Rumors Of 10% Tipping On Oprah's Site

November 5, 2009

tipping your wait person This morning on Facebook, an old friend requested information on a rumor that Oprah is telling the US to only tip 10% in this economy. Of course I googled the question and only found an OMagazine article on her site stating that you should tip a minimum of 15%. I also read her forum where the debate is pretty heated. Essentially if you haven't worked in the food service industry and are cheap, you don't want to have to pay a tip. If you have worked as a waiter or waitress you are adamant about tipping.

Of course I had to weigh in :
In the United States, restaurant owners base wait staff wages on an expected 15% gratuity. You should prepare to pay at least that much in restaurants when you go out to eat. Waiters and Waitresses work very hard pleasing customers. No matter how their day is going, they have to put up with incorrectly prepared meals and drinks, angry customers, wrong orders and long hours on their feet. I waited tables in High School and in the small rural community I lived in, made no more than $20/day in tips. I would get a quarter, or a dollar for my efforts. These uneducated farmers thought I made minimum wage and they were being kind with 1-4% tips. One of my family members worked his way up from being a waiter to being a kitchen manager to a general manager. He finally makes a living wage managing 35 people.

Wait staff has to tip out to bar tenders, food deliverers and bussers. If you don't tip, they still have to tip out and make even less money. To say, "Well that waiter isn't getting a tip from me," is making you ruder than them. Instead, try leaving a note or making a comment to the dining room manager. You should walk into that restaurant ready to pay the minimum no matter what.

I make sure to tip at least 15%, even with bad service. If they are good, which they generally are (or if there's alcohol on the bill) I tip 20% or better. If you are going out to a restaurant for a meal expecting to be waited on, you should budget for a 25% tip. There are restaurants where you aren't expected to tip, like cafeterias, McDonalds and Taco Bell. These workers are paid commensurate to their job, generally above minimum wage. And you don't have to tip them.

http://www.oprah.com/community/thread/109598?start=0&tstart=0
http://www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/omag_200212_tipping

Posted by Douglas Kelly

Nov 05, 2009

Ryan Smallegan said...

I understand that this is the way the industry is built but it seems like a total sham. It is the same way with the pizza delivery service....why not just charge me a flat rate? If I am able to fill up my own cup of water and/or walk up to the counter to place an order and pick up my food then I gladly will. But if I am required to use the services of a waiter/waitress then it should be built into the cost. Would it be appropriate for Walmart to start paying their cashiers/baggers under minimum wage and have them ask for tips from the customers? Another flaw in this system is that I can have great service on a $30 meal or poor service on a $100 meal and it is expected that I should tip 3x as much for the $100 meal. Not fair to me or the waiter/waitress!

said...

It sounds like it's a rumor to get Oprah in trouble if no credible info is found. THAT being said, there are a LOT of people that DO think this way and for that I'd like to weigh in. When you go to a restaurant with wait staff, you're going to a place where you should expect to pay a tip minimum 15%. That's right I said minimum. It's not always 15% and when I get great service, I let the waiter or waitress know it was appreciated. If I can't afford the meal and the tip, i don't buy that item. If I order something small where 15% is less than $2, I tip $2 minimum. If you can't afford the tip, don't eat there.

Also, all the above being said, waiters and waitresses should not EXPECT 15% if they are sloppy at their job. If you suck, you can expect nothing from me or so little you don't think I forgot, but rather I wanted to give you enough so you knew I remembered and it stings more :) If you don't do your job, you are going to get the minimum. I do take into consideration when others are not doing their job (getting food out quickly enough) so that you can bring it to me too. In those cases, I'll just mention that "wow, what are the cooks doing back there? They're making it hard for you!" Usually they have a sigh of relief if they know you understand and then they kick the pants of the cooks to help you out too.

But yah, if the economy is "so tough" for you, maybe you shouldn't be out to eat anyway and go to Aldi instead. Don't screw over your hard working waiter!

Oct 08, 2010

Douglas Kelly said...

Thanks Marianne, for your comments. Last night, when I was out, 20% came to less than 2 dollars. So I gave her an extra dollar, just because. We should all realize, in what ever we are purchasing, that someone made that, delivered that, worked hard to get you that, or had to overcome something so you could purchase, eat, or use that. It's the same with websites, cars, food and attire. If you can't afford something, don't beat up the waiter, web designer, sales person or delivery guy. They're just doing their job and need you to pay for that service or product. Don't buy it if you can't afford it. And definitely don't gripe over the price.

douglasmkelly's posterous