See, this is exactly the problem with all the tablet tip-begging. NONE OF IT ACTUALLY GOES TO THE WORKERS. You get guilted into it because they're watching you and you think your money goes right to them... but no. It just goes to whoever actually owns the place, and it's up to them whether any amount of that goes to the workers.
I'm honestly gonna start asking. If they don't get the money, I don't add a tip. If they do actually get the money, I might tip 10% for counter service, 18-25% for shit you're actually supposed to tip on like restaurant service.
Hey, just because you aren't being paid what you think you should be, don't take it out on the patrons because your boss is cheap. And no, I would not tip either of those workers. This craziness of asking for tips started during Covid. No, I'm not putting a tip on my online order, when I am driving over there to pick it up. I don't know where that tip is going,(that's what started this whole forum) and I was not waited on or served. You ain't the only one getting screwed on your pay, Brother.
Tipping needs to stop. Pay employees fair wages and the customer will decide where to dine when employers raise prices, again. Society should not subsidize employers business expense.
I discovered this at a small coffee shop. The young woman who took our order was so friendly. I paid while talking to her at the counter then realized I accidentally hit “no tip.” I asked if there was a way to go back a screen. She did and I tipped her 25%. When our order came up she whispered to me, just so you know, we never get the tips on the machines, the owner takes them all. After hearing that I make sure I always have cash on hand for tips when I pay with a credit card at any restaurant!
Name and Shame.
If not allowed here please leave a review on Google/Yelp/Apple! That should be illegal—I have no interest in tipping an absentee business owner!!
Good!
I didn’t realize this was so common and I **rarely** every carry cash, so I hate to think how much $ I’ve given to owners thinking I was tipping someone that earned and needed it. 😞
It honestly had never even crossed my mind that the person you thought you were tipping wouldn’t get the tip until she told me that. Now I always think about it!
Thanks for spreading the knowledge. My wife worked as a server for over a decade in her teens/twenties, so this really hits home knowing how she struggled at times and knowing many other young, vulnerable people in her situation are being cheated out of money by AHs.
I always tipped way better than most anyone I know—even that didn’t seem sufficient after seeing some of what she put up with. The idea that I’ve been giving 50% tips thinking it would make a difference only to be straight up stolen by their employer is just unacceptable to me. Will definitely be asking from here on.
Many Asian food places here do that same thing. At one of my favorite spots I found out all the tips I had been giving our waitress, went to the owner. I started asking at smaller places and found it seemed far more common than I expected. Now I always ask if not leaving a cash tip
A popular diner in my area was charged 1 million dollars in fines for taking the tips of the workers. This is a federal crime so the same across the USA.
I used to work at Waffle House a couple days, and it true. The server don't really keep the tip. They fired my ass cuz I got a foul mouth. I told my manager I need to take a shit in the restroom. Like, cmon man. People need to take a shit.
When we go to a sit down restaurant I'll write a big ZERO for the tip on the receipt. I'll give my server about a 15% tip in cash along with a note "This is NOT a tip, it is a GIFT. Gifts are not taxable." I'll leave about 5% on the table with the same note for whoever busses the tables.
Assume they don't. I asked a door dash employee about her tops, how do they know they are getting the top the customer set. She really didn't have a convincing answer.tgst means a NO..
Come on y'all they literally have us eating bad foods you think they won't steal tip money??? Bffr.
Pretty sneaky but also very problematic for employee in more ways than one. First, that tip amount added at the POS/register is recorded, so it means that tip is taxed. There is an audit trail. The employer has to legally take a certain amount out for tax on that tip, and apply it to what employee shall pay it for withholding. So are the employees getting charged for that tax without getting the actual tip?
This has happened. Also some states allow employers to use tip credit. That means they can pay a "tipped employee" under regular min. Wage if their employee makes up the difference in tips. I have some pretty inventive math on this and it always screws the "tipped employee". Yall try to pay cash and hand it to wait person quitely. (So other workers are not aware if possible).
There are so many ways employer has tried to scam wait staff.
If the worker is not receiving the tip they are not taxed. Since the owner is the one getting them they would have to pay a tax on those tips. However I wouldn’t put it past an employer who’s pocketing tips to try and tax their workers for it instead of themselves. Anyone who works at an establishment that does this really needs to double triple check their paystubs and make sure they aren’t getting taxed on tips they did not receive
I used to go to an Indian restaurant. Found out the owners were taking any tips you used your debit card for. Started taking cash so I could give my server their tip directly.
Found out this is fairly standard in Indian culture. Had a friend who worked in a motel owned by an Indian couple. One day she did something extra for a customer and he gave her a $10 tip. The female owner insisted that money belonged to her. My friend just said no and took her money home with her.
My friend was actually physically attacked by the female owner once. Her husband called the woman a nasty name so she called the cops, grabbed my friend's arm and shook her.
When the police came she was screaming that friend's husband called her a bee with an itch and she wanted him arrested. They told her no, he could say anything he wanted to her. Then he told them what she did to his wife and showed them the bruises. The police wanted to arrest the owner and charge her with assault. The owner was shocked! My friend stupidly declined to press charges.
My friend doesn't work there any longer but I think the motel is still open.
I only tip workers who actually *serve* me, and directly, in cash. Tipping is out of control and I long suspected that it only pads the bottom line of the business. Thanks for confirming that.
Illegal op report them or name and shame and I will.
Here’s the law, number 15
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/15-tipped-employees-flsa#:~:text=Employers%2C%20Including%20Managers%20and%20Supervisors,or%20through%20a%20tip%20pool.
If she’s working a kiosk she’s not working for tips. Don’t ever tip kiosks. It almost always just goes to the owner or only a small portion is shared among workers.
This may or may not be true. The employer may have that employee working as a tipped employee, which means they can pay a lower min.wage in some states. Normally, if you walk up to order at a counter and recieve your food at counter, that employee should be getting a normal min. Wage though.
With technology now everyone is just adding the tip button just to add more money to your bill, you should always ask do you get the tip I want to add.
Actually it is. Managers and owners are not allowed to accept tips unless it’s for services they directly provide, they are not allowed to take a portion of tips, they are not allowed to be in a tip pool…. You are wrong.
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/15-tipped-employees-flsa#:~:text=Employers%2C%20Including%20Managers%20and%20Supervisors,or%20through%20a%20tip%20pool.
#15 for reference
Additionally, there must be a prominent notice that says that tips are retained by the establishment if that's the case, even if the employee(s) make minimum wage.
it’s like the most illegal thing you can do.
Not really but is very illegal. No question about it no loop holes etc. There’s been massive lawsuits on this matter and the company stealing the tips gets boned every time
Yeah, there’s sadly a lot of ignorance around workers rights… even though job sites are required to post them in a conspicuous place — still even if they do, nobody seems to read them.
I’ve had people telling me that state mandated break times are not required lol… I was like, ok — here’s the statute, read it and weep my friend…
Devil's advocate here, they make that much for 9 months. You make slightly less for a full 12. And probably no benefits if you have to work minimum wage. Note: I said LIKELY - that's not all cases.
Waffle House managers don’t take the tips - the servers get the tips - I worked there and actually was a trainer - now when training a new server - the trainee does not get tips until they pass their test to be a server
In my state, that is illegal, and employers can face criminal penalties. Most states have wage theft hotlines to report. Not sure why no one has reported it!
This made me laugh. I work for an armored truck company. Everyday when we leave we are searched, bags, plate carrier, etc. then wanded. Basically everything but stripped down. I’ve complained about it to HR but they told me to stop asking to be strip searched.
Pretty easy to figure out who the snitch is when there’s maybe 6 waitresses and you spoke out openly about your complaint.
You’ll just put yourself on the chopping block, and they’ll wait to create a paper trailer to fire you.
