1000 upvotes here if only. I could

Yes, absolutely! But, it's not going to change until the businesses lead the way and start paying a living wage, and making it clear that tips are not expected.

I have a problem with tipping, I am not for it, I would rather have the price of the meal reflect what it should be so that service industry people get a decent wage. My problem is this percentage of total big bs. Say two people sit down at a table. One orders a toasted cheese sandwich and another a steak with fries. The steak is obviously going to be more but the effort involved for the cheese sandwich to be presented isn't different from the steak and both guests receive the same service and experience the same atmosphere. So why is one paying more tip just because they ordered a steak vs someone who ordered a cheese sandwich. And don't get me started with take out... I'm of the opinion that until companies pay their servers proper wage, I look at tipping as a fixed amount. I'm generally only at a table for an hour maybe hour 1/2 so I go generally $15-$20 regardless of the check as I find that becomes expoiltive.

I think most Americans would agree with you.

I live in a country without tipping; you pay what's on the bill, full stop. VAT (sales tax) is already included in the price of goods; if it says $5 you pay $5. It makes life so much easier for the consumer.

Yes, the employer should pay more wages. Do we have to pay their salary too?

he's not asking, he's demanding a tip of at least $20..now tell me if I'm wrong here with my thinking (come from a non-tipping culture here) now he'll be working several tables at a time right..?? say he's working four tables per hour and demands a $20 tip from each table, he's earning then $80 ph..what's he got to complain about, right..?? he's earning 4x what his customers are earning at their jobs to afford to eat out (just) he shouldn't be taking it out on the customers, he SHOULD be taking it out on the boss...bosses in other countries are able to pay their staff a living wage, why can't American bosses..??

Exactly!

Arizona law allows employers to claim a tip credit of $3.00 an hour. This means tipped employees can be paid as little as $9.00 an hour, as long as they earn enough in tips to bring their compensation up to at least $12.00 an hour, total.

Great then stay home and don't take part in it.

WE KNOW. Yall remind us many times a day on top of people calling for livable wages here at home.

While I agree, the customer is going to pay either way. Through tipping or higher menu prices. Which I would be fine paying. But in the here and now, in some places, tipping is part of a servers pay. Until that chance, it is cheap to punish them for that system.

We think it's normal but that doesn't mean we like it. Our waiters shouldn't need to live off tips. Also, like Moxie said, not all of us Americans think like him.

This kid seems to be so indoctrinated with our system that he doesn't even see the issue is his employer not paying a real wage. My sister is a server and they have fed her such propaganda that she genuinely believes this is the best model for a restaurant

Assuming a country with over 325 million people all having the same views on this subject is pretty wild!

Not all Americans think like him.

ABSOLUTELY!! And I'm American and don't think this normal.

More like $2.13/hr. That is the federal minimum wage for servers. The federal law allows for it and even states that the tips must bring the employee up to the federal minimum wage of $7.25 hr or the employer must compensate (ie pay more) so they make $7.25/hr.

Same in my country. A tip is a nice surprise but no one is mad when you don't do it. It's an extra not a requirement.

Servers are paid 2.13 an hour

They don't *want* to acknowledge the proportionality of raising wages versus raising prices. And those that do acknowledge it who are business owners *still* spout this nonsense because raising costs and raising prices can still have a knock-on effect on their bottom line, aka their profit margins if only because of the PR aspect of price increases (i.e. Restaurant X has put their prices up by a dollar - I'm not eating there. But they've also raised their staff wages by five dollars. Don't care - the prices have gone up so that's money out of MY wallet [continued bigoted, idiotic grumbling]). And the reason for this is classist - servers are LOWER than me, why should they get paid more than what I think they deserve. [Sorry, I've wandered into my own rant here, I'm off for a nap]

Precisely, increase overall to pay employees better will not result in 20% increase in cost to the customer. Also, what is the guidelines. I always understood tipping as going over and above and the percentage was reflecting the over and aboveness. There is no consistent established metrics to follow for tipping, it's simply a guilt tip. Bring me the meal I paid for and nothing else, is that 0%, 15%, 20%. If you smile do I tack on more? If you pissy do I take off? If one would say, serving your order with no other over and above actions is that 0% tip? Then what does 15% tip mean? What behavior must be visible to warrant that? Should I tip my mechanic for not spilling oil all over the engine or is that simply expected but hey if he does a car wash before delivery does that warrant a tip. How does this look for restaurants. Table service is rushed in the US, not so much in rest of the world. Some restaurants I worked at and visited will only turn over tables twice in an evening. Imaginp

Exactly!!

If a server confronted me about a supposed previous “bad tip”, first of all I’d tell that person that the reason for the bad tip was bad service, and then I would immediately call for the manager (in a non-Karen way.) I do not expect someone to wait on me hand and foot at a restaurant, but I do expect to have servers do their jobs. It’s not my problem if they feel I don’t tip enough.

I'm not defending the video here because that kid does sound whiny and entitled. But whether servers should be paid a living wage isn't the issue here. They're not. And the reason they're paid so little ($3.28/HR when I served) is because it is expected that they would receive tips. On top of that, they have to tip out minimum 3% of their sales to bussers, bartenders, and others. That's whether they get tipped or not. So if you stiff a server, it just cost the server to wait on you. Regardless of what it SHOULD be, this is what it IS. And you think they're immune to inflation? No. Undertipping or not tipping at all because you don't like the status quo is a d**k move that hurts no one but the server trying to make rent.

Agreed, also what is the logic behind it being a percentage anyway? Is it more work to carry a plate of fries over to someone's table than a steak?

The food was cheaper than in Holland when I went there, so it didn't matter.

Yes! And while I do tip when I find the meal and/or the service excellent, it's never an obligation. And because a tip is not expected, servers are usually genuinely happy when I tip. It's a little bonus, not a part of their wage.

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

You're not in Europe, you're on another f*****g continent. If you don't like it go to the f*****g grocery store, take a bus and cut your own f*****g hair and nails. Otherwise, follow the customs of the places you visit. I've had a total of one bartender in Europe refuse tips for service.

If the tips were getting split with the kitchen staff, I'd get it since a more expensive meal takes more skill. But otherwise it doesn't make sense.

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Unfortunately, tipping culture seems to be a systemic problem in the United States. Many young people who just graduate University or are looking to supplement income get jobs in restaurants to help supplement income when looking for work. No this guy is not an a*****e— the idiotic tipping system in the US is. People deserve a living wage.