Would it be more fair to pay wait staff a fair wage rather than relying on tips for income.
Interesting arguments that creates more questions.. (1) If tipping ensures better service why is it only in the food business, not retail or other business. (2) Most chain resturants use extended wait staff; host, waiter (takes order/preprares check), order prep, delivery, trable bus. Problems addressed by management. So who should get a tip vs fair wage.
Captain Ron
Favorite Answer
If tipping is eliminated, then restaurant owners will have to raise server wage from $2.65/hour to at least $7/hour (or whatever minimum wage is now). Here are two reasons you won't like that:
#1. Good servers gross between $12 and $25 per hour, that's why they stay in the industry. If tips were eliminated, restaurants would likely continue to pay their servers the lowest possible wage. Think about when you go to McDonald's and get a minimum wage kid who barely wants to give you the time of day, do you want that at your favorite local restaurant?
#2. Menu price in a restaurant not only reflect the cost of the food to make, but also the cost of the dishes, labor, water, electricity, and everything else to keep the restaurant running. If a restaurant has 10 servers at $2.65/hour and suddenly has to dramatically increase their wage, you're still going to be paying them a "tip" - but it won't be voluntary. It will be included in the price of the [now] $17 hamburger and fries you're eating.
Sara The White Thrash Queen
Well, I don't think tipping should be eliminated completely. However, I do believe the concept of a tip jar should be eliminated. It's not fair to have to split the tips evenly when some waiters/waitresses do a lot more work than others, are more pleasant with the customers, etc. The ones who get tipped a lot deserve that money, and it's not fair to have to split it evenly with those who don't get a lot of tips because they don't deserve it.
However, I do agree with your statement that wait staff should get paid a fair wage. While tips are nice, one can't live off of them alone, and minimum wage....well, let's not even go there!
The Gnarf
I don't think so. Because say you start upping the price on things...you are taking away peoples freedom to tip what they believe the service merits. If I have an super good waiter/waitress and I want to tip him/her really well...I wont be able to. Also, what if my service was completely horrible, should that person get the same extra amount every night? You see, it takes away incentive for the service to be awesome.
Anonymous
They should get a fair wage to begin with. I would say at least minimum wage. but tipping should not be eliminated. What would possess the server to give the customer good service than.
mary z
No.I worked at Hooters when I was in college and I made more in tips than I ever would have making an hourly pay. Most of the girls I worked with actually made more than the managers who worked there.