More restaurants embrace trend of putting health care surcharges on diners' checks

[Ozyorkbourne]

I heard from every European that I've met they don't tip at restaurants in Europe. Is this true? I know they tip other people like delivery men.

Correct, here employees get paid at least minimum wage you see.

[Cizr]

I heard from every European that I've met they don't tip at restaurants in Europe. Is this true? I know they tip other people like delivery men.

You tip when service is good. When its not you dont.

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Europe pays service staff a decent wage.

You know that in the US, not only does their minimum wage stink, but employers can pay employees below minimum on service staff because they're expected to make up the shortfall on tips? So yeah, those tips are literally part of the living wage for those poor bastards.

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Yeah I know that. Still customers should not be expected to pay their wage just because their employer is Scrooge

[Mormolyce]

Yeah I know that. Still customers should not be expected to pay their wage just because their employer is Scrooge

Literally the situation in the US.

[Ghostpanther]

They can add whatever they want to the bill for extra services. The customer can pick another place to dine or gladly pay it. Pretty much how I feel about this.

[Zantos]

So what? Either pay for the privilege of eating there or make your own damn food.

This is such a horrible mindset. "pay for the privilege of eating there"? Come off it. Its Their privilege to be allowed to serve food in the first place. Any of them can be shut down in an instant. Its their privilege if people choose to dine there, or go somewhere else. This is just a scam. Nothing more.

The restaurants that do this are nothing but crooks. Can't be bothered to actually provide health insurance, which they are Legally required to do for full time employees. So, they are not doing this "as a charity". They are just trying to play towards peoples empathy for wait staff. I would be curious as to how many of them actually have insurance from those places vs their own.

Honestly, if this keeps taking off, I'll stop eating out. Its bad enough they pray on peoples emotions to pay their staff a fair wage. Now they want to pray on people for "health insurance" when they probably don't even offer it? No way. Its a bs excuse and anyone with a brain knows it.

[Pooti]

Restaurants in the US are a baffling concept to me, why on Earth do you accept the fact that customers have to foot the bill for employee's wages through tipping and other bullshit. But for some reason that cost doesnt fall on the owners? If you cant afford to pay your staff a decent wage in one of the most stressful jobs, then you shouldnt be in business.

It sort of morphed into the current situation. Tipping came first, then the businesses eventually used it as an excuse to pay less.

[melodramocracy]

I see an awful lot of places now having an option to tip the person who's basically a cashier when using a credit card for food purchases. Simply makes me want to avoid going to establishments altogether.

[Pooti]

I do wish the article had some explanation as to how it would cost the customer more if they just raised prices by 3%, because otherwise it just sounds like they are virtue signaling. Or even worse, pulling on customers emotions to get more $$, regardless of what it is used for. 3% is a pretty small amount for an average restaurant bill.

[Zantos]

Restaurants in the US are a baffling concept to me, why on Earth do you accept the fact that customers have to foot the bill for employee's wages through tipping and other bullshit. But for some reason that cost doesnt fall on the owners? If you cant afford to pay your staff a decent wage in one of the most stressful jobs, then you shouldnt be in business.

Its a compound of things. Greedy employers / wait staff who honestly don't want change. At this point, most of them can make more then they would get paid with full time wages because you can be assured that they employers would want to pay them minimum wage. So its a stale mate until the employers themselves are willing to pay a decent wage. One that would outweigh what a good waiter/waitress could make.

[Pooti]

I see an awful lot of places now having an option to tip the person who's basically a cashier when using a credit card for food purchases. Simply makes me want to avoid going to establishments altogether.

What made me LOL, was the tip jar at the self serve yogurt place. I get my own cup, fill it myself, put on my own toppings, put it on the scale myself... tip the cashier?

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Its a compound of things. Greedy employers / wait staff who honestly don't want change. At this point, most of them can make more then they would get paid with full time wages because you can be assured that they employers would want to pay them minimum wage. So its a stale mate until the employers themselves are willing to pay a decent wage. One that would outweigh what a good waiter/waitress could make.

Well, restaurants generally operate on razor thin margins. IF tipping totally went away, and staff was paid to compensate for it, the price of eating out would likely have to go up by a minimum of 20% ( plus tax ) across the board for the doors to stay open. With the tipping model, the customer and the business are both relieved of the tax responsibility for the amount of the tip, as that falls onto the worker as income tax ( depending on the honesty of said worker ).

