If, over the last week or so, you have had the day off from work, and you’ve gone to a bar, coffee shop, or restaurant that’s been open during the SNOWPOCALYPSE 2008, I hope you’ve been tipping really well, as in better than usual. I’ve been in a couple places that have been wall-to-wall packed, for brunch and for dinner—at least one Capitol Hill restaurant had their best Sunday ever this past week, I’ve heard—and I feel simultaneously bad for the staff for having to work when everyone else gets the day off, and enormously grateful that I can pretty much go on with my leisure time without even noticing the snow. Seattle’s service industry seriously deserves a round of applause.
Can we get some context for the dollar bill, home skillet?
Cue another epic thread about tipping policy, douches, that you used to be a (insert service here) so you really understand it, and how superior people are because they tip really well!
tip: get a better job!
re: 1 — yeah paul post a link to that, it was a pretty heated post if I remember correctly
@2: I think its clear who the real douche is… It’s also clear who probably gets shitty pours and phlegm in their meals at the spots they regularly patronize.
Not only is my place packed, we’re short staffed as well, so PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING would be nice, too. People have been much more demanding the past few days…they’re whiney and needier than ever…relax a little and you’ll all be fed soon!
more people=more tips=more money. so why should i tip higher again?
i tip based on food and service quality…not guilt.
yes, it’s horrible that people have a job and have to work when they could be sledding down hills. suck it up hipsters. at least you have a job to go to and are making money. i’m sure there are people in those businesses that are closed that are hourly laborers that aren’t getting jack shit for their company being closed.
would you rather work and get your hourly wage with even meager tips or nothing at all? oh wait; you’d like nothing at all that way you can stay up there on your cross.
They’re also in need of a Few Good Douches too with all this militant street talking. “A Friends of Slog” listing nomination goes to the “Voted Best Douche” of Seattle!(Whatever brand name that may be.)
Your job REALLY deserves to be rewarded when you have the behavior of SPITTING in things and performs “shitty pours” based on how you are feeling, @4
It’s absolutely disgusting that your kind feels entitled to tips.
@7: good job being an Internet asshole, tough guy!
I’m betting none of the people complaining about having to tip have ever held down a low-paying service sector job that depended on tippage from ignorant, self-entitled douches like themselves for their livelihood.
It also never occurs to them that, IF all these people DID in fact suddenly get “real jobs”, there’d be no one left to serve them their “16 oz. half-caf, half-decaf, soy mocha cappuccinos”, or “herb and rock salt encrusted waygu beef roulettes in tomato and vinaigrette reduction sauce”, and they’d most likely starve to death if faced with the prospect of actually being forced to cook for themselves.
Arrogant bastards. You’re LUCKY if sputum is ALL you get in your orders…
For a latte’ or some other drink that involves mixing and creation, I tip. If someone just pours a coffee and gives it to me and charges $2, I don’t.
Most bartenders in this town are pretty good- like the bald dude at 611 with the arm tatoos who remembers my drink when I go in once a month. In contrast, most servers suck ass. If they are legitimatly busy, I don’t mind waiting, but fucks sake- first things first ask about drinks and keep them filled! They are not even making them- the bartenders do so what is the goddamn hold up!
One of my friends recently summed up tipping pretty perfectly for me:
It’s fundamentally demeaning as a human being to serve someone else. And in a society that at least theoretically no longer believes in slaves or a dedicated servant class, we compensate someone for doing something demeaning by tipping.
And yes, all sorts of wage labor that doesn’t get tips is also fundamentally demeaning. That doesn’t mean that tipping for service isn’t right, it just means that those other jobs should be getting a higher wage.
@11
Get off your horse! There is an endless supply of HIGH SCHOOLERS to do your job.
Seriously?!?!?!?
“IF all these people DID in fact suddenly get “real jobs”, there’d be no one left to serve them their “16 oz. half-caf, half-decaf, soy mocha cappuccinos”,”
Google is your friend, unless you want to find a SLOG entry on that dollar bill story.
http://consumerist.com/5025306/coffee+sh…
@11
The less I tip, the more I could eat out.
