Normal- sure. Common- not in my experience. Tipping generally isn’t mandatory if it doesn’t say it is. Tipping is a gratuity. The roof there being gratitude. Tipping is customary in many countries, with the tip percentage (commonly being soft capped at about 25-30% maximum) reflecting the service that was received. You aren’t required to acknowledge your server beyond placing your order either, such as when they try to make small talk etc. You can just ignore them if you like. You aren’t required to call them by name. You could make up a nickname of your choosing for your server if you decided to. Most places don’t say not to.
But- an establishment might see your behavior as rude or otherwise not the type they want and ask you not to come back, or to leave. They sent a letter previously- one could argue passive aggressively informing the person- in which the restaurant apologized and paid them money because they thought they had a bad experience because they didn’t tip. That’s a pretty strong hint right there to say next time: “oh gee. We didn’t tip and they took that to mean we didn’t like it. If we like it- maybe we should tip, or go somewhere else where we don’t feel pressured to tip.”
Tips aren’t guaranteed but neither is service. So long as it isn’t based in protected class an establishment can refuse service to anyone for whatever reason they like more or less. Perhaps this person genuinely missed the hints. Their reply implies otherwise. They don’t seek remorseful or like there was a misunderstanding. They seem indignant. I can’t say for certain. Some establishments and some servers are very serious and or aggressive about tips because they feel they provided above and beyond service and thus deserve said tips. Don’t tip if you don’t want- but choices have consequences as we see here.
In the US, wait staff is paid a much lower wage, as the assumption is they will receive tips. If they don't, the restaurant has to make up the additional money in order to reach the federal minimum wage. So, for the restaurant, it becomes *much* more expensive to them if you don't tip your server.
My daughter is a server, she makes 2.12 an hour. The restaurant has to pay her the balance of minimum wage if she doesn't make enough in tips. So many servers were saying they didn't get tips so they could keep their cash, and get paid minimum wage on top. The restaurant started a new policy, if a server cannot manage to make at least 5.13 an hour in tips, you didn't have a job anymore. And her restaurant takes half of her tips left on credit card charges for back of the house, who gets paid more than minimum wage.
She loves being a server, it fits her personality, but all of the rules and regulations pisses her off. Especially when she loses at least 75 bucks a shift in tips because they were on credit cards. The hostess, who doesn't even touch the food only gets 2.12 an hour because the position can be classified as a server. And the owner makes the servers give her the balance of minimum wage from their tips so they don't have to pay her on a check. I thought it was just done where she works, but it's common in most restaurants.
Yeah. Restaurants rarely make up the difference. In the US, your server is most likely not being paid by the house (the $2.15 covers taxes and little more). So, (in the US) if you choose not to tip, you are suggesting the server doesn’t deserve to be paid for the time and energy they spent serving you. It’s a shitty system, but it is the dominant system. There are some restaurants that charge higher prices and pay the servers a regular wage. Those restaurants generally ask you not to tip or collect additional tips to be divided amongst staff.
Bottom line, in the US, if you’d don’t leave a tip, you’re telling someone they don’t deserve to be paid. I’ve had some pretty bad service, but never any so bad that I thought someone didn’t deserve to get something for their time.
You got it backwards. It’s a subsidy for the restaurant owner. The diner is conscripted into paying the wait staff so the owner doesn’t have to. The wait staff is working for for the money, therefore it is not welfare, it’s pay for service rendered.
I dunnoh. Geek squad and mobile contractors etc often get tips for IT work. You aren’t as likely to get tipped as an independent contractor or in a corporate setting. IT is a business support role. As an IC or corporate employee your contract will stipulate the rate appropriate for the job, and a bonus acts as a tip where for meeting or exceeding certain service parameters you will be given a bonus or tip amount to show appreciation of your effort and results.
I guess another place it diverges is that many jobs where tipping is the custom are somewhat boxed in. There aren’t really well defined career paths for advancement of pay. So whereas an IC sets their own pay rate, a waiter does not. A corporate IT person can negotiate a salary and bonuses, get promotions and substantial raises based on performance. The best waiter in the world is limited in what they are paid by how much a customer will pay for their meal.
Likewise- there is competitive incentive in IT (although that is dwindling and isn’t always there with smaller companies.) A waiter can simply be anyone who has the basic physical capacity to write down orders and bring food. They may not be a GOOD waiter- but they can be a waiter as long as they can handle the job. Most skilled IT roles require special skills or knowledge and education. Not just anyone can be a Network Admin or a QA engineer or even a tester.
So there is a stronger expectation of competency from someone hired as a skilled worker with complex tasks making generally a comfortable salary than for someone who’s major qualifications are “can write and carry plates.” That means when you get a GOOD waiter the incentive is on the customer to make sure they are compensated for their work to ensure the job remains one which they wish to keep doing. Basically- tipping a waiter isn’t just for the waiter- it helps make sure that a competent and hard working server remains in the industry so that you and others get them next time and not just someone who can carry a plate.
It’s much easier to make mistakes that will be noticed and catastrophic in most IT roles. If you are just plain “bad” at the job- there are other skilled workers to take your place who would gladly work for what are generally comfortable wages for IT. In IT, much of the time your primary “customer” makes less than you. In the waiting game it would be more common on average that your customer makes more than you.
Using language in contracts or emails etc. such as “gratuities are customary for exemplary service..” “gratuities are appreciated..” or just adding the tip to the price of services such as giving quotes and then adding “for <whatever type of work conditions etc..> a gratuity of X percent or whatever will be added to the final charge.” Are all ways to help get you tips in an industry that doesn’t have a strong tipping custom. It’s more professional in the industry however- and more customary- to include a clause for “bonus” based on performance in your contract- which is basically a tip.
Bottom line, in the US, if you’d don’t leave a tip, you’re telling someone they don’t deserve to be paid. I’ve had some pretty bad service, but never any so bad that I thought someone didn’t deserve to get something for their time.
But when the welfare is for people with money we call it subsidies; welfare has such a stigma. ;)