[Rozz]

I don't know what's so good about this.

On one hand we give more money to directly help the employees. On the other hand the responsibility of the employees' care is further put on the customer, not the employer. I don't want to be guilted into paying more because an owner wants to pretend they can't give basic coverage to their workers. It just feels like they're exploiting good will and the wage issue without fixing anything.

This just feels manipulative, because no one wants to be "that guy" who doesn't tip or help out. But at the same time it's fucked up customers even have to do that in the first place. I shouldn't have to essentially give donations so employed people don't starve.

[niztheundead87]

[Yunaqt]

I think it varies by country in Europe?

In Australia, tipping is very rare (I would say unheard of but some hipster places do it sometimes I think). Most Australians expect not to tip staff. Our minimum wage is considerably higher of course...

Yeahp same here in New Zealand but even more rare in Japan pretty much the 2 places I spend most my time so unsure of others.

[VanishingAct]

Man the cafe and restaurant owners in America sure are sneaky lil commies making everyone else pay for what they should be paying for their employees.

[Sky High]

This is such a horrible mindset. "pay for the privilege of eating there"? Come off it. Its Their privilege to be allowed to serve food in the first place. Any of them can be shut down in an instant. Its their privilege if people choose to dine there, or go somewhere else. This is just a scam. Nothing more.

The restaurants that do this are nothing but crooks. Can't be bothered to actually provide health insurance, which they are Legally required to do for full time employees. So, they are not doing this "as a charity". They are just trying to play towards peoples empathy for wait staff. I would be curious as to how many of them actually have insurance from those places vs their own.

Honestly, if this keeps taking off, I'll stop eating out. Its bad enough they pray on peoples emotions to pay their staff a fair wage. Now they want to pray on people for "health insurance" when they probably don't even offer it? No way. Its a bs excuse and anyone with a brain knows it.

you're just upset I'm not of the mid set of kissing customers asses. nothing you said really contradicts my point.

[niztheundead87]

you're just upset I'm not of the mid set of kissing customers asses. nothing you said really contradicts my point.

[Dontrike]

First tips and now this, why is it up to the consumer to provide not only their wages but their time off? The business should be doing that. They can fuck off with this kind of bullshit.

[Gestopft]

Its a compound of things. Greedy employers / wait staff who honestly don't want change. At this point, most of them can make more then they would get paid with full time wages because you can be assured that they employers would want to pay them minimum wage. So its a stale mate until the employers themselves are willing to pay a decent wage. One that would outweigh what a good waiter/waitress could make.

Exactly, although it depends on the restaurant. Very often, restaurant hours aren't very good for most servers, as you don't need a full floor for eight hours a day five days a week. Some servers will work doubles and can get to full time hours, but most probably won't. But- it's very possible the hourly you can make in tips can more than make up for the lower total hours. If the restaurant is at least reasonably busy, I will generally make at least $30/hour, but it probably won't be an eight-hour shift if I'm not on a double. On really good days I can get over $50/hour. But some days you're the dog and some days you're the hydrant.

[zenkai]

I see an awful lot of places now having an option to tip the person who's basically a cashier when using a credit card for food purchases. Simply makes me want to avoid going to establishments altogether.

I notice that too, I will tip servers, I will tip deliverymen, I even tip the girl that cuts my hair. I will never tip someone for ringing me up food or serving me a cup of coffee. (looking at you starbucks)

[Kuntantee]

In other words, "I do not want to pay proper to my employees, so I will make customers pay for me". I hate this tip culture with a passion and I am glad it is a rarity around here. I will only pay tip, when I think the service was beyond my expectation. Not to fucking mention that the price you pay for the food also includes the expenses for the staff.

The worst part is when you go to USA and other places, you are forced to fucking pay it...

At least in my country it is normal to tip waiters. Not the cashier in a burger restaurant of course. But in a "real" restaurant, not tipping is rather frowned upon. 5-10% is normal.

Why not tip in burger restaurants? They probably earn less than the ones who work in those "real" restaurants, why not pay tip?

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This tipping business satisfy different inferiority complex, from need to feel at higher levels of social strata (social status) to god knows what.

Tipping should be banned. Period. Waiters should join a fucking union or something, so that their rights are protected.