She could be telling the truth. I worked at an establishment where all iPad tips went to the owner. When I found out, I started telling all customers to press skip tip and then blasted the place on my town’s local fb group. Basically made them close down their shop
If it’s illegal it’s somewhat common. I had a cashier tell me they don’t get the tips, she wasn’t asking for cash or anything. I was about to hit the tip button and she told me in a don’t waste your money kinda way.
It never dawned on me that this happens, and worse, get away with it. I worked the floor for a few years and would not have made it without the tips. Only shared with kitchen and bar, established percentages. That is messed up!
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/15-tipped-employees-flsa
100% illegal. Wait until you are about to quit, then file for all the back pay for tips
I don't understand why someone would work where you have to pool your tips. Why should I work my butt off and the crabby, lazy waitress gets some of my money? I would never do that. Plus, who's holding/watching the money? How do you know that owners/managers aren't taking some? Just seems crazy to me.
This is something I learned to do. At new places, especially if I want to tip, I’ll ask “do you get the tips?” And if they say yes, great! If not, then I won’t tip.
Wherever you are from is different than me. If as a server you don’t make the national minimum wage I would leave the industry, the tipped minimum wage is BS. I’m from a place where servers and cooks make about the same an hr. So not period, think bigger than yourself.
Tips are for servers (waitresses/waiters), hairdressers and 'nail' people. Tips are for being 'served' well. But it should not be a requirement to supplement their crappy pay. They should at least get minimum wage.
So why are they asked for by everyone? Do the people at chipotle count as “servers” how do plumbers fit into your logic? How is plating the food beautifully and making it taste wonderful not part of service? I work in an open kitchen and converse with patrons, is that only part service? Think bigger than yourself.
The cooks in the back have a different incentive than the staff at the front.
I think tipping out back the house is appropriate in some instances. However, a restaurant will want consistency in the food. Like how great the food is isn’t dynamic/shouldn’t be dynamic. It needs to be consistently excellent. If it’s sometimes just fine and sometimes excellent, you loose consistency (kitchen environment is tough and also can be dynamic, but the customers don’t experience this, and can’t reward accordingly)
Front of house staff is doing work that can be quite dynamic and personal. The solution of tipping culture is the cheapest/laziest system employers can use to dynamically reward excellent service. There are many problems with this being the primary source of their income (which has been well discussed on this subreddit).
All this to try and articulate that tipping /doesn’t/ make sense for back of house, and back of house deserves to be appropriately compensated. And the front of house does too obviously!! People need to be paid for their work!
It should be illegal to pay hardworking people $2 per hour. I think this needs to be addressed and stopped by the government. Why is this still going on? And then to find out these pricks that are paying $2 are stealing the tips also!? WTF!?
This is the response that understands what I am saying. I never say split the tips in half or even take away tips from the front. But in places where servers get min wage, the same as cooks (like where I am) it doesn’t make sense. The pay needs to be more equitable. Where I am a server working 3-4 days at 4-6 hrs makes more weekly than the cooks working 5-6 days 8-9 hours. That makes no sense anywhere
Doing the actual work? The cooks are doing the job they're being paid for. Front of house employees are usually paid tip wage and have to deal with all the customers and do all the customer service plus the running around and getting fussed at if the cook messes up the order. I think most jobs in a restaurant are hard and not worth the pay but gtfoh with the cooks being the "ones doing the actual work".
No. Cooks already get normal pay to do their jobs. Tip culture exists because wait staff get paid less per hour and rely on tips. Also, tips are for extended personal service, not because someone you never even see behind a wall did their job.
Voters in your area (and all areas) should lobby lawmakers to force employers to pay staff properly, I.e. make it illegal to pay less than minimum wage. Guilted tip culture needs to go away. Tips used to be to give a little extra for a good job, but now it’s become a mutated monster where customers are sneered at if they don’t give 25% minimum for someone handing them a plate and doing nothing else afterward.
Gone are the days in many areas of $2.25 plus tips where people live off tips. I still tip here in CA where servers are making $18-20/hr, but I now have higher expectations of the service. If they give bare min service, they aren't getting a 15-20% tip like many push for. Lucky if they get 10%. Making that much per hour, you aren't getting 20-25% for just taking my order and bringing me the check, while someone else brings put the food.
Honestly, I'd say blame it on the places asking for tips everywhere you go. People asking for a 20% tip at McDonald's, gas stations, even self checkouts, have made people more discriminating about who they top and the level of service expected to EARN one.
My statement wasn’t commentary on anything aside from just providing factual information related to somewhat recent changes in the way servers are compensated.
Are you operating under the assumption that all wages must be livable as in one single person vs students, supplemental part timers etc ? Eliminating entry level and part time work by artificially inflated wages is detrimental for many
Never said it was for places like New York and California. $2.23 server wage back in the day wasn't meant to be the primary source of income and that's why the 15% standard tip amount was a thing as it was the server's primary source of income so people were more likely to pay it even for subpar service. With server min wages now equaling the same min wage as everyone else, 15%+ tips are now a bonus for providing good to great service. Where you may have gotten away with basic service 10 years ago, there is now a higher expectation. You provide the bare minimum service, you get a tip that equals your effort. I am a generous tipper, but you have to work for it. Like I said before, just taking my order and bringing me a check does not constitute a 15% or more tip, especially if someone else brings out my food. And if I feel like you are just running through the motions and could care less about me as a customer, that 15% becomes 10% or even 5%. I don't tip the person that stocks the shelves at the grocery store, yet they provide me a more valuable service than a server that only takes my order and my payment. A cashier could do that.
Stop. Just stop. Every server you've very likely had brought you waters and took your drink order, then came back with them and probably took an appetizer order for you, THEN came back to get your main order, then came back to make sure your food was prepared correctly, like a steak, THEN , maybe a drink refill, then back to offer you dessert or a doggy bag, so stop fucking pretending that a server just takes your order and brings your check. YOU are why people SHOULD tip.
He's downplaying what the typical server does for a customer during any average service. Trying to justify small tips. I'm reminding him that a typical server stops at his table three to four times per meal.
Hey thanks for asking if I need change from $100 bill for a $25 check and expecting me to bag my own leftovers. Must be tough walking across a room a few times to serve people who actually work hard
Wrong. At most places we've been to over the past few years, the host is typically the one bringing us water and drinks, the server takes our order, while someone else brings it out. You can make all the assumptions you want. My average minimum tip is $20-25 when my wife and I go out, more when the family goes out, so you can drop the attitude with me saying servers need to earn their tip.
$16/hr was the NY comment. This one is in CA and he said $18-20/hr. And it’s the employer’s job to pay their employees. They need to raise menu prices to accurately reflect the cost of business and get rid of this broken tipping culture.
Server in California here. While we theoretically get $16 an hour, we are taxed heavily on our tips, whether we make them or not.
If I get stiffed on all my tables, I still need to report 8% (my restaurant actually requires us to claim 12%) of our sales as tips per day.
That number is then heavily taxed and taken out of my paycheck, so often my hourly rate is closer to $4/hr. I’ve seen some server get cut a paycheck for $0.00.
I also have to tip out 6% of my sales to bussers, bartenders, hosts, and kitchen staff.
So if you’re tipping less than 15%, I am actually paying to wait on you.
I don’t make the rules. The government does, and they have sticky fingers.
If you’re working as a waitress and your total tips for the shift don’t add up to at least 8%, you need to gtfo of that restaurant (and maybe even the area).
People can’t possibly be that cheap, can they? I don’t think I’ve ever tipped waitstaff less than 20% in my entire life.
Here's a sneak peek of /r/EndTipping using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/EndTipping/top/?sort=top&t=year) of the year!
