U.S. Restaurant Tipping

[Luv2play]

4 hours ago, DynamicUno said:

I wish we could end the tip culture in the US.  I don't believe it leads to better service and it I think the overall dynamic is toxic.  Since that's not going to happen anytime soon, I think it's reasonable to tip somewhat less in places that have set up higher minimum wages for service workers, but it's the last thing I want to think about when travelling.

The other thing I wish they would do is implement POS systems where they take the card reader to your table instead of having the staff take your cards back.  Way more secure and convenient.

I was amazed that US restaurants, even in NY city, still don't have POS systems in place at the tables. At PJ Clarke's, where I dined just before the pandemic, this was the case. I paid cash rather than give my credit card to the waiter. In Canada, POS is the standard at restaurants and has been for quite a few years now.

[MikeBiDude]

3 hours ago, Unicorn said:

I think he means that if the wage has increased from $9 an hour to $20 an hour in a space of 2 years

Where has restaurant workers wages gone up 120% over 2 years like in your example?

[Epigonos]

MikeBDude I’m not convinced that, at this point in time, the lack of restaurant menus has anything to do with Covid precautions.  During the initial stages of the pandemic knowledge regarding its transmission was little understood even in the scientific community.  Thus, many were concerned that it might be transmitted through touching surfaces. I believe, that is no longer the case.  It is now generally accepted that the Covid virus is airborne.  For many months now the use of masks has been considered the best precaution against Covid NOT avoidance touching of surfaces including menus.   I’m convinced that restaurants are simply using Covid as an excuse to save the expense of providing customers with printed menus.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, MikeBiDude said:

I’m surprised you don’t realize it’s more common now as a Covid precaution? More paper menus (and reduced menu items 😖) since RE-openings.

It has nothing to do with that. It's been known for over a year (September 2020) that the virus isn't spread by fomites. It's spread via aerosol. 

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(20)30678-2/fulltext

"...only the continuous positive airway pressure helmet of one patient was positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. More importantly, attempts to culture the positive swabs on Vero E6 cells were unsuccessful."

It's just a matter of the restaurants being cheap bastards. 

[Guest]

59 minutes ago, MikeBiDude said:

Where has restaurant workers wages gone up 120% over 2 years like in your example?

Well, I don't know where the $20/hour figure came from (I used the figure from a prior poster). SF's minimum wage is $16.32, including tipped workers. In California the minimum wage in 2019 was $11/hour. So maybe not 120%; you're right, but way more than the rate of inflation. The city-imposed minimum wage is a new phenomenon. 

https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/san-francisco-minimum-wage-goes-up-to-6218783/

[+ PapaTony]

On 10/7/2021 at 1:41 PM, tassojunior said:

OTOH, this.......

 

Now THAT deserves a big tip!

 

[johnjohn]

I know most people  do not carry Cash anymore,  but I do so i can pay my server in cash its better for them.

Also I even tip the person at the  drive thru or pickups.Do any of you? I have been blessed in my life and pay it forward .  At least they are working  ,  trying

[MikeBiDude]

On 10/8/2021 at 1:51 PM, Epigonos said:

MikeBDude I’m not convinced that, at this point in time, the lack of restaurant menus has anything to do with Covid precautions.

On 10/8/2021 at 2:36 PM, Unicorn said:

It has nothing to do with that. It's been known for over a year (September 2020) that the virus isn't spread by fomites. It's spread via aerosol. 

Yes of course we now know how Covid is transmitted. But there’s a perception among the public that touching is still an issue. Why is there still hand sanitizer everywhere you go? Reality or perception? 

Re: “chintzy” restaurants - half of all restaurants that closed during Covid will never reopen. The industry was hit very hard - especially restaurants that were dining room only, no pickup/drive thru. If your favorite restaurant is still open, be happy you can use a QR code and order at all! 

If indeed you choose not to patronize restaurants without regular menus that’s your choice, and perhaps your loss. Many of us here on the forum including myself and the fine gentlemen quoted above are from a bit if a different era. Restaurant dining has already changed dramatically and will continue to evolve.

You can ignore it and skip dining experiences you used to enjoy, or get out those smart devices you take pics with with, text friends with, use to converse with providers, and snap a QR code and enjoy a meal!

Edit to add link: QR code’s here to stay

“The coronavirus pandemic ushered in the instantaneous, widespread use of QR codes, but restaurant industry experts think that the technology will stick around long after the health crisis ends.”

