Going out to eat with family and friends is always a fun endeavor. You laugh, you eat, you drink, you be merry -- all while someone is waiting on you. But, when you open that bill, you are left with the choice of whether or not to tip your server. Before you make that decision, here are five reasons some servers have said as to why you should do it.
1. It's a necessary part of their income
When asking a server why they should get tips, this is the first thing they mention. Servers get paid way below the minimum wage. This is often because their employers expect them to get tips that will get them to "regular wages." This makes tipping a necessary part of their income. The American Federal Government says that a wage of at least $2.13 should be given to employees who make $30 a month in tips. If they don't, their employer has to up their base wage so they can earn at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25, including tips. However, that could be like $4.60 an hour, which still isn't enough for anything. Bottom line: no tip = no income.
2. They do all that they can to make you happy
When you go out to dinner, you're super relieved that you don't have to cook, clean or even get up, as all of that is done for you. You can send food back as many times as you want, ask for special things or even order options that aren't even on the menu (under certain circumstances), and your server will give it to you to the best of their ability. However, one thing costumers don't think of is how annoying and difficult costumers are. Not only are they serving you with a smile on their face and pep in their step, they're also taking care of six other tables with the same mentality. That's with crying babies, argumentative costumers, kids throwing food, costumers not understanding the menu, people forgetting what they ordered, children screaming and costumers blaming them for mistakes made in the kitchen -- all on low wages and uh, no thanks. You try doing that for hours multiple days a week and essentially getting no money for it.
3. Tip sharing
A lot of restaurants do this thing called tip sharing. This is when the server is required to give a certain percent of the bill back to the company to be distributed to the employees who don't get tips. So say you have a $100 bill at the end of your meal and the server has to give back 2.5 percent to the company, in this case that would be $2.50. If you don't leave them at least $2.50, they have to pay that amount of money out of their own pocket. If you leave them no tip, they lose money. If you leave only the required amount to give back to the company, they don't make anything, and they're already at a low wage as it is. You see how this is adding up negatively for them?
4. Only way they can afford an education
In this day and age, college is no longer considered an "if you want to" but a "you have no other choice." And now you need more than just a part time summer job to pay for it. Many people who work at restaurants are using their earnings to try and get the education needed to do what they love. However, the less they make, the longer it takes to pay it off and the longer they'll be in debt. Although this seems like none of your problem, if they give you a good service, the least you could do is give them 18 percent.
5. Sexual harassment seems to be in thejJob description
In 2012, Restaurant Opportunities Centers United released a study that said 1 in 10 workers out of the 4,300 surveyed said they or a co-worker has experienced some form of sexual harassment at their restaurant. And even then this number is thought to be under counted. Servers, especially women, are subject to harassment due to the fact that many costumers don't see them as respectable people or that they have to "work for their money." It is thought by many people that tipping is not a right, it's a privilege and since they hold that power over their sever, they can do or say anything they want. And since it is their job to serve them, they can't deny their business and have to work through the lewd comments and inappropriate touching. Sometimes these people are regulars and specifically ask for those servers, making it even harder for them to get away. Now, imagine having to go through all of that and you see they only left you a 2 percent tip on the bill.
In today's economy, everyone needs money. Whether it's to fuel your yacht or to pay your student loans, wages are required to pay for what we need. Getting served doesn't make you better than your server, but it does leave you accountable for a possible tip. Make the right choice.