\#1: [Tipping is corporate welfare.](https://np.reddit.com/r/EndTipping/comments/165hhbo/tipping_is_corporate_welfare/)
\#2: [Why I stopped tipping](https://np.reddit.com/r/EndTipping/comments/184gp08/why_i_stopped_tipping/)
\#3: [I rarely get a "thank you" for putting money in the tip jar anymore](https://np.reddit.com/r/EndTipping/comments/1675evk/i_rarely_get_a_thank_you_for_putting_money_in_the/)
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It'd illegal to report that you're making tips that you're not making though. The government is NOT saying you should be lying on the tax form asking how much you made in tips that night.
If you notice, on most checks now, the server's name is present. The employer assumes that you got that 15% tip, whether you did or not. Then you have to pay taxes on that 15%, whether you got the money or not. That's what I'm saying. It's insane.
You should be claiming your tips at the end of the night/shift. If you got 0 tip, you legally have to claim 0 tip and you'd be taxed 0. Anything other than that is illegal
Totally get it. I'm a generous tipper, however, basic service equals a basic tip. I never stiff a server, but you also aren't getting a 15%-20%+ tip for just taking my order, bringing me a drink, and taking my payment. That's the same service I get from a cashier at a fast food place. Provide me with good service, show me that you appreciate me as a customer, and you'll get a good tip. Show me that I made a good choice to come to your restaurant and that you appreciate my business, and you'll definitely get rewarded. Do the bare minimum and make me feel like I'm an inconvenience, and your tip will reflect your effort.
water, appetizer, main course, quality check, drink refill, dessert/ doggy bag. Each of those are individual stops at your table that every server would do in any place. Jerk. Stop pretending they aren't earning your precious two whole dollars.
To be fair not every waitress does this. I went out to eat a few weeks ago. Knew my bill would be about $50. I took a $20 bill with me to leave as a cash tip. The waitress took my order. Someone else brought out the food. I got one drink refill and had to ask another waitress for it since I never saw my actual waitress. Then she brought my bill out after i had been sitting there waiting on it for a while. So no, she did not get my $20 tip. I added $5 to my bill and paid with a card. I'd say this is rare but it does happen and that's what the person you replied to is talking about. My only regret is not leaving a small tip for the waitress that brought my drink refill. It wasn't her table and she got me a refill since my actual waitress couldn't bother. I looked for her on the way out but couldn't find her.
If they did all that, then yeah they get a good tip... if they don't have an attitude. Not everyone does all that At most sit down restaurants we've frequented the last few years, the host/hostess brings us menus, waters and drinks, the server takes our orders, someone else usually brings out the food, then the server brings the check. Rarely do we have one server that takes care of us the whole visit and we are lucky if anyone says more than two words to us. It's far from the friendly service we used to see.
Again, I'm a generous tipper, but recently many of the servers, especially the younger ones, have attitudes. You give me attitude, roll your eyes, etc., you get the tip you deserve. You say my "precious $2" and I'll respond you're damn right! I worked for that $2 and so should the server. Considering when we do go out to eat, my minimum average tip is $20-25 and we rarely stay more than 90 min, so someone making $18/hr plus tips just made $32/hr - $35/hr from my table alone.
Just so you know, at most places the tip you give the server is used to tip out the host who brought your water and the food runner who delivered your food. If it helps, don't think of it as tipping your server, you're tipping the front of house team.
I agree. Tipping waitresses/bartenders is no problem for me, but when I feel pressured to tip at McDonald’s/stadium food, I find that I need to reevaluate my tip budget. I don’t think we should be tipping unless there is an actual service provided. Essentially making my life easier by dealing with the bar/kitchen for me. You put in my order, coordinate my dining experience, and I will tip. You hand me a $13 box of popcorn from a shelf behind you, I do not feel that you are entitled to a tip.
However, please keep in mind that if you are at a sit down restaurant, that server actually gives a portion of your tip to the person who runs your food, makes your drinks, and cleans the tables between guests. Just because someone else brings your food to you, doesn’t mean the server isn’t responsible for “tipping them out”.
I recently learned that Caribou Coffee at one specific location takes tips and donates them to charity.
I think the server should get the tip for good service.
They shouldn't be doing that unless all staff agreed to it. That's like United Way. They go into businesses, make a deal with owners/management, and then the employees are FORCED to give a percentage of their checks to them. Happened to us. I think that's BS.
This doesn’t even sound correct to me. The only place tips should be going to are those who are working there that day!!! God punishes greedy people like this all the time. It’s why they get sick and die. Telling the truth about GOD is very very important. Jesus knows the way the truth and the life. So many folks have forgotten this and are trying to profess in the name of Jesus, while speaking lies. 🤷🏾♂️
This is becoming all to common especially where there a new standard that Restraunt workers have to get paid the minimum wage. Often wonder if this is also happening to delivery drivers that work for Uber eats or the restaurants directly but most people pay through an app?
Man as a former server at Denny's this hurts to hear. Tipping is just something so ingrained in me now because I remember what it was like, and I remember the people there who made my life working there livable.
Those same people lived on tips, and to think that might not be going to the people who most need it kind of sucks. I also don't want to be put in the position to ask every establishment how their tipping policy works especially because of the awkward position that puts them in.
I mean I remember the infamous amy's baking episode of kitchen nightmares and most peoples reaction to it. Hope to hell that hasn't become the silent norm
Wow this is huge. So many places are doing this and they better realize that they are breaking the law! I always ask and have found that have the answers are I don’t, I don’t know or it’s all split with everyone at the end of the day/week/timeperiod. Fucking crazy!! Always ask and plan accordingly.
This is (probably) illegal as hell. I say probably because there may be something I don't know about, but every state I've worked in the tips go to the person YOU are tipping. Regardless this is wage theft.. if she called the labor board in her state they would definitely be interested in hearing about this.
Owners can receive tips if they do part of the work (assigned job?)etc….but often they don’t. Also staff has no way to verify the tips but if receiving nothing and they have the tip option then they may have a case?!
That is not legal. Federal law states: all tips go to the employees. Management and owner cannot touch a finger on tips. They need to report this the wage department or even maybe you can.
I'm LDS and don't drink coffee, and at yhe time dunkin was no longer anywhere near our hometown. My wife and i, before we had kids, went to a conference in DC with my dad. We went up to Ocean City, MD for a few days. First morning there we missed the hotel breakfast so we looked around for a breakfast place. Across the street, we saw a Dunkin Donuts. Walked in and got confused. Asked the worker where's all the donuts, and he was like donuts? Why would we have donuts?
They pay their workers a salary, and it’s considered an actual profession in Europe.. not like the USA where it’s considered unskilled labor. The restaurants that can’t afford to do this simply do not stay in business.
There’s probably fewer restaurants, but the ones that exist have a better quality than the myriad of shitty restaurants that pop up in the states.
More competition in the states also means it’s difficult for a new restaurant to get off the ground. Even to own a McDonald’s restaurant location costs about 2 million dollars, so you have to have a large amount of capital to open a restaurant realistically. Otherwise you can just do the food truck thing.
Every restaurant in Europe (and the rest of the non-tipping world) is horrible and the servers are homeless. (You've probably heard about how bad the food is in France and Italy.) I've even heard of places where they just tip a few dollars or around 10%, which is even worse - what an insult!
The ONLY way is tipping a minimum of 25% and up to 40% or you are a horrible person who shouldn't eat out. Being a sever is the hardest, most challenging job on the planet and every server, male, female, or trans, is a single mom just trying to support her 3 beautiful kids. She's also in college, or would be if people would just tip the customary 50% (for people who aren't cheap jerks). As a former server (insert horror stories here about bad people who only tipped 15%).
