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As someone who pays my bills on the basis of tips received, I can say that in the US, not tipping is not only insulting, it's not getting paid. In union cities, waiters make a living hourly wage (New York, Miami, Vegas). In the rest of the US, waiters average $2.15 an hour. This loophole in minimum wage is because it is expected that we are tipped employees. From a legal standpoint, employers are theoretically expected to make up the difference if our earnings don't add up to minimum wage. I've never worked for one that actually does so. Thankfully, there have been few experiences in my waiting career where that has been necessary. The standard in the US is 15% for adequate service. I'm a damned good waiter. I generally expect 20%, but as I'm a damned good waiter, I would never do something that would let anyone know that I felt let down or insulted by less. Bartenders in this city make somewhere between $2.15 and $4.50 an hour, for the most part, so they too are reliant upon tips. I personally find that tipping outrageously ($6-$10) on a $25 tab makes me more likely to get preferential service, allows me to request that the bar stock certain items (I'm the only one who touches that bottle of Campari), and occasionally puts me in free drinks when I'm piss-poor or the bartender is feeling generous.
Waiting tables is not rocket science. It is however, a miserable job. And at least on the fine-dining level, it's a job with a somewhat esoteric skillset. To attract waiters who are halfway-intelligent, have a knowledge of wine and their menu, and give a damn about taking care of people, the job has to be at least somewhat lucrative. |
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