Letter: ‘Tip’ doesn’t stand for ‘Thanks, I pass’

I agree that good service should be rewarded. But, I am also a firm believer that if the service is poor, I will tip poorly. It's hard to feel too sorry for servers. If you are working at a decent restaurant you might cover four tables in an hour. Even if all four tables only have a bill of $30 and they tip on the low end at 10%, you just made $14.13 that hour (after we include your $2.13 hourly wage). That is more than some people make with a college degree. That is definitely more than most any other college students in Lawrence makes besides maybe bartenders.

There are people out there who tip poorly. But, there is also no problem not tipping if the service does not warrant it. And unfortunately that includes the kitchen doing a good job as well.

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• Posted by Abita on February 4, 2009 at 7:45 a.m.
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Letter: ‘Tip’ doesn’t stand for ‘Thanks, I pass’

I went to coldstone the other day, and after running my credit card, I saw a line for a tip. Is this necessary? I tip at a restaurant, where the waiter has to get drinks, bring food, check up to see if anything is needed. But coldstone?

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• Posted by cw on February 4, 2009 at 8:55 a.m.
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Letter: ‘Tip’ doesn’t stand for ‘Thanks, I pass’

I agree with Abita. I go to a restaurant for the experience, and if that experience is ruined because of something my server did, it is going to effect the tip I leave. Most servers know that their tip is dependent on the level of service they provide to the customer. If a customer has a bad experience as a direct result of the server's doing, that customer isn't going to leave a good tip, if they leave one at all. A tip isn't a "given", it's earned.

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• Posted by missmia on February 4, 2009 at 10:06 a.m.
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Letter: ‘Tip’ doesn’t stand for ‘Thanks, I pass’

I not only tip the server, but I also tip my hair stylist as well. I went to the Chinese buffet on 23rd and the servers were being run off their feet but remained cheerful and good tempered. The minimum wage in Kansas is $2.65 and hour and workers really depend on those tips. They do have families to take care of. The tip should be fifteen percent of the bill. Regardless of service. Even if the server was having a bad day, they and their family still need to eat and pay the bills, so don't punish the server because they didn't treat you like a little prince or princess. I tip the hair stylist $5.00 for a basic haircut.

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• Posted by irishswearingen on February 4, 2009 at 11:20 a.m.
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Letter: ‘Tip’ doesn’t stand for ‘Thanks, I pass’

I agree completely with Abita when it comes to a full-service restaurant.

Coldstone is considered a "quick-serve" restaurant (different than "fast-food" because they assemble your food FRESH right in front of you), as is Jersey Mike's Subs. I work at JMike's and we have a tip can next to the register as well as a tip line on the credit card receipts. All employees start at $7/hr, so they are making a living wage. Tipping in quick-serve is a way for the customer to give the employees a "bonus". The staff can just do what is expected, or they can go above and beyond. A tip should only be given if the service warrants one.

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• Posted by jms on February 4, 2009 at 2:38 p.m.
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Letter: ‘Tip’ doesn’t stand for ‘Thanks, I pass’

Customary tipping is not 15%, it's 20%. All service industry professionals (hairstylists, coffee shop baristas, etc) should be tipped accordingly.

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• Posted by sbell10 on February 5, 2009 at 8:36 a.m.
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Letter: ‘Tip’ doesn’t stand for ‘Thanks, I pass’

Oh, for God's sake people loosen up the wallet and tip! Is it because trying to figure out 20% of the bill is just too much? If you insist on tying the tip to a certain level of service you are always going to find something wrong to excuse what you know in your heart is bad behavior on your part. If you have money to eat out, you have money to tip. So,tip already!

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• Posted by irishswearingen on February 5, 2009 at 11:26 a.m.
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Letter: ‘Tip’ doesn’t stand for ‘Thanks, I pass’

no, irish. if a server truly does a good job and puts forth the effort to make sure i have a good dining experience in their restaurant, i will gladly tip them well, more than 20% often, which is more than the 15% you seem to think is adequate.

do you really think that someone can do a horrible job when they're serving someone their food and expect a good tip? in any other occupation, someone doing a poor job would get reprimanded, just in a different way. so why should servers be able to get away with doing less than what is expected of them?

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• Posted by missmia on February 5, 2009 at 12:19 p.m.
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Letter: ‘Tip’ doesn’t stand for ‘Thanks, I pass’

All I expect as a server as A TIP. If you think I did a poor job, then by all means explain the situation. I'd be MORE than happy to listen to your advice, but those people who think I did SUCH a bad job to leave NO tip... That's personal. And Rude. You expect good service, and if I give that, yeah, I expect a tip.
vladislav- you not tipping isn't going to change the resturant business Abita- if a server honestly ruins your experience, by all means lower your tip. But NO tip at all for all the work they DID do? Seems a little outrageous.

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• Posted by Bur32 on February 5, 2009 at 2:15 p.m.
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Letter: ‘Tip’ doesn’t stand for ‘Thanks, I pass’

I normally tip between 20% and 25%. For exceptionally good service, I have even tipped more. However, I have been to restaurants where the server never refilled my water or tea glass, never came by to ask if the meal was satisfactory, did not bring the bill when I was done, so I had to go to the counter and ask for it, where I could see him or her back talking to friends rather than attending to my needs. In those instances, I have left a note explaining why I did not leave a tip. Even with a note, I doubt those servers accepted it was their fault, but maybe with experience they will either change or get out of serving.