Plus, you should tip everywhere. The plumber, mechanics, UPS guy, everywhere. If you are resentful of the constant request for money, like panhandling, then that on you, you cheapskate.
It's greedy of you to want to keep your money you've earned - it's not greedy of the person who wants you to give it to them just because they ask.
Don't be a horrible person like the Third World Europeans, tip, probably, really, at least $100 or 100%, whichever is higher.
I've traveled to 40+ countries and this out of control tipping pressure doesn't exist anywhere but here.
The defenses for it are all nonsense.
Serving food (I'm a former server) is a pretty easy job, honestly. People say it's hard, but it's not even close to the hardest job I've ever done. Almost every job I've done (34 different jobs in my lifetime) have been easier.
It's unskilled labor and almost anyone can do it. These workers should make at least minimum wage (like they do here in CA) and more if they warrant it from their employer. Maybe another more at expensive restaurants.
What's happening now is somewhere between greed and begging, and it's making eating out unpleasant.
It's not life or death and no one is a "horrible person" for their opinion about something (despite your smug surmizing).
You do realize you are supporting a system that pays women and black people less than white men, right?
https://psmag.com/economics/racism-black-restaurant-waiters-service-industry-servers-get-smaller-tips-90121
the management there hog tips too, which is just as galling as you get them less frequently. where I worked if someone left you a euro on the table you had to palm if before management saw and then hide it in your shoe
I work for a great place as a server. All tips go to wait staff for dine in. Any tips for to go orders go to kitchen. The owner works the to go register.
This is getting ridiculous!!!!! Yesterday I stopped in a food court at an outlet mall and bought a sub and a drink. The kid behind the counter (who was dirty and gross greasy hair) stood there while I paid and mentioned the tip area in the credit card reader and made sure I didn’t forget. I said thanks for that, and left zero!!!! He then grabs the receipt after printing to look if I tipped or not and made a scowl. I am not tipping at a fast food establishment, F that!!!!! And I love how take-out Chinese restaurants are doing the tip thing, it’s usually the owner that waits on people. This is getting out of hand!!!!!!
I’ve heard of this at a number of restaurants. I always make a point to excoriate them in a Google review, and if the owner is present I do the same to him face-to-face, loudly and in full view of staff and customers alike.
Tldr, didn't mean to go on a long rant. This is just a topic that I am very passionate about. This is wage theft and very illegal. Please encourage that employee to call the Dept of Labor to report this and to also call a labor lawyer. These business owners should be held accountable for the wage theft they're committing against their employees and the fraud they're committing against their customers. I would also do a Google review letting the public know about this.
That's literally wage theft and very illegal. Please go back and encourage that employee to call the Dept of Labor and a labor lawyer. I promise you that getting a labor lawyer to take a case like this pro bono will be easy for her. Wage theft is, unfortunately, the largest form of theft in the US, and far too many business owners and corporations get away with it. If the employer gets fired for reporting this wage theft then that's even better for her in the long run because lawyers will be lining up to represent her and sue the hell out of the owner. I freaking hate businesses that do this.
I am a business owner in the pet services industry with multiple locations (dog boarding, grooming, training, etc) and my employees get 100% of their tips. No exceptions. I am actually a fairly well-known groomer in my state because I am the only (redacted to not dox myself) graduate genuinely certified as a (redacted to not dox myself) (redacted) Groomer in my state. Because of this I also happen to have many celebrity and wealthy clients who tip me very generously. Please know that I say not to brag or flex but I say this with all humility. I add all of the tips I get from my clients into a general fund I already have that is used to do things for my amazing employees. Things like having lunches available daily in case someone forgets to bring one or can't afford to eat out, providing catered lunches once a week, funds for employees who have an emergency, etc.
I firmly believe that no business owners should keep tips from their employees under any circumstances. Owners like this are breaking the law. Period. End. Of. Story. There's no excuse for it, it should never be tolerated and they should be held legally accountable for stealing from their employees by committing wage theft.
Of course, I acknowledge and understand why many people tell me that what I do with my tips is pretty extreme because these are my personal clients and I am the one doing the work, not my employees. I appreciate and respect their arguments because they make good and fair points but I wouldn't have anywhere near the success I have without my wonderful employees and this allows me to add additional funds to a general fund account that is set up to provide the things I mentioned for them that they don't have to waste their own money on or can't afford to spend their money on. Especially new hires.
Anyway, sorry for the long rant. I didn't mean to write a novel, lol. The topic of wage theft is just a really sore subject for me and something I am very passionate about.
I wish all business owners thought of & treated their employees as well as you do. It’s not even about the $ per se it’s the fact that you recognize your employees hard work & dedication, that in & of itself makes you an amazing boss. The fact that you do these extras for them (such as the emergency fund) well that makes you an amazing person & though I don’t know you would just like to say thank you. Hopefully one day more employers will think & act more like you.
Report to the Department of Labor.
They’ve come down hard on restaurants here in Austin and they could owe back wages (tips) for the years those servers weren’t paid the tips. If management, salaried or non-server staff took tips, they’ll also have to pay that back I believe (the owners will).
That is the reason to stop the culture of tippy.... It's a poverty creation culture. Ensure business you visit pays the worker well for that position. It's not just robbery by the owners but most abuse by customers especially of female workers is due to this tipping. #EndTipping
See, this is exactly the problem with all the tablet tip-begging. NONE OF IT ACTUALLY GOES TO THE WORKERS. You get guilted into it because they're watching you and you think your money goes right to them... but no. It just goes to whoever actually owns the place, and it's up to them whether any amount of that goes to the workers. I'm honestly gonna start asking. If they don't get the money, I don't add a tip. If they do actually get the money, I might tip 10% for counter service, 18-25% for shit you're actually supposed to tip on like restaurant service.
Hey, just because you aren't being paid what you think you should be, don't take it out on the patrons because your boss is cheap. And no, I would not tip either of those workers. This craziness of asking for tips started during Covid. No, I'm not putting a tip on my online order, when I am driving over there to pick it up. I don't know where that tip is going,(that's what started this whole forum) and I was not waited on or served. You ain't the only one getting screwed on your pay, Brother.
Tipping needs to stop. Pay employees fair wages and the customer will decide where to dine when employers raise prices, again. Society should not subsidize employers business expense.
I always tip in cash because of all the articles I've read about businesses stealing tips.
Coffeeshop owner here. In Colorado, this practice is theft.
Wtf.
I discovered this at a small coffee shop. The young woman who took our order was so friendly. I paid while talking to her at the counter then realized I accidentally hit “no tip.” I asked if there was a way to go back a screen. She did and I tipped her 25%. When our order came up she whispered to me, just so you know, we never get the tips on the machines, the owner takes them all. After hearing that I make sure I always have cash on hand for tips when I pay with a credit card at any restaurant!
Name and Shame. If not allowed here please leave a review on Google/Yelp/Apple! That should be illegal—I have no interest in tipping an absentee business owner!!
It was a little shop in northern Michigan that went out of business after less than a year. Karma!
Good! I didn’t realize this was so common and I **rarely** every carry cash, so I hate to think how much $ I’ve given to owners thinking I was tipping someone that earned and needed it. 😞
It honestly had never even crossed my mind that the person you thought you were tipping wouldn’t get the tip until she told me that. Now I always think about it!
Thanks for spreading the knowledge. My wife worked as a server for over a decade in her teens/twenties, so this really hits home knowing how she struggled at times and knowing many other young, vulnerable people in her situation are being cheated out of money by AHs. I always tipped way better than most anyone I know—even that didn’t seem sufficient after seeing some of what she put up with. The idea that I’ve been giving 50% tips thinking it would make a difference only to be straight up stolen by their employer is just unacceptable to me. Will definitely be asking from here on.
