"The Restaurant" Recap - "Nights to Remember"

[zenial]

I'm quite sure you report 100% of your tips to the IRS as required by law, don't you! And as far as your remark about you must tip, that is a crock. If you carry that attitude as a server "expecting" a tip from all of your guests then I would be willing to bet that you are not one of the top money makers! I happen to be a very good tipper. My mother raised 5 kids on $25 a week + tips in the 60's and I am a general manager in the restaurant business. It appears to me that you seem to have an attitude and expect everyone to just lay a big tip on your table.

First of all of I dont' report a damn thing to the government. Second of all is it that overboard to expect to get paid to work. EVERONE expects to get tipped I EXPECT to get tipped at least 15%, if something goes wrong 10%, if i do an amazing job 20-25%. NOBODY walks to a table and thinks wow wouldn't it be nice if this table gave me a tip for my troubles, it's expected. Now having said that there are servers who are complaining about there tips that shouldn't. Servers who get 15% on a regular basis and are wondering why everbody is cheap and how I got lucky with all the 20% tippers. Now is tipping technically mandatory of course not. But it is the customers job to pay two people the restaurant for food, and the server for service. If the food is O.K they still pay full price. But if the food is real bad they get it for free or a discount, just like the service. So basically if the food is good paying your bill is mandatory. If the service is good tipping is mandatory.

[Unklescott]

Let me say first of all that this is not directed as a personal slam against you or your serving abilities as I do not know you and it would not be fair to judge you. However, you first stated "So no tipping is not an elective." Yes it is! If I am treated like crap by a server, do not have my table pre-bussed, do not get refills in a timely manner, and in general am not treated as a true guest...I have the right to refuse to tip. I have always been taught that TIPS stands for " To Insure Proper (or prompt) Service". I have been in the restaurant business for about 35 years now and I do believe that I can tell when it is a FOH or BOH problem. There are too many servers out in the world today that expect to receive big $ tips regardless of the type of service they give. The impression that I was getting from your posting was one that your guests should feel sorry for you for only making $2.63 per hour and that we should be obligated to supplement your income. The federal government did not hold a gun to your head and force you to take this job. I really don't want to get into the tip reporting thing either that ends up costing me because many servers do not claim 100% of their tips!

[zenial]

Let me say first of all that this is not directed as a personal slam against you or your serving abilities as I do not know you and it would not be fair to judge you. However, you first stated "So no tipping is not an elective." Yes it is! If I am treated like crap by a server, do not have my table pre-bussed, do not get refills in a timely manner, and in general am not treated as a true guest...I have the right to refuse to tip. I have always been taught that TIPS stands for " To Insure Proper (or prompt) Service". I have been in the restaurant business for about 35 years now and I do believe that I can tell when it is a FOH or BOH problem. There are too many servers out in the world today that expect to receive big $ tips regardless of the type of service they give. The impression that I was getting from your posting was one that your guests should feel sorry for you for only making $2.63 per hour and that we should be obligated to supplement your income. The federal government did not hold a gun to your head and force you to take this job. I really don't want to get into the tip reporting thing either that ends up costing me because many servers do not claim 100% of their tips!

I guess I feel tip reporting is an elective

[Unklescott]

I guess I feel tip reporting is an elective

[KCMiller]

When I waited table, this is how our taxable income was figured. Our check total for the evening, pretax, was totaled (this was the law then, I don't imgine that federal tax laws have gotten LESS onerous in the past few years). If that total was, say, $1000, we were taxed as if we made $150 (a 15% return, which the federal government assumes we get on each table). They did not take into account tipping out the back and bar, or those tables who did not tip that amount. Usually, everything worked out fairly, but there were those nights when we got royally screwed, first by uncaring patrons, then by the federal goverment.

I just wish more people knew how it really works. Servers don't just make money and not get taxed. It's a very regulated economy, nowadays.

KC