I’m hoping it’s understood that they get a good tip if they give me good service, and not just for showing up…esp on Cap Hill as most of the servers live here…
I object to tipping in theory. All services should have a 15 percent surcharge (factored into the price ahead of time) and that money should go to the person performing the service. By leaving customers to pay employees, restaurants can pretend that an item on the menu only costs $10 when it really costs $11.50-$12.
That said. I always tip, usually 20 percent, never less than 15, unless the service was unbelievably shitty.
@14,
I really doubt that’s the origin of tipping. In the third world, tipping is performed as a way to get any service at all. My guess is that’s the origin of tipping in our society. Back when society was much more corrupt, you’d have to pay your server just to notice you.
@15: oh yes, that endless stream of high schoolers who can be at a coffee shop at 8 AM on a weekday…
@14, theres something to that. But at the same time, a tip beyond 10% should be earned. The unfortunate thing is that servers are a barrier in places with good food between you and your meal a lot of the time. I’d be just as happy taking my order and filling my own glass at most restaurants.
There are very few places where the server adds value to the meal, whether it is in suggesting beverages and food that compliment one another (which is nice), pay very attentive service to you in regards of beverage and plates, those that you know and friendly with at a local place.
Ultimately the worst of the worst are baristas though. because of the nature of the skills needed for their job, the pool of available talent, and the cost of the alternatives. The market for good coffee makes it so that very rarely does one barista actually have the personality and skill that warrant any tipping. None of the big chain baristas deserve tips. or unions.
@20 what I meant is there is no special skill deserved of tips for your (apparent) profession.
A community college kid, someone who just moved to the city, WHATEVER.
We’re not going to be out of food service industry employees if you decide to try to climb the ladder.
@22: I’m not a barista, and have never been one. (I can’t say I don’t work in the food industry, but it’s in an office.) I’m just saying, if you’re going to be an arrogant, entitled jerk about things, at least don’t leave your argument open for nitpickers like myself.
cutting through the bull shit – need to tip generously.
very hard work, on your feet, shit from the public, low base pay
tip, be hip – feel free to mention poor service
It never ceases to amaze me the amount of people that a “against” tipping, on some philosophical level. By any measure, and no matter what your mother tells you tomorrow when you see her, this makes you a bad person.
Chippu, henna shuukan ya naa.
Whoa. I’m an avid Slog read but not normally a commenter, but I just gots to jump in here.
I have worked in the service industry, and for years now have had a “real” job (whatever that means), involving degrees and responsibility and such.
And I still say, working in coffee and then being a server was the hardest job I’ve ever had.
The main point here, especially aimed @ commenters 21 and 22 is:
I am ALWAYS very kind to servers and baristas etc., and lo and behold, I ALWAYS get amazing service and quite often free stuff (an extra bottle of sake, a free cookie, etc., even from “corporate” places).
It’s just the golden rule in operation here, folks. Simple.
@27 tipping for potentially “free” stuff doesnt mean it is free. It is added value to your experience long term. And really, it is rare that i get bad service. But we shouldn’t be paying a fee to avoid bad service, we should be rewarding exceptional service and creating an incentive to keep it up. And I put this out to some of you; with bad service or product, how likely are you to A. Tip beyond 10% B. Repeat business? I’ve only encountered a handful of places i wouldn’t go to again because of service.
for the most part tipping as it stands, where it is left up to personal preference, works well. The people that offer great product and service are rewarded, those that don’t are less rewarded (mostly because of a few people that feel obligated to part with 20%). Basically the work
The real people you should feel bad for are retail sales people that work on a draw. They get paid minimum wage, have to make up their wage on the commission structure that the company sets up before they collect anything above minimum wage. There are scenarios where an employee can sell 10 times their monthly draw in a month and still only make minimum wage. And there is no system like tipping that balances the wage. And you don’t think they put up with bullshit from the entitled shopper types? You don’t think there is tons of backbiting and underhanded shit between co-workers? you don’t think they are on their feet, on the phone every hour of every day? you don’t think theyre busy?
These are the people that deserve your sympathy. not a push button barista.
You can easily see the incentive differences between commission on a draw vs. minimum plus tip.
The folks at Smith and at CCs have been AMAZING during Snowpocalypse!