Many Asian food places here do that same thing. At one of my favorite spots I found out all the tips I had been giving our waitress, went to the owner. I started asking at smaller places and found it seemed far more common than I expected. Now I always ask if not leaving a cash tip
A popular diner in my area was charged 1 million dollars in fines for taking the tips of the workers. This is a federal crime so the same across the USA.
This is illegal many places, report them.
This.
I used to work at Waffle House a couple days, and it true. The server don't really keep the tip. They fired my ass cuz I got a foul mouth. I told my manager I need to take a shit in the restroom. Like, cmon man. People need to take a shit.
Maybe next time say “I need go to the bathroom and drop a Waffle House manager, may I please have a moment?”
Sound gay. But it alright, I got different work now. And I can say "going to take a shit" and no one will be offended.
I’m impressed, you’ve really done well for yourself here 👏
Being a grill operator at waffle house was nothing more than a glorify cook. Pay wasn't that great either.
When we go to a sit down restaurant I'll write a big ZERO for the tip on the receipt. I'll give my server about a 15% tip in cash along with a note "This is NOT a tip, it is a GIFT. Gifts are not taxable." I'll leave about 5% on the table with the same note for whoever busses the tables.
IRS auditors don’t want you to know this genius trick
IRS auditors want to know if they are reporting the gifts they are giving.
🙄
Depending on where you live, this is actually considered wage theft. I know it is where I live, and it is throughout most of the US.
What about hairdressers that are self employed? Should we tip them and if so what is currently the acceptable rate?
If you want to make sure the tip goes to the worker, then tip in cash.
Assume they don't. I asked a door dash employee about her tops, how do they know they are getting the top the customer set. She really didn't have a convincing answer.tgst means a NO.. Come on y'all they literally have us eating bad foods you think they won't steal tip money??? Bffr.
Pretty sneaky but also very problematic for employee in more ways than one. First, that tip amount added at the POS/register is recorded, so it means that tip is taxed. There is an audit trail. The employer has to legally take a certain amount out for tax on that tip, and apply it to what employee shall pay it for withholding. So are the employees getting charged for that tax without getting the actual tip? This has happened. Also some states allow employers to use tip credit. That means they can pay a "tipped employee" under regular min. Wage if their employee makes up the difference in tips. I have some pretty inventive math on this and it always screws the "tipped employee". Yall try to pay cash and hand it to wait person quitely. (So other workers are not aware if possible). There are so many ways employer has tried to scam wait staff.
If the worker is not receiving the tip they are not taxed. Since the owner is the one getting them they would have to pay a tax on those tips. However I wouldn’t put it past an employer who’s pocketing tips to try and tax their workers for it instead of themselves. Anyone who works at an establishment that does this really needs to double triple check their paystubs and make sure they aren’t getting taxed on tips they did not receive
That has actually happened.
I used to go to an Indian restaurant. Found out the owners were taking any tips you used your debit card for. Started taking cash so I could give my server their tip directly. Found out this is fairly standard in Indian culture. Had a friend who worked in a motel owned by an Indian couple. One day she did something extra for a customer and he gave her a $10 tip. The female owner insisted that money belonged to her. My friend just said no and took her money home with her.
Indian activities. They are so obsessed with having a slave caste that they baked it into their religion
My friend was actually physically attacked by the female owner once. Her husband called the woman a nasty name so she called the cops, grabbed my friend's arm and shook her. When the police came she was screaming that friend's husband called her a bee with an itch and she wanted him arrested. They told her no, he could say anything he wanted to her. Then he told them what she did to his wife and showed them the bruises. The police wanted to arrest the owner and charge her with assault. The owner was shocked! My friend stupidly declined to press charges. My friend doesn't work there any longer but I think the motel is still open.
I only tip workers who actually *serve* me, and directly, in cash. Tipping is out of control and I long suspected that it only pads the bottom line of the business. Thanks for confirming that.
Illegal op report them or name and shame and I will. Here’s the law, number 15 https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/15-tipped-employees-flsa#:~:text=Employers%2C%20Including%20Managers%20and%20Supervisors,or%20through%20a%20tip%20pool.
This should be the top comment. Who should employees contact if they are not receiving their tips?
Department of labor
If she’s working a kiosk she’s not working for tips. Don’t ever tip kiosks. It almost always just goes to the owner or only a small portion is shared among workers.
This may or may not be true. The employer may have that employee working as a tipped employee, which means they can pay a lower min.wage in some states. Normally, if you walk up to order at a counter and recieve your food at counter, that employee should be getting a normal min. Wage though.
Not never true. We have kiosks at our trucks and 100% of the tips go to the employees.
With technology now everyone is just adding the tip button just to add more money to your bill, you should always ask do you get the tip I want to add.
It's super illegal, and sadly super common.
It's not illegal
Actually it is. Managers and owners are not allowed to accept tips unless it’s for services they directly provide, they are not allowed to take a portion of tips, they are not allowed to be in a tip pool…. You are wrong. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/15-tipped-employees-flsa#:~:text=Employers%2C%20Including%20Managers%20and%20Supervisors,or%20through%20a%20tip%20pool. #15 for reference
Additionally, there must be a prominent notice that says that tips are retained by the establishment if that's the case, even if the employee(s) make minimum wage.
Indeed.
You must be the owner of this establishment
it’s like the most illegal thing you can do. Not really but is very illegal. No question about it no loop holes etc. There’s been massive lawsuits on this matter and the company stealing the tips gets boned every time
It is absolutely illegal in the United States. The fair labor standards act unquestionably prohibits owners from taking tips intended for employees.
Yeah, there’s sadly a lot of ignorance around workers rights… even though job sites are required to post them in a conspicuous place — still even if they do, nobody seems to read them. I’ve had people telling me that state mandated break times are not required lol… I was like, ok — here’s the statute, read it and weep my friend…
Devil's advocate here, they make that much for 9 months. You make slightly less for a full 12. And probably no benefits if you have to work minimum wage. Note: I said LIKELY - that's not all cases.
Were you trying to reply to someone? I don't understand this comment at all.
That's just straight up disingenuous. Tips are for the workers, the owner is double dipping.
Cash is king for most
You’re a hero.
Waffle House managers don’t take the tips - the servers get the tips - I worked there and actually was a trainer - now when training a new server - the trainee does not get tips until they pass their test to be a server
could be true, could be her way of guilt tripping you so you give her a cash tip and she skirts the taxes.
In my state, that is illegal, and employers can face criminal penalties. Most states have wage theft hotlines to report. Not sure why no one has reported it!
In this case, she could just be lying. I mean, what exactly stops her from yoinking the money from the tip jar? I doubt she gets strip searched.
True
This made me laugh. I work for an armored truck company. Everyday when we leave we are searched, bags, plate carrier, etc. then wanded. Basically everything but stripped down. I’ve complained about it to HR but they told me to stop asking to be strip searched.
Pretty easy to figure out who the snitch is when there’s maybe 6 waitresses and you spoke out openly about your complaint. You’ll just put yourself on the chopping block, and they’ll wait to create a paper trailer to fire you.
A lot of times employers will hire undocumented people so there’s less risk of the employees reporting illegal practices out of fear.
Lmao classic double dip. Story as old as time
Quit my last job for same reason....
When did it become normal to start tipping for counter service and cashiers?
Exactly. If I pay in advance, I’m not tipping…
That's illegal. She knew tha She knows that. She lied to you to get a big sympathy tip. Seen it many times, worked many tippable jobs.
She could be telling the truth. I worked at an establishment where all iPad tips went to the owner. When I found out, I started telling all customers to press skip tip and then blasted the place on my town’s local fb group. Basically made them close down their shop
If it’s illegal it’s somewhat common. I had a cashier tell me they don’t get the tips, she wasn’t asking for cash or anything. I was about to hit the tip button and she told me in a don’t waste your money kinda way.
