The Black Vault

greeney2 wrote:Curious why if the waiters and waitress usually tip back to their busboys a %age, why doesn't the Chef deserve shared tips? Not sure about the Hostess. If the Chef fails nobody deserves a tip.

As a server, in most, if not all restaurants, you do tip not only the busser, but also the hostess and the person who runs the food. Should a chef deserve tips? No, but there is a reason. His salary more than compensates him for not being involved in the front of the house, even though his food is.

So, to sum it up. A chef, or even line cooks, get paid quite a bit more than minimum wage. Waiters, waitresses, and runners get paid MINIMUM wage, but are tipped. The 15%+ from the waiter is split between the waiter, (or waitress), and a certain percentage is given to the busser, the runner, and usually the hostess.

That's why I always give at LEAST 15%... because a percentage of that is still going elsewhere in the 'house' regardless of how bad the server really is. I also consider it karma. Sometimes, they just don't deserve it... but I guarantee, it comes back 20 fold. (I saw that countless times when I worked in a restaurant, and when I didn't.)

blackvault wrote:Although I don't disagree with some of what you said, Halfabo, but before I respond, can I ask if you've ever worked in a restaurant and waited on tables?

Yes I have. I was much younger then. I know its not always an easy job. But, if you just stay courteous and get your work done efficiently, I never had too many problems with tips.

It has been some years since I have done this and dont usually make a habit of it. In my pocket I usually carry a real silver ..silver dollar from before 1963/1964 when they began to phase in those copper nickle junk coins you see today.

I also carry with me a .999 one oz. Englehardt Prospector coin.

I was in the habit of frequenting a local fish house here in Virginia and I decided that this time I would tip the olde woman in the kitchen whom I knew usually prepared my orders. This was one of those simple places where you order at the window and pick up at the window and then go sit and eat.

But I had the order taker call the olde woman up to the window and gave her the silver dollar circa 1920s and thanked her for satisfactorily preparing my meals.

Now this woman has since retired and the food has gone downhill at this place and I no longer frequent this establishment. But this olde woman surely knew how to cook fish and season the batter.

Nonetheless..I thought that this olde woman deserved some kind of recognition for some great meals prepared.

Thanks,
Orangetom

blackvault wrote:

greeney2 wrote:Curious why if the waiters and waitress usually tip back to their busboys a %age, why doesn't the Chef deserve shared tips? Not sure about the Hostess. If the Chef fails nobody deserves a tip.

As a server, in most, if not all restaurants, you do tip not only the busser, but also the hostess and the person who runs the food. Should a chef deserve tips? No, but there is a reason. His salary more than compensates him for not being involved in the front of the house, even though his food is.

So, to sum it up. A chef, or even line cooks, get paid quite a bit more than minimum wage. Waiters, waitresses, and runners get paid MINIMUM wage, but are tipped. The 15%+ from the waiter is split between the waiter, (or waitress), and a certain percentage is given to the busser, the runner, and usually the hostess.

That's why I always give at LEAST 15%... because a percentage of that is still going elsewhere in the 'house' regardless of how bad the server really is. I also consider it karma. Sometimes, they just don't deserve it... but I guarantee, it comes back 20 fold. (I saw that countless times when I worked in a restaurant, and when I didn't.)

Not to play devils advocate but isn't that the same as a customer deciding "that is good enough", deciding the chef is already paid enough? You are saying the chef makes enough, we should not appreciate, that his good cooking makes us money? One the other hand, the customer should ask, if I am paying good money for good food, and the restaurant is charging good money for it, why should I be paying his help, while the owner is fatter by depending on tips to pay his employees, saving him wages? If you have a successful restaurant, many owners are in very high incomes, but they do not give a single benefit to their workers, whos service makes his customers come back, as well as the food his chefs cook. It is rather a hard business to understand, when you boil it down. If you owned a factory, you pay everyone plus include benefits with either hourly or salary based pay. Restraunts only pay certain employees, while others ether sink or swim on the tips they earn. The entire structure is both wage discrimination, plus the total exclusion of benefits for the most important end of the labor force. Those who serve your table get stiffed from both ends, a tightwade employer, and from disgruntled customers.

We, my wife and I, always tip very heavily. Two reasons, one I hope they remember it when I return, and two, because my wife tells me to. She was a waitress when she first got out of school. BTW, I should have said normally, because if the service is terrible, I won't tip much if anything.

But what I really wanted to say, I can't believe no one brought up the comedy script, and maybe because like me, you can't remember the actual show, but in the show the guy sits down at the table, sets a large stack of one dollar bills on the table, and tells the waiter/waitress, this is your tip, your starting point. Now every time you fail to give me good service, I'll remove at least a dollar. If you go above and beyond, I'll add to the stack.

Well you get the picture. I traveled all over our country when I worked, and I'll tell you, all places everywhere charge an automatic tip on parties over a certain size, even here in this very small town where I now live. Also, I've heard from many people that a lot of restaurants are now charging a tip automatically on every meal, regardless of the size of the party. I disagree with this policy. Unfortunately, sometimes the server simply doesn't deserve a tip.

Someone mentioned tipping other businesses. I always tip the guy who cuts my hair. My wife tips her hair stylist. I have tipped my electrician before. We were suffering from an ice storm that had left us without power, and estimates were that power would not be restored for 7-30 days, depending on where you live. I bought a generator, and my electrician came and got it wired into my electrical panel for me on very short notice. I felt he went way above and beyond to help me out, and I tipped him well. But what I have found really funny is in other forums, outdoor forums, this has come up by many of the guides. They charge anywhere from $300-$500 a day for taking you fishing, and they expect that you should then tip them another $100, if you didn't catch fish, and more if you did. Their excuse is they tried very hard. I am not kept in their graces as I said they then should simply adjust their fees, and expect to be tipped for supplying extra stuff like a shore lunch, drinks, or providing extra help or baits... most of which none of those guides were willing to do. Heck, one guide I hired told me point blank, while we were fishing, he expected me to buy his lunch!!! I did.... but then at the end of the day, I deducted that amount from his fee. I fished that lake, and I was taking a customer on a fishing trip, and I know for fact that guide clearly did not take us to the "best" fishing locations. Heck, he didn't even take us to community holes I knew of, much less some of the ones I keep a secret. i took my customer back later in my boat and we caught more than the three fish we caught with that guide. It was an awkward discussion when I paid him, but it was what it was. Oh, and back then, gas was still only about a dollar a gallon, unlike now, and he still didn't run more than four miles.... dang I'm on a soap box... but gotta run so I'll dismiss the sermon now!!! LOL

Thanks for reading my rant!!!

Danny

Just had a thought about OT saying on the other thread how they added on a 18% tip for his party of 3. I wonder it that is something that particular place started in response to having to provide medical insurance now under Obamacare?

I'm a tipper..usually 15 to 20 percent..I tip the tip jars, too..I figure..why n t..I have a bit of extra cash..I don't mind sharing it

Howdy Stranger.

hey you
gonna try and make more of an effort to stop by more often..miss you guys
the best to you and your families and such..all that good stuff