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• Posted by jbarrett on February 5, 2009 at 8:43 p.m.
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Letter: ‘Tip’ doesn’t stand for ‘Thanks, I pass’

I used to run the grill, do food prep & wash dishes at a restaurant. I tip servers at least 15% and tip 20 when the service is great.

For those of you who think I'm cheap because I normally tip 15%, I've got a label for you too : sucker.

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• Posted by fatlush on February 6, 2009 at 11:17 a.m.
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Letter: ‘Tip’ doesn’t stand for ‘Thanks, I pass’

I reread my two comments and I do not see a 15% in there anywhere. Reread the second comment and you will see 20%. I tip20% because I think 20% is good. I have only had good experiences so far. Which is why I am more than happy to tip 20%. I think some people are just too cheap to part with the 20% and will find an excuse where none exists. I think it is shameful that any employer can get away with paying $2.65 and hour.

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• Posted by irishswearingen on February 6, 2009 at 10:06 a.m.
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Letter: ‘Tip’ doesn’t stand for ‘Thanks, I pass’

here ya go irish:

The tip should be fifteen percent of the bill.

copied and pasted from your first comment.

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• Posted by missmia on February 6, 2009 at 4:28 p.m.
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Letter: ‘Tip’ doesn’t stand for ‘Thanks, I pass’

My bad. I do actually tip 20% so I have no idea what was on my mind when I typed that. Sorry, missmia.

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• Posted by irishswearingen on February 7, 2009 at 8:46 a.m.
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Letter: ‘Tip’ doesn’t stand for ‘Thanks, I pass’

As a server, I find that I am even more critical of the service when I am at another restaurant. If the server doesn't do well, their tip will reflect that.

Amber if you have been ''stiffed' recently you may want to double check whether you did a good job. I know and have worked with plenty of servers who thought they were amazing at their job, when in reality they were some of the worst servers on staff.

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• Posted by whitneyxx on February 9, 2009 at 1:39 p.m.
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Letter: ‘Tip’ doesn’t stand for ‘Thanks, I pass’

So let me get this straight. If a workers receives $3.00 an hour in tips, his employer can reduce his hourly wages from $6.55 an hour to $3.55 an hour. If an employee receives $4.42 an hour, or more, in tips, his employer can reduce his hourly wages from $6.55 an hour to $2.13 an hour.

What this means is that if customers tip an employee $4.42 an hour, the employee is only going to take home minimum wage. Likewise, if customers only tip an employee $3.00 an hour, the employer is only going to take home minimum wage.

What this means is that, to insure that an employee takes home something more than minimum wage, customers must tip an employee more than $4.42 an hour.

Here is what is happening to the first $4.42 an hour customer's give an employee. Instead of the employee keeping the tips customers gave him, his employer is going to keep the tips.

In other words, in order to tip an employee $5.00 an hour, customers must tip him $9.42 an hour because the first $4.42 is going to be taken away from him.

I don't get it. Why are employers being allowed to steal the customer's tip? If customers tip an employee $4.42 an hour, it isn't going to do the employee one bit of good. He is going to go home with minimum wage no matter if customers tip him or not. His employer, on the other hand, is going to see a reduction in payroll expenses of $4.42 for every hour customers tip his employee and yet the employee is not going to see any additional income unless customers tip him more than $4.42 an hour.

What I don't understand is how our government can give over the customer's private property, his tip, to business owners. That"s what this whole $2.13 an hour wage is actually doing. It's giving over the customer's private property, his tip, to business owners. The problem is, customers have not authorized our government to give over our private property to special interests.

The tip credit must be repealed. Workers who receive tips must be paid $6.55 an hour like all other types of workers. The tip credit is a law that unconstitutionally gives over the customer's private property, his tip, to business owners. Our government has no authority to give over our private property to business owners.

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• Posted by George on March 25, 2009 at 2:24 p.m.
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Letter: ‘Tip’ doesn’t stand for ‘Thanks, I pass’

Here's the deal. Customers have to tip a worker more than $4.42 an hour if they actaully want the employee to receive somekind of tip. The first $4.42 an hour in tips customers give an employee is being stolen by his employer. What this means is that customers must tip an employee more than $35.00 a day if they want the employee to have anything. His employer is going to steal the first $35.00 in tips customer's give his employee.

As minimum wage has been increased, employers have been allowed to steal a bigger portion of the tips customers present. When minimum wage was $4.25 an hour, laws were passed allowing business owners to steal up to $2.12 an hour in tips from their workers who receive tips. When minimum wage was increased to $5.15 an hour, employers were allowed to steal $3.12 an hour in tips from their workers who receive tips. Now that minimum wage has been raised to $6.55 an hour, employers may steal $4.42 an hour in tips from their workers who receive tips. When minimum wage is increased to $7.25 in July of 2009, employers will be allowed to steal $5.13 in tips every hour from those employees who receive tips.

The question that remains is, isn't stealing illegal?

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• Posted by George on March 25, 2009 at 2:56 p.m.
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