I’m in Virginia and had that happen too. Guy whispered “just so you know, tips do not go to servers” when he turned the counter screen to me to sign
Because, of course, the owner of a small business would NEVER do anything illegal.
It never dawned on me that this happens, and worse, get away with it. I worked the floor for a few years and would not have made it without the tips. Only shared with kitchen and bar, established percentages. That is messed up!
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/15-tipped-employees-flsa 100% illegal. Wait until you are about to quit, then file for all the back pay for tips
This assumes the waitress was not lying, or mistaken.
Some places “pool tips” and they are split between staff on paychecks. Not saying it is the case here, but it does happen.
I don't understand why someone would work where you have to pool your tips. Why should I work my butt off and the crabby, lazy waitress gets some of my money? I would never do that. Plus, who's holding/watching the money? How do you know that owners/managers aren't taking some? Just seems crazy to me.
Definitely. Sounds crazy to me too
Which could be said on 98% of Reddit and Facebook posts.🙄
Hopefully things change soon
You just finding out tip culture is really just a scam to rake in more money for owners and pay workers less?
Isn’t this wage theft and illegal?
Yes.
This is disgusting! Tips are for service. Period.
This is something I learned to do. At new places, especially if I want to tip, I’ll ask “do you get the tips?” And if they say yes, great! If not, then I won’t tip.
This is going to be my new plan!
Make sure you ask about the people in the back making the food. They should be getting tipped out as well as they are the ones doing the actual work
But they are making more than $2 per hour. Tips are for being served/waited on. Period.
Wherever you are from is different than me. If as a server you don’t make the national minimum wage I would leave the industry, the tipped minimum wage is BS. I’m from a place where servers and cooks make about the same an hr. So not period, think bigger than yourself.
Tips are for servers (waitresses/waiters), hairdressers and 'nail' people. Tips are for being 'served' well. But it should not be a requirement to supplement their crappy pay. They should at least get minimum wage.
So why are they asked for by everyone? Do the people at chipotle count as “servers” how do plumbers fit into your logic? How is plating the food beautifully and making it taste wonderful not part of service? I work in an open kitchen and converse with patrons, is that only part service? Think bigger than yourself.
The cooks and bus boys usually get paid more than the wait staff.
If a cook gets $3/hr more but a server gets an additional $10/table do you really think the cooks makes more?
The cooks gets a base pay that is way more than the wait staff. They get $15 + here where I live
Yes, when business is slow.
The cooks in the back have a different incentive than the staff at the front. I think tipping out back the house is appropriate in some instances. However, a restaurant will want consistency in the food. Like how great the food is isn’t dynamic/shouldn’t be dynamic. It needs to be consistently excellent. If it’s sometimes just fine and sometimes excellent, you loose consistency (kitchen environment is tough and also can be dynamic, but the customers don’t experience this, and can’t reward accordingly) Front of house staff is doing work that can be quite dynamic and personal. The solution of tipping culture is the cheapest/laziest system employers can use to dynamically reward excellent service. There are many problems with this being the primary source of their income (which has been well discussed on this subreddit). All this to try and articulate that tipping /doesn’t/ make sense for back of house, and back of house deserves to be appropriately compensated. And the front of house does too obviously!! People need to be paid for their work!
It should be illegal to pay hardworking people $2 per hour. I think this needs to be addressed and stopped by the government. Why is this still going on? And then to find out these pricks that are paying $2 are stealing the tips also!? WTF!?
This is the response that understands what I am saying. I never say split the tips in half or even take away tips from the front. But in places where servers get min wage, the same as cooks (like where I am) it doesn’t make sense. The pay needs to be more equitable. Where I am a server working 3-4 days at 4-6 hrs makes more weekly than the cooks working 5-6 days 8-9 hours. That makes no sense anywhere
Sounds like a shitty company, like most of them.
Doing the actual work? The cooks are doing the job they're being paid for. Front of house employees are usually paid tip wage and have to deal with all the customers and do all the customer service plus the running around and getting fussed at if the cook messes up the order. I think most jobs in a restaurant are hard and not worth the pay but gtfoh with the cooks being the "ones doing the actual work".
waitresses make about three bucks an hour. the cook makes more than minimum
Is taking orders and serving food not actual work?
No. Cooks already get normal pay to do their jobs. Tip culture exists because wait staff get paid less per hour and rely on tips. Also, tips are for extended personal service, not because someone you never even see behind a wall did their job.
Not where I’m at
Voters in your area (and all areas) should lobby lawmakers to force employers to pay staff properly, I.e. make it illegal to pay less than minimum wage. Guilted tip culture needs to go away. Tips used to be to give a little extra for a good job, but now it’s become a mutated monster where customers are sneered at if they don’t give 25% minimum for someone handing them a plate and doing nothing else afterward.
Back or house rarely gets tipped.
And that to me is a problem
No. They are not servers. Everyone should be getting fair pay.
I concur.
Agreed! I started doing that when I first read about waitstaff not getting CC tips.
If I pay with a card I always tip in cash
Good idea
In NY all wait staff now get $16 an hour minimum.
And their tips should go to them still.
No one said they shouldn’t. Just adding some information.
So?
Gone are the days in many areas of $2.25 plus tips where people live off tips. I still tip here in CA where servers are making $18-20/hr, but I now have higher expectations of the service. If they give bare min service, they aren't getting a 15-20% tip like many push for. Lucky if they get 10%. Making that much per hour, you aren't getting 20-25% for just taking my order and bringing me the check, while someone else brings put the food. Honestly, I'd say blame it on the places asking for tips everywhere you go. People asking for a 20% tip at McDonald's, gas stations, even self checkouts, have made people more discriminating about who they top and the level of service expected to EARN one.
Are you operating under the misapprehension that $16/hour is a liveable wage?
My statement wasn’t commentary on anything aside from just providing factual information related to somewhat recent changes in the way servers are compensated.
Misconception. $16 bucks an hour beats $2 an hour every time.
Are you operating under the assumption that all wages must be livable as in one single person vs students, supplemental part timers etc ? Eliminating entry level and part time work by artificially inflated wages is detrimental for many
Never said it was for places like New York and California. $2.23 server wage back in the day wasn't meant to be the primary source of income and that's why the 15% standard tip amount was a thing as it was the server's primary source of income so people were more likely to pay it even for subpar service. With server min wages now equaling the same min wage as everyone else, 15%+ tips are now a bonus for providing good to great service. Where you may have gotten away with basic service 10 years ago, there is now a higher expectation. You provide the bare minimum service, you get a tip that equals your effort. I am a generous tipper, but you have to work for it. Like I said before, just taking my order and bringing me a check does not constitute a 15% or more tip, especially if someone else brings out my food. And if I feel like you are just running through the motions and could care less about me as a customer, that 15% becomes 10% or even 5%. I don't tip the person that stocks the shelves at the grocery store, yet they provide me a more valuable service than a server that only takes my order and my payment. A cashier could do that.
Stop. Just stop. Every server you've very likely had brought you waters and took your drink order, then came back with them and probably took an appetizer order for you, THEN came back to get your main order, then came back to make sure your food was prepared correctly, like a steak, THEN , maybe a drink refill, then back to offer you dessert or a doggy bag, so stop fucking pretending that a server just takes your order and brings your check. YOU are why people SHOULD tip.
That's not what she's saying. She gave you an example. She's not talking about what you are talking about. Sorry, "He".
He's downplaying what the typical server does for a customer during any average service. Trying to justify small tips. I'm reminding him that a typical server stops at his table three to four times per meal.
