It's going to work out as you paying the same though...instead of paying a tip you're paying the business. That way people aren't allowed to give shitty tips for good service, which happens a lot. For tipping to be fair we should be tipping all workers, including store clerks, lawyers, bank managers etc. Because maybe they're doing a shit job but they get paid fairly.
And that's a very rare thing. I think people should get fair wages, but most wait staff in Australia (and retail for that matter) don't give a flying dick about the customer. They just plain don't care. I hate eating out at restaurants, and bad customer service is the main reason I buy all my clothes/books etc online.
Normally at things like cafes and 'non-fancy' restaurants you don't normally tip unless you are like felling really nice and have spare change and put it in a tip jar. You only normally tip properly at 'fancy-er' restaurants or if you have REALLY good service somewhere
I actually love most service in Australia. They don't make a fuss over you, they just ask if you're looking for anything and if not they say 'alright well let me know if you need help'. Then they let you do your thing! In America the waitresses/waiters are in your face 24/7, I just want to eat my damn food and not have my conversation interrupted. I find it absolutely annoying. Anyway the point is that tipping shouldn't be an actual way that they get paid, I mean if you're a worker at a bank you don't get tipped in America, you get a fair rate regardless of your service. That allowed people to have bad days, which is only natural, without their pay being affected.
I'm not sure which part of Australia you guys are in but I live in WA and there is only one place I have had amazing service (and by amazing I mean they actually smiled, had a bit of banter, kept food and drinks coming and made sure we were happy) I have been to America and I didn't find the wait staff bad, I loved that they kept an eye on you and as soon as your drink was empty, they had another ready. Most places I have been to (and this is from travelling to Tas and Vic also) staff can't wait for you to leave. Ignore you, text, mess up orders, or plain forget. It's awful! And then you pay premium for it!! Not impressed.
Wow. In QLD we have people that like will come do rounds every couple minutes and ask if you want more drinks and after your food as been served come and ask if it is okay or if you need anything. They wait staff at most places are pretty good. There are some dodgy ones though
That is all I would want, nothing more, but we don't get it. And going out is more expensive in WA (cause of the mining apparently we all have bulk money..not true). It is so hard to find good service. Although the guy we had great service from we gave a $50 tip, so I suppose the good make up for the bad!
Agreed. Even if it's fake at least they are acknowledging you, they have to do their job. I know girls who make amazing tips, like double/triple their work mates cause they actually try. Makes all the difference.
It's not earning a bit of extra pay though.. it's earning their bare minimum for survival. You have to be polite and upbeat at every job in customer service, not just waiting on tables. You're supposed to do everything you can for the customer in EVERY job. Therefore you should be paid the same as every other job. That way you don't HAVE to tip, but if they're extra wonderful you have the option without feeling like a cheapskate
I say we should tip because tipping is nice. and considering that they earn through the tips you give I don't think people should stop tipping. hell tip more than you should. it will make the waiters day even if they weren't a great server :3 just my outlook on it
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· 10 years ago
Must be made by the same guy who typed a full page letter to get out of tipping...
hey stupid people. the tip is not automatic or mandatory. some people give extra money to people who serve them on their own. what are you gonna do about it, post guards at every restaurant to make sure the servers are not given any money over and above the guest check? at every restaurant I have worked the servers make waaay more money than the cooks. shut the fuck up about your fairness bullshit until you grow a couple brain cells!
So heres the deal. It SHOULD be the restaurant's responsibility because...thats literally how every other business has to do it. However, its not really realistically possible to change it now, and its not like there wouldn't be consequences to doing so. The funny part is, the loudest complainers of "I shouldn't HAVE to tip" are usually the worst tippers and they would be the ones feeling the change the most. Restaurants wouldn't just triple their employee's pay and just take the hit themselves, its gonna raise the price of food by the same amount. So if they sold a burger for $10 and average a 20% tip (brings it to $12) The new price of that burger will now be $12. So the people paying under the average tip will be paying more, the average tippers won't really feel it, and the people that tip more will feel a decrease in price. (note you can use whatever numbers you want these are just an example)
The other problem with increasing base pay, is it decreases incentive to be good.
If its only expected for there to be a tip for excellent service, that means the server can either A) Work their ass off to be truly excellent to all their tables and hope for that tip. B)Try pretty hard to offer good service, but most won't consider it "tip worthy" so they'll still get their base pay
C) Not work that hard, but at least be pleasant and go to their tables 1 or 2 times, probably much slower than the table would like.
or D) Be rude and lazy enough to get as little done as possible, but still do just enough work not to get fired.
Kind of like a grading scale in school, only the truly exceptional "A's" would be paid more. All the B's, C's, and D's would all get the same amount, so why bother trying to be a B (or even a C for some people)
People like to get by with the least effort involved. When people have more incentive to be better, they'll strive more. When they have little to no incentive, most don't give a shit.
Good examples of this: Servers and car salesmen.
Both have terrible base pay and are paid mostly by tip/commission. Notice how much harder the average one of those try to be nice and courteous compared to say the average retail clerk. Yeah, you'll get some B clerks, but most of em you find are C's, and a lot of em get by as Ds. You know how long a server/salesman lasts as a D? Not very dam long because they can't survive being an asshole and making just their base pay.
Now, you might ask why more positions based on services aren't "low base pay + commission" since that increases incentive so much for the employee. The reason store clerks, bank tellers, etc. aren't paid like this is because you don't interact with them long enough. If you are in Target or Macy's and ask an employee where item X is and they show it to you, or the checkout person is nice and pleasant, you only talk with them for a few seconds so you won't feel like it was enough to warrant a tip. A server, you see off and on for around an hour.
deleted
· 10 years ago
I work in a bigbox retail store in the stockroom all big items are brought out by me some fit in the carts and some do not but if it is heavy i always ask the guest if they would like me to take it out to their car and load it up most of the time they say yes and i take it out for them and some people offer me a tip wich i graciously decline most of the time partly because my job forbids accepting tips and because i offered to take it out for them. I only accept if they keep insistinf as not to offend them. No one forces you to tip if they do its out on the tab as gratuity.
The other problem with increasing base pay, is it decreases incentive to be good.
C) Not work that hard, but at least be pleasant and go to their tables 1 or 2 times, probably much slower than the table would like.
or D) Be rude and lazy enough to get as little done as possible, but still do just enough work not to get fired.
Kind of like a grading scale in school, only the truly exceptional "A's" would be paid more. All the B's, C's, and D's would all get the same amount, so why bother trying to be a B (or even a C for some people)
People like to get by with the least effort involved. When people have more incentive to be better, they'll strive more. When they have little to no incentive, most don't give a shit.
Good examples of this: Servers and car salesmen.
Now, you might ask why more positions based on services aren't "low base pay + commission" since that increases incentive so much for the employee. The reason store clerks, bank tellers, etc. aren't paid like this is because you don't interact with them long enough. If you are in Target or Macy's and ask an employee where item X is and they show it to you, or the checkout person is nice and pleasant, you only talk with them for a few seconds so you won't feel like it was enough to warrant a tip. A server, you see off and on for around an hour.