 

[+ Charlie]

I have eaten at restaurants rarely since the beginning of COVID, but one of the things that drove me crazy when restaurants first re-opened was the elimination of everything normally found on the table, not just menus. The few times I have eaten out recently, I see the salt and pepper, condiments, etc., are back on the table, yet they are touched more often by the customers than the menus, so I don't see why eliminating the menus is claimed as a health measure.

[+ Oliver]

On 10/8/2021 at 3:18 PM, Unicorn said:

... It's getting tiring to put up with restaurants getting chintzy with their costs at customer expense. 

😄

Edited October 10, 2021 by Oliver

[nate_sf]

On 10/8/2021 at 8:10 PM, johnjohn said:

Also I even tip the person at the  drive thru or pickups.Do any of you? I have been blessed in my life and pay it forward .  At least they are working  ,  trying

This is my approach too. I'm not by any means wealthy, but I'm doing OK and like to be able to share the wealth to the extent I can. 

Personally I don't think service workers are paid enough, even with the increased minimum wages. The cost of living is high compared to wages, the work can be quite difficult, and turnover is high. Most I know in the service industry have more than one job to make ends meet, and many live in very crowded conditions at home. When I think of how much extra it costs me, in real terms, to tip more generously, it's usually just a matter of a few bucks here and there. Tip the friendly barrista a buck for just a cup of coffee? Maybe excessive, but it's just a buck for crying out loud. (And at the risk of this ending up in the Politics forum, I'm not trying to be political. I'm just talking about simple economics.)

Restaurant margins are tight, so whereas it can seem the owners are just being cheap, it's also that they're trying to remain in business. If leaving good tips helps them retain their good employees, then that works for me. I'd hope the experienced waitstaff is there when I come back next time.

But I'll admit I hate the QR codes too! I'm wondering how much might be that the restaurant got a hard sell from a vendor promising all kinds of great streamlining of their service. In my day job I get tons of these pitches, all promising nothing short of miracles. My favorite pizza place uses the QR code, digital menu, and ordering from the app, but at least a third of the time the order gets screwed up.

Edited October 10, 2021 by nate_sf

[samhexum]

On 10/7/2021 at 2:53 PM, tassojunior said:

What really bugs me is all the iPad requests for tip amount on carry-outs. Even places that are all carry-out. You want 20% for handing me a muffin? 

 

On 10/7/2021 at 3:47 PM, bigjoey said:

Absolutely correct.  I hate these tip screens at carry out places where the clerk has done nothing to deserve a tip.  If I pick my food up from a case and the only effort the clerk has done is to wave the bar code reader on my item(s) and tell me to put my credit card in the slot and not even bag the order, I find it difficult to think they are going to get an 18% tip minimum.

 

On 10/7/2021 at 3:53 PM, cany10011 said:

For places like these, i try to bring cash and throw in the spare change. I hate the awkward feeling of not adding a tip for something I have to walk to and pick up. They are just doing their job when they are handing me a bagel. 

[+ tassojunior]

The kicker (kick in the ass) is that these "tips" go to the business not the employees. The business assigns them as it sees fit unless there are state or local laws and we've had several cases in DC where the business keeps all tips. We've had several famous bars where even though they were required to give employees a certain % of tips they in fact kept all credit card tips. 

I find in life people appreciate more and wheels get greased better if one keeps a small supply of $5s and 20s in one's wallet or pocket.

[+ tassojunior]

I prefer to order and pay on my phone. 

[BuffaloKyle]

Thanks to the pandemic every restaurant does takeout ordering now. So I can't even remember the last time I ate in a restaurant. I prefer to pick it up and eat in the comfort of my own home.

[+ Vegas_Millennial]

14 hours ago, BuffaloKyle said:

Thanks to the pandemic every restaurant does takeout ordering now. So I can't even remember the last time I ate in a restaurant. I prefer to pick it up and eat in the comfort of my own home.

I still never do takeout and enjoy going to restaurants, and frequently ask to sit in the section with a cute waiter.  It's the little joys in life that bring a smile to my face. 😁

And if the waiters are cute, I'll offer them "just the tip" 😉

[+ Lucky]

I can't find the article that I read yesterday, but it said that QR code menus at restaurants were pretty much dead. Paper menus are back!

Oh wait, here it is:

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/may/23/off-the-menu-why-restaurants-are-ditching-qr-codes