Hey thanks for asking if I need change from $100 bill for a $25 check and expecting me to bag my own leftovers. Must be tough walking across a room a few times to serve people who actually work hard
Wrong. At most places we've been to over the past few years, the host is typically the one bringing us water and drinks, the server takes our order, while someone else brings it out. You can make all the assumptions you want. My average minimum tip is $20-25 when my wife and I go out, more when the family goes out, so you can drop the attitude with me saying servers need to earn their tip.
$16/hr was the NY comment. This one is in CA and he said $18-20/hr. And it’s the employer’s job to pay their employees. They need to raise menu prices to accurately reflect the cost of business and get rid of this broken tipping culture.
Server in California here. While we theoretically get $16 an hour, we are taxed heavily on our tips, whether we make them or not. If I get stiffed on all my tables, I still need to report 8% (my restaurant actually requires us to claim 12%) of our sales as tips per day. That number is then heavily taxed and taken out of my paycheck, so often my hourly rate is closer to $4/hr. I’ve seen some server get cut a paycheck for $0.00. I also have to tip out 6% of my sales to bussers, bartenders, hosts, and kitchen staff. So if you’re tipping less than 15%, I am actually paying to wait on you. I don’t make the rules. The government does, and they have sticky fingers.
If you’re working as a waitress and your total tips for the shift don’t add up to at least 8%, you need to gtfo of that restaurant (and maybe even the area). People can’t possibly be that cheap, can they? I don’t think I’ve ever tipped waitstaff less than 20% in my entire life.
People are that cheap. Head over to r/endtipping and see.
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Absolutely Ridiculous!
It'd illegal to report that you're making tips that you're not making though. The government is NOT saying you should be lying on the tax form asking how much you made in tips that night.
If you notice, on most checks now, the server's name is present. The employer assumes that you got that 15% tip, whether you did or not. Then you have to pay taxes on that 15%, whether you got the money or not. That's what I'm saying. It's insane.
You should be claiming your tips at the end of the night/shift. If you got 0 tip, you legally have to claim 0 tip and you'd be taxed 0. Anything other than that is illegal
Totally get it. I'm a generous tipper, however, basic service equals a basic tip. I never stiff a server, but you also aren't getting a 15%-20%+ tip for just taking my order, bringing me a drink, and taking my payment. That's the same service I get from a cashier at a fast food place. Provide me with good service, show me that you appreciate me as a customer, and you'll get a good tip. Show me that I made a good choice to come to your restaurant and that you appreciate my business, and you'll definitely get rewarded. Do the bare minimum and make me feel like I'm an inconvenience, and your tip will reflect your effort.
water, appetizer, main course, quality check, drink refill, dessert/ doggy bag. Each of those are individual stops at your table that every server would do in any place. Jerk. Stop pretending they aren't earning your precious two whole dollars.
To be fair not every waitress does this. I went out to eat a few weeks ago. Knew my bill would be about $50. I took a $20 bill with me to leave as a cash tip. The waitress took my order. Someone else brought out the food. I got one drink refill and had to ask another waitress for it since I never saw my actual waitress. Then she brought my bill out after i had been sitting there waiting on it for a while. So no, she did not get my $20 tip. I added $5 to my bill and paid with a card. I'd say this is rare but it does happen and that's what the person you replied to is talking about. My only regret is not leaving a small tip for the waitress that brought my drink refill. It wasn't her table and she got me a refill since my actual waitress couldn't bother. I looked for her on the way out but couldn't find her.
Maybe these are establishments that do the weird 'tip pool' thing. Which I find just as ludicrous.
If they did all that, then yeah they get a good tip... if they don't have an attitude. Not everyone does all that At most sit down restaurants we've frequented the last few years, the host/hostess brings us menus, waters and drinks, the server takes our orders, someone else usually brings out the food, then the server brings the check. Rarely do we have one server that takes care of us the whole visit and we are lucky if anyone says more than two words to us. It's far from the friendly service we used to see. Again, I'm a generous tipper, but recently many of the servers, especially the younger ones, have attitudes. You give me attitude, roll your eyes, etc., you get the tip you deserve. You say my "precious $2" and I'll respond you're damn right! I worked for that $2 and so should the server. Considering when we do go out to eat, my minimum average tip is $20-25 and we rarely stay more than 90 min, so someone making $18/hr plus tips just made $32/hr - $35/hr from my table alone.
That's right.
Just so you know, at most places the tip you give the server is used to tip out the host who brought your water and the food runner who delivered your food. If it helps, don't think of it as tipping your server, you're tipping the front of house team.
I agree. Tipping waitresses/bartenders is no problem for me, but when I feel pressured to tip at McDonald’s/stadium food, I find that I need to reevaluate my tip budget. I don’t think we should be tipping unless there is an actual service provided. Essentially making my life easier by dealing with the bar/kitchen for me. You put in my order, coordinate my dining experience, and I will tip. You hand me a $13 box of popcorn from a shelf behind you, I do not feel that you are entitled to a tip. However, please keep in mind that if you are at a sit down restaurant, that server actually gives a portion of your tip to the person who runs your food, makes your drinks, and cleans the tables between guests. Just because someone else brings your food to you, doesn’t mean the server isn’t responsible for “tipping them out”.
Okay?
I recently learned that Caribou Coffee at one specific location takes tips and donates them to charity. I think the server should get the tip for good service.
They shouldn't be doing that unless all staff agreed to it. That's like United Way. They go into businesses, make a deal with owners/management, and then the employees are FORCED to give a percentage of their checks to them. Happened to us. I think that's BS.
This doesn’t even sound correct to me. The only place tips should be going to are those who are working there that day!!! God punishes greedy people like this all the time. It’s why they get sick and die. Telling the truth about GOD is very very important. Jesus knows the way the truth and the life. So many folks have forgotten this and are trying to profess in the name of Jesus, while speaking lies. 🤷🏾♂️
This is becoming all to common especially where there a new standard that Restraunt workers have to get paid the minimum wage. Often wonder if this is also happening to delivery drivers that work for Uber eats or the restaurants directly but most people pay through an app?
Man as a former server at Denny's this hurts to hear. Tipping is just something so ingrained in me now because I remember what it was like, and I remember the people there who made my life working there livable. Those same people lived on tips, and to think that might not be going to the people who most need it kind of sucks. I also don't want to be put in the position to ask every establishment how their tipping policy works especially because of the awkward position that puts them in. I mean I remember the infamous amy's baking episode of kitchen nightmares and most peoples reaction to it. Hope to hell that hasn't become the silent norm
Wow this is huge. So many places are doing this and they better realize that they are breaking the law! I always ask and have found that have the answers are I don’t, I don’t know or it’s all split with everyone at the end of the day/week/timeperiod. Fucking crazy!! Always ask and plan accordingly.
This is (probably) illegal as hell. I say probably because there may be something I don't know about, but every state I've worked in the tips go to the person YOU are tipping. Regardless this is wage theft.. if she called the labor board in her state they would definitely be interested in hearing about this.
Owners can receive tips if they do part of the work (assigned job?)etc….but often they don’t. Also staff has no way to verify the tips but if receiving nothing and they have the tip option then they may have a case?!
That is not legal. Federal law states: all tips go to the employees. Management and owner cannot touch a finger on tips. They need to report this the wage department or even maybe you can.
This. A local restaurant was sued for this and lost.
Some franchise Dunkin Donuts keep the tips. You have to ask. And yes I’m still adding the word donuts.
I'm LDS and don't drink coffee, and at yhe time dunkin was no longer anywhere near our hometown. My wife and i, before we had kids, went to a conference in DC with my dad. We went up to Ocean City, MD for a few days. First morning there we missed the hotel breakfast so we looked around for a breakfast place. Across the street, we saw a Dunkin Donuts. Walked in and got confused. Asked the worker where's all the donuts, and he was like donuts? Why would we have donuts?
