Tipping and the Bitter Waitress
And now, it’s time for something completely different…
I drop by Kottke.org from time to time. I envy the fact that he was able to quit his day job and blog full time, supported by his readership.
The subject of tipping came up recently and he referred to the website, Bitter Waitress.com. While I tend to agree with his disdain for posting names taken from credit cards, his idea of what constitutes a standard tip is medieval at best.
15% (on the pre-tax amount, I might add) is still the industry standard, no matter how much it sucks…
The shitty Shitty Tipper database (kottke.org
Time to get out from behind the computer, and get into the real world Kottke. It’s 20% today, and that’s just for showing up!
The website is a hoot, but be forewarned. Rated “R” for language.
July 24th, 2005 at 10:43 am
I’ve never really understood the restaurant industry.
Why should we as customers pay extra for a person just doing their job? The owner gets by with paying slave wages to their employees and the customer makes up the difference. Can you imagine other industries opperating the same way? The school board pays me $3.00 an hour and then my students make up the difference? Pay the servers a fair wage and build the cost into the price of the product. If the servers don’t do their job replace them.
July 24th, 2005 at 11:05 am
What about tipping baggage handlers at airports, or ship personnel while on a cruise, or barbers and hairdressers, or coat check attendants, or golf caddies, or ministers at weddings, or furniture & appliance delivery persons, or blackjack dealers, or…?
They too are just doing their job.
The question here is not why one tips in certain circumstances, but rather how much.
July 24th, 2005 at 11:57 am
OK. Then I suggest zero. Where did tipping come from anyway?
TIP means “to improve service”, right? Why should I pay more to encourage a person to do their job the way they should. Would you have expected a little something extra to do a better job of representing a client? This whole system smacks of Russia or Mexico or someplace where bribes get things done.
July 27th, 2005 at 3:13 pm
I have to agree with Max. Tipping is totally out of control. Every year we even receive (insincere) greeting cards from the paperboy and the garbage haulers, which is nothing other than a request to give them a tip. For what? For just doing what they get paid to do anyway.
One time I actually had a waitres follow me to the door of the restaurant because she was not given the percentage she thought she deserved! And what is this 20% stuff? Who came up with that? On a cruise I took one time, the cruise lines tried to do you the big favor of just adding the tip onto the overall cost of the cruise. I dont buy that sort of thing. A tip is for ME to decide to give, both as to who and as to the amount, not some employer who is just trying to pass on the cost of his employees to the customers. And the sad part is, it has just become automatic, regardless of the level of service.
August 26th, 2005 at 11:03 am
Interesting article in today’s WSJ. Tim Zagat, founder of the Zagat restaurant guides was quoted as saying:
(Emphasis supplied)