W.C.B. (Worker's comp. Board)decided to impliment a total no-smoking ban in all restaurants. Hefty fines of $500 were put forth. Problem was, the WCB had no means to enforce this, or to enforce the fines.

The solution? Why, to fine the owner of the establishment, that's what. Still in effect today too.

And you thought Rodney Dangerfield got no respect?

[angevin]

I'm not seeing what the specific "rules" are in the article. Is it just that establishments are now required to document how tips are allocated, regardless of how they choose to do that?

My son is a server at a very high-end restaurant, where all tips are pooled (and all service is shared, which is another topic in itself - as a customer, how do you feel about not having your own designated server?). No cash is paid - salary and tips are given in the form of a paycheck, with all taxes taken out. I can see the need for some regulation here so that employees can be assured that everything is done fairly and accurately. As for a server pocketing a cash tip - that would be like stealing and it is simply not done.

Seems like this moves us a step towards the European system, which I think is a good thing.

[Eatbigapple]

This is what frustrates me with the US system. Because the system operates on an expectation of a tip, If I had a remarkable experience, there's no way to compensate and reward the particular waiter.

Although it's more difficult to calculate and threaten to damage chemistry of the overall waitstaff, in the ideal world I would be able to just reward the people who were involved with my meal.

In countries where gratuity is not expected, workers are thrilled to receive a tip, and thrive to perform. A direct correlation of performance and pay, no more freeloaders.

[LPShanet]

In countries where gratuity is not expected, workers are thrilled to receive a tip, and thrive to perform. A direct correlation of performance and pay, no more freeloaders.

I take it you've never been to France.

[angevin]

This is what frustrates me with the US system. Because the system operates on an expectation of a tip, If I had a remarkable experience, there's no way to compensate and reward the particular waiter.

Although it's more difficult to calculate and threaten to damage chemistry of the overall waitstaff, in the ideal world I would be able to just reward the people who were involved with my meal.

In countries where gratuity is not expected, workers are thrilled to receive a tip, and thrive to perform. A direct correlation of performance and pay, no more freeloaders.

The few times I've dined out in Europe (Paris and Rome), that had not been my experience. I found the service attentive and professional, without being overbearing. From what I hear, tips are not expected, so servers don't typically bend over backwards for the rare tip.

I honestly would prefer the European way where servers are considered professionals, are given proper training, provide the expected service and don't have to beg for a decent wage. Here, I find nothing more annoying than the incessant "How's everyone doing tonight?" "Is everything all right"? "How's is your steak?" etc... Trying desperately for that coveted big tip. All's I need is a server who communicates the specials, delivers my food, leaves me alone, pays attention, and is there when I actually need something.

But that's just me.

[Jenni]

I used to work in a pub, first as a pot washer and then as a waitress. We shared our tips out so that everyone got a share, although I'm not share if that includes the two chefs as I think they were on salaries rather than wages and probably earned a heck of a lot more than the rest of us! Bar staff got a share too. We were all paid our wages by BACs as usual and also once a month the tip jar was split up and we would receive our share of the tips in cash. I thought it was a pretty fair system as it made us care about all the customers experiences, not just that customers that we served. It also meant that the poor old pot washers got a bit of gratitude for scraping the crap off people's plates!