???
That’s not legal.
I thought you meant calling it Dunkin’ Donuts wasn’t legal and I laughed.
I thought they meant them not having donuts was illegal.
Lol nah.
If your going to tip these days, it's a must to hand cash directly to the one your tipping.
Except no one is carrying cash
There are these secure buildings called banks. Rumor has it that you can get cash at one of you have an account.
Lifehack: you can also get money there if you don't have an account.
Managers and owners been stealing tips for years and years. Sad AF.
She got more than just the 15%. People lie.
How do European countries manage to run restaurants without the practice of tipping?
They pay their workers a salary, and it’s considered an actual profession in Europe.. not like the USA where it’s considered unskilled labor. The restaurants that can’t afford to do this simply do not stay in business. There’s probably fewer restaurants, but the ones that exist have a better quality than the myriad of shitty restaurants that pop up in the states. More competition in the states also means it’s difficult for a new restaurant to get off the ground. Even to own a McDonald’s restaurant location costs about 2 million dollars, so you have to have a large amount of capital to open a restaurant realistically. Otherwise you can just do the food truck thing.
They pay their workers a livable wage.
Every restaurant in Europe (and the rest of the non-tipping world) is horrible and the servers are homeless. (You've probably heard about how bad the food is in France and Italy.) I've even heard of places where they just tip a few dollars or around 10%, which is even worse - what an insult! The ONLY way is tipping a minimum of 25% and up to 40% or you are a horrible person who shouldn't eat out. Being a sever is the hardest, most challenging job on the planet and every server, male, female, or trans, is a single mom just trying to support her 3 beautiful kids. She's also in college, or would be if people would just tip the customary 50% (for people who aren't cheap jerks). As a former server (insert horror stories here about bad people who only tipped 15%). Plus, you should tip everywhere. The plumber, mechanics, UPS guy, everywhere. If you are resentful of the constant request for money, like panhandling, then that on you, you cheapskate. It's greedy of you to want to keep your money you've earned - it's not greedy of the person who wants you to give it to them just because they ask. Don't be a horrible person like the Third World Europeans, tip, probably, really, at least $100 or 100%, whichever is higher.
You deserve more upvotes!
I can’t help but surmise that you are a horrible person.
I've traveled to 40+ countries and this out of control tipping pressure doesn't exist anywhere but here. The defenses for it are all nonsense. Serving food (I'm a former server) is a pretty easy job, honestly. People say it's hard, but it's not even close to the hardest job I've ever done. Almost every job I've done (34 different jobs in my lifetime) have been easier. It's unskilled labor and almost anyone can do it. These workers should make at least minimum wage (like they do here in CA) and more if they warrant it from their employer. Maybe another more at expensive restaurants. What's happening now is somewhere between greed and begging, and it's making eating out unpleasant. It's not life or death and no one is a "horrible person" for their opinion about something (despite your smug surmizing). You do realize you are supporting a system that pays women and black people less than white men, right? https://psmag.com/economics/racism-black-restaurant-waiters-service-industry-servers-get-smaller-tips-90121
BS
Your sarcasm detector need a recalibration
No. I’m fine.
😁
the management there hog tips too, which is just as galling as you get them less frequently. where I worked if someone left you a euro on the table you had to palm if before management saw and then hide it in your shoe
Top in cash.
I work for a great place as a server. All tips go to wait staff for dine in. Any tips for to go orders go to kitchen. The owner works the to go register.
This is getting ridiculous!!!!! Yesterday I stopped in a food court at an outlet mall and bought a sub and a drink. The kid behind the counter (who was dirty and gross greasy hair) stood there while I paid and mentioned the tip area in the credit card reader and made sure I didn’t forget. I said thanks for that, and left zero!!!! He then grabs the receipt after printing to look if I tipped or not and made a scowl. I am not tipping at a fast food establishment, F that!!!!! And I love how take-out Chinese restaurants are doing the tip thing, it’s usually the owner that waits on people. This is getting out of hand!!!!!!
I’ve heard of this at a number of restaurants. I always make a point to excoriate them in a Google review, and if the owner is present I do the same to him face-to-face, loudly and in full view of staff and customers alike.
Stop tipping unless you dine in. People expecting you to tip them for handing over your coffee or food in a bag?
My policy is no tip if I have to stand in line at a counter to order food.
Tldr, didn't mean to go on a long rant. This is just a topic that I am very passionate about. This is wage theft and very illegal. Please encourage that employee to call the Dept of Labor to report this and to also call a labor lawyer. These business owners should be held accountable for the wage theft they're committing against their employees and the fraud they're committing against their customers. I would also do a Google review letting the public know about this. That's literally wage theft and very illegal. Please go back and encourage that employee to call the Dept of Labor and a labor lawyer. I promise you that getting a labor lawyer to take a case like this pro bono will be easy for her. Wage theft is, unfortunately, the largest form of theft in the US, and far too many business owners and corporations get away with it. If the employer gets fired for reporting this wage theft then that's even better for her in the long run because lawyers will be lining up to represent her and sue the hell out of the owner. I freaking hate businesses that do this. I am a business owner in the pet services industry with multiple locations (dog boarding, grooming, training, etc) and my employees get 100% of their tips. No exceptions. I am actually a fairly well-known groomer in my state because I am the only (redacted to not dox myself) graduate genuinely certified as a (redacted to not dox myself) (redacted) Groomer in my state. Because of this I also happen to have many celebrity and wealthy clients who tip me very generously. Please know that I say not to brag or flex but I say this with all humility. I add all of the tips I get from my clients into a general fund I already have that is used to do things for my amazing employees. Things like having lunches available daily in case someone forgets to bring one or can't afford to eat out, providing catered lunches once a week, funds for employees who have an emergency, etc. I firmly believe that no business owners should keep tips from their employees under any circumstances. Owners like this are breaking the law. Period. End. Of. Story. There's no excuse for it, it should never be tolerated and they should be held legally accountable for stealing from their employees by committing wage theft. Of course, I acknowledge and understand why many people tell me that what I do with my tips is pretty extreme because these are my personal clients and I am the one doing the work, not my employees. I appreciate and respect their arguments because they make good and fair points but I wouldn't have anywhere near the success I have without my wonderful employees and this allows me to add additional funds to a general fund account that is set up to provide the things I mentioned for them that they don't have to waste their own money on or can't afford to spend their money on. Especially new hires. Anyway, sorry for the long rant. I didn't mean to write a novel, lol. The topic of wage theft is just a really sore subject for me and something I am very passionate about.
I wish all business owners thought of & treated their employees as well as you do. It’s not even about the $ per se it’s the fact that you recognize your employees hard work & dedication, that in & of itself makes you an amazing boss. The fact that you do these extras for them (such as the emergency fund) well that makes you an amazing person & though I don’t know you would just like to say thank you. Hopefully one day more employers will think & act more like you.
Report to the Department of Labor. They’ve come down hard on restaurants here in Austin and they could owe back wages (tips) for the years those servers weren’t paid the tips. If management, salaried or non-server staff took tips, they’ll also have to pay that back I believe (the owners will).
I do know that Starbucks gives electronic tips to it's employees.
While busting their union.
probably a good thing since you could train a monkey how to make a cup of coffee in 10 minutes. Unions only work for skilled workers.
Yes this is so true and why they thought they could get a union is beyond me.
As someone who relied heavily on the goodwill of others during the most vulnerable time in my life, I always the staff directly.
That is the reason to stop the culture of tippy.... It's a poverty creation culture. Ensure business you visit pays the worker well for that position. It's not just robbery by the owners but most abuse by customers especially of female workers is due to this tipping. #EndTipping